Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The bass pounds, reverberating through Jimin’s body, and he moves easily with its ebbs and flows. The music is loud, the changes in songs coming fast from the DJ booth, rhythms swelling and bumping, crescendos almost being reached, then transitioning to a different beat.

Jimin loves to dance. It’s one of the only ways he can actually lose himself, helped along by the alcohol and the gaggle of women dancing with him, teasing and laughing and effortlessly sexy. He knows he's safe here, in control, the only worry ensuring that everyone’s drinks stay topped up and the music remains fierce.

The other thing that Jimin loves about dancing is this: it makes people notice him. They catch his eye and smile, or stare outright. They rake their eyes down his body and, sometimes, Jimin looks back. Not always, especially not in a straight bar like this one. But sometimes he does, when the right person catches his eye. Male, of course. Uncertain, maybe, but still with a hunger that is unmistakable in their eyes, even if they don’t quite recognize it themselves yet.

Jimin plays it safe. He has to, given that any guy who approaches him in a bar like this, almost stereotypically hetero with it’s half price ladies nights, it’s sleek yet boring modern decor, with a dancefloor ringed with booths making it easy for the neanderthals to ogle the mostly female crowd, will at best be closeted. Most of the time they’re straight guys looking to experiment, intrigued by the way Jimin’s small waist, or his strong thighs, clearly outlined in painted-on jeans, or his more-than-generous ass, or his lips, shiny with gloss, make them feel.

Given that, Jimin is cautious, making sure they are enthusiastically into it, into him, even if it is their first time with a guy. He refuses to pursue any straight guy, but he will oblige if they come to him, which they often do, grabbing his wrist on his way to the washroom, or approaching him at the bar when it’s his turn to get a round. Sometimes they’re aggressive, clearly having made their minds up while watching him dance that he’s up for it. Jimin let’s them believe it if he wants to, if they’re hot enough. Sometimes they’re submissive, stuttering and nervous, and Jimin likes them that way too, if they’re cute enough.

Jimin actually prefers this kind of hook up over the ones he sometimes engages in at gay bars for one simple reason: Jimin doesn’t date. His life is too busy, his job takes too much out of him, and what he really needs at the end of a long day is the sweet relief of a good orgasm, and then the uncomplicated peace of leaving afterwards, going home to a warm bath and maybe some more wine before he wraps himself in his own clean sheets (straight guys don’t tend to have the best cleaning habits) and gets a good night sleep. And sure, there are lots of men at the gay bars in Seoul who are simply in it for a one night stand, but it’s almost always easier this way. Less chance for complication, less chance the guy will get clingy, or that he’ll run into him next time he’s out.

So he’s careful, making sure he’s the one who chooses, and always in control. His rules are simple: he goes back to their place or a hotel, sex is always safe with a condom and a generous amount of lube, he never stays the night and very rarely does he cuddle afterwards, and he never sleeps with the guy more than once. Strictly one night stands. It’s always worked for him, and he sees no reason to change.

Jimin is at this particular bar tonight because it's Jihyo’s birthday and it was her choice. Jimin works with mostly women and they all love him: love how fun he is at work and especially when they go out, love that they can dance with him without being worried about being called a tease, love that he can act as a shield against creeps who take things too far, love that he always compliments them and gives them outfit advice. And he loves them back. He goes out with them maybe a few times a month, more when he’s feeling extra stressed and needing more relief than usual.

Tonight there’s six of them out together, and although the place wouldn’t be his choice, he’s happy if Jihyo’s happy, which she is, all drunk and giggly from the attention. They’ve had several rounds of shots so they’re all on their way to the sloppier part of the night, at which point picking someone up will be off the table for Jimin. Another one of his rules: he can’t be too drunk.

He turns while he dances, scanning the room one more time in case he catches anyone watching. He had a truly awful day at work and could use some fun of the bedroom variety. The day was so bad that he had gone straight home to dye his hair and pre-game for their night out. He’s sporting a cloud of soft pink hair, and he was surprised how much he loved it. It brings out the pink in his lips, which he highlighted with a generous amount of gloss. He’s dressed simply in a pair of ripped jeans, a tight white tank top, and a blue cardigan that accentuates the softness of his hair, slipping off of one shoulder.

As he scans the room, he sees a pair of eyes looking back. He turns a little more so he can get a better look. It’s a boy in one of the booths. He’s smack dab in the middle of a large group of men, most of them older, in outdated suits, intent on their beer and conversation. The pair of eyes looking at him, however, belong to someone much younger.

He looks to be about Jimin’s age. Jimin can’t see much of him but his face is stunning. His eyes are large for his face. His nose is distinctive, making his face memorable, his lips below forming a sweet cupid’s bow. His hair is dark, wavy locks giving him a bit more of a youthful look than his friends, if that’s what they are.

Jimin looks away, wanting to test his theory. He dances a bit closer to Chaewon, pulling a face and making her laugh as he swings them around, changing their positions and shifting them several feet to the left. He then dips around, and looks again at the booth. The boy’s head has shifted with them. He’s watching Jimin, that’s for sure.

Jimin hears the music shift from a bouncy pop song to something a little more sultry, deep bass implying moving hips. So Jimin moves his, a little more sexy, aiming his flirting at his friends, but throwing a glance every once in a while at the booth. He feels a thrill move him as he sees the boy keep his gaze, blatantly ignoring his friends or colleagues.

He’s handsome, really handsome, and something about his gaze is so sexy: his assuredness paired with the innocent look of his wide eyes creating an irresistible combination. Jimin wonders if his body matches his face. He wonders what those eyes would do if he were to undress in front of him, wonders what the hair would feel like between his fingers, whether the waves are as soft as they look.

Jimin hasn’t felt this interested in a long time. Sure, he’s attracted to the guys he goes home with. Occasionally one of them even intrigues him a little, but he always makes sure he’s the one being pursued. He might be willing to do the pursuing for this guy. But first he decides to try the obvious moves. He whispers to Chaewon that he’s hitting the bathroom and then walks away from the dancefloor, taking the long way to make sure he can pass by the mystery man’s booth. As he does, he lets his cardigan slip down his arms the rest of the way, exposing both shoulders and the glow of his slightly sweaty skin.

He glances towards the table as he passes by and sees that the dark haired boy is following him with his eyes while trying to be subtle: sneaking quick glances while trying not to turn his head too much. Jimin smiles at him and the boy’s eyes open wider. Then he continues on to the bathroom, pretty sure that he’ll be followed, or at least approached on his way back to the dancefloor.

He washes his hands quickly while checking out his reflection in the mirror, touching gently at his pink locks to shift them into place. He’s glad he went with the look he did tonight, something softly sexy and not too intimidating, perfect for someone looking to maybe experiment with some strange new feelings. Jimin smirks at himself in the mirror and then adds some more gloss from the tube in his pocket to his lips before heading back out.

He’s disappointed, however. He isn’t approached on his way back to the dancefloor and when he risks a glance at the booth, he doesn’t see the boy. He pouts. He thought he had gotten him, hook, line, and sinker. He dances, distracted, as he scans the rest of the club. Usually, he wouldn’t think twice about it. If a guy doesn’t want him enough to come up to him, he doesn’t want him back. For this guy, Jimin might risk being a tad more aggressive.

There! He thinks he spots the boy’s wavy hair at the bar, waiting to get the bartender’s attention. At least he thinks it’s him, he can only see glimpses in the crowd and the acrobatics his body is performing to try to get a better look decides it for him. He’s definitely intrigued enough to play the more assertive part.

He dances over to Jihyo and makes sure the birthday girl is happy before whispering his plans to her. Her eyes light up with delight and she gives him a “Go get ‘em, tiger!” before practically shoving him away. Jimin laughs and then beelines it for the bar.

He loses sight of the guy as he tries to push his way through the crowd. He makes it to the bar but doesn’t see him. He sighs as he leans against the counter, waiting for the bartender to be free. He can at least buy another round of shots for the girls and drink his disappointment away.

He feels a gentle tap on his arm and he turns, ready to turn someone down. Despite Jimin feeling like his whole look screams “gay!” from the top of its lungs, women still sometimes try to pick him up.

When he turns, however, the only word that comes to mind is “chest” and for good reason. The first thing he registers is how hard the buttons on this guy’s shirt are working, straining to fit over his broad chest, his pecs well defined despite the buttoned down, traditional look he’s sporting, complete with long sleeves and a collar. Jimin manages to tip his head up, a herculean feat if you were to ask him given his view, and he’s surprised to find it’s his wavy-haired mystery man, looking a little nervous as he bites his lip.

“Hi,” mystery man says, voice soft.

“Hi,” Jimin says back, grinning now. He got approached after all and he’s very pleased with himself. He’s also pleased with everything he’s seeing in front of him now that he can get a good look.

In addition to the broad chest, the man is sporting the tiniest waist Jimin has ever seen on someone so tall, his dress shirt tucked into a pair of paints that also fit him rather snugly. He actually looks like he’s wearing a size too small, but Jimin isn’t complaining. And he’s just as handsome this close up, although he’s tipping a little more to unbelievably adorable as he watches Jimin check him out with a set of wide eyes and one hand drumming nervously on the bar.

Jimin has to play this right. He can’t scare him away, so he decides to go with demure and friendly. He can surprise him later with a little more boldness, when he gets him alone.

“Can I help you with something? You look lost.” Jimin smiles, batting his eyelashes gently.

That only makes the boy’s eyes wider. “Lost? Oh, no, not me.”

Jimin giggles, and surprises himself with how genuine it is.

“Then what can I do for you, sweetheart?”

Jimin isn’t sure because of the dark lighting but he thinks the brunette might actually be blushing. Jimin loves a blusher, a button he revels in pushing when he gets them alone, but he’s never made a man blush with just a tame pet name before. He wonders if this guy will actually have the nerve to go home with him. He guesses he’ll find out.

“Oh. Um, well, actually, it’s not for me.”

“No?” Jimin tilts his head, curious.

The boy throws a thumb over his shoulder, bringing Jimin’s attention back to the booth of older men that he was sitting with before.

“Yeah, uh, those gentlemen I’m with, they wanted to buy a round for the girls you were dancing with. I’ve got them ordered but then I saw you and I thought, hey, maybe I should ask if you think they would be ok with that.”

Jimin’s brow furrows.

“That depends,” he says. “Are they going to expect anything in return? Because, one, no offense, but they’re kind of old, and two, we’re just here to have fun and dance. This isn’t some kind of exchange where they buy them a round and expect them to put out or something, is it?”

Jimin almost immediately regrets his words because the boy’s eyes go so wide it looks like they might pop out of his head.

“Oh, no!” he says, shaking his head in dismay. “No, no, no, not at all. They’re just a bunch of guys from outside the city, and they thought it would be fun to buy them a round. That’s all, really.”

“Hmmm,” Jimin considers, pressing a finger to his lips and pleased to see Jungkook follows it with his eyes. “Ok, I guess. Sorry, I’m just a little protective of them. We all work together and we’re out for a birthday.”

“Ok, great!” The brunette looks relieved, actually blowing out a breath that makes one of his wavy locks of hair swing away from his face. Cute. He keeps talking. “I just ordered a bunch of cocktails, hope that’s ok.”

Jimin re-evaluates. He might have to go on the flirting offensive if the mystery man didn’t approach him to try to pick him up.

“Again, that depends.”

The boy nods, eyes intent on Jimin. The bartender approaches with his drinks, nicely lined up on a tray, placing them on the bartop next to them.

“Well, the girls are going to be thrilled with the drinks. But,” he says, slinking a little closer to the man and putting on a slight pout, one he knows will look good on his glossy lips. “I’m assuming your friends bought them just for the girls. Who is going to buy me a drink?”

Jimin thinks he sees the other boy gulp. “Oh! I ordered you one too!”

“Hmm.” Jimin pretends to consider. “Not sure if I want a drink from them. Not if they meant them just for the girls.”

He’s almost worried this guy is a lost cause. He can’t sleep with him if he can’t even bring himself to buy a guy a drink and call it what it is.

“Oh, no,” says the cutie. “I mean I’ll buy you a drink. Me, I will.” He taps at his own chest while he says it, and Jimin decides: he’s going to ride him like his own personal pony.

He has to work things up gradually, of course, so he just smiles, sticking his tongue into the corner of his mouth.

“Lovely. Can I ask who is buying me the drink?”

The cutie looks confused for a second and actually points at himself and Jimin feels all his buttons being pushed.

“I meant your name, sweetheart.”

“Oh,” he says. “I’m Jungkook.”

“Jungkook. Nice to meet you. I’m Jimin.”

Jungkook offers his hand and Jimin takes it, amused because he’s never had a one night stand start with a handshake before. He does like how his hand almost disappears inside of Jungkook’s, his hands large, fingers slightly callused.

“Ok, Jungkook-ah -- oh, do you mind if we skip the formalities? I just feel like we’re going to be close.”

Jungkook just nods.

“How rude of me though, I just assumed you’re younger. How old are you?”

Jungkook reaches up to rub at his own neck. “97-liner. You?”

Jimin grins. Oh yeah, this is gonna be fun. “95. So I’m hyung.”

Jungkook simply nods, looking out of his depth.

“Now,” Jimin continues. “Let’s get these drinks to the girls. Hyung will carry them if you carve me a path.”

He winks, smoothly picking up the tray of drinks and looking expectantly at Jungkook, who smiles a little and then turns, doing his best to make a hole in the crowd so Jimin can navigate back to the dancefloor with the tray of drinks. The journey takes them quite a while because Jungkook seems to be too polite to do anything more than gently tap on people’s shoulders or place a hand on their lower back to nudge them as they move. Jimin doesn’t mind: he has good balance so he’s not worried about handling the drinks and he gets to unabashedly stare at Jungkook’s ass, which is giving even him a run for his money in his tight dress slacks.

Finally they make it back to the dancefloor and Jihyo squeals when she sees the tray of drinks. Jungkook stands shyly to the side while Jimin explains who bought them, which prompts another high pitched sound from the group as well as several waves sent over to the table of businessmen, who send some thumbs up back. It’s all very PG and charming and Jimin is happy. Jihyo grabs his arm once he has the last drink off the tray for himself.

“Is this the guy you’re going after?” she asks, pitching her voice low and eyes running over Jungkook, who is standing somewhat awkwardly a few feet away, chatting softly with one of the other girls in the group, and pointing back towards the booth he had come from.

“Yes,” Jimin hisses. “Now shoo, he’s shy. I can’t let him get scared away.”

Jihyo giggles but lets him go with a lilting “Have fuuuuun.”

Jimin abandons the tray at a nearby high top table, then slides over to Jungkook’s side, sipping at his drink.

Jungkook turns towards him, and he watches as his girlfriends go back to dancing, leaving the two of them in their own space, a knowing look on their faces. They’ve seen a thing or two going out with Jimin.

“Thank you for my drink,” he begins. “But do you need one? Happy to return the favor.”

“Oh, no, I’m ok!” Jungkook says, leaning a little closer so Jimin can hear him easily over the loud music. “I’m supposed to be the sober one tonight.”

Jimin is pleased. Drunk guys can be hard to handle. And he sort of wants cutie to remember every single moment of tonight.

Jimin considers his options. He could start dancing with the guy, show him his moves, usually things spin out pretty naturally from there. Or he could flirt, see if he can draw the guy out with innuendo. Jimin decides on a third option because something about this guy makes him not want to waste any time.

So instead, he takes one more sip of his drink and then abandons it on the same high top table a few feet away.

“Oh,” Jungkook says once he’s back, “Did you not like it?”

“No, I did.” Jimin pauses and he reaches forward and takes Jungkook’s hand in his. “I just like you more. I thought if you’re staying sober, I would too.”

“Oh,” Jungkook says, looking down at their hands, and Jimin bursts out laughing, covering his mouth with his other hand as Jungkook’s shy smile grows on his face.

“I’ve never met a real life person who says ‘oh’ so much. You’re like a cartoon character.”

Jungkook blushes and Jimin adds, “A cute cartoon character. All shy and sexy.”

Jungkook eyebrows shoot up. “Sexy?”

“Yeah,” Jimin says, stepping closer and tilting his face up to Jungkook’s, watching as his eyes flick down to fixate on his lips before they pop back up. “I think you’re really sexy. And just my type. Look, usually I would have a bit of a longer preamble, but you’re here, I’m here. Want to be not here, together?”

“Ummmm,” Jungkook begins, and Jimin worries that he’s been too forward. Jungkook glances back at the table of businessmen he has all but abandoned and Jimin gets it. There’s still a little bit of a sting, like there always is, but Jimin understands. He’s dealt with it before, and he’ll deal with it again. It’s not worth making a scene over. So instead, he just leans into Jungkook’s space, and whispers in his ear.

“I can meet you outside. Say in ten? That is, if you like me too.” He swings Jungkook’s hand in his a little and tries to look his sweetest.

Jungkook’s eyes crinkle slightly and he says quickly, easily. “Yeah, I like you. Umm, ok, yeah, I can make that work. Ten minutes.”

“Ten minutes,” Jimin says, grinning and slowly backing away. Jungkook also backs up, keeping his eyes on Jimin for as long as he can, as if he’s afraid he’ll disappear if he looks away, before he has to turn to head back to his table.

Jimin finds Jihyo again and simply holds out his hand and says, “Gimme.”

Jihyo rolls her eyes. “Seriously?”

Jimin nods. “This one seems extra clueless. I can’t take any chances.”

Jihyo harrumps but then obliges, pulling a pouch out of her small purse and transferring a condom and a travel packet of lube to Jimin as discreetly as possible. Jimin looks down at his hand and just wiggles his fingers.

“Ugh, you’re disgusting,” Jihyo says, but hands him a few more packages of lube and another condom.

“Shut up, you love me,” he says, kissing her on the cheek and getting one in return, before he turns and makes his exit, deliberately not looking in the direction of Jungkook’s table. He doesn’t want to give him away since he didn’t seem to want to be obvious about leaving with Jimin.

He enjoys the cool air once he’s outside, letting it turn the slight sweat on his skin into a chilly coolness, his shoulders goosebumping quickly. As he waits he pulls his cardigan back up around shoulders and checks his texts, confirming brunch the next day with his best friend.

He starts to get worried that Jungkook is going to chicken out. He finds himself getting a little upset at the idea, and that sets something off deep within him. He doesn’t need this guy. He doesn’t need any guy, he--

Just as he’s working himself up, he feels a light tap on his shoulder and he wheels around and sees the cutie standing close to him, one hand tucked in his pocket, hair falling a little in his eyes. He looks uncertain but there’s a small smile playing on his lips and Jimin pushes away the unpleasant feelings that had been gathering in his chest.

“Hi,” Jungkook says.

“Well, hi,” Jimin says, and then puts on a slight pout. “I thought maybe you forgot about me.”

“No. No, I don’t think that’s possible.” His mouth pulls up at one side, as if he wants to smirk, but is too shy.

Jimin smiles back at him and lifts his hand to clear his hair to one side. To his surprise, Jungkook reaches forward and does it for him, letting his fingers continue to sweep back through his hair, sending little tingles down Jimin’s spine. His hand comes to rest cupping the side of Jimin’s head, his hand large and warm in contrast to the night air. Jimin feels a rush of white noise in his head.

He reaches up to cover Jungkook’s hand with his own and Jungkook’s face creases into a bigger smile, then his eyebrows rise in surprise when Jimin steps forward into his space. His hand falls, but only to gently rest against Jimin’s waist, gathering the fabric of his sweater.

When Jimin reaches up on his tiptoes, Jungkook’s hand at his waist makes the cardigan slip from his shoulder again. Jungkook seems fixated by the skin and Jimin doesn’t waste another second.

Instead of going straight for a kiss he drags his cheek against Jungkook as his lips find his ear.

“I hope I’m not being too forward if I tell you that I want you,” Jimin whispers, letting the gravel in his voice elongate his vowels and drag out the last word playfully.

He doesn’t leave the boy anytime to answer, sucking the lobe of his ear into his mouth gently and then placing gentle wet kisses down the length of his jaw. Jungkook lets out a small gasp and his hand tightens at Jimin’s waist, cinching in the soft fabric of his sweater and allowing Jimin to feel the slight tremble of his hand.

Jimin steps closer and enjoys the pay off of the delicious buildup as he finally finds the brunette’s mouth. First kisses can be awkward. They can be too tentative or too aggressive, too full of whatever impression both parties are trying to make on each other.

Jimin likes to work someone up a bit first so that when their mouths meet, all pretense is blown away, and it’s just the person’s want that moves them. You can tell a lot about how someone fucks by how they honestly kiss and Jimin likes to know what he's getting into.

Jungkook’s lips meeting his tell him several things: he’s letting Jimin lead, following Jimin’s pace, he’s enthusiastic but skilled, his tongue pressing against Jimin’s bottom lip and exploring further whenever Jimin allows him access, and he’s already very turned on, the noises escaping him eager and cute, his other hand gripping at Jimin’s waist to join the first and pulling him in, Jimin’s head tipping back further as Jungkook presses the advantage of his height.

Jimin allows him to pull him in as tightly as he wants, feeling the long press of his legs and their hips meeting and warring slightly as Jimin pulls his shoulders in to fit better into the other man’s arms. Jungkook’s mouth tastes slightly of mint, like he had chewed some gum before coming outside. His tongue swipes again against his own and Jimin feels his want pulse higher. He wonders what his side of the kiss is revealing to Jungkook. He pulls back, both of them panting slightly. Not bad for their first foray.

Jimin turns slightly in Jungkook’s arms and he spots a taxi pulling up across the street, a few girls, dressed for a night out, spilling out with laughter and loud chatter. He looks back up at Jungkook, who has a slightly dazed look on his face.

“Come on,” he says, grabbing one of his hands and pulling him across the street. Jungkook follows easily and Jimin looks back and smiles at him as they make it to the other side.

Jimin quickly grabs the door of the cab as the last girl exits and pokes his head in.

“Free for a ride?” he asks the driver who just grunts and nods his head, busy with the receipt from his last fare.

Jimin hops in and scooches over in the backseat and Jungkook joins him, closing the door behind him. Jimin loops their hands together again once he is settled and he bats his eyelashes subtly at him. The next part is important.

“Your place?” he asks, hoping he doesn’t get any push back.

“Oh, ummmm,” Jungkook starts, looking uncertain. “Actually, I’m staying at a hotel nearby--”

“Even better!” Jimin interrupts him. “Be a good boy and give him the address?” he prompts, inclining his head to the driver.

Jungkook does, rhyming off an address that sounds vaguely familiar to Jimin while he keeps his eyes stuck on him, as if he can’t quite believe what he’s doing. Jimin wonders if it’s his first time with a guy. He doesn’t ask, he never does. Such details make things too awkward. Better to just let the current of their physical connection carry them along.

So, in that spirit, as the driver puts the car into gear and pulls away from the curb, Jimin curls a hand up and around Junkook’s ear, petting at his hair and drawing his face back to his own, opening his lips beneath the other boy’s and gently swiping his tongue along his bottom lip before sucking it briefly into his own mouth and gently biting down. His other hand is still tucked gently in Jungkook’s, his fingers resting lightly on his pulse, which he feels jump as their kiss deepens.

Jimin grasps Jungkook’s hand more firmly and takes it, placing it on his own thigh, encouraging him to touch as the car slowly navigates traffic. There’s a pop song playing on the radio, the only other sound accompanying the sound of their lips. Jungkook pulls away and Jimin pouts, but he only looks nervously up at the driver and back to Jimin, hesitating.

Jimin evaluates the situation. The taxi driver is young, still in his twenties if Jimin is any judge of age, which means he shouldn’t be as judgemental as some.

Jimin grabs his wallet out of his pocket, but he only has ten thousand won in cash. He looks over to Jungkook, who looks confused.

“You have any cash? Maybe twenty thousand?”

Jungkook nods, pulling out his own wallet and grabbing some bills, handing them over to Jimin when he wiggles his fingers.

Jimin scooches forward a bit in his seat and dangles the hand with the money at the side of the driver’s line of sight.

“This is on top of your tip if you forget you have a backseat until we get there.”

The driver glances at the money and then briefly makes eye contact with Jimin in the rear view mirror. He snorts a small laugh and grabs the money.

As soon as the money has exchanged hands, Jimin turns, managing deftly in the small space to lift a leg so he can straddle Jungkook, sliding into his lap easily.

Jungkook’s face is a picture of surprise but he quickly rests his hands on Jimin’s hips, his body stiffening a bit as Jimin settles.

Jimin smiles softly and he grips Jungkook’s hands on his own hips, encouraging them to squeeze him tighter.

“Let’s get our money’s worth, what do you say?”

Jungkook laughs in surprise and the tension melts from his body. The smile stays on his face as he surges up to capture Jimin’s lips again, and they are awkward for a moment, a bit of clashing teeth before they settle into a rhythm, Jungkook letting him lead again. Jimin builds the pace of their lips quickly, enjoying the way Jungkook meets his energy, the softness of his lips almost dreamy, contrasting with the occasional wicked instinct he shows with a flick of his tongue or the way his hands grip at Jimin’s hips and thighs.

They pull away briefly, breathless, Jimin having slipped further up Jungkook’s thighs, and Jungkook blurts out, “Is that taste your lip gloss?”

Jimin giggles. “Vanilla. You like it?”

Jungkook nods and looks at him like he’s something to eat, which is fair enough. He lifts his hands for the first time to tangle in the pink cloud of Jimin’s hair. “Careful not to hit your head,” he says as he cushions it from the roof of the car with his own hand. He then uses his grip to pull him down to his mouth, where he licks gently against his lips before claiming them totally again.

Jimin is usually more strategic during the early parts of his hook ups, teasing and laughing, conversation and banter as much a part of the foreplay as kissing and touching, but something about Jungkook is too intoxicating: his timidness betrayed occasionally by a bold move, or the stolid nature of his limbs, or his features, young and innocent looking, but when veiled in a layer of arousal, dizzyingly mature.

So Jimin blames it totally on the other boy when he gets a little carried away. He lets his arousal guide his movements, which means his hips start circling in Jungkook’s lap, slowly and gently at first, feeling the way their bodies meet, how they fit and how they don’t, until he finds a rhythm that allows the dragging delicious feeling to climb up from his core and connect to where Jungkook is doing sinful things to his mouth.

Jungkook’s grip drags back down from his hair to his waist, not encouraging or discouraging, just holding on for the ride. Jimin’s own hands are looped behind Jungkook’s neck and he changes the angle of his hips slightly, allowing himself to grind down properly. Suddenly, he can feel the hard length in Jungkook’s slacks and he’s pleased to know he’s just as turned on as Jimin is. He breaks their kiss briefly to glance down at Jungkook’s body and all he can see are straining buttons. The ones on his shirt are struggling the hardest, barely hanging on when Jungkook flexes his arms to squeeze at Jimin’s waist, but the one on his slacks isn’t faring too well either.

Jimin raises his eyebrows. “I think your suit is one size too small,” he says.

Jungkook is panting beneath him and Jimin worries he’s cranked him up a bit too fast.

“Yeah, well, you’re not helping it fit any better,” Jungkook says, a bit of sass in his tone. Jimin was thinking of going a little easier on him, but that settles it: if he can sass him, he can take more.

“Tsk. I’m not sure worrying about your clothes fitting you is exactly my priority right now.” Jimin puts on his hautiest look and he watches as Jungkook shifts in the mood with him.

He tests this when he moves a hand from his neck up to play at his bottom lip, which he has noticed is slightly crooked, an endearingly sexy imperfection. He slips two of his fingers into Jungkook’s mouth and watches as he sucks down on them, noticing that a deep pink flush is starting at his ears and traveling down his neck. The cutie’s shy and maybe a little embarrassed, but he likes it.

Jimin drinks in this knowledge, starting the movement of his hips back up as he feels Jungkook’s tongue lave over his fingers and as he watches the pink flush deepen on his neck and what he can see of his chest. Jimin feels himself getting caught up, desperate to see what else Jungkook responds to, and he pulls his fingers out of his mouth.

He kisses him, taking the offensive and keeping Jungkook overwhelmed with the sensations of his mouth while he drags his hands to his chest, starting to relieve one of the buttons of its duties. He slides a little as the cab takes a corner a little too sharply, but he rights himself and successfully undoes two buttons. He slides his hands under Jungkook’s shirt, chasing the flush.

Their mouths are moving more leisurely now and Jimin has slowed his hips as he explores the curves of Jungkook’s chest. When his hand grazes one of his nipples, Jungkook’s hips jerk up and he bumps the top of his head on the roof of the car. Jungkook pulls back, a concerned look on his face as he reaches up to place a hand on the top of Jimin’s head.

“Oh, shit! I’m sorry!”

Jimin giggles. “I don’t mind a little pain, although that’s not usually what I have in mind. I guess someone is sensitive?” As he asks, he thumbs over Jungkook’s nipple again, causing him to hiss and then bite down on his bottom lip, eyes flicking beyond Jimin to the driver.

Jimin grins wickedly and leans his head down to kiss at Jungkook’s neck. “Don’t worry about him. I’m sure we have at least ten thousand won of looking the other way still. Come on, I want to see how good you are for me.”

Jungkook lets out a small groan, whether because Jimin continues to play at his nipples as he sucks on his skin, or because he knows now what trouble Jimin is, Jimin doesn’t know, nor does he care.

What he cares about is kissing a wet trail down the brunette’s chest until he can lick and suck at one of his nipples, while also resuming the rhythm of his hips. Jungkook seems to malfunction in some essential way because he stops touching Jimin and instead wraps his arms along the seatback, gripping on either side of him like he’s going to fly out of his seat. Jimin takes it as a good sign, if the sounds he’s making are any indication. He can't deny that he’s also getting worked up from the delicious friction he’s creating, but Jungkook seems to be on another level of gone.

Jimin would ease off usually but he seems to be addicted to flustering this boy, watching his hands grip so tight they go white, his head thrown back as Jimin plucks his strings. By the time Jimin is grinding down harder, his mouth sucking at the sweet juncture of his neck, Jungkook is practically whining and his hips are stuttering up occasionally, as if he can’t hold himself back.

“Jimin -- Jimin!” Jungkook starts and stops, eyes squeezed tightly shut. “Wait, wait, ah, fuck, I’m --”

Jimin pulls back to assess the situation but his attention is redirected by the car pulling to the side of the road and stopping. He glances out the door and sees they’ve pulled up to a hotel. It’s pretty swanky looking, and he sees a doorman headed towards them to open the car door, so he simultaneously removes himself from Jungkook’s lap and tries to tidy him a bit, pulling his shirt together. Unfortunately his pants leave little to the imagination, but there’s no time until the door is being pulled open and Jimin can’t do anything but smile at the doorman, hopping out while Jungkook hands the driver his card.

Jimin neatly folds his hands in front of himself and makes awkward eye contact with the doorman until Jungkook finally exits the car. Jimin calls a quick “Thank you!” in the direction of both the taxi driver and the doorman before he’s pulling Jungkook by the hand into the lobby and straight to the elevators, spotting them after a quick scan. Jungkook doesn’t look like he’s in any state to lead them anywhere, so Jimin takes charge.

Once they’re in the elevator, Jimin has to raise his eyebrows at Jungkook to prompt him to select the proper floor. To his surprise, Jungkook turns after and simply pulls Jimin into his arms, pulling his sweater up to cover his shoulders and wrapping him in his arms, holding him close and tucking his chin over his head. Jimin is confused for a moment, but is grateful when the elevator stops a few times on the way up, staff members getting on and off a few times. They both look a little fucked out already from the car session and Jungkook’s embrace lets them hide it a bit better. Jimin can still feel Jungkook’s hard length pressing against him and he leans up slightly to whisper in his ear, “I hope you gave the driver a big tip.”

Jungkook breathes out a short laugh. “Most expensive cab ride I’ve ever taken.”

Jimin squirms slightly, giggling and then feels inexplicably happy when Jungkook adds, “Totally worth it.”

The elevator door dings open and they spill out into the hotel hallway together. Once Jungkook stops in front of a door, digging in his pocket for his wallet, Jimin wraps his arms around him from behind, enjoying the way he can loop his chin over Jungkook’s shoulder. They tip forward into the room once Jungkook gets his keycard lined up correctly and Jimin barely gets a glimpse of the room (big with floor to ceiling windows showing the deep vibrancy of the city lights) before Jungkook is spinning round and pressing their mouths together.

They pick up right where they left off in the taxi and it’s almost funny how eager Jungkook is, pushing Jimin’s sweater off his shoulders and letting it drop to the floor while walking them backwards toward the bed. His kisses are almost too enthusiastic and Jimin tries to temper him, but then gives up. He supposes it’s his own fault for going a little overboard in the car.

Instead, he tries to catch up, guiding Jungkook’s hands down to his ass so he can pull him hard against his body. Jungkook groans as he ruts against him, and when his knees hit the bed, Jimin overtips them so they topple together on the mattress.

Jimin quickly undoes the rest of Jungkook’s shirt buttons and feels like he hit the jackpot. Hidden beneath Jungkook’s cute features is a body that most people would die for. Jimin is no slouch himself but this boy has muscles on muscles, combined with a waist most girls would envy. Jimin plans to make the most of it, and lets himself linger as he traces every dip and angle with his tongue. Jungkook seems to be having a hard time of it, whining and puffing out sharp exhales as Jimin explores.

Jimn’s mouth practically waters at the thought of what he might have in his pants, and he decides to waste no more time. He sits up, still perched at the end of the bed on Jungkook’s lap. He rips his top off with one arm and tosses it behind him, before standing up quickly, unzipping his own jeans and pulling both them and his briefs off before straightening up, as naked as the day he was born.

Jungkook’s eyes are as wide as saucers and rather than let him think too much about it (straight guys can get weirdly in their own heads when confronted with another man’s penis), Jimin goes on the offensive. He digs out the condoms and lube from his jeans’ pocket and dumps them on the bed next to Jungkook, who follows his motion and licks his lips.

Jimin finally relieves Jungkook’s pants of it’s straining button, quickly unzipping and tugging on them. They get stuck briefly on his thighs, impressive as they are, until Jimin puts some more elbow grease into it and sweeps them off, letting them fall to the ground. Jimin reaches up to sweep his hair back from his face, sweaty enough now that his hair will stay back from his face. Jungkook looks like a vision on the bed, his incredible body freed from his clothes, only his navy blue briefs clinging to his pelvis, doing nothing to disguise the gentle curve of his hard cock.

Jungkook lifts his feet from the floor, placing his heels against the bed so he can scooch up it a bit more, resting his weight on his elbows and biting his lip. He looks way too far gone for this early in the evening, his floppy hair in disarray, his chest heaving and a slight shudder to his inhales.

Jimin joins him on the bed, letting his hands trace up from his ankles to his calves, ghosting over his knees and up his thighs as he settles in between his legs.

“Hey,” he says, trying to sound soothing, comforting. “I’ll take care of you. Want me to take care of you?”

Jungkook nods emphatically, watching Jimin’s every move. He slides his hands up over his briefs, running one hand up and over his cock, enjoying the way Jungkook’s back arches prettily with the slide of his hand. Jimin smiles, grabbing at the top of Jungkook’s briefs and slowly pulling them down, just enough so they stay straining against his thighs, his cock exposed now, the tip gently leaking onto his stomach.

Jimin takes him in his hand and revels in Jungkook’s deep groan. He starts stroking him in earnest, watching as the precum gathering at his head increases. Jimin’s own cock is hard and starting to ache. He’s starting to get impatient, feeling like if he doesn’t get this man inside of him as soon as possible he’s going to burst.

He pauses his ministrations long enough to open one of the packets of lube, secretly thanking Jihyo that it’s a normal scent and not one of the cake flavoured ones he had stolen from her before. He does not need to smell like cookies and cum on his way home tonight.

He slathers some on his right hand, but he doesn’t take up Jungkook’s cock with it once he does. Instead, he uses his left hand to stand him at attention and starts to gently lick at the tip. Jungkook’s head tips back and several soft sounds escape his throat, his hands fisting in the blanket on either side of him. Jimin knows what he looks like with his mouth around a cock, and he waits until Jungkook looks back down before he opens wide and flattens his tongue against the underside, slowly taking him into his mouth inch by inch.

While Jungkook’s distracted, he reaches back with his right hand and slowly starts opening himself up with his lubed fingers, going slowly at first, and then increasing the number of fingers and speed to match how he’s practically deepthroating the brunette’s cock. Jungkook finally seems to clue in to what he’s doing because he sits up further, causing Jimin to jerk forward slightly as he chases Jungkook’s dick.

“Oh, are -- are you?”

Jimin pulls off briefly, panting slightly from the effort. “Getting myself ready for you. Is that ok?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course. But … do you want me to …” He trails off.

Jimin smiles softly. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. Just think about how good I’m gonna feel once you get inside me. You like my mouth?” He punctuates his question with another lick to Jungkook’s head, letting a string of spit and precum stretch out when he pulls back until he breaks it with a flick of his tongue.

Jungkook looks dazed and nods, reaching forward with one hand to run his hand through Jimin’s hair and then gently push him back down on his cock. Jimin smiles with his mouth full. They always love his mouth.

He starts to get more worked up as he bobs his head up and down and opens himself up with his fingers. He can feel that he’s getting relaxed enough and he starts to touch more for pleasure, playing at his prostate and allowing himself to imagine how good it’s going to feel once Jungkook is inside him. He’s got a good cock, big but not too big, with a gentle curve that Jimin will use to his advantage.

He blames himself totally for what happens next. Jimin starts to enjoy himself a little too much, moaning around Jungkook’s cock and taking him deeper and faster than he should. He relaxes his throat, imagining himself riding his cock the same way he’s working it with his mouth. Jungkook’s sounds are getting louder, his hands desperately fisted in the pillow above his head, his head thrown to the side and eyes squeezed shut.

“Ah, Jimin! Wait, oh fuck, hang on--”

Jimin pulls off but only to shush him. “I told you, I’m hyung, cutie. Now just hang on a second and we’ll get to the main attraction.”

Jimin quickly grabs one of the condoms, ripping it open with his teeth and sliding it down Jungkook’s length in one smooth go; this is not his first rodeo. He slicks his sheathed cock up with lube and quickly positions himself above it.

Jungkook’s eyes are wide and watching him and he stutters out again, “Uh, wait, just a second, hyung--” but Jimin is already lowering himself and he feels when Jungkook’s cock breaches him. He sits down fully, quickly, unable to resist chasing the feeling of fullness he’s going to get from this man’s chef’s-kiss of a cock, and he lets out a strong moan, squeezing at Jungkook’s thighs on either side of him as he lets the sensation wash over him.

Except he doesn’t get long to enjoy it because suddenly Jungkook is bucking beneath him, crying out harshly and raising his hips as he buries his face in the sheets, neck wrenched to one side and veins showing starkly in his throat. Jimin hangs on desperately as he gets shifted upwards, like trying to stay on a bull that is determined to toss its rider. He watches as Jungkook makes deep dimples in the sheets where he’s gripping them and as he lets his jaw finally relax a bit, letting a small drawn out sound escape from his mouth. His hips jerk up one more time, Jimin raising with them, before they settle back down on the mattress.

It is suddenly completely quiet in the hotel room. Both boys are very still, Jimin staring in disbelief and Jungkook keeping his face buried in the bed as his chest slowly gentles its breathing.

“Did … did you just--” Jimin starts.

“Don’t. Don’t say it. Just let me lay here for a second and pretend that didn’t happen,” Jungkook interrupts, voice muffled.

It takes everything Jimin has not to laugh. Not in a cruel way. Just in a “oh my god, I can’t believe my hook up came as soon as he got inside me” kind of way. Which would probably seem cruel to said hook up, so instead he runs his hands up and down Jungkook’s thighs in what he hopes is a soothing gesture, feeling the way his cock is subtly softening inside him.

Jungkook is still refusing to move his head to look at Jimin, despite his body coming down from the high of his orgasm, his hands relaxing at his sides. Jimin spots how red the one ear he can see is, and he can imagine how embarrassed he must be feeling. He sympathizes, but really he shouldn’t be. Jimin is sure the night is far from over.

Instead of saying anything, he uses his flexibility (thank you, yoga classes) to bend over at the waist while keeping his lower half motionless, trying not to jostle where Jungkook is still inside him. He folds his hands under his chin so he can rest on Jungkook’s stomach and look up at him through his eyelashes.

He stays quiet, and eventually Jungkook turns his head, nose crinkled gently and ears still very red. He looks even more adorable from this angle.

“Hey,” Jimin says, voice soft. “Cutie. Don’t be embarrassed.”

Jungkook lets out a groan and runs a hand over his face. “How can you say that?”

“Because. It doesn’t matter. It’s a compliment, really. Besides … I’m sure you can take a rest and maybe think about going again?”

That gets Jungkook’s attention. He lifts his head a bit more and gets a determined look on his face.

“Yeah. Yes! I can do that.” He quickly looks embarrassed again, dropping his head back hard on the mattress and letting out a small sound, part squeak, pat groan.

“I can’t believe I did that.”

Jimin replies quickly. “My lips are sealed. It never happened.”

“Really?”

Jimin nods, jostling his hands and Jungkook’s chest as a result. He’s lying, of course, he already knows he’s going to tell the story at brunch tomorrow, but he won’t mention any names and he’s not going to see Jungkook again, so a little white lie won’t hurt him.

Jimin decides to try to get the guy’s mind off of it. He tilts his head where they’re resting on his hands and smiles mischievously. “Besides, gives me more time to admire your insane body.” He raises back up to his knees so he can run his hands down Jungkook’s chest and abs, covered in a gentle glow of sweat. “Do you live in the gym or something?”

Jungkook blushes, but Jimin can see a small, pleased smile on his face.

“Ha, no. I mean, I like to work out, yeah. I have a job where I’m in front of a computer all day so I make sure to work out regularly. I want to keep healthy, you know?”

“Hmmm, well, on behalf of all the people who may get to have sex with you, thank you.” Jimin accentuates his words by running his hands over to Jungkook’s arms, giving his generous biceps a squeeze. “Give us a flex,” he adds, winking.

Jungkook gets the shyest, sweetest grin on his face and places one hand on his face in embarrassment but he also flexes the other arm and Jimin oohs and aahs, making Jungkook laugh. It’s a wonderful laugh, bright and young, and it surprises a giggle out of Jimin too. He shifts slightly and suddenly both he and Jungkook are a lot more aware of the fact that he’s still inside him.

“Ummmm, why don’t I--” Jimin starts.

“Yeah, yeah, that might help with … you know.”

Jimin shifts off of Jungkook, letting him slip slowly out of him and then busies himself with wrapping a sheet around his waist while Jungkook slips off the bed and to the bathroom to take care of the condom.

Jimin gets up from the bed as he hears the gentle sound of the tap running and starts looking around the room for something to do, dragging the gathered sheet with him. It’s a really nice hotel, modern, softly lit, the room in dark blues and greys. He opens the closet door, spotting a few other pairs of slacks and dress shirts, a little too boring for his taste. Seems like Jugnkook has a pretty buttoned up job, something fairly corporate and soulless. Jimin spots a laptop open on the desk.

“What do you do for work? You said you sit at a computer all day,” he calls out to the boy in the bathroom.

“Uh, I work in software.”

“Hmmm,” Jimin responds, already regretting asking. He likes Jungkook, he seems sweet and considerate, but he’s not sure he wants to talk about whatever boring job he has. He doesn’t usually do the small talk thing with his one night stands, not beyond flirting anyways.

He shifts to the floor to ceiling windows. He never thought to close the curtains before they started getting heated, but there’s nothing to worry about. The part of the city they’re in the buildings aren’t too close together. And even if they were, Jimin doesn’t mind a little bit of exhibitionism. He leans against the windows with one hip, staring out at the twinkling spread of city lights.

“Beautiful.”

Jimin turns to see Jungkook looking at him, unabashedly naked. He turns back to look out at the lights again.

“It is,” he agrees. “Nice view.”

“I meant you, actually.”

Jimin smiles, but he stays facing the window so Jungkook won’t see. “I know. But it’s just too cheesy to admit.”

He hears Jungkook settle back on the bed. He can see him reflected in the window a little bit, a figure tinged in the golden glow of the bedside lamp.

“I’m sort of shamelessly cheesy. Sorry.”

“No, I like it.”

“What do you do for--”

Jimin interrupts him. “Let’s skip all that. I was thinking maybe we could get back to the fun part. How about this? You tell me something you’d like me to do, and then I do the same, back and forth.” Jimin stays looking out at the view, but he can see Jungkook shift a little in the reflection, thinking.

“Ok,” he says. “Me first?”

Jimin nods, resting his arm across the window and his forehead against his arm.

“Take off the sheet.”

Jimin smiles again, to himself. He lets his hand fall from where he’s holding the sheet around his waist. The fabric makes a soft sound as it falls to the ground.

“Your turn,” Jungkook says, voice a tad darker.

“Touch yourself.” Jimin’s voice is bold, assured. He’s glad he’s facing the window, though, as he feels a flush spread across his cheeks. Huh, he thinks. He’s usually not shy about stuff like this.

He hears some soft movement from the bed and his eyes flick to Jungkook’s reflection where he can see a hint of his hand softly tracing himself at his crotch. He feels his own cock start to harden again and he allows himself to run a few fingers up it, mirroring the man on the bed.

“Your turn, cutie,” Jimin prompts

“Put your sweater back on. Just the sweater.”

Jimin raises his eyebrows. Ok, this could be fun. He turns from the window finally, sneaking a peak at Jungkook as he takes a few steps and bends over to grab his blue cardigan off the floor. Jungkook looks amazing, long limbs spread on the bed, his hand leisurely occupied at his own cock, which looks like it’s slowly getting hard again.

Jimin pulls the soft fabric over his arms, letting it slide off of one shoulder once it’s on. “Like this?” he asks, standing now a few feet from the bed.

Jungkook just nods, eyes raking him up and down. His hand gets a surer grip on his cock and he starts to pump himself in earnest. Jimin almost forgets it's his turn. Almost.

“Tell me. Did you really tap me on the shoulder because of your friends? Or was there another reason you wanted my attention?”

Jungkook gasps as his hand moves a bit faster. His cheeks grow pink and Jimin thinks he's not going to answer, but then he blurts out, words fast, “No, I made that up. I suggested to those guys to buy the women you were with a round. I wanted an excuse to talk to you. Because I thought you were gorgeous. Are gorgeous.”

Jimin smiles, smug. “Good boy.”

Jungkook blushes harder but then Jimin sees something shift in his expression. He thinks maybe he’s pushed him past his nervousness.

Jimin doesn’t have to remind him that it’s his turn.

“Do you have more of that lip gloss?”

Jimin raises his eyebrows. “Yeah. In my jeans’ pocket.”

“Get it.”

Jimin does, walking over to the bed once he has it and sitting softly on the edge of the mattress a few handbreadths away from Jungkook, who is still lazily stroking himself, fully hard again.

“Put some on.”

Jimin shakes his head. “Uh uh. You said get it. That was your turn.”

Jimin reaches over and puts his hand over Jungkook's as it works his own cock. He joins him for a few pumps, enjoying the way Jungkook’s breath hitches. Eventually though, he pulls Jungkook’s hand away from himself and places the tube of gloss in it.

“You put it on me,” he says, and pouts his lips out.

He’s never seen a man open a tube of lip gloss so fast.

After the way he ripped the top off, Jimin is a little worried, but Jungkook takes his chin in one hand, gently holding him steady as he softly glides the tube over his lips with the other, squeezing the sweet gloss over them generously. Jimin opens his mouth further to say something but any words are ripped from his thoughts as Jungkook surges forward to kiss him, his lips fast and sloppy on his own, smearing vanilla flavoured lip gloss everywhere between them.

Things after that are a bit of a blur. The second condom gets ripped open, by Jungkook this time, and before he can quite make out how it happens, he’s on his hands and knees on the bed, Jungkook lining up and pushing in from behind, the sweater he still has on providing a soft barrier between them as he fucks into him, starting slow, his chest plastered to Jimin’s back, and then faster, back straight and hands on Jimin’s waist.

Jimin’s right, Jungkook’s cock is incredible, filling him out deliciously, and each change of pace brings a new, exciting sensation. Jimin enthusiastically letting Jungkook know when he finds his prostate, and then almost immediately regretting it as he refuses to get off of it, seemingly determined to leave Jimin with a good impression after the rough start.

Quickly, Jimin finds himself close to his end and he guides himself to it with his own hand as Jungkook keeps up his incredible rhythm from behind. His body tenses as his orgasm hits him and Jungkook wraps his arms around his torso, guiding him up so he’s leaning against his chest as he shakes out the last of his pleasure, cursing gently. Jungkook follows him soon after, holding Jimin and his soft sweater in a vice grip as he fills the condom for a second time. Jimin allows him to hold him as tight as likes, feeling like a fucked out doll.

Eventually, Jungkook loosens his grip and Jimin slides off of him, a slight sense of deja vu as Jungkook heads to the washroom again. Jimin takes off the sweater quickly, cleaning himself off with it and hopping up to toss it in the garbage can next to the hotel desk. It’s too dirty to go home in, so it’s a lost cause. Too bad, he had liked that one.

Instead, he dresses himself, pulling on his jeans and tank top, looking down at himself briefly before grabbing one of the dress shirts from Jungkook’s closet. It’s a little big on him, but not bad. He’s buttoning it up when Jungkook reemerges from the bathroom with a wet washcloth in his hand.

“Oh,” Jungkook says, stopping short when he sees Jimin already mostly dressed.

“Hey,” Jimin says, putting on his most brilliant smile, hoping this next part goes well. It’s sometimes the trickiest part of the night.

“Hope you don’t mind if I borrow one of your shirts. Just need to get home, early day tomorrow.”

Jungkook’s brow furrows for a moment but then he gives a small nod, turning slightly to throw the cloth back onto the bathroom counter.

“Of course,” he says, as he pulls his own briefs back on, looking a little awkward once he has. “Your sweater though …”

Jimin smiles, finishing up the last button. “Too far gone, I’m afraid.”

Jungkook looks lost, standing in the middle of his hotel room in just his underwear with a slightly sad look on his face.

“Hey,” Jimin says, closing the distance between them. “I had a really good time.” He wraps his arms around Jungkook’s waist. “Did you?”

“Yes,” Jungkook practically exhales. “Really good.”

Jimin smiles and then tips his face up. He might not love goodbyes, but he does love a goodbye kiss. Jungkook obliges him and he tastes a faint hint of vanilla, the last bit of gloss lingering on both of their lips.

Jimin pulls away and nudges Jungkook’s chin. What a cutie. Nonetheless, he heads for the door and for the uber he has already ordered, waiting for him downstairs.

As he’s almost out of the room, Jungkook calls out.

“Hey!”

Jimin looks back.

Jungkook rubs his arm nervously. “Maybe I’ll see you at that bar again?”

No, he won’t. “Maybe,” Jimin says, smiling softly to ease the blow of what he knows is an obvious lie.

Then he’s out the door and gone.

Chapter Text

Jimin is late for brunch. He’s always late for brunch. He does it on purpose most of the time, although he would never admit it.

Today, however, even he would admit he’s pushing it a little, but this time, it isn’t actually on purpose. He had taken a bath when he got home after leaving Jungkook’s hotel room the night before and it had been hot and relaxing, exactly what he needed. After, when he slipped into a fresh pair of sheets, he expected to knock out immediately, brain soothed by the physical relief he gets from his one night stands. In fact, the nights he comes home from a hook up are some of the only nights he sleeps well, usually straight through for a solid eight hours.

This time his brain wouldn’t quiet. His mind flicked back through the events of the evening like fingers fluttering through a file cabinet, pulling up vivid memories that did nothing to soothe and everything to stimulate: The curve of Jungkook’s waist under his hands while he took him in his mouth, the sight of Jungkook’s hand, sure and steady, on his own cock, the feeling of those same hands on Jimin from behind, the softness of his sweater on his bare skin, the way Jungkook’s eyes had looked while he smeared gloss on his lips.

When Jimin got hard again, he was in disbelief, and it took him quite a bit of tossing and turning before he admitted defeat and took himself in his own hand, using his spit to ease the way. He came embarrassingly fast and he refused to admit what thoughts helped him to it.

He finally slept, for too long, and woke up blearily to mid-morning light and the realization that Taehyung was going to kill him.

Now, to avoid said murder, he pushes his lapse from the night before out of his head and rushes to get out of the apartment and on the subway after pulling on whatever clean clothes he can find. The restaurant is about a dozen blocks from the stop he exits at and he runs them all, weaving to try to avoid all the people walking at a more respectable speed on the sidewalk. He makes it with only one ahjumma cursing at his back.

He’s out of breath when he enters the restaurant and he uses a hand to try to tame his hair as he looks for the table. He hears where they are before he sees them because Seokjin’s laugh can be heard from a mile away, the windshield-wiper-like up and down standing out amidst the din of the restaurant. The laugh, however, abruptly stops when Jimin plops himself in the empty seat next to Yoongi and across from Taehyung.

Seokjin’s smile falls into a frown, transforming his face into the fiercely handsome picture that Jimin thinks is altogether unfair. The things Jimin would do if he had that face.

Taehyung’s face, in contrast, lights up at the sight of Jimin. Yoongi’s is carefully neutral.

“Jiminie! We were starting to wonder if you were going to make it at all. Look at your hair! I love it!” Taehyung exclaims.

Jimin opens his mouth to respond, which Seokjin takes as an opportunity to talk over him.

“We ordered already. We couldn’t wait. We’re going to see Yoongi’s parents and our train leaves in an hour.

“That’s ok!” Jimin says cheerily, mostly because he knows it will grate on Seokjin’s nerves. “I’ll just share whatever you ordered. I’m not picky.”

Yoongi snorts but says nothing. Seokjin looks at him and they have a conversation with their eyes, the thing that Jimin hates most of all, while Taehyung grins at Jimin, sticking his tongue out.

“No excuses this time?” Seokjin asks, apparently having won the silent argument with Yoongi. Jimin thinks carefully about his response. Seokjin seems extra annoyed today and Jimin doesn’t like to make Taehyung upset, which he can be when he and Jin stray too far from bickering and into arguing.

Taehyung saves him by placing a hand on Seokjin’s knee and snuggling into his shoulder, which immediately calms his unhappy visage. “Jinnie,” he says. “No fighting. Don’t worry, I’ll punish Minnie later.”

Jimin can’t help it, he scowls at the lack of honorifics between the younger and older man. Seokjin seems to take it the opposite, softening and smiling fondly across at Yoongi, whose expression shifts subtly, but in a way that Jimin is learning means he’s happy.

Any further displays of polyamorous contentment are interrupted by the waitress bringing their food to the table. Plates are placed in front of the three other men and Taehyung winks and immediately gives Jimin his plate of kimchi jeon.

Jimin tells the waitress his coffee order while Seokjin’s face crinkles into a frown again.

“Those pancakes were for you, Taetae.”

“Yeah, but they’re Jiminie’s favourite. I can share your gyeran mari right? I don’t need to add to my belly any more than I have recently, anyways.”

Jimin hums and pours a bit of soy sauce on the pancakes, starving enough to devour them in a few bites. “You should join me at yoga more often.”

Seokjin scowls hard. “You don’t need to diet, Taehyungie.” And then, softly, “You know I love your belly.”

Taehyung grins fondly up at Seokjin, blushing slightly. “I know you do. But I like hearing you say it.” He looks over at Yoongi. “You too, you say it too.”

Yoongi laughs, his voice a low rumble. “I love your belly too.”

Jimin is already halfway through his pancakes. “Still, you should come with me sometimes. You’re too young to totally give up on being hot.” He stares pointedly at Seokjin as he says it.

“You know what they say,” Seokjin shoots back, cutting his omelette in two and putting the smaller half on a side plate for himself, pushing the rest of his dish in front of Taehyung. “Contentment shows in such ways.”

Jimin makes a doubtful noise in the back of his throat. Seokjin’s eye twitches slightly. Yoongi shifts at his side as he digs into his egg rice and Jimin’s not sure but he might kick Seokjin under the table.

Jimin feels unsettled. This is the first he’s heard of them meeting Yoongi’s parents together. Usually Taehyung tells him everything. He blames what he says next on that.

“Well, you never know when Taehyung will want to be a hot young man again. Contentment doesn’t usually last forever, and then where will he be if he doesn’t keep an eye on things?”

Jimin chews, grabbing his next piece with his chopsticks, until he registers the silence. He pauses mid chew and swallows the too-big piece of pancake. It hurts a bit going down. He looks up, already nervous, and sees Taehyung’s big eyes staring at him, a kernel of hurt in each one.

“Jimin,” Taehyung says, his voice slightly bewildered. Seokjin is staring down at his plate, chewing angrily. He’s also rubbing at Taehyung’s shoulder, both in a gesture of comfort and possessiveness.

Taehyung never calls him Jimin. It’s always Jiminie, or Minnie, or Chim. Jimin suddenly doesn’t feel like Jimin and Tae, like the two pees in a pod they’ve always been. Instead, it feels like Taehyung and his two boyfriends, and Jimin alone. And he doesn’t like it, he hates it so much that he decides to roll over and show his own belly.

“Sorry Seokjin-hyung, Yoongi-hyung.” He drops his chopsticks, sighing and rubbing at his eyes with one hand. “Sorry Taetae. I don’t know why I’m being such a bitch.”

He looks over again. Taehyung’s eyes are softening and Seokjin looks surprised.

“It’s ok, Chimchim. What’s going on?”

Jimin doesn’t want to answer that question. He decides to go with vague and hope Taehyung lets him get away with it.

“Just a stressful week coming up I guess, with work. And not much sleep last night.”

Taehyung hums sympathetically. Any points Jimin made with his apology seem to have vanished with Seokjin. He raises one eyebrow and says, “Not much sleep because?” He elongates the final word.

Yoongi finally speaks. “Hyung.”

“What?” Seokjin says, haughtily, going back to his food.

Jimin decides to ignore it. “Actually, it’s a good story. But I won’t tell it if it might offend somebody’s delicate sensibilities.”

Taehyung immediately goes into eager puppy mode, reaching across the table to grasp at Jimin’s hand, bouncing it up and down when he does, jostling a smile onto Jimin’s face.

“No, tell it! Tell it! I may be content but I still want to live vicariously through my best friend’s sexcapades!”

Jimin giggles. Yoongi and Seokjin seem to decide not to interfere further, which is usually what happens when Taehyung explicitly says he wants something, so Jimin tells the story of his night.

He exaggerates some parts, omits others, all in the name of good storytelling and by the time he gets to the really juicy part, all three men at the table are engrossed. Taehyung is chewing loudly with his mouth open, exclaiming and interjecting, Yoongi is half turned so he can watch Jimin tell the story, and even Seokjiin is paying close attention, though he’s pretending not to be.

“And then, right when I finally got it in me, he …”

Yoongi laughs loudly, “He …”

“He what?” Taehyung exclaims, looking between the two of them.

“Oh!” Seokjin says, a surprised and somewhat reluctant laugh knocked out of his chest. “So, he …”

“He whaaaat?” Taehyung whines.

Jimin giggles and then mimes an explosion with his hands and some elaborate sound effects.

Taehhyung’s eyes widen. “Nooooo. Really? As soon as you--”

Jimin nods, giggling harder. “As soon as I.”

“Wow,” Taehyung says. “Straight boy then?”

“One hundred percent,” Jimin says.

“Oh please,” Yoongi says. “You can’t say that for certain.”

“Sure I can. I’ve slept with enough of them. I can tell.”

“Pffft,” Yoongi replies. “I’m pretty sure the fact that any of these guys sleep with you is a very clear sign that they are not straight.”

“Whatever,” Jimin says airily. “They’re straight enough. This was definitely his first time with a guy.”

“Maybe it was just his first time with a guy like you.” Seokjin’s voice is not unkind but his words rub against something deep inside of Jimin, something sharp and prickly.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Seokjin looks up, his face surprised by Jimin’s confrontational tone. He looks, helplessly, to Taehyung, whose brow is beetled down and then to Yoongi, who is also looking a tad unhappy.

“I didn’t mean it like that!” he protests. He looks over to Jimin. His face softens. “I didn’t mean it like that, Jimin-ah.”

It’s the most genuine Jimin has ever heard him, when talking to him anyways. He talks like that all the time in front of Jimin but it’s mostly directed at Taehyung or Yoongi. People he actually likes.

Jimin pouts slightly, something he knows doesn’t work on Seokjin but does on Taehyung. “What did you mean, then?”

Seokjin hesitates. Jimin can see him calculating with his stupid, mature brain, balancing what he wants to say with how it will affect Taehyung and how angry Yoongi might be with him later, or whatever it is that Seokjin does that makes him the glue that keeps the happy threesome together. Taehyung called him that once. The glue. Stupid glue, if you asked Jimin.

“I just mean that it sounds like you give these guys a singular experience. Based on your stories, I mean.”

“A singular experience?” Jimin deadpans. He sees Seokjin’s ears go red.

“Like, you make them feel things …”

Jimin grins wolfishly, even though he feels the opposite, the interior dark hole in his chest threatening to swallow him whole. “I sure hope I do, otherwise what good am I?”

“Jesus,” Seokjin whispers. Then he takes his napkin from his lap, placing it across his plate. “Yoongi-yah, help me please.”

Yoongi’s voice better navigates around the knife-sharp edge that Jimin can be. “What Jin-hyung is trying to say is that you have a lot to offer someone. You’d probably find that out if you ever actually dated.”

Jimin sniffs and picks up his chopsticks again, drowning the hollow feeling inside with the savoury pancakes.

“What are you, my dads? I don’t date because I don’t want to.”

“You will when you find the right guy, Chim. Then you’ll see how happy it can make you.”

If anyone else had said that to him, more pointedly, if Seokjin or Yoongi had said that to him, he would’ve snapped their head off. But with Taehyung, he just smiles sweetly.

“Maybe,” he says. “But right now, that’s not what I need.”

“You’ll never find out if you never let anyone get your number, or sleep with anyone more than once,” Yoongi says.

Jimin chooses to let that slide, knowing that of the two of Taehyung’s boyfriends, Yoongi doesn’t actively hate him and usually has honest intentions.

“Well, I haven’t wanted to with anyone. Why waste the time when it would just end?”

“What about this guy?” Yoongi asks.

“Explosion guy?” Taehyung asks incredulously, giggling again.

“What, you didn’t like him?” Yoongi says, turning to Jimin.

“No, no, he was great. Even with the explosion.” Jimin giggles. “In fact, he recovered really well. Haven’t had sex that good in a long time. Not since …” He trails off, then decides not to go down that path. “Not since a long time.”

“So why not see him again?” Yoongi prompts.

“Did you hear the straight part? Besides, he’s got some boring job, something corporate that requires him to wear a suit and have drinks at all hours with a bunch of old guys in a lame bar. Not compatible.”

“Hmmm,” says Taehyung. “He does sound too boring for our cotton candy Minnie.”

“Wasn’t this the same lame bar you were at? With work friends?” Seokjin points out, annoyingly.

“Whatever,” Jimin says. “I’m not seeing him again, end of story.”

“Well look at that,” Seokjin says, glancing at his wrist, where no watch exists. “We have to go if we’re going to catch our train. Another brunch in the books and, once again, we spent the whole time talking about Jimin.”

“My favourite subject,” Taehyung exclaims, totally without guile, and Seokjin rolls his eyes, but fondly, if one can do such a thing fondly. Jimin has never managed.

“Jimin, you’ll get this one?” Seokjin says as he raises, pulling Taehyung up with him. “Come on, my loves, we’ll really miss our train if we don’t leave now.”

Taehyung skips around and gives Jimin a massive back hug, nearly tipping him forward into the dregs of his meal. “I’ll call you later?” he whispers into his ear. He gives out a little whispered scream. “I’m meeting the parents. Can you believe it? Wish me luck.”

Jimin still hasn’t quite forgiven him for not mentioning it previously, but he also can tell his friend is genuinely nervous, so he squeezes Taehyung’s arms where they are wrapped around his shoulders.

“They’re going to love you. All parents are destined to instantly fall in love with you and beg you to marry their son.”

“My Minnie. Why can’t you be nice like that when other people can hear you?”

Jimin squeezes his eyes shut. “Because only you love me.”

“Everyone loves you, stupid.”

Taehyung pulls away, their whispered conversation lingering in Jimin’s ears, wiping away the bitterness of the meal. He suddenly feels contrite and regretful. That is until he sees the way Seokjin is scowling at him, and then he changes his mind. Screw being nice to people who take his best friend away all the time.

He waves goodbye in their general direction anyways. They head toward the door. Yoongi doubles back to grab his beanie, forgotten on the table, but he also subtly drops some cash, grunting at Jimin when he stutters his thanks. He really can’t afford brunch for four at a place like this.

And then he’s left in the cold light of Yoongi’s generosity and the crumbs of the meal. He knows he’s being a stubborn brat about it all. He can admit he’s been struggling with Taehyung’s relationship. They’re supposed to be roommates, even though Taehyung spends almost all of his time at Seokjin’s and Yoongi’s apartment now. And he knows Taehyung seems happy.

But he and Taehyung, they used to be attached at the hip, soulmates along with roommates. It used to be Tae he would go out with, dance with, drink with, pick up guys with. It was Tae that he would go home to after a hookup, where they would drink more and gossip about their respective experiences.

And before that, it was Taehyung who helped him make it through university, who kept him going through all nighters pulled to finish papers and study for exams, even though he had a rigorous schedule of his own in the fine arts program. It was Taehyung who was a shoulder to cry on when the only guy Jimin had ever been in a relationship with had stomped on his heart like it was worth nothing. It was Taehyung that pulled him out of the months-long funk when he came out to his parents and they reacted less than nicely.

They had built a life together after university, them against the world, vibrant and happy and carefree, both passionate about their jobs but screw everything else except each other. And then Seokjin and Yoongi came along, and sure, Taehyung is clearly in love with them, and yeah, they seem to be making it work, but Taehyung would now rather stay in and watch movie marathons, or make homemade pasta, or whatever pretentious crap Seokjin goes on about for hours.

And usually, Jimin is open minded. He always knew Taehyung was an unconventional person who might have an unconventional relationship and polyamory was not something Jimin would ever say he looked down on. But something deep down in his gut just didn’t trust them. Didn’t trust that they wouldn’t exclude Taehyung in some way. They had been together for six years after all, and friends longer than that. Six years of inside jokes, and stories, and romance, and sex, for god’s sake, all without Taehyung, and now they expect Jimin to believe Taehyung is going to be their total equal, that they won’t ever leave him out, or talk about him when’s not there, discussing all the ways he doesn’t measure up?

Jimin sighs, and pinches the bridge of his nose with his fingers. He pays for the brunch with Yoongi’s money, leaving a generous tip and he heads home, on the same subway he rode out on.

For once, he wishes he was going home to someone of his own. He pictures a wavy haired brunette waiting in his apartment, and then pushes that thought deep down. He doesn’t need anyone.

Chapter Text

Jimin makes it almost two whole weeks. He tries, he really tries. He goes out most nights with women from work, begging friends and people who owe him a favour, determined that each night would be the night: he would find someone hot, he would let them take him home, he would fuck their brains out, and he would forget all about the wavy haired cutie and his magic dick.

He dresses soft some nights, in silk and fluff. Other nights he goes harder, with tight leather pants and little left to the imagination. He attracts all types of guys. They all want him and he flirts, he dances, he even makes out with a few on the dance floor and in the bathroom, but he doesn’t feel that pull. No matter how hot they are or how much they compliment him, he can’t bring himself to sleep with them.

He goes home every night alone and then struggles to sleep. He refuses to jack off, if only because the one time he tried, in order to get a better night’s sleep, his traitorous brain brought up the same images from his night with Jungkook, and he refuses to be so pathetic. Once was enough.

He’s avoiding Taehyung a little bit too. Not that it’s hard. He practically lives at Yoongi and Seokjin’s apartment and the few nights he is at home, Jimin makes sure to stay out extra late. He had found him asleep on the couch one night when he arrived back from the club, clearly having tried to stay up for him. Jimin watched him sleep for a moment, before spreading the throw from the back of the couch over him, and then slinking off to his room to toss and turn in his own bed.

So it’s two weeks later and Jimin is desperate for a good night’s sleep. Work has been extra hard lately and the worry and stress, combined with the lack of physical release, is taking its toll on him. At least those are the reasons that he tells himself are behind him going back to the same bar where he met Jungkook.

He ropes Jihyo into it, telling her he wants to catch up, just the two of them. He suggests the bar from her birthday, saying he liked the cocktails. She side eyes him but goes along with it and they end up there on a Friday night, tucked into a booth this time, and gossiping about work over a few rounds of cocktails.

Jimin keeps an eye out, scanning the bar every once in a while to see if he can spot Jungkook. He hasn’t decided what he’ll do if he sees him since he’s still stubbornly sticking to the fact that he never sleeps with the same guy twice. It’s very unlikely he’ll see him there again anyways.

After his latest scan, he turns back to Jihyo, who has one eyebrow raised as she sips on her drink, a bright pink cocktail that matches her nails.

“You could at least pretend that you came here to hang out with me.”

Jimin scoffs, acting as offended as he can. “Excuse me? I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m here to talk to my work wife and you implying differently is frankly insulting.”

Jihyo giggles. “You are the worst liar I’ve ever seen. Even Hwan-ah says so, and he’s eleven. He was so cute the other day--”

Jimin doesn’t hear the rest, the sound of Jihyo’s voice fading into the distance, because he sees him. Cutie. Jungkook. He’s seated at a high top, to the right of Jihyo’s shoulder. He couldn’t see him before because his table was blocked by a couple just in front, who just made their way to the dance floor.

He looks amazing, even better than Jimin remembers. He’s dressed again in a pair of plain black slacks and a white dress shirt. They look like they fit him a little better this time. His wavy hair looks just as soft. He’s smiling softly at the person across from him. Jimin shifts his gaze and sees it’s a woman, also dressed in muted business casual clothes. There’s a couple of almost empty beer pints in front of them and they seem engrossed in conversation.

Jimin wonders if she’s a work colleague, or if maybe Jungkook comes here looking to pick up often and she’s his usual type. Jimin takes a closer look. She’s petite, nice hair. Her shoes are ugly. He smiles a little. He can compete.

Jimin snaps to when Jihyo waves a hand in front of his face.

“Hello? I’ve just been blabbering on for like five minutes and I was thinking ‘Oh, Jimin is actually listening so nicely for one. Isn’t he a nice guy?’ But no, really you’re zoning out checking out--” She turns to look. “--checking out some guy, who, ok, alright, he’s really hot.”

“Jihyo! Don’t look, it’s gonna be obvious!” He grabs her arm to yank her back around to look at him. When she does she looks extra unimpressed.

“That is that guy from my birthday.”

Jimin takes a big gulp of his drink. “Maybe,” he says.

“Oh my god, we came here because you were trying to see him again.”

Jimin finishes his drink. He scowls. “How could I know he would be here?”

“Wow. I never thought I would see the day. Mr. ‘I never sleep with the same guy twice, I’m above dating,’ seeking this guy out. How low the mighty have fallen.”

Jimin rolls his eyes. “Who says I’m sleeping with him again?”

“Please-- oh! Hello!”

Jimin looks up and gulps. Jungkook is at their table. Jimin throws a quick glance at the high top he just saw him at and sees no sign of the woman, just their two empty pint glasses. When he looks back at Jungkook, he’s giving him an adorable little wave.

“Hi,” Jungkook says. “I didn’t think I’d see you here again.” He looks shy and a little nervous, one hand rubbing at his neck as his eyes dart between Jimin and Jihyo.

“Hi!” Jihyo exclaims. “Do you remember me? I’m the birthday girl your friends bought drinks for.”

“Oh, yeah, of course. Although they weren’t really my friends. Clients I had to take out, that’s all. I hope they were polite after we left--I left.” His eyes jump over to Jimin’s face, as if he might have upset him.

“Of course! They were harmless! Oh! Would you look at the time? I have to go do that thing.”

Jimin smiles placidly while Jihyo gathers her things and hops up from the table. They’re friends for a reason. She gives Jungkook a wave and then walks off, turning around briefly when she’s partway to the exit to mouth “You owe me” at Jimin.

And then it’s just the two of them and Jimin realizes he doesn’t know what to say. Thankfully, Jungkook’s instincts are a lot more civilized than his.

“Do you mind if I join you?” he asks and Jimin starts.

“Please! Yeah, that … that would be good.”

Jungkook slips into the space Jihyo just vacated and then folds his hands in his lap and smiles at Jimin, who, stupidly, does nothing but smiles back.

“So, just having an after work drink?” Jungkook asks, looking a little confused at Jimin’s timidity.

Jimin is not good at small talk, but he’s not sure he can be as candid as he was before and just say what he’s thinking, which is, “I can’t get you out of my head and I haven’t had sex in two weeks, so can you please just put your dick inside me so I can have a good night’s sleep?”

So instead he nods and says, lamely, “Yeah. Long week.”

Jungkook. “Oh, yeah? Me too. Can I buy you a drink? You can tell me about it. I’m a good listener.”

He’s so adorable, and so nice, and Jimin feels suddenly guilty. He decides he has to go with candid, even if it means Jungkook gets up and walks away.

Jimin runs a hand through his hair. “Look, I’m sorry. I have to just be honest with you.” He sees Jungkook’s face fall and he hurries to continue. “I’m not rejecting you. I just want to be up front. I’m not looking for anything serious. Not just with you. I don’t date, not anyone.”

Jimin sees Jungkook’s face twist in confusion and he mentally kicks himself. This guy isn’t looking to date him, Jimin doesn’t rate his skills in the sack so highly that he thinks he can convert a straight guy over to his team with just one night of passion. He’s probably just being nice. Jimin decides to try a different tack. If this doesn’t work, he’ll admit defeat and try one of the gay bars within walking distance.

“To be completely honest, I did come here hoping to see you again, and what I really want to do is take you home with me and get you to do everything to me you did last time, but that’s it. Sorry.”

Jimin cringes. That had to be the least sexy proposition anybody has ever attempted. He really can’t do this. He should just leave. He should never have come here.

He’s about one second from getting up from the table and leaving in embarrassment when Jungkook says, “Oh. Ummmmm, ok!”

Jimin is sure his face is doing something comical. “Ok?”

Jungkook smiles shyly, blowing out a quick breath of air to move a floppy strand of waves from his eyes. “Ok, I’ll go home with you.”

Jimin can’t believe it. That was easy. He guesses maybe he left a good impression too.

Jungkook’s smile widens as he sees Jimin’s do the same. Jimin can see Jungkook’s ears start to pinken and he suddenly remembers the role he should be playing.

He reaches under the table and grabs Jungkook’s hand. He puts on what he hopes is a confident look and says, “Alright, cutie. Right now, or do you need another drink?”

“I don’t need a drink.”

“Good. Maybe we can just go then?” He runs a thumb over the back of Jungkook’s hand and he thinks he sees him shiver slightly. Ah, yes, this is what he was missing.

Jimin continues, liking the feeling of being back in his wheelhouse. “We can maybe take it a little slower until we get to a bed this time,” he teases gently.

Jungkook’s face flushes. “Yeah, ok,” he says. “Maybe a little slower would be good.”

They do not go that much slower, as it turns out. They get in a cab again. This time the sky isn’t even dark yet, just the first hints of dusk falling as they pile into the back of a taxi. Jimin turns to Jungkook expectedly.

“Oh, sorry, hyung. No hotel this time, I had it since I was taking those clients out. We could go to my apartment, but it’s a little far away and I think my roommate might be home.”

Jimin furrows his brow. He never brings guys back to his place. Never. But the idea of having to sit through a long car ride and then have quiet and maybe not as satisfying sex at the end of it also doesn’t appeal to him.

He can’t believe he’s breaking another rule for this guy, but nonetheless he finds himself saying, “Ok, my place should be empty,” and then giving the driver his address.

They don’t get as hot and heavy as they did the first time, but they still end up making out in the cab, kisses lazy, Jungkook’s tongue in his mouth, his hand on his thigh, the heat of it practically burning through the denim of his jeans. Jimin had initiated it, suddenly faced with actually talking to Jungkook and coming up with nothing to say that doesn’t make him feel awkward or vulnerable. Yeah, kissing is better.

He can tell Jungkook has things more under control this time, his lips setting a pace that isn’t too fast or too slow. The ride flies by and the next thing Jimin knows, he’s getting out in front of his building. He realizes he hasn’t totally thought this through when they get to his door and he panics.

He turns to Jungkook, who is surprised, stopping short directly behind him.

“Ummm, hey. Can you wait out here? Just for a minute. I wasn’t planning to come back here and it’s kind of … messy.”

Jungkook scrunches his nose, as if endeared. “Yeah, sure, take as long as you need.”

Jimin quickly slips into the apartment, feeling bad for leaving Jungkook in the hallway, but relieved he agreed. It’s quiet inside. Taehyung’s not home, not that Jimin expected him to be.

The place is actually pretty tidy, but of course that isn’t the real reason he’s left Jungkook in the hallway. The real reason is he’s never brought a guy back to his place and he’s panicking slightly. He looks around the main space and gathers up some papers from work, along with a bunch of his Ghibli DVDs that he likes to watch over and over, and shoves them under the couch.

He speeds down to his room and looks around it, feeling helpless. There are too many details of his life here. He takes a bunch of the pictures, some from work and some with Tae, and runs back to the kitchen with them, opening up the cupboards below the sink and stuffing them underneath, but when he heads back to his bedroom he realizes there’s too much stuff, including his collection of Ghibli plushies, piled high on his bed, to make this work.

He stalks back to the main space. Well, he’ll just have to make sure they don’t make it that far. He pats at his jeans pocket, reassured by the outlines of a condom and a travel package of lube, having been determined earlier to be prepared for anything, even if he had still been in denial about his plans for the night.

Jimin opens the door forcefully and surprises Jungkook by grabbing at the front of his shirt. He pulls him inside, kicks the door shut and presses Jungkook against it, immediately capturing his lips in a sloppy kiss as he pulls the deadbolt across behind him, just in case. He pins him against the door with his body and tracks his hands up into his hair, tilting his head further down to press harder against his lips.

He sucks Jungkook’s bottom lip into his mouth gently, applying pressure. Jungkook makes a moaning sound deep in his chest and all of a sudden, Jimin gets caught up in his own fervour, forgetting the purpose of it.

He lets Jungkook push off from the door and they kiss desperately as they stumble further into the apartment until they knock against the sizable kitchen island. Jungkook crowds him against it and Jimin loves the feeling of being boxed in, amplified when Jungkook places his hands against the flat surface, leaning down so that their bodies tug together deliciously as they kiss.

Jimin pulls at the bottom of Jungkook’s dress shirt, untucking it from his pants and sliding his hands underneath to stroke at the soft skin underneath. Jungkook gasps slightly and then pulls back, but only to reach down and grab at the bottom of his shirt, lifting it up and off his head in a smooth motion that is way too sexy for Jimin to handle when he’s already half hard.

He decides to catch up and swipes his own shirt off. Jungkook pauses, taking him in. He grasps at his waist and surprises Jimin by easily lifting him up to be seated on the island, knocking a puff of air from him as he slots in between Jimin’s legs to crowd him again.

Despite Jimin feeling out of his element, his broken rules staring him starkly in the face, he can’t help but be pleased by his choices. Every moment and sensation convinces Jimin that he’s making an exception for good reason: the feel of Jungkook’s skin on his, the way he shivers when Jimin thumbs at his nipples, the way he kisses a wet trail down his neck while Jimin grips at his ass, pulling them tight together, legs hooked around his waist, hard cock pressed against his own through the fabric of their pants, cotton pressed against denim, the slide of their clothes hidden by the sounds of pleasure and desperation they’re both making.

Eventually, Jungkook pulls back slightly, turning his head toward the hallway to their right.

“Bedroom?” He’s panting slightly, his eyes slitted and he barely waits for an answer before he’s exhaling into Jimin’s mouth again, tongue tangling with his own.

Jimin shakes his head, disrupting their kiss. “No, don’t want to wait. Want you now, here.”

Jungkook pulls back and Jimin thinks he’s going to protest, but instead he looks skeptically at the island, like he’s evaluating it’s sturdiness and eligibility as a place to fuck, and Jimin almost laughs at how seriously he’s taking it. He seems to come to a favourable conclusion because he gets a determined look on his face and reaches down to unbutton Jimin’s jeans. Jimin helps him a little and watches with rapt eyes as he tugs his jeans and underwear off all at once, lifting his hips and then gasping a bit at the coldness on his backside as he settles back, now completely naked.

Jungkook places his hands on the sides of his hips, searching his face. “Too cold?” he asks.

“Just need you to warm me up,” he says, fluttering his eyelashes, and then laughing at his own corniness. Jungkook laughs with him but also undoes his own slacks, pulling them down but leaving his underwear on, stepping out of his pants and looking back up to meet Jimin’s eyes, still glinting with amusement.

“Your pants seem to fit you better this time.”

Jungkook lets out a bright bark of laughter. “Yeah, it’s a long story.”

“Hmmm,” Jimin says as he pulls Jungkook’s back into the circle of his body, feet hooking around his thighs and arms encircling his shoulders. “Talking later, fucking now.”

Jungkook seems to follow instructions well because he’s all business after that, giving Jimin everything he asks for, with a few surprises along the way, like the way he reaches down to briefly take them both in his own hand, the way he cushions Jimin’s head when he reclines to lay back against the hard surface, the way he volunteers to open him up this time, grabbing the condom and lube from Jimin’s discarded pants on the floor, and, while mostly listening to Jimin’s detailed instructions, also venturing further, seemingly not afraid to give him a little burn with his stretch, which Jimin likes much more than he is willing to admit. This man who barely knows him seems to understand intuitively how to make his body ache for more. He decides not to think about that too much.

Instead, he lets his brain enjoy all the endorphins flooding it, spiking once Jungkook is inside him, leaning over him on the flat surface, arms encircling his form as he pushes into him, and Jimin doesn’t feel the coldness of the tile, too caught up in the intricacies of Jungkook’s cock inside him, of his lips at this neck, of his hands tangled in his hair, and the feel of his back muscles as he gives it his all.

The noise of their bodies meeting is loud, more moans escaping Jimin as Jungkook picks up his pace, his back arching despite the stiffness of the surface on which he rests. He can feel himself approaching his end, even though Jungkook seems nowhere near, pausing once in a while to slow his pace, change his angle, or listen to Jimin’s whispered requests. They’re in a stretch of pure power from Jungkook currently, and Jimin throws his head back.

“Yeah, just like that, right there, fuck yes.”

Jungkook doesn’t move an inch away from where he is, cranking up the intensity and speed of his thrusts. Jimin’s eyes are squeezed shut in concentration, but he snaps them open when he hears Jungkook speak, through gritted teeth and effort.

“Can you come like this?”

Jimin makes eye contact with Jungkook, seeing the determination in his face, unsure what he looks like, but knowing he feels glazed and unfiltered, too close to his orgasm to be able to do anything but chase the feeling.

“If you keep it up just like that I can.” Jimin almost immediately regrets his words, because Jungkook seems to take it like some sort of personal challenge, sliding his arms under Jimin’s back so he can keep him firmly in place as he snaps his hips, back bent sharply over the island, their bodies pressed tight together, and Jimin just holds on.

He feels his orgasm begin deep within him and his toes curl behind Jungkook’s back. His hands grasp hard at Jungkook’s hips, feeling them piston forward as his legs start to shake. He lets out a part sob, part groan, and his cum is painting his own stomach as his mind blanks out in a beautiful swirl of sharp pleasure. The feeling lasts much longer when he comes like this, and oversensitivity doesn’t set in nearly as soon, so he can grip onto Jungkook tightly as he keep moving within him, a little gentler now, face buried in Jimin’s neck, their bodies gathering sweat between them, mixing with Jimin’s release.

Finally, as Jimin regains some clarity, he tucks his mouth in close to Jungkook’s ear and whispers, “Come for me, you did so good. Come for hyung.”

Jimin smiles to himself as that does the trick, Jungkook’s hips stuttering as he lets himself go, biting down at Jimin’s shoulder.

Jimin lies still, partly crushed by the bulk of Jungkook’s body as he slowly comes down. He can feel Jungkook’s weight heavily but he finds himself not caring. Usually he would feel trapped and would gently nudge until his partner got the hint and rolled off of him, but despite the sweat and the stickiness, despite how stiff his back feels, he finds himself not minding. He’s not sure if it’s the much better than normal orgasm, or the fact that he’s in his own home, but he lets his hands drift up and stroke at Jungkook’s back, dragging his nails lightly and then curling then up into his hair, soft and comforting.

Jungkook finally lifts his head, eyes soft and slightly watery from effort, and Jimin surprises himself with the hum of concern that loosens from his throat. Still, he can’t stop himself from pushing strands of hair from Jungkook’s forehead and asking, “Ok?”

Jungkook just nods, looking dazed, his throat clicking slightly as he swallows. He tips his head to the side a bit and surprises Jimin by reaching over and turning the faucet on of the sink right next to them. “This is convenient.”

He looks so cute, suddenly like a kid despite their very adult situation, and Jimin laughs, delighted. “That was my plan all along.”

Jungkook grins and then pulls back, Jimin letting his arms slowly slide off his back and his legs down from their perch as he slowly pulls out. Jimin goes to get up too but Jungkook puts one hand on his chest, pushing him back down.

“Hang on, don’t move. I don’t think your roommate would appreciate it if we got any of that mess on your counter.”

Jimin looks down at himself and agrees. So he lies still while Jungkook grabs a tea towel from one of the drawers, soaking it in warm water from the conveniently located sink, and then dragging it softly over Jimin’s torso, gathering up the mess and letting him sit up finally, his back complaining slightly as he does so.

He’s suddenly vividly aware of the fact that he’s sitting naked in his shared kitchen. He knows he’ll scrub it within an inch of its life later but still, he slides off the island and grabs his underwear, slipping it back on, and turning to Jungkook as he does, who already has his own briefs back on and is puttering at the sink, wringing out the tea towel and then looking at a loss for what to do with it.

Jimin giggles. “Give it here, I’ll toss it in the laundry.” Jimin does so quickly, feeling nervous leaving Jungkook alone in the kitchen for too long.

When he comes back, Jungkook’s leaning against the island, facing the fridge, drinking thirstily from a cold bottle of water. Jimin pauses to admire the way his throat moves as he swallows, a drip of leftover sweat jostled loose from the nape of his neck, tracing a path forward and down his chest. Jimin tears his eyes away as it heads towards his abs.

Jungkook notices him and holds out another bottle. “Sorry, hyung, I hope you don’t mind. I found them in your fridge.”

“No worries.” He takes the water and drinks half it in one go. He feels pleasantly wrung out and is already thinking longingly about his bed and the amazing sleep he’s no doubt about to have.

The problem is that there’s an almost naked boy still in his kitchen, and given that usually it’s Jimin who’s leaving and who knows how to do it with grace and good humour, he has absolutely no idea how to facilitate what needs to happen next. Does he offer him a shower? Does he say thank you? Call him a taxi? Yawn loudly?

He scratches at his head. Jungkook seems content to lean and drink, not even looking at Jimin. What is he staring at?

Jungkook points with the bottle at the fridge. “These are so cute. Are they from your nieces or nephews?”

Jimin is intensely confused for a second and then he almost smacks himself in the forehead when he remembers. All his efforts and he forgot the drawings on the stupid fridge. He’s had them up for so long, he barely registers them anymore.

Instead of saying “yes” like a normal person and moving on, his brain, addled from too many post-orgasm endorphins, causes a rambling river of words to come out of his mouth.

“Ummmmm, no, well, kind of, I mean, they are from kids. Obviously. Not my kids. I don’t have kids. I like kids, love kids, but I don’t necessarily want them, right now especially, of course. I’m only twenty five …”

Jimin trails off. Jungkook is staring at him. It’s a whole mess.

The disaster of what to do next is interrupted by an even more alarming disaster. The door to the apartment moves, opening only a few inches as it catches on the deadbolt. Jimin starts, dropping his bottle of water, his hands coming up to grip in his hair as he glitches.

“Shit!” he whispers. Jungkook looks back at the door and then to Jimin.

Taehyung’s voice comes through the crack of the door. “Jimin-ah? Hey, can you get the deadbolt? Sorry, I didn’t tell you, but I’m going to stay here tonight. Minnie? Crap.”

Jimin finally breaks out of his panic enough to spring into action. He darts forward and grabs Jungkook’s clothes, throwing them at him and then picking up his own, frantically dressing. He sees Jungkook start to do the same.

He grabs a bunch of disinfecting wipes from under the counter sink, and as he does so, one of the pictures of him and Taehyung clatters on the floor, the frame cracking. “Shit!” he whispers again, as he shoves it back inside.

He turns, wiping the counter frantically, then throwing the wipes in the garbage. He hears his phone start ringing from where it’s abandoned on the floor, having fallen out of his pocket when his pants had been discarded. He curses. Taehyung must be calling his phone and he’ll be able to hear the ring from his perch just outside the slightly open door.

He looks around. Everything looks ok, except there’s still a Jungkook in his kitchen, now fully dressed and wearing a slightly upset look on his face.

He doesn’t have time. He grabs his arm, whispering a quick “I’m sorry,” and then dragging him down the hall. At first he pauses, contemplating, outside the partly open hall closet.

“Uh uh,” Jungkook says. “No way.”

Jimin squints. There’s some kind of irony here to this straight boy who just fucked him refusing to hide inside a closet. He’ll think about it later.

Instead, he turns and opens his bedroom door, the exact thing he was trying to avoid, pushing Jungkook gently inside. He turns once he’s through the door, a question on his face that Jimin can’t answer right now.

“I’m sorry,” he says again, quietly and urgently. “I just … let me just … sorry.”

Jungkook nods and Jimin feels immense relief. He turns, closing the door and rubbing his hand through his hair again, messing it up further.

Then he looks down at himself and realizes this won’t do. He quickly strips off his jeans and opens up his bedroom door again to throw them at a very surprised Jungkook. Jimin winces as Jungkook doesn't react in time, the jeans hitting him in the face. Jimin closes the door before he can see how much more upset that makes him and heads back down the hallway.

He rushes to the front door. “Tae?” he calls, trying to sound like he just woke up. “Is that you?”

“Minnie! Can you open the deadbolt?”

Jimin does, opening the door for his roommate, who immediately looks concerned at the sight of him.

“Hey, are you ok? You look flush.”

Jimin gulps and tries not to panic. “Yeah, I’m ok. Just wasn’t feeling great after work so went to bed early. I do feel like I might be coming down with something but I’m sure I’ll be fine once I get some sleep.”

Taehyung immediately moves closer, bringing a hand up to Jimin’s forehead and pressing the cool skin of his hand against it.

“Hmmm, you do feel a little warm. Want me to make you some noodles or something?”

“No, no,” Jimin says, relieved that he seems to have fooled his friend. “I think maybe I should just go back to sleep.”

“Ok, I can tuck you back in and --”

“No!” Jimin says, a little too loudly. Taehyung's eyebrows furrow in confusion.

“I mean, it’s ok. I don’t want to get you sick if it is something.”

That doesn't get rid of Taehyung's furrows. They don’t usually worry about that sort of thing, always intimately taking care of one another when one is sick, treating each other almost like baby birds, feeding and cuddling and even sleeping in the same bed.

Taehyung takes a quick look around as he takes off his jacket and slips off his shoes.

“Alright,” he says, eventually. “Whatever you want. It is good to see you through, I feel like we’ve been out of sync lately. With our schedules, I mean.”

Jimin feels an overwhelming guilt. That’s his fault, of course, his avoidance. And now he’s lying to him. Still, he can’t imagine telling him the truth right now or letting Jungkook out of his room. He doesn’t mix hookups with friends, he never has.

“Yeah, me too. I mean, glad to see you. Sorry, I think I’m still half asleep.”

Taehyung picks his phone off the floor and hands it to him. Jimin takes it sheepishly. “Wow, I must’ve been really out of it when I came home.”

Taehyung just smiles fondly and tousles his hair.

Jimin smiles back and then starts towards his room. He pauses, realizing something. “You going to bed too?”

Taehyung has his head stuck in the fridge. “Nope! Not sleepy yet. Just gonna watch something for a bit.”

Jimin can’t think of a single reason why he could possibly protest, so instead he just says goodnight and shuffles to his room, deep dread settling in his stomach. Well, this is going to be interesting.

When he gets inside, Jungkook is sitting on his bed, next to Jimin’s jeans, which are now neatly folded, hands tucked under his thighs and an angry look on his face. As soon as Jimin has the door shut, he starts talking “What the--”

Jimin rushes forward, shushing him. Jungkook stops talking, but his cloudy face darkens further.

Jimin tries to apologize with his hands, practically pleading. “Just, quietly, ok?” he asks, trying to keep his voice as low as he can and still have Jungkook hear him. He grabs his jeans off the bed and pulls them back on.

Jungkook sighs heavily. He starts again, voice much quieter, but still forceful. “What the hell is going on? Are you screwing around with me?”

It takes Jimin a minute to get it. He is screwing him after all. His eyes widen as he realizes what this must look like to Jungkook.

“No! No!” he says as forcibly as he can while still whispering, waving his hands in front of him to try to dispel that thought. “God, no, I would never do that. Tae’s my roommate. My friend. It’s not like that.”

Jungkook seems to believe him, relaxing instantly, his shoulders dropping. His shirt is only partly done up.

“Then why are we hiding in your bedroom?”

Jimin groans softly, rubbing his face with one hand. He sinks down on the bed, a few handbreadths away from Jungkook. His room is small and there’s nowhere else to go.

“Fuck. I don’t know. It’s not because of that. I’m a bit of a mess. Which should not surprise you, at this point.”

Jungkook nods but doesn’t say anything. He looks like he expects Jimin to say more.

“Ummm, I feel like no explanation is going to make sense. I just don’t … do this.”

“Do what?” Jungkook asks, his voice gentle. At least he’s not mad anymore, but Jimin does have to exist in this room with him until Taehyung goes to bed.

Jimin gestures toward Jungkook, which is a mistake, because he says, “You don’t sleep with people?”

“No! No, sorry. I do. I do do that. I just don’t usually do repeats.”

“Repeats?”

“Like, I don’t sleep with someone … more than once.”

“Oh.” Something crosses Jungkook’s expression briefly. Is he … pleased with himself?

Jimin scowls and lightly slaps at his shoulder. “Yah,” he says, then lowers his voice more. “Don’t get a big head.”

Jungkook only smiles a little bigger. Jimin hates how charming it is. “Alright, I’ll try not to. But I still don’t see why that means we have to hide in here.”

Jimn huffs. “I don’t bring guys home either. I go to their place. That’s my rule. So if Tae saw you, he’d read too much into it. He’d get all excited and clingy.”

“Ahhh, I see.” Jungkook says.

Jimin feels relieved. “You do?”

The smug look is back. “You’re breaking all your rules for me.”

Jimin scoffs. “I am not! I have way more rules than just those two.”

“Oh really?” Jungkook shifts over on the bed, spreading his long limbs out and laying his head down on one of Jimin’s stuffies, a giant Totoro that he can’t sleep without. “Judging by how quickly you left my hotel that night, I’m guessing no sleepovers is another rule?”

Jimin scowls harder. “You’re not staying over. Taehyung will go to bed, he’s just gonna watch a movie or something first.”

Jungkook snuggles deeper into the bed, grabbing another stuffie and snuggling it to his chest. He looks so mischievous and cute and Jimin is finding it hard to keep his scowl.

“What if it’s a really long movie and I fall asleep?”

“I won’t let you.” Jimin reaches over and pinches at Jungkook’s thigh. He yelps softly and then immediately surges up to grab at Jimin, pulling him down with him on the bed and pelting him with multiple plushies until he cries mercy.

They settle in the darkening room. Jimin is unsure what to say next. They might be in here for a few hours. Thankfully, Jungkook isn’t finished being a brat.

“What kind of guy has so many stuffies on his bed?”

Jimin actually blushes. “Hey! Just cause you’re in here doesn’t mean you get to observe things and comment on them!”

“Oh,” Jungkook says, his little dimples popping out as he purses his lips slightly. “You mean I’m supposed to pretend to ignore the mountain of Ghibli stuffies? I’m practically swimming in them.”

Jimin sniffs and is tempted to pinch at Jungkook again. “Yes. It would be the polite thing to do.”

“Hmmm,” Jungkook says. “I’m not sure if dirty little secrets that you hide from your roommate have to be polite.”

Jimin scoffs. “You are not even that dirty.”

Jungkook raises himself up on his elbows. “What? I’m not dirty enough? I made you come untouched!”

“Please,” Jimin says, happy they are in flirty territory and not in talking-about-the-contents-of-his-room territory. “That was not because the sex was dirty. That was because you’re built like a fucking train and obviously have the stamina and singlemindedness of one too.”

“Fine. Define dirty sex for you then.”

Jimin laughs and rolls over on his stomach so he can look at Jungkook better, who is sprawled on his back, one hand rubbing at his own chest in a self-soothing manner in the gape of his unbuttoned shirt.

“I don’t want to make you blush.”

Jungkook turns his head to look at him, a fire in his eyes. “Try me.”

Jimin shifts, a bit uncomfortable in his jeans on the bed. “Well, it’s not so much about the actual acts for me, I guess, although I’ve always been open to trying anything once. It’s more about the attitude. Dirty talk, unpredictability, the situation, that kind of thing.”

“So kitchen sex is not a dirty enough situation for you?”

Jimin laughs. “Ok, it wasn’t bad. But definitely not the most exciting place I’ve had sex.”

“So like, public places, exhibitionism, stuff like that?”

Jimin watches Jungkook carefully. He’s looking up at the ceiling, but he seems to be taking this a little too seriously.

“Sure. I mean, I’m not into, like, gang bangs or anything, but the chance of getting caught? Yeah, it can be hot.”

“Ok, gang bangs are out, public places are in.”

Jimin giggles. “What, are you making a list?”

Jungkook laughs. “Maybe. Why not?”

Jimin quiets. The “why not” should be obvious after what Jimin has told him. Jimin may have been weak in the name of getting a good night’s sleep, but they’re not going to see each other again. He feels it might be poor form to say that outright, given they have more time to spend together, so he goes with the indirect route.

“I’m not going to break all my rules for you, you know.” He tries to keep his voice light, teasing.

“We’ll see,” Jungkook responds, and Jimin does not like the sound of that.

He opens his mouth to respond but then Jungkook starts taking off his pants and all thoughts fly out of his head.

“What are you doing?” he hisses. “Taehyung’s right outside!”

Jungkook pauses, but only to briefly roll his eyes, and Jimin will think about how hot that is later. “Calm down, I’m just uncomfortable. We might be in here a while. You should take your jeans off too.”

Jimin considers. His jeans are pretty tight. He shrugs and then flips over so he can take his pants off, and then shucks his shirt off too when he sees Jungkook do the same. It would be rude not to match his guest, after all.

When he’s done, however, he sees that Jungkook is snuggling in under the covers, his face already looking sleepy.

“No,” he says. “You are not falling asleep. You’re going home as soon as Tae goes to bed.”

“Hmmm,” Jungkook hums, snuggling his face into Totoro’s round belly. “That sounds like a you problem. Just wake me up when he goes to bed.”

Jimin makes a small outraged noise and pokes at Jungkook’s stomach, but he simply grabs his hand and holds on tight, eyes shut and already breathing deeper.

Jimin sighs. He stays on top of the covers and struggles to stay awake, the gentle sounds of a movie leaking in from under the door. He waits until he’s fairly certain Jungkook is asleep and then turns his head to watch him.

He’s almost painfully pretty in sleep, his features gentled, eyelashes sweeping his cheeks. There’s a scar on his cheek that Jimin hadn’t registered before and a gentle mole, like the softest angel’s kiss, under his bottom lip. His nose can only be described as biteable and Jimin resists the urge to do exactly that. He almost does a double take when he realizes that Jungkook is sporting a couple of barely distinguishable holes straddling his right eyebrow. It appears he has an eyebrow piercing but isn’t wearing it. Jimin wonders what kind of businessman is allowed to have an eyebrow piercing.

He huffs and turns his head back up to the ceiling. He is not doing this. His hand, however, is still firmly gripped in Jungkook’s, the pressure unrelenting even in sleep. He’s a bit cold, but he hopes that will stop him falling asleep. He just has to stay awake until Tae goes to bed. He can do it.

Jimin allows his thumb to sweep gently against the back of Jungkook’s hand. It’s soft in some areas and rough in others. Jimin sneaks another peak at the sleeping boy. Jungkook’s hair is spread softly on the grey, tufty belly of his favorite plushie, and something tugs at his heart. It's the last coherent thought he has.

Chapter Text

Jimin wakes, gently at first, feeling warm and boneless after a good night’s sleep, but then he jolts, because his room is filled with the full light of morning. Shit! Jungkook.

He turns over, his face creased from being smooshed on his pillow, but the bed beside him is empty. He’s under the covers, but he’s alone.

He shakes his head slightly, popping an arm out to rub at his face. There’s a small Ponyo stuffie placed precariously on top of Totoro’s belly and in its little stick hand is a piece of paper. Jimin grabs and unfolds it, sitting up and trying to rub his eyes awake enough to read.

Hyung,

I woke up early and it seemed quiet out there so I decided to just sneak out. I didn’t want to wake you since you said you needed a good sleep so badly ;)

I’m leaving you my number, for whenever you feel like breaking more rules.

Jungkook

p.s. nice stationary

Jimin’s eyes dart up to the top of the page. He curses. Jungkook found his Spirited Away stationary. He must've had it on his nightstand.

He looks at the number Jungkook has scribbled on the bottom. He keeps looking at it. He places the note on his nightstand. He’ll think about it later.

He sneaks out to the main space and quietly drags the deadbolt back into place so Taehyung won’t notice anything when he wakes up. He puts the things he hid back to rights and gives the kitchen counter a really thorough cleaning, relieved to see it doesn’t look like Taehyung made himself any elaborate snacks last night. It’s not until he’s in the shower that a memory makes its way back to him.

He’s rubbing his neck under the hot spray and it prompts a flash of something. He’s not sure if he woke up briefly in the middle of the night or if he dreamed it, but he remembers feeling warm breath on the back of his neck, a sturdy arm wrapped around his middle, and a heavy leg draped over his. The flash is brief and not unpleasant. Jimin decides to not think too much about it.

It all worked out. Sure, he had broken a bunch of his rules, but he got what he wanted, and he feels more rested than he has in weeks. He hums a little as he finishes his routine and by the time Taehyung is up, Jimin is making them a big breakfast spread, complete with several banchan, dancing a little as he assembles the meal.

Taehyung smiles his wide boxy smile when he sees him, his hair standing up every which way from sleep.

“Feeling better I see?”

Jimin glances over, smiling. “Yup! See? Just needed a good night’s sleep.”

“Good,” Taehyung mumbles, pulling up one of the stools to the island and waiting for Jimin to serve up the food. “Smells good. Hey, looks tidier in here, did you clean?”

Jimin spins around and looks guiltily at the island. “Actually, why don’t we eat on the couch? We can put Howl on.”

Taehyung shrugs. “Sure, I’ll get it queued up.”

They settle on the couch with the food laid out on the coffee table and Jimin smiles over at Taehyung, both of them munching happily as the movie plays. It almost feels like normal, like the before time, when they used to spend almost every waking moment talking or texting.

“Something good happen?” Taehyung asks.

“Why?” Jimin asks, eyes on the screen as he shovels food into his mouth.

“You only wanna watch Howl when you’re happy.”

“Oh,” Jimin says. “Not really. Just glad I finally got a good night’s sleep.”

Taehyung frowns slightly. “You haven’t been sleeping?”

Jimin shrugs, not wanting to get into it. “Yeah, kind of. Just for like the last two weeks.”

“Two weeks?” Taehyung turns and takes Jimin’s bowl, placing it on the coffee table out of reach. Jimin makes a noise of protest and grabs after it, but then gives up, eating what’s left on his spoon.

“Jimin-ah, why wouldn’t you talk to me about it? Two weeks is a long time.”

Jimin shifts, uncomfortable. “Not really. I dunno. It’s just been busy, work, you know. And you’ve barely been here.”

Taehyung’s frown deepens. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve been staying at the hyungs’ alot. But I thought you would tell me if you wanted to hang out. And the nights I was here, you were always out, anyways.”

Jimin bristles. “What, I have to formally pencil you in now? And I could have been in if you told me earlier when you were going to grace the apartment with your presence.”

Taehyung stiffens. “Wow. I’m trying to say I’m sorry for not being here. What is going on with you?”

Jimn feels his resentment flare. Taehyung never used to even have to ask him if anything was wrong, he would just know. It’s not like Jimin is hiding anything from him. He’s just never around anymore to know the minutiae of Jimin’s life. He doesn’t want to become those friends that have to schedule hangouts or “catch up.” That’s not them.

“You would know if you were around.”

Taehyung scowls. “I know that. I’m trying to ask you now what’s wrong. You know, like a caring friend who wants to help?”

Jimin chucks his spoon on the table. “What, I’m not a caring friend now?”

“When’s the last time you asked me how I’m doing, how things are going with--”

“Oh my god, are you serious? If you make this about Seokjin and Yoongi again, I swear to god--”

“Again? I never talk about them! I never mention them to you, because whenever I do, you get all pouty, like I’m neglecting you or something.”

“Well, aren’t you?” Jimin cries, wrapping his arms around himself. He knows he’s only going to escalate things but he can’t stop himself, the sting he’s been carrying around making itself known through his words.

“Look, I know I’ve been spending a lot of time at their place, but maybe I’m doing that because you make me feel shitty about it every time I’m home. And why is that? What is it that you want me to say? I’m sorry I’m in a good relationship, finally? I’m sorry I’m actually happy for once?”

Jimin feels a deep stab of hurt in his chest. “What’s that supposed to mean? I thought we were always happy, even when it was just the two of us?”

Taehyung’s face falls, his defensiveness blowing out like a candle. “Jimin-ah. I didn’t mean it like that. You know our friendship is the most important thing to me.”

But Jimin refuses to be soothed. He feels like they’re finally saying all the things they’ve been dancing around since Taehyung got serious with Jin and Yoongi, and he’s never been the type to hold back. He had been trying to, at least a little bit, scared of their disagreements erupting into something bigger, but he feels like a big hole has been torn in his temporary happiness and he decides to just get it over with, taking a grip to tear it the rest of the way.

“Is it? Because lately it feels like you don’t even live here. You’re meeting the parents and not even telling me about it. How long until you move in with them permanently? You know I can’t afford this place on my own, which is fine, I can find someplace else. But then what’s going to happen when you need a place again one day? I can’t wait for that to happen forever, can I?”

Taehyung's hands are curled into fists at his side, looking out of place when he’s all pajama clad and soft from sleep.

“It always comes back to that, doesn’t it? The fact that you think my relationship is going to fall apart. I’ve been trying to explain away why that is all this time, to Seokjin, to myself, for god’s sake, but I’m beginning to think he’s right.”

“Right about what?” Jimin cries, infuriated as usual whenever Taehyung inserts Seokjin into their friendship, Seokjin who can’t stand Jimin, who clearly thinks he’s a bad influence, who very obviously would rather Taehyung ditch his best friend and live forever in happy threesome land.

“That you are actively hoping that we break up! That you would actually prefer me alone because then you wouldn’t have to share me. I keep telling him that’s not it, that there must be another reason why you act the way you do, that somehow you think what you’re doing is what’s best for me, but I just don’t know how to believe that myself anymore. Why can’t you just be happy for me?”

“Because!” Jimin explodes. “Because you’re being so naive, Tae! You think that you can just join their relationship, after six years of them being together, and everything is just going to be all hunky dory, butterflies and rainbows? Do they even treat you like an equal? I see how they’re always having all these stupid conversations without even talking that you’re not a part of! You think they aren’t going to get bored of the hot young thing in their bed one day and realize that it should’ve just been the two of them all along? And who's going to be the one to pick up the pieces one day? Me, the friend you’re going to abandon just to get your heart broken.”

Jimin stops. He sees a tear slip out from Taehyung’s eye, even as he wipes at it angrily, trying to hide it. He waits. He didn’t want to make Taehyung cry, but in a way he’s glad that this has come out. Better that Taehyung sees the truth sooner and gets out before he gets even more hurt than he’s already going to be.

But instead of throwing himself into his arms, or bursting further into tears and admitting Jimin’s right, Taehyung’s face goes cold.

“You’re an immature asshole, Park Jimin, and you don’t understand anything about a real relationship. Fuck you.”

Jimin feels like he’s been slapped. He sits in shock as Taehyung stiffly stalks back to his bedroom. The sound of an old woman furiously sweeping tinkles over from the tv.

He’s still sitting there frozen, mouth open, a horrible feeling of dread trickling down his spine, when Taehyung reemerges a few minutes later, dressed and with an overnight bag in hand.

Jimin turns slightly, watching as Taehyung angrily pulls on his shoes and jacket, a nightmarish reversal to his arrival last night, all concern and love. He opens his mouth but nothing comes out.

Instead Taehyung flings him one cold glance. “You know where I’ll be,” he says stiffly. He pauses. “Maybe think about why you want me to be alone, and if it’s because you have for some reason determined that you want to be alone. Since we’re saying all the things we think but don’t say.” Then he’s out the door, letting it slam behind him.

Jimin turns slowly, back to the tv. His face crumples and he picks up the remote, turning off the movie as he bursts into tears. He curls up on the couch in the now silent apartment. He can’t watch Howl when he’s sad.

----------------

The rest of Jimin’s weekend is the most pathetic couple of days he’s ever spent. He can’t shake himself from the shock of his fight with Tae. They’ve never fought that bad. Sure, they’ve argued before, over stupid things, like who put a red sock in their load of whites and turned all their white clothes pink, or who ate the last of the mandu when they had promised to finish it together. But never this bad, never about their friendship.

At first, Jimin blames himself totally, then he blames Taehyung, and finally he settles on Seokjin. Taehyung would never have called him an asshole, would never have sworn at him, before he met Seokjin and Yoongi. Yoongi has always been somewhat friendly and neutral, but Seokjin, Soekjin had clearly hated him from the start. He’s probably been poisoning Taehyung against him from the very beginning, making backhanded comments about Jimin’s lack of focus, or the way he goes out all the time instead of looking for some nice guy to date and settle down with.

And to think, it was Jimin that was the whole reason they got together in the first place. Taehyung had texted him, all nervous, during a rare night when Taehyung was out with other friends instead of with Jimin. Two guys had been taking an interest in him, an older couple looking to experiment, and Taehyung wasn’t sure. Jimin told him to go for it, that threesomes were fun, especially when you’re the exciting hot young guy in the picture, sure to be the centre of attention and have multiple orgasms.

Little did he know that their night of hot sex would turn into several nights, which would turn into Seokjin and Yoongi telling Taehyung they wanted to date him, together. Taehyung had freaked out again and Jimin, the fool that he was, encouraged him one more time, thinking it would just be a short term arrangement, a fun story for them to laugh and reminisce over when they were older, the summer that Taehyung dated a couple of older sugar daddy types. But summer turned into fall, turned into winter and here Jimin was, in the throes of spring, and completely and utterly friendless.

And sure, Jimin may have made snarky comments from the very beginning, but only because Seokjin and Yoongi were going to be a thing of the past eventually. And ok, maybe Seokjin had picked up on his bad attitude and maybe it made him defensive and insecure and, ok, maybe them going to meet Yoongi’s parents is a sign that they actually do want to give Taehyung equal footing in their relationship. Jimin swings back to blaming himself.

He’s on his third rewatch of Totoro when he admits he needs to get out of the apartment. Even if he could maybe admit to himself that he was being an asshole, he can’t face what Taehyung last said to him. He knows he’s determined to be alone in a romantic sense but that doesn't mean he wants to be lonely. It just means he prioritizes his friends and his work and he doesn’t want some relationship that’s only going to end anyways getting in the way of that.

So, instead, he forces himself into the shower Sunday evening and out the door, yoga mat slipped over one shoulder. If he hurries, he can make Hoseok’s last class.

It’s raining hard so by the time he gets to the studio he looks like a wet rat and he’s out of breath. He’s five minutes late and accidentally bangs the door open in his rush. The entire class turns to look as he enters, including Hoseok at the front, whose face briefly transforms from it’s bright visage into a really rather dirty look before he claps gently and asks the class to focus back on him, using his cheery sing song voice to lead them into the next pose even as his narrowed eyes track Jimin until he settles at the back of the group.

Hoseok usually doesn’t allow latecomers into his class, says it upsets the whole flow, but he has a soft spot for Jimin and any of his regulars know that. So Jimin wrings out his shirt as quickly as he can and then gets into the rhythm of the class, letting Hoseok’s sunshine tinged voice focus his mind away from his worries and onto his body. He drips a bit onto his mat, but that’s ok, and by the time the class is done forty minutes later, he feels much better. Still sad and angry, but a little more placid. He lays on his mat, resting, as the rest of the class chats quietly and packs up. Another perk of being friends with the instructor is he can get some extra attention after everyone else leaves.

With the stress of Jimin’s job, sometimes he needs a little bit of additional guided stretching to really work through his knots and hang ups. He could use that again tonight, and maybe some advice too. He watches as Hoseok cleans up, the other patrons slowly trickling out into the evening air.

He notices one student who is lingering by the door, pretending to fiddle with their mat and glancing every once in a while at Hoseok as he tidies. This student is hard to miss; he’s over six feet tall and quite broad, his chest almost looking indecently large in his tank top and his arms chiseled, not to mention his thighs. Jimin distracts himself by checking out the guy who he’s been watching trying to nerve himself up for almost two months to ask Hoseok out.

Hoseok, being Hoseok, is endearingly oblivious and Jimin watches another classic interaction unfold. Hoseok notices the man lingering and calls out to him from across the room.

“Namjoon-ah! Good to see you tonight. Were you away? It’s not like you to miss a week, let alone two.”

Namjoon immediately starts blushing and takes two awkward steps toward Hoseok, before looking like he can't decide whether to actually walk all the way over to him. He stops, rubbing at his thigh and stammering, “Oh, ummmm, no. I mean, yeah, I don’t like to miss your classes, the classes! I was sick and didn’t want to risk passing it to you-- I mean them! People, in the class I mean. Anyone in this class.”

Jimin feels immensely sorry for the guy as he rambles on, the timidity a very cute contrast to how hot he is. Hoseok’s smile widens the longer Namjoon talks and he finally interrupts him.

“That’s so sweet of you, Joon-ah! Sorry to hear you were sick. All better now?”

“Ummm, yeah, all better. And you? Not that you were sick. How are you, I guess, is what I’m saying…”

Hoseok finally finishes his tidying and takes a few steps closer to Namjoon so they’re not talking across almost the whole length of the room. Namjoon seems alarmed by this development and actually takes a step back before he stops himself.

Jimin watches them from his mat, back and forth, his neck swinging like he’s at a tennis match.

“I’m good! Busy, but good. I started teaching at another studio so that’s added to my workload, but I really like meeting new students, figuring out how to help them. Really keeps me fulfilled, you know?”

Namjoon hangs off of every word like it’s the most fascinating thing he’s ever heard and Jimin has no idea how Hoseok doesn’t get that he’s practically in love with him.

“That’s great! Wow, that’s so cool, Hoseok-ah.” Namjoon’s blush seems to increase with the sound of himself saying Hoseok’s name, which Jimin thinks is some kind of new feat.

“Hey, I’ve never asked, what do you do?” Another step forward from Hoseok. Namjoon is brave this time, teetering a bit like he’s going to back up, but staying in place.

“Oh, well, it’s sort of hard to explain. The short answer is in software--”

Jimin chooses that moment to clear his throat and shuffle a bit. He doesn’t have all night to watch both of them circle each other and do nothing about it.

Namjoon seems to notice him because he’s stuttering and then making his exit as quickly as possible.

Hoseok waves at his retreating form and then turns to Jimin, plopping himself down on his mat next to him.

“Alright, you little late brat. What do you want? I should scold you for disrupting my class like that.”

It’s just a gentle tease and yet Jimin is so fragile that he promptly bursts into tears.

Hoseok looks shocked and then quickly grabs Jimin and presses him to him, his voice turning into a comforting sing-song.

“Oh my god, Jimin-ah, I’m so sorry, Hyung’s sorry, I was just teasing.”

Jimin shakes his head and wipes at his face, trying to stop the flow of tears.

“What’s wrong? Is it your stupid parents again? I'm not above disrespecting my elders if I could get my hands on your dad.”

“No, no,” Jimin hiccups out. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cry. I’ve just had the worst weekend.”

“Here,” Hoseok says, “Stretch out and I’ll put on that music you love and you can tell me about it.”

Jimin sniffs and nods and Hoseok gets up to lower the lights and put on some music before lifting Jimin’s head from where it's laid down on his mat and placing it in his lap.

Jimin feels better already, Hoseok petting his hair, humming a little as he does. In fact, he feels so much better, he’s not sure if he even wants to talk about what happened. Maybe all he needed was some affection, someone to show they still care about him.

Hoseok doesn’t let him get away with it though, eventually prompting him. “Come on, Jimin-ah, tell hyung what’s going on. It will feel better to talk about it.”

Jimin sniffs. “I guess maybe it’s not that big of a deal really. Tae and I had a fight …” He trails off.

Hoseok hums. “Yeah, about what?”

Jimin shrugs. “Stupid stuff, I guess. He’s been staying a lot at his boyfriends’ place and I guess I’ve been feeling neglected.”

Hoseok makes a sympathetic noise. “That can be hard, when your best friend gets into a serious relationship.”

“Yeah!” Jimin says. “Exactly! It’s hard and he totally didn’t try to see things from my point of view. I barely see him and you know how inseparable we’ve always been. It feels like we’re not even us anymore.”

Hoseok tsks. “I’m sure you’re still you. You’re just going through a change, and that’s normal. You’ll figure it out. How did you leave it?”

“Leave what?”

“The fight.”

“Oh ... it was pretty bad, I guess. But you’re right. I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”

“How bad is pretty bad?”

Jimin hesitates. On the one hand, he doesn’t want Hoseok to think it’s a bigger deal than it is. On the other hand, he is still really hurting from what Taehyung said to him, and he would love some sympathy.

“Taehyungie kind of stormed out …” Jimin pauses for dramatic effect. “After he called me an asshole and told me to fuck off.”

He feels Hoseok’s hand still in his hair.

“What did you do, Park Jimin?” Hoseok’s voice is no longer sympathetic. Now it’s cold steel.

“What?”

Hoseok gets up quickly, letting Jimin’s head thunk to the floor. Jimin scowls and sits up, rubbing at the back of his head.

“Hey! That hurt!”

“Don’t change the subject!” Hoseok responds. He’s standing in front of Jimin now with his hands on his hips. “What did you do?”

Jimin huffs. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! I told you, we got into a fight about how’s he been spending so much time with Yoongi and Jin --”

“Bullshit!” Hoseok interrupts him. “Taehyungie is the absolute sweetest, mildest person I have ever met in my entire life and you’re saying he swore at you just because of that? No way. What did you say to him?” He softens his voice slightly. “Better to be out with it now. Come on, I can help you get out of this mess, but only if you tell me the truth.”

Jimin pouts. Hoseok sits back down, this time across from him with his legs crossed. He simply waits.

Jimin wraps his arms around himself. “Ok, maybe I might have … toldhimhisrelationshipisdoomedtofail.” It’s a rushed mumble, but Hoseok still catches it, his eyes widening.

“Jimin,” Hoseok says, a simple word spoken in a puff of breath that conveys the very thing that Jimin had been afraid was true: that he had messed up immensely. “What exactly did you say to him?”

Jimin looks down, picking at the bottoms of his sweatpants. “I was only honest with him. Yoongi and Jin have been together so long, just the two of them. How could they possibly treat Taehyung like he deserves? How can he be the most important person in the world when they already have each other? That’s what he deserves, to be everything to somebody. I just don’t see how it’s going to work long term. So I told him that.”

He looks up and Hoseok is shaking his head, disapproving. “Hyung!” Jimin whines, “Come on! He’s thinking about moving in with them! Don’t you see how this could go? They’re going to realize that it was exciting for a while, but that it really should be just the two of them and he’s going to have his heart broken! You can’t tell me that there isn’t a chance of that happening!”

Hoseok shakes his head one more time and then sighs, closing his eyes briefly.

“Jimin-ah. I know how much you love Tae, so I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you really are worried about him. And sure, of course there’s a chance it doesn’t work out. There always is, in any relationship. And you’re allowed to have concerns for someone you care about. But did you talk about your concerns with him before this? Or have you been doing your usual thing of snide remarks and passive aggressiveness while expecting the other person to be a mind reader?”

Jimin scowls. “Tae can always read my mind.”

Hoseok shakes his head. “Not this time, baby. Not with this. Taehyung is in love. You know it. And love, well, it changes people. In amazing ways. But it makes them blind to certain things too. He probably doesn’t understand why you’re insisting on seeing his relationship as just potential heartbreak. He’s probably confused, and hurt. I can’t imagine Tae saying those things unless that was very much the case. Because he does love you, Jimin-ah. You guys have a special friendship. Do you really want to risk that?”

“Shouldn’t he be the one who doesn’t want to risk our friendship over a couple of guys?”

Hoseok sighs, shaking his head. “Careful. If you don’t figure out why you’re so afraid of this, you’re going to risk losing him. Even if things don’t work out, you think he’s going to feel good about reaching out to someone who might just say ‘I told you so’ for comfort? Don’t you want to be there for him, no matter what? Hasn’t he done that for you?”

Jimin pinches at the bridge of his nose, taking a moment to try to see past his own hurt. He supposes he can see how his insistence that his budding relationship won’t work would hurt Tae. And he can maybe see how his passive aggressive way of dealing with his worries have already been hurting him. He sighs, and then pushes back, starfishing on his mat and groaning.

“Fuck. I am an asshole.”

Hoseok tsks, then retakes his place, lifting Jimin’s head up so he can rest it in his lap and pet him again. “Yeah. But only because of your deep seated insecurities--”

“Hey!”

“-- and you can make it better,” Hoseok continues, undeterred. “Just, give it a few days. Let things cool off. Maybe actually reflect on what’s going on with you. And then talk to him.”

Jimin sniffs, nodding. “Ok, I’ll try. But can you please tell me that you’re a little bit on my side?”

“I’m always on your side. But that doesn’t mean I’ll let you get away with anything.”

Jimin gets an idea. He did need to hear these things. And he does maybe need to do some reflecting. But, he’s also Park Jimin, which means he gets his own revenge.

“So I shouldn’t let you get away with anything too, right? If I’m being a good friend?”

And Hoseok isn’t stupid, so he looks reticent as he raises one eyebrow. “In theory,” he answers.

Jimin sits up and spins, facing Hoseok on the mat.

“Well then. What in the good god are you doing with that guy?”

“What guy?”

“You know who. The beefy one. The shy guy who looks like he could hold you down and fuck you until you cried.”

Hoseok goes beet red in an instant, throwing his hands up. “What the fuck, Jimin? Are you talking about Namjoon?”

“If Namjoon is the beefy shy guy that looks like he could hold you down and fuck you until you cried, then yes, I mean Namjoon.”

“I’m not doing anything with him! He’s just a student.”

“Exactly! How can you not climb that man like a tree immediately?”

“It’s not like that! He just likes yoga, he’s not interested in me that way.”

“Are you blind? That man has heart eyes for you and is probably jerking it right now to the thought of your downward dog.”

“Jimin!” Hoseok says, “Come on!”

“Alright,” he says, letting up. “But I’m right. He wants to date you, and have sex with you, and probably marry you and have your babies. Just you wait and see.”

Hoseok scoffs. “Very funny.” He gets up, moving around the studio as he clears away any final odds and ends and starts turning off the lights.

Hoseok turns to him with a wary eye. “You really think he likes me?”

Jimin decides to have mercy on him. “Yes, hyung, I really think he does. He does this adorable blushing thing whenever he says your name. He’s seriously gone for you.”

“Hmmm.” Hoseok finally beckons to Jimin. “Come on, you brat. Grab your mat and hyung will buy you a drink. You can convince me I should ask this guy out much better once I’ve had a soju or two.”

Jimin grins and follows Hoseok, planning to start his self reflection after a much needed few drinks.

Chapter Text

Jimin does think a lot over the next week. He takes Hoseok’s advice to let Taehyung have his space, so he works and comes home to his empty apartment, and he tries to think through all of the things that led him here.

Hoseok is right, of course. Taehyung had been there for him, no matter what, through everything. When Jimin had ignored all the red flags with Youngjae in university, Taehyung had been there. When he refused to believe all the hints and clues that he was cheating on him, he had been there. And he had been there to pick up the pieces when it had all spectacularly fallen apart, Jimin finally, truly getting it when he had walked in on his boyfriend raw dogging it with someone else. The bastard barely even paused, a look on his face like what did he expect before Jimin simply turned and slammed the door behind him, pausing long enough to hear the bed springs start up again on the other side.

He had never spoken to the guy again and had ended up in bed for almost a week, Taehyung his constant companion, checking on him and making him eat and finally giving him the tough love he needed to go back to his classes before he started failing them. The rest of that semester had been a blur, Taehyung’s friendship the only thing that pulled him through.

And then, later that same year, when he came out to his parents, sick of hiding who he was and answering questions about why he never brought a girl home, and his dad had practically disowned him, it was Taehyung who pulled him out of another slump, getting angry on his behalf and giving Jimin the strength to be angry for himself. And six months later, when he thought his dad had changed his mind, asking Jimin to meet him for dinner and, instead of offering understanding, trying to convince him to marry a woman anyways, a daughter of a fellow businessman, for “the sake of his mother,” and Jimin had stormed out and gotten black out drunk by himself and tried to pick a fight, it was Taehyung who paid for his bail and then drove him to his community service every day.

He really did owe him everything. The more Jimin thinks, the more his guilt weighs down on him like a blanket. Maybe he has been trying to hold Taehyung back partly because he’s terrified to be without him. He always thought that he was independent, never needing a guy to bolster him up or make him happy. But isn’t that what he’s expecting Taehyung to be? Has he been treating Taehyung like he’s his boyfriend, expecting him to always be there, always be available? Has he been sabotaging things with Seokjin and Yoongi because he can’t stand the thought of Taehyung being happy with anyone but him? What kind of a friend, what kind of a person, does that make him?

The more he thinks, the more pathetic he feels, and instead of making him want to reach out to Taehyung, he retreats into himself. A friend at work is out with the flu and he offers to take on their caseload, refusing help from anyone else and plunging into a straight session of fourteen hour days that bleeds over into the weekend. At least at work he feels like he’s doing good things, so he hides there, determined that he won’t lose everything that makes him feel ok.

By the time he makes it to Saturday night, his brain is one big fog. It’s eleven at night and he still has several more hours of paperwork if he’s going to catch up before Monday in order to cover his own and his co-worker’s site visits. He’s practically falling asleep at his desk, so he decides to nip down to the twenty-four hour convenience store for some ramen.

He’s standing in one of the aisles, clad in his favourite pair of bike shorts, worn because he biked into the office that afternoon and never bothered to change since no one else was there, a huge pink hoodie that matches his hair, unstyled and fluffy, and his big, chunky glasses that he only wears when he’s pretty sure he won’t see anyone he knows. He’s staring at the selection of noodles, trying to decide if spicy is a good idea (might wake him up) or a bad idea (might interfere with his bike ride home) when he hears someone clear his throat a few feet from him. He intends to ignore it, but then he hears a disturbingly familiar voice.

“Jimin-hyung?”

Jimin freezes. He knows that voice. This cannot be happening. He looks terrible, he feels terrible, he is in no way, shape, or form prepared to deal with the cutie he slept with (twice! his brain screams at him) just a week ago.

He turns, slowly, some part of him realizing that he can’t just pretend he didn’t hear him.

And then his brain glitches. Or he is so tired, he’s hallucinating, he can’t decide. Because it is Jungkook standing in front of him. Except it’s also not. The Jungkook he knows, the one he’s slept with twice, he’s hot, sure, but he’s also cute, timid, and just the right amount of shy.

This guy standing in front of him, is not cute, he’s not timid, and, despite the hand rubbing at his neck, he does not look shy. He’s not in his business casual slacks and dress shirt tonight. Tonight, in the noodle aisle of this convenience store, Jungkook is dressed in skin tight leather pants, huge black boots with treads, and a mesh shirt, black fabric criss crossing against his torso, the gaps playing peek-a-boo with his abs, his biceps, and, oh dear god, his nipples.

Jimin’s eyes sweep up to his face, his eyes outlined in the barest hint of a smokey eye, his hair swept back off of his forehead, parted in a comma style that leads one piece to shift over his eye when he moves, and, yup, there it is, his eyebrow piercing glinting in the fluorescent light of the shop.

Who the fuck is this guy and what did he do with Jimin’s endearing straight boy?

“Uhhhhhh, hi,” Jimin says.

“Hi,” Jungkook replies. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Neither did I,” Jimin blurts out, and then, before he can stop himself, “especially not so much of you.”

Jungkook glances down at his chest and then back up, cheeks flushing slightly.

“Oh, yeah. I’m meeting some friends nearby, just popped in to grab some soju. What are you doing here?”

Jimin points vaguely at the shelves next to him because it is physically impossible for him to tear his eyes away from Jungkook. “Ramen,” he says vaguely.

Jungkook chuckles, his mouth pulling up at one side, and Jimin thinks he might die.

“Yeah, I can see that. But you don’t live around here.”

“Work, “ Jimin says, again very eloquent. “Ummm, I work just around the corner. Just putting in some extra hours and got hungry.”

“Ah,” Jungkook says, nodding. He squints his eyes. “Are you ok?”

Jimin finally looks away a bit, glancing over to the shelf and back, feeling a little tipsy when faced with the way Jungkook looks in that outfit, all black fierceness in contrast to his sunshiny shyness.

“Just a long week. I’m covering for someone at work so I’m kind of pulling double duty.”

“Right,” Jungkook says, tilting his head slightly. It makes an earring that Jimin hadn’t noticed before dangle against his neck and Jimin sways slightly, eye catching on it like a bird seeing something shiny. Why are they in this convenience store and not somewhere Jimin can set to devouring this man whole?

Jungkook must see something in his expression, because his own shifts, and he takes a step forward.

“It must be hard to concentrate, working so late, and on a Saturday too. Maybe I can help?”

“Huh?” is all Jimin can manage, swallowing hard as he watches Jungkook walk closer. Jimin notices that Jungkook rakes his eyes down his body and Jimin suddenly feels very self conscious in his big sweater, falling so low on his thighs that it almost covers his shorts entirely. He reaches up to poke at his glasses, realizing they’ve fallen down his nose slightly.

“I feel like I helped clear your head last time, helped you sleep? Maybe I can do that again?”

Jimin backs up slightly until his back hits the wall of noodles behind him. Jungkook keeps advancing until he’s a few inches away, his hand sneaking forward to play gently with the hem of Jimin’s sweater. He’s taller in his boots and Jimin looks up at him, determined not to come face to face with his practically bare torso.

“We’re in a convenience store,” he says, which is not what he meant to say. What he meant to say is that he made an exception for Jungkook last time, but he is not going to make it again. He’s broken enough rules. But instead what comes out is an obvious statement about their location and he watches in growing horror as Jungkook’s face gets more determined and slightly smirky.

“I know, “ he says, and the cursed eyebrow with the glinting piercing raises slightly. “I was paying attention last time, remember?”

“What?” Jimin asks, and then it comes back to him. “Ohhhhhh. Wait, no.”

“No?” Jungkook asks, voice low, eyelids closing a little as he looks downward, playing up the smoky darkness above his lashes. The hand playing at Jimin’s hem falls slightly, brushing against the skin just below where his shorts end on his thigh.

Jimin’s dick betrays him and hardens very slightly, which is not a good thing to happen when wearing bike shorts, especially when you have no underwear underneath. Jimin swallows. He glances up toward the cash, seeing a bored looking teenager scrolling through his phone.

He looks back at Jungkook, who is continuing to just barely graze the skin of his thigh with the tips of his fingers, waiting patiently as Jimin has an internal crisis. He glances one more time at Jungkook’s chest in that mesh shirt and he notices his nipples are hard. Fuck

“Ok,” he says, his dick now fully calling the shots. “Where …”

Jungkook smiles, and the full cuteness of his grin combined with the hardness of his look practically knocks Jimin sideways. He grabs Jimin’s hand and pulls him down the aisle toward the back of the store.

“I stop here a lot for soju on the way to my friend’s place. The bathroom is pretty decent.”

Jungkook glances at the clerk once they reach said bathroom, then pulls Jimin in quickly behind him. Once they’re inside, Jungkook grabs a folding chair that’s leaning against the wall and tucks it under the door knob, effectively locking it.

Jimin stands gaping. The room is small, just two small stalls and one sink.

“What, have you done this before or something?”

Jungkook turns and backs him up until his back touches the counter.

“No,” he says, “I just think quickly on my feet.”

Before Jimin can think even slowly, Jungkook has lifted him up on the low counter, just enough space beside the sink and the wall for him to fit. He already feels dazed as Jungkook presses him against the mirror, his head thunking slightly as Jungkook presses their lips together, a kiss that is quick and dirty, Jungkook’s tongue making promises that Jimin hopes it can keep.

He has a brief moment of clarity when Jungkook pulls back, hands on Jimin’s waist, caught up in the volume of his sweater.

“Shit, I don’t have anything.”

Jungkook shakes his head slightly. “We don’t need anything for what I’m thinking.”

Jimin watches as Jungkook slowly sinks to his knees.

“Oh. Are you sure?” Jimin can’t believe this guy wants to give his first blow job in the bathroom of a convenience store, but he’s not going to say no.

“I’m sure,” Jungkook says, looking up at Jimin through his eyelashes and Jimin goes pliant, holding himself up with his hands on either side while Jungkook hangs both of his legs over his shoulders.

Jungkook slides his hands up both of Jimin’s calves where they hang over his back and then up his thighs, sliding over the thin fabric of his bicycle shorts. Jimin is half hard by this point and he knows his shorts will be leaving nothing to the imagination.

Jungkook takes his time as he starts kissing at one knee, slowly making his way up Jimin’s inner thigh while his hands grasp at his sides. Jimin’s not sure if he wants to pull his sweater up and out of the way so he can watch or whether that would be too damn much for him. He decides instead to tip his head back against the mirror and close his eyes.

With his eyes closed, his other senses heighten slightly, and he feels and hears everything even more intensely: Jungkook’s lips gently suckling at his thigh through the shorts, the sounds his mouth and tongue make as they meet the fabric, Jungkook’s nails tugging slightly at his sides, the faint sound of voices coming from outside the bathroom door.

Jimin’s breathing gets shallow and he knows he’s fully hard before Jungkook even makes his way to his cock. What’s torturous is that Jungkook doesn’t start stroking him through the fabric, doesn’t even graze him, instead his head pushes up against the bulk of Jimin’s sweater as he slowly pulls his shorts down, just enough to expose Jimin’s hard length. Jimin can feel Jungkook’s hot breath on him, but nothing else. Is he just looking at him? Maybe he’s freaking out?

Jimin tries to sound composed as he asks, “Everything ok down there?” but his voice squeaks at the end and he squirms slightly in embarrassment. He wasn’t lying before, sneaking something naughty in a public place does turn him on and this whole situation, even without the goth baby boy factor, is pushing all of his buttons.

Another button is pushed when Jungkook simply shushes him. Jimin closes his eyes again and surrenders.

He can't really believe it when the first thing Jungkook does is gently suck one of his balls into his mouth. Jimin gasps and jerks slightly and then settles when Jungkook keeps his hands heavy on his hips like a weight. Jimin is still and he can feel the hot wetness of Jungkook's mouth, and also that his hard cock is now resting gently on Jungkook’s face, bumping against the hardness of his nose and the softness of his eyelid.

“Jesus,” Jimin whispers. He’s tempted to pull away the fabric of his hoodie so he can look at what an unbelievable picture that would make, but again he chooses his own sanity and to not come embarrassingly quickly.

He’s glad of his decision as Jungkook starts to move more, gently sucking and licking at his balls, causing his cock to gently rock against his face. Jimin can’t help the gentle curses that escape him, his hands scrabbling against the counter surface, whishing he had something to hold onto or something to bite down on or anything to help him deal with the slow torture of sensations.

Finally, Jungkook shifts slightly and starts tracing his lips and tongue up the underside of Jimin’s shaft. He takes his sweet time doing it, too, and Jimin finally lets himself really squirm, expressing his impatience with a gentle whine. Jimin isn’t sure but he thinks Jungkook might smile against his dick and he almost feels like throwing a tantrum, until Jungkook sweeps up the final few inches and takes Jimin’s head into his mouth.

One of Jimin’s hands leaves the counter, pressing against the back of Jungkook’s head slightly, cupping it more than demanding any action but, nonetheless, Jungkook begins bobbing his head, taking more of Jimin into his mouth with each trip down, his mouth slack. Now the room is all sloppy wet sounds and Jimin’s nails scraping occasionally across the hard counter. There’s another sound that Jimin can’t identify and he finally gives in, grabbing his sweater and shifting the bulk of the fabric up to bunch around his chest.

He swears again, not so gently this time, as he takes in the sight of Jungkook on his knees, hands big and straining on Jimin’s hips as he goes to town on his cock, a bit of saliva dripping from his lips to coat Jimin’s length, his brows furrowed as if he’s angry but more likely in concentration. Jimin pushes his hair back from his face and gently touches on his eyebrow piercing, letting his eyes shift lower to the way the muscles in his arms are tightened, to the tone of his chest and abs and, finally down to his hips and thighs, straining against the tight leather fabric, his hips shifting forward every once in a while, like he’s struggling not to hump the air, making the material swish slightly at his knees, the mystery of the indistinguishable sound solved, but making arousal shoot sharply straight to his cock.

Jimin hunches over further, as if to draw Jungkook closer, putting both hands into his hair and tugging slightly. Jungkook picks up his pace, encouraged, and Jimin can’t hold on anymore.

He tries to warn Jungkook, calling his name and tugging a bit more on his hair, letting him know he’s about to come so he can pull back if he wants, but Jungkook determinedly keeps Jimin’s cock deep in his mouth as he sucks and Jimin runs out of time.

He topples over the edge of his orgasm, the muscles in his thighs bunching and his fingers catching in Jungkook’s hair, his hips jackrabbiting up slightly, Jungkook going still, allowing Jimin to use his mouth in the final moments. Jimin loses himself slightly and when he comes to, a bit dazed, Jungkook is pulling off of him, wiping at his chin, Jimin’s release neatly taken care of. He quickly tucks Jimin back into his shorts and raises from his knees, pulling Jimin’s sweater down and then pushing his glasses back up his nose, a fond smile on his face, before leaning into his embrace. Jimin pants softly, feeling a little floaty, and wraps his arms around Jungkook’s, petting at his back and shoulders as he lets him hug him tightly.

He can feel Jungkook is hard, his hips pressed against him while they embrace. He shifts his hands down Jungkook’s back to his hips, squeezing slightly. Jungkook doesn’t move, his face pressed against Jimin’s neck tightly.

“Want me to …” Jimin starts, voice gravelly.

Jungkook shakes his head, his nose nuzzling against Jimin’s pulse. “No,” he says, voice soft. “I’m ok, we probably shouldn’t be in here any longer. Just give me a minute.”

Jimin shifts slightly, rubbing at Jungkook’s back comfortingly as he lets him rest against him, waiting for his erection to slowly go down.

Jungkook places a kiss against Jimin’s neck and he shivers slightly. It feels too … Jimin’s not sure. Just that it makes him feel weird, a feeling in his chest that requires him to fight his instinct to push Jungkook off of him. Thankfully, Jungkook says something and it knocks him out of it.

“Was that ok?”

Jimin thinks he’s kidding for a second and snorts in laughter. When Jungkook doesn’t laugh with him he pulls back, pushing on Jungkook’s shoulder so he leans back slightly, allowing him to look at his face.

Jungkook’s lips are red and slightly swollen from use, but his eyes are wide and looking a little worried, so Jimin doesn’t hesitate.

“Are you kidding me? That was incredible. Ten out of ten, would recommend to a friend.”

Jungkook giggles, gentle blush making his cheeks match his lips and Jimin feels that tugging again. What is he doing?

Jimin is again grateful when Jungkook backs off, helping Jimin down from the counter. His legs feel slightly shaky, but he smiles at Jungkook and nods when he asks him if he’s ready to go back out.

Jungkook carefully places the folding chair back where he found it and they both head out, heads whipping over to the front. The teenage clerk is checking out an old lady and they both sigh in relief. They head toward the exit but just before they make it out, Jungkook turns, his eyes wide.

“Your noodles!”

Jimin pauses. He is still hungry. And he does still have a ton of paperwork to do before he goes home.

“Right, yeah.” He looks back at the clerk again. “I don’t think he noticed anything. I’ll just go grab them and head out after. Soooo, yeah.” And then he waves awkwardly at the man dressed like a walking wet dream who just sucked on his balls.

Jungkook laughs, presumably at him and his hand drifts up to rub at his neck while he glances down shyly at his feet. Jimin cannot reconcile his shyness and what he had assumed about him with his demeanor tonight and he blurts out, “Are you headed to a costume party or something?”

Jungkook’s smile falls and he looks down at himself. When he looks up, he has a somewhat determined look on his face.

“No,” he says bluntly. “I’m not.”

Jimin feels bad now, he feels terrible. He starts rambling. “Right, no, of course not, you look amazing, really hot, sorry, I just look like a slob right now and I feel underdressed, even though we’re just in a convenience store, which technically makes you overdressed.”

Jungkook’s eyebrows furrow further and his mouth opens slightly but Jimin can’t seem to stop.

“Shit, I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be a jerk and you’ve been nothing but nice to me and you helped me that night with Tae and --”

Jungkook interrupts him, thank god.

“Did everything turn out ok? He didn’t notice? You never texted me.”

“Yeah, no, it was good. I mean it ended up not good because we fought, but not about that.”

“Oh yeah? What about?”

Jimin feels like an inept idiot but he blurts it out anyways. “It’s just his boyfriends--”

“Boyfriends?”

“Yeah, he’s started dating these two guys, who are like dating each other too, like all of them together, and he’s never home and usually it’s always the two of us and then we just started fighting and now I haven’t talked to him in like a week, which is the longest I’ve ever gone without talking to him in like ten years and I don’t know what to do and now I’m standing in a convenience store telling all of this to a practical stranger and I’m sorry. I’m going to stop talking now.”

Jungkook has that fond smile again, but now it’s sort of sad.

“I don’t have to be a stranger, you know.”

“Huh?” Jimin says.

“I mean, we could hang out sometime. In a non sexual way. You could tell me more about it. I’m a good listener.”

Jimin panics. He can’t be this straight boy’s gay sexual awakening. That is way too much to take on for just a couple (ok, three) hook ups. “Like, a date? Because, I don’t--”

“No,” Jungkook says. “This is not me asking you on a date. This is me offering to get a coffee sometime. Talk about your troubles. If I were asking you on a date, you’d know it.”

“Oh. Right. Yeah. Ok.”

“Ok,” Jungkook says, nodding. “How about tomorrow? You know that coffee shop around the corner from here? How about we meet there at two pm?”

And Jimin never thought he would end up here tonight, post blow job, feely slightly shaky and desperately awkward as the brunette cutie asks him for a coffee dressed like one of the soft muscle boys in the porn Jimin watches. So he blames it on that when he says, “Sure, yeah, ok.”

Jungkook smiles bigger. “Ok, cool. See you then. Have a good night!”

And Jimin watches him leave, going where in that outfit he still has no idea. He turns, in a daze, and sees the teenage clerk looking at him funny. He decides to give up on the noodles and go home instead. He can catch up on work tomorrow because he’s in no frame of mind now to get back to his caseload.

Instead, he bikes home, his legs still feeling like jello and collapses into bed once he gets there. He can’t believe that just happened to him. The apartment is depressingly quiet. Jimin gets up and goes to Tae’s room. It’s a total mess.

He tidies it a little bit and then lays down in Tae’s bed, snuggling into the familiar scent of home. He looks at his phone, debating.

Jimin
You’ll never believe what happened to me tonight.

I was working late and went to that convenience store near work, you know the one?

Some guy blew me in the bathroom, ha! I thought I was going to die.

Jimin waits, his stomach tying into knots. He knows he’s being immature. He knows this is not what Tae probably wanted him to reach out about. But it’s one in the morning and he misses his friend and he doesn’t know what else to do.

Soulmate
Was he hot?”

Jimin shorts in laughter, relieved.

Jimin
You have no idea. I really thought I might die.

Soulmate
Scale of one to ten for blowjobs?

Jimin
15, easy

Soulmate
Holy shit

Jimin
Right?

Soulmate
How come you’re working on a Saturday?

Jimin nibbles at his lip. Honesty, he tells himself. Honesty.

Jimin
I’ve been covering for a coworker.

Honesty.

Jimin
And avoiding our empty apartment.

Soulmate
ChimChim.

Jimin
I’m sorry.

Jimin watches the dots appear and disappear for several moments, dreading it. He breathes a sigh of relief when it comes through.

Soulmate
Me too.

Jimin works his lips with his fingers, feeling relief in the little bit of pain.

Jimin
How are Seokjin and Yoongi? They hate me just a little bit more now?

Soulmate
Jimin-ah. They don’t hate you. They love me. There’s a difference.

Jimin
Seokjin-hyung doesn’t hate me just a little bit?

Soulmate
Ok, he’s not happy with you. Can you say that you’ve been a love fest towards him?

Jimin huffs.

Jimin
No, I can’t. I’ve been thinking a lot and maybe I have been a total asshole and maybe I should just fuck off but do you think instead you could give me another chance and we could maybe talk?

Soulmate
I’m sorry I got so harsh. But what you said really hurt me. I guess I was trying to hurt you back.

Jimin
I’m sorry too. Do you want to meet me tomorrow? We can talk more.

Soulmate
Yeah, ok. Where?

Jimin suddenly realizes he can kill two birds with one stone.

Jimin
Actually, this is perfect. Could you meet me at that coffee place near my work? You know the one with the lemon tarts you love? I’m supposed to be meeting this guy for coffee and you can rescue me if it’s going horribly.

Soulmate
EXCUSE ME WHAT? You are meeting a guy for coffee? YOU?

Jimin groans.

Jimin
Yes, but it’s not like that! It’s a friend thing only.

Soulmate
You don’t make new friends. Remember? When that Drake song came out you wouldn’t stop singing it for like a week.

Jimin
I know! And that’s why I need you to rescue me. He backed me into it, insisted it wasn’t a date. Said I would know when he was asking me on a date.

Soulmate
omg I love him already. Who is this guy getting you to break a rule??

Jimin only can imagine how much Tae would be teasing him if he knew how many rules he had broken for Jungkook already.

Jimin
He’s nobody. Seriously, meet me there at 2:30pm? Give me an escape route? Plus I really want to talk to you properly. I know I owe you a real apology.

Soulmate
Ok, Chim. Plus, I really want to see this guy.

Jimin
Yes, ok, thank you! Really, please don’t be late.

Soulmate
I would never! After all, you’re ALWAYS punctual for me.

Jimin groans and then sends back several emojis. When he finally puts his phone down, he feels a thousand times better. Tae is going to talk to him and he can try to make things right. His belly tightens in anticipation and he tells himself it’s all about that and not because of the floppy haired boy he’s also planning to meet and that makes him come undone in ways he can’t admit.

-----------------------------

Jimin is actually early to his coffee date with Jungkook (it’s not a date), which is very out of character. He woke up uncharacteristically early and puttered around the apartment, cleaning nervously and refusing to think about that afternoon, stomach twisted into knots for many reasons.

He agonizes over what to wear, trying on several combinations and hating them all before he settles on his oldest pair of jeans, soft and molded exactly to his shape, and a long sleeved cotton shirt that also clings a little, a few buttons down the front that he leaves part way undone. He slings his leather cross body bag over his front and sets off, deciding to walk.

He must walk fast because he shows up a half an hour early. He grabs a table and he’s on his second coffee, leg bouncing constantly as he watches the door. What is he even doing? He should have just texted Jungkook and cancelled. He has his number after all. He had finally put it in his phone, still half convinced he would text and cancel on his walk over. What is even the point of this?

He ends up missing Jungkook’s entrance, looking down at his phone and startling when someone pulls the chair out opposite him. He looks up and gulps. This is, once again, an entirely new version of Jungkook: neither the buttoned up corporate look nor the goth baby boy, Jungkook is dressed in a simple pair of ripped jeans, topped with a graphic t-shirt and a plaid shirt, a long necklace dangling down his chest, accentuating his pecs. His hair is unstyled, a fluffy mess tucked behind one ear and he has a backpack slung over one shoulder.

“Hey,” he says, smiling gently. “You’re here.”

Jimin scoffs. “What, you thought I would stand you up?”

Jungkook grins. “You looked a little shaky last night, I thought maybe you wouldn’t remember.”

Jimin scoffs louder but doesn’t try to deny it. He’ll give credit where it’s due. “Get your coffee.”

Jungkook laughs and then heads to the counter after dropping his bag next to the table. Jimin lets himself admire him from afar. He looks good like this. He wonders if this is the real Jungkook. He guesses he’ll find out.

Jimin pretends to be looking at his phone once Jungkook heads back with his coffee.

When he sits down, the scent from his mug drifts up to Jimin.

“Is that hot chocolate?”

“Yeah. So what?”

“How old are you exactly?

Jungkook laughs softly. “Coffee’s too bitter. And I’m twenty three.”

Jimin sniffs. “Well, I love coffee, I think I would die without it actually. And I might have to check your ID.”

Jimin notices that Jungkook is still wearing the one long dangly earring from the night before and he takes a big gulp of his coffee and looks away. It’s a little hard to detach himself from this guy when he looks so very approachable and interesting right now.

Jungkook reaches into the bag at his side and pulls something out. Jimin’s eyes widen when he figures out that it’s his sweater, the blue cardigan from their first hook up that night at the hotel. He thought it was ruined.

“Here,” Jungkook says, handing it over to Jimin. It’s soft and clean and Jimin looks up at Jungkook.

“I had it dry cleaned. A place I can never go again now since it was very obvious what the stains were.” Jungkook cracks a smile at his own joke.

“Wow,” Jimin says, blown away by Jungkook’s thoughtfulness. “I love this sweater. How did you … you got it cleaned without knowing if you would see me again?”

“I guess I hoped I would. And today was the first time I knew I was going to see you. So I brought it.’

Jimin swallows hard, feeling overwhelmed. He reaches for his own bag. “Let me pay you for it.”

“No! No, really, I wanted to. It suited you so well. I’m happy knowing you’ll get to wear it again.”

Jimin hesitates. He feels uneven, but when he turns away from his bag and places his fingertips on the soft fabric of his sweater again, now in his lap, he feels a gentle warmth and he simply smiles over at Jungkook.

“Well, thank you. Really. You didn’t have to do that.”

Jungkook shrugs, his mouth tugging up in a crooked smile. Jimin is a little glad when he changes the subject, the air between them feeling too charged. He takes another big sip of his drink.

“So what’s going on with you and your friend? Taehyung, right?”

“Right, “ Jimin says, nodding as he finishes swallowing his too-big sip of coffee. “Well …” He hesitates. He barely knows this guy after all.

Jungkook just smiles encouragingly. “Come on, you’ll feel better once you spill. Want to know my relationship advice qualifications?”

“Relationship advice qualifications?” Jimin asks.

“Yeah,” Jungkook says, taking another sip of his drink and then leaning back in his chair. “Wanna hear ‘em?”

Jimin laughs. “Ok, go for it.”

“Alright, I have an older brother who got cold feet the night before his wedding. I talked him down and now he’s happily married with baby number two on the way. I’ve been in two pretty serious relationships, the first in high school, second in university. Both ended pretty amicably, still friends with them. Oh! And I’ve almost got my best friend and mentor convinced to ask out this guy he’s totally gone for but is terrified to take the next step with.”

Jimin listens, nodding, and then bursts out laughing when he figures out Jungkook is serious.

“Seriously? Two girlfriends and that’s your qualifications?”

“Boyfriends,” Jungkook says, a strange look on his face.

“Oh, right, sorry, slip of the tongue,” Jimin says, panicking a little inside. Ok, so maybe he was wrong about the straight thing. His eyes glaze over, suddenly needing to reconsider every interaction and assumption. He snaps back to attention when Jungkook asks him a question.

“How many relationships have you had then?”

Jimin thinks. He thinks longer.

“One night stands don’t count.”

Jimin sighs. “Fine, one, and no, it did not end amicably. Alright, qualifications accepted. And that last minute wedding jitters story sounds interesting. Tell me about it later.”

Jungkook smiles. “Ok, but you first. Tell me what’s going on.”

Jimin concedes. Jungkook will be truly impartial, after all. He doesn’t know any of the parties involved and maybe he can actually help him before Taehyung gets here.

“Ok, so Taehyung and I are best friends, right? We have been since forever. He got me through everything in university and with my parents when I came out and it didn’t go well. And once we got out of university and we found a place together, we both got jobs we loved and it was us against the world, right?”

“Right,” Jungkook says, nodding encouragingly.

“So then he meets these guys. At first it was like a whole joke between us. He was out one night and sent me this text, that there was this older couple that wanted him, which, duh, who wouldn’t want Tae, he’s like a brilliant artist slash model who is somehow both the prettiest and most handsome man you’ve ever met. So of course, I text him back saying to go for it. Sex with more than one person is usually fun and than he can tell me all about it later like we usually do--”

Jungkook chokes a little on a sip of his drink and Jimin raises one eyebrow, hands him a napkin and then keeps going as Jungkook wipes at his mouth.

“And at first it’s fine. He sees them a few more times, but whatever, he tells me everything. And then he starts not telling me details -- me! Who he tells everything to. We’re soulmates, for god’s sake. And he starts going on real dates with them, out to dinner and to the movies and boring stuff like that. He decides he wants to be real boyfriends with him. Even though they’ve been together already for six years!

“And now he’s barely at our place anymore, which is why I was so caught off guard by him coming home that night. And we got into a big fight the next day because he thought I was sabotaging his relationship or something but really I’m just worried about him! He said I was afraid for him to have something with other people because I was determined to be alone, so like I was determined to keep him alone too.”

Jimin stops talking, getting worked up again. He goes to take another sip of his coffee but finds it’s empty. Jungkook notices and pushes his mug of hot chocolate over. Jimin accepts and takes a big sip, enjoying the way the heavy sugar coats his tongue.

“So why are you?” Jungkook asks.

“Why am I what”? Jimin responds, pushing Jungkook’s mug back over to him, significantly less full.

“Determined to be alone? You said you don’t date. Why?”

Jimin just stares for several moments. “Well … I … because … because I don’t have time. My work is so busy and besides, I don’t need a boyfriend. I get what I need, I’m happy--”

“With Taehyung.” Jungkook is blunt, but he’s not unkind.

“Taehyung is my best friend, my--”

“Soulmate, yeah, you said. Maybe you just need to be honest with him?”

“What do you mean?”

Jungkook is looking down at his hands, fiddling with the cuffs of his shirt. His brightness has dimmed a little bit and Jimin wonders why.

“Don’t you think he deserves to hear the truth from you? If you’re such good friends? And even if it doesn't go the way you want it to, don’t you think things will be better in the long run? For both of you?”

Jimin is struck. Jungkook is really thoughtful and he seems to be taking this listening and advice thing really seriously. He finds himself very endeared.

“I guess I’m just used to Tae being able to read my mind about this stuff. We kind of have that unspoken thing going on.”

Jungkook looks up and smiles sadly. “Love tends to need to be spoken out loud, you know?”

Jimin smiles. “My other friend said something like that too. You’re right, Jungkook-ah, you are good at this.”

“Yeah, well …” Jungkook trails off and Jimin hates how uncertain and sad he suddenly seems. He decides to try to get him back to his earlier brightness.

“Hey, that’s enough about me. I’ve been meaning to ask you, did you lie to me that first night about what you do?” He smiles, trying to telegraph that he’s gently teasing.

“Huh?”

“You know, you said you’re in software and you’re dressed like a buttoned down account man, and then here you are, all plaid and grungy t-shirt with an eyebrow ring. Were you undercover or something?” He winks and Jungkook smiles shyly.

“No, no. I do work in software. But I don’t usually do the account facing work. I was covering for a friend who was out sick. I’m in design, actually. Graphic design.”

“Ahhh, does this solve the mystery of the tight pants?”

Jungkook blushes slightly. “Ha! Yeah, I, um, had to cover last minute and the last time I wore something semi formal was when I was job searching right out of university. I've gotten bigger since then.”

“I’ll say you did,” Jimin says. “But graphic design, that’s cool! Tae does a lot of drawing in his spare time. He’s an illustrator as a day job. Does a lot of commercial stuff, but he wants to do kids books one day.”

Jungkook’s face lights up a bit more. “Oh, yeah? That’s sort of like me. I like my job, I get to be creative, but I do a lot of sketching and painting in my spare time. I would really love to be an artist full time. Maybe one day.”

“That’s so cool. I admire creative people, I’m the exact opposite of that. I couldn't draw a stick figure if my life depended on it. Can I see some of your stuff? Got anything on your phone?”

Jungkook hesitates but then whips his phone out, navigating to some pictures of his work and then looking over at Jimin. Jimin pats the seat next to him and Jungkook moves over. He leans into Jimin’s space, showing him his screen as he scrolls through several pieces, talking him through them.

Some are just rough sketches. Turns out Jungkook likes to draw people while he’s on his subway commute to work. There are buttoned up businessmen, and old ladies trying not to fall asleep, little kids tugging at their parent’s clothes and even a couple of dogs. Jimin leans in close, giggling at one silly caricature of a shih tzu that Jungkook has exaggerated for humorous effect.

Then the pieces start to shift to more finished ones, paintings using dark, muted colours, some abstract, some landscapes, the art of someone who is exploring, figuring out what their style is.

“Wow,” Jimin says. “These are really good. You’re really talented. Are you represented by anybody?”

“Oh no,” Jungkook replies, abashed. He clicks his phone off. “I’m still learning and figuring out what I really want to do.”

“So?” Jimin says. “You should find someone anyway. Tae is still really green and his manager has gotten one of his pieces into a gallery showing for new artists. You don’t have to have it all figured out yet and your stuff is way better than his already --”

“Who’s what is way better than my what now?”

Jimin looks up and Taehyung is looming over their table, his face pulled into that faux outraged face he puts on when he’s joking, all furrowed brows and pursed lips, his large eyes narrowed. He glances quickly over at Jungkook, who is gaping up at Taehyung.

Jimin gets it. He wasn’t lying before, Taehyung is ridiculously good looking, and he can often knock people on their asses when he first meets them, no effort required.

Jimin smiles up at his friend, both relieved and happy to see him, but a little piece of him irritated. Irritated because he interrupted him and Jungkook? But that was the whole point of Jimin asking Taehyung to meet him here.

“Taehyung-ah! What a surprise to see you here!”

Taehyung looks really confused for a second, his face shifting to a more gentle expression. Jimin nudges his foot with his.

“Right! Oh yeah, what a surprise,” he parrots, stilted, a horrible liar in all situations. “I had no idea you would be here. Nonetheless, can I stay and maybe your friend can leave?”

Jimin’s eyes practically bug out of his head. Taehyung really needs to figure out how to be smoother in the pursuit of deceit.

Before Jimin can try to think of how he can possibly cover for the disaster that is Taehyung, Jungkook gets up from beside him, pocketing his phone and picking up his bag from across the table.

“Yeah, sure, I should get going anyways.”

Jimin suddenly feels horrible, like Jungkook is some dirty little secret he’s trying to hide, which ok, technically, he has been, but he’s been so nice to Jimin, giving him good advice and showing him his art. He gets to his feet and tries to catch Jungkook’s eye, but his face is turned.

“So, yeah, I guess I’ll see you around?” Jungkook mumbles.

“I’ll um, walk you outside. Be back in a sec?”

Taehyung, who is very obviously checking Jungkook out, gives him a thumbs up.

Jimin grabs Jungkook’s arm and leads him through the busy cafe.

He turns once they’re outside and finds he’s not sure what to say. He’s so bad at this. But he wants to leave Jungkook feeling good. He doesn’t want him to regret meeting him for coffee.

“I wanted to say thank you. For meeting me, for giving me such good advice. I really appreciate it.”

Jungkook’s face is still closed off and he looks like he’s going to take off any second. Jimin is suddenly desperate to make him feel better. He had shared so much with Jimin, letting him look through his art and talking about his hopes and dreams. Suddenly the only thing Jimin can think to offer up comes tumbling out unbidden from his mouth.

“I work with kids!”

Jungkook looks up, surprise painting his features.

“What?”

Jimin manages to continue, which he personally thinks is a miracle, with the way his stomach is tying into knots.

“The pictures. From the fridge that night. They’re from kids I work with. I’m a social worker. I work with a lot of kids in foster care, or headed that way soon. They … they’re sort of everything to me.”

Jimin gulps. Now what does he do?

Jungkook is watching his face carefully. He reaches forward and takes Jimin’s hand, swiping his thumb over the back, causing goosebumps to race up his arm. Jimin looks down at their hands.

“Somehow that is the last thing I expected you to say but it doesn’t surprise me at all. You seem like a really caring person, Jimin-hyung. I’m glad I met you. Good luck with your friend. I hope it works out for you two. I really do.”

“Oh,” Jimin says, looking up. Jungkook still looks a little sad, but he’s smiling too, a wistful bent to his lips. “Thanks. I’m glad I met you too. Maybe we can meet up for coffee again? I’ll text you.”

Jungkook squeezes Jimin’s hand, but then he pulls his back, sticking it in his pocket and looking off down the street. “It’s ok. You don’t have to say that. Maybe better if you don’t. Text me, I mean.”

Jimin feels like he’s been struck. He stares at Jungkook, who just shuffles his feet, looking like he can’t wait to leave. Jimin feels like an idiot, he feels like the stupidest idiot that ever lived.

“Right, yeah, ok, yeah, I mean I can even delete your number if you want. If that would make you more comfortable.”

“Whatever you want,” Jungkook says, simply. “You should get back in there.”

Jimin starts to feel hurt sludge its slow, horrible way into his heart. This isn’t what’s supposed to happen. He doesn’t let this happen.

Jimin turns, stiff, and walks back into the coffee shop.

When he gets back to the table Taehyung has a smug smile on his face and Jimin tries to make his own face resemble something happy.

“So!” Taehyung says as Jimin sits across from him. “Who was that and if you don’t want him, can I have him?”

“He’s nobody. You can have him if you want him.”

Taehyung’s smile fades. “What’s wrong?”

“What? Nothing’s wrong. Everything’s great. You’re here, I get to apologize --”

Taehyung’s face is now a thundercloud. “What did that innocent looking asshat say to you out there? I’m never trusting a cute face again.”

“Tae, stop, really, I’m fine. I’m fine! Please can we get to the part where I tell you what an asshat I am?”

Taehyung side eyes him, evaluating him with his super soulmate senses.

“Alright, but just so you know, I’ve already forgiven you and you will tell me what is going on eventually. I’ll squeeze it out of you with cuddles later.”

Jimn laughs, feeling the hurt Jungkook had deposited on his chest lessen a bit. Taehyung really is his best friend in the whole world. He does want to see him happy, he realizes. Even if that means he leaves Jimin behind.

He reaches out for Taehyung’s hand, who deposits it in his palm immediately.

“I’m so sorry, Tae. I was an asshole, like you said. I don’t want you to be alone. Or maybe, I’m realizing, I did subconsciously. But not consciously. I do want you to be happy.”

Taehyung is nodding. He looks down at their hands, then back up. “That’s the thing, Chim, I am happy. I guess I don’t understand why you can’t see that.”

“I do. I will, I mean. I guess I was worried. Am worried, if I’m being totally honest.”

Taehyung squeezes his hand but says nothing. Jimin takes a deep breath. Might as well get it all out there.

“Are they … are they treating you like you should be? Not leaving you out of things or putting each other first? I just … I just think you deserve to be put first, in everything, and it worries me that they’ve been together so long, just the two of them.”

Taehyung looks like he’s considering carefully. He puffs out a breath.

“You think I haven’t thought about all that? Jimin-ah, this is my first really serious relationship and it’s with two guys that were already in love with each other. You think I wasn’t unsure and worried about those exact same things?”

Jimin sits up straighter.

“Why didn’t you say anything to me?”

Taehyung rolls his eyes a little.

“How do you think you would have reacted? You only ever joked about them and then you started outright hating Seokjin. I didn’t want you to confirm my worst fears without even giving me a chance to see if they were even true.”

Jimin deflates.

“I’m so sorry, Tae. Sorry I made you feel like you couldn’t talk to me about your worries. I’m such a shitty friend.”

“Hey! You are not. You’re talking now, right?”

Jimin sniffs, trying to hold back some tears. “Ok, we’ll reserve judgement on the quality of my friendship until the end of this conversation. But, so, are you still worried about those things?”

Taehyung smiles, big and boxy, a far away look in his eyes.

“No. Not one little bit. I guess I just put my faith in them and decided to see how things went. And at every point, they proved my concerns wrong. Once they figured out they wanted to date me for real, you should have seen them: Yoongi made us a three course meal and Seokjin bought me roses and they were so cute and nervous. And we talked a lot, about how it would all work. How we could take it slow at first, and we would talk through everything and they would do their best to not leave me out of things. They even decided to stop having sex for a little bit so they could court me and then we could be together again without me feeling like I needed to catch up too much.”

“Woah,” Jimin says. “That’s .. that’s really cool.”

“I wanted to tell you all these things but every time I brought them up you had some sarcastic remark and I just … sort of gave up.”

Jimin looks down, ashamed again, and Taehyung tugs on his arm.

“Can I tell you all about it now?”

“Yes! Yes, please. Wait, let me buy you a tea or hot chocolate or something. Then tell me everything. And I promise no sarcasm, not a peep except to be happy for you!”

Taehyung grins, looking truly happy and Jimin jumps up to get his drink. He decides to get a hot chocolate for himself too and he pushes thoughts of Jungkook away as, for the next hour, Taehyung and him talk. Taehyung tells him all of the details about his relationship, all the happy times and the misunderstandings, the worries and the laughter, and Jimin has to admit, it really does sound like they’re treating Taehyung well, and slowly but surely, changing their relationship to fit him in at every turn.

By the end, Jimin is settled with his chin in his hand, smiling endearingly as Taehyung gets more and more excited.

“And then when I met Yoongi’s parents, they were so cool! His dad’s a music producer and his mom used to sing and now works with him at his studio and they are just so chill about the whole gay thing and the whole polyamory thing and they called me baby bear because Yoongi-hyung slipped up and said it in front of them and now we’re in a group chat and I don’t know, Chim, I’ve never felt like this and can’t believe how lucky I am that they both love me.”

Jimin feels a tear slip out and he quickly wipes at his cheek. Taehyung looks up from his cup and frowns, reaching forward to grab Jimin’s hand.

“Chim!”

“I’m sorry, Tae. I am happy for you. I don’t know why I’m crying. I’m sorry I missed being a part of all this for you. But I promise I’ll be cheering you on from now on. I’m just … adjusting.”

“Ah, Jimin-ah. You know, Seokjin and Yoongi, they really wish they could be closer with you. This isn’t just a good thing for me. It could be for you too.”

Jimin is doubtful. “Even Seokjin-hyung?”

Taehyung sets a fierce eye on him. “Especially Jinnie. You think he doesn’t like you, but really he’s desperate to have you like him. And he’s immensely frustrated that you won’t let him in. He’s used to people giving into his charm, you know. And he’s protective of me. Yoongi too. He just didn’t understand you, and it didn’t help that I couldn’t quite explain why you refused to ease up once you got to know them. But, look, they’re going to understand this. Just … just give them a chance. Spend some time with us, and I’ll listen to what you say. If you think they’re not treating me like an equal, tell me. But just … have an open mind. Ok?”

“Ok. Yes, I promise.”

“Good. Now. Back to the important thing. What was the deal with that guy?”

Jimin stiffens slightly, avoiding Taehyung’s eyes. “I told you, he’s nobody. Just someone who asked me for a coffee. But I’m not going to see him again.”

Taehyung tsks quietly. “Jimin-ah, we still do have to talk about why you’re so determined to never find somebody.”

Jimin opens his eyes wider and looks up at Taehyung.

Taehyung’s face melts. “But not right now I guess. Should we go home? Order some noodles and have a Ghibli marathon?”

Jimin claps his hands together. “Yes, yes, yes!”

And so they go home, reveling in their closeness again. They order takeout and after laying all the myriad of food containers on the coffee table they pile themselves high with several blankets and laugh and catch up, watching Taehyung’s pick, Whisper of the Heart.

Jimin let’s himself feel the relief of having made things right, or being on the way anyway, with his best friend. And he knows he has to let go a little, just a little, to make room for the people he loves.

So he spends the next few weeks doing just that. He practically becomes a fourth wheel in Taehyung’s relationship, meeting them for drinks or going to the park to watch their little dog Tan run from the bigger dogs, and finally having a big meal over at Seokjin and Yoongi’s apartment. And Jimin can’t help but admit that Taehyung is right.

Sure, there are still moments of concern, when it seems like Seokjin and Yoongi are so in sync that they couldn’t possibly fit Taehyung into their rhythm, but somehow, they always do, once Jimin really pays attention. It really hits home when he’s at their place, sitting at the beautifully set dining table with a glass of wine, watching as the three of them navigate making dinner.

Seokjin and Yoongi move around each other like a dance, lightly touching backs or mumbling a quick word to avoid a clash as they move back and forth between the fridge and the stove and the counter. Taehyung introduces another element, which could easily throw off their rhythm, but instead, Jimin watches them incorporate him into every step, Seokjin giving him tasks and praising him, and Yoongi quietly humming and answering his questions.

Taehyung looks over once in a while and grins at Jimin, who smiles fondly back. The picture in front of him is indeed of domestic bliss and Jimin is so, so happy for his friend. And with it comes the little bit of wistful sadness that Hoseok told him would be part of it, but he knows that he has to embrace. And then behind all of that, sharp and worrisome, is a stab of jealousy.

While he’s been spending so much time with the threesome across from him now, he’s been unable to stop thinking about Jungkook. About the way he so firmly rejected him at the end of their coffee date. Jimin has thought a lot about why he suddenly did such a fast reversal and he can’t help but conclude what he’s always known.

Guys love him when they sleep with him. But he can’t help but conclude that he is a disappointment when they actually get to know him. It happened with Youngjae, who clearly got bored with him. It happened with his dad, who rejected him as soon as he really knew who he was. Jimin can’t live up to anyone’s expectations and it only confirms for him that he should be prepared to be alone. And maybe that’s ok. Taehyung will still make time for him, even if he moves out. It won’t be the same, but he can be that single friend they invite over on holidays sometimes. He’s ok with that. He still has his work, his kids. He’ll be ok.

Once they’re all sat down to dinner, Jimin eating well and complimenting the chefs, he can see that Seokjin still has his guard up a little. Jimin has done his best to be as nice and outgoing as possible, especially with him, complimenting him and asking him questions about his job and his family. Yoongi seems to have accepted Jimin’s turning over a new leaf immediately, but Jimin can understand why Seokjin is a little more cautious.

So, as the eating winds down and the soju has been distributed, Jimin clears his throat.

“Ummm, yeah. So I wanted to say something.”

Jimin feels suddenly nervous, having all three of the other men’s eyes fixed on him, but he plows through, talking quickly.

“I just wanted to apologize. To you, Seokjin-hyung, Yoongi-hyung. I’m sorry I was such a jerk. I was worried about my Tae, and I realize now I didn’t need to be. And I should have just talked to him, but instead I was all passive aggressive about it, and that means I took it out on you two too. I hope you can forgive me. I can see that you make Taehyung really happy and I want him to be happy. Want you all to be happy. So yeah, thanks. For giving me a second chance to be a good friend.”

He looks up from his glass to see that Taehyung is beaming at him, smile boxy and eyes crinkled. Yoongi gives Jimin a small smile, his expression mild but cheeks a bit pink from the alcohol and warm kitchen.

“Yah, Jimin-ah, apology accepted.” Jimin smiles back at Yoongi and then turns to Seokjin.

Seokjin’s face is a little harder to read, his fatally handsome features joined in an expression Jimin hasn’t seen directed at him before.

He starts speaking and Jimin flinches, ready for anything. “I really couldn’t understand you at first, Park Jimin. But Taehyung has been spilling some of your secrets since you two talked it out, and now I realize that you and I are more similar than I would ever have thought. Being protective of Taehyung is something I admire in you. And let me say something. I promise that I will always take care of his heart. We both will. We’ll put him first. You’ll see.”

Jimin nods, wiping quickly at his eye to disguise a bit of wetness.

“But also,” Seokjin continues. “I’m glad this means you’re going to stop being late for every single brunch. Right?” he asks, winking and raising his soju shot.

Jimin raises his too. “Well, maybe only half the time now.”

Yoongi laughs and they all raise their glasses and drink.

“You know we’re going to invite you to everything now that we know you like us,” Seokjin says, a mischievous glint in his eye.

“Jiminie is fun at everything,” Taehyung adds, “But you also have to let him do his thing. He’s pretty irresistible and you have to let him pick up, or he gets cranky.”

Seokjin laughs. “I wasn’t thinking there would be steamy hookups at our wine and painting night or at the dog park.”

Taehyung giggles. “You’d be surprised, Jiminie can pull them anywhere.”

Jimin smiles along with the jokes, but it feels fake, plastered on his face. He thinks about Jungkook again. He was sweet, and patient, and understanding, and even he couldn’t put up with Jimin for more than an hour in a non horizontal setting.

Yoongi is looking at him strangely. He speaks up. “Or you could let us set you up, Jimin-ah.”

“Ha! Yeah right, never in a million years is he going to let you--”

“Ok.”

Taehyung stops, shocked at Jimin’s interruption.

“Yeah?” asks Seokjin, voice tentative, sharing a quick glance with Yoongi.

Jimin wipes at his nose, wrinkling it a bit. “I mean, I guess. Sure. Ok.”

“Wait, what are--” Taehyung starts but Seokjin puts an arm around him, pulling him close and giving him a look Jimin tries to ignore.

“Actually, there’s someone Seokjin and I have been thinking about would be a good match for you for a while,” Yoongi says. “But we didn’t want to bring it up. We’re supposed to have drinks with him and another friend on Thursday. Why don’t you come, too? That way it’s not such a scary set up and you can have all of us there if you don’t like it.”

Jimin thinks about Jungkook. No matter what, this guy, whoever he is, will probably be a disappointment compared to him, but at least he’ll be somebody. And if he actually likes Jimin and can date him, just regular him, not dancing, sexy, pick-up-mode Jimin, then maybe he won’t feel so shitty about himself.

“Alright. Sounds fun. Text me the details.” He avoids Tae’s eyes and hops up, offering to help with the dishes and starting to carry things back to the kitchen before anyone can protest too loudly.

He washes up, Yoongi helping dry at his side while Seokjin and Tae play a video game in the living room, Soekjin’s voice getting higher and more ridiculous as he loses and Taehyung’s giggles increasing as a result.

Jimin smiles and hums as he washes. He likes the sound of his friend laughing. He guesses he can get used to this, if they let him around every once in a while.

“Hey,” Yoongi says, “You know we’ll take care of him right?”

Jimin glances over. Yoongi is very intensely drying a wine glass, making sure to get every square inch, while staunchly avoiding Jimin’s eyes.

Jimin smiles down at the dishwater. “I know. Or I know now.”

“Have you ever done that? Let someone take care of you? Besides Taehyung, I mean.”

Jimin thinks. He thinks hard. He’s silent for too long but Yoongi is just waiting, having moved on to the plates.

“I take care of myself.”

“I know you do. Taehyung has talked so much about you I feel like I know you probably more than I should. But just … it’s scary. Letting someone in like that. But as someone who has experienced that double, I have to say … it’s worth it.”

Jimin nods. He’s heard this before. “It’s worth it until it isn’t.”

Yoongi hums. He walks across the kitchen to put the last dry plate away and nudges Jimin as he passes. He’s looking out at his boyfriends on the couch as he says. “Have a little hope.” He looks back at him and Jimin feels safe. He feels a part of something. “Come on, let’s join the fun.”

Chapter Text

Jimin is regretting it later that week. Regretting that he agreed to the set up. Regretting the fact that he still can’t bring himself to delete Jungkook’s number from his phone. Regretting that he was so panicked about not wanting this new guy to think he was some flighty flirt that he decided to dye his hair back to his natural black.

It’s not that he doesn’t like black. He looks great with black hair and he thinks it was maybe time to give his hair a break. But still, he doesn’t like that he did it to make himself more palatable for someone else.

He doesn’t even know anything about this guy. The group chat Tae had put him in titled “Tae and his daddies,” which, gross, was busy all week with planning for the night out but Seokjin and Yoongi had been short on the friend-specific details, probably worried that Jimin would chicken out. All he knows is the guy is a friend of a friend, but that they’ve hung out with him enough times to feel like he’s a good guy. Apparently all the guy knows is he’s meeting them for drinks. So it’s not a set up exactly. But Jimin is still nervous. It feels like a date and he hasn’t had one of those since Youngjae.

He’s walking to the bar now, the wind a little fierce, causing him to wrap his jacket around him tighter. He went with a more down to earth look tonight, a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, topped with his favourite, worn in leather jacket. He chose his Chelsea boots because he’s not sure how tall this guy is going to be. He once had a guy call him a “cute, little thing” when trying to pick him up, and nothing had ever killed Jimin’s boner so fast.

He walks into the bar, one he doesn’t know, and looks around quickly for Taehyung, running his hand through his hair. He spots him in a booth in the corner. The bar is lit low and covered in wood. It looks exactly like Seokjin and Yoongi’s style, lowkey and quiet enough to hear each other talk.

Jimin sees another person with Taehyung and he expects to find Seokjin or Yoongi when he slides into the booth next to him but he’s surprised to see Hoseok.

“Hobi-hyung! I didn’t know you were coming!” Jimin says, happy to see him.

Hoseok grins back at him, reaching across to tousle his hair. “Nice! I like the black. I didn’t know I was coming either! I mean I knew I was meeting some of Namjoon’s friends, but I didn’t know they were Taetae’s boyfriends.”

“What?” Jimin asks, laughing. “Who’s Namjoon?”

“Seriously?” Hoseok replies. “You’re kidding me.”

Jimin looks over at Taehyung, who is grinning cheekily back, sipping at his beer. “No, I have no idea who you’re talking about.”

“The guy … from my yoga class.”

“Which guy? There’s a lot of guys in your yoga class, hyung.”

“You know … the one you talked to me about …”

Jimin steals a sip of Taehyung’s pint, eyes wide. “Sorry, I have the worst memory. Can you describe him?”

Jimin watches in delight as Hoseok goes pink and then finally blurts out. “Oh my god, Jimin, you know the one! The beefy shy guy that looks like he could hold you down and fuck you until you cry!”

Jimin bursts out laughing and Taehyung lets out a shocked snort.

Hoseok looks outraged, which only makes Jimin laugh harder, leaning forward until he’s laying his whole torso on the table, giggling uncontrollably up at his hyung.

“You knew who I was talking about the whole time, didn’t you?”

Jimin straightens. “Yup! I just wanted to hear you say it.”

“So, is it true?” Taehyung asks.

“Is what true?” Hoseok replies.

“Can he hold you down and fuck you until you cry?”

Hoseok’s face somehow goes even more red and he scowls at the two of them as they giggle.

He reaches for his own beer and downs the remaining liquid, before mumbling a response.

“What was that, hyung?” Jimin prompts. “We couldn’t hear you!”

“Alright!” Hoseok practically yells. “Yes! He has made me cry several times already and his body is amazing! But so is his mind and his heart, and I think I might be really falling for him so you two little devils will not fuck this up for me tonight, got it?”

Jimin giggles again, but watches Hoseok carefully. “You’re really into this guy. Good. I’m glad I told you to climb him like a tree. Can’t wait to get to know him when he’s not stuttering now that you’re dating. And it’s all thanks to me.” Jimin smiles smugly.

“I swear to god, Park Jimin, if you say one inappropriate thing tonight--”

“Peace, peace!” Jimin says, raising both hands in the air. “I’ll be on my best behaviour.”

“And if he isn’t, you can get back at him,” Taehyung says slyly.

“What do you mean?” Hoseok asks.

“The boyfriend-hyungs are trying to set him up with one of their friends tonight. He doesn’t know it, but Jiminie is all freshly dyed and looking pretty because of a guy he might actually date. Can you believe that?”

Jimin gets that slightly sick feeling again and he grumbles a bit. “It’s not even a thing. He probably won’t even like me.”

Taehyung starts to protest, but Hoseok interrupts him. “That’s great, Jimin. Really. Growth.”

Hoseok grins as Jimin scowls and then looks around for the waitress, ordering himself a beer and two more for Taehyung and Hoseok.

They’re partway through their pints when Namjoon arrives, looking slightly sweaty and flustered.

“Hi Joonie!” Hoseok exclaims, all bright and glowing and Jimin can see that Namjoon is still a little nervous around him, despite his apparent prowess in the sack.

Hoseok introduces him to Taehyung and Jimin, and Namjoon slowly relaxes as the conversation spools out. Jimin can tell how intelligent he is as he talks, egged on by Hoseok’s friendly encouragement and the fact that both Taehyung and Jimin are actually on their best behaviour, asking him thoughtful questions and listening carefully.

The way he looks at Hoseok is very endearing too, like he’s the only person in the world. Jimin feels another pang and he wishes again that he never agreed to this. How could it be possible for anyone to look at him like that?

Eventually Taehyung gets a text and he looks down at his phone.

“Oh!” he says, surprised. “The boyfriend-hyungs are going to be a little late.”

He turns to Namjoon. “Your friend is still coming, right, Namjoon-ssi?”

“Please, call me hyung. Yup! He should be here any minute.”

“Wait.” Jimin is confused. “It’s your friend? I thought it was Yoongi and Seokjin’s friend?”

Namjoon smiles big. “Well, both, sort of. I’ve known Yoongi for a long time. Since college, we were--” Namjoon interrupts himself, gaping at Jimin as he desperately grabs his menu out of his hands and places it upright on the table in front of him, huddling behind it. “What are you doing?”

“Shit!” Jimin whispers.

“What?” Taehyung and Hoseok say in unison.

Jimin grabs Taehyung’s shirt and pulls him behind the menu with him so he can whisper.

“I think that guy is here! The one from the coffee shop. Can you look, by the door, tell me if it’s him?”

“What, the asshole that made you all sad?” Taehyung whispers back fiercely before raising his head and scanning the bar, his eyes narrowing as he spots something.

Hoseok and Namjoon are staring over at them, perplexed.

“I think I see him. You want me to get rid of him, Minnie? Tell him this is our bar and that he and all his future generations are banned?”

“No!” Jimin hisses. “I don’t want him to even know I’m here!

“Guys?” Hoseok asks. “Why are you hiding behind a menu?”

At the same time Namjoon calls out and starts waving hugely across the bar. “Jungkook! Over here!”

Jimin lifts his head from the menu as realization starts to trickle down the back of his neck.

And yes, there he is. Jimin thought he had maybe built up Jungkook in his mind too much over the past few weeks, but he looks just as gorgeous as his memory serves as he walks across the bar to their booth, one hand raised and a big smile on his face when he spots Namjoon. He’s dressed casually this time, much like at the coffee shop, except, devastatingly, he has another piercing, this one a stud in his lip, on the same side as his eyebrow ring. Jimin can do nothing but watch him walk over, a feeling of dread in his stomach. He can feel Taehyung stiffen beside him as he pulls the menu down.

Jimin knows it’s coming but it still hurts deep in his gut when Jungkook’s big grin falls as he spots Jimin. It doesn’t escape Taehyung either, who wraps his arm around Jimin and pulls him closer, scowling at Jungkook. Jungkook’s face falls even further and he stops at the table side, staring at them as Namjoon chatters a welcome.

The air is tense and completely awkward and Jimin has no idea how Namjoon isn’t noticing.

Eventually Jungkook turns to Namjoon, responding and introducing himself to Hoseok, who seems to have caught on better and is looking suspiciously between the three younger men.

Taehyung keeps his arm around his shoulder as Jungkook pulls up a chair to sit at the end of the booth, avoiding looking at the two of them, his face pulled into a deep frown.

“Your lip piercing turned out great!” Namjoon is saying. “Guess that will ensure you never have to cover for me at work with clients again.”

“Right, yeah …” Jungkook mumbles, trailing off, eyes flicking to and away from Jimin. Namjoon’s smile slowly fades as he finally catches on to the younger man’s foul mood.

Jimin doesn’t know why this is hurting so much. He already knew Jungkook didn’t like him, wanted him to delete his number from his phone, regretted everything it seemed. But to see it confirmed for him again just makes Jimin feel like he should shrivel in on himself, disappear into nothing and get out of this.

Maybe he should just leave. His thoughts are interrupted by Namjoon turning to them.

“And this is Jimin and Taehyung. This is Jungkook.”

“Yeah,” Taehyung says, voice hard. “We know.”

Namjoon and Hoseok both look surprised by Taehyung’s tone, but Jungkook doesn’t. He just looks sad.

“I like your hair,” Jungkook says, voice quiet.

Jimin looks up, surprised.

“The black, I mean. It suits you.”

Jimin opens his mouth but nothing comes out.

“Jiminie looks good in any hair colour,” Taehyung says, voice haughty and hand rubbing at Jimin’s shoulder possessively.

Jungkook just nods and then falls silent again. In fact, silence falls over the whole table, Jimin and Jungkook both staring sullenly at the table, Taehyung glaring at Jungkook, and Hoseok and Namjoon looking around, trying to understand what’s going on.

Jimin manages to say one thing. “So, wait, you know Seokjin and Yoongi?”

Jungkook looks guilty. “Yeah, Yoongi, mostly, through Namjoon.”

“So when you met Taehyung, at the coffee shop--”

“Yeah,” Jungkook says. “I put it together, had seen him in some of Yoongi-hyung’s social posts. But I didn’t know you’d be here tonight.”

Jimin cringes internally, the embarrassment and hurt shooting through him again. He’s sure if Jungkook knew he would be here he wouldn’t have come.

Jungkook turns to Namjoon. “So Yoongi and Seokjin aren’t coming then?”

“Yeah, they are, just a little late, I think,” Namjoon responds.

Jungkook looks confused, shifting towards Taehyung and Jimin. “But, they …”

Finally, Jimin clears his throat. “Maybe I should just go--”

“No!” Jungkook cries, and starts getting up from his chair. “No, I should go.”

“No,” Jimin says, also standing. “I should, this was your thing and I was invited after and --”

“Why is anyone going?”

Jimin turns to see Seokjin and Yoongi walking towards them. Seokjin’s question hangs in the air. Jimin sees a look of concern on Yoongi’s face and he turns away slightly.

“Oh, um,” Jimin starts, “I just realized I have a thing … yeah, I’m sorry, I double booked myself and--”

“Bullshit,” Yoongi says, voice soft. He looks between Jimin and Jungkook. “What’s going on?”

Jimin looks at Taehyung, a desperate plea in his eyes and Taehyung, god bless him, does his soulmate telepathic thing and gets on board.

“No, really hyungs, Jimine made a mistake and has a friend waiting for him --”

“Jagiya,” Seokjin says, voice soft as he sits down next to Taehyung in the space Jimin has left behind, putting a hand on his knee. “Why are you lying? You know you’re terrible at it.”

“Jagiya?” Jungkook throws his hands up. “What the hell is going on? You’re still together?”

“What?” Yoongi says.

“What?” Jimin follows.

Jungkook’s eyes are wide and his nose is scrunched and his head is whipping between Jimin and Taehyung. “But -- you --”

He finally turns to Jimin. “I thought you were going to tell him at the coffee shop that day.”

Jimin could not be more confused. “Tell him what?”

Jungkook gesticulates wildly toward Taehyung. “That you’re in love with him!”

Jimin stands in disbelief for a moment, stunned. He can’t have heard him right. And yet Jungkook is staring at him, outraged.

“Me?” he cries.

“Yes!”

“In love with Tae?”

“Yes!”

“I’m not in love with Tae!”

“Yes you are!”

Jimin would laugh if Jungkook didn’t look so serious.

“I’m really not!”

“He’s really not,” Taehyung echoes.

Yoongi finally takes control of the situation, both Jimin’s and Jungkook’s voices getting louder and attracting looks from other tables.

“Alright, alright,” he says, sitting down next to Seokjin and forcing him and Taehyung deeper along the booth’s bench. “Now, calmly, Jungkook. We’ll get to how you even know each other later, but first things first. Why do you think Jimin is in love with our boyfriend?”

“I’m sorry, hyung! I just … I mean …”

“Calmy, Jungkookie. Just tell us.”

“I am really sorry, though, hyung, to both of you, that you have to find out this way--”

Jimin cannot believe Jungkook is saying this, exposing him falsely like some scene out of a far fetched drama. “I’m not in love with Tae!” he yells and Hoseok has to actually turn and apologize to their neighbours.

“You so are!” Jungkook yells back, all attempts at calmness forgotten. “You were terrified for him to see me that night when I was over, you hid all those pictures of you two under the sink, you told me all about how upset you were once you realized he was serious about Seokjin and Yoongi-hyung, you kept calling him your soulmate, for god’s sake!”

Jimin can only look at him, mouth agape. He’s so confused and shocked and his brain feels like it’s not working, and all he can think is that Jungkook looks kind of hot like this, all angry, his hair pushed back and his piercings making him look a little dangerous.

“Oh my god,” Taehyung says.

“See!” Jungkook says, like he’s just done defending a case and clearly won, flopping down into his seat.

“No, not ‘oh my god Jimin is in love with me,’ more of an ‘oh my god he’s a total dumbass.’ Jimin-ah. How many times do I have to tell you? Platonic soulmate, platonic! Otherwise they get the wrong idea.”

“What?” Jungkook says.

“Platonic. You know. Like bros. Total no homo. I mean we are, obviously, both of us. But not for each other. Well, except for that one kiss in university, but that doesn’t count. Wait, when were you at our place when I was there?”

“Kiss in university?” Seokjin interjects, one eyebrow raised.

“Ugh, please don’t fixate on that, he was trying to cheer me up after I thought no one was ever going to kiss me again and it was a total disaster,” Jimin says. “Way too much tongue!”

“Hey!” Taehyung says, grinning. “I’m a great kisser. We’re just not compatible, kiss-wise. Yoongi loves when I do too much tongue.”

“Alright!” Yoongi says. “That’s enough. So I think we’ve established that Jimin isn’t in love with Taehyung. Also, for the record, I like it because he does it when he gets all eager, not because I’m into a lot of tongue.”

Namjoon groans. “Hyung, I did not need to know that.”

“No one needed to know any of this, but apparently Jungkook is insisting we all confess to correct his delusions,” Jimin says, still hurt that he’s been attacked on top of being rejected. He’s now the only one standing by the table and he doesn’t see any reason why he shouldn't still just leave.

“Delusions? Then why did you make me hide in your room like you were cheating, why hide those photos of the two of you, why were you so upset at the idea of him settling down?” Jungkook’s voice is all accusation, his eyebrows beetled down and his hands gripping his seat.

“Because!” Jimin cries, accepting his full humiliation. Apparently Jungkook won’t be totally satisfied until he says every embarrassing, pathetic thing about himself. “Because I’m a total loser that can only ever get guys interested in sex, and so I never let them get to know me at all, not one detail, because then they’ll get bored, and so I don’t let it get to that point, so there, just like you, remember? Or do you forget telling me to delete your number after I shared more with you than I have with any stupid guy in the last five years?

“And for the record, I was upset because I was worried about my friend, my platonic soulmate, and because I wasn’t ready to face my own hang ups, but now I guess everyone knows about them, including Namjoon, who I just met, sorry Namjoon-ssi, and now I guess I can go right, because what more could you possibly want from me?”

Jungkook is staring up at him, jaw dropped, his eyes big. Jimin can’t stand to look around at the rest of the guys, feeling humiliation spreading out from his chest to every extremity.

Instead, he throws a quick “I’ll call you later” in Taehyung’s general direction and then turns to leave, determined not to cry until he can get out the door.

As he’s stepping away from the table, he feels someone grab his hand and hang on tight. He looks back and sees that it’s Jungook, who has turned on his stool to grab at Jimin’s one hand with both of his.

“Wait,” he says, face looking desperate. “Shit. You’re really not in love with Taehyung?”

Jimin sighs. He just wants this to be over so he can leave. “I’m really not,” he replies, voice resigned.

Jungkook gulps. “Fuck. I didn’t … I didn’t tell you to delete my number that day because I thought you were boring, or because I didn’t want to get to know you more. I do like you. I like you so much. I think you’re smart, and funny, and sexy, and the fact that you work with kids is so cool. I really thought you were in love with your best friend and that I was just some complication. But if you’re saying that that’s not true--”

“It’s not!” Taehyung chimes in and Jimin realizes what an audience they have. Jungkook doesn’t seem to care, his eyes sticking fast to Jimin’s face. Jimin finds himself seeing nothing else either, just Jungkook’s big eyes.

“--then I owe you an apology. A big one. And an admission that I am the biggest idiot that ever existed. And even though you don’t have to forgive me, and also the fact that I don’t know if you even really like me that way back, I’m going to do this next part anyways, before you can get away again.”

Jungkook gets up from his stool and then, just as quickly, still holding on to Jimin’s hand, he lowers himself to one knee in front of Jimin, who can only stare at him in shock.

“What the fuck,” Hoseok says, and then Namjoon elbows him. “Ouch, sorry, I’m so confused.”

“I told you you would know when I asked you out. So this is me. Asking you out. On a date. With me. Even though I am the biggest idiot to ever exist. Because I really like you. And I really have to prove you wrong for all those things you just said about yourself because they’re the most untrue things I’ve ever heard, and I’m a little mad at you for thinking those things, or, I guess, mad at whoever made you think those things.

“And now that I think about it, I’m really mad that my mistake made you think them even more when really it’s the exact opposite. I’ve been doing everything in my power to make you break your rules exactly because I was interested in more from you. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the sex is fucking amazing, especially that thing you do with--”

“Jungkook, focus!” Namjoon interrupts.

“--right, yeah, not the time.” Jimin giggles and Jungkook’s eyes light up with the sound. “Anyways, back to the asking you out part. Because that’s what I’m doing. So please. Forgive me. And let me take you on a date. I promise you won’t regret it.”

Jimin looks down at Jungkook, who has clearly gone a little overboard in his execution. He remembers just a few minutes ago how much it hurt to think that Jungkook had rejected him. He remembers how freeing it felt when he blurted out what he does on the street outside the coffee shop, and how Jungkook encouraged him to go for it with Taehyung even though, Jimin realizes now, it meant he would be out of the picture.

He allows himself to remember how good it felt to be in his arms, that kiss to the back of his neck when they had fallen asleep together in his bed. And it feels good, right now, to know that Jungkook does like him, has picked him, of all the people in the world, to ask out on a date in this most ridiculous of fashions.

Jimin allows a small smile to form on his face and Jungkook’s face shifts in response, looking hopeful now more than worried.

“You’re a little bit dramatic, aren’t you?” Jimin says, smile growing a little wider.

“I prefer to think of it as romantic. Shamelessly cheesy, remember?”

Synapses fire in Jimin’s brain and his eyes light up a little more.

“Yeah, I remember.” Jimin decides. He decides to take a leap, to just step forward and worry about maybe falling later. “Ok,” he says. “Yes. To a date.”

Jimin uses his strength to pull Jungkook back up to his feet, where he then stands, grinning at Jimin.

Jimin smiles back at him and then feels the pull of five other eyes. He chooses not to look. Instead he tugs on Jungkook’s arm.

“Come on.”

“Wait, now? Now is the date?”

“You want to stay here for the night?”

Jimin watches Jungkook turn to the booth and then quickly turn back to Jimin, probably thinking of the rather dramatic scene he just made.

“No, no I do not.”

“Well then,” Jimin says, and then tugs on Jungkook’s arm again, who awkwardly waves at the table behind them as they start towards the exit.

“You’re calling me later, Park Jimin!” Taehyung calls at their backs.

Jimin throws a quick thumbs up in the air and then they’re out in the cool night air just sort of standing and grinning at each other.

“So,” Jimin says, feeling shy now that it’s just the two of them.

“So,” Jungkook parrots and he looks so sweet and nervous, his hair soft and framing his face.

“I’m afraid you’re going to have to take the lead here, cutie,” Jimin says. “I haven’t been on a date in about six years.”

“Right, ok! Wait, you have to promise something.”

“Immediately making me nervous.”

Jungkook laughs. “No, it’s nothing big. Just … just let me do this properly sometime. Like I plan something in advance and you let me pick you up at your place and do all of this the way I want to. If you promise me that, I’ll feel better winging it tonight.”

And Jimin can’t believe he’s agreeing to a second date before the first one is even finished, but if he’s going to break all of his rules, might as well do it big.

“Alright,” he says. “I promise.”

“Awesome!” Jungkook replies, and he’s so earnest that Jimin laughs, delighted.

Jungkook grabs his arm and they move off in a direction that Jungkook leads them.

“Come on then, hyung, I know a great noodle place nearby. My first rule of any date is to just fill the other person with good food and then even if the conversation is horrible we can just slurp through the awkwardness.”

Jimin laughs loudly at the joke. He doesn’t think they’ll have a problem with conversation, and he’s right.

Jungkook asks him really thoughtful questions and soon he’s talking about all of his kids at work. He does impressions of his favourites and Jungkook laughs at all of them, even when they’re not that funny. Jimin talks about how his work can be heartbreaking, too. How sometimes it can leave him a shell of a person at the end of the day, only capable of getting to his bed before he succumbs to tears or unconsciousness or a bottle of wine in bed while Ghibli movies play on his laptop. But his work is so important to him, the best part of his life, the only part he’s really truly proud of, and Jungkook seems to get that.

They talk about Jungkook too, digging deeper into his art and his hopes and dreams. Turns out that Namjoon had also been encouraging him to get representation. They talk about Namjoon and what a mentor he’s been to Jungkook, how he’s helped him out at the company, advocating for him to get raises and do some account facing work, which only confirmed for Jungkook that that’s not the path he wants to take, even though there was more money that way. He wants to be an artist one day, full time. Jimin thinks his ambition is beautiful. He admires his lip ring too and Jungkook blushes, saying he wasn’t sure that people would be ok with it but maybe he’s just trying to find the motivation to push himself out of his easy job in the corporate world.

They’re still talking hours later as they walk along the Han river, sweet treats in their hands, after Jungkook got Jimin to confess to a sweet tooth that he doesn’t often indulge in.

As Jimin finishes his mochi and half of Jungkook’s too, he groans and rubs at his stomach, enjoying the night air as they walk. “I can’t believe I ate so much.”

Jungkook laughs and entwines their hands together. Jimin goes quiet. Jungkook glances over a few times as they walk in silence.

“I hope the date is ok, hyung. I know it’s not much but at least your stomach is full, right?”

Jimin throws his head back and laughs.

“I know I should probably be holding my cards closer to my chest or something, but if I’m honest, this is the best date I’ve ever been on.”

Jungkook stops short. “Udon from a hole in the wall and mochi from a stall are the best date you’ve ever been on?”

Jimin shrugs, enjoying the way the lamp light is playing across Jungkook’s features. He shifts slightly to look out at the river, leaning against the railing.

“Well, the last guy I dated was in university. And he was a piece of work. We met at the bar, which is kind of how you meet people in uni, or how I did, anyways. And we didn't really go on dates. Mostly he just wanted to have sex. Turns out a little too much since I walked in on him having it with some other guy.”

Jungkook has joined him at the railing and is watching him carefully. “Shit, hyung, I’m sorry. What a fucking prick.”

“Yeah, somehow I had convinced myself I was in love with him, if you can believe that. So I was pretty messed up from it. And before him I was barely out, so yeah, there’s dipshit, and then you. So absolutely, best date I’ve ever had. You’re crowned champion, I’ll get you a plaque or a trophy or something.”

Jungkook leans a little bit into him and nudges his shoulder. “Well, now that you’ve broken the seal, think of all the good dates you have to look forward to. You’ll be on ones much better than this one, I’m sure.”

Jimin feels good. Jungkook’s words make him feel good, and so does the food in his belly, and the cool night air on his skin. So he leans into what feels good and pushes his weight against Jungkook’s solid presence. Jungkook responds with an arm around his shoulder and Jimin turns towards him.

“How do you feel about kisses on the first date?” Jimin asks, voice low as he looks up at the few inches Jungkook has on him.

Jungkook puts a scandalized look on his face. “Usually never,” he says, smile telegraphing his joke. “But for you, I’d be willing to break a rule.” He says the last words as he’s lowering his face and Jimin closes his eyes.

Their lips meet and it’s calm and sweet, presses of Jungkook’s velvet lips and gentle nips. Jimin gasps slightly at the cool contrast of Jungkook’s lip ring and he can’t resist giving it a gentle lick. Jungkook’s arms tighten around him, a small sound escaping him as he deepens the kiss in response and soon there’s nothing sweet or gentle about it as they make out against the river bank, Jungkook pressing Jimin’s back against the barrier, leading him into deeper shadow a little further from the nearest lamplight.

They kiss for much longer than is decent in such a public place and eventually Jimin pulls back, panting slightly as he considers. Jungkook looks gorgeous in the lamp light, his face open and displaying the dazed look of someone good and kissed.

“You really like me, right?” Jimin asks.

Jungkook’s face is suddenly all concern. “Yes. Yes, of course I do. I was so fucking sad when I thought you were into your friend.”

“I’m sorry about that, really. I never deleted your number, by the way.”

“Good,” Jungkook replies. “Does this mean I can finally have yours?”

“Maybe,” Jimin teases, his tongue pushed into his cheek. “Depends on how this next part goes.”

Jungkook just raises an eyebrow.

“How do you feel about sex on the first date?” Jimin asks, lacing his hands behind Jungkook’s neck.

Jungkook lowers his face and plants a soft kiss on Jimin’s nose, pulling back a few inches to say, “Usually I’m the perfect gentleman. But …”

“You’ll break your rule for me,” Jimin finishes for him.

“Always,” Jungkook whispers and kisses him, a soft amuse bouche to something more.

They end up walking back to Jimin’s place, stopping every once in a while to kiss, each foray in each other’s arms getting more passionate until they’re practically running the last few blocks to Jimin’s apartment, a text from Taehyung confirming their privacy for the night.

Jimin is in a daze, high off all of the endorphins of the night, that Jungkook wants him after all, that he can see some sort of new start, so he barely registers as they kiss and strip each others clothes through the living room, both shirtless by the time they stumble into Jimin’s room.

Jungkook leads him back to the bed and Jimin giggles as he lets him fall against it, bouncing slightly as he lands. Jungkook taps his hand to his elbow, pretending to prepare a wrestling move before simply dropping down next to Jimin, intensifying his giggles. They both laugh and then still, the mood suddenly getting a little more serious. This isn’t some rushed one night stand, or a hard and fast fuck. This has the potential to be something a lot more and Jimin swallows, suddenly feeling nervous for the first time in a long time at the prospect of sex.

Thankfully, before he can get too in his head about it, Jungkook reaches over and grabs his Totoro stuffie, looking at it critically.

“I don’t know if I can have sex in front of Totoro.”

Jimin sniffs derisively. “Is your masculinity so fragile that you can’t take a small stuffie audience?”

“Not at all. I just don’t want to have to think of all the things I’m about to do to you every time I watch that movie.”

Jimin giggles but then he stops, seeing the look on Jungkook’s face. He grabs the stuffie from Jungkook. “Sorry buddy,” he says, and then whips it across the room.

Jungkook laughs and they take turns throwing the rest of his collection off the bed, until finally, it’s just the two of them.

Jungkook turns serious again and Jimin watches as he slowly kisses his way down his body, starting at his collar bones, licking into the dips they create and down his chest, spending more time than Jimin thinks is strictly necessary at his nipples, and only continuing down his stomach when Jimin makes an impatient whine.

Jungkook teases along the border of his hips and his jeans with his tongue, multitasking to unbutton and unzip them at the same time. Finally he grips at the tops of them and his briefs at the same time, looking up briefly for some unspoken permission before he yanks down roughly, pulling Jimin’s body a little ways down the bed at the same time as he whisks his clothes off, discarding them across the room with the exiled stuffies and then turning back, now in full command of Jimin’s naked form, his cock already hard and leaking against his stomach as he pants slightly.

“Now, I have a question for you.”

“Shoot,” Jimin responds, lifting himself up on his elbows to look at where Jungkook is now on his knees by the end of his bed, hands on Jimin’s thighs.

“How do you feel about edging on a first date?”

Jimin feels the air knock out of his chest. How does one respond to that when the hottest, cutest man he’s ever slept with, a man who likes him for him, who wants to date him, is between his legs. Jimin’s cock seems to speak for him, twitching in interest.

Jimin finally finds words, since Jungkook is patiently waiting, keeping his hands in a modest place until Jimin gets his thoughts together.

“I mean, have you done that on a first date before?”

“No,” Jungkook replies, sliding his hands slightly up his thighs, causing Jimin’s cock to jump again. This is getting embarrassing. “But a lot is on the line here. I’m trying to secure your number after all. Texting privileges. That’s something that needs to be earned. And I’m willing to put the effort in.”

He leans forward and places a simple kiss on the inner thigh of Jimin’s left leg and Jimin groans, flopping back onto this back.

“I’ll go easy on you,” Jungkook says. “All you’ll have to do is say ‘please, Jungkook, please let me come,’ just like that, all sweet.”

“Jesus christ,” Jimin whispers, refusing to look as Jungkook kisses further up his thigh. “I can’t believe I thought you were straight.”

The kissing stops. “What?”

“Nothing,” Jimin blurts, really wanting the kissing to start up again.

Jungkook looks like he wants to continue along that line of questioning but then glances back down at Jimin’s body and just shrugs and keeps kissing until his breath is ghosting along his cock, looking up at Jimin with a question in his eyes. “Remember how to end it?”

Jimin nods. And Jungkook begins, starting with his mouth. He brings Jimin to the edge twice like that, each time noting the way his thighs brace, the way his toes start to curl and his breathing speeds up, curses and moans falling freely before fading away in a puff of breath as Jungkook pulls off, holding Jimin gently in his fist until the edge of his orgasm recedes.

Jimin is already feeling overwhelmed, beads of sweat dripping down his temple, but refusing to say the words. Not yet.

After the second pause, Jungkook rises from his knees briefly to strip his own pants off, and Jimin watches hungrily as his cock is freed from his clothes, rock hard and slapping against his stomach. Jungkook puts a hand on himself, stroking twice before placing his knees on the bed, on either side of Jimin’s body and using his strength to shift him up the bed, until his head is resting on his pillow.

Jungkook makes a smart guess and reaches over to Jimin’s nightstand, opening the top drawer and smiling when he finds what he wants inside, placing the lube and condoms beside Jimin’s hips on the bed.

He then ramps up the torture, coating his hand in lube and using his fingers to tease at Jimin’s hole while his mouth does the same to the tip of his cock, Jungkook’s lip piercing causing an extra dimension of slow torture to every foray. Jimin fists at the sheets and murmurs encouragement until Jungkook changes tacks, dipping his fingers deep inside him until they’re grazing at his prostate, the sucking sound of his fingers inside him combining with the sloppy way Jungkook starts swallowing down his length.

Jimin is truly desperate as he feels his orgasm approach for a third time, but instead of giving Jungkook what he wants, he simply hooks his heels around Jungkook’s back and thrusts his hips forward and up, trying to chase his release. Unfortunately for him, Jungkook is very strong and he simply places both hands on Jimin’s hips, pushing him down and freeing his mouth as Jimin whines.

Jungkook is panting slightly as he says, “That’s not how you get to come, remember?”

Jimin pouts but Jungkook has no mercy, moving away slightly as he runs his hands down his legs. Jimin considers throwing a tantrum but then, instead, goes limp, watching Jungkook from lowered eyelashes as he says, “Fine. Just get back here.”

Jungkook starts up his ministrations again, but, to Jimin’s dismay, slowly, like they’re starting from the very beginning again, and Jimin has to slowly feel his efforts ramp up until he’s writhing once more, the slow torture of being brought to the edge overtaking him. He needs to come this time. He loses track of everything as he tilts his neck back and closes his eyes, tracking the slow build of his pleasure as Jungkook’s fingers press inside of him, as he slowly kisses his way up Jimin’s cock before swallowing him down.

When he finally lifts his head again to watch, he sees that Jungkook is crouched back on his heels and he can see that his cock is now sheathed with a condom and slicked up.

“Fuck,” he curses, barely above a whisper. “Are you getting ready to fuck me?”

“Maybe,” Jungkook responds. “But that’s up to you.”

Jimin hisses in a breath as Jungkook takes him back in his mouth and Jungkook’s pace this time is truly punishing, three fingers now inside of him as he takes Jimin further into his mouth than he has before. It’s when Jimin feels himself push at the back of Jungkook’s throat that he gives in.

“Please, please, please,” he practically chants, voice desperate.

He sees Jungkook angling his eyes upward to look at him. Not quite enough, they seem to be saying. Jimin succumbs.

“Please, Jungkook, please, please let me come, please, please.”

Jimin doesn’t understand because Jungkook pulls back quickly, both the warmth of his mouth and the movement of his fingers leaving him, but before he can protest the sheer unfairness, Jungkook lines his hips up and quickly and brutally thrusts into Jimin while gripping at his cock with his hand, slick with lube.

The surprise, and how close Jimin has been for so long, combined with the incredible feeling of being full sets something off deep within him and he cries out, thrusting into the gentle warmth of Jungkook’s fist and pressing his ass sharply against Jungkook’s pelvis, generating just enough friction with his desperate movements to finally, finally push himself over the edge.

He comes hard, long ropes of cum coating his own skin as his hips keep moving, riding Jungkook’s motionless cock as his body works through the never ending spirals of his pleasure. Finally, his movements gentle and he opens his eyes to see Jungkook shamelessly staring down at him.

Jimin watches through lidded eyes as Jungkook slowly lowers down, placing his elbows on the bed on either side of Jimin. Jungkook leans forward and places a kiss, slow and shallow, against his lips. Then he asks, “Good?” against them before nudging at Jimin’s nose with his own.

Jimin nods, finding it hard to find words at first. “Very good,” he manages eventually, his arms still splayed wide on the bed.

Jungkook places a kiss on his nose and then slowly kisses his way down his jaw and his neck, until he settles with his nose tucked into the juncture where his neck meets his shoulder. Jimin lets his hands slide along his sheets until they meet Jungkook’s arms, before sweeping them up his soft skin to his back and then down to cup at Jungkook’s ass, his hips carefully still with his cock still buried deep inside.

Without any words, he simply guides Jungkook to start moving his hips and he hears him groan, lips tucked in tight against his skin.

“Are you sure?” Jungkook asks, his hips still moving as he speaks, his cock slowly dragging in and out.

“Just, slow, ok?” Jimin responds, both loving and hating the slight feeling of oversensitivity.

Jungkook nods into the crook of his neck and continues slowly fucking into Jimin, neither boy moving a muscle except for the almost excruciatingly slow push and pull of Jungkook’s hips.

Jimin loves the sounds Jungkook makes, so close to his ear, and the feel of his hot breath on his skin. He closes his eyes and lets himself feel every inch of his body on his own, both of Jungkook’s hands slightly brushing at his arms as his arms brace himself on the bed, his chest flush again his own, the muscles of his thighs creating a soft friction against the inside of Jimin’s own, even the way his own heels now hook up against Jungkook’s calves.

Jimin’s one night stands, they’re never slow like this, never quite enough time or consideration to feel so much of the other person, and Jimin feels both strangely vulnerable, but also sated, and not just from already having come once. It’s like there’s no rush, like it doesn’t even matter if he’ll come again, because this is the point. This is, the closeness.

In the end Jimin does come again, he has no idea how long later, Jungkook following him closely after, by then so covered in sweat and cum that they laugh and tease their way into the shower immediately after, something else that Jimin hasn’t done in a long time.

His limbs are jelly by the time they’re under the hot spray together so he doesn’t fight back as Jungkook uses his shaving cream to give him a beard. The shower takes way too long as a result and Jimin is practically falling asleep on his feet by the time they’re back in his bed, both naked under the sheets. Jungkook had grabbed a few stuffies on their way back and Jimin watches with a small smile as he arranges them against the wall.

“Now that things are back to PG-13, I don’t mind them.”

He pats Totoro’s head and Jimin giggles, settling down to watch Jungkook fuss with them a bit longer before he flops down on his side, snuggling into the pillow and then looking at Jimin, eyes sparkling.

“Guess we’re even now, huh?”

Jimin narrows his eyes slightly. “Even?”

“You know… for that first time …” Jungkook wiggles his eyebrows and Jimin laughs, until he figures out what Jungkook means and then he gasps in outrage.

“No way!” he cries, sitting up. “That is not the same thing at all!”

Jungkook reaches up, pulling Jimin down to him and tucking him under his arm, all while he struggles, pinching at Jungkook’s side and chest.

“It’s exactly the same.”

“Uh uh,” Jimin says, voice muffled as he squirms. “If there’s edging involved, it doesn’t count!”

“And you’re saying that what you did in that cab wasn’t edging?”

Jimin makes an outraged noise again. “That doesn’t count! There wasn’t intent! And there was a cab driver, how could I possibly have edged you in front of a cab driver?”

“What can I say? There’s no one else in the world like you, Park Jimin.”

Jimin stills, Jungkook’s arms now around him, his face squished against his chest and his leg in between Jungkook’s. Jungkook doesn’t sound like he’s joking anymore.

“You don’t even really know me yet.”

Jungkook just tsks, flattening Jimin’s hair with his hand where it’s hitting him in the face a little.

“I know enough. I know you have a secret sweet tooth and that your lips look like the cutest beak when you slurp noodles. I know you laugh with your whole body and would probably fall over if someone wasn’t there to break your fall.

“I know you care about your friends so much that it creates complex misunderstandings, which is the best kind of caring, in my opinion. I know you devote yourself to a really selfless, thankless job that makes this world a better place. I know you have a sense of romance deep down inside because how else could you love those Ghibli movies so much.

“I know I like you and want to get to know you even more. Like I said, I know enough. Besides, I’m getting your number after that, right? We’re going to text so much, we’re going to know everything there is to know about each other in no time.”

Jimin has slowly squished himself tighter to Jungkook with every sentence that he uttered until he’s so tightly pressed against him that he can barely breathe. He doesn’t really know what to say. He wishes he could return Jungkook’s sincere speech, he knows he’s feeling as intensely about Jungkook as Jungkook seems to feel about him, but he has no words to express it. Not yet, anyways. So instead, he just says, after a big exhale, “Is this how you date?”

Jungkook pauses, his fingers tangled in Jimin’s hair. “Sorry. I kind of go all in. We can go slow, though, if you want.”

“No,” Jimin says, cuddling even harder against Jungkook. “I think I would like all in. Yes, please, to all in.”

He thinks he feels Jungkook smiling against the crown of his head and he feels a swoop in his stomach. It’s scary, sure, but it also feels warm. He thought it would feel like he’s trapped, but instead he’s suddenly invigorated. One day he’ll make his own passionate speech to Jungkook, he can feel it. But first, he has to open himself up again.

Jungkook entwines one of his hands with one of Jimin’s, looking down as he matches up the length of their fingers, the way their palms fit together.

“So about that second date,” Jungkook starts, sounding uncertain.

“Already looking forward to it,” Jimin says, lifting Jungkook’s hand to his lips to kiss his knuckles.

Chapter Text

Jimin has had one of those days. The worst kind of day. The kind when everything he did seemed to go wrong, the big things and the little things, and when you added it all up, it feels like he failed one of his kids.

Jimin knows, in theory, that it’s not all on him, that he can’t control other people or the system, and that all those things contribute to what happens to the kids that end up in his care. But it does feel like it all comes down to him sometimes, when he has to explain to a kid that they have to go to another foster home, or that they have to be separated from their siblings, or that he can’t be their case worker anymore because they’re being transferred to another district.

It’s days like this that Jimin cracks at the edges. It’s days like this he ends up just a walking shell of who he is, nothing left to give to anyone or anything.

The first time it happened while he and Jungkook were dating, it was a bit of a disaster. He went straight home and did his usual thing, drawing a bath and spending too long in it, only getting out when the water turned cold and he started to shiver. He then stumbled into his bed and forced himself to sleep even though it was only seven pm, unable to face being conscious for a moment longer.

He had startled awake to the sound of someone knocking loudly on the apartment door. He looked blearily at the clock and saw that he had been asleep for about an hour. He turned back over and buried his head under the pillow but the knocking didn't stop, only getting louder, so eventually he dragged himself out of bed and to the door. The deadlock wasn’t set so he was confused, but in his daze, he simply opened the door to find Jungkook standing there, dressed up in a pair of dark wash jeans and a button up shirt, rolled up at the sleeves. His face was painted in worry and his eyes were racing desperately over Jimin’s face.

“Jimin. Are you ok?”

Jimin had no idea how to answer that question. He wasn’t ok, of course he wasn’t, but there’s nothing anybody can do. He was used to only Taehyung seeing him when he’s like this, who already understands, and who doesn't expect anything from him, not even the answering of a simple question.

So instead of answering, he turned and headed back to his room, leaving the door open for Jungkook to come in if he wanted to. He curled back into bed, winding the twisted blankets around him as best he could. He heard Jungkook pause at his bedroom door, taking in the pathetic scene he no doubt made. He heard him withdraw and fully expected to hear the apartment door close soon after as he left, but he didn’t.

Instead, he woke again from fitful sleep to a body next to him in bed. He shifted slightly and saw that Jungkook was still fully dressed, laying on top of the covers, a stuffie in his arms and snoring softly. Jimin turned his head and saw a cup of tea, gone cold, on his nightstand. It was plum tea, his favourite. He sat up slightly and drank it cold, then went back to sleep.

When he woke up in the morning the cup was gone and so was Jungkook. He was feeling better already, like he does most times this happens. He’s not a rookie in this after all. It just takes something out of him for a while. It takes all he has. So he walked out to the main room, expecting it to be empty and for him to have to grovel and apologize at some later date. Instead, he found Jungkook on the couch in a pair of his own sweats and a t-shirt, both a little too small on him. He was watching cartoons and giggling, a bowl of cereal in his lap.

Jimin admired the pretty picture he made for a moment, feeling nervous. Eventually, he moved forward to sit next to Jungkook on the couch. Jungkook glanced over and then offered him a bite of his cereal. Jimin took it, watching with careful eyes as Jungkook fed him a sugary, milky bite.

“Feeling better?” Jungkook asked, spooning some more cereal into his own mouth as Jimin chews.

Jimin nodded.

“Want to talk about it?” Jungkook asked, placing the now empty bowl on the coffee table in front of him.

Jimin thought for a few moments. “Are you mad at me?”

Jungkook turned, a fierce look on his face. “No,” he said, voice determined. “No. I’m worried, that's all.”

Jimin shifted, hugging himself. “How did you know to come over?”

Jungkook looked surprised. “Jimin. We were supposed to meet for dinner last night, at that restaurant you’ve been wanting to try, remember?”

“Oh shit,” Jimin said, moving a hand up to his face. “I completely forgot.”

“Yeah, I figured that out, but you just didn’t show up and then I was calling your phone and you weren’t picking up, so I got pretty worried. Decided to just come over. I’m glad I did.”

“Fuck, Jungkook, I’m so sorry. I swear I completely forgot. I just had this horrible day at work, and sometimes, when that happens, I kind of … just …”

“Hey,” Jungkook said, moving closer carefully, a question in his eyes. “It’s ok. Can I … can we cuddle while we do this?”

Jimin was surprised but relieved, nodding emphatically and then allowing himself to be folded gently in Jungkook’s arms.

“You don’t have to explain,” Jungkook said, “I saw you. But … is there anything I can do to help? When you get like that?”

Jimin felt more balanced with the feeling of Jungkook’s arms around him. He thought for a few moments about how to explain.

“Well, early on, I used to tell Taehyung all about it, every awful little detail, but then we would both just end up a sobbing mess and it didn’t make it any better. Because it is what it is. I do my best but sometimes, it just doesn't make a difference. So I’ve found that it’s better if I just let myself deal with it the way I did last night: a bath and sleep, and letting myself forget for a while. I’m sorry. I’m not used to having someone important to try to … consider, during all of that.”

Jungkook squeezed him tight. He released him and rubbed one of Jimin’s ears, something he had learned makes Jimin melt in an instant.

“It sounds like maybe I need to consider you. How about we come up with a warning system? Like you’re having one of those days, you just send me the octopus emoji and I know to let you have your space. Or I know to come over with breakfast the next day.”

Jimin almost teared up. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was, to find Jungkook when he wasn’t even looking. He was still working on the whole expressing his emotions thing so instead he just leaned into Jungkook’s hand and said, “Why the octopus emoji?”

Jungkook laughed. “Because you looked like you barely knew who I was last night but when I woke up this morning you were clinging to me like a little octopus. I’ve never seen you do that before.”

Jimin laughed in surprise. “Well, then maybe the octopus emoji can mean come over and crawl into bed with me.”

Jimin slowly leaned into Jungkook until he moved to straddle his hips, pressing his face into his neck and they stayed that way, cuddled together, until Jimin’s stomach rumbled loudly and Jungkook peeled himself away to make breakfast.

And they have figured it out with each other out, mostly. Jungkook turned out to be a master at setting up thoughtful dates and Jimin had been sharing his feelings in other ways, mostly via acts of care, bringing Jungkook takeout on days when he had to stay late at work for a deadline, or helping him figure out the perfect pre-workout smoothie. He had even spent one morning at Jungkook’s place rearranging his art space to be smartly organized so he could concentrate on creating instead of constantly searching for the right tool.

That’s also how they had their first fight, Jimin overstepping in trying to help Jungkook. He had set up a surprise meeting with Taehyung’s representation. Jungkook had aced the meeting, but he had gotten sullen on the way home, and had finally lashed out when they got back to Jimin’s place, letting him know that he hadn’t felt ready, and that he didn’t need Jimin to do everything for him.

Jimin had been immediately apologetic but they had parted for the night, Jungkook saying he needed some space to think. Jimin had barely slept, certain that he would get a break up text the next day, or that he might even get ghosted. He had never seen Jungkook angry at him. He had left the next day to hang out at Seokjin and Yoongi’s place, Taehyung busy with a special art project at his studio, but Yoongi indulging his need to be pessimistic, and Jin baking him his favourite chocolate bread to try to cheer him up.

He had practically jolted off the couch onto the floor when Jungkook called him in the afternoon. He said he wanted to meet up later to talk in person but Jimin couldn’t stand to wait another minute to hear what he was afraid he was going to, so he insisted that Jungkook say what he wanted to say immediately.

Jungkook had given in, explaining that he had thought more and, while he still thinks Jimin should have talked to him about it, he may have reacted so strongly because he was still letting his insecurities keep him from feeling worthy of having his art represented, and that the meeting might have actually been the kick in the pants he needed to go for it. So he asked that Jimin talk to him about big stuff like that first, but also apologized for making such a big thing out of it when his intentions were clearly good.

Jimin had sat, mouth hanging open, only part way registering that he had put Jungkook on speakerphone and that Yoongi and Seokjin were both in the kitchen, trying to pretend that they couldn’t hear. Jungkook actually called his name a few times until Jimin simply burst into tears, his words garbled and making no sense. Finally, Jungkook, getting more and more panicked on the phone, insisted Jimin tell him where he was so he could come get him.

Yoongi had grabbed the phone out of his hand and told Jungkook that he was at their place. Jungkook was there in less than twenty minutes, bursting in out of breath like he had run the whole way, which he might have. Seokjin and Yoongi retreated to their bedroom, letting them have their space and Jungkook finally got out of a crying Jimin that he had been worried that Jungkook was going to break up with him.

Jimin had only snapped out of it when Jungkook got teary too. He had never seen him cry and it suddenly brought out a fiercely protective instinct. He had gathered him into his arms and squeezed tight.

“So no one is breaking up with anybody?” he asked, pressing Jungkook’s head to his shoulder fiercely.

“No, hyung! Why would you think that?”

“I … I just … we fought and I … ugh, I’m sorry. I’m so, so bad at this.”

Jungkook raised his head and looked at Jimin intensely before he nipped forward and kissed his nose.

“Silly, stupid hyung. If we were going to break up, I promise we would have at least, like, twenty fights about it before it actually happened.”

Jimin sniffed, his eyes round. “Really? Twenty?”

Jungkook nodded. “At least. I’m a stage five clinger. Sorry, you’re just not going to get rid of me that easily.”

Jimin laughed through his tears. “Ok, ok, good. God, I’m sorry. I just … I’ve never done this before. I don’t know how to do all this relationship stuff.”

“Hey,” Jungkook said, wiping at his tears and then kissing where they once were. “That’s ok. I can help. A little, I mean. I’ve only had two other boyfriends before you but --”

“Boyfriends?” Jimin said, voice cracking slightly.

“Yeah,” Jungkook said, big eyes searching his face. “I mean, if you want to. I sort of have been calling you that already. Just to Namjoon-hyung! And Yoongi-hyung. Oh, and my mom accidentally, it just kind of slipped out.”

“Your mom knows I exist?” Jimin cried, his arms wrapping around his own torso in a little wiggle of joy and anticipation.

Jungkook laughed. “Yes. I even sent her a picture of the two of us, that one I took at our picnic that day? She said you’re really cute and I better be careful to treat you well or I’ll lose you.”

“You won’t lose me,” Jimin said, hugging Jungkook to him again.

“Does that mean you’ll be my boyfriend?”

Jimin giggled and squeezed Jungkook tight, feeling like he had the whole world in his arms. Before he could respond, the apartment door opened and Taehyung entered, looking surprised to find two teary eyed friends on the couch instead of his boyfriends, but only for a second because then Jimin spotted him and yelled, “Tae! I have a boyfriend!”

Taehyung simply cheered, no questions asked, and dogpiled on to them, all poking limbs and congratulations yelled in a very loud voice, prompting Seokjin and Yoongi to emerge from their exile in the bedroom and join in the celebration.

Jimin had felt utterly ridiculous, but he had also never felt happier.

And so, now, when Jimin has another one of his bad days, he still feels that mind numbing sadness, the deep tired ache in his bones, but instead of feeling the need to totally disappear, or to go out and find some strange body to lose himself in, he simply sends a single emoji and heads home.

When he gets there, he finds a note from his boyfriend on the kitchen counter. He heads further into the apartment and there’s a hot bath waiting for him, a few candles lit and a soft playlist tinkling from a waterproof speaker. He sinks into the bath and lets himself forget for a while. The world recedes a little bit, just like he needs it to.

But there’s sounds too, of Jungkook coming back from picking up some dinner supplies, of him banging around in the kitchen. And then there’s the gentle scent of something delicious being cooked, the sizzle of garlic and green onion. The sounds and smells gently nudge parts of his brain, a sort of pull, a tug in the right direction. And, eventually, there’s a quiet knock on the door. Jimin brings himself back to the world of the living and calls out, keeping his eyes closed.

He hears the sound of Jungkook seating himself on the edge of the tub, and the gentle tinkle of his head reaching into the bathwater to check if it’s still warm. Then he feels his hand, warm and wet from the water, carding through his hair.

“How bad?” Jungkook asks, voice gentle. “One to ten.”

“Six, maybe,” Jimin responds, and opens his eyes, drinking in the sight of his gorgeous boyfriend, steeped in candle light and smelling like a four course meal.

“I can cancel,” Jungkook offers. “They won’t mind. And then we can eat a whole pork shoulder just the two of us and pass out in a food coma. Sounds like a good night to me.”

Jungkook crinkles his nose and Jimin can’t help but feel the darkness recede a little further.

“No,” he says. “No, I’ll be ok. I want to see everyone. I’m sorry I’m not helping you with dinner.”

“Hey,” Jungkook says, voice intensely serious. “You know your cute ass would just get in the way. No offence, hyung, but you really suck at cooking.”

Jimin laughs and the last bit of grey dissipates from his chest. “You could at least pretend I’m helpful.”

“Uh uh, sorry, I’ve got a meal to cook, no time to be stroking any truly awful sous chef’s ego around here.”

Jimin giggles again and Jungkook puffs out a bit of laughter. “I could use an official taster though.”

Jimin shifts, preparing to get out.

“Nope!” Jungkook says, pushing down on a shoulder to keep him submerged in the still-warm water. “My official taster has to stay in the bath. Only when you’re truly relaxed can you give me an accurate judgement on the done-ness of the sauce.”

So Jungkook bustles around the kitchen, darting back to the bathroom every once in a while with a spoon of sauce, or broth, and finally with a single bit of pork for Jimin to declare each one mind blowingly delicious and ready to be served.

Jimin gets out of the bath in time for their guests to arrive, dressing in casual clothes. It’s their closest friends after all, what Jimin has begun to think of as his second family. His first family, really.

They arrive all as a group, bustling in with bottles of soju and dessert, Jimin helping off with coats and scarves while Jungkook puts the finishing touches on the meal, Seokjin immediately going into the kitchen to inspect, while Yoongi and Hoseok help set the table. Namjoon and Taehyung head straight for the couch, declaring they’ll be on clean up duty.

Taehyung notices Jimin is a little quiet but simply gives him an extra long squeeze while Namjoon tells them about his latest project at work and Jimin feels relieved again for his friend’s telepathic ways.

Once they’re all around the table, conversation flows effortlessly and Jimin can sit back and take it all in, eating slowly and whispering praise for every bite in Jungkook’s ear, who is sitting beside him and keeps one hand on his knee all night, a comforting and ever present weight.

Eventually the soju starts flowing more heavily and Jimin loosens up a bit, feeling the warm glow of the people surrounding him. He’s gotten to know them all so much more in the past six months and now it feels like fate that they all got tangled up in each other’s lives.

Namjoon and Hoseok are the real deal and Jimin has grown to appreciate Namjoon’s gentle heart and sharp mind, pairing well with Hoseok’s unbridled enthusiasm and sense of adventure. His job helps him to indulge Hoseok’s expensive taste and Jimin loves to see his friend be spoiled the way he deserves and has never been able to afford on a yoga instructor’s salary.

Seokjin and Yoongi’s place has become a second home to Jimin. He spends a lot of time there, both with Jungkook and without. Taehyung hasn’t officially moved out of their own apartment yet and he and Jimin will sometimes clear their schedule for a whole week, declare it soulmate week, and spend the whole time in their apartment together, just the two of them.

And Jungkook, he’s become something to Jimin that he never could have imagined. Sometimes it scares him so much he can barely breathe with it; the thought of losing him, the thought of the hurt he could potentially cause him because of the way it feels like, with every single day that passes, that Jimin’s heart beats more and more just for him. But he’s learning that he truly lucked out in having found the one person in the world he can hand his heart over to, wholly, and know it will be safe.

His very sappy train of thought is interrupted when Taehyung starts a rowdy game of never have I ever, which Jimin thinks is always a dangerous move considering their company, but he just shrugs and decides to play along.

“Never have I ever had sex in a public place!” Seokjin declares, ears bright red from the alcohol. Every person at the table takes a shot except for Namjoon.

“Really?” Seokjin cries after smoothly swallowing his shot. “Namjoon-ah, Hoseokie needs to get you up to speed. What, you’ve never taken advantage of his yoga studio?”

Namjoon goes pink and splutters something, and Hoseok simply reaches over and tugs at his ear, winking a little.

“Don’t tease my Namjoonie, just you wait until it’s my turn.”

“Alright,” Yoongi says, “Your turn little Seok.”

“You know that implies that you call me big Seok, right, Yoongi-yah?” Seokjin says with a salacious wink.

“Gross, shut up!” Hoseok replies. “Ok,” he carefully considers, pulling at his lip with one hand. “Never have I ever been railed so hard that I actually had to go get my back adjusted the next day.”

They all watch as a very smug Hoseok takes a drink while Namjoon's face goes even pinker.

“The point of this is to make other people drink, you know, you all seem to forget that every time,” Jimin says snidely.

“I’ve got one then!” Taheyung says, an evil look on his face and Jimin immediately regrets his remark.

“Never have I ever made someone come within--”

“Taehyung!” Jimin screeches, his soulmate telepathy saving him just in time.

“What?” Taehyung replies, clearly a little tipsy already. “You didn’t tell Jungkookie about explosion guy?”

Jimin kicks him under the table but he groans at the same time, head in his hands as he realizes it’s too late.

“Explosion guy?” Jungkook asks, a good natured laugh on his lips. Jungkook has never minded hearing about Jimin’s previous exploits, has mostly laughed along at his stories, even if the sex is sometimes a little spicer those nights. Jimin, however, doesn’t think he’ll laugh at this one.

“Shut up, Tae,” Jimin says through gritted teeth, holding on to some wild hope that he can get the subject changed.

Yoongi seems to have caught on. “Ah, jagiya, maybe we shouldn’t --”

“No way! You remember, hyung, it must’ve been right before he met Jungkook, he went home with this guy and apparently he blew his load within like ten seconds of getting inside him!”

Hoseok lets out a shocked laugh and Taehyung giggles along until he notices that Jimin and Jungkook have gone completely silent. Jimin’s eyes rove slowly from the table top in front of him, to the side, and up his boyfriend’s still form. He tries to communicate desperately with his eyes. He fails.

“Explosion guy?” Jungkook cries, eyes wide in adorable outrage. “Really? What happened to your lips being sealed? Everyone knows about that?”

Jimin groans, turns, takes his shot, and then lies his whole torso down on the table.

“They do now, dumbass, that was just a story I told before we were a thing, but I never mentioned your name!”

“Oh,” Jungkook says, looking around at all the people now staring at him. “Well!” And then, to Jimin’s horror, he takes his own shot, slams it down with flair on the table and proclaims, “Jimin did it too! On our first date!”

Jimin shoots up, outraged, as the table descends into chaos. “Uh uh, nuh uh, that does not count, you were edging me, it doesn’t count if there’s edging!”

There then ensues a lively debate about whether it counts when there’s edging and Jimin laughs harder than he thinks he ever has, Jungkook yelling between bouts of laughter, determined to win, and eventually doing so, getting Yoongi, Seokjin and Namjoon on his side, leaving only Hoseok and Taehyung to give Jimin their pity votes.

Finally the table calms a little bit, but with every face hurting from laughter. Taehyung wipes some tears from his eyes, and rubs at his shins, where Jimin aimed several more kicks during the debate. “I can’t believe Jungkook is explosion guy. I thought you were sure that guy was straight!”

Jimin groans again, throwing his hands up in the air, and then starting to get up from his seat. “That’s it! I’m showing your boyfriends all those texts you sent me during that first time the three of you--”

And then Taehyung is actually flinging himself across the table, using his weight to make Jimin sit back down in his chair. He turns to Seokjin and Yoongi at his side, does a fancy gesture with his hand and says, “Mind wipe.”

Yoongi grins, stupidly in love, but Seokjin simply groans. “Taehyungie, that mind wipe thing doesn’t actually--” Taehyung interrupts him with a kiss that gets a little too dirty for being at the dinner table and then pulls away, saying, “Mind wipe.”

Seokjin looks a little dazed and then gives in. “Ok, mind wipe,” he says, turning and pouring himself more soju.

Jimin laughs but then hears the sound of Jungkook tapping his fingers on the table in rhythmic succession. He turns, slowly, dreading.

Jungkook is grinning hugely, like he won the lottery.

“I fucking knew it,” he says, eyes endeared in contrast to his words. “You thought I was straight. That whole time! Up until when?” he asks, leaning forward eagerly. “The blowjob? Come on, that had to be a give away. I was dressed for the club, what straight guy dresses like that?”

Jimin simply groans again and takes another shot. “I was in deep denial, what can I say?”

“So even after the blowjob--”

“I thought it was a really good first blow job ok!? Really, in retrospect, this makes it way less impressive.”

“That’s why you asked me if I was going to a costume party? I thought you didn’t like my style! I came onto you that first time, how does that in any way make me straight?”

“Oh please!” Jimin responds. “I bagged so many straight guys in boring bars like that. You are not special.” Jimin bops Jungkook’s nose. “Except you are, since I’m in love with you and everything.”

Jungkook goes stock still, eyes wide.

The table is completely silent. You could hear a pin drop. Jimin does hear Taehyung gasp. Jimin can’t believe it. He can’t fucking believe it.

“I’m sorry,” Jungkook finally says. “You’re what?”

Jimin gulps. This was not how he was planning to do that. In fact, he was not planning to do that at all. It’s just that it’s the end of a horrible day and instead of hiding from the world like he usually does, he’s surrounded by friends, filled with good food, and sitting next to a man who has accepted every part of him, who can simply laugh off the mistakes of his past, and who, every day, makes his life so much better.

He needs him, in every sense of the word. And he loves him, he realizes. He’s so in love with him it makes him dizzy. So, instead of freaking out, like a part of him is scrambling to do, he leans forward, and bops his love on the nose again.

“You heard me. I’m in love with you, explosion boy. Deal with it.”

And Jungkook does, by pulling him into a kiss while the table erupts in cheers around them, and as Hoseok leads them in a drunken rendition of the “he’s a jolly good fellow” song but with more sexual references, and then by pulling back to whisper those same three words against Jimin’s lips. Jimin can barely hear him above the raucous, but he doesn’t need to.

He knows he’s loved.