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taexual · 5 months

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sleepwalking ● 14 | jjk

pairing: jungkook x fem!reader

summary: due to unfortunate circumstances, you ended up managing your ex-boyfriend’s band. you thought you’ve both made peace with it, but suddenly he’s very eager to prove to you that first love never dies.

genre: rockstar!jungkook / exes to lovers

warnings: explicit language, risky motorcycle ride? (idk nothing bad happens but always wear helmets, friends), some fun flirting & jokes, but mostly ANGST AND PAIN (including explicit descriptions of very intense anxiety at the very end)

words: 12.3k

read from the beginning ○ masterlist

chapter 14 ► this isn't over 'til we talk in the light, said i was sober, but you knew that i lied

In the lounge area outside the changing rooms of “013” in Tilburg, Jungkook was engaged in a very intense game of table tennis against Seokjin—and winning, even though Seokjin would have disagreed—when you entered to inform the band that they were going on stage in twenty minutes.

The game wrapped up as the members began to stretch while simultaneously accosting Jimin about their in-ears. There were never any serious issues – Jimin made sure he was the Sound Technician of the Year – but they enjoyed seeing him panic when everyone started moaning, “could you turn the backtrack up a bit?” or “I literally can’t hear myself.” This last one was Taehyung’s favourite, until Jimin started retorting with, “well, maybe you’re deaf,” and then continuing with his day.

The pre-show ritual was always chaotic, but it was endearing chaos, full of nervous laughter and sparkling eyes as the members of Rated Riot prepared for their performance.

Then, just as Jungkook left the dressing room, putting his own in-ears back in, he turned the corner and almost collided with Sid, who looked more than pleased when Jungkook took a surprised step back.

What an absolute eye-sore, Jungkook thought. As the tour went on, he began to understand your aversion to his friends better.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, and it sounded like he wasn’t just asking about Sid being in this room. He was questioning Sid’s constant presence on this tour. Surely, with Jungkook no longer participating in his little games, he had to get bored and go back home.

The past few weeks have taught Jungkook that some friendships had an expiration date, and sometimes stupid bets accelerated that process. He was okay with that now—he realised that holding onto Sid would be much worse than being left alone.

“Just came to wish you luck before the show,” said Sid, who had never genuinely wished anyone luck before. “We’re here if you want to talk.”

Jungkook frowned and glanced at Minjun—who stood further away from the rest of their friends, and rolled his eyes—then he looked back at Sid.

“I’m good,” he said slowly and cautiously as if Sid was a snake that attacked when it sensed defiance.

Just when Jungkook thought he was safe and tried to walk away, Sid’s saccharine voice—the venomous kind—called out, “don’t forget we’re going out racing tonight!”

Jungkook stopped and turned to him again. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Don’t be like that,” Sid taunted. “This could be your chance to practise riding a rental since it seems like you’re going to lose your bike in five—”

“You really don’t have anything better to do, do you?” Jungkook interrupted. Maybe it was the pre-show adrenaline or maybe he had finally grown tired of Sid’s bullshit, but he added, “I feel sorry for you.”

Sneering because people felt many things for him – mostly contempt – but pity wasn’t one of them, Sid leaned in closer. It was a tactic that Jungkook had already grown immune to, but Sid was a creature of habit.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” he hissed, not bothered by the emptiness in Jungkook’s stare. “See you later.”

“You won’t,” Jungkook asserted. “I’m not going out with you. This is all over, including the bet.”

Sid raised his eyebrows. With a very specific sense of justice that no one else in this hallway—or in this world—possessed, he declared, “I get the Katana, then.”

There was something questioning about his tone, however. As if he needed Jungkook’s confirmation that he did indeed lose this bet to Sid.

But Jungkook was firm: “You don’t.”

Sid threw his head back and scoffed with an exasperation that could have put a two-year-old to shame. “Well, then neither do you!”

“That’s fine,” Jungkook said. “Minjun can keep it.”

As Sid huffed and growled in frustration, Jungkook looked at his friend again. Minjun seemed about ready to interject—he was the one person here who did not want the bike and, in fact, wished it did not exist at all—but Sid finally found his words.

“You think Minjun can—the bike is mine,” he insisted. “I won—”

“Sid, you don’t give two shits about the fucking bike,” Jungkook cut him off, very tired of the repetitive argument. “Get over it.”

The conversation with Taehyung at Hoseok’s party weighed heavily on Jungkook’s mind. He knew he had bigger things to worry about right now—forget losing the bike. He might lose you.

In his usual dignified manner—so, not dignified at all—Sid rolled his eyes and snarled, “I agreed to bet on it, didn’t I? Obviously, I do give a shit.”

“No,” Jungkook said. “You give a shit about winning. But it’s over. We’re not doing this anymore. Deal with it.”

There was a redness on Sid’s face that hadn’t been there before. A week ago, Jungkook would have been excited to see it—it would have certainly meant a point in his favour. Now, he didn’t want to see Sid’s face at all.

“It’s not over,” Sid argued, persistent like a fly that keeps hitting the glass of a window. “There’s still five days left.”

“Five days until what?”

Four heads whipped around to see you standing at the end of the hallway, confused by the snippet of conversation that you’d overheard. You had returned to find Jungkook because the rest of the band was already pacing – or, in Hoseok’s case, doing restless sit-ups – by the side of the stage.

Jungkook, Sid, Jude, and Minjun stared at you with eyes so bright and wide that they could have guided ships off the coast.

You’ve never met four boys who looked more stunned to see you. It was as if you had accidentally stumbled into the latest concert of the Masculine Ritual, Absolutely No Femininity Allowed, God Forbid Someone Who Identifies as Female Enters The Room tour, and they could not believe this was happening.

“Uh,” Jungkook was the first to react as he immediately approached you. “I’ll tell you later. They’re just excited about, uh, London.”

You did the mental calculations while Jungkook gently squeezed your shoulder to turn you around and steer you away from his friends and towards the stage.

The London show really was more or less in five days, so you decided not to question that part. But the quick pace at which Jungkook was pulling you away from the others still unsettled you.

As you turned a corner, you looked back and saw Sid frowning at you, while Minjun—as usual lately—looked like he regretted being born, and Jude—as usual always—was picking his fingernails.

“Is Sid in one of his chaotic moods again?” you asked as you walked—nearly ran, actually, with the way Jungkook was pulling you. “Should I be concerned?”

“No, no. Everything’s fine,” he assured with a dismissive wave of his hand. “He’s just… doing Sid things. You know. Nothing to worry about as long as—well, as long as you don’t get in his way. I have everything under control.”

Your primary goal on this tour was to stay out of Sid’s way as long as he stayed out of yours. But now was not the time to discuss it, because Rated Riot had three minutes until their performance.

“Alright, then,” you said. “Leave me out of it and we’re good.”

Jungkook coughed in response and stopped once you reached the other members of the band. You thought you saw Taehyung raise his eyebrows when Jungkook took his hand off your shoulders, but maybe you were just imagining it.

You turned to the rest of the band, all of whom looked pale and fidgety and unsure.

The speakers had malfunctioned during the soundcheck earlier, so Jimin and Seokjin had to cut it short to fix the problem. Naturally, the disruption of their usual routine made the band anxious. The table tennis match between Seokjin and Jungkook—arguably the most unhinged members of the team when it came to games—had distracted everyone, but now they returned to the unpleasant arms of anxiety.

“Come on,” you said, trying to sound more energetic than you were feeling. “Stop looking like you’re going to get hanged. You’ll do fantastic out there. Go and have fun. And don’t bother coming backstage until you’re drenched and the crowd won’t stop changing your names. I mean it.”

Finally, a small smile appeared on Yoongi’s face as he rolled up one of his pant legs—for no reason other than he thought it looked cool. Honestly, it worked for him.

“Why did that last part sound like a threat?” he quipped, standing up straight.

“Because it is,” you replied. When you turned to Jungkook, he had his eyebrows furrowed as if he was still worried about something, but he started to smile as soon as he felt your gaze. You added, “I’ll be out there watching you. Kick some ass.”

You high-fived all four of them and pulled back as the boys erupted battle cries and huddled together before taking the stage.

They were still nervous, but they had you and each other, and there was a room full of people excited to see them perform. This was supposed to be just another day at the office.

Smiling, you headed back to your usual spot by the stage where Luna was chatting with a few girls at the barricade, and Maggie was snapping pictures of the audience nearby.

It occurred to you while standing there, that you were thousands of kilometres away from your house, away from everything familiar. But with Rated Riot on stage, and Luna and Maggie by your side, you felt right at home.

There was nothing you wished more than to stay like this forever.

It was an unwritten law that touring with a rock band was fun, but quickly turned very hectic. Insomnia often became an unwelcome friend—especially for the members of the band who had fashionable bags under their eyes almost every day. But when they were on stage or meeting their fans after the show, they looked alive. They looked happy.

And the more drinks they had after the concert, the more that happiness seemed to grow.

“You know what I think?” Yoongi said on the couch in the dressing room where everyone had gathered after the show. He was tipsy as he swung the green Heineken bottle around, nearly splashing you and Namjoon as you sat on either side of him. “I think next time we’re in Europe, we’ll be performing at Wembley. Stade de France. The fucking Coliseum.”

“And Camp Nou?” you teased.

Yoongi and Namjoon—both avid Barcelona fans—nodded in eager agreement.

“And not as guests at festivals, either,” Yoongi continued. “Headliners.”

You smiled. “I can see that.”

“Yeah?” Yoongi’s own smile widened. “When we announced our tour, Kerrang! called us ‘The Next Reconnaissance’ on their Instagram.”

You felt an uncomfortable twinge in your stomach at the mention of the other band and turned away from the two boys. You remembered the alternative culture magazine running rampant with the moniker—always “The Next Reconnaissance,” never just Rated Riot.

“I… don’t think you’re the next anything,” you said. “I think you’re you. And being Rated Riot is already amazing.”

Yoongi needed a moment to process your words. For some reason, he had expected you to agree with the nickname. Part of him wanted to be “the next Reconnaissance,” considering how much they had achieved. But you were right.

“I like that,” he said. “That’s good. Yes. We’re Rated Riot. We’ll get Wembley. And Camp Nou.”

“I second that,” Namjoon said, pointing his beer bottle at the other boy. “But, oh, we saw Reconnaissance at Rose Bowl last year, remember? Might be the best concert I’ve ever been to. I know they were in town again before we left for Europe, but I didn’t get to go. It was at a smaller venue anyway, I think. Rose Bowl, though... Stadium shows are something else.”

You raised an eyebrow as you looked at Namjoon over Yoongi’s head. The producer didn’t normally say this much in one breath. He was clearly getting drunk.

Yoongi, on the other hand, didn’t notice anything wrong. He was likely equally as buzzed. He hummed as he threw his head back and took a large swig of his beer. Then he turned to face you.

“We’ve never opened for a band their size before,” he said. “Do you think we even could? I mean, they’re not The Rolling Stones, but they’re… well…”

He let the sentence falter because he couldn’t find a fitting word, but both you and Namjoon understood.

“Uh, well, who says you can never work with them in the future? I know their manager,” you said, trying to sound uplifting, but quickly catching yourself. You could have made your point without mentioning this. But because the two boys suddenly looked at you as if you’d just said you were Kurt Cobain in your past life, you had to explain, “he’s, uh—he’s Nick Zhou. I worked under him after university.”

“No shit?” Yoongi raised his eyebrows even higher. “Are you still in touch?”

“Not really,” you mumbled, finding yourself in a tough spot. Avoiding the subject now, when you were the one who mentioned Nick, would essentially mean lying to them. You didn’t want to do that. Awkwardly, you admitted, “although, he did, um—he called me a few days ago. Back in Oslo.”

“What?” Namjoon leaned forward to look at you over Yoongi, who stopped drinking his beer, distracted by the conversation. “Why didn’t you say anything? What did he want?”

Suddenly, you regretted finishing your beer before you joined them on the couch.

“Well, see, that’s the thing. He, uh—he wasn’t calling about the band. Or, well, he was, but it wasn’t—okay.” You closed your eyes and took a breath. This was a very long detour to get to the most important sentence. “He said he’s looking for an assistant manager.”

The two boys next to you exchanged a look.

“And… he wants you?” Namjoon asked.

“Yeah,” you said. “But only because he needs someone quickly and he’s already worked with me before, so—”

“Well, fuck,” Yoongi concluded, cutting off your humble explanation, while Namjoon offered an equally insightful, “wow, shit.”

You nodded – both observations accurate – and quickly added, “I didn’t—I’m not going to do it, though.”

“No?” Yoongi asked. “Why not?”

The hint of surprise in his voice made you uncomfortable. It sounded like the reasonable decision would have been to accept Nick’s offer and leave Rated Riot to work with this much bigger, much more intimidating band.

“I-I guess I don’t want to be anyone’s assistant anymore,” you stammered. “I like running the ship myself.”

The guitarist’s expression softened. But before he could speak, Namjoon slapped his palm on his thigh and cheered so uncharacteristically loudly that you and Yoongi both pulled back from him in surprise.

“I know that’s fucking right!” Namjoon cried out. “Steer us all right and Rated Riot will surpass them. You’ll be calling that guy to get him to be your assistant.”

You laughed at the unexpected proposition, and Yoongi gave your knee a friendly pat.

“We won’t let you down,” he said, much more collected than the boy next to him. “You know?”

“I know.” You were smiling with all the warmth in your chest. “I believe you, that’s why I don’t want to leave. But, uh—would you mind not telling anyone else about this? I don’t want it to, you know, blow out of proportion. It wasn’t even an official offer, really, he just mentioned that there was an opening. But I just… I thought it would be unfair if I didn’t eventually tell any of you.”

Yoongi nodded knowingly. Rated Riot didn’t have a designated leader, since Namjoon—as their main producer—and Seokjin—as their stage manager—called most of the shots, but as the oldest member of the band, Yoongi was typically the one to talk to you about the heavier topics.

“It’s cool,” he said. “As long as you’re staying with us, no one else really needs to know about this, right?”

What he’d just said—paired with the way he looked at you for a few seconds longer than necessary—seemed to imply something else. Your eyes automatically drifted to Jungkook, who was talking to Seokjin and Jimin on the other side of the room.

You lowered your eyes. “Yeah.”

Yoongi finished his beer in one swift gulp and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Then, he looked at you again.

“Thanks for that, by the way,” he said.

You met his gaze. “For what?”

“For believing in us enough to stay.”

Namjoon felt himself smile as he quietly finished his beer. He knew he was tipsy, but he wasn’t drunk enough to interrupt the moment between you two.

“You don’t have to thank me for that,” you said. “Just keep doing what you’re doing.” Here, you turned to Namjoon. “Right?”

Looking at you in surprise after you addressed him, the producer scrambled to nod.

“Oh, hell yeah!” he said, leaning forward to reach Yoongi’s completely empty bottle with his own. “Here’s to Wembley next year.”

You smiled as the older boy clinked his empty bottle against Namjoon’s, then tipped his head back to get the last stubborn drops.

“Oh, by the way,” Yoongi spoke as he swallowed and immediately coughed. “D-did you find out what was going on with Jungkook and his lyrics?”

It took you a minute to recall your last conversation with Yoongi—the one that had led you to Jungkook, where he had dodged your questions and later snuck into your bunk on the tour bus and kissed you.

“Uh, well.” You tugged at the sleeve of your leather jacket. “He said that the song he played you was just a demo. He’s still working on the melody. And he said that he just has someone who reviews his lyrics for him, nothing more.”

Yoongi nodded to the rhythm of an unusually slow Asking Alexandria song that played from the speakers of the dressing room.

“So, we shouldn’t worry?” he asked, clearly hopeful.

“Apparently, no,” you said with an uneasy smile.

“Alright,” he decided. “Then let’s not worry.”

He looked at Namjoon who nodded in support of this decision.

And so, not worrying was exactly what they did. Instead, Namjoon brought three more bottles of Heineken and you all decided to just feel happy tonight.

As you scanned the room with a new bottle in your hand—while the boys finished their beer in under a minute and Namjoon got up again to bring more—it seemed to you that everyone had made the exact same decision.

Except Taehyung for some reason.

For a good minute, you watched him walk in circles in the very centre of the room. Then, just when you thought he’d stopped, he started another lap around the carpet.

“Excuse me for a minute,” you said to the two boys on the couch—they both nodded—and stood up.

A brief, unexpected fight broke out over the bottle of beer that you’d handed them—Namjoon won—and you hesitated for a moment as you realised you had a new problem and weighed it against the previous one.

The new problem was that Yoongi and Namjoon were getting very drunk. It was almost ridiculous, but probably harmless. Taehyung, on the other hand, seemed to be waiting to perform at four more gigs as soon as he left this room. You had to go to him first.

He had noticed the commotion by the couch, but he did not acknowledge your approach.

“Is everything okay?” You had to stop right in front of him to ask as he continued his frenzied pacing. “You’re kind of walking in circles here.”

Taehyung stopped as if in a daze and looked at you. “Hm? Ah. Lots on my mind, I guess.”

You nodded slowly. “Anything you want to talk about?”

“Uh…” He looked around. The movement seemed thoughtful, but without a clear purpose—it seemed like he was just avoiding your eyes. Then you saw his gaze land on Jungkook. Taehyung looked at him for a moment, then turned back to you and scratched the back of his neck in a telltale sign of universal discomfort. He said, “honestly, maybe it’s not me that you should be talking to.”

You glanced at Jungkook, too—he was explaining something to Jimin with very wild hand gestures. He still appeared to be on a high from the concert.

“You mean Jungkook?” you asked, shifting your attention back to Taehyung. “Is he the reason why you’re pacing?”

“Sort of,” the bassist replied, blinking at the carpet.

You didn’t like the trepidation in your stomach. And you definitely didn’t like the unexpected memory of the alarm that you had seen on Jungkook’s face in your hotel room in Amsterdam.

“Why?” you asked because, despite the ominous dread that you were feeling, it was still your responsibility to know what was going on with the band.

“Just talk to him,” Taehyung advised. “But don’t tell him I said so.”

You hesitated, wanting a bit more information before you dived off this cliff headfirst. You asked, “at least tell me if something happened, so I can be prepared.”

He glanced at Jungkook again. This time, the younger member seemed to sense his gaze as he turned around. Taehyung looked away immediately.

He muttered quickly, “ask about his friends,” and then retreated to the very back of the room until he was fully concealed by Hoseok and Maggie.

A reluctant “oh,” passed your lips, but knowing that Jungkook’s friends were involved meant that there was nothing else that Taehyung could have said to you anyway.

You had to go straight to the source.

You couldn’t say this surprised you. You already got an odd feeling when you walked in on Sid and his Asshole Alliance before the concert tonight, but Jungkook had assured you that everything was fine.

However, if this was something that made Taehyung stomp around the room—which never happened unless the situation was extremely stressful, like the time Luna was getting surgery and he almost rubbed off the soles of his shoes, walking back and forth in the waiting room of the clinic—then it most certainly wasn’t fine.

Your original plan was to wait until everyone was back on the tour bus, since you’d be spending the night in Tilburg anyway. But then you remembered all the times you’d asked Jungkook if everything was okay—and all the times he said it was—and you decided that waiting would not cut it this time.

“Hey,” you said right in the middle of his conversation with Jimin. You added an apologetic, “could you excuse us, please?” but Jimin could tell as soon as he looked at you that he’d better leave.

As quickly as it was humanly possible, he nodded and jogged to join Yoongi and Namjoon by the door of the room. The two of them were loudly discussing their plan to go out and find a bar, but they paused after noticing Jimin.

You watched them for a moment, wondering if you should have stopped them from leaving when they were already so drunk, but they noticed you, waved, and left before you could open your mouth.

Sighing, you turned to Jungkook just as he asked, “what’s up?”

He didn’t appear unusual when you looked at him. But he rarely ever did.

“Are you okay?” you asked in return.

You were both tired of the question, but Jungkook disliked the sound of it particularly much this time. He’d seen you—out of the corner of his eye—take six steps in his direction right after you finished talking to Taehyung.

What if he’d told you?

“Uh, of course,” Jungkook said, looking at you with just as much confusion—and a sprinkle of suspicion—as you were looking at him with. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know,” you said. Your heart rate increased as if you’d already heard the bad news you were expecting to hear. “How are, um—how’s Sid and everyone else?”

Jungkook disliked this question even more.

“Oh,” he said in a relaxed tone that sounded forced even to him. He cleared his throat and scanned the room for the older member, but didn’t find him. Even more nervous now, he turned to you and tried again. “You mean Sid and the others? They—they’re okay. Sid’s just being annoying, but what else is new? But I’m—we’re all okay. Thanks for, uh, for checking in.”

“Of course,” you said. You waited for him to elaborate so you could discover the reason for Taehyung’s anxiety which resulted in two more members of the band that you needed to worry about.

Honestly, Hoseok was the only one who wasn’t playing with your nerves tonight. You saw him peacefully tapping his foot to the music in the room as he chatted with Maggie and a few other staff members.

Jungkook did not pursue the topic further.

“What did you talk about with, uh—with Taehyung?” he asked instead with all the subtlety of a frightened elephant in a porcelain shop.

“Oh, this and that,” you lied. Then, feeling uncomfortable about lying, you scattered a bit of truth in there, “Luna’s face-timing her mum on the bus, so he was—he’s bored.”

“Ah.” Jungkook nodded. “Makes sense.”

He didn’t think—or didn’t want to think—that Taehyung would tell you about the bet after he asked him not to.

And, really, he tried to be reasonable. If Taehyung had told you, would you be here, peacefully asking him if he was okay?

No. You’d use fists, he presumed. Possibly knees.

“So, there’s nothing you want to tell me?” you asked suddenly, interrupting his masochistic fantasy.

Jungkook swallowed. Whatever it was that you talked about with Taehyung, it was clearly neither this, nor that.

“There is, uh, one thing,” he admitted slowly.

You inhaled. “What is it?”

“What are you plans for the rest of the night?”

This was not what you had braced yourself for. Annoyed by his stalling, you pulled your phone out of your back pocket.

“Well, depending on what you tell me, either I’m arguing with you or going to sleep,” you said. Glancing at the phone in your hand, you added, “it’s two in the morning.”

“We have tomorrow off,” he reminded you. “Well, today, I guess.”

“I know, but we’re going to Cologne—”

“That’s only in the evening.”

“Okay.” You looked around to see if anyone was close enough to hear the two of you. Not that you were doing anything forbidden—just merely bordering on it. “What are you getting at?”

“You’ve finished all your work for the night, right?” he asked and you nodded apprehensively. He said, “come do something with me.”

Once again, the dilemma that plagued your mind whenever you were with him returned.

The responsible thing to do here would be to, of course, gently suggest going to sleep. There was a long day of travel ahead of you, after all.

However, this could be your chance to determine if there was truly something alarming happening between him and his friends. Not to mention, he clearly still had something to tell you, despite appearing to have lost courage after the strange moment in your hotel room.

And, alright – the truth was, you wanted to do something with him.

“That’s very vague,” you finally said. “What do you have in mind?”

“Come with me,” Jungkook said, gesturing towards the door of the dressing room.

You agreed to follow him to the door but paused before leaving the room.

“I’d like more information,” you said, leaning against the doorframe with your arms crossed over your chest.

You tried to convince yourself that there was no logical reason for the entire room to be watching you and Jungkook right now, but you still felt phantom eyes all over yourself.

This wasn’t Hoseok’s party. You were still at the concert venue where Jungkook was the performer, and you were the manager.

He noticed your unease. First, he sighed. Then, as if he was compromising, he extended his hand.

“Take my hand,” he said. “And come with me.”

“That’s not exactly what I meant—”

“Come on,” he cut in, waving his hand in front of you. “Less talking, more holding my hand.”

Because your back obstructed the view of his outstretched hand for everyone else in the room, you knew you didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing this. Still, you let out a slow, anxious breath.

“Fine,” you said with exaggerated irritation to emphasise your displeasure about being kept in the dark. Then you took his hand.

As the two of you exited the room, there were ulterior motives firmly set in both of your minds.

You had to find out what was going on.

He had to tell you what was going on.

And Jungkook had a plan here somewhere. He knew he needed to tell you about the bet tonight, especially since you almost found out about it accidentally right before the show. And also because Taehyung looked about ready to start climbing walls.

He had a rough idea of how he’d like to tell you: it had to happen in a beautiful spot that would make up for the awful revelation he was about to make. If not make up for it, then at least make it worth your while.

And he’d done his research—as always. This was the one lesson from your relationship that he hadn’t learned as he continued to strenuously plan everything in the hopes of making it memorable and unique.

“There’s this spot. The Wandelbos,” he said as the two of you walked hand-in-hand down the corridor of the venue.

He pronounced the word with relative ease, making you wonder how many times he’d heard it. Then he showed pictures on his phone.

“This looks like a forest,” you commented, stopping to scroll through several photographs of squirrels and autumn trees—which wasn’t easy because he refused to let go of your hand as you held his phone.

“It’s a baroque park,” he clarified. “It’s beautiful, supposedly.”

You handed his phone back to him. “I’m sure it is. But not at two in the morning.”

“The path is star-shaped,” he continued, ignoring your interjection as the two of you kept walking. “And there’s a clearing in the middle with a pond and a bridge and—oh, and it’s only about six kilometres away.”

He held the exit door open, allowing you to walk out into the brisk night air.

Crossing the threshold, you looked at him with your eyebrows raised. “You want to walk over there?”

Actually, he did. But your question made him pause. “Uh... no?”

You stopped and waited until he walked out into the parking lot, but his attention was suddenly drawn to something behind you.

You ignored that and said, “well, we can’t rent bicycles at this time and—”

“Sorry—hold on for one second,” he stopped you abruptly.

You turned around and followed his gaze until you spotted Minjun by the restaurant across the street. Your lips parted in involuntary surprise, but it wasn’t Minjun’s presence that really startled you. It was the fact that he was leaning against a motorcycle, of all things, and there were two more bikes parked right next to him.

When you looked back at Jungkook, he looked almost relieved.

How wonderful it was, he thought, that Sid was such an insufferable idiot that he would decide to have a drag race in the middle of the Netherlands.

From across the street, the bike Minjun had rented out appeared to be a Kawasaki. Despite Jungkook’s previous bad experiences with the brand—involving a mild concussion and a dented metal fence, which, in his defence, appeared out of nowhere—this gave him an idea immediately.

“Could we go over there? Or maybe you could wait here for a minute?” he asked you while already walking away—and pulling on your hand until you had to let go because you were absolutely not going over there. He promised, “one minute!”

You could tell right away that he’d just found a potential means of transportation.

“Jungkook, that’s probably not a good idea!” you called out as he neared the street.

“I’ll be right back!” he shouted, forming the shape of a heart with both of his hands as he went.

You cringed as he crossed the street without looking both ways, but fortunately, there weren’t a lot of cars around. Unfortunately, however, you couldn’t hear what he and Minjun talked about due to the distance and the heavy gusts of wind.

You waited alone, with only your confusion for company.

If Jungkook stayed with the band while his friends went out, and now he went over there to borrow some devil-sent motorcycle, then clearly, that had to mean that he finally started to make smart(er) decisions while still being on good terms with his friends.

So, what was it that worried Taehyung so much?

“Dude!” Jungkook exclaimed across the street from you when he finally reached Minjun and scared the hell out of him with his shout—he flinched so vehemently that he nearly knocked the bike over. “Whose is this?”

“Uh—mine. We rented bikes for the race,” Minjun explained and glanced at you standing by the exit of the venue. “Sid was about to call you and force you to come with us—”

“I need it,” Jungkook interrupted, choosing to ignore the fact that there wouldn’t have been enough bikes if he had come along.

Minjun turned to him with raised eyebrows. “Huh?”

“I need to borrow it.”

“Borrow—it’s a rental.” Minjun turned his head to look at the neon green motorcycle. He knew that riding down the city streets with Sid and Jude on rented bikes was already reckless. Subletting the motorcycle to someone else, however, might be equally as stupid. “It’s in my name.”

“It’s the least you can do for me,” Jungkook said right away as if he had planned this in advance instead of only noticing Minjun and the motorcycle a mere two minutes ago.

His words weren’t entirely true, considering that Minjun wasn’t the one who had manipulated him into this mess. But Jungkook was appealing to his conscience—and that thing was eating Minjun alive. You could see it from across the street, even without knowing the reason for it.

Minjun bit his lip, fighting a very unpleasant battle with his own self.

“Okay. Fine,” he conceded, even though he knew very well what Sid would say about his impartiality and about the fact that he’d now have to ride as someone’s passenger—likely Jude’s, because Sid would rather cut his own head off than allow someone else on his bike, even if it was a rental. Hurriedly, Minjun added, “you have to return the bike back by midday tomorrow.”

“Perfect,” Jungkook replied brightly. “That’s more than enough time.”

“I’ll text you the address of the rental place,” Minjun continued, getting his phone out.

Jungkook kept on nodding. “That’s great. You do that.”

His friend typed a text message and pulled out the keys to the bike from his jacket pocket. He tossed them to Jungkook just as his phone vibrated.

“Don’t wreck it,” Minjun warned. “Or yourself.”

Jungkook grinned, swinging his right leg over the motorcycle and putting the key in the ignition. “I won’t. Thanks again!”

His friend glanced back at the restaurant, suddenly grateful that the take-out was taking so long to prepare. This meant that Sid and Jude wouldn’t notice Minjun giving the bike away—even though they would notice it gone and would probably realise where it went.

Meanwhile, Jungkook revved the engine and turned towards the parking lot of the venue.

The Kawasaki felt unusual underneath him and it made him miss his Katana, but he swallowed the disconcert. Beggars couldn’t be choosers—this was better than nothing in any case.

He stopped right in front of you in the parking lot, switched the engine off, and leaned back from the handlebar to give you a smile.

“So?” He patted the side of the bike. “Ready for a ride?”

You shook your head, disapproving of the cheesy grin on his face, and sunk your teeth into your tongue to resist a smile.

There were numerous—numerous—reasons why you weren’t ready to climb on this bright green monstrosity that must have been visible from any space station above. If not visible, then certainly audible.

“There’s only one helmet,” was the one concern that you chose to voice.

Jungkook hadn’t considered that as he glanced at the helmet, attached to the tail of the bike. He leaned over to unhook it and offered it to you.

“No,” you said before he started to speak. “If anything, you should be the one wearing it. You’re the driver. And the vocalist of a band that’s literally on tour right now. You can’t perform if you get your head snapped off.”

“Can’t perform if I get yours snapped off, either,” he argued. “Put it on. I’ll go slow.”

This was still a safety hazard, and at first, you debated arguing. Then you tried to rationalise.

Jungkook hadn’t had any alcohol after the show—which was very unusual, now that you thought about it. He must have been planning something all along.

Additionally, the streets were mostly empty, except for one car whose driver gaped suspiciously at the many motorcycles on the street, narrowing his eyes at each and every one of them as he drove past.

There was also Minjun across the street, looking as though he was praying that you and Jungkook would drive off quickly.

“Come on,” Jungkook encouraged. You understood his impatience—if Minjun was here, the rest of the Insolent Idiots couldn’t be far behind.

You looked back at the helmet in his hands.

This wouldn’t be the first time you’d gotten on a motorcycle with Jungkook, but it had been a while.

He had always been a huge fan of anything that could reach over a hundred in under five seconds, so he’d been riding bikes since before he was legally allowed to. However, the two of you had already broken up when he purchased and restored the Katana that he never stopped talking about—so you’d never ridden with him when he actually owned the vehicle.

It occurred to you suddenly that Jungkook had probably never mentioned his motorcycle since the tour started. You made a mental note to ask him about that later.

Now, you finally took the helmet from him and pushed it over your head. Maybe the most important justification for your decision was this: you’d missed the excited twirling of your heart when he took you for a ride.

The joy that Jungkook felt as he watched you put the helmet on surprised him.

He remembered the first time you struggled to fasten the straps under your chin and managed to graze your skin. Now, listening to you sigh as you squeezed the helmet over your head and tightened the straps without his help, he realised that you hadn’t forgotten. That you were still used to this.

Excited shivers ran across his skin as you climbed on the bike behind him. But he could sense your apprehension—your initial instinct was to hold onto the back of the bike.

“Come on, now. This isn’t your first time,” he said, looking at you over his shoulder. “You know I won’t go unless I know you’re holding on tight.”

“I assure you,” you said. Your voice was muffled by the helmet. “I’m holding on tight.”

He clicked his tongue as he turned to face forward again. “I happen to not believe you.”

“Tough.”

“We’ll be here a while, it seems.” He released the handles and leaned back. “Maybe we should see if Sid wants to join us, I’m sure he would love to—”

“My God!” you groaned. “Fine.”

You wrapped your hands around his waist but kept your touch light, almost nervous. Grinning, Jungkook reached for your hands and pulled them closer to make sure you had a strong hold.

When he squeezed the clutch, he felt you tighten your arms around him even more. Satisfied that he could feel more of your weight against his back, he finally pressed the starter and pulled the bike off.

He raced down the street—much to Minjun’s relief—at a speed that definitely would have been dangerous for someone without a helmet if there had been other cars around. But the road was empty and there were hardly any turns to make.

And as he sped down these empty streets, you had to admit to yourself that this was, simply, thrilling.

The rapid pace seemed to elevate your insides, forcing you to hold onto Jungkook more tightly as you rested your head against his back and watched the streetlights blur together. The deafening sound of the engine, the dark visor of your helmet, the intoxicating speed, the rough metal underneath your thighs, and the soft leather of the jacket that he was wearing—all of it was absolutely exhilarating.

Jungkook knew—he’d always known—that you would have enjoyed the thrill of a late-night ride far more than a simple walk down the Tilburg streets.

And he was excited to see your silly grin and dilated pupils after you took off the helmet outside of the park. He was almost flustered by your glow—and by the fact that he was the reason why you looked so happy and so overwhelmingly full of life.

He nearly forgot to lock the bike as he looked at you.

But then the sudden memory of why he’d brought you here caught up to him like a painful crash.

“Uh, so,” he turned away, “should we go explore?”

“Might as well,” you joked weakly. Your legs were still a little shaky from the ride. “Since we’re already here anyway.”

“Right. Well, I wouldn’t mind taking another drive,” he said with a more confident smirk—that only grew in size and arrogance when he saw you smile at the suggestion. Then, he looked down and added, “but I also wouldn’t mind just walking and… talking.”

The two of you had done a lot of that—just walking and talking—since the tour started, so agreeing to this felt natural and harmless.

The park was beautiful indeed, just as the pictures on Jungkook’s phone had promised. Granted, walking through it at night when the streetlights were so sparse, provided a layer of eerie uncertainty—but even now, you were mesmerised.

In addition to the bold squirrels, peeking at you through the tree branches—their fur barely noticeable among the dark foliage, but their little beady eyes glistening—you could also see the sky above. You could see all of it, it seemed. And the patterns of the stars were so bright that you found yourself stopping several times, utterly captivated by them.

You regretted not learning the names of constellations—or how to differentiate them—but looking at the night sky was a breathtaking experience regardless.

The sky looked different here. And it felt closer, too. It was something you didn’t believe you could ever get used to, no matter how much you stayed here.

After a short while, you and Jungkook arrived at a pond, and he informed you that this was the very centre of the park.

It reminded you of home in an odd way, even though there weren’t many ponds back home—and none of them looked quite as charming as this one. Yet there was something familiar here, something homely. Even at night, in a park that resembled a forest more than a cosy picnic spot, there was something heartwarming here.

You could have been feeling this way, you supposed, because Jungkook was holding your hand as he guided you down a narrow plank over a dark creek. Without him, the eeriness of spending the night in an old park alone would have been much more noticeable. But with him here, it just felt comfortable. As if you both knew that you were destined to be safe from all harm here.

The stream ran deeper into the forest, and there were several benches scattered in the clearing on either side of the creek. The two of you sat down on one of them and listened to the silence of the trees and the gentle flow of the water.

Remembering suddenly, you spoke up—quietly, mindful not to disrupt the peace of all living things around you. “Did you know that my parents actually had their first date by a creek?”

Jungkook turned to you. He was more comfortable being loud, because he didn’t feel like a guest here. With you there, he sort of felt like the night—and everything that it touched—belonged to him.

“That’s a… very specific location,” he commented.

“Yeah.” You snickered. “There were no creeks in our town, dad took mum to the city where he grew up.”

“Oh, that’s actually nice,” he said, a little surprised. He’d never met your dad, but he knew that ‘nice’ wasn’t the adjective that was usually used in the same sentence as his name. “Was the creek special to him?”

“Not really,” you replied, shattering the romantic image that had already formed in his head. “It was the only pretty place that he could think of at the time. At least that’s what my mum thought.”

Careful, because this was a delicate topic and he didn’t want to come off like he was defending your dad, Jungkook asked, “she never found out if there was, maybe, more to it?”

“She never asked,” you said. “Either way, that date didn’t exactly end well. In the long-term, I mean.”

Jungkook looked down at the dark ground beneath his boots. A few blades of grass poked through the dirt on the shore of the creek.

“I know what you mean,” he said slowly. “But can you really say that with such certainty? She has two kids. And you’re both pretty great.”

You smiled at this, and it gave him the courage to smile, too.

“Thanks,” you said. “And yeah. I guess you’re right. Some good did come out of it.”

The two of you were quiet for a minute. It was a comfortable minute, too, but only as long as you managed to keep your mind empty.

You succeeded—the memories of the stories that your mum had told you were slowly fading, overtaken by the calming whispers of the trees around you—but he didn’t.

“I never asked—and I don’t want to intrude now, but, uh,” Jungkook started, “from what you’ve told me before, I assumed that your parents got back together at some point, right?”

You nodded with an exhale from somewhere deeper than just your chest.

“Several points, actually,” you said.

Happy that you seemed willing to share this, he encouraged, “yeah?”

“Yeah. She kept taking him back when I was young, and my brother was—well, a baby, essentially,” you said. “Everyone told her not to do it, not even for the kids. They told her to move on, maybe find someone better. My uncle—mum’s brother—protested against this especially much. He had been against their marriage from the very beginning. But my mum loved the guy.”

The smile on your face when you said that last part made Jungkook tense—it contradicted so much with the sadness in your eyes.

“Did he love her back?” he asked.

You were about to respond with a reflexive answer that had been ingrained in you by years and years of your mother screaming about how your father was a good-for-nothing loser, how he could never love anyone other than himself, and plenty of other colourful descriptions that you probably shouldn’t have known at your age at the time. And yet, despite the intensity of her emotions after every break-up, she still took him back. Until one day she didn’t.

And now you had to pause.

“That’s probably a million-dollar question,” you said with a sad chuckle. “I don’t know. Is that awful of me to say? She doesn’t think he did, but she still got back together with him so many times. So maybe he did love her in his own fucked up way. But I-I don’t think someone who loves you is supposed to hurt you like that.”

Jungkook had leaned back as he listened to you and he nearly toppled over backwards at your words.

You were right, of course.

Someone who loved you should have never hurt you.

He swallowed the lump in his throat before speaking. “That’s, uh—that’s not awful. That’s sad, I think. Your mum deserves better.”

“She does,” you agreed. “But I understand now that—well, in a way, she is who she is because of all that happened to her. She’s very strong and she cares so much. And the fact that her only flaw is loving people too much, it’s—I don’t know. Lately, that just makes me admire her more. Because she sees the best in people. No one does that these days, everyone’s always afraid to get hurt. But my mum, she’s like—she’s fearless. You know? I genuinely respect that.”

“Even if she really does end up getting hurt?” Jungkook asked.

“Yeah. Even then. And maybe that’s the thing,” you said, looking up at the sky again. “I mean, in general. The people we love are the only ones who can hurt us like that. Or, rather, it’s precisely because we love them that it hurts so much.”

“Hmm.”

He wasn’t sure if you were still talking about your parents by the time you reached the last few sentences, but he was too afraid to ask. He couldn’t even look at you as he stayed frozen in the same spot.

“I’m probably not making much sense,” you added with a small, uncertain laugh. “I just meant that it took me a while to understand my mum. Actually, I don’t know if I even fully understand her to this day, but um… I watched her give second chances to people who held the most against her and could hurt her the most. I thought they didn’t deserve it. But she... She knew the risk, she was familiar with heartbreak, and still, she stayed hopeful. For a long time, I resented that. I thought that was a—a weakness. It sounds cruel. But I thought I could never do that.”

You paused again. The memories—of more than just your parents—flashed in your mind a little too quickly for you to collect your thoughts. You looked down to compose yourself and felt Jungkook’s hesitant glance.

Finally, you finished, “all these years of watching the back-and-forth between my parents… It made me think that I could never give someone a second chance.”

Digging into the dirt with the heel of his boot, Jungkook asked, “you, uh… you don’t think so anymore?”

He glanced at you once more and then looked away again, even though you weren’t looking at him. Your gaze was fixed on the creek in front of you.

“I don’t know,” you said after a moment. “I think I’m less decided about it now. I admire my mum for having the courage for it, even though it rarely ever works out. And now I guess I think that it is more of a case-by-case kind of thing. It depends on the person.”

Feeling as if his chest had absorbed the water from the pond and everything inside of him was being flooded, Jungkook didn’t dare to inhale.

Breathlessly, he asked, “what about me?”

“You?” you echoed awkwardly. He gave the smallest of nods in response.

You realised quickly that you hadn’t said this to him in over four years, and it felt terrifying to admit it now with the solemn trees, a hurried creek, and curious squirrels for an audience.

“Well, fuck.” You swallowed. “I mean, I love you. You know?” You chuckled to hide your unease and leaned down to touch the blades of grass growing under the bench. “Too much for my own good, probably.”

Jungkook suddenly forgot how to breathe. He looked up instead, but only caught a glimpse of the stars in the sky before he closed his eyes. The view behind his eyelids felt more special to him than the shimmering sky above—it was all darkness and dim echoes of you saying you loved him.

He couldn’t tell you now. How could he? You loved him.

And a second chance with you was all he’d ever wanted.

When he opened his eyes again, you were watching him. There was a haziness in your eyes—from the starry night, from the motorcycle drive, from the long overdue confession—and a small smile on your lips.

The moment that his eyes drifted to your lips, he felt himself inhale—more than once and he would have floated away—before he leaned in, responding to everything you’d said with a kiss.

He’d tell you about the bet, he would—but not now. Not when he felt your breath hitch as his lips touched yours. Not when you kissed him back, replacing all air in his lungs with your taste.

Right now, neither of you needed to say any other word as the forest around you settled. The leaves were frozen as if the wind didn’t dare to rustle them for fear of interrupting you.

The thought made you smile into the kiss—what a self-centred way to interpret your surroundings—and Jungkook pulled you closer.

For a minute, he made it feel like the world really did stop turning for the two of you. Like the forces of the universe had interfered to—

He pulled away all of a sudden, breathing so heavily that he was nearly hyperventilating.

He couldn’t do this. He’d already done too much.

The time that he’d borrowed—that he’d stolen—to be with you in peace had run out. Not even the universe could give it back to him.

“I’m sorry. There’s just, um,” he began, looking down and bringing a hesitant finger over his lower lip. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

You felt your heart skip over a beat.

Immediately, you found yourself returning to the hotel room in Amsterdam. It felt vastly different now and the difference sobered you up—you had been in your hotel room then, but you were alone in an empty park tonight. And you realised that discussing it here would be a mistake.

Whatever he was about to tell you might make it difficult for you to stay here and you would have no way to leave.

“Wait,” you said. The word caught him off guard. “Tell me when we get back.”

He blinked. The very reason why he’d brought you here was to tell you the truth in a place that was yours for the night.

“W-why?” he asked.

“It’s not fair to me otherwise,” you said. Your heart had shifted from pleasant pounding to near-panicked banging, and you were starting to feel nauseous. “I’d be very inconvenienced if I was left here alone.”

Jungkook appeared even more perplexed. “Why would you be—I’m not leaving. I’m staying with you.”

“That’s assuming I don’t kill you after you tell me what you’re about to tell me,” you tried to joke. There was a small—almost desperate—smirk on the corner of your lips.

Jungkook looked away.

“Oh.” Nervously, he licked his lips. He hadn’t considered you being so uncomfortable after he told you that you wouldn’t want him around. And now that he thought about it, he felt a little dizzy. “Well, that’s, uh… that’s fair enough. Should we—do you want to go back?”

The dread in your stomach seemed to grow at this question.

You knew that you had to be aware of what was happening with him, but the ceremony of it—the trip to this beautiful spot and the kiss that unintentionally coaxed him into the truth—scared you.

You wanted to resist the rational parts of your mind and stay here, where you had just forbidden him from speaking about this.

“Not really,” you admitted.

Jungkook nodded, relieved by your honesty. “Me neither.”

So, you stayed still for another minute. Then another minute. And another one. Until all the additional time you’d given yourselves had run out, too.

You peeked at Jungkook out of the corner of your eye, afraid suddenly that he would look back at you and then you’d have to talk, after all.

He seemed very far away. Much further than that first night in Amsterdam, when he came to your hotel room to talk.

Now there were sirens blaring in his head and a relentless pounding in his chest. You could almost hear it when you looked at him.

At last, you said, “but we can’t stay here forever.”

Despite looking like he had drifted into another realm deep inside of his mind, Jungkook sighed. He’d been listening to you breathe, listening to the way the wind played with your hair. He was here.

But he really wished he wasn’t.

“I know,” he said.

Still, the two of you remained on the bench for another five minutes, surrounded by the quiet rustling of the weary trees. Even they seemed anxious for you.

This might be the last silence the two of you would share, Jungkook thought grimly.

He felt terrified.

Finally, he took a breath and turned to you. “Let’s—”

A faint buzzing from the back pocket of your jeans startled you both. The sound seemed so foreign here, like something that had travelled across time and space, and accidentally ended up here—in your universe, where it didn’t belong.

You pulled out your phone and saw, first of all, that it was four in the morning, and then that Namjoon was calling you.

“I should take this,” you whispered, overwhelmed by the tension that had left your hands very cold.

“Go ahead,” Jungkook mumbled.

This was fine, he tried to tell himself while you stepped away from him to answer the call. He would take you back to the truck stop where the tour buses should have been parked by now. And then he would tell you.

And whatever happened next would—

“So, that was Namjoon,” you said, returning to him with your phone in hand. The call had lasted for less than a minute. “Apparently, someone stole Yoongi’s laptop.”

Nearly thrown off balance at the news that sounded somehow disrespectful, considering the many things you already had to process, Jungkook frowned.

“Someone stole Yoongi’s laptop?” he repeated.

“Yeah,” you said, sliding the phone back into your pocket. You knew something like this would eventually happen. “Namjoon said that he and Yoongi went out for more drinks, and when they got back to the bus, the laptop was gone. They’re not sure when was the last time they saw it.”

Jungkook stood up from the bench. “Well, why do they think someone stole it? Maybe he just lost it.”

“Yoongi’s not the kind who loses things,” you pointed out.

“Well, Namjoon could have lent a hand with that.”

You shook your head to conceal your small, involuntary smile and shrugged, acknowledging that there was a chance that this really was a false alarm. Especially if Namjoon was involved. You all loved him very much, but he had a talent like no one else to consistently misplace his own—and others—belongings.

“They were already quite drunk when I talked to them backstage before leaving,” you said. “So it’s possible they got even more wasted and just lost track of it. Either way, I need to go back and find out what happened.”

You returned to being the band’s manager, and Jungkook wasn’t sure how to handle the sudden switch. He wasn’t sure how to handle anything that was happening. This whole park was spinning around him.

He felt a little bit like the creek behind him as he watched you—flowing somewhere on pure instinct, with no clear destination in sight.

“Yeah. Okay,” he said. Hesitantly, he extended his hand for you to take—to help you over the loose wooden plank again. And to ground himself with your touch. “Let’s go, then. We’ll talk later?”

You took his hand. “Yeah. We’ll talk later.”

The truth was, you did not want to talk later.

You had a terrible feeling about it, and however irresponsible it may have been, you wanted to delay it as much as possible.

When you and Jungkook returned to the truck stop, Yoongi and Namjoon had already figured out where the laptop was. They looked very pleased to have remembered the Locate My Device app, never mind that you were the one who had kindly reminded them about it over the phone.

The laptop was, as it turned out, at a McDonald’s across the city. Neither boy could recall ever going there, so they remained convinced the device had been stolen.

You listened to their hypothesis with a serious face. But, unlike them, you were sober—the few beers you’d had after the concert were long forgotten—and you knew that the “thief” would probably be smart enough not to stop for a McFlurry after stealing someone’s computer.

The logical explanation was that your usually lovable and dependable boys had gotten so drunk that they’d forgotten about the fast food trip and left the laptop there themselves.

Regardless, you had to investigate. Because Yoongi and Namjoon were both pale with terror—and still buzzing from the spontaneous beer-tasting adventure that they’d gone on—it was up to you to find the computer.

You didn’t mind. This was your job, anyway. And you were eager to do something that did not involve talking about whatever it was that Jungkook wanted to talk to you about.

Jungkook, on the other hand, did mind. And it was evident when you exited the bus and saw him standing by the doors, pouting.

“I have to pick up the laptop,” you said, “and maybe report it to the police if it was really stolen.”

“Should I come with you?” he offered, not meaning to give you the option to refuse—which you took, of course.

“No,” you said, “you need to rest.”

“And you don’t?” he countered. “You’re the one who’s so overworked that—”

“Don’t start with that again,” you said, raising a stern hand to cut him off before someone overheard. You caught the flash of surprise in his eyes and the expression on your face softened a little.

You hadn’t meant to sound harsh, but you’ve had an impossibly long day.

“Don't worry about me,” you said. “This is my job. I have things to do. Laptops to save.”

“If I come, then—”

“Stay here,” you interrupted. “You had a show tonight. Now you have to get some sleep. I’ll be back soon.”

Biting his lip as mixed feelings of guilt and regret bubbled in his stomach, he asked, “we’ll, uh—we’ll talk, though. Right?”

“We’ll talk,” you promised. “Tomorrow.”

He fought with himself for another moment and then ended up saying, “okay. You never take me with you anyway.”

You didn’t have time to argue, so you kissed him before you went—quickly, softly, and with a nervous smile as you pulled away—and his heart seemed to leave with you as empty echoes of his racing pulse reverberated through his chest.

Tomorrow was very far away.

That would have been good if Jungkook still felt the paralysing panic from a few days ago. But even though he still felt scared now, he had already braced himself for the emotional consequences of telling you about the bet. Delaying it—against his will, this time—felt excruciating.

He knew he was the one to blame – he kissed you in the park instead of telling you about it right away, and then he agreed to wait until tomorrow.

And maybe this was what he deserved. He should have told you. But he hesitated and tried to convince himself of all sorts of irrational thoughts—and now here he was.

Alone.

And he was so frightened of being alone that he climbed right back on the motorcycle and headed to the address of the rental shop that Minjun had given him. He needed to do something, because he couldn’t sleep and he couldn’t scream at the top of his lungs, either.

Easily enough, Jungkook found himself in the bar of a hotel across the street from the rental shop. The shop didn’t open until eight, so he had a little over two hours before he could return the bike. A little over two hours before the night ended and he had to figure out what to do next.

He finished his first glass before a single thought could occur to him. By the second one, he felt his body start to relax, but chaos continued to reign in his mind.

What will I do, what will I do, what will I do?

As Jungkook lost track of how many drinks he had, he pondered every which way to reveal this to you and all the questions that you might ask.

What was the trip to Paris for? And the persistent way he followed you around? The conversation on the bridge in Stockholm? On the rooftop in Oslo? The bicycles in Amsterdam? The nights in your hotel room?

None of that was truly for the bet. But would it matter?

You said you loved him tonight. But you’d hate him tomorrow.

Maybe he could wait for five days until he formally lost the bet. Maybe he should tell you then. Maybe the fact that he lost something important to him would make up for—no.

Jungkook shook his head, nearly spilling the bourbon in his glass. He paused then, not even sure if he was still drinking bourbon. It all just tasted wet to him at that point.

Regardless, he couldn’t tell you after losing the bike. Even losing it didn’t seem like such a tragedy right now, compared to losing you.

While he agonised over it, the bartender continued bringing him drinks—always on the rocks, even though he couldn’t feel the cold anymore. The bartender was a kind elderly man, who probably should have known better than to keep serving alcohol to someone at six in the morning, but his experience told him that Jungkook was someone who needed it tonight.

Soon, however, Jungkook’s pride—his high tolerance for alcohol—became his biggest foe. He didn’t even realise how intoxicated he had become.

For all intents and purposes, he believed he was still fairly sober, considering how easily he spilt everything that was bothering him to the bartender. He even understood the advice he received in return—not that there was much to it.

“You have to tell her, son.”

He did have to tell you. He knew that.

And he was going to, he decided. Right now.

Jungkook found his way out of the bar with relative ease. Sure, he forgot that he had driven Minjun’s bike there, but he was able to walk without stumbling much, and that surely had to be an achievement.

Swaying only slightly, he stopped in the lot where the bus was parked and found your contact in his phone. Of course, the many emojis he’d used ensured that your name was the first one on the list, but he still found it easily enough.

Now, he had to admit this: he wasn’t sure if you actually answered his call. But he asked you to please, come outside, and within three minutes, you were standing in front of him.

If he had been aware of how drunk he was, he would have realised that he was screaming, so it didn’t matter if you’d picked up his call or not. You would have heard him anyway.

“What’s going on?” you asked, too confused to feel worried. You’d just returned with Yoongi’s laptop about half an hour ago. You weren’t sure if you’d even fallen asleep before coming outside again. “Are you drunk?”

There was exhaustion in your posture that Jungkook was too drunk to identify. You were very tired of dealing with the problems of drunk people tonight.

When Jungkook spoke, words poured out before he could properly think them through.

“Listen,” he said. His tongue felt oversized in his mouth. “I have to tell you something. I can’t—I should’ve told you this a long time ago. Maybe on the same day. Actually,” he hiccupped, “I never should’ve done this at all, then there would be nothing to tell.”

He hesitated for a moment, because in his mind—which was positively swimming in whiskey—he worried that his words may have caused a misunderstanding. He saw the frown on your face and cut in before you started to speak.

“Actually, no,” he said. “There would be things to tell. Because I like—I really—I like to talk to you. I want to tell you all kinds of things...” he paused here. Shook his head. “But not this. I don’t want to tell you this. But I must.”

He thought he came off very determined here, very confident. Really, he just sounded tired and drunk.

“Jungkook,” you said. “When I said we’ll talk tomorrow, I meant in the morning.”

“It’s—” He hiccupped again. “It’s morning.”

He wasn’t wrong, of course.

“After we got some sleep,” you clarified.

“Well, I can’t wait that long,” he insisted, stomping his foot and throwing himself off-balance. He had to lean against the side of the bus to stay upright.

You could tell that whatever he wanted to tell you was far worse than you expected. He was so drunk that he could barely stand, yet he was as determined as ever to get it all out right now.

You sighed and crossed your arms over your chest. The anxiety that you’d evaded was quick to resurface, and even you felt a little unsteady on your feet.

“Okay,” you said. “Well, what is it?”

Jungkook straightened as much as he could.

A deep inhale, followed by a sharp, rushed exhale.

“I made a bet with Sid that I’d get back together with you.”

Silence came next.

You felt a sinking sensation deep within you as if something—an invisible current—was pulling you under the surface of the water. The ground beneath you swirled in uncertain whirlpools.

“Sid said I couldn’t do it,” Jungkook continued after a moment, his eyes cast low. “And I was—I wanted to prove him wrong. He is wrong. He’s always wrong, he’s such a—anyday. I mean, anyway. T-that’s not—I didn’t—this isn’t making any sense.” He slapped himself on the forehead in newfound frustration and you flinched at the abrupt motion. The slap only made the truck stop start to spin around him. Pressing his hands to his hips, he tried to explain, “I didn’t win or anything. Which you obviously know, since we aren’t back together.”

He laughed sadly here. You narrowed your eyes and felt one of them twitch.

The night was cold, and you clutched your arms tighter around yourself. Your posture was not aggressive—you gazed somewhere past him and you appeared frightened. You looked as if the wind might snatch you and carry you off to a place that he could not reach.

But then your eyes met his and there was a frigid emptiness there that he didn’t recognise. He shrunk into himself when he noticed it.

“I-I bet my bike, so I lost that,” he continued. “Well, not yet, but I’m going to lose it soon. Not on purpose, but Sid won’t fucking let me end the bet—” he cut himself off by inhaling again.

It seemed like there was so much oxygen in his lungs—he kept breathing in as he spoke, but never breathing out.

“That’s not the point,” he finished his thought. “What I wanted to do—to say, I mean—is that I’m sorry. I wasn’t—I shouldn’t have done that. It was stupid. Sid got in my head.”

“Sid,” you repeated suddenly. The sharp sound of your voice startled him into looking up. “Got in your head.”

He looked at you for half a heartbeat. Somewhere in the whiskey haze, he could recall his conversation with Taehyung—or someone who resembled Taehyung. Jungkook remembered something about this being his own responsibility.

But then, he wasn’t sure if he remembered who Taehyung even was. Because, to be honest, he wasn’t sure if he remembered who he was.

“That’s an—that’s… that’s an excuse,” he managed to say. The letter S tasted wrong in his mouth. He clicked his tongue and continued, “he’s always in my head. I should’ve known better. I—I’m so sorry.”

You were breathing heavily, but you weren’t speaking.

He blinked his heavy eyes, each one of his eyelashes like lead.

“I just… I want you to know that everything that happened—it wasn’t because of the bet,” he said, swallowing after a great struggle. All these drinks tonight, and his throat still felt dry. “It was because I am—I really have been in love with you the whole time, and I—but I couldn’t—I can’t ask you to get back together while there’s this bet going on. Not that you’d agree—I just hope that you would—but I... i-it wouldn’t feel fair. It’s so—it’s all so fucking stupid.”

He groaned again and covered his face with his hands for a moment while he tried to collect his thoughts. There was so much he wanted to tell you and all of it was coming out so quickly that he wasn’t sure he told you anything at all.

“I had to—I should’ve told you sooner,” he said. Then, biting his lip harder than he’d meant to—the metal piercing dug into it painfully—he added, more softly, “I’m really sorry.”

You remained firm in your position and really started to resemble a statue. Contrary to what he expected, you didn’t ask him a single question. You just stared at him without any distinct emotion in your eyes.

He didn’t know what to do.

“Aren’t you,” he said shakily, “going to say anything?”

You finally moved—to inhale, then exhale. All through it, your chin was turned up as you looked at the line of trees in the distance.

“I’ve got nothing to say to you,” you finally said.

It was a sharp knife to his chest, this hollow voice that was supposed to belong to you.

He hung his head and took a deep breath.

None of this mattered.

It was over.

“You’re drunk,” you added then. “Go to sleep.”

He thought he caught a glimpse of sympathy in your words and he grasped at this flimsy straw and held onto it with all his might.

“Y-you heard me, though, right?” he tried, his voice desperate, eyes watery. “None of it was for the bet, I really—”

“Go to sleep, Jungkook.”

He couldn’t go to sleep, not if it meant he’d have no one to wake up to.

“Can I—” He coughed, the words catching on the sandpaper in his throat. “Can I talk to you in the morning?”

You stayed silent for a long, almost never-ending minute. Jungkook counted each second in his head, and he knew he might have messed up the numbers at least three times, but it still felt like you’d never speak again.

“I don’t think,” you finally said, “we have anything left to talk about.”

You turned around, but stopped for less than a moment, seemingly hesitating when you heard him call your name. Then you took another step and opened the door of the bus, climbing inside and leaving him here alone.

This wasn’t the first time you walked away from him, but this time, he knew it was his fault.

And there was another element to the suffocating grip around his neck—ever since you began to manage Rated Riot, you’d never left him alone when he was drunk.

But you left him tonight.

And even drunk, he knew what it meant.

He thought he’d prepared himself for this. But the sight of your back as you walked away from him, the sound of the bus door as it clicked shut behind you, and the feeling of complete silence around him at the truck stop—it all finally knocked all the oxygen out of his lungs. It made his heart beat faster, ridding his bloodstream of alcohol until all that he felt was pain.

He was not prepared for this. He doubted he ever could have prepared for it.

But he should have known this would happen.

He really fucked up. He ruined everything. It was over.

Hunching over as he tried to inhale but couldn’t, Jungkook pressed his hand to his chest. He felt something pulsating under his fingers, but he wasn’t sure what it was. Someone had emptied out the cavity inside of him where his organs had once been and filled it with rocks.

His vision was white and blurred. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see, couldn’t stand.

He didn’t know what was happening to him.

He felt himself slide over the side of the bus until he hit the floor and smacked his head into the bus wall as violent tremors took over his body. He tried to breathe as he counted the beats of his heart until he couldn’t listen to his pulse whispering the same conclusion to him over and over again.

It was over.

It was—

His hand dug into the gravel on the ground, then grabbed the front of his shirt and held it in a tight fist. He didn’t know what to do with himself. Nothing worked to stop the relentless judgment from breaching his resistant mind.

He ruined everything. It was over.

Jungkook didn’t know how long he struggled to fill his lungs with something other than the heavy, opaque pain of losing you again.

He didn’t know why he struggled, nothing even mattered anymore.

When he eventually realised that he was still here and you still weren’t, there was an early morning redness in his eyes and on the edges of the sky above him.

Most unusually, the only clear thought in his head was about the bike that he’d told Minjun he would return. Another promise that he had failed to keep as he suddenly remembered abandoning the motorcycle by the bar.

Then he remembered the bar.

He had already drunk half of it.

He struggled to his feet, rubbed his eyes with the balls of his palms, and went back to finish the other half.

chapter title credits: bad omens, “what do you want from me?”

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sailoryooons · 5 months

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Hali's Fic Superlatives

Welcome to my fic superlatives, where I hand out absolutely unasked-for awards to some of my favorite characters and stories from fics that I read this year. I was going to wait until the end of the year to do these, as I still have plenty of time to read, but honestly, if I don't do them now I'm going to forget that I planned to do them at all!

Please do not take these too seriously - I did not read a ton this year but I always tried to review what I did read! My goal next year is to try and read even more and give myself time to find new writers instead of just reading what I happen to see on my dash.

This list by no means was limited to what was written this year - some of these fics were written previously but I either read them this year or re-read them for joy and I felt like they went well on this list!

CONGRATS TO THE WINNERS OF THESE UNASKED-FOR AWARDS! YOU GET MY LOVE AND ADORATION SORRY THATS IT!

☾ Angsiest Fic: Aphelion by @eoieopda ☾ Funniest Fic: The Package Thief by @blog-name-idk ☾ Fave Supernatural Fic: Bump in the Night by @colormepurplex2 ☾ Fave Fantasy Fic: The Mark of Yun-Ki by @ladyartemesia ☾ Fave Crack Fic: Cosmic Collision by @gimmethatagustd ☾ Fave Romance Fic: Amalthea by @daechwitatamic ☾ Fave World Building: Until Death by @kpopfanfictrash ☾ Fave Holiday/Special Occasion: I Wanna Hold Your Hand by @minisugakoobies ☾ Fave Horror or Thriller: Simply Meant to Be by @caelesjjk ☾ Fave Comfort Fic: Real Magic by @here2bbtstrash ☾ Fave Soulmates Fic: 5 Times You Don’t Believe In Soulmates by Min Yoongi Does by @vyduan ☾ Fave Polyamorous: Flowers of Fate by @/colormepurplex2 ☾ Fave A/B/O: One Day At A Time by @theharrowing ☾ Fave Mafia: Collateral by @/theharrowing ☾ Fave Namjoon Fic: Love At First Bite by @raplinesmoon ☾ Fave Seokjin Fic: Amalthea by @/daechwitatamic ☾ Fave Yoongi Fic: Three Tangerines by @kithtaehyung ☾ Face Hoseok Fic: Please by @anotherbtswriter ☾ Fave Jimin Fic: Don’t Go Insane by @/gimmethatagustd ☾ Fave Taehyung Fic: Of Ruin by @/daechwitatamic ☾ Fave Jungkook Fic: Crybaby by @/here2bbtstrash ☾ Couple Most Likely To Get Married: Darksided couple as written by @/eoiepda ☾ Best Dressed Character: Keena from Blackthorn by @sweetestofchaos ☾ Best Threesome: She, by Proxy by @ugh-yoongi ☾ Most Likely to Succeed: Yoongi from Best Served Cold by @/anotherbtswriter - trust me this man has GOALS lmao ☾ Best Best Friends: Yoongi and Jin from Ugh, Fuck by @/kithtaehyung sodgjdofgi does this count as friendship soifjsofij ☾ Most Likely to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse: Taehyung from Collateral by @/theharrowing ☾ Most Likely to Kill Each Other: Repeat Offense couple as written by @/gimmethatagustd

☾ Favorite Read of the Year: Of Ruin by @/daechwitatamic

While all of the chapters for Of Ruin are not yet posted, I’ve had the pleasure of being able to beta read this chapter ahead of the general public and it is absolutely the fic of the year for me. It is a robust story full of romance, action, intrigue, beautiful storytelling, and world-building, and it touches every single one of these categories above. It is a knockout.

Thank you to all the amazing authors who wrote these works and had the bravery to put them into the world. If anything is tagged wrong, please do not hesitate to correct me!

#bts fics #bts fanfic #bts fic recs #lmfao this list took me weeks to put together ngl #halireads #yes i'm randomly posting this at 9:30 on a saturday night time is not linear and neither am i

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wintaerbaer · 11 months

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things we don’t say: part 2 (kth)

banner credit: @itaeewon

summary: Three years after graduating college, everything seems to be falling into place for you: stable job, cozy apartment, and a long-term boyfriend with a ring box hidden in his desk drawer. But when a mutual friend makes a remark that your best friend of nearly two decades is clearly in love with you, you realize that life may not be as simple as it seems.

pairing: Taehyung x Reader (with some VERY brief Seokjin x Reader and Yoongi x Reader)

rating: 18+ (minors dni)

genres: best friends to lovers, idiots to lovers, slooooow burn, angst, fluff

word count: 11.4k

chapter warnings: IN THE SOOP TAE, swearing, alcohol consumption, feelings?, implied sexual situations (not for oc), that chicken fight game you can play in a pool (definitely not the animal cruelty kind, just want to clarify), bartender jungkook (who is also an absolute MENACE), infidelity, namjoon’s chest

a/n: we’re heading into the thick of things now! thank you to everyone who has shown this series love thus far. and even to those who may be silently reading, i appreciate each and every one of you. these characters have been in my head for years, and it’s so incredible to finally get to share them!

PREVIOUS // SERIES MASTERLIST // MASTERLIST

Read on ao3

You’re starting to think you might be a terrible friend.

It's been a week and a half since Maya's art show when Jimin slides into the chair next to you in your office building's cafeteria. You've worked at the same company since graduation but in different departments, so while you don't see each other every day, you occasionally grab lunch together or pop over to each other's desk for a quick chat.

"Hey, stranger," he chirps, setting his food on the table before peering closely at your face. "Almost forgot what you looked like."

You roll your eyes at him. After the incident at the gallery sent your brain into an emotional spiral, you had decided to put some distance between you and Taehyung until you could figure out what the hell this all meant for your friendship. As a result, you hadn't been over to the guys' apartment since then—an unusually long amount of time for you to stay away.

Jimin frowns at your lack of a response, leaning forward until you look at him. "You avoiding us?"

"No," you say simply, busying yourself by taking a bite of your lunch.

"Sorry, let me rephrase. Are you avoiding Tae?"

You chew slowly, carefully considering your words before settling on, "Why would I be?"

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking. For a friend of course." Jimin shrugs. "He mentioned that you haven't really been talking to him—asked if I knew why. Plus, you missed two Sunday meal preps."

"I've missed them before—"

"Two!"

You purse your lips, guilt creeping in at the thought of Taehyung spending two nights cooking alone as you broke your tradition. "You can tell him what I told him—I've been busy."

Jimin frowns again, watching you stare at the table as you chew another bite. "Is something going on? Did he say something to you?"

"About what?" you ask, eyes snapping up to his.

"I..." he hesitates, suddenly uneasy. "I don't know. I just know that I've never seen you two like this."

"Like what?"

"Apart."

You give a dry laugh, more out of nerves than anything. "Chim, we're not literally attached at the hip, you know? We have our own lives."

"Yah, you know that's not what I mean." He sighs. "I can just tell he's missing you, that's all.”

If getting called out on missing meal prep nights made you feel guilty, then this is the true slap to the face. Taehyung may be mild and introspective by nature—a quiet force in his own right—but he holds close those who are dear to him, and you know he can't be pleased with your recent silence.

Still, any guilt tingling through your veins inevitably winds up outweighed by the memory of the flash of heartbreak that had crossed his face at the party, reinforcing your need for space.

"Well we'll see each other in a couple days," you murmur, a tiny burst of excitement breaking into your mind at the thought of your upcoming vacation.

Property of Jungkook's family, the beach house rarely used by his parents had become a staple for your friend group over the years as the go-to site for New Year’s parties and summer holidays. When Hoseok and Sunny had lamented the astronomical cost of the wedding and how they were going to opt out of having bachelor and bachelorette parties to help save money, Jungkook had offered up the house to do a combined pre-wedding bash to celebrate their upcoming nuptials.

Jimin taps his fingers on the table, looking at you quietly before accepting the change in topic. "It should be fun. Jace coming?"

"No, he has that conference."

"Damn," Jimin huffs. "Does that guy ever get a day off?"

"Guess he had to afford the ring somehow," you say, the corners of your mouth tilting up on impulse.

Jimin smiles back. "And here I was, wishfully thinking we might get a front row seat to a proposal this weekend."

“Not his vibe.” You scrunch your nose. “He never went to the house as frequently as everyone else. And I don’t know if he’d want a bunch of other people around. At least not people who know us.”

“Aww, why not?” Jimin whines. “We could all celebrate with you! And Maya could take pictures!”

“Or Tae.”

“Or—yeah, or Tae.”

You pretend not to have noticed his hesitation or the way he startled at that, and certainly not the way it made your pulse jump. Has everyone really been seeing this except you?

“Regardless,” you say, trying to ignore the sudden nausea rolling in your stomach, “I don’t think he’ll do it in front of you guys. And if he was going to ask Maya to take pictures, I think he would’ve done so by now if he was going to propose soon.”

When you had told Maya about the ring the afternoon after the gallery opening, she’d seemed genuinely surprised, clapping her hands together and immediately calling dibs on being maid of honor.

Go figure.

“Ah, well,” Jimin sighs. “There’s always the planning to help with.” He holds up a hand and begins ticking off his fingers. “And the bridal shower, the bachelorette party, rehersal dinner, eventual baby shower—“

“Woah, Park, getting a little ahead of yourself now, no?”

“Y/N, this is an exciting time for you! I’m excited for you!” He slurps down a mouthful of his noodle bowl. “And maybe I’m living a little vicariously through you. Maybe. A little.”

“Geez, Kook’s right, you are in a drought.”

“Oh, great. You too now?”

You giggle as he dramatically presses a hand to his forehead, food puffing out his cheeks.

“But really though,” he says, leaning forward again with concern in his eyes, “you are excited, right? After you told us about the ring, you seemed a bit off.”

Shit.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

He raises an eyebrow. “I haven’t seen you get drunk that fast in a while.”

“I was happy for Maya and Tae.”

“And yourself?”

“Yeah, and myself.”

Jimin stares at you for a long few seconds, clearly not buying what you’re selling. “Fine. Don’t tell me.” He leans back in his chair in a way that says he’s letting you off the hook. “But you’d better figure out this weird thing with Tae before he corners you at the house. Good luck avoiding him then.”

Okay, maybe not entirely off the hook.

The rest of the short work week passes in a blink, and you quickly find yourself packing for your trip on Wednesday night, the plan being to leave Thursday morning and stay until Monday. Jace fiddles with his phone on the bed, occasionally glancing up to watch you flit around the room as you fill your travel bag with an excessive amount of clothes.

"Are you leaving for five days or a month?" he teases as you cram ten pairs of underwear into a side pocket.

"I like to keep my options open," you say. "Never know what could happen with the weather."

"Or your bladder, apparently."

"Hey, it's gonna be hot. I'll have to hydrate."

He laughs at that before his eyes settle on you with a warmth that has you shifting under his gaze.

“What?”

“I just love you, you know?” he hums.

Warmth blooms in your chest. “I love you, too.”

“It’s going to suck being apart.”

“I know,” you sigh. “I wish you could’ve come.”

At your words, you feel like you can literally see a light bulb turn on in his head as his expression brightens with an idea. “Do you want to take my jacket?”

He can only mean one jacket. You’d found it together a month after you started dating at a thrift shop downtown, and it’s been his signature piece of clothing ever since. Jace had pulled the bomber jacket and its bright green satin off the rack, and your first reaction had been to laugh. The thing practically glowed.

“You’ll look like a traffic light,” you’d giggled.

But Jace was already pulling the shimmering material over his shoulders. “Consider this your green light to jump my bones whenever you want,” he’d said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

“I’d feel bad separating you from it, to be honest,” you say in the present. “I’m pretty sure a piece of your soul is tied to that jacket by now.”

He pouts. “You’ll be carrying a piece of my heart already; what’s a piece of my soul?”

“Smooth.” You poke at your bag. “I may not have any extra room in here though.”

“Fair enough, but if you change your mind, the offer still stands. What time are you leaving tomorrow?"

"Eleven. Should get us there a little before lunch."

"Us?" He pauses, setting down his phone. "You're driving with Tae?"

"No, Maya." A tinge of panic drops into your chest at the mention of Taehyung's name. Does he know? "Why?"

Jace shrugs, nonchalant. "No reason, just wondering. And you're back Monday?"

"Mhm, by dinnertime." You settle on the bed next to him, trailing your fingers along his forearm. "Do you want to maybe do a date night after work that day?"

He sighs deeply, tilting his head back against the headboard. "We have our conference debrief Monday, so who knows when I'll get home." You nod in understanding, but the disappointment must show on your face because then Jace is leaning forward to take your hand in his. "I'll tell you what, I know work has been keeping me from you lately, so let me make up for it.”

The pads of his fingers lightly dance along your jaw. "Fancy date night next Saturday? That upscale Italian place on Fifth that you love so much? I can make a reservation."

Your heart pounds as you will your eyes not to subconsciously drift to his desk, and you put on your best poker face. "It's a date."

The drive proves an easy one for you and Maya as sunny weather and a surprising lack of traffic has you at the house in under an hour. As you drive through the iron gates, a small mansion, white and pristine, spreads itself out before you, and you're once again reminded of just how wealthy a family Jungkook comes from.

You had grown up very well-off, sure, but Jungkook’s parents and their vast real estate portfolio are on an entirely different level of rich. And while your parents had immediately cut you off right after you left for college, Jungkook’s parents continue to supplement his bartending income with a monthly allowance to this day.

The word “spoiled” is a bit of an understatement when it comes to your friend.

"You sure you don't want anything more serious with Kook?" you tease Maya, who sits in the passenger seat with her dark sunglasses over her eyes. "All this could be yours."

"As if," she scoffs. "Not worth it to have to put up with his ass for the rest of eternity."

You key in the code for the front door and are greeted by a multitude of voices, the cavernous open-concept kitchen/dining room/living room only serving to amplify those inside. Hoseok and Sunny are quick to reel you in, introducing you to Sunny's three bridesmaid friends, Hoseok's brother (who you’ve met a few times before), and—

"Joonie!"

Namjoon swoops in to pull you into a bear hug while lamenting how long it's been since he last saw you. Hoseok's best friend since freshman year of college, the former pre-med major had been a core member of your group of friends, but med school combined with helping to manage his family's restaurant means that you rarely see him nowadays in spite of him sharing an apartment with Hoseok and Sunny.

"How's the roomie search going?" you ask as Namjoon pulls Maya into an equally crushing hug.

"Mmph, still no luck. Though I may have an old friend from grade school moving into the city soon, so we'll see if that pans out." He throws a quirked brow at Hoseok. "But I haven't entirely given up on convincing these two to reconsider breaking up the dream team."

"Ah, Joon, you really wanna live with two newlyweds that badly?" Hoseok whines. "Just think about it for two seconds. Really think about it."

Namjoon clicks his tongue, cheeks now tinged with a dusting of pink. "Okay, maybe you have a point."

The light mingling continues as everyone settles in, and you find yourself taking stock of the kitchen and planning a grocery run with Sunny's friends when the last three members of your party come spilling through the door. Your companions head back to the entrance for introductions, but you stay firmly put, mindlessly busying yourself with plates and silverware, nerves alight at the thought of who just entered the house.

Voices still echoing from the living room, it's only a minute or so later when you sense the quiet presence of someone stepping into the kitchen, and, ever in sync, you don't need to turn around to know who.

"Hey, can I talk to you?"

You turn on instinct, your body responding to his voice before your brain can remind you of your avoidance. Taehyung leans against the kitchen island in a long-sleeved yellow shirt, baseball cap turned backwards on his head. Chin slightly tilted towards his chest, he's gazing at you from under his lashes, and you recognize it as nerves. "I, um, I'm about to go on a grocery run."

"I can come with?" he offers. "Keep you company, carry the heavy stuff—"

"I made plans to go with Sunny's friends, actually."

"Oh, okay." His shoulders drop ever so slightly, and you glance away at the shoreline crashing in the distance, anywhere but at your best friend looking like a kicked puppy in front of you because of your own cowardice.

"Listen, Y/N—"

"Later?" You quickly interrupt, not mentally prepared to have this conversation right now, especially with Jimin casting you looks from where he stands in the living room.

Taehyung licks his lips, seeming to scan your face for something before he swallows down words on the tip of his tongue, grimacing as if they're nails. "Yeah, okay. Later."

When you said later, you truly meant it. While you and Sunny’s friends (Taehyung thinks their names were Iseul, Hana, and Yumi) run out for groceries, the rest of the group bustles around the house, splitting up rooms, settling in, and eventually migrating to the pool. Taehyung tries to catch you again when you return, but you hurry past him with a box of liquor, mumbling something about helping Jungkook set up the bar out back. Sunny’s friends dump the rest of the groceries on the kitchen island before scurrying away to the back deck with everyone else, which is how Taehyung winds up unpacking the bags.

Alone.

Nice.

He’s pushing a box of ramyeon on top of the fridge when he hears the back door click and slide open behind him.

“Need a hand?”

Namjoon walks into the kitchen, fingers poking at one of the bags.

“Yeah, sure. Thanks.”

They unload the groceries in a comfortable silence for a couple of minutes before Namjoon says, “So how have things been?”

Taehyung shrugs a shoulder. “Ah, you know, the usual. You?”

“Same.”

Quiet takes over again, and Taehyung thinks the conversation has ended before it even really started as he moves to place a bottle of orange juice into the fridge. But then—

“I heard about Y/N and Jace.”

Taehyung freezes mid-motion, the cool air from the open fridge slipping out and chilling his skin. When he looks up at Namjoon, the other man is studying him with a calm intensity that raises goosebumps along his arms. It’s not his first time being under Namjoon’s microscope, but he’ll never get used to the feeling of being simultaneously picked apart and comforted. Because while his friend may exude a quiet warmth, he always gives the sense that there’s also a million calculations going on under the surface at any given time.

It’s easy to let one’s guard down around Namjoon.

With that in mind, Taehyung opts for the simplest answer, slowly closing the refrigerator and saying, “Yeah?”

Namjoon nods, equally slow. “Are you alright?”

“I’m great,” Taehyung says, breaking the eye contact and closing the refrigerator to reach for another bag. “She’s always wanted this. And Jace is…” He finds himself rooting around his brain trying to find a descriptor for the guy. For someone who he’s known for several years, it’s bizarre how he can’t find a single word for him.

Weird.

“She’s happy with him,” is what he eventually comes out with.

“But is he right for her?” Namjoon presses.

“You think he’s not?”

Namjoon reaches up to put a few bags of snacks into a cupboard. “I don’t know. It’s like he was always around in college, but he was never truly present, you know?”

“That’s a Joon-ism if I’ve ever heard one.”

Namjoon smiles, a dimple dotting his cheek. “You don’t get what I mean?”

“No, I do. But that’s not important, is it? It doesn’t matter if we think he’s the right guy; it matters if she thinks he’s the right guy. And if she does, then I support it. It’s not my place to do anything else.”

The words settle in the room, and he means every one.

“You know, I’ve always admired the two of you,” Namjoon says after a moment. “The way you care for each other is…extraordinary, to say the very least.”

The sincerity in his voice makes Taehyung blush. “Well, we only had each other growing up, you know? She saved my life when we were kids. I truly believe that.”

“I know, you’ve said that before. She gave you a way out.”

“A way out, a purpose, a friend.” He crumples a plastic bag into his hand. “She chose me when no one else did. Not even my own family.”

And you had, when no one else seemed to want anything to do with him, there you were, hanging by his side like his own personal guardian angel.

“She’s the most incredible person I know, and I would just…do anything for her.”

“Including watch her marry him, apparently.”

“Yes,” Taehyung says. Unhesitating. “If that’s what she wants.”

“And where does that leave you?”

Taehyung has nothing to answer that with—his worst fear laid bare in front of him. It’s the thought that keeps him up at night, plagues the very marrow of his bones every time someone mentions that tiny velvet box. Your childhood friendship may have allowed you to grow together as one through the years, but just as trees grow apart as they grow upwards, it feels like only a matter of time before your branches no longer intertwine, drawn apart by jobs and relationships, life and love.

How long until you’ve outgrown him? How long until you’ve started your own family and left him behind?

He has no right to you, and he knows that. The last thing he would ever want to do is hold you back, but perhaps a part of him thought he’d have more time. Now, with you suddenly not talking to him for reasons he can’t even begin to grasp, he feels like he may have already lost you.

Namjoon puts him out of his misery. “Do you know what Plutarch said about friendship?”

“Who?”

“I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.”

Taehyung stares, stunned and confused. Because Namjoon couldn’t possibly be suggesting…

“You’re saying I should tell her to say no to him?”

“I’m saying it’s possible to be selfless to a fault.”

It doesn’t sound terribly different in Taehyung’s mind, but he tries to consider Namjoon’s words regardless. Your happiness has always been his utmost priority, but could his unconditional support really be doing more harm than good? He likes to believe that if he felt your well-being were truly at risk, he would speak up.

Then again, with the way his friend is looking at him, he also can’t help but feel like he’s missing something important.

“What are you trying to specialize in again?” he asks, deflecting.

“Psychiatry.”

“Of course.”

Namjoon chuckles. “It’ll all work out in the end.” He winks, moving to rejoin your friends outside. “Life finds a way.”

You’ve managed to evade Taehyung all day, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t felt his eyes on you.

The early hours had been easy, your supermarket run giving you an (albeit weak) excuse to put some physical distance between the two of you. But it’s becoming increasingly difficult to maintain, especially after your group gathered together to decide what to do tonight.

When you’d entered the living room, Taehyung had already been seated at the end of the couch, a free spot open on his left; with the way that his hand had been resting, it was almost as if he was saving it for you. Instead, you’d chosen an armchair diagonally across from him, squirming more and more the longer he looked at you. Throughout the entire conversation, as the group decided upon going to the beach bar down the street to kick off your first night at the house, you don’t think his eyes left you even once.

You’re being a coward, and you know it.

Now, you sit at the vanity in your room, struggling with your necklace and just about ready to give up on the damn thing so you don’t hold everyone else up. The clasp doesn't want to cooperate, your fingers can't seem to get purchase on the thin metal, and really, who are you trying to look good for anyway?

Right as you prepare to abandon the cause and stuff the offending item back in your bag, someone knocks on the door and you yell for them to come in.

Taehyung saunters into the room, now wearing a black t-shirt and shorts, his hair pushed back in such a way that you can tell he's been running his hands through it. His eyes skim your figure as he softly closes the door behind him, and you feel your pulse double in pace. "Need help?"

"It's okay—I, um—" but before you can stutter out an excuse, he's already taking the thin chain from your hands, and all you can do is try not to focus on how his fingers feel brushing the back of your neck.

"There. Easy peasy." He eyes you up and down again before clearing his throat. "Looks good on you."

"I, uh, thanks." Your voice is practically a whisper, and you busy yourself with your make-up case...which may have been an adequate distraction if not for the fact that you've already done your make-up and so your hands are only left to wander aimlessly. Glancing up, you catch Taehyung gazing at you over your shoulder in the mirror, and the intensity of his stare has you dropping the case back to the table. "What?"

"You're avoiding me." He states it as a fact, eyes unwavering, and you turn to face him.

"I'm not."

"You are." He searches your face as if to find the answer written there in big, bold letters. "Why?"

A tiny spider makes its way across the corner of the ceiling, and you find yourself staring at it as you chew on your bottom lip, not knowing what to say.

"Hey," Taehyung murmurs, pulling your attention back to him. "It's me, yeah? We don't keep secrets."

But still you hesitate. "You won't get mad?"

He reaches out to hook his pinky with yours. "Of course not."

Letting out a shaky breath, you ask, "Are you okay with Jace proposing?" The question hangs between you for a second, the air thickening with apprehension.

His eyebrows press together, confused. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know, it's just..." You pause to collect your thoughts. "When I told you about the ring at the gallery opening, there was a second where you appeared to be…bothered."

"Ahh, well..." He pushes his hands through his hair, mulling over his next words. "Do you want me to be honest?"

"Please."

"I know we're friendly, but I've just never been his biggest fan, even in college." Taehyung shrugs. "You know I want the best for you, and he seems like a good guy and all, I just—I don't know." Another run of his hand through his hair. "I just get a weird vibe from him sometimes."

You smirk at that. "A weird vibe?"

"Yeah, like," he licks his lips, still fidgeting. "I can't put my finger on anything in particular, just something about him rubs me the wrong way sometimes." You open your mouth to respond and he quickly cuts in, "But I will 100% support you! If he's who you want and he makes you happy and treats you well, then I will cheer you on the whole way. Hell, I'll even walk you down the aisle if you want me to." That draws a small laugh from you, and he smiles. "If you’re happy, then I’m happy for you. That's all I care about."

You take in his beaming figure and are reminded of how thankful you are to have this man in your life. But the voice in the back of your head is still not entirely placated and before you can stop yourself, you're blurting, "And that's really it?"

Taehyung's smile fades, lips slowly turning downward into a frown, and you silently curse yourself. After seventeen years of friendship, the man can practically read your mind and you know it. "What aren't you telling me?"

You sigh. Seems like there's no way getting around it at this point, and so you decide you may as well dive in. Tucking your hair behind your ears, you quietly ask, "You don’t…have feelings for me?”

Taehyung's eyes blow wide, and you're surprised his jaw isn't touching the floor. After several moments of stunned silence, he lets out a strangled, "What?"

"No, I just—" you stutter. "Look, someone said you did, and after you seemed upset about Jace proposing, I thought maybe..."

He's deeply scowling now, the crease back between his eyebrows, and a flare of his nostrils indicates that he's pissed. "Who?" he asks.

"Who what?"

"Who said that?"

"Tae—"

"No, Y/N, if people want to talk about me behind my back and screw with my private life, I have a right to know who."

He stares you down until you purse your lips and break. "Maya."

"Fucking hell," he says under his breath as he rubs at the lines in his forehead, and his lack of a denial has your head spinning.

"So it's true?"

"Y/N—"

"You haven't answered the question—"

"No!" He almost shouts it. "I don't."

"Because if you did have feelings for me, you could tell me. No secrets, right?"

He lets out a huff and stuffs his hands in his pockets, leveling his gaze back at you. "No," he says. Firmly. Definitively. "No, Y/N, I don’t have feelings for you."

You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding. But something in your blood continues to tingle.

"Okay."

And really? You should've known. Should've trusted to get the truth from him and not secondhand from your friends who, though they mean well, have been known to meddle and gossip (and sure, maybe that includes yourself at times).

The heightened tension has dissipated from the room, but the two of you are still left looking awkwardly at each other. After a stretch of time, Taehyung shifts on his feet and asks, "Y/N, are we good?"

There's a hint of fear in his eyes, and it has any residual worry you're feeling melting away. This is still Tae. Your Tae.

"Of course we are." You link your pinky with his. "Always."

The beach bar is relatively crowded for a Thursday night, the warm summer air and mix of bodies driving your group to disperse around the venue. Some migrate towards the live band, while others choose to mingle (and flirt) with the other patrons.

Noticing the way one guy at the bar has been eyeing you since you got here, Taehyung sticks close to your side, just in case. That is, until Namjoon finds his way back to the two of you looking harried, drawing you in so he can gently rest his hands on your elbows.

“Y/N, can I borrow you?” His light smile and the way he leans in close are clearly meant to project the image of intimacy, but his eyes are desperately screaming for help. “There’s an intoxicated woman who seems determined to motorboat me, and I don’t know where Maya is. I need a fake girlfriend.”

You pretend to swoon. “Joonie, with a chest like that, I’d be honored to be your fake girlfriend.”

Something aches behind Taehyung’s ribs as he watches you walk away on Namjoon’s arm when he just got you talking to him again. Still, a bit of breathing room is probably for the best. His conversation with you has him rattled; he doesn’t think his pulse has fully returned to normal since you suggested he has feelings for you. At the very least, he was able to smooth things out, which has noticeably eased the weight he’s been carrying the past couple of weeks.

But speaking of your conversation, you being summoned away by Namjoon gives him the opportunity to address the other elephant in the room.

He scans the crowd, determinedly ignoring the woman who’s been trying to catch his eye from a few tables over. (She pouts in his peripheral vision, shifting the neckline of her shirt to sit lower on her chest.) Finally spotting his target making her way back from the bathroom, he quickly moves to intercept her before she can join you and Namjoon at the bar.

Maya startles as he tugs lightly on her arm, leading her to a quieter spot towards the edge of the beach before abruptly spinning to face her.

"What the fuck?"

"What?" she quirks an eyebrow as if in askance but her overall countenance says that she knows exactly what this conversation is going to be about.

"You know what."

"Maybe, but I want to hear you say it."

Taehyung takes a deep breath. He loves Maya like a sister, but that sibling relationship means that she often gets under his skin like one, too. "You told Y/N that I'm in love with her?"

Her other eyebrow joins the first one in climbing her forehead. "Are you?"

"No."

Maya scoffs. "I'm going to give you another chance to say that, but try to sound like you actually believe it this time."

"You had no right—"

"So you're not denying it now?"

"I said no."

"Okay, that time was better, but it could still use some work—"

"Maya, fuck!" He scrubs a hand over his face. "Don't do this."

"She needs to know! What did you tell her?"

“That I don’t—“

“I thought you two didn’t lie to each other.”

“I didn’t!”

“You’re full of shit, and you know it.”

He’d swear he can feel his eyelid twitch. Maya always seems to know which buttons to press to get a reaction out of him. "She's getting married, for fuck's sake!"

"No, she has a boyfriend with a ring box in his drawer."

"Same difference."

"It's not."

"It is."

"She hasn't said yes yet, Tae."

He goes quiet at that. It’s painfully reminiscent of his conversation with Namjoon, and yet he’s equally at a loss. What are they honestly expecting him to do here? What could he possibly do that would accomplish anything other than drive you away, and rightfully so?

Maya’s gaze rakes over his face, scrutinizing him with a mixture of frustration and pity. "Tell me it isn't killing you."

Taehyung licks his lips, looking out across the bar until he finds where you’re standing with Namjoon. The latter says something that makes you laugh, and his stomach flips watching the way your eyes twinkle with mirth as you toss your head back, hair spilling over your shoulders.

You’re radiant. Stunning.

"She's happy," he finally croaks, but it comes out like he's physically straining to push out the words. "Leave it the fuck alone."

“Hey.”

You find Taehyung in the kitchen bright and early the next morning, already rummaging around and littering the counters with bowls and ingredients. The soft morning light drenches him in a golden glow, highlighting his honey skin, the slope of his nose, the long lines of his fingers as he works.

“Hey!” The smile he gives you is light and easy, the awkwardness between you having evaporated as easy as steam after your discussion last night. “Want to help me make breakfast?”

You jump in, immediately falling into rhythm with the way he maneuvers around the kitchen. God, you’ve missed this. It may have only been a few weeks, but cooking with Taehyung is one of your life’s greatest joys, and after missing two of your meal prep nights, it feels like a part of you has come home. There’s no doubt that you’re breathing a little easier today with the air cleared between you.

And honestly, how stupid to let a single comment from Maya drive a wedge between the two of you. You’ve known Taehyung practically your whole life. If he did have feelings for you, you would’ve figured it out by now.

Surely, he would’ve told you.

Lost in your thoughts, you don’t even notice that Taehyung is sneaking up on you until he’s already smeared a streak of waffle batter across your cheek.

“Augh, Tae!”

“What?” He quickly backpedals out of your reach, anticipating retaliation, but grinning widely. “You were clearly somewhere else. Had to bring you back to me somehow.”

A while later, as Taehyung sets out the platters of waffles, fruit, and eggs, you begin making the rounds to let everyone know that breakfast is ready. Sunny and her friends thank you from where they’re hanging out on the back deck and say that they’ll be in soon. Moving back into the hallway, you greet Hoseok and his brother, Jiho, as they pass you; Hoseok gives you an appreciative high five when you tell them about the food. Namjoon and Jimin have their door wide open, so you only need to poke your head in, Jimin immediately taking off down the hall at the mention of waffles.

When you get to Taehyung and Jungkook’s door, it’s closed, a series of muffled groans coming from inside. Unhesitating, you knock hard, and the groaning stops, followed by a curse and the sound of shuffling before Jungkook is opening the door halfway, blocking your view of the room. Clad in only a pair of gray joggers, a light sheen of sweat coats his bare chest, and you raise an eyebrow at him.

“Can I help you?”

“Tae and I made breakfast. You’re welcome to join.” You nod your chin at the area behind him. “Unless, you know, you have better things to do.”

Jungkook smirks, amused. “Alright, I’ll be out in a minute.”

He moves to close the door, but you manage to stick a foot out to block him.

“Maya, you too!”

There’s a moment of silence as you stand there, Jungkook looking as smug as ever, before a voice sounds from inside the room.

“Okay!”

It's a cloudless, sunny day so your group heads down to the beach after breakfast. Jungkook's beach house sits down the street, away from the center of town and tourist areas, which allows you a relatively private, uncrowded stretch of sand. The air is sticky with humidity, only mitigated by the breeze coming off the water. It's an oddly soothing combination of hot and cool that has you pulling in deep breaths of the salty air. You could stay out here forever.

"This is paradise," Hana says, verbalizing your own thoughts. "I wish I could live here."

You're sitting on your towel in the sand helping Maya sunscreen her back, but you don't miss the cocky grin on Jungkook's face.

"Well, pretty ladies like you are always welcome here."

Maya's shoulders tense up under your hands, and you're tempted to say something snarky in her defense before Sunny beats you there.

"Not my friends, Kook!"

Hana giggles, Jungkook feigns innocence, and you think that's that, stretching out on your towel to sunbathe. But an hour later, Taehyung is plopping down next to you in the sand.

"I need your help."

You slide your sunglasses to the top of your head so you can look at him better. "Sunny trying to set you up with someone again?"

He blushes. "No, Kook wants to have a chicken fight."

You push your glasses back down your face. "No."

Taehyung is quick, reaching over to pull the shades off your eyes entirely.

“Tae!”

“Look,” he murmurs, leaning in close. “Normally I’d blow him off, but he’s pairing up with Hana, and Maya actually seems kind of bothered.”

You peek over his shoulder to where Maya is now chatting with Jimin, throwing furtive glances at Jungkook and Hana flirting by the water’s edge.

“I know they’re not exclusive,” Taehyung continues, “but you have to admit Kook is being a bit of a dick, and I kind of want to show him up.”

You’re still hesitant, lips turning downwards, and so he presses closer, until all you can see are big brown eyes.

“Please? For me?”

The past two weeks creep into your mind, two weeks of intentionally avoiding him—hurting him—due to your own idiocy, and that’s when you cave. You owe him.

“Okay, fine.”

You follow Taehyung down to the shoreline, where Jungkook grins widely at your approach and claps his hands together.

"A challenger!"

You shake your head at his antics and move to tie your hair up and away from your face. "Do we have any stakes?"

Jungkook strikes a dramatic pose: calf-deep in water, hands on hips, six-pack abs already glistening as he pouts his lips in thought.

Then, with a snap of his fingers, he says, "Loser cooks dinner tomorrow."

Well, that's much tamer than you expected. "Just dinner? No, 'loser has to go skinny dipping' or anything like that?"

His mouth forms into a tiny "o", eyes wide with excitement. "Do you...want that?"

"No," you're quick to clarify. "It just doesn't seem like much of a punishment for us."

Jungkook shrugs his shoulders. "I like your food."

"Okay, but what if we win?" Taehyung asks, nodding from your right.

The cocky grin is back. "You won't."

Seagulls circle above like curious spectators to your game as you get into position. Taehyung squats in the surf so you can scale his back, sliding your legs over his tanned shoulders. He wraps his arms and hands tightly around your knees to secure you as he walks deeper into the ocean until the water is up to his waist. Roughly ten feet across from you, Jungkook and Hana have assumed a similar stance, and you're not sure if it's the waves rolling in or if Jungkook is actively bouncing on his heels.

"Jimin, wanna count us off?" he shouts.

From his spot on the beach, you see Jimin cup his hands around his mouth.

"On your mark...get set...GO!"

The men charge at each other through the water until you and Hana collide, grappling at each other's arms. In spite of a tiny build, she's surprisingly strong and sturdy, and you already have to adjust yourself on top of Taehyung, who likewise rearranges his grip on your legs.

"You good?" he grunts from under you, and you assure him you're fine.

You change your tactic, moving to push at her shoulders and send her backwards, but Jungkook shifts his legs to keep the two of them balanced. This gives Hana the chance to bump you with an elbow, and Taehyung likewise has to tighten his hold on you again to keep you steady.

This back-and-forth goes on for a short while, your friends now cheering from the sidelines, until Jungkook pushes forward and Hana collides with you again. This time, Taehyung adjusts to the hit by sliding his hands upwards, his long fingers skating up the soft inner flesh of your thighs and digging in.

A flash of heat rushes straight to your belly.

The sensation forcefully jolts your entire body and sends both you and Taehyung tumbling into the water. You kick around trying to find your footing before he pulls you up, sopping wet and spluttering as Jungkook and Hana celebrate their victory with raised arms and whoops.

“Are you alright? What happened?”

Hell if you know. You’d swear you can still feel the pads of his fingers on your legs, and so you merely blink at him with a shake of your head.

A biological reaction, you tell yourself, as you wade your way back to dry land. Nothing more.

You will your body to get a grip as you settle back down on your towel. You love Jace, you’re taken, and you and Taehyung have just reestablished the platonic nature of your friendship. Letting his touch have that kind of effect on you is nothing short of wildly inappropriate on two counts.

Trying to shake the shame poking at your brain, you angle yourself towards the waves and snap a quick selfie to send off to your boyfriend.

You [2:05pm]: miss you so much, wish you were here <3

It’s not long before your phone chimes with a reply, and you open the message to see a picture of Jace taken at a similar angle. He stands in a sea of businessmen and conference booths, suit crisp and hair neatly combed. The smile he wears is bright, eyes crinkling in the way you love so much and setting of a flurry of butterflies in your belly.

J <3 [2:07pm]: i’d say i wish you were here but i wouldn’t wish this place on my worst enemy let alone my favorite girl lol

J <3 [2:07pm]: i miss you too, beautiful :(

By the time the sun starts its descent, you’ve all moved to the pool on the expansive back deck, Jungkook immediately hopping behind the outdoor bar to make drinks.

“You know,” you say from your perch atop one of the stools, “I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who can match your enthusiasm for your job.”

He smiles, rattling a cocktail shaker. “It gets me booze and ladies. What more could I ask for?”

Yumi soon joins you at the bar top to ask Jungkook for a margarita, and is quick to strike up a conversation with you. Unsurprisingly for one of Sunny’s friends, she’s incredibly nice, and you learn she works as a hairdresser in the city.

“I’ll have to check out your salon!” you say. “I’ve been meaning to get a trim.”

She claps her hands together eagerly. “If you want to give me your number, I can text you the address!”

As you’re putting your contact information into her phone, she looks at you thoughtfully and adds, “Not to sound like I have an ulterior motive, but Sunny also mentioned that you’re going to be getting married soon, too?”

Heat creeps into your cheeks. “Ah, yeah, nothing official yet. But, you know, it seems like it’s coming.”

“Exciting!” she declares. “Just figured I’d let you know that I do weddings, too, in that case. And I know we’ve just met, but I’d still give you the friends discount. Sunny’s friends are my friends, as far as I’m concerned.”

“That’s so sweet of you. I’ll definitely give you a call to talk about it once we’re actually planning.”

“That sounds gre—“

“Sorry to interrupt.” Taehyung wanders up to where you sit, handing you a plate of steaming beef and cucumber salad. “Hoseok and Jimin got the first round of meats done. I knew you’d want it hot.”

The moan you let out as you take the plate from him is downright scandalous. “Ugh, you’re the best.”

You’re rewarded with a light chuckle and a signature boxy grin. “I know.”

As he heads back to the grill and you dig into your food, Yumi lets out a dreamy sigh. “It’s no wonder he’s planning to put a ring on your finger. I wish someone would look at me like that.”

A piece of food lodges itself in your throat, and you cough hard. Yumi stares at you in alarm until you regain your breath and turn to her with wide eyes. “Tae and I aren’t together.”

She looks back and forth between the two of you like she’s trying to solve a puzzle. “You’re not?”

“No.” You shake your head emphatically. “We grew up together. My boyfriend is at a work event.”

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” she exclaims. “I just noticed how close you were at the bar last night and how he’s always—“ She cuts herself off with a shake of her head. “Nevermind. That’s my fault. I shouldn’t have assumed.”

You assure her it’s fine, and she changes the subject, asking how you know the others and what college was like. Your chat carries on for a while longer before you excuse yourself to use the bathroom.

You don’t even make it halfway across the deck, though, before a tattooed arm is snaking across your waist, lifting you off your feet, and carrying you in the direction of the pool.

“Jeon Jungkook, don’t you fucking dare!” you screech, trying to wiggle yourself out of his grip to no avail.

All you hear behind you is a maniacal giggle before you’re tossed through the air and land in the water with a splash.

When you come up to the surface, pushing your wet hair out of your eyes, you find Jungkook cackling by the pool’s edge. You glare at him.

“Asshole!”

“C’mon, Y/N! It’s a tradition!” he laughs. “It’s not a beach house trip without—“ But he doesn’t get to finish that thought before Taehyung shoulders him hard in the back, propelling him into the water next to you.

You only give Jungkook a second to get his bearings before you’re hopping onto his back and trying to play wrestle him back under the water to the laughter of your friends. It’s hopeless really—Jungkook is basically a mountain of hard muscle that barely budges under your touch—but a few minutes of scrambling all over him with determination, and he eventually concedes and humors you by allowing you to dunk him below the surface.

It’s later, once you’ve clambered out of the pool and are toweling off on the deck when you hear him talking to Jiho behind you.

“He got you good. You didn’t even hear him coming, did you?” There’s a shuffle and a “Pow!” like Jiho is reenacting Taehyung’s takedown.

“Ah, it’s alright,” Jungkook laughs, no hint of a grudge in his voice. “I messed with his girl.”

Your party stretches on into the night until the sky has turned inky black, peppered with stars that shine intensely this far removed from the city. Almost ironically, your group has mellowed out as the alcohol has flowed, settling into smaller groups scattered around the deck. Namjoon sits with Hoseok and Jiho, clearly getting philosophical around the fire pit. Sunny is gathered to the side with her friends as they sloppily braid each other’s hair, the occasional burst of laughter coming from their general vicinity. Jimin lays on his back at the side of the pool, drunkenly tracing constellations with his finger. And Maya and Jungkook are nowhere to be found.

There’s a sense of peace that flows through your veins as you watch your friends smile and talk while you grab yourself a beer from the poolside bar. You’ve always loved coming here. Sure, getting a free stay at a waterfront mansion is nothing you’d ever say no to, but it’s really getting to spend quality time with your friends—away from all of your real world responsibilities—that makes this place feel almost magical.

You look out to the shoreline and spot a figure sitting alone on the beach, staring out at the waves. You’d been thinking about joining Namjoon’s group by the fire, but that plan is immediately pushed out of mind as you grab a second bottle and make your way towards the sea.

You’re not loud in your stroll, the soft sand muting your steps, but Taehyung seems to sense your approach anyway, not startling a bit as you seat yourself next to him and hand him a beer.

“Contemplating the wonders of the universe?” you ask. From this angle, he looks almost like he did in Maya’s photograph of him—the same constellations in his eyes.

Taehyung stretches his legs out with a sigh, leaning back on his palms. “Where do you think we’ll be this time next year?”

You sip at your drink. Honestly, you can’t imagine things being all that different.

“Right back here?” you say. “I don’t think I’ll ever tire of coming here. This is my ultimate happy place.”

Taehyung hums in agreement. “It could be your pre-wedding party we’ll be having next year.”

“You think?”

His brow furrows at your doubt. “I’d expect you’d at least be planning then, no? Or you could already be married by then if you guys want to move fast.”

The thought sends jitters running down your spine. “Who knows?” you challenge. “Maybe you’ll be the one married. Maybe you’ll meet your soulmate tomorrow and elope because you know it’s fate, and there’s no point in waiting.”

Taehyung barks out a laugh. “That sounds somewhat out-of-character, no?”

“Hmm, true. You’re more of a wait five years to move in and another five years to propose kind of guy. Work on your credit score and establish a detailed financial plan before even thinking about merging assets. And don’t even get me started on the background check.”

“Geez, Y/N. Does Jace know you just casually talk dirty to other guys like this?”

You playfully shove at his shoulder, and the pink of his tongue pokes through his teeth as he laughs.

“Oh, wow, look.”

Taehyung points a delicate finger as a tiny flash blazes through the sky, trailing light and stardust in its wake. He turns to you, smiling.

“Make a wish?”

The words come out on a whisper like a secret meant just for the two of you.

As you sit there, gazing out at the shadowy horizon in the distance, you feel perfectly content. What do you wish for when you feel like you already have the world? Work has been going great, and after almost a year of unpacking boxes and rearranging furniture, you feel like you and Jace are finally settled in and cozy at your apartment. You think about Jace—his smile, the soothing feel of his hands on your skin, the little black box in his desk—and contemplate all of the joy you can sense coming your way.

And then you consider the man beside you.

His eyes are closed as he meditates on his own wish, his legs now drawn up so he can rest his forearms on his knees. It flashes you back to when you were kids, lounging away the hours in your room or hanging at your favorite spots around town—the park, the library, the ice cream shop where Mrs. Kang would often take pity and treat the two of you to free cones. When you were young, Taehyung almost always sat like this, knees to his chest as if he was trying to make himself smaller. As if he could make himself invisible to the shadows that followed him every second of each day.

Taehyung’s always been a positive person, steadfastly determined to not let his demons poison his perspective of the world. Though neither of you were fond of explicitly discussing your situations, Taehyung always maintained a bright outlook on the rare occasions when your frustrations would spill over. There’s still the family we can choose, he’d tell you. We’ll find them one day.

Still, though, you could always sense a certain anxiety lingering under the mask of his smile. It showed itself in the way he’d sit with his arms around his knees, in the way his forehead would crease during the moments when you’d catch him lost in thought. This had eased up in college, the change in scenery and your newfound friends loosening his bones and laugh lines. But since graduation, you’ve seen some of that tension return to his shoulders like he’s carrying extra weight, especially in the past year.

You consider the man beside you, and you think, then, that he deserves the world, too.

I wish for Taehyung to have everything he wants. You squeeze your eyes shut, casting the thought out to the universe with everything you have. Every last desire of his heart. He deserves it all.

No one in the world would be more deserving. Of that, you’re sure.

When you open your eyes again, he’s watching you with an unreadable expression on his face.

“What did you wish for?” is all you can think to ask, blinking at him.

“Well if I tell you, then it won’t come true.”

You roll your eyes, shaking your head with a teasing scoff. He smiles.

“Happiness,” he declares. “If I had to put it simply.”

You smile back at him, hoping those stars stay in his eyes. “Yeah, me too.”

He’ll find it. You know he will.

It's Sunday morning when shit hits the fan.

After Saturday passes with ease, another lazy day by the pool punctuated with you and Taehyung collaborating on a fried chicken dinner as per your bet with Jungkook, you wake up on Sunday to the sound of Iseul's squeals over there being no hot water, a fact which is soon confirmed after the men team up to check the heater. Jungkook calls his family handyman (apparently those come standard when you have more houses than you can count on one hand), but the man is quick to inform him that he's getting ready for his granddaughter's birthday party and won't be able to come out until tomorrow.

"There's no way I'm making it through the day without a hot shower," Maya grumbles.

Jungkook wiggles his eyebrows. "I can show you a hot shower.”

She doesn't even look at him.

You're also not enthused about the prospect of having to either take a cold shower or skip one entirely. So when Maya suggests going home a day early, you're already leaning towards the idea as well.

"It won't be that bad," Taehyung says, lips turning down in a tiny pout when you tell him. "The key is to just go fast."

"I'd rather not have to do it at all." You giggle as his pout deepens. "We're going to stay until the evening. It's only like a twelve hour difference."

"But I thought we were going to do a movie night."

Okay, now you feel bad.

"Temporary reschedule?" you suggest, poking at his bottom lip. "Jace and I are going to dinner on Saturday, but my Friday night is free."

A hand rubs at his chin as he pretends to make a show out of pondering your offer. "Deal."

Later, you're sitting on a chaise lounge on the back deck, soaking up your last few hours of sun with one of Jungkook's signature cocktails in your hand when Maya sighs deeply beside you in a similar show of disappointment.

"It really is a shame though," she laments. "Tonight was supposed to be our big send-off, and now I cleared my schedule tomorrow for nothing."

"We could do a girls night?" you say. "I have this new cab sav I found the other week that we could split."

"Ooh, twist my arm."

Plans made, you pull out your phone. Jace has been texting you on and off from his conference all weekend—just brief check-ins and I miss yous—so you shoot him a quick message now.

You [4:53pm]: the water heater here is busted so i'll be home early tonight. maya is going to come too, might stay over. can't wait to see you <3

The sky is a misty orange when you pack the car and say goodbye to your friends, Taehyung giving you a particularly tight hug. Things were great between you for the rest of the weekend, but you can feel the tension of your conversation lingering in the way he holds you that extra second.

You check your phone as Maya settles into the passenger seat and buckles her seat belt. There's still been no word from Jace. It's not particularly unusual for him to forget to answer his phone—especially since you expect he's busy wrapping up the conference—but a seed of worry still plants itself in the back of your brain. You hope everything is alright.

The ride is mostly quiet, you and Maya occasionally singing along to a song on the radio as the evening gradually turns to night. But about halfway back home, you feel the need to straighten things out.

“So I talked to Tae.”

She’s quiet for a second, her face shrouded in shadow. “Uh-huh.”

“He said he doesn’t have feelings for me.”

Maya shifts in her seat, angling herself towards you ever so slightly. “And you believe him?”

“Yes. Definitely.” There’s no doubt in your mind. “He’s never given me a reason not to.”

Silence stretches itself between you, Maya entirely unreadable as she seems to be puzzling something out in her head.

“Okay.”

It comes as a surprise, and you jerk your eyes away from the road to glance over at her. “Okay?”

Maya shrugs. “Okay.”

“That’s it?”

“Do you want there to be more?”

You work your mouth in a stunned gape. Because she’s right; why are you pushing this?

“No. We’re good.”

When you get to your apartment, you swipe you and Maya into the building and head towards the elevators. You’re a little bummed that your time at the beach house had to be cut short, but you take solace in the fact that you get some time back with Jace.

“Do you want to watch a movie?” Maya asks on the ride up.

You grin. “We could play that Twilight drinking game I sent you.”

“Pfft, I know I said I have tomorrow off, but I meant I could handle a mild hangover, not alcohol poisoning.”

You fumble for your key at your apartment door, sliding it into the lock and pushing the door open. The first thing you notice is that the lights are on, so Jace must be home.

“Babe?” you call, as you and Maya dump your bags by the couch.

“Where’s that cab sav?” You nod in the direction of the kitchen, and Maya skips over to investigate.

A moan sounds through the apartment.

You and Maya both freeze, staring at each other. Goosebumps break out over your entire body, a frightening sense of impending doom slamming itself down on your consciousness.

A second moan, and now you notice the lights on under the closed door of your bedroom. There was no sign of forced entry, but the image of a wounded and bleeding Jace pushes itself to the forefront of your mind.

You rush to the bedroom door, fearing the worse.

“Jace?”

You swing it open.

And your entire world collapses.

Taehyung can’t quite shake the feeling that you’re slipping through his fingers.

Movie night had been his idea, a way to get you in one spot (and mostly to himself, if he’s being honest) after your two weeks of silence. Now knowing the reason behind your push for space, he doesn’t blame you at all. Maya throwing that wrench into your relationship was surely unsettling, and he understands wanting time alone. But he’s missed you; he’s not going to deny that. And he’s desperate to prove that things can be okay between you. Things can be normal.

But the universe, it seems, is stacked against him.

He’s ambling through the house, wondering if Jimin might be up for a game of ping pong in the downstairs game room, when his phone blares in his pocket. It’s a jarring sound, violent in the way it disrupts the calmness of the house, and Taehyung frowns when he sees Maya’s name on the screen.

Maya never calls.

“Hello?”

“Tae, oh thank God.” Her voice is high and tight—clearly in distress. “You need to come to Y/N’s apartment as soon as physically possible. Grab Jimin and Kook if you need to drive them back—whatever. But just—as soon as possible.”

“Wait, wait, slow down,” he urges, hairs standing at attention on the back of his neck. “What’s going on? Is everyone okay? Is Y/N okay?”

“We got back to the apartment, and Jace he…”

Time seems to slow in anticipation of Maya’s next words—the kind of eerie stillness that precedes a storm, quiet and disarming in its disguise.

And then she drops the bomb.

“He was with someone else.”

Taehyung’s ears ring. There is no possible way he heard that right. “What?”

The breath that comes from the other side of the phone is heavy, like Maya can’t even believe the words coming out of her own mouth. “He was in bed with someone else.”

A chill drips down his spine, pushing its way through his veins until his entire body runs cold. This can’t be happening. Not to you. You’ve had enough pain and hardship in your twenty-five years of life—he’s seen it, weathered it with you. Things are supposed to be getting better; this is supposed to be the payout for years of heartache. Surely, the universe wouldn’t be so cruel.

But then it happens. A single, anguished sob rings out in the background of the call, sharp and pained in its grief.

His heart shatters, shards piercing the spaces between his ribs.

“Tae? Are you still there?”

“Yes.”

“She needs you. Please just get over here.”

Then line goes dead.

Taehyung is only frozen for a second longer before he’s bounding into motion, tearing down the hallway and into the living room where Jimin lays on his back on the couch. The latter shoots into a sitting position when he sees the look on Taehyung’s face.

“You okay?”

“Y/N—she—we—“ His mouth feels like it’s filled with sand, and while he stands there, working his jaw in agonizing frustration, Jimin leaps to his feet to close the distance between them, grasping Taehyung’s shoulders.

“What’s wrong? What happened to Y/N?”

His lungs burn as he finally finds the words. “Jace is cheating on her.”

Jimin goes still, the same stunned shock registering in his body.

“We need to—we need to go,” Taehyung gasps, and Jimin is quick to sit him on the couch.

“I’ll get Kook. We’ll take care of this,” he says, voice steady. Commanding. “You just wait here and breathe.”

The next several minutes are a blur as Jimin rushes to get Jungkook, and they work on packing the car, briefly explaining the situation to the others. Taehyung can’t think of anything but you, his focus reduced down to a pinpoint in his mind. You must be devastated. In spite of what he had said about his own feelings on Jace, he knows how much you love him, how you were expecting to spend the rest of your life with him. How must you be feeling to have an entire future ripped away? To have to bear witness to and suffer that kind of betrayal?

He’s not quite sure how it happens, but he winds up in the passenger seat of his own car, Jimin sliding behind the wheel and peeling away from the house and onto the highway. The air inside the cabin is thick, a stifling combination of premature summer heat and heavy silence, with even Jungkook sitting oddly quiet in the backseat. Taehyung is thankful for the absence of conversation; he doesn’t think he can handle talking about any of this until you’re in front of him and he can hold you, feel that you’re safe.

He realizes somewhere along the way that he’s shaking, your cry still ringing in his ears.

The trip from the beach house to the city only takes about forty-five minutes, but it feels like days, headlights and street lamps zipping by like tiny suns as Taehyung wills the car to go faster, faster, faster. He’s never felt further from you before, never been so determined to close the distance between you like he is now.

Whatever you need from him, he’ll give it.

Jimin finally pulls into your apartment parking lot, and the car hasn't even fully stopped before Taehyung is bolting out at a near sprint. Jungkook and Jimin catch up to him as he pulls out the duplicate access card you had given him in case of emergencies, swiping them into the entryway and down the hall where he pounds the button for the elevators.

"It'll be okay," Jimin says, staring Taehyung down where he seems to be vibrating in his shoes. "She'll be okay."

"She'd better be," Jungkook mutters, fists clenched tight.

(Jimin hopes Jace has long cleared out of the building, lest they run into him.)

The elevator ride is tense and slow, the numbers ticking upwards in time with the pounding in Taehyung's ears.

2...

The bastard was sleeping with someone else.

3...

You thought you were going to marry him.

4...

He'd spent time with Jace all through college. Even laughed with him at times.

5...

The sound you'd made on the phone, like you were physically wounded.

6...

If he ever sees that piece of shit again—

The doors open with a ding that snaps the mess of Taehyung's thoughts into focus.

He's here. You need him.

It's a brisk walk to the end of the hallway, and then he's practically punching your apartment door, which swings open almost immediately as if Maya was waiting on the other side. She and Taehyung stare at each other for a brief moment, her mouth stretched into a tight line before she simply nods her head in the direction of the bathroom. Taehyung makes the final leg of the trip in five long strides before freezing in the doorway.

The fractured shards of his heart turn to dust.

You're curled up on the bathroom floor, a tangle of arms and hair covering your face as your body trembles with quiet sobs. They echo around the tile, filling the space between you until Taehyung thinks he can feel the sound burrowing itself under his skin, a morbid tattoo he doesn’t know if he’ll ever be able to erase. This image, he thinks, will surely haunt him for the rest of his life.

You. Completely and utterly broken.

He falls to his knees so he can brush your hair aside, the strands draping themselves over his fingers like a tether. Your face is red and stained with tears, and he reflexively wipes at the ones he sees rolling down your cheeks as you peer up at him, only now registering his presence.

"T-tae?"

"I'm here," he murmurs as his hands continue collect your tears, trying to carry them for you.

When you hear his voice, your cries start up again in earnest, and you reach out to clutch at his shirt. Taehyung immediately gathers you into his arms and tucks you into the haven of his chest, holding you like if he squeezes hard enough, he can press your broken pieces back together.

"T-tae...h-he..." you gasp at his collarbone, words failing you as Taehyung hugs you to him even tighter.

He runs his hands through your hair, presses kisses to the crown of your head, trails his fingers up the length of your back as you burrow into him, wails escalating.

"Shh, I've got you, baby."

He does. He'll hold you forever if he has to.

"I've got you."

a/n: thoughts? guesses as to what taehyung used his wish on? likes, reblogs, and feedback give me life :)

taglist is open!

a/n 2: oh, fun fact. when jace caught oc going through his desk in part 1, he wasn’t even thinking about the ring box when his eyes flicked to the drawer. he was worried she was going to find the condoms, which would’ve been weird since they hadn’t used them in like two years (oof) (this isn’t plot relevant, just a detail tidbit lol)

#taehyung x reader #taehyung x you #taehyung fluff #taehyung angst #bts x reader #bts x you #bts imagines #taehyung imagines #taehyung fic #taehyung fanfic #bts fluff #bts angst #taehyung #bts fic #bts fanfic

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starryjkoo · 4 months

Text

This might be a controversial opinion but some of y’all need to learn to pick your battles and stop chasing the validation of PJMs and JJKs. Who cares if JJKs are hyping some fictional friendship and writing fanfictions because Jungkook stood next to some random dude twice? Who cares if solo fanbases crop out and don’t post the whole picture (that no one should be reposting btw)? Who cares if PJMs and JJKs don’t acknowledge their friendship? As long as they aren’t dragging Jimin or JK, or even overtly saying anything negative about their bond, literally why do some of you guys care what solos of all people think?

It’s odd to me that some jkkrs will go into solo spaces and then try to get them to acknowledge a member you know they hate and regularly drag. What are you expecting to happen? JJKs actually not mentioning or paying attention to JM is literally the best case scenario. I absolutely wish they would never look at him or talk about him or post anything about him ever again. I literally don’t care if they think JK loves random solider #2 or Mingyu or an inanimate object more than he loves JM and neither should you. They are NEVER going to acknowledge Jikook’s friendship, so stop expecting them to. That is literally one of the least offensive things I’ve seen them do this week alone and it doesn’t actually hurt Jimin or JK, it’s just annoying.

100% make fun of them in your own spaces for being so lame and immature about Jikook enlisting together, they ARE super weird for hyping up this random friendship they suddenly invented (and yes I know they were likely doing it on purpose), it IS really frustrating and sad how dismissive so many people are about Jikook -- but I still don’t understand what some jkkrs were expecting. I sincerely hope that whenever the Jikook travel show drops they keep cropping them out and pretending they’re besties with random bartenders and camera men because the alternative is them dragging JM and JK and their entire bond nonstop. Solos are NEVER going to acknowledge their friendship and I wonder why some jkkrs seem to want them to so bad? You are CHOOSING to go into their spaces and be annoyed that these people who call JM slurs and animal names on the regular don’t want to acknowledge his friendship with JK - and some of you are literally antagonizing these people you KNOW have no morals over something like this.

This whole issue snowballed because so many people are bored and miserable right now and tkkrs especially are looking for a fight ever since Jikook enlisted together (or honestly probably since Tokyo). I see how jkkrs can make an innocent post and get jumped and tkkrs can say the most heinous shit about JM and jkk imaginable and get away with it -- but if you’re active online you should know how it is and learn to pick your battles if you actually care about the people you stan. There was no reason for JM or JK to get dragged over something like this.

Anyways this isn’t the end of the world or anything, but I did watch this whole unnecessary drama unfold and opened my twitter account this morning to see report accounts STILL trying to clean it up, so I wanted to rant a bit. I’m sure the Jikook show will unleash the most heinous discourse imaginable so I’m saving my energy for that. Obviously people can do whatever they want, and I’m not saying jkkrs shouldn’t rant or be upset about it in their own spaces, I was just surprised by some of the reactions. Jikook enlisting together makes it obvious to anyone with a brain how close they are, that’s why the people who hate them are being especially weird and petty and obnoxious. JJKs were writing about how JK tattooed ARMY on his knuckles because he knows ARMYs hurt him or whatever just the other day so idk why some jkkrs were expecting them to suddenly celebrate his friendship with JM who they literally hate more than anyone else.

#jikook #sorry to bring twitter discourse here #again 😣#but every now and then #i need a good rant #because i wasn't seeing enough people calling this out #and if it doesn't apply to you #it doesn't apply to you #i know it's not all or even most #but enough i wanted to make a point #discourse

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bluemari23 · 2 months

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Hello! Do you accept requests for bts? If you do, can you please write how they will react if they get jealous when their crush is really close with her guy best friend. Like they can understand each other without talking, cuddle together, sharing food with each other, deeply care for each other but in a platonic/sibling kinda way. So they get jealous because their crush and her friend are so close but they are not. Tysm!

i do:)

honestly i love this concept.

namjoon: would try and rationalize the situation. like "they have known them longer" or "they're just closer than i am with them". but would soon try and do what he could to get closer to their crush. i also feel like he would be the one to try and pull away depending on the situation, maybe like respects the friendship or feels like he can't handle it.

jin: would try and out do the friend. wants all of their attention and would become more jealous if their crush doesn't prioritize him. can see him trying to ask their crush out if only to push the friend away.

yoongi: see, he is a hard one to pin down. i think it depends on how much they like their crush. if they really like their crush, they would talk to them about the friend. make clear boundaries so no one gets hurt. but i also feel like he would be understanding of the friendship, as long as hes the one kissing you at the end of the day.

hoseok: probs would get a little jealous, go to talk to the friend, but then end up friends with the friend. like yeah, he'd be jealous but then he'd just insert himself into the friendship and like, take it over.

jimin: would be the jealous type. all of your attention has to be on them. he hates how close you are to your friend and would definetly try to steer you away or make it so where you don't need the friend for those things, only him.

taehyung: hes also another hard one to pin down. i feel like he might be a combination of yoongi and jimin. would want to respect the friendship and ignore the jealousy or would absolutely try to have you become dependent on him and seek him out for these things instead of the other friend.

jungkook: oh completely jealous. do we not remember the perilla leaf incident. needs all your attention and will not share your affections with anyone. you're his and not the friends. even if it is a crush right now. will keep you from the friend, or wiill make the friend so uncomfortable they leave.

#bluemari23 #bluemari23 request #bts #boyfriend bts #bts reacts

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not-goldy · 28 days

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I have no problem with shippers as long as they don’t hate anyone but it’s so ironic how jikookers think they are above everyone else when a lot of the times it’s jikookers themselves who set up jimin to get hated on by taekookers. Prime example being that Ace duo tweet. There was absolutely no reason for jikookers to start quoting that tweet when you guys very well know it will only be jimin who would get dragged and that’s what happened.

And why did jikookers need to start tweeting about Jimin and Eun Woo’s friendship as soon as news came out that Eun Woo went to dinner with Jk????? Why would Jimin want to go with Jk’s friend group? Like he has his own family and friends he would prioritise on vacation? He has other people in life who are important to him. His life doesn’t revolve around BTS and the members.

And let me not even say how many times I have seen Jikookers throw Jimin under the bus to defend Jk from his antis. Just like how this entire fandom was sleeping on all the SA edits being made against Jimin for years but suddenly woke up in July when their golden maknae was on the receiving end of it. I am totally against these kind of things for anyone but the reaction just reeks of hypocrisy of the highest level.

Jimin definitely needs better fans than what some jikookers claim to be. The jimin tag is flooded with Jikookers but it’s rare to see a jikooker appreciating Jimin’s artistry or anything related to him without inserting Jk into it. I mean to this date they can’t even talk about Letter without bringing Jk into it?

May be because Letter is a jikook duet?????

Your life would be so much better if Jimin didn't involve Jungkook in everything he does.

May be your frustration is with Jimin and not his fans???

I'm open for therapy sessions on Thursdays

Here's my card.

Call me.

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bratkook · 4 months

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will we one day get a deep six drabble of how each member came to find out about their relationship and how they reacted? 🥹

mmm maybe not a drabble (bc i don’t know how i would make that into a full part) but i can gladly explain it a bit hehe

Jungkook definitely tells Taehyung and Hobi first because he’s the closest to them and they typically work the most together with club related things. Taehyung finds out simply because he’s fucking nosey and grabs Jungkooks phone and just starts snooping, going through his photos and finding the many many photos he has with her and just starts to tease him about his secret girlfriend, which naturally gets Hoseok’s attention. And when Jungkook doesn’t laugh along and instead looks absolutely panicked they question him further, wondering who she was, Hoseok gasping when he asks if thats who he cockblocked at the clubhouse weeks back. It’s not until Taehyung scrolls to another photo where she’s on her bike, wearing a vest with a tiny cobra patch on the side (something that Minho has started insisting she wear) that they all freeze.

“She’s a fucking Cobra?” Taehyung hisses, shoving the phone at Hoseok as he approaches Jungkook with a glare.

“Jungkook,” Hoseok sighs, giving him a look of pure disappointment as he locks the phone.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t rip your patch off your back and have Seokjin deal with you?” Taehyung very rarely got mad, but when he did it didn’t matter that Jungkook was bigger than him, the man was scary.

“Give him a chance to explain.” Hoseok is the voice of reason, a stern look on his face as he approaches him too.

So he does, tells them absolutely everything. From the beginning, how you met, your genuine friendship, your relationship with Minho(which earns another groan because of course she had to be the leader’s girlfriend), how much that relationship was ruining her, and how he promises that just because she was associated with the Cobras didn’t mean he would turn his back on Deep Six. It takes a lot of convincing, and a small threat from Taehyung, for them to agree not to say anything. (They eventually understand the relationship after a while when they truly see the way Jungkook acts after knowing he saw her)

Jimin finds out through the grapevine, aka Taehyung’s big ass mouth, and he’s a hopeless romantic so after he gets the whole run down he honestly thinks the whole forbidden love aspect is cute.

Yoongi had heard talk here and there, not fully believing it because he knew the members were full of shit. It’s not until he ends up at the clubhouse on one of the days where Jungkook has her over, blissfully unaware that his fellow brother was in the room next door able to listen to him. It’s not like he wanted to, but Yoongi had wandered into his room next door to grab some stuff and listened to the cute pillowtalk he was having with her at the end. At first he laughs at Jungkook being a fucking sap, but then he hears the name Minho being mentioned and he pauses, remembering the gossip he had heard from the younger members. The final nail in the coffin was hearing her mention having to go back before he got suspicious.

Yoongi doesn’t leave the room until he knows she’s gone, choosing to come out when he hears Jungkook walking down the hall, opening his door and making him jump out of his skin when he realizes Yoongi was in his room.

“So the rumors are true.”

Jungkook looks guilty instantly, but he tries to deflect. “What are you talking about?”

Yoongi just smiles at him and it does nothing to settle Jungkook’s nerves. “You really must wanna get your ass kicked huh? Do you wanna flip a coin and see if Minho or Seokjin are gonna get to you first?”

Jungkook clenches his jaw instantly, the thought of Seokjin finding out making his chest hurt, the betrayal clawing at him mind. “Are you gonna tell him?”

Yoongi shakes his head. “Absolutely not. I’m not trying to be dragged into it for knowing. I just hope you really think it’s worth it Jungkook.”

Namjoon finds out because he’s basically in charge of knowing everything in the club, and just like Yoongi he had heard talk. And rightfully, as the VP and right hand, he has to tell Seokjin. Luckily they’re both levelheaded, wanting to know the whole story before acting, so one day they call Jungkook into the meeting room. It’s scary as he walks in, seeing Seokjin sitting at the head of the table with Namjoon by his side, only pointing at a chair for Jungkook to sit.

“Tell me. Do you remember the three rules you made an oath to abide by when you joined the club?”

Jungkook knows instantly what this meeting is for. And all he can do is nod as he stares at Seokjin.

“Really? Because it seems like your memory has gone a little hazy on rule number 3.”

Namjoon is silent but his eyes are locked on Jungkook’s reaction, seeing the way his eyes go wide.

“I promise it wasn’t on purpose.” Is what spills out of his mouth first.

“So you didn’t know she was a Cobra when you brought her into our clubhouse? Because from what I’ve heard it seems like you knew from the start.”

“No, no. I did—I just—fuck. I’m sorry Seokjin. I didn’t think it would become this, and I promise my loyalty lies with Deep Six. I’d do anything for this club, you know that, I’ve proved it throughout the years and I’ll continue to prove it—“

“But she’s a Cobra.” Namjoon finally cuts in, voice calm as he crosses his arms over his chest.

“She’s not, she’s not fully patched in, her boyfriend is.”

Seokjin hadn’t heard that, and surprisingly neither had Namjoon.

“Who’s her boyfriend.”

“Song Minho.”

Seokjin’s brows twitch slightly at the name, a small hum leaving his lips as he nods, turning to look at Namjoon. He doesn’t comment on Minho further, asking him how long this had been going on for, how it happened, if he had told her valuable information about the club and vice versa. Seokjin knew this was against the rules, despite the grey area of her not technically being a Cobra, but the dark history he had with Minho—and his desire to eventually even the score—has him thinking of ways this could benefit him.

The leader feels bad for choosing to look at Jungkook’s love life as a stepping stone for the downfall of the Cobras but he had to look at the bigger picture for the sake of the club.

So when he gives Jungkook another set of rules to follow, swearing him to secrecy when it comes to club intel, and telling him that if the Cobras got to him first then he wouldn’t be helping him, Jungkook can only nod along while in disbelief. He scurries out of the room as fast as he could, too scared that Seokjin would change his mind and get rid of his patch and the club tattoos on his body.

Seokjin feels a little guilty looking back on it now that it all transpired, but you really can’t blame him for his way of thinking. He’s thankful that it didn’t have to come to them using her to get back at Minho (which is a thought that leaves his mind the second he realizes how serious Jungkook is about her). And eventually, like everyone else, they all just accept it for what it was.

#bratkook.exe #deep six

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shediot · 8 months

Text

CYCLICISM (SERIES)

CHAPTER 3: The House on 8th St

SUMMARY —> Jungkook makes a wildly unexpected reentrance into your life, and, despite the less than ideal past you two share, this time you’re bound and determined to keep him in it — and to keep history from repeating itself.

TAGS —> 90s/00s, Estranged Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Flashbacks, Emotionally Constipated OC, Nicknamed OC, Jock OC, Jock Jungkook, Cohabitation

WARNINGS —> None in this chapter.

WORD COUNT —> 7.1k

MASTERLIST | AO3

PREV | NEXT

Freshman Year: September, 1994.

Nursing both a steaming cup of black coffee and a pretty nasty hangover headache, you find yourself staring at the absolute mess of the kitchen and living room, and come to one startling conclusion:

You like your new life.

How busy, and full, replete with vitality and humor and fun it is. Even if it’s messy, it’s fun.

The dawn slowly rises and gleams in through the windows to reveal a less than ideal sight — red solo cups, plastic plates, bottles of emptied beer, and someone crashed on the couch, sleeping like the dead. But not actually dead. Maybe. Hopefully. You think.

Whatever. The point is - you don’t mind the mess.

It’s only been two weeks since you’d moved to this new town. Two weeks since you moved into this house on 8th st. Two weeks since you’d met your assigned housemates.

You’d been immediately endeared to them. They’re a big chunk of the reason you’ve been able to sculpt the barest beginnings of this life, after all.

Joy had been the housemate you’d met first. It had just been her and you, your first morning in this house, and it had felt like an instant friendship had blossomed. Twin flame and all that. She’d clued you into the house party a few blocks down, and you both went, eager to meet new people.

(And meet new people you did.)

Jimin and Namjoon you’d met the following day, after you’d come home from your first meeting with the university hiking group. You’d asked all three of your housemates if they wanted to head to a brunch place and grub down some greasy-ass food, and that was that. Friends. You had the beginnings of them

And you really, really wanted to try your best to keep them that way.

The four of you had come to an agreement: the house would have an open door policy. Even Namjoon had readily agreed, and he’s definitely the introverted black sheep of the four of you. So, from dawn to dusk, your front door stays unlocked so long as at least one of you is in the house. Maybe it’s not the wisest, but you all keep your individual rooms locked when not around, and it seems to be making this house on 8th street be the house to be already. Attracting strangers turned new friends alike like flies to honey.

And you fucking love it. You love that you can walk downstairs and not just find Namjoon, or Jimin, or Joy, but someone completely new. People are already taking to crashing on your couches shamelessly, and you don’t mind it at all.

(Right now, the person zonked out on one of the matching couches, courtesy of the anal-about-decor Joy, is Min Yoongi, a throw blanket haphazardly thrown over him.)

The contrast of this busy life from your life a month ago? Stark.

And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

You’ve always been a morning person. The most notable change, however, is that, now? Now you’re actually excited to wake up. Excited to wake up to a full house and experience these new, fun days.

The thing you like most of all since coming to this new town, though?

A soft knock sounds at the front door, and, a short moment later, it’s pushed cautiously open. And then Jeon Jungkook steps inside.

Jeon Jungkook. Aspiring frat boy. Hiker. A boy who sports a couple small tattoos on his right hand and wears a plethora of silver and black rings on his fingers. He dresses in dark colors and baggy clothes, and has thick, dark, wavy hair that falls down his forehead damp and messily, and has even thicker lashes that brush against his full cheeks.

Despite his apparent ‘bad boy’ look, you’re quickly learning that Jeon Jungkook truly is, at his core, a polite and kind-hearted guy. Hence why he knocks first and looks around shyly before fully coming in through the front door, despite everyone having told him like three times that he is more than welcome here any time. But Jungkook had given you a good vibe from the moment you’d met him, and after nearing two weeks as friends — seeing him almost every day since the night of that party where you’d met — you’re only growing increasingly assured of your opinion.

None of his frat boy friends trail behind him, surprisingly. It’s rare when Jungkook comes alone, though you suppose it makes sense. It’s early as fuck on a Saturday, after all.

Even more surprising than Jungkook coming to the house alone, though, is the bulging paper sack he lugs in, pressed tightly to his chest, groceries peeking out over its top.

Nodding his head your way by way of greeting, he walks farther inside the house and sets the sack down on the kitchen island.

“Morning,” you greet, lifting your fingers off your warm coffee mug to waggle them at him, your voice slightly quieter than normal so as not to take Yoongi.

Jungkook gives you a soft, quiet smile. “Good morning, Blue.”

You don’t really understand the pleasure that blooms across your chest at the sight of Jungkook standing there across the kitchen island with his shy smile and sleep-laden gaze. The sunlight dapples in through the living room windows, and it seems to illuminate him. His curls are damp and somewhat plastered to his head, as if he’d just hopped out of the shower not too long ago, and his skin, despite the sparse bits of acne, seems to glow, as if recently moisturized.

It feels… weird, to see Jungkook so early in the morning. Intimate.

You clear your throat and sit up straighter. “Don’t mind the mess,” you say with a wave of your hand. “I promise, after I drain my third cup of coffee, I will get to work making this place look less like a frat house.”

Slowly, he pulls his gaze from yours, and it seems this is the first time he’d really paid any attention to the mess. His smile fades to a displeased frown. “You’re going to clean up… by yourself?”

You shrug, unbothered. “Everyone else is sleeping off their hangover. I don’t mind. But, more importantly…” You gesture to the groceries. “What’s this about?”

Jungkook doesn’t seem appeased by your assurance, but he does glance down at the sack strangely. “I got these groceries,” he says, pulling out a small package of ripe tomatoes, “For you.”

Your mildly-groggy brain faintly registers his words, but you remain staring at him, dumbfounded, as he proceeds to empty out the rest of the sack onto the kitchen island. You almost can’t comprehend what he’s saying, but there’s undeniable evidence laid out before you: other fruits and vegetables, two packages of meat, some snacks…

“I mean, not that I’m not appreciative, but... Why?” you ask.

“The guys cleared you out,” he replies, as if it’s simple and clear-cut. “They always clear you out. So I thought I’d stock the place back up for you.”

Sheer disbelief: that’s the only way you react to this revelation.

This boy, Jeon fucking Jungkook. There’s just something novel and fresh about him. He’s kind. He’s endearing. He’s generous. He’s caring. Maybe you haven’t known him for very long, but he’s quickly earning himself a place at the table of your life. Quickly worming past your defenses, making a beeline toward carving out a piece of your heart for him.

(Platonically, of course. Joy, Jimin and Namjoon are also earning themselves seats and carving out pieces, too. It’s… Different though. Somehow. Perhaps because those three are your roommates and Jungkook isn’t?)

Notes of thinly veiled wonder in your voice, you say, “You didn’t have to do this.” Even if it’s a gift. A purely genuine gift that makes your heart swell. “There’s a reason I let everyone raid the kitchen. I don’t give a shit. Feeding people isn’t a big deal.”

Luckily, you have enough money to afford them doing so. But you don’t mention the money thing. That might only make Jungkook curious about how you have money, since you don’t have a job. You don’t want him to probe. Not that.

“Feeding a whole village, though?” Jungkook retorts, disapprovingly shaking his head.

Okay, maybe it is a whole village. You have any number of guys from Jungkook’s fraternity coming through your house at any given moment, and that’s not to mention all the other new friends that make your and your housemates’ home theirs.

“I got you, Blue. Just accept the groceries. Because they’re yours.”

Well, what else would you do? Kick Jungkook to the curb with his celery sticks? Instead, you grin. “Fair enough,” you say. “Thank you, Jeon. Really. You’re sweet.”

Bashfully, he returns your smile, a slight blush dusted across his lightly freckled cheeks. Jungkook can surprisingly be mildly shy. When you’d met him, he was quiet, but spoke the more you did. In hindsight, though, that was probably more to do with you annoying the crap out of him than any blossoming personality trait of his, though. But you like that as the days go by, you’re starting to learn more about Jungkook. Starting to get him to open up more and more. You don’t truly understand the full reason why you feel this way, but you’ve come to the conclusion that he’s one of the best people that you’ve met since moving here by far.

You get along swimmingly. You have similar jock-ish interests. And he’s incredibly attractive.

Okay, maybe the last part is very irrelevant.

Or maybe not. You think most of your friends are pretty damn attractive, actually, so it’s not just Jungkook whose looks you thoroughly admire.

Still, the fact that this friend is here bringing you groceries because his friends, your shared friends, had eaten many of yours?

It’s a fact that warms you, even more than the steaming cup of coffee does.

Rising to your feet, you begin to grab the items and place them in the cabinets where they’re meant to go. You don’t bother telling Jungkook not to help you do so, because at this points you’re sure it would be wasted breath.

So, the two of you work together to put the groceries away and, when you’re done, he turns to face you with tired eyes. It’s only at this point when you realize the slight purpling beneath his eyes, the exhausting that lines his irises.

Of course he’s tired. t’s only seven in the morning, and, for people who aren’t you, that’s really fucking early for a Saturday.

“Oh, shit,” you curse lowly, so as not to wake Yoongi. You rush to pull a mug out of the upper cabinet, grab the coffee pot, and swiftly pour him a steaming cup of coffee. “I’m so sorry I didn’t offer one right away. Next time, though, feel free to ask. Or pour one of your own.” You extend the mug to him, feeling out of sorts, and he hesitates to take it, as if mulling over your words.

“Okay,” he says, finally, reaching out to take the cup. “Thank you. I appreciate it.” And yet there’s something to the tone of his supposed agreement that makes you think he absolutely will not be asking or pouring one of his own in the future.

Okay, so he’s excessively polite and worried about putting you out (as if he could ever). Fine. You’ll just have to remember to pour him a mug whenever he’s over in the morning.

You hope he comes in the mornings more and more often. Because, right now, it’s quiet. It’s just you and Jungkook right now, essentially. It hasn’t been just you and Jungkook since the night you’d met, for that all-too-brief time in a stranger’s laundry room.

You want more of these quiet moments with him.

As Jungkook sips the coffee, his eyes scan over the living room once again. Setting the mug back down on the counter, he walks over to your kitchen sink and bends down to dig around in the cabinet under the sink before popping back up, hands filled with myriad cleaning supplies that he sets on the counter. Then he grabs the trash can from beside the sink and sets it beside him. “I’m going to help you clean,” he states, brooking no room for disagreement.

 Naturally, though, you disagree. “No, Jeon, it’s okay, really. I’ve got it. It’s no big deal.

He doesn’t respond, merely reaching over the counter to pull a few of the Red Solo cups from the counter, into the trash.

Well. That spurs you to action. If he’s going to be insistent about helping, then you’re not just going to stand there like a useless idiot and make him do it alone. So you follow his suit and start throwing all the beer bottles in the trash, carefully setting them down quietly.

Jungkook turns to face you over the trash can between you, giving you a soft and airy look.

For a millisecond, you freeze under the steady weight of his honey-eyed gaze, entranced by him, before you mentally shake yourself and tear your own eyes away.

Facing away from him, you find a very small, unplanned smile coming to your face.

The two of you spend the rest of the early morning cleaning up the mess from the night before.

Even though it’s a mundane task, it feels far less mundane with Jungkook beside you.

********

Present day, Summer 2002.

There are reasons you love the outdoors.

One of them is the views.

The way the sunrise peeks wonderfully over the horizon, swathing you in its budding warmth and refulgent light. The twenty-mile view out from the cliff that shows you the forest of vibrantly green trees. Another jutting, jagged cliff down the way, the forest broken up by a babbling river that runs through it several hundred feet below you.

Another is the sounds.

The euphonious birdsong that swells with the rising sun, growing louder as the assortment of birds greet the day with pretty chirps. Or the steady, low thrum of the wind, accompanied by the scuffling through the underbrush of the myriad animals that make the outdoors their home.

Another is how it feels.

The wind gently caresses your skin, and the sun grants you gentle kisses atop every exposed part of your body. Even the rough rocks that you’re seated on aren’t unpleasant; the rocks ground you in your body.

But what you love most about being in a place like this, gorgeous and raw and everything amiss from the grinding cogs of the industrial civilization you live in, is how natural it all is. With the rise of cell phones and the growing need to stay ever-connected to your network of people via the electronic, you find yourself loving more and more eschewing the industry of society and finding little pockets of untouched nature.

Normally, when you’re here, you feel rooted to your body. It’s not that you lack a brain in moments like these, it’s that your brain is filled only with the steady buzz of wildlife, of the sound of water rushing over rock, of trees shifting in the breeze. All worries gone with the breeze.

So why in the goddamn hell is that not working right now?

Your mind, instead of being beautifully, deservedly dégagé, feels overrun with thoughts of the man sitting beside you, kicking his muscled legs off the ledge and taking tiny sips out of his water bottle.

Jeon fucking Jungkook.

It’s definitely not the first time the man has occupied a great majority of your thoughts, but it’s been years since your mind had run rampant with memories of him.

You’re a regular hiker at Sangsaeng, and you’ve come many times over the years. With friends, without them — even with Jungkook, way back when. And yet it’s only here, now, with Jungkook’s four-year-long sabbatical from this town hanging between you, that you feel overwhelmed with thoughts.

You fight them back and push them way, way down.

The past is the past. You and Jungkook have a second chance to be friends here. You’re not going to let the stupidity of your college years ruin this chance.

You’re grown now, damn it. You and Jungkook both.

Twenty-six, not eighteen. Older, more mature, hopefully significantly wiser than the you of back then.

So, because you’ve never been a quiet person, you turn to your side and give Jungkook an amiable look, prepared to break the stuffy silence. Feet dangling precariously off the edge of the cliff, you lean over on one shoulder and say, “So. The Rivet, huh?”

“Yup,” Jungkook replies with a shrug, enunciating the lone word so it pops.

His single word answer doesn’t bother you. Jungkook has his rare super-talkative moments, but he’s also generally a pretty soft spoken dude. His life philosophy is probably something like: why say something in twenty words that you could say in three?

To which you’d counter: why say something in twenty words when you could turn it into a half hour long rant with room for probing questions from your conversation partner in between?

(Okay. Maybe you love to talk.)

“Hopefully you aren’t planning on staying there overly long,” you say. “I know that place is expensive as all hell. Namjoon’s parents stayed there one weekend when they were visiting and they complained for, like, months afterward about how much money they dropped to come see their son.” Your heart squeezes unpleasantly, remembering that. Even if they complain, they truly love their son. “And Joon’s parents got money money, so you know they were draining their wallets.”

Jungkook laughs softly, and your heart squeezes again: this time, much more pleasantly. “Well, they may have money money, but they’re also cheap cheap.” Before you can open your mouth to retort— because yeah, he’s got a point, but your point was that you know he’s got to be dropping way too much for the room — he waves a hand to wave that off. “Don’t worry. They’ll eventually reimburse me for at least some of the cost of the room, so I’m not that worried about money.” He sighs, and you watch him, leaned back on his tattooed arms, his head tilted back to reveal the smooth expanse of his throat. “Hotels are just so annoying to live in. It’s only been a week and I’m over it.”

You hum as you watch your sneaker-covered feet swirl in absent-minded circles. You tend to have trouble sitting still, your body wanting to be in motion at all times. “Well… Knowing you, you had to have had more reliably permanent lodging planned before moving here, yeah?”

“Well, yeah. My backup plan was to crash at Chan’s place for a while, but he’s on a business trip in Canada right now, since he didn’t know I was coming earlier than expected, he didn’t think to leave a key so I can get into his apartment.” Chan — Jungkook’s college roommate slash best friend. More muscles than brain cells, but a decent guy. You’re relieved to know that they are still in contact. At least Jungkook didn’t completely lose everyone when he’d left. “I looked at a few apartments here and there, but either they were overly-priced, tiny as fuck, in the shitty part of town, not available until Spring or…” He tilts his head. “I’m pretty sure one had mold growing in the ceilings, so that was fun.” Again, he shrugs. “I got lucky enough with the job. Fair enough that I didn’t luck out with a place to live right away, right?”

“Not lucky,” you counter, leaning toward him a microscopic bit. “You’ve always worked so hard. Hell, you did post-grad at SNU, Jeon. That’s amazing. Not to mention that internship at a Global 500? You mean to say luck landed you there?” You scoff light-heartedly, rolling your eyes as Jungkook mildly preens at your praise. “You, Jeon Jungkook, are a little bit of an idiot.”

Jungkook immediately de-preens, giving you a slight pout that makes your resulting loud laughter ring off the cliff and into the ravine.

“Build a man up just to tear him down,” he quips, clutching his hand over his heart. “You know just how to twist the knife, Blue.”

There’s something about the way he says it: in his familiar, low voice, on the breath of a laugh, his dark, doe eyes crinkling in pretty crescents as they stare across the too-wide gap between the two of you.

Then confusion visibly overtakes his expression, and he says, “Wait. How did you know all that? Where I interned and stuff?”

Oops.

You and Jungkook haven’t spoken in years, that’s true. But… “Jimin and Joy,” you say. “I’ve gotten front row seats to Jeon Jungkook’s Business a few times over the years.”

Immediately, understanding dawns on him. “Ah. Right.” He nods and fiddles with his ringed, tattooed fingers, seeming to readily accept that. “Makes sense.” Jimin and Joy have always been forces to be reckoned with, both of them people with their fingers on the pulse of seemingly everyone in the entire country’s goings-on.

If you ever want dirt on anyone in a 2,000 mile radius, just ask them. They’ll be able to dredge up something. Somehow. (Who knows how they do it? Not you.)

“Sooo…” you drawl out, tapping your fingers anxiously on top of the dirt-speckled rock. “You really haven’t found someplace that won’t require you to sell an organ once a month just to keep the lights on?”

Jungkook smiles. You stare, transfixed at it, the way it pulls up his face prettily. “Really, Blue. Don’t worry about me. I’ll figure it out.”

“Well, figure it out with me, then.” At his slow, uncomprehending blink, you add, “Like. Live with me.”

Yes, sometimes your mouth runs faster than your mind can keep up with it, but even though you mildly regret the words as soon as they escape your mouth, you realize they don’t feel like a mistake. It doesn’t feel wrong to have extended such an offer to Jungkook.

What does feel wrong, though, is the deer-in-the-headlights look he gives you in response.

“No, no, let me explain,” you say, heart thumping. “I’ve got my own apartment. I’ve had it since everyone had to move out of the house on 8th street. Jimin was my roommate. He moved out about two years ago into his girlfriend’s place, and I never felt the need to move. It’s rent-controlled and decently sized, two beds, two baths. Nice airy kitchen and living room. It’s a sweet place, and there’s an unoccupied guest room with your name on it, if you want it.”

Jungkook’s shoulders tense up, a furrow nesting between his thick brows. You sense rejection on the horizon, but before you can sweeten the pot for him, he says, “I don’t know, Blue… I’d be imposing on you.”

“Not at all!” you assure him wholeheartedly. And not in the kind, doesn’t-mean-it-but-trying-to-be-hospitable way, but genuinely. Putting Jungkook up for a bit wouldn’t harm you in the least. “At least for now, anyway. If you want to keep looking for a place, then by all means. But at least do it from my apartment for free instead of chopping off a finger every week for your payment to the Rivet.”

His skin dimples as he smiles, tongue darting out to lick his lips as he puffs out a laugh. “I’m not paying that much, Blue.”

“C’mon, Jeon, live a little,” you continue. “It’ll feel like college all over again.”

Not that you want it to feel like college. But, undoubtedly, Jungkook’s return has brought with him wisps of nostalgia that color the air in their pale blue hue.

“Let me help you,” you insist into his silence, quieter this time.

God knows Jungkook has done his lion’s share of helping you.

And, sure, perhaps there’s a small part of you that’s allowing your guilt from the less than ideal past you and Jungkook share to guide your offer, but the larger part of you overrides that. You genuinely want to help Jungkook because he’s a good guy who’s struggling a little bit and you can.

Jungkook tilts his head, seeming to consider your proposition. Curiosity replaces some of the tension in the broad lines of his shoulders. He looks away from you, out at the sunny sky, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “You’re sure it’s okay?” he asks. “It wouldn’t be… I don’t know… weird?”

Awkward would probably be a term more apt to describe it than weird, but you shake your head regardless. “Not weird at all.”

There’s hesitation in the dips of his face, evidenced by the crinkling of his nose, the slight downwards tug of his full lips. Then he sighs, and speaks. “Fine,” he says, and before you can open your mouth to cheer, or — something, Jungkook levels you with a stare that makes the noise die in your throat. “But only on the condition that you let me pay half the bills.”

“There’s no need for that.”

“I won’t live there for free, Blue.”

At his intense gaze, the way he leans marginally toward you, the sweat that gleans over his face from the summer sun, you consider it. You definitely don’t need his money — and thank fuck for your own financial security — but if it would help alleviate some of his apparent guilt at leeching off of you, or however he wants to view it, then fine. You can take his money and use it to buy your friends drinks, or something. “How about you buy the groceries —”

“Because you hate going to the grocery store?” Jungkook interrupts knowingly.

Your heart warms. Why does he remember that seemingly obscure fact about you? “Yeah,” you say. “So. You do the grocery shopping, and pay the utilities, because I remember you taking hour long fucking showers.”

“Is it a crime to like being thoroughly clean?”

“Not a crime. Just a drain on the water bill. Hence why you’ll be the one to pay it.”

His resulting laugh is loud, open. It sounds more free than the other laughs he’s given you since his return. Almost a return to the Jungkook of old.

But then the laughter dies, and his dark eyes trail over you. Searching. For what? You’ve not clue. He swallows. “Blue,” he says, and the way he says your nickname sets your skin ablaze. “Are we really doing this? You’re sure?”

You understand his repeated checking in with you. Really. For you to go from giving him an icy shoulder for years to offering him your spare room in exchange for pennies and potatoes, you recognize that’s a large leap from where the two of you had left off. A huge leap. A seemingly out of nowhere leap.

But Jungkook hasn’t been inside your head the past four years. He hasn’t even been here. Hasn’t been here to bear witness to the potent regret that trailed you like a stubborn shadow; to parties, to bars, to your clinic, everywhere.

Your throat dries up. Suddenly, you hear nothing but the low thudding of your heartbeat, see nothing but Jungkook’s dark, eager eyes. Suddenly, there is nothing in the entire world but you and Jeon Jungkook.

So you have to shake off that feeling before you can dive down the endless well once again. Only brain damage awaits you down there.

“We’re doing this,” you affirm, using the opportunity to break that thick moment. You wipe off the rock dust from your bare legs and give Jungkook your best dazzling smile. “So why don’t we start by getting you moved in?”

“Oh,” he says. “Uh, yeah.” He rises to his feet with the power of his legs exclusively, gracing you with a smile, and though you spot some uncertainty hidden in the cleft of his lip, Jungkook is unfailingly polite enough to attempt to hide it.

What you feel right now, however, is nothing but sure.

This is a chance, plopped in your lap. A real, solid chance to rebuild your friendship with Jungkook. A chance to attempt to remedy the past. Chances like this don’t come by often. This is the first in four years. It may be the last.

“Hotel first?” you ask.

“Hotel first,” he agrees.

——

Contrary to Jungkook’s misgivings about how horribly put-on you’d be to help him, helping him isn’t actually all that difficult.

The two of you walk back down Sangsaeng’s trails, chattering far more than you had on the way up. You were grateful for it; some of the tension had been effectively dissolved, the ice broken, leaving you at least edging closer to the place where the two of you had been years ago.

You start to put his bike on the bike rack on the back of your Jeep, but Jungkook insistently takes over, and you reluctantly let him take his bike to attach it to the spot beside yours. Once you’re both settled in your car, you take off for Jungkook’s hotel. You walk with him up to his hotel and help him pack what little items he did have, stubbornly ignoring his claims that you don’t have to help him, because, like, who does he think you are? A raging asshole?

(Well, maybe a mild asshole. Sometimes. But not a raging one. At least, not in years. And never intentionally.)

You stand next to him as he turns in the hotel room’s keycard to the hotel’s receptionist, and then, armed with his four duffels, you both climb back in your trusty Jeep and take off to your apartment.

Now you’re in the elevator, Jungkook carrying three of his duffels and you carrying only one — because Jungkook had stubbornly ignored your persistent claims for equality — while the elevator slowly traverses up eight floors.

“I’m in 8A,” you inform him. “First door when we step off the elevator.”

He nods, but says nothing, fingers thrumming against his duffel.

The elevator door slides open on the 8th floor, and Jungkook needlessly extends his tattoo-sleeved arm and thick, similarly-tattooed fingers to hold it open for you as you exit the elevator, followed by Jungkook.

And then, faster than even you can take in, his arm braces out in front of you, causing you to jolt to a stop. You crane your neck to give Jungkook a curious look, and he only shakes his head, eyes dark, putting a tattooed finger to his lip.

The brittle, alarmed look in his gaze is enough to keep you quiet, enough to raise your hackles.

Then his eyes settle forward once again, looking at your apartment door, still bristled.

When your eyes follow his, the surrounding tense air thick and heavy like molasses, you brace for the worst. Instead, you immediately relax upon seeing what’s got him so on edge. Or rather, who.

You roll your eyes. You forgot how protective Jungkook can be. He’s so mild-mannered and then boom. Quick as a hair trigger, ready to puff up and fight at a millisecond’s notice.

“Hoseok!” you call out amicably, hoping your usage of the man’s name will put Jungkook right.

The man turns around from your front door, a handful of packages in his arms, overflowing, almost. He brightens when he sees it’s you, and shakes his elbow by way of greeting, considering his arms are full. “Hey, Blue! Don’t mind me.”

“Oh, I mind you,” Jungkook mutters under his breath.

You elbow him lightly in the ribs before moving forward, encroaching on Hoseok standing in front of your doorway, right on the welcome mat. “Let me guess. They delivered your package to the wrong address again?”

He pouts, sighing. “I don’t know how they always get it so wrong. You’re apartment 8A. I’m 8C. A. C. Two completely different letters.”

“Wow, someone passed kindergarten,” says Jungkook. “Remind me, what’s 2 + 2 again?”

Hoseok looks up to face him, clearly bewildered.

You ignore Jungkook. “Honestly? I think the delivery people are just too lazy to walk down the hall,” you say, grabbing some of the packages from his hand to help him in his perusal of them. “This one’s yours,” you say, tucking the small package into the crook of your elbow. “This one’s for Ms. Kang in 8D… This one’s for 8B, so it’s for Mina…” You frown. “Is there even anything for me?”

Hoseok laughs lightly. “Did you order anything for you?”

“Well, no, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t make me jealous being the dropoff for everyone else’s packages.” You sigh playfully. “Want my help dropping these off to their rightful owners?”

“Sure—” He stops when he looks at Jungkook behind you, suddenly looking slightly nervous. “Actually, nah. You look like you’re busy. I’ve got it this time.”

“They really should pay you for doing their job for them,” you tease.

Hoseok steps back, shrugging. “I don’t mind it. Hey, though — are we still on for parasailing next weekend?”

“Of course. I’m really looking forward to it.”

He nods, smiling his friendly, wide smile that he gives everyone, a lock of brown hair dangling off his forehead. He’s a man with a lean build, an attractive guy for sure.

The recall of Joy’s ringing voice in the back of your head reminds you of when she’d asked you, why haven’t you fucked the shit out of your hot neighbor yet?

You have never given her anything more than a joke for an answer, but the real answer is because you know it would be awkward after, so.

You don’t do casual sex with friends very well.

Strangers? Yeah. Friends—or anyone you are literally forced into seeing on the regular? Absolutely not. Never again.

Feeling Jungkook staring, you say, “I’ll call you with the deets. Now, I’m not sure, so don’t hold me at gunpoint to this, but I think Sana managed to score us a steep discount because she fucked the paragliding lady.”

Hoseok shakes his head fondly. “Of course she would. I’ll give her my thanks if her sacrifice saves me fifty bucks.” Then he turns to face Jungkook. “Sorry about that, dude. I’m Jung Hoseok. I live down the hall.”

“Yeah, I gathered that,” Jungkook replies flatly.

You shoot him a narrow-eyed stare.

He sighs. “I’m Jeon Jungkook. Blue’s new roommate.”

Hoseok’s eyes sparkle at that, his mouth widening into a comical ‘o’ before he looks at you. “Damn, Blue. Been a while since you had a roommate. Not since that one dude. The tall one who always dressed like he just walked off a magazine catalogue, you know?” Hoseok tilts his head, thinking, and you eagerly try to stop him before he says it via neighbor telepathy. (That’s gotta be a thing, right? Because Hoseok’s somehow always available when you run out of salt and need to borrow some). And yet, all your burst blood vessels and neighbor telepathy do jack shit, for he pays your clear distress no heed as he tries to remember. “Jin, right?” He looks at you with a smile, as if happy that he managed to remember.

Shit. You forgot how loose-lipped Hoseok was. You shake your head, eyes wide at him, and his own eyes widen as he clearly catches on that he made a social faux pas. “Oh — I. Um. Yeah. I gotta jet. If I don’t deliver these packages, no one will.” With an awkward laugh and even more awkward two-fingered wave over his shoulder, he practically scuttles away, holding the excess of packages tight to his chest. “I’ll catch y’all later!”

You watch as he drops Mina’s packages on her doormat before quickly veering down the hall and to the right to continue his self-imposed delivery duty.

Refusing to look at Jungkook, you use the resulting silence as the chance to grab your keys out of your pocket and unlock your front door, kicking the door open wide for Jungkook. “Here we are,” you say, levelly, extending your arms as if parading off an art piece. “My little slice of heaven.”

Jungkook doesn’t say anything, and you swallow, feeling awkward.

You move forward; your open concept, large kitchen immediately in view off the entranceway. “Here’s the kitchen,” you say, stupidly — wondering if Jungkook’s going to make a sarcastic remark about how he’s glad you’ve graduated from learning colors to rooms in a home, but he doesn’t. You turn to face him, his expression unreadable as he drops one duffel on your marbled kitchen island, the other two on the floor beside it. Then you extend your arms to the back of the apartment; your floor-to-ceiling windows, your cozy living room. The hard wood floors and fluffy rug atop them. “The living room,” you say, voice a bit high, like you’re a paid spokesperson for your own home.

Why are you being so odd?

You walk off the open space and down the small hallway. You open the hall closet, showing him the assortment of freshly washed sheets, blankets, and towels inside, as well as all the cleaning supplies. “For all your linen and cleaning needs.”

Still, he says nothing.

Then, to the left, you open the door to reveal a stark room. There’s an empty desk complete with a rolling desk chair and a made queen-size bed. You grimace at the bedset; a floral pattern of pinks and reds entwined. “Sana really wanted me to get that bed-set. Sometimes she crashes here when she’s drunk. But, uh, since the room is yours for the time being, you’re welcome to buy your own, of course.”

“The bedset is fine,” Jungkook says drily.

Right. You step into the room, moving toward the center, where the closet door is. You open it to reveal a decent-sized, empty closet. “All yours,” you say. Then you head out of the room, and wordlessly, Jungkook tails you. You open the next door down on the left to reveal the guest bathroom. “And you can consider this one yours unless guests are over, because I’ve got my own en suite.” You point to the door across the hall, on the right. “That’s my room. And… That’s it. That’s my apartment. Worse places to live, right?”

Jungkook turns to face you silently, and then he leans against the hallway wall, crossing his arms across his chest. “You told me your last roommate was Jimin. Who’s Jin?”

Ugh. Fuck.

You’re definitely going to be sprinkling cajun salt under Hoseok’s pillow for retribution.

Technically you never told him Jimin was your last. But. Yeah.

“Just some guy,” you lie, waving that off with a hand so Jungkook doesn’t feel it necessary to continue grilling you. “Do you like the apartment? Think you can bear to stay for a while?”

Jungkook’s eyes search your face, his irises almost black, intense and scrutinizing.

Then he sighs and straightens. The terse aura dissipates at that, and he says, “The apartment is great, Blue. Thanks for allowing me to kick it here.”

“Always,” you say, grateful that he’s ready to segue past this little blip.

Jungkook leaves you standing in the hallway while he goes to grab the duffels h’d left in the foyer, carrying all four of them with ease into your guest room. Jungkook’s room, now, you remind yourself.

Despite the weird aura, the part of this situation where Jungkook is living in the room isn’t really the odd part. In fact, it makes you almost giddy. Not just to have someone to share your living space with, but Jungkook, of all people.

Hope crests within you. This is going to be good. So good. You get to help him — he who has always, unfailingly been there for you — and get to have him back in your life. It’s a win-win.

(And yet, guilt crawls up the ribs of your throat. It’s a win-win for you. For Jungkook? Doubtful.)

You stand in the doorway to his room and watch as he begins to pull things out of his duffel and unpack, surveying him as you watch the way his biceps flex while he moves about the room, ensuring everything he puts away is carefully folded and properly pristine.

He’s always been a clean freak.

You keep things nice and clean for the most part, but you don’t live and die by cleanliness. Definitely not to the extent Jungkook does.

“Here,” you say, setting the keys to your car down on the still-empty desk. “Feel free to use the Jeep for whatever you need. You can use it for the rest of the day, even.”

Slowing down in his folding of a pair of joggers, Jungkook eyes the keys unsurely. “… Are you sure I can?” He sets the pants down, striding toward you, a knot between his brows.

“Of course,” you assure him. “Now, I’ve got to shower because Joon and Joy are coming over in a few hours, so you’re good, right?”

Jungkook nods, giving you an appreciative look as he comes to a stop in front of you. So close, yet not close enough. “Thank you, Blue. You don’t know how much your help means to me.”

A pleasantness vibrates throughout you.

You wonder if Jungkook remembers all the times he’d taken care of you, in years gone by? In more ways than you can count, in more significant ways than you can express, in more important ways than you could ever repay him.

You certainly remember, even as you try hard not to. Even as you try to bury it all down and forge forward.

But then Jungkook leans forward and hugs you.

It’s quick, barely there, just an awkward, one-armed hug like that of near-strangers, and nothing like the burrowing, lengthy hugs you used to share, but it’s a hug all the same.

A hug from fucking Jeon Jungkook.

Your brain completely on the fritz, you don’t manage to comprehend what’s happening and hug him back in time before he pulls away, giving you one of his sweet, small smiles — more of a ghost of a tug of his lips than a smile, eyes gently twinkling.

“Really, Blue,” he murmurs. “Thank you.”

And, your car keys ensconced in his palm, he walks past you and exits your apartment.

Against your rationally best wishes, you feel yourself deflating slightly in his absence, but you shake that off by reminding yourself that even though Jungkook had left — this time, he’ll be back.

Jungkook had come back. Here’s here now. For the time being.

And, for now, that’s all that matters.

#jungkook #bts #jungkook x reader #jungkook x oc #bts fic #bts fanfic #jeon jungkook #jjk #bts series #cyc #cyclicism #jungkook fic #bts fanfiction

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julietapark · 5 months

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💔💔💔💔

Here it is…

***[NOTICE] Information on Military Enlistment of BTS Members (RM, Jimin, V, Jung Kook)

Hello.

This is BIGHIT MUSIC.

Thank you for your continued love and support for BTS. We would like to update you on RM, Jimin, V and Jung Kook's upcoming enlistment into the military.

RM, Jimin, V and Jung Kook will fulfill their required time with the military by enlisting in the army. RM and V will be enlisting according to their respective procedures, while Jimin and Jung Kook are scheduled to enlist together. Please note that there will be no official event on the day of their entry.

The entrance ceremony is a time to be observed by military personnel and their families only. To prevent any issues that might occur from crowding, fans are advised to refrain from visiting the site. Please convey your warm regards and encouragement in your hearts only.

We also advise you not to get adversely affected by purchasing unauthorized tours or product packages that illegally use the artist's IP. Our company will take necessary action against any attempts at commercial activity making unauthorized use of such IP.

We ask for your continued love and support for RM, Jimin, V and Jung Kook until they complete their military service and return. Our company will also strive to provide all the support they need during this time.

Thank you.***

Ohhh I miss them already… But I think I will need to write a post about Jimin an Jungkook enlisting together… it’s something so important… Their relation is so deep and absolutely special… And they know what we think about them… and how their bond is perceived by us, but they are doing this amazing thing no matter what.

Do all this together, for whatever the reasons -we won’t ever truly know maybe one day in the future they will say something… but by now it seems for me such a amazing and big thing… How much you can trust your bond, feelings and friendship to decide to do a 18 months change of life TOGETHER.

It is 🤯😍😊🤔 all at once…

Ohh I love this kind hearted boys.

Long life to the 7.

#jimin #jungkook #kookmin #jikook #rm #bts #taehyung

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kmgoogiemin · 1 year

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jikook deserve to be together

we need them together in units, at events, on live

my absolute fear is jimin being made to go before jungkook debuts, and it’s scary with the way things are going i can see that possibly happening, just have to hope and pray it won’t

but it seems like they (not jikook themselves) are really trying to limit jikook as much as possible this year

when was the last time we got them paired for something? and unfortunately it seems to be working, the hatred for jikooks relationship is getting worse and worse everyday, the most disgusting groups of people are acting worse because they feel like they are winning, and jikooks relationship and bond is constantly getting ignored

it’s so sad, maybe it’s for their own safety due to what’s coming, and we know for a fact they both stay far away from social media, so we are the ones who see 99% of the all the disgusting things said about their bond and how everyone will hype up anything other than jikook

then the second we will get some jikook the hate just comes again, but if we don’t get any jikook then everyone spreads the narrative that they aren’t close anymore

it’s so obvious how much jikook scares everyone, because it’s so clear the difference between their relationship/bond at anyone else’s. Everything else is a clear friendship, brothers, people who have known each other for over 10 years, yet jikook has all of that, PLUS the romantic aspect, the soulmates aspect, the connection that they have is out of this world, you can’t replicate what they have, and they’ll always choose each other

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smolwritingchick · 5 months

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The Bangtan Gal Chapter 39- How Much You're Loved

Chapter Summary: Jen is in the hospital, after collapsing from exhaustion while ARMY trends positive messages for her on Twitter. The members think of memories and thoughts when they first met her

Words: 7,000+

Genre: FLUFF with all the members! Sweet chapter.

Author's Note: Just a random thought as I edited. I'm not a shipper for BTS or ship anyone with anybody in K-Pop but you know how people ship Jimin and Jungkook? Or just absolutely love their bond together and make tons of videos and content about them? I feel like people would do that with Jennie and Taehyung, having those two be the most shipped together. I love their friendship. And rereading and editing through the part about him and her really got me thinking a lot about their bond. It's truly sweet. Also I think my admiration for him and him being my bias in BTS is also a factor hehe. Truly the best.

----

“I don’t get why you would want to go to South Korea.”

“What do you mean why? Why not?”

“I just...don’t think it would be wise. It’s right by North Korea. It’s dangerous.”

“It’s dangerous everywhere.”

“You could get kidnapped or something.”

“You can get kidnapped anywhere, unfortunately."

“I’m sorry, I can’t support this.”

“Are you serious? Please, Auntie, don’t discourage me.”

Jen stared at Aunt with a frown. Family came over for a big dinner, a little get together, and her mother proudly announced that she was going to Korea to become a trainee for Big Hit Entertainment. Of course, her family had no idea what that was, so Jen explained it was a company in the K-Pop industry and she always wanted to perform and work with that genre.

For some members, the news didn’t sit right, including her mother’s sister.

For the other family members, they were supportive and thrilled that she still wanted to perform despite the rough ending with Amity. Perhaps if she stayed in America, they would react differently. They would be more supportive instead of reluctant.

“Maybe you should just stick to school and go to college like your sisters are aiming for.” Her Grandmother spoke out.

“Yes, she could do something with singing and dancing at school. Problem solved.” Her grandfather agreed.

“I feel as though she needs to think of a backup plan besides singing and dancing. She can’t do that forever. Proper education is a must. Go to Law school, like my dad.” An older cousin suggested as Jen fought the urge to roll her eyes.

She sighed and sat her fork down, losing her appetite to eat as she kept hearing various comments about her career goals.

Do this.

Go to this.

Learn this.

Go to this college.

Don’t go to Korea.

Don’t do this forever.

All you do is do this. Set your priorities straight.

Same.Old.Bull.Shit.

“She should stay in America. Your daughter will not survive being in a place like Korea.”

“I agree, she’s still a little girl. She’s going to be there all alone. Miles away. That’s emotionally draining. How could let her do this? I don’t want my niece to be in a country like that. Right near North Korea? Do you not know what they are doing over there?”

It’s like this world is driven by fear...why must fear stop us from doing what we want to do? Live, we only have one life.

Jen’s mother did not hide her annoyance in her voice as she spoke, “Well, I am her mother and I support her. Whatever MY child wants to do, she’s going to do it.”

Her mother was in the same boat when she was Jen’s age. She wanted to do something different and did it, despite the family protests. She wanted Jen to do the same and never be discouraged.

“And are you really going to risk it?” Her sister questioned her reasons.

“You’re paranoid. Shit happens everywhere.”

“She’s going to be miles away!”

“She’ll be busy but we will all try to visit when we can. It’s going to be okay.”

“That distance? Are you sure you’ll be able to handle that? I’m just scared about her going to-“

“Would you cut it out? It’s final. She’s going. You’re not changing my mind.” Jen heard her mother snap.

It’s like when someone wants to think outside the box and do something different instead of family traditions, you’re automatically questioned. They’ll try everything they can to change your mind.

Jen broke that cycle.

-------

All seven of the boys were inside the hospital room while Jen was lying on the bed, still unconscious. The doctor was in the room with them, informing them of what happened.

“She needs a lot of rest. Her body shut down due to exhaustion. And she has a concussion. She must’ve hit her head hard when she fell. We’ll run more tests later. The seven of you can wait in the waiting room. I can let you know when she wakes up.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Namjoon spoke up. “We’re gonna stay here with her until she wakes up.”

The doctor stared at them, astonished. “A-all seven of you?”

“Yes. I hope that won’t be a problem.” Jin smiled.

“A-Are you family?”

“Yes.” Yoongi’s deep voice was heard. Although not related by blood, they were still family to her. “We want to stay with her. We won’t cause any trouble.”

“Please.” Jungkook’s plea was heard as he looked at the doctor with desperation. He didn’t want to leave her. He wanted to stay with her until she woke up.

“A-all right.” The doctor accepted their request and took his leave.

The boys let out a sigh and made themselves comfortable around the room. Namjoon scrolled through his Twitter feed already seeing the K-Pop news headlines

‘BREAKING! Jennie from BTS collapses during dance practice.’

Angelina was quick to call him to ask how she was doing and he informed her of the details. She went out of her way to let Jen’s sisters know so they could let their parents know. Her sisters were freaking out but her parents remained calm on the outside yet obviously worried on the inside, trying to stay optimistic and were glad that it wasn’t anything worse.

This wasn’t the first time Jen had overworked herself and collapsed. Her mom resisted the urge to give her a lecture when she woke up like she did the first time back in the Amity days.

“This girl does not know what your body can’t run 24/7 means.” Her mom would vent.

But she was glad it wasn’t anything worse and planned to send her a large box of snacks and other favorite food.

On Twitter, there were hashtags for Jennie, such as #GetWellJennie as ARMY came in defense of her against the Antis. The passion and support of ARMY were always underestimated and Antis found out the hard way.

‘Who do I have to kill!? Why are ya’ll ganging up on my girl Jennie!

#JennieProtectionSquad’

‘These antis can catch these hands! I hope she’s okay!’

Jimin’s talk with Jennie helped her ease up on the doubts from the Anti tweets, but she still felt like she should work harder. Thanks to growing insomnia, she couldn’t sleep much and she was so fixated on getting to dance practice early that she didn’t even eat any breakfast. That and the lack of rest was the main cause of this situation.

On Twitter, one of the more popular BTS fan accounts tweeted,

‘Let’s make an I Love Jennie tread. Keep replying to this tweet. I Love Jennie because she showed me that dreams do come true.’

‘I love Jennie because her smile warms my heart. I’ll have a bad day but once I see her, I cheer right up’

‘I love Jennie because she is a chocolate goddess. This black beauty deserves nothing but love. #WeLoveYouJennie

‘I love Jennie because she took the time to listen to my passion for singing during her singing exhibit and gave me advice.’

‘I love Jennie because she’s one of the kindest souls ever. I love this black queen!’

‘I love Jennie because her hair is goals and I’m looking forward to the day when she surprises us all with a new hair color’

‘I love Jennie because you can sing like a dying cat but when she harmonizes with you, it’ll sound nice!’

‘I love Jennie for her love for Ailee and I hope she gets to meet her and collab with her one day’

‘I love Jennie because she’s the wildcard of BTS and full of surprises. You learn and see something new from her from time to time that you never expected’

‘I love Jennie because of her cute cartwheel obsession. One day I hope she gets to do cartwheels on stage like she wants’

‘I love Jennie because of her special friendship with Yoongi. They’re like Yin and Yan’

‘I love Jennie because of how much she cares for her fans and members.’

‘I love Jennie because of how supportive she is and how she always yells, “THAT’S MY BEST FRIEND!” to Jungkook.’

‘I love Jennie because of how good her guitar skills are’

‘I love Jennie because she represents my ideal type’

‘I love Jennie because her friendship with Jungkook is goals. I wish I had her as a friend.’

‘I love Jennie because her laugh is infectious‘

‘I love Jennie because of how outgoing she is and she makes it seem like a breeze to talk to new people.’

‘I love Jennie because she’s BAE and seeing her happy makes my day a lot better’

‘I love Jennie because she’s humble and down to earth.’

‘I love Jennie because I know she has a lot of surprise talents up her sleeve as a Member of BTS and I can’t wait to see it. Falsetto? DJing?’

‘I love Jennie because of her friendship with Amber. They’re like twins!’

‘I love Jennie because she spoke out about being white washed and wanted to embrace her natural skin color. Show off that chocolate!’

‘I love Jennie because of her stunning visuals that are highly underappreciated’

‘I love Jennie because she’s the one with the curls representing the girls!’

‘Every BTS member is needed and talented! They each bring something unique to the group. #WeLoveYouJennie’

‘This is despicable. Social media should be fun, not hateful. Leave Jennie alone. #WeLoveYouJennie’

‘Jennie got me into K-Pop. As soon as I saw an African American in the K-Pop industry, I was skeptical but proved wrong by her efforts.’

‘She may not look like your average kpop idol based on beauty standards in Korea, but she’s certainly one of the prettiest girls I’ve seen.’

‘Whoever calls this precious munchkin ugly needs to get their eyes checked. #WeLoveYouJennie’

Angelina tweets, ‘You deserve so much more, sis. Stay strong. I love you. #WeLoveYouJennie’

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Jen felt herself regain consciousness. But she couldn’t open her eyes because her eyelids felt heavy, due to lack of sleep. She could hear the beeping noise, figuring that she was in the hospital. She mentally scolded herself for ending up here and the fact that she didn’t take better care of herself.

She already knew once she was able to move, she would feel just how bad her headache was thanks to hitting her head on the dance floor.

“Can you hear me?” She heard a deep voice next to her.

‘Yeah, I hear you Namjoon.’

“Ah...I started thinking. About our first moments together. Remember when you thought I hated you? You were intimated by me and my sunglasses.” He let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head.

‘Oh God...’ She mentally groaned. ‘I’m kind of glad you don’t wear them anymore.’

----

“A girl in the group?!” Namjoon questioned in disbelief, unable to hide his frustration. “So, we have to wait longer?” He clenched his fists. He was seated with Bang PD when he broke the news to him.

It aggravated him.

He was already waiting so long to debut and now he had to wait longer because a girl was joining? Honestly, Namjoon wasn’t happy with the idea at first, mainly because he was so impatient and eager to debut, that he didn’t want to wait any longer because of another new member.

Bang PD had explained his reasons for making BTS a Coed group instead and he respected his wishes. Bang PD informed him to go to the audition in a few weeks to watch the girls perform, to observe them himself and to pick out who he thought would be the best as the Bangtan Girl. He was the leader after all.

When the audition day came, Namjoon walked in with an eager Taehyung who wanted to tag along to see this “Ennie.” person at the audition. His eyes, covered with his sunglasses, examined each girl who was auditioning until his eyes went to Jennie.

An interesting outfit choice, he thought as he checked out the Nike brand she wore. He guessed that maybe Nikes were her favorite since she showed it off a lot. Namjoon somewhat admired the effort of looking the part.

He watched with interest as the ladies performed the Bulletproof choreography. Each of the girls seemed to have the energy but some stood out more than others. Namjoon had his head down, listening to each of the girls’ verses when they had to perform their custom verse for Bulletproof.

Badda bing badda boom

Jennie’s here

I have no fear...so don’t try to stop me. Hah!

Tellin’ me your doubts...won’t change my mind

Jennie’s sudden rapping and passion in her voice, caused Namjoon to slowly look up at whose voice it belonged to as he continued to watch her with interest. Taehyung danced and nodded his head to her verse with a big smile on his face.

After she was done, everyone applauded her, as Namjoon nodded in approval, clapping himself. She had the potential as a rapper, although it was extremely clear that she was more of a singer. If she was interested and willing to learn, he was confident that Yoongi could transfigure her into a triple threat.

“Isn’t she awesome?” Tae commented with a boxy grin.

“You’ve met her before?”

“Yeah. That’s Ennie! Well, her name is Jennifer. She used to be a part of this group in America. But she left. She doesn’t like to talk about it. So, I leave the conversation alone. She’s very nice. I hope she’s Miss Bangtan. I love being around her.”

‘Jennifer, huh?’ He thought.

---

"MEET THE NEWEST MEMBER OF BTS! THE BANGTAN GIRL! JENNIE IS HERE!”

Taehyung’s yell was heard at the entrance of the dorm as yells and happy screams of excitement were heard from the other members. Namjoon couldn’t help but smile.

As the dance practices went by, Jennie noticed Namjoon watching her closely and decided to have a chat with him after practice, alone. He doesn’t speak with her as much as she does with the other members. And she felt a weird vibe with him.

“I’m just going to say it. Do you hate me or something?”

Taken aback at her sudden question, Namjoon raised a brow. “What gave this reasoning?”

“Can you take your glasses off?” She requested and he took them off, looking at her in the eyes. “I just get this vibe and I’m wondering if I did something wrong.”

He let out a sigh and decided to say what was on his mind since she became Miss Bangtan. “I don’t hate you. I’m just very passionate about this. I dunno a lot about you. But from what I’ve heard, you left one group. I’ve been waiting a long time for BTS to debut. Members had come and go. Are you going to leave this one?”

Holding his stare with serious eyes, she replied committedly, “No. I won’t leave. And I’m not leaving. I know it was tough waiting to debut and all but I’m not going to back out, no matter how long the wait will be. I won’t come and go like the others. I’m here to stay, I’m here to work hard, and I’m here to grow a bond with you and the rest of the members. I want to grow with you guys.”

He took her words in and nodded. “I apologize if I gave you the intention of hating you. I don’t hate you, Jen.”

She smiled and nodded. “Y’know, you’re kind of intimidating with the shades.” They share a laugh. “But you’re a chill guy and I admire your passion for this group and I hope that I can live up to the expectations. My body is always aching after every dance practice. This company has made me go to lengths I have never gone before and my body isn’t used to it yet. But don’t slow down because I’ll catch up. The pain, it’s worth it.”

And after their debut, Jen had pulled Namjoon to the side, wrapping her arms around him for a tight hug. “Thank you for not giving up on me and supporting me. You’re the best leader I could ever ask for.”

-----

“Thanks for not giving up on me as your leader. I know back in America, your leader was rough, but I’m happy that you’re happy here. You’ve grown a lot since our debut. I just really hope you take it easy next time. Go at your pace. Like you’ve been doing since you got here. The body can’t run 24/7 Jen. You gotta rest. We’ll be fine for our next comeback.” Namjoon patted her hand and stood up from the chair that was next to her hospital bed.

‘Namjoon...don’t make me cry, I don’t need this right now.’

“Sweetie?”

‘Mom...?’

“Can you hear me, sweetheart?”

‘Yes.’

“It’s Jin.”

‘Ha, thought it was my mom for a second...’

When Jin saw Jen fall to the floor, his parental instincts popped in as he went on the floor to help her. He was so worried for her wellbeing. He hadn’t expected her to drop down like that. He had a feeling she didn’t eat any breakfast because there were no dishes in the sink that day. She would usually eat her favorite brand of cereal that was shipped to her from America.

Honestly, when Namjoon and V informed him that BTS would have a girl in the group, Jin was all for it, already making plans to protect her and act like a parent. Although his parenting ways drove Jen bonkers, she knew he just cared deeply.

While Jimin tweeted about Jennie being OK and resting in the hospital, Jin began to ponder about the time he helped her with her period.

-----

He heard noise from the laundry room and knew it was Jennie because of the pitch of her voice. He woke up early, planning on making breakfast for the dorm but couldn’t help but ponder if everything was okay with her.

“What am I gonna do-what am I gonna do-what am I gonna do!?” He heard her cry out in a hushed voice. Worried, he walked into the laundry room to see her fumbling with blood stained sheets as his nerves calmed down.

Period.

Nothing bad, thankfully.

“Is everything okay, sweetheart?” His deep voice startled her as she dropped the bloody bed sheets, turning around to face him anxiously.

He knew she was embarrassed but she had no reason to be. He knew all about situations like this, he was in his 20s after all. He had this urge to parent her. He can only imagine being so far away from your family members.

Sure, he’s busy and doesn’t see his family often but at least he’s still in the same country. But with Jennie, he pondered how much of an emotional toll it sprung on her, being miles away, in another country. He wanted her to feel at home like her parents were still with her. So, he took on the motherly role, while Namjoon went on with the fatherly role. But then it soon became a habit, considering he was the oldest.

-----

The main thing Jin was worried about Jennie and even Jungkook was that they were both growing up too fast for his liking. What made him come to that reality was when the two of them performed for War of Hormone. That was just too adult. And it was probably going to get worse as they got older.

He just...wasn’t ready. When Jen gets a boyfriend and Jungkook gets a girlfriend, he hasn’t even thought of his reaction when he finds out. It seemed like just yesterday that she came in, with Taehyung in their dorm as she introduced herself.

“You, my preciousness, are growing up a little too fast for my liking,” Jin murmured as he placed a hand on her head.

‘Am I now? I’m not looking forward to your future freakouts.’ She thought with amusement.

“But I enjoy watching you grow into a young lady. Although the dancing can be kept at a TV-Y7...” He trailed off.

‘WOW, Jin...’

“Are you really scolding her while she’s asleep?” Yoongi grumbled.

“Jin, leave her alone.” Jimin groaned.

“What? I’m just...parenting.” Jin got up from his seat.

While the Hyung line went to get food, Taehyung checked on Jennie, as he let out a shaky, deep breath.

‘Taehyung...I can notice that deep voice anywhere. Have you been crying?’

He had been crying since she dropped to the floor. It killed him to see her like that, and it was something he hoped he would never have to see again. The only sight he wanted to see was her smiling and being happy. That was it.

Tae could remember his meeting with her like it was yesterday. And ever since that day, he always thought of her as a little sister.

-----

He had just finished practicing in one of the dance studios where he noticed her, packing up her bag. He had never seen her before and assumed she was one of the new trainees.

She didn’t look Asian and had colored skin so he assumed that she was from another country as well. Being the eager, talkative person he was, he decided to make his way to her, with a boxy grin on his face.

“Hello~!” He happily greeted and she turned around to face him. Her hair was a big, puffy mess, thanks to the perspiration and exhaustion that was clearly shown on her face since she spent hours practicing. But her warm smile, caused him to grin even wider.

“H-hi! Are you talking to me?”

English, so was she from America?

Taehyung decided to go with his gut and his broken English skills to ask her if she was American. Despite his efforts to speak in English, she switched to Korean so he could communicate with her more comfortably.

He was astonished that she was training to be the Bangtan Girl and her positive interest in finding out that he’s a secret member of BTS, made him even happier. He was looking forward to BTS getting a female member and had secretly hoped that Jen would be the one.

They were inseparable after their first meeting, and the more they got to know each other, the more Taehyung hoped for her to get that Bangtan Girl spot. If another girl had gotten it, would he ever see her again? And if the BTS schedule starts to get fuller, would he even have time to keep in touch?

He didn’t want to lose a precious friendship such as this that he had with her.

As they both were secret members, before debuting, their friendship grew since they were forced to stay out of the Vlogs and other BTS videos. It made them upset that they had to stay on the sidelines while the rest of the members did their thing. Tae would often vent to her about how he

felt about it and she would always listen.

“I always wanted a brother. It’s just me and my two older sisters. It’s nice to be around girls but there are times where I wished what it would be like to be a sister to a guy.” Jennie had revealed to him as they lay in her bed, watching cartoons on her laptop.

A deep chuckle escaped Taehyung as he turned to her. “You already have brothers.”

“Huh?”

“Seven of them, actually.” He went on, looking at her in the eyes with a small smile. “We may not be related by blood but we’ll never leave your side. Sorry to tell you this, but, you’re stuck with us.” He giggled as he wrapped his arms around her, cheek to cheek, squeezing her tightly as she groaned at the pressure.

“Oh boy, what am I getting myself into?” She laughed with him.

------

“Please get better quickly,” Tae spoke up with sadness in his voice.

She hated it when he was upset. It was rare because he would always goof around. To hear him so sad, hurt her heart.

She soon heard another voice on her other side.

“Ennie. Do you understand how sad you make me feel when you’re like this?” Jimin asked.

‘Sorry Chim.’

When he found out that they were getting a girl member, he was interested in the idea. When he met Jennie, he was drawn to her friendliness and was always eager to speak with her. Sure, he

would often tease her, pretending that they were a couple, promoting JenMin, but that was just part of who he was.

-----

He would like to steal her away since she would hang around the rest of his hyungs. So, one morning, he snuck into her room, diving right on top of her as she groaned under the covers, waking up immediately.

“Get up~! We’re spending the day together!” He shouted as he snuggled into her.

“Let me sleep!” She yelled against her pillow.

“You’re usually up early! It’s morning! Rise and shine!”

“I stayed up late working with Yoongi.”

“Come on, get ready! Take a shower so we can hang out today! I’m tired of Yoongi hogging you, where’s our time together?” He moved off her so she could sit up.

“All right, all right.”

“You’re too slow.” He picked her up over his shoulder and placed her in her bathtub. As soon as he turned on the shower, she yelped at the sudden cold water, splashing on her skin.

“Jimin! You outta pocket!”

He giggled and ran out of the bathroom. He thought he should tick her off more often just for fun because her reactions would make his day.

-----

Backstage as they were shooting around the Red Bullet tour, Jimin decided to mess with the members with a camera. Jen tried to take a nap while sitting in one of the black chairs. She heard Jimin making these sound effects that Hobi would say and she opened her eyes to watch him mess with Hobi.

“Oh boy.” She let out a chuckle as she tried to go back to sleep.

Soon after, she became the next victim, hearing his sound effects right by her as he started putting his fingers under her chin and on her neck. Ticklish, she let out a laugh but ended up snorting.

The sound of her snort gained the attention of the Maknae line and they all ended up laughing at her. It was rare that she would snort while laughing. And it just happened to be in front of the camera Jimin was holding.

“Oh my God, you got that on camera!?” She shouted in her native tongue, covering her mouth as she felt her face heat up. “Delete that! Oh my God, Jimin! Please! Delete that jawn now!"

Soon after her embarrassment died down, she went back to napping while Tae and Jimin began to DJ on Tae’s tablet. It looked like they were using an app. She had the sudden urge to play on it herself but ignored it.

“Jennie! Are you ready!?” Jimin started playing around with the tablet as he went over to dance in front of her, stepping over her and standing over her legs as her feet rested on a chair.

“Why did you come to me?” She laughed, trying to push him away.

“Show us your DJing!” Tae offered.

“As tempting as that may sound, I’m not ready to show it yet. But use the beat on that side while pressing those three buttons. It’ll give it a better beat. It’s a little of key.” She pointed it out.

When they followed her instructions, they began to jam out to the beat, and the two of them began to dance around her.

“Boy, if you don’t get off me! I didn’t ask for a lap dance!” She lightly punched them in their stomachs as they laughed it off.

-----

“Don’t be discouraged, Ennie. You’re going to be just fine in BTS. Smile, live and don’t overwork yourself. I believe we have a bright future. All eight of us.” Jimin said with a smile.

“Ah, smartie. You’re stubborn as hell.” Yoongi watched her sleep.

He wasn’t a big fan of having a girl in the group at first. He thought it should’ve just been an all boy group and an all girl group if Bang PD was striving for that vision. He began to embrace the idea as he heard Taehyung speak highly of the girls who auditioned and Namjoon’s impression of the ladies.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.

When he met her, he was genuinely surprised she was a foreigner, but he still accepted her just like the others. He watched her keep up with the intense pace of Mr.Son’s choreography and the dedication to making sure their debut was top notch. He admired her effort.

He knew for a long time that she wanted to learn more about rapping. The way she would watch him in admiration as he rapped, to the glances whenever someone spoke of rapping, he knew. He just waited for her to speak up. He watched the Rookie King episodes, he saw her confession about her admiration for him. He was flattered and made him feel joyful that someone was just as passionate about what he does.

Although he didn’t say thank you enough for the kind gestures, he was always appreciative.

-----

Back in the studio, Jen had found Yoongi asleep in the studio by his computer with headphones on his ears. They were supposed to have a rap session but she saw how exhausted he was and decided to gently wake him up.

“H-hey you’ll get a cramp. It’s not pleasant. Migrate to the couch.” She helped him move.

As laid his back on the couch, she placed a blanket on him. She went to his chair and tried to work on the rap he told her to do for homework and found herself falling asleep after an hour.

When Yoongi woke up, he pondered how he got on the couch until he saw Jen asleep.

“This girl.” He shook his head, amused as he stretched and approached her. “Smartie, you’re going to get a cramp.”

“Five minutes pop pop...” He heard her mumble

Smirking with amusement, he easily picked her up and placed her on the couch, throwing the blanket on her as she slept comfortably. He went back to work, putting his headphones in, periodically glancing back at her sleeping.

Yoongi even remembered when she was the first to notice how in pain he was because of his appendix rupturing.

“No, you’re in pain.” She declared.

“I’ll be fine.”

“No, you won’t be at all if you don’t check it out. Something is wrong. You should get it checked out.”

Although she annoyed him with the constant questioning, he ended up speaking up about it and was flown back to Korea to go to the hospital for surgery. She wanted to come with him but was advised that he would be okay and to just focus on promotions.

-----

“I never thanked you, did I? Thanks for reacting so quickly. I hope you know that I’m still waiting for you to DJ for me. I haven’t forgotten. Do I have to write on your face to make you show me your skills live?”

‘Gee, you are persistent.’

“Oh stop bothering her about that. She’ll show you when she’s ready.” Hobi commented.

Hobi was always driving Jen nuts with his usual, loud sound efforts. There were times when she would place her hands over his shoulders and stare at him straight in the eye, asking, “What-is the matter with you!?”

It took him a while to open up to the idea of yet another member joining the group, but once he met her, he was thrilled and hoped that she could handle the intensity of their dances.

------

He remembered the goofy day when the members were Nay-Naying. Jen stood by as the camera filmed Jimin and Tae bumping into each other.

“YAHHHHHHH!”

Jen ended up laughing so loud, she held onto Hobi, who laughed with her.

“Jennie! We gotta retake it!” Jimin whined.

“I’m sorry! It was funny!” She exclaimed.

They took the video again, successfully as Jungkook joined in, walking into the camera frame, glancing at the both of them.

“YAHHHHHHH!”

Jin walked up to the three of them next.

“YAHHHHHHH!”

Soon after it was Hobi’s turn.

“YYAAAHHHH!”

“Hol’ up, hol’ up!” She raised a hand up in the air, walking towards them, standing in the middle.

She glanced at each member with a serious expression before leaning back with them to do the Nay Nay once again.

“YAHHHHHHH!”

She fell to the floor, unable to control her laughter while the rest goofed around. As they regrouped, they danced once more as Jungkook stood there, amused.

“YYAAAHHHH!”

She heard Hobi shout, “WHOOP! WHOOP! WHOOP! WHOOP!”

“YAAHHHHHH!”

Sounds of laughter filled Jen’s ears and everyone turned their attention to Yoongi who ran up to them.

“Yah~!” He said in a deep voice as he Nay Nayed. Everyone laughed at his actions as Jungkook fell to the floor and Jen started crying because the laughter was too much.

Hobi even remembered, that a week ago, Jen wanted to begin a prank war in the dorm and wanted Hobi to help her plan things out.

“Who do you want to get first?” He asked her as he sat on her bed.

“I know it’s risky but...I want Yoongi to be the first one. I have a prank up my sleeve. I want to do the smack cam on him. Have maybe whipped cream and smack the shit out of him.” She laughed.

“Jennie, I really don’t want you to die at this young age.”

“Ah, what’s the worst that can happen?”

“We shall soon find out.”

Hobi had anticipated when she could get back on her feet so they could begin the pranking. Watching Yoongi’s reaction was going to be horrifying, yet intriguing to see.

-----

As it was nighttime with the members were asleep Jen felt herself falling asleep until she felt a big, warm hand take hold of one of hers, giving it a gentle squeeze.

'I know that hand...is it you Kookie?'

“Can you hear me?” She heard Jungkook ask quietly.

‘Yes.’

“You really don’t know how much you’re loved, do you?” She heard him let out a soft chuckle.

“No matter what hate you get, the love people have for you will always conquer. Never forget that.”

‘I won’t Kookie...thank you.’

When he saw her fall, he felt helpless as he watched Namjoon and Jin rush up to her first. He just stood there, unable to move. He was absolutely devastated. He had wished that he could’ve done more instead of freezing up like that.

-----

Back when he found out that there would be a girl in the group, he was nervous. He was already shy enough around girls and now there would be one in the group? He wasn’t all for the idea but remained quiet. He hoped that he would not be nervous and manage to speak with her.

When he first saw her as the new member, he thought she was pretty and outgoing based on how she talked to the members when she introduced herself. He had remained quiet as she lived in the dorm but she soon started to notice.

“Hey! You okay?” She asked him one day at the dorm, in the room he stayed in. Her sudden question made him stare at her in bewilderment, before he shyly looked down, remaining silent.

“Ah, I guess you’re shy. Well, I hope you know that I’m gonna keep talking to you until you speak to me.” She teased.

As she looked around his side of the room, she noticed a variety of Iron Man merch. “You like Iron Man?”

Her question made his eyes light up as he finally looked at her in the eyes.

He smiled softly and gave a timid nod. “Best superhero there is.”

“Really? You know, I actually haven’t seen the movies.” She shrugged as he stared at her and shook his head.

How!?

“Are you kidding me? You haven’t lived!” He exclaimed as he felt himself opening up to her more.

“Oh really? Well, you wanna watch the movies together? You can give me a rundown on who is who and what’s going on.”

“Yeah!”

She smiled at his enthusiasm. She was delighted that she found something he could passionately talk to her about, despite the shyness. “I can pull it up on my laptop-“

“No need, I got them here. Let’s go to the living room.” He happily rushed out of the room as she let out a laugh at his eagerness.

Soon after that, their conversations began to consist of Iron Man, video games and they even began to talk about America.

“You been to America, right?”

“I went there to learn how to dance.” He murmured as he told her about how he wanted to go to the beach.

“One day, when we go back to America, we gotta walk around the beach together. Go swimming. It’s amazing there when the sun is set. You’ll love it. I can’t really explain it but once you’re there, you’ll enjoy it.”

-----

“You haven’t forgotten that, right? We were gonna walk on the beach the next time we go to America? We couldn’t do it when we filmed American Hustle Life, but the next time, we just gotta. I always wanted to walk on the beach with you-” He paused and shook his head. “I don’t know why I got so brave suddenly.”

‘Ha. I haven’t forgotten, Kook.’ She thought as she felt herself dozing off.

Jungkook glanced at the friendship ring as he remembered when he first got it.

---

He had found himself at a jewelry store, asking for custom made rings. He didn’t know how he did it but he went to measure her finger while she was asleep, so he could get the right size. He felt some sort of jealousy at how close she was getting with the other members but he wanted to be her best friend, so why not seal the deal with friendship rings?

He did feel childish for doing such an act, but he had hoped that their friendship would grow stronger because he always felt at ease when she was around.

“For a special lady? Girlfriend? Future girlfriend?” The lady behind the counter teased with a bright smile. Jungkook’s face had gotten so red, she thought he had an allergic reaction to something.

He was so nervous when he revealed the rings to her. But when she hugged him so tightly, he knew.

Something about her just made him always grin so hard that his face would hurt.

-----

“There’s something I always wanted to tell you...” He let out a breath. He paused for a few moments before shaking his head. “Ah, never mind. It’s not the right time. But I’ll tell you one day.”

The next morning, Jen finally fluttered her eyes as they slowly started to open. Her eyes adjusted as her surroundings began to clear up. As she moved her head, she let out a sharp hiss, immediately holding her head. Her body felt less tired thanks to the rest as she noticed the guys sleeping around the hospital room.

Most were on the floor. It was a cute sight. Yoongi was knocked out on the floor, Jimin and Taehyung cuddled up together and Namjoon was snoring loudly with his mouth wide open. She pondered how she was able to sleep through it as she suppressed a laugh. Jin and Hobi were asleep in chairs.

She slowly turned her head to see Jungkook resting his head on her bed, sound asleep in a chair.

“Kook?” She reached out and placed her hand on his head. She felt him stir and open his eyes.

When he finally saw that she was awake, he jumped out of his seat, launching himself into her for a big hug. He held her tightly as she let out a weak laugh while she heard him trying not to cry.

“I’m okay, I’m okay. No crying.” She murmured softly as she hugged him back.

“Don’t ever do that to me again.” She heard him. “You have no idea how worried I was about you. You scared the heck out of me.”

“I’m sorry I worried you.”

They stay like that for a moment, until he finally pulled away, taking a good look at her. A huge grin came across his face. “Hyungs! Hyungs! She’s awake!” He said, jumping all around to get them to wake up.

“YAY! SHE’S AWAKE!” She heard some of them scream.

“Ow!” She hissed. “Not so loud, I’m kind of sensitive to sound, right now.” She rubbed her temples.

“You see what you do!? Why would you scream, you know she has a concussion!” Jin scolded the boys, going on a full lecture while Namjoon managed to escape, to go get the doctor.

It was good to be awake and be surrounded by them.

She’ll never let this happen to her again.

After a few days, Jen was back on her bed, in the dorm. She talked with Bang PD as she thought about their conversation.

“I want you to rest for a full week. No activity, just rest. And we’ll see how you do after that. If you need more rest, we’ll just wait before filming for the next comeback.” He told her.

“But our comeback is coming up very soon.”

“And BTS’ health is more important. I refuse to have you work in this state.”

She followed his orders and was grateful that he was so focused on her taking it easy. He even planned to take legal action against the malicious comments. Her thoughts were interrupted when Hobi slammed a huge pack of water on her bed.

“Really?” She looked up from her phone.

“Gotta stay hydrated! How was your nap?” He smiled sweetly and placed a hand on top of her head affectionately.

“It was refreshing.”

“Good. I’m off to dance practice. Do you need anything before I go?”

“Smarties?”

“I’m always prepared.” He handed her a couple of rolls from his jacket.

Once he left, she opened the pack of water bottles and began to drink one as she went on her phone to watch some YouTube videos. Curious, she decided to research BTS Jennie, and came across JRE’s video.

So now you ganging up on my girl Jennie? | REALLY NOW

She had seen a few of his videos and thought he was hilarious, from his body rolling to his K-Pop passion, so she decided to check out the video, to see what he had to say.

“Really now? Antis are now targeting Jennie? Jennie? My Jennie? Our sweet, beautiful Miss Bangtan? Oh, now we have a problem. Now you guys know that I love me some Jennie from BTS.”

Jennie couldn’t help but laugh at the video cuts of his reactions to her from music videos, to her live performances.

As the clip showed him reacting to War of Hormone live, he was body rolling, “Get it, Jennie! Get yo’ lines!” His eyes widened in shock as he saw how close she was getting to Jungkook. “Okay! Okay! Well damn!”

And once he heard her sing, ‘I could turn you into a man’. He paused the video and stared at the camera, laughing. “Hol’ up, hol’ up, did she just-did she just say, wait a minute.”

Jen continued to laugh at his reaction as she couldn’t help but smile when he said, “Jennie and Jungkook have some strong chemistry. If I didn’t know any better, I would suggest they could be dating or something. Troublemaker vibes.”

“Dating, huh?” She suddenly pondered. Before she could think further, she got a notification from Jin as she went to her messages.

Jin: Did you eat? [2:22 PM]

Jen: Yes, Jin [2:22 PM]

Jin: Good. Eat more. [2:22 PM]

Jen: ????? [2:23 PM]

Not even a minute later, Yoongi had messaged her.

Yoongi: Hey Smartie [2:23PM]

Jen: Hey, what’s up? [2:24PM]

Yoongi: Just checking on you. You ate today, right? [2:24PM]

Jen: Yes I did, thanks for checking in. :) [2:24 PM]

As the video went back to the present, he discussed how he saw rumors on Twitter that she didn’t even want to go through with the War of Hormone dance with Jungkook anymore because of the Antis. He showed his disappointment since he enjoyed watching them perform together. How their voices complemented each other and how in sync their bodies move with each other.

Jen was honestly impressed at fans’ accurate assumptions about her not wanting to dance anymore. But now that she was back in her room, relaxed, she did miss it. She shouldn’t let others take the fun out of what she likes to do. She made a mental note to talk to Jungkook about it and let Mr.Son know. She guaranteed they would both be thrilled to know she wanted to dance again for War of Hormone.

Her phone buzzed once more as she stopped the video to read the message.

Namjoon: You had a big meal today, right? If not, let’s go out for lunch [2:27 PM]

Jen: I ate lunch already. I had noodles [2:28 PM]

Namjoon: How big was the bowl? [2:28 PM]

Jen: Uhh average size? [2:28 PM]

Namjoon: Are you still hungry? [2:28 PM]

Jen: Well I mean I could eat some more [2:28 PM]

Namjoon: I’m bringing pizza. Hang tight [2:28 PM]

Jen: Uh, okay? [2:29 PM]

Pressing the YouTube app, she attempted to press play but Hobi ended up texting her next.

Hobi: Jennie! [2:29 PM]

Jen: What!? [2:29 PM]

Hobi: Did you eat??? [2:29 PM]

Jen: Yes, jeesh. [2:29 PM]

Turning back to the video, she pressed play.

“I’ve tried not to make a video about this but now it’s to the fact that I feel so sorry for her getting hated on and it just frustrates me. I haven’t met Jennie yet, but I hope I can soon, maybe if BTS goes back to K-Con or something but from what I’ve seen, she’s a sweetheart. Ridiculously sweet to her fans, and even takes the most time for fan service.”

She was touched at how passionately he spoke of her as she watched him go on, “And to come at her, for her skin color, for her not looking like your typical K-Pop idol, is sad and ridiculous. This girl has made history for being an African American in a K-Pop group and she has done so well for herself as a member of BTS. Her Korean is good, she didn’t come to Korea without knowing anything. She came there prepared. So, what is the problem?”

“Now the poor girl overworked herself and is in the hospital right now because of all that pressure. Now I know she’s young, she’s miles away from her family in America, she’s in Korea, they’re in America, that’s already pressure right there, being away from family. And now this? People find the pettiest things to complain about this girl. It’s like she can never win. Leave my girl alone. I need my Jennie Protection Squad because if you go after my girl, you have a problem with me. I heard she’s still learning how to rap from Suga. I hope she ends up being in a Cypher or something to slay all y’all hatin’ asses. I cannot wait for that day to come.”

Jen smirked at his suggestion. That would be nice but she had a long way to go. She went to his Instagram to follow him and went under the photo that promoted his recent, Really Now video to comment.

‘You are so dope! Thank you. I hope to meet you someday, too.’ she typed which instantly started getting traction from fans.

‘SHE NOTICED YOU!!’ Fans would comment soon after.

‘She followed him too! OMG!’

Another ding was heard as she went to her messages.

Jungkook: Did you eat? [2:49 PM]

“Did they plan this?” She asked with amusement.

Are they all going to ask her if she ate today?

Jen: OMG, why is everyone asking me this? Lol. [2:49 PM]

Jungkook: Everyone?? MAN! I wanted to be the first one to ask you!! [2:50 PM]

Jen: Lol, thanks for caring. [2:50 PM]

She let out a chuckle when she read Jimin’s message.

Jimin: Ennie how are you doing? [2:50 PM]

Jen: I’m great. I ate today if that’s what you’re about to ask. Just finished talking to Jungkook. [2:51 PM]

Jimin: WHY AM I ALWAYS LATE!? I WAS BORN BEFORE HIM! [2:51 PM]

Jen: I dunno man. I don’t know lol [2:51 PM]

After a few minutes of liking various photos on Instagram, her phone buzzed once more.

Taehyung: Jennie! [2:55 PM]

Jen: Yes, Tae. I ate :) [2:55 PM]

Taehyung: WHO BEAT ME TO IT!? [2:55 PM]

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starryjkoo · 9 months

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Run BTS Special Episode Mini Field Day

watching random run BTS episodes and just wanted to say how cute it was that Jungkook's first impulse upon seeing Jimin slide towards him was to drop down and hug him 😭 it was definitely a Jimin Jikook thing because his teammates slid towards him later in the episode and he just dropped and held his hands up with them (although red team did get an adorable team hug later)

they all do this sliding thing throughout the episode, but this was definitely the most adorable iteration imo (although some of the messy team celebrations came in at a close second). Jikook were especially cute and very playful the entire episode and it was funny that they had so many little moments when they were on different teams. I think those moments have been covered to death so I won't go over them but this episode definitely sits close to my heart because it reminded me of why I enjoy their dynamic so much, it's just really adorable and fun with an undercurrent of sweet.

Jimin was like 10000/10 adorable and really cuddly throughout this entire episode though, I forgot how genuinely funny it was too. I think blue teams dynamic was just golden and was surprised by how funny Namjoon in particular was the whole time. Some more Jimin hugs

Jimin hugging Namjoon after Jungkook's brutal and scary accurate penalty revenge kick 😭

Jimin tackle hugging Hobi after his amazing goalie save which transitioned into a group hug

Hobi serving as the attractive damsel to hero Jimin after his moment of glory in what I feel resembles the classic "leg cling" trope

Even yoongi couldn't resist handing out a hug to comfort Jimin after his failed kick, because like I said, Jimin was like 1000000/10 irresistibly adorable this episode.

Not a hug, but Namjoon going from "don't do something weird" to "nice do everything you want to do" after Jimin's successful goal took me out 😭 blue team was just absolutely hilarious. Jimin said his goal in picking this team was to be funny so I do think he was being a bit chaotic silly on purpose, but some of those mishaps were pretty genuine like that ball bouncing off his helmet and just the absolute uncoordinated but somehow functional chaos of his team. Something I really appreciate about BTS is just how genuinely funny they can be in such a relaxed way sometimes.

Also Jimin's subplot of trying to score a goal the whole time because he wanted to do the slide thing was soooooo funny. I love how even the staff became extra invested in Jimin's plight (and the blue underdog team overall) and Jin even called them out on cheering louder when Jimin made his goal at the end lmao.

A lot of these later run episodes were misses for me so I'm glad they ended it on such a high note with so many great moments that showed how endearing and fun their different dynamics are. Also I didn't mention Taehyung or vmin, but I absolutely loved Taehyung laughing so hard at Jimin's antics throughout the entire episode. I love how much and how hard they make each other laugh, it's absolutely something I've always found really endearing about their friendship.

#jikook #jimin #just a silly fun little post because i have a lot of free time atm #my screenshots are terrible but im too lazy to put effort in this #seriously i can't emphasize enough how cute jimin was here #blue team was everything #ot7

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viathecloset · 1 month

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Saw a jikooker wish de@th on Taehyung, his fault? Nothing absolutely, he's miles away in his own camp away from Jimin and jungkook, he's minding his business doing whatever he signed up for.

You see a person minding his own business and you wish de@th over a kpop ship will never sit right with me. Truth be told, it isn't the first time, but especially since he's literally enlisted and didn't engage with either for months now, I felt absolutely disgusted. A rising bile in my stomach.

Here's quick notes to all the jikookers:

1. Taehyung isn't the reason jikook aren't fucking. Never was never will be, stop being insecure despite his presence or absence thereof. You seem to get so absolutely insecure over him, plenty of reasons I get that but kindly hop off his dick.

2. None of you seem normal, your sexualizing something that's quite literally common for male friendships and kpop groups. Get friends, a love interest, a job and a life and most importantly non jikook content where both jimin and jungkook are interacting with others as well, you'll understand how sweet, affectionate and loving those two are in general.

3. Wishing de@th on someone who's has nothing to do with your fantasy, especially when he's minding his own business is not normal, you obsess over him more than the people u claim to stan. If you're bored of shipping and need some spice for the fantasy ship and feel the need to insert Taehyung then go catch some east Asian soap opera. They cater to your interests. Leave real people alone.

4. Armys need to call out jikookers, its not always all shippers. It's jikookers. Call them out, theyve been extremely vile and disgusting to Taehyung and you've done nothing. Or is it that you too think similarly that's why you don't call them out in the first place?

5. Both jimin and Jungkook LOVE Taehyung. Idk what to tell yall. They're literally affectionate and very loving towards him, trust me hes not the villian, your made up narrative is. Mandatory enlistment doesn't mean they're romantically involved. Far from it, actually means there's nothing but platonic love between the two. You're too dense cuz all you do is obsess over a third person who doesn't give a fuck.

Now go stream Like crazy to 1B, congratulations to Taehyung and jungkook and hobi on their Iheart awards win ♡

#bts #taehyung #music #thoughts #kpop #opinion #army #jikook #fyp #vminkook #makneline #fandom ships #art

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smhtaehyung · 2 years

Text

6 hours ➣ HOUR 4

hour 1, hour 2, hour 3, hour 4

summary: Jungkook pulls you in the bathroom to have some fun. The party takes a turn for the worse. Jimin fights with heavy intoxication as chaos continues echoing through the house. Taehyung slips back into sobriety.

Masterlist - under construction

Pairings: fuckboy!tae x reader, crush!jk x reader, jm x crush!reader , hoseok x random

Rating: 18+ minors DNI

wordcount: 4k words

Genre: smut, college au, nonidol!au, love cube sorta thing

warnings: alcohol use, drug use, slight existential angst, innapropriate sexual comments, graphic depictions of smut, fingering, oral (f. m. recieving), kinky dares, slut shaming, protected sex, overstimulation, thigh kink, dirty talk, spit kink, multiple orgasms, degrading, face fucking >> reader is in love with jk, jimin is in love with a reader, taehyung is just there being hot and flirty.

Taglist: (at the bottom) If you want to be in the taglist, reply to this post or dm me to stay updated :)

Chapter 5 release:

9th of October > 11 pm (CET)

Hour 4 "When all hell breaks loose" Time: [ 2:25 AM ]

It was all going south. Maybe it was your raging instinct which was telling you not to follow Jungkook so easily to the bathroom, but you were in no shape to fight with yourself anymore. The strong intoxication was ruining all of you, including already deteriorating friendships between guys like Jungkook and Jimin. Jungkook's soft hand was holding yours, making you feel at peace with possibly a terrible decision. Jungkook really seemed like a shitty friend to Jimin, so now you finally understood Taehyung's ramblings. From comforting him outside to sneaking a peek and a cheeky touch of you inside. Walking upstairs, you felt yourself breaking down a little bit, realizing this entire loud and chaotic night was taking its toll on you.

"I need to go to the bathroom." You whispered to Jungkook as you walked past the bathroom in the hallway upstairs. The hallway was completely empty as somebody just exited the bathroom. He stopped and opened the bathroom door for you.

"You can go do your thing first."

"It's okay. I don't need to actually use the bathroom." You slurred a little bit. Jungkook realized you might be just as drunk as him by this point. He had no idea you chugged an entire cup of strong gin and tonic before you found Taehyung in the kitchen.

"What?" He giggled, scrunching his nose.

"I just need to cry. No need for peeing."

"Oh." Jungkook let out a remorseful giggle, feeling sorry to see you like this. Still, you looked pretty adorable. He hugged you and pulled you inside the bathroom.

"Talk to me. You okay?"

"No. He hates me." You leaned against the wall, sighing.

"He doesn't hate you, he just needed to say something. It's not easy for him, you know? Don't stress about it. He'll be fine." Jungkook finished a drink he had in his hand, putting the empty cup on the bathroom sink. You found comfort in Jungkook's tone, making you believe you were panicking slightly too much. Still, you appreciated his caring gestures and gentle words.

"Sorry for calling you one of Jimin's "fuckboy friends"."

"You never said my name."

"Well, I was thinking it then."

"I know, it's just...I'm-You're such a bad friend." You scoffed.

"I know. I should stop drinking."

Jungkook's comment made you overthink ss it usually did. Was he really blaming alcohol for his attraction towards you?

"Is alcohol just a reason though?" You raised your head slightly, your hair uncovering your tired eyes.

"No, but I don't think you want to hear my answer." His tone was numb, almost too direct for your liking.

"Why?"

"Because I know you like me." Jungkook kept his eyes fixed on you.

"Uhm, hey-" You started speaking out of panic immediately, but gave up soon as you realized you didn't have absolutely anything on your mind to say.

"Listen. I can tell you one thing." He started speaking, making you feel at ease you didn't need to do that anymore.

"If you want to have fun, I'm still here." Jungkook's hand found a way to hold you by the cheek, bringing you closer.

Your whole drunk body was telling you to do this, to get more that you were craving for. You could finally have him, even if it was just physical. To you, it didn't seem so bad and soon enough, you were immersed into kissing him, making him breathe heavier.

Suddenly, another idea appeared in your mind. Pure and raw dominance you wanted to feel over him. You wanted him to groan and moan for you and you only.

Your body was reacting to his touch with such ease.

"I want to be in control this time." You pushed him against the wall, kissing down his neck. Jungkook's hands travelled down to grab your ass, firmly pulling you against himself. He moaned once you began kissing onto his earlobe. Jungkook's length was rapidly hardening, your firm grip making him live out all of his submissive fantasies usually girls weren't really effective at. Given Jungkook wasn't scared of you and devoured your pussy two hours prior, he felt the need to give into your games, wanting to provoke you in hopes you'd be even harsher with him. After seeing you become a moaning mess in that closet, Jungkook felt safe to let himself go too. You were arousing him quickly and effectively, which made all the blood rush to his crotch. He whined once you slapped his hand away from your breast, locking the door he was leaning against.

"Don't be impatient. It pisses me off." You slightly but down onto his ear, which only riled him up even more. You knelt down, keeping the eye contact with him. Jungkook thought you looked so hot when you were feeling confident, not looking away even as you were stroking him over his pants. You stuck your hand inside, causing him to gasp slightly. You felt his wet tip brush against your finger. You smeared the liquid over his tip, stroking him slowly.

"Are you going to be a good boy for me and listen to what I say?" You slid his pants and underwear down, his rock hard erection springing free.

"Y-yes." He nodded through a moan.

His big member made you drool as you slowly started to take him in your mouth. You wrapped your lips around his length, coating it with your saliva. You took him in deep inside of your mouth, causing him to shut his eyes and get killed off again. "F-fuck." Jungkook cursed, your mouth bringing the warm, sensitive and tight pleasure he needed to feel. His dick hit the back of your throat, making you slightly gag. He tried to move his hips, all desperate to fuck into your mouth. You gripped his thighs and moved your mouth away from him, making him groan out of frustration.

"Don't be such a brat." You slapped his cock, making him moan again. Soon after, you began kitten-licking his tip, making his dick slightly twitch from the sensitivity. "Please don't-tease me." He mumbled under his breath, biting his lip from the pleasure. His eyes glanced down at you for a brief second, loving the way you were so into sucking him off. The immersed look plastered onto your face made him only focus more on you, all pretty and needy for him. "Ahhh, Y/N." He let a moan escape his lips, one of his hands going down to stroke your hair. Once his other hand reached to hold you by your hair too, you slapped his hand away, knowing it was his final step before trying to fuck your mouth again. "I'll let you fuck my mouth soon, baby. Stay put for me a little longer." You whispered, quickly taking his whole length inside your mouth. "Fuck, why are you being like that?" He mumbled in a dirty voice, biting his lip as he was desperate to jerk his hips up. Jungkook never experienced such a dirty thing play out before him. He loved how you were making him feel, but the desperation to fuck your throat was growing stronger.

You started to move your head up and down him as your hands got involved too. One of your hands was stroking the base of his big member, and your other hand was cupping and massaging his balls.

Jungkook started to groan your name out, losing one of the last battles with himself to stay focused. He licked his lips and threw his head back, not able to handle it anymore. "Mmmm, Y/N." He spoke softly, making you start to bob on him. You continued your motions, quickening your pace as you sucked his tip harder. His hand guided your head faster, making you choke on him. Your mouth was full of his cock, causing you to grow wetter each second. You moaned once you have into him pushing himself further down your throat. He started to fuck into your mouth, feeling his climax approaching. Your hands sped up too, making him run his fingers through his hair. He threw his head back in pleasure. Your pussy was extremely wet by now, the liquid almost dripping through your panties. You stuck your hand in your panties, rubbing small circles around your sensitive nub. Jungkook moaned at sudden loss of contact.

"Don't stop, baby. I'm so close." He spoke in an accent, making the fire pit in your stomach even more needy.

"Beg me." You removed your head away, rubbing yourself faster. Jungkook swore he could come just by the sight alone.

"Please, please, kiss it, touch it, fuck it, whatever, just do something, please. I want to fuck your mouth so bad." Jungkook whined, stroking your soft cheeks.

"Good boy. I'm all yours-" As soon as you spoke, Jungkook sighed in relief, sliding his cock down your mouth. He was so frustrated it made him take control. And you loved it.

He went on a rampage, quickly jerking his hips up to hit the back of your throat, making you choke on him. "Ahhh." You moaned, furrowing your eyebrows at the sensation.

Jungkook's hips thrusted into your mouth, his groans filling up the bathroom.

"Who's my little slut after all?" Jungkook smirked down at you, still keeping eye contact. Your eyes were prickling up with tears, your mouth full of him.

You hummed, moaning under him as you rubbed yourself faster.

"Are you going to come for me?" Jungkook couldn't stop watching you touch yourself. You sped up the pace, finally reaching your orgasm. His words definitely tipped you over the edge. You began moaning onto his dick.

"Oh, fuck, yes." He continued groaning, seeing you come apart in front of him. Your orgasm washed over you, the strong sensation circulating through your entire body, your heat finally feeling some release. "Now I'm gonna come in your pretty little mouth-" Jungkook groaned, desperately chasing his orgasm. You felt his dick twitch in your mouth, knowing he was about to come. It was great, feeling so much control over him, enjoying how desperate he looked. You loved his need face as he was trying to come into your mouth, just to observe how pretty you looked with your mouth full of his load.His grip got tighter as he shut his eyes, letting out a few choked out moans as he came inside of your mouth. His cum slid down your throat, making you instantly gulp down. He threw his head back, staring at the ceiling as he tried to calm his quickened breaths. You licked off the remaining cum from his tip, wiping your mouth as he looked down on you from the above. "Come here." He softly spoke, pulling you up to him. He pulled his pants and underwear down, his breath still hot and breathing sounding heavy. He bit his lip once you got close to him, placing a kiss onto your lips.

"You're so hot." He giggled, continuing to kiss you. You both couldn't decide if the orgasm sobered you up or pushed you into another type of disorientation.

You found a few ways to giggle at the situation, not directly mentioning how dirty, impulsive and hot this evening has been between the two of you. But Jungkook definitely wanted to feel you or your mouth again. On him, by him, anywhere.

"Hope you're not disappointed that I don't want a relationship. I really find you attractive though." Jungkook spoke directly again, making you cut him off.

"Shh. Let's not ruin this." You winked at him and placed a kiss onto his lips. It was the last thing you said to him before you left the bathroom on your own, leaving him behind.

You felt power. Especially once leaving him like this. You set yourself out to have fun. Your decision, your dealing with the consequences. It was funny, because after this last séance with Jungkook, you didn't even check on your hair or dress. They looked perfectly fine, but you didn't care anymore, realizing people didn't give a damn anymore.

Debating whether to take a first step down. Why would you throw yourself into the wilderness like that? The mayhem that took place dowstairs was overwhelming once you got down, squeezing through the all the people who left the backyard to go dancing. Even the music you knew well and usually danced too was annoying you by this point.

It was true Sodom and Gomorrah you noticed but a modernized version.

People were making out heavily in the hallways and girls were sobbing in the kitchen. Probably because of the certain guys kissing other girls. The dining room looked like an aftermath of a wild party already, spilled beer all over the table from beer pong that took place. Some cups were on the floor, some people even, discussing existential life crisis you all knew well after attending college.

The music maybe didn't even change volume, but your ears were so irritated, the fading high pitched ringing noise in your ears driving you insane. You needed to sober up. And you needed it quick.

Finally, pure panic for Jimin managed to sober you up once seeing him stumble inside the bathroom.

"Jimin!" You yelled out for him. You started to breathe heavily, your gut telling you something bad was happening. Hell, you whole body felt it.

And there, shining in the most chaotic moments, you ran into Taehyung, who also looked visibly stressed. Not for the party, but because of Jimin.

He wasn't well.

"How is he?" You grabbed Taehyung by the shoulder. He flinched under your touch, his eyes dark heavy and red. So red.

"He's doing bad." Taehyung muttered out.

"Jimin!" You yelled out again, storming inside of the bathroom as you gently pushed Taehyung and a few other people out of the way.

The drama segment was settling in.

Jimin was kneeling in front of the toilet, throwing up whatever the liquor was that tipped him over the edge.

"Oh, baby." You sighed and kneeled down, next to him, stroking his back for comfort as he was regurgitating, his body really jolting him back into sobriety.

You hated to see him this way.

"What are you d-doing here?" He managed to stutter out, shaking from how cold he felt on the bathroom floor.

"I looked for you. Knew it was bad news."

"I'm fine, you can leave." He rushed his sentences out with a strong accent. He removed your hand from his back.

"I'm sorry I can't. Let me stay with you-" you were interrupted by him vomiting again, making you begin stroking his back again.

You looked to your right, watching Taehyung enter and close the door behind himself.

He gave you a smile with a worrying look on his face. You realized Taehyung had the ability to have a different smile for every situation or a setting. Only you had trouble figuring out which one was his real smile.

"Taehyung." Jimin called out for him.

"Yeah, bro?"

"Can you s-stay too?"

"Of course." Taehyung sighed.

Right in that moment Taehyung remembered the original reason of why he held back with you, if that could even be called "holding back".

He really felt bad for Jimin. Mainly because he followed the story of you being Jimin's crush since it began. It was impossible for him to just throw the bro code away that easily as Jungkook did, who knew the story but still felt the need to put his dick into you - which was at least what Taehyung guessed happened.

"You need anything?" Taehyung softly asked Jimin.

"No." Jimin sat down on the floor turning away from you. You decided to join Taehyung and sit on the floor, your back leaning against the cold bathtub.

And there you found it. At least some peace and quiet after such a wild night. Flashbacks of Jungkook, his hair, bare chest and wet lips kept haunting your mind. You sighed, disrupting the peace slightly.

Jimin started giggling out of nowhere, making you both confused.

"I can't take you seriously with this makeup." He continued laughing.

You smiled at Taehyung, nudging into his shoulder as he acted all proud of himself. He was always joking around.

You were scared he wasn't going to like you anymore, given the fact he always said that the girls who got with Jungkook were delusional-hopeless-romantic girls. And you knew well you couldn't explain to him the urge to be in control of him for just one night. Just to get it out of your system, fuck it over and out.

For some reason, Taehyung's presence has left you feeling nervous since the party began. Now it was for other reasons.

Even as he began talking to Jimin, you kept silent, still hating those bright bazhroom lights. Was he able to see your smudged makeup from teary eyes you got when Jungkook's cock was deep in your throat? Or did he notice a small bruised bite on your neck that was darkening every minute?

Could he smell Jungkook on you? Could he even sit next to you right now without feeling disgusted?

"-yeah, I remember that. But, I heard they're playing sometime next week. Want to go?" Jimin asked Taehyung about some band, making Taehyung agree, all smiles.

Your instinct was telling you he was putting on a fake smile again.

Listening to Taehyung's and Jimin's conversation, you felt at ease since it was so much more calmer than the muffled noise outside. You feared what was behind those doors. You feared yourself, because you didn't want to leave. Could some things still get back in control?

Taehyung noticed how worried you looked, so, mentally slapping himself, he brought you into the conversation and after a few minutes, he got Jimin to talk to you. You were paying attention on him to the best of your abilities, thanking the intoxication was fading away.

After some time of talking between each other, you decided it would still be best if you left Tae alone with Jimin. You didn't like yourself at all right now. It was funny that you felt easy so early into the night and had no idea that feeling would progressively get worse. Still, you exited the bathroom, catching a glimpse of Taehyung's worried look as you said your byes. To him, you were the personification of Sodom and Gomorrah because he was faced with having to decide between emotions and sex, forbidden but available, sin and respect.

"Why am I getting a feeling you like her?" Jimin's quiet question threw Taehyung off guard. He gulped hard, wishing you were here to avoid the mess. But this was mess he brought into himself so wanting you to be here was just selfish.

Taehyung didn't know what to say to Jimin. He didn't know how to start a conversation in which he has to explain to Jimin he still doesn't know will his attraction for you fade with the alcohol or get even stronger.

So, while Taehyung was trying to bury a hole he dug himself into with his clown makeup and desperate glances, you were already in the kitchen, the bright lights not making you look fresh in the slightest. Your inner self was matching the exterior well, since you really felt fucked out, tired and confused all at the same time. You could feel the stares from some people you hung out, especially since they all gossiped about you bringing back your notorious partying persona you wanted to dig down. Your reputation was not bothersome anymore, given the fact you stopped feeling everything. You could not hold one thought down, the music not letting you remember anything. Still, your brain was filled with Jungkook's moans, his hot palms and your admiration to take control. Even if it was just over him.

The party was in turmoil, some people vomiting outside by the street. You scoffed in annoyance, you just wanted to go home, but still felt attached to this place. You still chased peace.

You tried to get a piece of it, but squeezing through so much people just made your forehead sweat and brain feel dizzy due to lack of oxygen. You really felt lost by this point. A familiar guy approached you with an offer you could not refuse.

"Hoseok! Hey!" You were really happy to see him, suddenly finding consolation in all Jimin's friends.

"Hey, how are you doing? Have you seen Jungkook, I've been looking everywhere for him." Hoseok sighed.

"I saw him by the bathroom upstairs last time. But I think he had been actually looking for you." You tried to speak as if you couldn't still taste him in your mouth, but even Hoseok realized it was bullshit.

Your drunk mind sending you graphic flashbacks of his cock in your mouth was enough of a thought to distract you from paying attention.

"What about Taehyung? Seen him?"

"He's in the bathroom with Jimin. Jimin's not well."

"Oh, he told you?"

"Seriously, did everyone know besides me?" You sighed, following him towards the large window in the living room. Hoseok just gave a simple apologetic nod and continued speaking.

"-And as for Taehyung, he'll probably find you easier before I find him so I'll stick with you for a while. You don't mind, right?" Hoseok smiled, resting his elbow on the window stool. It was the only open window in the living room, both of you enjoying fresh air which was the cure for all of your breathing problems.

"What do you mean he's going to find me first?"

"Oh, you really are blind, aren't you, Y/N? First Jimin, now Taehyung..." Hoseok sighed, making you even more confused.

"Hoseok, what are you saying exactly?"

"Did anyone ever put makeup on to make you laugh?"

"No." You raised your eyebrow.

"Did anyone ever smile his way through the night for you when you were doing all kinds of stuff in the closet with his other friend?"

"No." You looked down in shame.

"So, it might just be this one night, but something happened to him."

Hoseok continued speaking about Taehyung's attraction towards you so easily that it reminded you of one of those movie cliches where you cannot observe any other noise other than complete focus on one man's words. Everything else was muffled up, and Hoseok might have spoke too much but you had no idea of how present he was the entire night, witnessing everything.

Every time you ran away away from Taehyung, Hoseok was there to stop Taehyung from chasing after you, sort of giving him advice to win you over slowly. Hell, Taehyung even asked Hoseok's date to borrow lipstick from her while he was right next to her. At first, Taehyung had no intention to listen, but throughout the night, his desperation grew and Hoseok was there to help out. The whole scheme was unfolding. Hoseok left you speechless, making you overthink the entire night almost instantly.

You found Taehyung's attempts cute and soon realized the only reason you were running away from him was because of your possible attraction towards him. So, his plan really worked. He made you feel safe around him because he really cared. Or at least that's what he thought during the intoxicated hours.

In that cold bathroom, sitting alongside his best friend, Taehyung stared into the bathroom tiles, slipping back into sobriety. Structuring his thoughts was rapidly becoming more successful and his brain was jolting itself awake, suddenly slipping into the state of realization of where he was, who he is really and what he's been doing here.

Taehyung had no idea what was waiting for him in his sobriety. Was his fascination for you about to fade away?

Was yours about to fully realize itself?

NEXT CHAPTER

taglist: @prettxyliies , @fairy-jaykay

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