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It starts on a Wednesday, in lecture, with the biggest shit-eating grin plastered across Taehyung’s face that Jungkook’s ever seen in his life.
“So,” Taehyung nods, covering his mouth with a curled hand, corners of his smile still peeking out around the edges. The moment he lifts his eyebrow is the exact moment Jungkook knows he’s up to no good, “Jimin.”
“What about him?” Jungkook glances at said individual just in time to catch him smiling and laughing, two very generic things for Jimin to be doing.
“You tell me,” Taehyung lets out a snicker as he slings his arm over the back of his chair.
“Uhm,” Jungkook looks at Jimin again. Still smiling, no longer laughing, muttering something to Yoongi. Classic Jimin. He looks back at Taehyung and still doesn’t get it. “Tell you what?”
“He’s cute.”
Jungkook feels time slow and his blood run cold, and he hopes to some higher deity that his face isn’t turning pale. This day in some shape or form had been a long time coming anyway, he should have emotionally prepared for it better, so he tries his best works his composure together to offer a faint, “Oh.”
“Yeah.”
Jungkook looks down at the concrete under his lecture chair and toes a brown splotch, probably a year-old coffee stain by the looks of it. “And…?’
“And…” Taehyung drawls, and Jungkook can’t bring himself to meet his eyes.
“And?”
“You’re cute.”
Hold up. Jungkook whips his head up just in time to catch the tail end of Taehyung’s wink.
“Thanks?” Suddenly Jungkook’s emotions are slingshot to the other side of the spectrum and his heart involuntarily skips. Although he now no longer knows exactly where Taehyung is going.
“You two,” Taehyung flashes up a finger heart. “Would be adorable together. Is what I’m saying”
“What?” Jungkook asks in disbelief.
Taehyung leans in and whispers like he’s revealing a huge secret, “That’s the guy you like, right?”
“Uhm–”
If it was anyone else asking this question, Jungkook would have been thoroughly amused.
But this was Taehyung. His confidant. His partner-in-crime. His best friend. And the one guy in the universe Jungkook has been, for years, completely head over heels for.
Also, someone who doesn’t love him back.
Not that Jungkook ever bothered to check or anything. He just knows. And so taking that into consideration alongside the fact that grin smeared across Taehyung's face was a glaring sign that he wasn't going to let up on this for at least the duration of lecture, Jungkook chooses what seems like the path of least resistance.
He goes with it.
“–Uhm, yeah,” Jungkook scratches his head and folds his expression into a sheepish grin. He begins to doodle a dark spiral in his notebook with his pen, and keeps going even after the paper rips, “You got me.”
“I knew it,” Taehyung pumps a fist, and looks a little too happy about the whole thing than Jungkook would like. “And I approve. He’s a super sweet guy.”
Not that he expected Taehyung to be jealous or anything, but seeing him so enthusiastic still stings. He refuses to look up, and tears slightly vindictively into the next page of his notebook.
“Great,” Jungkook manages to grit. “I’m glad you’re okay with him.”
Luckily for Jungkook, the professor starts the lecture, saving him from the need to give a further reply. And as he sinks into his seat, a little more confused than he was five minutes earlier, he wonders how deep of a hole he had just dug himself into.
x
He’s dug himself a grave, he finds out the next day. And Taehyung is the one who gently lowers him into it.
“I’ve made it my personal mission to get you guys together,” Taehyung greets him as they sit down for lunch, his fries somehow already half-gone.
“Oh?” Jungkook raises a brow.
“Yeah, I told you right, we’re pretty close. He’s my foodie buddy for those fancy restaurants you refuse to go to.”
“I don’t believe in paying over a dollar sign for my food,” Jungkook sniffs slightly defensively.
“Yeah, I know, I know,” Taehyung flips his phone around and proudly displays a text convo as he chews through another wad of fries. Jungkook makes out the words what do you think of Jungkook before Taehyung flips it around again, “I’ve got the ball rolling. Give me like, two weeks, and he’ll be yours.”
“Oh,” Jungkook pauses, taking a moment to rip the wrapper off of his burger. “You really don’t have to do this. Like, really.”
“No, but I want to,” Taehyung points as he steals one of Jungkook’s fries right under his nose, and Jungkook, of course, lets him. “Like, really.”
“...why?”
Taehyung shrugs, “It seems fun.”
“Thanks, I guess.” Jungkook mumbles. There probably wasn’t any harm in any of this. Jimin was in a like a million orgs and was popular as fuck. He had a lot of options that weren't Jungkook, and likely Jimin wouldn’t even look his way twice. It would be over before it started, a fake flame asphyxiated before it was even lit.
“More sincerely please,” Taehyung grins as he puts a hand to his ear. “I’m doing you a favor.”
“Thank you.” Jungkook fake-grins obnoxiously before hiding a frown into his burger.
“You’re welcome,” Taehyung leans back, evidently satisfied.
x
When did it start?
Probably in high school, on a day when the light caught Taehyung’s eyes just right and his smile flung Jungkook into the throes of love.
In all seriousness, Jungkook really wasn’t sure. All he knew was that one day in junior year he woke up, and Taehyung was kinda the center of his world. Like in a totally non-platonic, heart-racey, Taehyung was the bee’s knee’s, he’d-catch-a-grenade-for-Taehyung type of way. And that he was planning on doing absolutely nothing about it.
Though he had blown part of his cover earlier this year, when, during one of the more benign questions in a game of ten-fingers he had admitted that, yes, he was in fact interested in someone. Why he had not thought to lie could at least partially be blamed on the amount of soju he had ingested. And he probably could have gotten away with no one noticing too, if it wasn’t for Hoseok’s hawk eyes and horrible habit of shouting out the names of everyone who put their digits down.
“Jungkook!” Hoseok pointed. “Story or drink.”
“Wait, seriously?” Taehyung smacked Jungkook’s leg. “You never told me.”
“Uhm,” Jungkook scratched his ear, stubbornly glaring at his fingers. “Yeah, I haven’t.”
“How long?” Hoseok asked.
Jungkook squinted with a grimace, “More than a few months?” Misleading, but technically not a lie.
“Seriously?!” Taehyung nearly knocked his own cup over. “How could you have not told me?!”
Jungkook only offered a shrug.
“Who is it?” Hoseok could barely contain his excitement.
Jungkook gave a good-hard stare at Hoseok before draining his glass.
“Aww,” Hoseok laughed. “You’re no fun. Is it someone we know?”
“Maybe?” Jungkook really wished they would just drop it.
“That’s a yes,” Hoseok snapped his fingers. “We’ll get the name out of you before the night ends.”
They hadn’t, and no one had brought it up since. So reasonably, Jungkook had assumed everyone had forgotten about the whole thing.
But clearly he had been wrong.
x
“So good news and bad news,” Taehyung barrels through Jungkook’s bedroom door and launches himself onto his bed.
“Hit me with it,” Jungkook swivels around in his chair.
“Jimin’s down, but he’s only free Friday,” Taehyung reads off his phone.
Jungkook chokes on his water. That wasn't supposed to happen.
“And exactly at the time we were gonna go to that movie premiere, what are the fucking odds,” Taehyung looks up and waves a hand. “But it’s fine. Skipping it is worth it for your love life.”
“Uh,” Jungkook’s struggling to find emotional balance. Things with Jimin weren’t supposed to work out, and the movie date had lowkey been the shining beacon at the end of his week, “I mean, we planned this first, you bought the tickets and everything, I don’t have to–”
“You don’t have to make me feel better, I was practically dragging you along anyway,” Taehyung laughs. “You hate sci-fi movies.”
Which was true, “But–”
“I just can take someone else, I’ll pay you back,” Taehyung quickly types something on his phone. “By the way I just told Jimin you’re down. So you can’t back out. Also I gave him your number.”
Jungkook’s silent for a moment. He feels his phone vibrate with an incoming text before he speaks up, “Who are you planning on taking?”
“Don’t know yet,” Taehyung shrugs. “Probably a tinder date.”
“Oh.”
“Or maybe I’ll use bumble or coffee meets bagel or something.” Taehyung scrolls through his phone. “Since you’re committing to this dating thing now, I feel like I should start looking for something serious too.”
And cue Jungkook’s heart plummeting straight through his chest.
x
If there was any negative about Taehyung, it was his penchant for app dating.
His obsession started in high school, around prom season, when he miraculously managed to use it secure a bombshell of a date from a neighboring school. And to everyone’s surprise (and Jungkook's disappointment), she hadn't turned out to be a catfish and had shown up absolutely stunning and dressed to the nines.
It had really sucked, if Jungkook was being honest.
Luckily nothing really came out of it, except the genesis of Taehyung’s near-religious use of dating apps. Until now, he had never really used it anything serious, just for hookups, first dates, a boost for self-esteem in his darker hours. Which was still enough fuel to pack whatever was left of the ashes of Jungkook’s pathetic hopes into a small canister and fire it off to the moon.
And so now that Taehyung was looking for an actual date, Jungkook’s chances very well just slipped from very slim to none.
But such was Jungkook’s life.
x
It was a bright day in lecture, and per usual, Taehyung is running late.
Jungkook sighs after he reads the text (missed the bus, save me a seat), but follows instructions anyway, putting his backpack on the chair next to him just as Jimin spots him.
They make eye contact and Jimin immediately makes a beeline towards him.
“Hey,” Jimin waves, classic smile spread wide across his face.
“Oh hey,” Jungkook looks up, an awkward smile plastered across his face. Oh shit, this whole grabbing-a-date-with-Jimin thing had been relatively manageable when it was an abstract concept, but it was about to get real really quick now the second half of the equation was squarely standing in front of Jungkook. “What’s up?”
“Not a lot,” Jimin gestures down at the backpacked chair. “Is anyone sitting there?”
“Uh, well, sort of but you can sit,” Jungkook’s just about to point to the chair on his other side as another student sits down. “Oh uh.”
Jimin blinks patiently.
“Yeah,” screw Taehyung, it was his fault for being late, Jungkook thinks as he heaves his backpack off of the chair and slides it into one in the row before his. “You can sit here.”
Jimin plops himself into the chair as Jungkook quickly fires off a text to Taehyung.
Taehyung
Active Now
I gave your seat away, sorry ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
You dick
What happened t o being besties
Jimin happened
Oh
OH
In that case
Dick me over any day
Uh
I know what I said
Right
As long as Jimin’s okay with it
I guess
We’re not even together
Soon™
I saved you a seat anyway
Just not in the same row
Oh kk
We’re friends again
My sense of self worth is restored
Where that seat at
Middle aisle, right side
K
Let me know if there’s a quiz before i get there
As in
Wink win nudge nudge gimme the link when the prof sends it out
Pls Danke
You’re the best
oh hey
looks like he just did
oh fuq
link me
[ Link: University Academic Integrity Policy » ]
w o w ;-;
I thought we were friends
No such thing as friends in a curved class
Every man for themselves
biiiiiiiitch
My god
I’ll remember this
Forever
Let it haunt you
It all doesn’t matter
Until you beat me on a midterm
Ouch, right where it hurts
Also om here
And i cnt see you
Really?
I’m like
Right there
Uhhhhhh yes really
Surprisingly thats unhelpful
Do you need glasses?
Ur hurting my feelings ):
It’s a fucking engineering class
It’s literally all guys with
short
black
hair
Like you
Oh
True
Hmm
Look for Jimin’s hair
Since it’s blond
Oh
You know, the smart thing to do
Goddamn, you’re one mean motherfucker
And oh
Found you guys
Lol
Comin your way
“You guys are pretty close, huh,” Jimin comments. And it’s only then Jungkook realizes he’s probably been reading the entire conversation over his shoulder the entire time.
“Yeah,” Jungkook covers his phone, slightly self-conscious. “He would say we’re best friends.”
“Just Taehyung?”
“Yeah,” Jungkook jokes. “I’ve got standards.”
And Jimin just laughs.
Taehyung flops into his chair a moment later, taking care to do so in the loudest possible way. First, tripping hard over a backpack in the aisle before dropping his water bottle with a curse and losing a sandal in the process. He backtracks and as he swings around, hits a girl clear in the face with his backpack and after a profuse apology manages to slide successfully into his seat. But not before he swings his desk out with the loudest squeak imaginable.
“Um,” the professor blinks after witnessing the whole thing. “Welcome to the class…?”
“Taehyung,” he supplies.
“Taehyung,” the professor fights back smile. “Glad you could join us. That was quite an entrance.”
The whole lecture breaks out in laughter.
“Yeah, see,” Jungkook whispers to Jimin. “Standards.”
Jimin snickers as Taehyung turns around and glares at them.
“I heard that,” Taehyung sulks, looking slightly hurt.
“I know,” Jungkook softens his tone with concern. “Is your foot okay?”
“It’s going to bruise later,” Taehyung winces.
“Want me to get ice?” Jungkook shifts in his chair, ready to go as soon as the command was launched.
“I can get it myself after class.”
“Oh, okay,” Jungkook sits back in his chair, “I’ll go with you.”
“Up to you,” Taehyung shrugs and turns around.
The rest of lecture passes without anything notable happening. And fully intent on following through on his promise, Jungkook follows Taehyung out of the lecture hall like a dog. Right before he begins stepping down the stairs, he feels a hand on his arm.
“Hey,” Jimin beams and lifts himself on his toes.
“Yeah?” Jungkook cranes his neck at looks at Taehyung hobbling away, debating whether to call out to him.
“So,” Jimin smiles. “About that date.”
To Jungkook’s relief, Taehyung stops, just out of earshot and leans heavily against a railing, watching them out of the corner of his eyes.
“Oh yeah,” Jungkook’s eyes shift back to Jimin. It was probably time to get this over with, “Uh, when are you free?”
“After six works for me.”
“I think I'm good too,” Jungkook pulls out his phone. “But let me check my calendar.”
“Oh dang, what a busy guy.”
“It’s not that,” Jungkook feels his face heat up. Screw his naturally shy nature, “Just, a bunch of GBMs are happening this week and it’s hard to keep track.”
“Yeah, I feel,” Jimin lightly punches him on the shoulder. “Just messing with you.”
“Hey,” Taehyung calls out suddenly, raising his voice as he stares at the ground. “Jungkook.”
“Yeah?” Jungkook looks up.
“I’m just going to go ahead,” Taehyung points, a slightly displeased expression painting his face. Jungkook assumes it’s a response to the pain in his foot, since Taehyung winces as he begins to limp away.
“Oh wait, Taehyung, one second,” Jungkook looks apologetically at Jimin. He really shouldn’t be sorting this stuff over text, “Uhm.”
“No it’s fine,” Taehyung raises his hand. “It’s faster if it’s just me anyway.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, you can have some alone time with Jimin,” Taehyung waves. “See you at home.”
“Oh okay, let me know if you need ride.”
“I’ll be fine,” without turning around, Taehyung shoots a thumbs up.
“Are you sure about letting him go alone?” Jimin points at Taehyung, semi-worriedly.
“Yeah,” Jungkook sighs. “He’s pretty stubborn.”
“Oh okay. Well anyway, do you have any restaurant preferences?”
“Nah,” Jungkook shakes his head, still watching Taehyung’s receding figure out of the corner of his eye. “I’m pretty flexible.”
“Well I’ve been eyeing this French restaurant, and while it’s on the pricier end, it’s relatively cheap for prix fixe...”
And Jungkook feels his wallet cry in despair.
x
“So, where did you guys end up choosing?” Taehyung asks, laying belly-down on the bed, nose buried in his phone as Jungkook gets ready, his foot tightly bandaged with an ice-pack.
“Some restaurant downtown,” Jungkook mumbles as he slides into his dress shirt.
“Descriptive.”
“I forgot the name,” Jungkook glances at Taehyung’s reflection in the mirror as he adjusts his cuffs. “It was something French.”
“Oh?” Taehyung’s still not looking up. “Romantic. You never take me to French restaurants. What happened to only eating at single dollar sign establishments?”
“Jimin’s special,” Jungkook clears his throat as Taehyung drops his phone onto the floor with a swear, “And we’ve never been on a date.”
“We could change that,” Taehyung replies without missing a beat as he leans over the edge to retrieve his device, expression scarily blank.
Jungkook nearly drops his earring as his heart jumps straight out of his chest, “How?”
“With a double date,” Taehyung shoots Jungkook’s nascent hopes and dreams down with deadly accuracy as he flips his phone around, an aesthetic profile picture of some girl in a wheat field displayed on the screen. His face breaks out into a shitty grin, “It’d be you and me. And Jimin. And this really hot girl from bumble. Holy fuck, I can’t believe we matched. I’m not worthy”
“Nice,” Jungkook says stiffly. He’s not sure what he expected, and he rolls his eyes, “Your humblebragging is super obvious, you know.”
“Oh, she’s premed–wait I think I’ve seen her in physics before, holy shit Jungkook,” Taehyung grabs a fistful of his own bangs. “She’s wife material. Dude I think I need backup, we’ve got to go on a double date, I don’t think I do this alone–”
“Uhm, congrats,” Jungkook feels the nausea building as he sarcastically continues, “But, you’re a big boy now, you don’t need me to hold your hand.”
“Yes I do. And also, it’d be really fun.”
“I’m sure,” Jungkook starts to button up his shirt. He needs to leave soon before he does something stupid, like cry, “But no thanks.”
“Why not?” Taehyung blinks.
“Because I don’t want to.”
Taehyung’s guessing now, “You don’t want me near Jimin?”
Jungkook turns away, he can’t quite get his mouth to form the right expression right now. Expected, really, he did get a C in theatre last quarter. If his face looks how he thinks it looks, he really needs to save face now and start firing off punches, “Something like that. I’d like to leave a good impression on someone I’m serious about.”
“Cruel and unusual,” Taehyung rolls onto his back, eyes trained unnervingly on Jungkook, a smile plastered across his face that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “No but actually why? I think it could be a lot of fun. Two bros and their hoes on a date.”
“When you put it it that way…”
Taehyung raises his head in anticipation.
“...absolutely not,” Jungkook pauses, and bites his lip, “I’ll tell you why some day, when I’m over it.”
“Over what?”
You.
But of course Jungkook doesn’t say that. He runs his fingers through his hair one last time before he picks up his keys and heads to the door, “It’s a personal problem.”
“Oh, alright,” Taehyung waves, and Jungkook thanks the high powers that prying stops. “Have fun.”
“You too,” Jungkook lies.
“I better not see you until morning,” Taehyung winks.
And Jungkook flips him off.
x
Jimin looks immaculate, fashion on point and not a hair out of place, when Jungkook pulls up to his apartment.
“Sorry, you’ve been waiting long?” Jungkook asks as Jimin slides into the front seat.
“Nope, you came right on time,” Jimin straps himself in. “Nice car, by the way.”
“Thanks,” Jungkook’s chest swells with a bit of pride. “I modded it myself.”
“Oh sick, you’re into that?”
“Yeah are you?”
“I don’t do it myself, but I’ve got friends–you know Namjoon?”
“Oh yeah–!”
It turns out Jimin’s literally perfect. He says the right words at the right time, he’s pensive and thoughtful and he reads the atmosphere like a book. And Jungkook struggles to not compare him against Taehyung, out of respect for Jimin at the least. But he can’t help it, and he notices while Jimin’s not the antithesis to Taehyung, they’re as different as close friends can be.
Which naturally leads to the question:
“So how did you guys know each other?” Jungkook asks at a candle-light swathed table, fiddling with the ridged handle of his appetizer fork. “Since you’re not in the same major or anything.”
“Orientation,” Jimin les out a laugh. “He was ‘That Guy’ and I thought he was hilarious. We bonded over a bathroom break of all situations, and I guess we’ve been hanging out ever since.”
“Sounds like something he’d do,” Jungkook looks down at his napkin, “He just kind of grows on you before you know it.”
“Yeah, he does,” Jimin’s regarding him with a contemplative expression now. “So how did you two meet? Since you’re in different years.”
“Middle school,” Jungkook looks up for a moment as the waiter arrives and sets his food in front of him. “In band. He was ‘That Guy’ with the saxophone, and for whatever reason we hit it off from there.”
“Oh you were in band?” Jimin asks through a mouthful of food. “What did you play?”
“Drums. Taehyung actually first introduced himself to me to get me to join his sub-unit he had going for the talent show circuit, since they needed a drummer.”
“Did you join?”
“Yeah, we were kind of a mess. Especially with Taehyung leading.”
“Oh man, I can only imagine.”
“We weren’t half bad though, we won one once.”
“What did you guys play?”
“Careless Whisper.”
“Taehyung’s idea?”
“...yes, how did you guess?”
“That’s so him,” Jimin snickers.
The rest of dinner goes smoothly. The conversation never really hits a lull, and the thing that strikes Jungkook the most is how intuitive Jimin is. He seems to know all of the right topics, and he gets Jungkook to open up faster than anyone else has (besides, well, Taehyung).
On the subject of Taehyung, Jungkook finds them talking about him more than they talk about themselves. All roads of conversation seem to lead to him, and pretty soon they’re swapping stories, like the weirdest shower thoughts Taehyung’s shared in the randomest moments (does grass scream at a pitch too high for humans to hear (during graduation) was the gold standard), his worst jokes (sex while camping is fucking in tents), and the most peculiar moments as a roommate (permanently removing the screen on Jimin and Taehyung’s second-story dorm window so he could use it as an escape hatch to avoid RAs. which he did later use. twice).
Jungkook doesn’t initially think anything about it, after all Taehyung was their intial thing in common. He doesn’t even realize Jimin’s been intentionally steering the conversation in that direction until he drops A Really Good Question.
“Sorry to put you on the spot, but you’re not really interested in me,” Jimin blurts over dessert. "Are you?”
“Huh?” Jungkook sits up straight in surprise.
“As in, this date wasn’t your idea,” Jimin gestures with his spoon.
“Oh uhm, well it–”
“You don’t have to lie,” Jimin smiles sympathetically. “I won’t get offended.”
“I-I…Well, that’s a really good question...” Jungkook trails off.
Jimin raises a brow.
Jungkook takes a minute to consider how he should finish off his reply. He starts with a soft sigh, ”Sorry, yeah. No.”
“That’s fine,” Jimin shrugs as he scoops another bite of cake. “I had a good time anyway.”
“Yeah I’m super sorry, you’re a great guy and all,” Jungkook starts.
“Thanks,” Jimin grins.
“It’s just,” And Jungkook tries to keep his composure, he really does. But it’s something about the lighting, about the way Jimin’s smile just makes it look like he’s a friend who would understand, about the way he’s kept everything pent up it that all comes tumbling out. “It’s just, sorry, you’re an amazing person and I’m a dumbfuck who can’t seem to appreciate a good thing going for me, and can’t seem to let go of someone who will never love me back.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Jimin’s regarding him with a sympathetic expression. “I figured out that much before coming on this date.”
“Sorry about that,” Jungkook mutters. “Taehyung just got carried away with one of his ideas, and it snowballed into, well, this.”
“Yeah, he does tend to do that. Again, don’t worry about it.” Jimin stares pensively out the window, silent for the minute before he tosses the bombshell, “I wouldn’t give up on Taehyung yet if I were you.”
Jungkook chokes on his water and apologizes between his coughs as he wipes it up with his napkin, “Pardon?”
“He’ll come around,” Jimin continues smoothly, like he doesn’t notice how Jungkook nearly spits out another mouthful of water onto the table. “I’m jealous, really. Somehow, he’s caught himself a real keeper.”
“How did you know–? And wait–come around–sorry what?”
“A tip for being subtle: don’t stare,” Jimin smiles, eyes crinkling into amused half-moons. “Especially if he’s not the one talking.”
“Ah, I’ll keep that in mind,” Jungkook swallows, throat quite dry. “W-what was second part about?”
“Hmm,” Jimin scrapes the bottom of the bowl, spooning up the last remnants of ice cream into his mouth before he replies, “I need to be a lot less sober before I can justify spilling secrets.”
“Oh,” and now Jungkook’s really curious. And a little disappointed.
“So wanna hit up a brewery?” Jimin stands and puts on his jacket. “There’s a place down the road I like to hang out at.”
x
Four pints in and Jimin’s hugging the table and ranting like there’s no tomorrow. It turns out, he, like Jungkook, has a lot of pent up things to say about Taehyung.
“So he goes away on that internship last summer right,” Jimin hiccups into the tabletop. “And that fucker gets himself a horde a new foodie friends.”
“Sorry, what?” Jungkook snickers into his sleeve, fingers loosely gripping the side of his glass. He’s buzzed at best, but honestly everything is ten times funnier as a result.
“S’not funny,” Jimin frowns. “Jin was ranting about it for days. Okay, that was kind of funny. But he went to that skewer place down the road with them instead of us last weekend, and we found out through instagram!”
“Oh jeez,” Jungkook mock-sighs. “What a jerk.”
“Yeah,” Jimin picks himself up long enough to take another swig. “For fucks sake, Yoongi’s the one that found that place. Man, that kind of stuff hurts. Find yourself a better man, Jungkook, he doesn’t deserve you.”
“I wish I could.”
“What do you even like about him anyway,” Jimin peers up at Jungkook. “I feel like he’s flakey as fuck, and that’s like a major turnoff.”
“He’s very, uh,” Jungkook struggles to find the word. “Free.”
“I mean both you and he call it free,” Jimin slams down his pint glass with a little more force than necessary. “But I feel like it’s just a friendly way to redefine being inconsiderate. I love the guy–as a friend–but damn does it sometimes feel like he just doesn’t care.”
Jungkook shrugs, he really doesn’t have a defense, “I guess.”
“Damn,” Jimin slumps his head against his hand. “I didn’t realize you had it this bad for him. You won’t even shittalk him when he does you dirty.”
“Haha,” Suddenly the wood grain on the table’s surface looks exceedingly interesting, “I mean, for all of his flaws, he’s got more things going for him.”
Jimin cracks open an eye, “Like what?”
“Things,” Jungkook repeats again.
“Be more specific.”
Jungkook downs half his glass, “He’s genuine.”
Jimin snorts.
“He’s kind, he’s funny, we vibe really well, you know,” Jungkook knocks back the rest of the glass. “Generic soulmate bullshit, I don’t really have profound reasons. But it all makes up for when he’s an inconsiderate asshole. “
“You’re kind of a masochist, you know right?” Jimin drawls as he slides his finger through the condensation of his pint.
“I guess so,” Jungkook winces.
“How do you do it? I would have dropped his ass yesterday.”
“Love makes me blind, I guess,” Jungkook’s frowns. “Like today, when he asked if we could turn this into a double date with someone he found on tinder.”
“Sorry,” Jimin leans in. “He what?”
“Double date between us and Taehyung. And his new girl.”
“No way, I can’t believe he asked,” Jimin suddenly looks incredibly interested, “Does he usually suggest stuff like that?”
Jungkook shakes his head, “Never before.”
“Hmm,” Jimin looks off somewhere over Jungkook’s shoulder, clearly lost in thought. “Honestly the only reason I agreed to come tonight was to suss you out.”
“For yourself?”
“No,” Jimin winks. “Guess who.”
Jungkook feels his throat dry, “Wait–really–why?”
“I mean I think he doesn’t realize it himself, he just needs a prod in the right direction.”
“You’re fucking with me,” Jungkook says in disbelief, as his heart begins to race. “You can’t be serious.”
“No, I'm perfectly serious. Haven't you seen how he's been slightly off recently?"
"Well, yeah, but because of me? Really?"
Jimin shakes his head in what looks like mild exasperation, "He doesn’t shut up about you. Like ever. I probably knew more about you before we met than I know about some of my dance teammates. How do you think I hit all of the right topics during dinner?”
“Uhm, wow. I mean, honestly, I still kind of don’t believe you. But wow.”
“Congrats on that photography award by the way, he was very proud.”
“Thanks,” Jungkook gapes. “I guess?”
“Yeah, man, I thought watching you guys from one side was painful. But after he got me directly involved, watching you two dance around has been the Pain Train to Busan,” Jimin slumps against his hand again. “And so I’ve just decided to offer be the catalyst to get things between you two rolling. Only if you’re down of course.”
“Uhm, I think that depends on what that entails.”
“I happen to have a plan,” Jimin’s eyes glint with a devious sparkle.
And Jungkook nervously swallows, “What is it?”
x
Taehyung squints at his watch for the hundredth time.
It was 6 AM, the sun was starting to rise, and Jungkook still wasn’t back yet.
Not that Taehyung stayed up the whole night waiting for him or anything. He had gotten like, you know, thirty minutes of naptime at some point in the night. And, you know what? He hadn’t even been waiting for Jungkook. He had been playing games in the sanctuary of their couch, totally not waiting in the living room for Jungkook to come back at a reasonable hour.
Taehyung nervously shakes his knee. Yeah. It’s totally not like he ended his date in the middle of dinner last night so he could come back and wait for Jungkook. It’s not like he missed the movie so he could sit, alone, in the dark, and play games to take his mind off of the million of concerns floating in his head.
Well, okay, that’s kind of exactly what he did.
At some point mid-dinner he let the weird feeling curling in his chest get the best of him and cut the poor woman off mid-sentence by standing up, chair squeaking in protest against the ground. He, of course, apologized profusely by telling her he was having a lovely time but he just had to get home ASAP (oh and he’d pay). He also completely zoned out during the half-hour before, mentally missing every word of their conversation.
She had taken it surprisingly well, boldly kissing him on the cheek before bidding him farewell. And he had watched her leave, a good catch slipping back into the sea of people, without a single ounce of regret.
He just had been really out of it. That was it. Which was reasonable. Seriously. It was midterm season and his brain was completely fried.
Just ignore the fact that he hadn’t spared a thought on the 18-page essay he had due tomorrow, and he was instead completely consumed by hypotheticals related to the proceedings and outcomes of Jungkook and Jimin’s date. Which was a pleasant little list of thoughts including: Will Jungkook have a good time? Will Jimin fall for Jungkook? Will they hookup? Or worse, will they actually start dating? Or will they–wait, what, did he just think or worse?
The weird feeling Taehyung’s stomach raises its head again, and he throws controller onto the ground and flops against the couch. He was the one who set them up in the first place, he really shouldn’t be feeling like this.
Taehyung buries his face into his pillow. It’s just, he was worried. Is worried. Worried as a good friend should be. It was Jungkook’s first serious date in years, and as a best friend, it was his civic duty to make sure Jungkook was a) healthy, b) happy, c) having quality dates. And on the topic of point c, Taehyung was really not sure Jungkook’s date with Jimin was up to Taehyung’s standards.
But why did that matter? Taehyung turns and glares up at the stucco on the ceiling. Jimin is a high-quality guy and a higher-quality friend. He’s nice, funny, and there during the good times and the bad. Really, he was the perfect package of a human being and was basically a walking checklist for the kind of guy you would want your best friend to date.
Taehyung grimaces, that particular thought coaxes the weird feeling to swell in his chest again. He honestly knew what the feeling was. He’d actually known from the beginning, he just really was loathe to admitting it to himself.
Because why was it jealousy of all emotions?
It irked him. His whole credo revolved around him being a really chill guy. That meant being flexible with people, conflicts, goals, Jungkook. Feeling possessive made him feel guilty. Maybe it was that best friend jealousy phenomenon. Yeah, it was that. Taehyung was just jealous he was being replaced.
Let’s just ignore the nagging intuition that it ran a little deeper then that.
The whole double date thing that Taehyung kicked up a fuss about earlier, well part of the premise wasn’t entirely a lie, his date had been way out of his league. Not that he had let it stop him before (why say the sky’s the limit when people have made it to the moon after all). What Taehyung didn’t say was it was almost entirely an excuse to keep an eye on Jungkook and Jimin.
Again, he was worried, like a good friend.
Probably.
It’s not like he wanted to do something as ludicrous as to get explicit permission to crash their date or anything. Hah. As if.
(Okay, he kind of did it exactly for that reason)
He spends probably another hour curled up on the couch, consumed by his thoughts until the telltale scraping-sound of a key inserting in a lock jolts Taehyung back into reality. He stumbles up just as Jungkook slips into the apartment, hair slightly mussed, wearing the same white dress shirt and raw denim jeans combo he went out with yesterday and a scarf that wasn’t his bundled high around his neck.
Taehyung’s heart begins racing at the sight, until a thought pulls him into a full stop.
Wait what, a scarf?
Alarms ring in Taehyung’s head. It was sweltering outside, Jungkook wouldn’t reasonably need one, unless–oh.
Jungkook's entire look screamed the walk of shame.
“Fun night?” Jungkook is the first one to speak, conspicuously adjusting his scarf. He does a once over of Taehyung’s own disheveled look, eyes stopping at the lipstick kiss print still adorning Taehyung’s cheek.
Taehyung quickly tries to wipe it off, and just ends up smearing it more.
“Yeah, she was wild, left an hour ago,” Taehyung lies through his teeth. Some expression flashes across Jungkook’s face but it’s gone before Taehyung reads it. He shifts awkwardly, “How was yours?”
“Also wild,” Jungkook repeats simply as he breezes past Taehyung and towards his room, his ears blazing with an incredible shade of red, “Jimin’s amazing.”
“What? Amazing in what sense?” Taehyung calls, as the door to Jungkook’s room snaps shut.
“Don’t you have class soon?” Jungkook’s muffled voice floats through the wood.
Taehyung glances down at his watch, and swears, “Oh wait, yeah, shit, thanks–”
And shelving his scattered thoughts, he scrambles to get ready.
x
Usually music studio is the highlight of Taehyung’s day. But he can’t seem to focus today.
His thoughts keep drifting with dread to the scarf laced around Jungkook’s neck, the color Jungkook’s ears, the expression on Jungkook’s face, and just, well, general Jungkook-related things really.
And apparently it was having real-life ramifications, Taehyung realizing this only when Yoongi lightly slammed the keys on the piano and swiveled around.
“Taehyung,” Yoongi glares. “If you’re not 100% here, you might as well go home. We’ve only got a week left until the concert and we haven’t made it through once today.”
“Sorry, sorry,” Taehyung raises his saxaphone to his lips. “Let’s go again?”
He makes it through miraculously, somehow. Though Hoseok soon after sends him home before Yoongi can protest, probably taking pity on him. He wanders through campus in a bit of a daze, unable to shake the growing weight off his chest even with his favorite quad-shot drink (if anything, it makes it worse).
“Long night ahead?” Namjoon observes as he slides into the seat opposite of Taehyung’s.
“No, just stress relief.”
“Interesting choice,” Namjoon picks up Taehyung’s coffee. “I wouldn’t have gone with a stimulant, personally.”
“Yeah,” Taehyung bounces his leg in attempt to get rid of the jitters. “I’m starting to regret it.”
“What’s bothering you?”
“Do you ever,” Taehyung pauses before starting again. “Have you ever had a time where you couldn’t stop thinking about a long-time friend. And, seeing them with someone else puts you in a bad mood?”
“Is this about Jungkook?” Namjoon blinks.
Taehyung’s head shoots up, “How did you know?”
“I have my reasons,” Namjoon shrugs.
“I just,” Taehyung pinches the bridge of his nose. “Feel really guilty. I feel like I’m being over possessive.”
Namjoon doesn’t respond, and just regards Taehyung with an emotionless expression.
To fill the silence, Taehyung keeps rambling, “Like, I’m the one who set him up in the first place. As a friend, I don’t want to feel this way. As a friend, I don’t have the right to feel this way.”
“I think, well first,” Namjoon clasps his hands together. “You should stop beating yourself up about it.”
“Easier said than done.”
Namjoon ignores him as he stands up and slips his messenger bag over his head, “And second, be honest with yourself.”
“What does that mean?”
“Consider the potential scenario where you see him as more than a friend. Seems to me like you’re experiencing the symptoms of falling in love,” and with that, Namjoon’s gone through the door.
oh.
Oh.
Oh.
Taehyung’s eyes widen. It all made sense. The jealously, his heart racing, Jungkook, all of it.
Oh, Taehyung buries his head in his hands. This was weird though, they’ve been like brothers since, like, forever. What was Jungkook going to think? Could they even live together anymore? Or would it get too weird to even be friends?
Taehyung doesn’t really want to think about that last point. He wasn’t sure, even as a friend, he could last a day without Jungkook, much less the rest of his life.
Oh fuck, Taehyung sinks down in his chair and further into his mental melodramatics. He huddles his backpack to his chest. Namjoon was right. This was the worst. This was love. He’s in love.
And it was probably too late.
x
Love was overrated.
It made him hyper-aware of everything, like the number of times Jungkook whispered Jimin during class (ten), how Jimin looked at Jungkook (fond as fuck), and the way they laughed at inside jokes (he’d honestly like to know what was so funny about skewers, also there was this great place down the street he’d highly recommend).
Oh and the snaps of their dinner dates (read: multiple). How Jimin managed to drag Jungkook to a three-dollar sign restaurant was completely beyond Taehyung.
It naturally puts him in a bad mood. Especially when he trudges home only to find them both sitting on the couch.
“Oh hey,” Jungkook waves, sitting suspiciously right next to Jimin on their suede, 8-foot couch. Jimin waves too.
“Sup,” Taehyung nods as he heads to his room and shuts the door with a little more force than necessary.
He doesn’t get any work done.
Not for a lack of trying. He attempts it for a good half hour, but eventually the laughing from the living room becomes just a little too much and he rips his headphones off of his head and checks his phone.
After a solid minute, he finds what he’s looking for, and pulls the nearest tie out of his closet and slips it on. He stuffs his wallet and cell into pocket before he emerges from his room, banging the door open on the way out.
“Oh hey, again,” Jimin waves, controller in hand.
“Hey,” Taehyung lifts two fingers, a universal sign he was both cool and collected.
“Wanna play with us?” Jungkook looks up with a grin before he notices the keys in Taehyung’s hand. His expression falls to a neutral one, “Oh, where you headed?”
“Out,” Taehyung responds tersely. “Bogum’s having a BNO.”
“What’s that?” Jimin furrows his brows.
“A boy’s night out.”
“Is that a thing?” Jungkook looks confused.
“Probably not,” Taehyung puts a hand on the front door knob. “Also, I probably won’t be back until morning.”
Jungkook throws a look that Taehyung can’t see at Jimin, who shrugs. There was very little Taehyung wouldn’t give to replace Jimin right now.
“Cool,” Jungkook turns back to the TV, his back facing Taehyung. “Have fun then.”
“Same,” and Taehyung makes his exit.
x
Taehyung finds himself two hours later slumping against the bar in defeat, fresh off of his third rejection.
It was really starting to take a toll on his self-esteem. Though he probably only had himself to blame. He kept blanking out in the middle of his conversations, forgetting names and questions he had already asked (the moment he had asked that one girl for a fifth time what she did for a living was especially bad, she had rolled her eyes and left with a clack of heels, muttering ‘what a waste of time’). And the fact that he was wearing misery on like a coat probably didn’t do him any favors either.
It’s just, it was hard to hit on other people with sincerity when he knew who he really wanted.
“Any luck?” Jin slides into the empty chair next to Taehyung.
“No,” Taehyung knocks back a shot, relishing in the burn. “Rejected three times in a row, it’s never been this bad before. Couldn’t even get to the point where I’d drop my number.”
“Yeah, for you that’s pretty bad,” Jin laughs. “Say, did you just breakup with someone recently?”
“No..?’
“Here’s a tip then, might want to stop looking like you’re looking for a rebound,” Jin scratches his chin. “They can smell that kind of shit from a mile away.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Taehyung frowns.
“Do you want me to call you a cab or something?” Jin asks. “You look like you want to go home. No point in being here if you’re not enjoying yourself. Bogum probably isn’t coming back with us anyway, looks like he found someone.”
Taehyung looks up just in time to see Bogum awkwardly dancing on the dance floor.
“Thanks, but I’m good,” Taehyung gets up and adjusts his sleeve. “I think I’ll just take a breather outside. Long day, you know. Just need to get my thoughts in order.”
“Okay,” Jin waves. “Hope it all works out with Jungkook.”
Taehyung balks, nearly tripping on his chair, “You know too?”
“It’s kinda obvious,” Jin smiles sympathetically, “I think, ironically, you’re one of the last people to figure it out.”
“Jeez,” Taehyung marvels. “I’m kind of dense.”
“Just slightly. Go home, sort things out, if not between you guys, then at least with yourself,” Jin waves. “I can hold down the fort here.”
“Alright, see you,” and Taehyung wanders outside.
He finds a seat on the least grimy curb space he can find, and squints at his phone. At first, his finger hovers over the rideshare app, but then, impulsively, he opens his texts and fires one off. He wants Jungkook, in every sense of the word, right here, right now, right next to him.
It was a longshot though, Taehyung clutches his phone miserably. Taehyung was at least forty minutes away from their apartment, in a nice part of town, with other friends nearby and other ways to get home. There was no practical reason for Jungkook to come.
Especially since he was with Jimin.
Amidst his worries, he drifted into sleep, head nested between his knees, clinging to hope like a fistful of sand between his fingers.
x
Jungkook
Active 2 hrs ago
Can u cme get me?
Now sharing live location
x
He wakes up to a gentle shaking of his shoulder, and Jungkook’s worried expression peering into view.
“Hey, Taehyung, wake up,” Jungkook shakes his shoulder again. “Are you okay?”
“Where’s Jimin?” Taehyung blinks blearily.
Jungkook’s keys jangle as he stands up, “He went home.”
“Oh,” Taehyung gets up and brushes of the seat of his pants and tries his best to shelve his emotions. “Sorry for ruining your date.”
“...don’t worry about it,” Jungkook frowns, “This is more important.”
“Really?” Taehyung frowns too. “Why?”
“Because you’re my best friend.”
“Oh,” Taehyung winces. Since when did that title start hurting? “Bros before hoes?”
“Yeah, something like that,” Jungkook slips an arm around Taehyung’s waist and begins steering him in the direction of his car.
They drive back in relative quiet. And Taehyung spends most of it staring out the passenger-side window, watching the freeway lights blur into the night.
“Get any numbers?” Jungkook finally breaks the silence.
“No.”
“Really?” Jungkook sounds genuinely surprised.
“Yeah, just wasn’t into it today,” Taehyung mutters.
“Oh,” Jungkook’s expression in the reflection of the window is hard to read. “Sorry to hear that.”
The silence resumes until Jungkook pulls into the garage, smoothly pulling the car into their tandem space in one shot. Before he turns off the engine, he lets out a sigh and turns to Taehyung.
“What’s on your mind?” Jungkook regards Taehyung slightly warily. “You’ve been really quiet.”
“I'm just tired,” Taehyung shifts and places his hand on the door handle and pops it open. The car begins to beep, protesting about the fact that Jungkook’s keys were still in the ignition.
“I feel like that’s not it,” Jungkook insists, unbuckling his seatbelt. “It’s not just today, the whole week you’ve been really distant.”
“Have I?” Taehyung slides out of his seat and slams the door closed.
“Yeah,” Jungkook pockets his keys and follows him.
“Don’t worry about it,” Taehyung totters towards the elevator. “There’s nothing you can do, or should, even, to fix things anyway.”
“So it is my fault.”
“I didn’t say that,” Taehyung jabs the elevator call button.
“It was implied.”
“You’re free to believe whatever you want.”
“It’s definitely my fault then.”
And Taehyung remains silent, praying for the elevator to arrive faster.
“Is it because of Jimin?”
Oh, Taehyung reels, nailed on the head. If Jungkook was being this persistent, maybe it was better to not lie, since Taehyung wasn’t good at doing it sober, much less drunk anyway. The elevator arrives, and Taehyung quickly boards it, “Maybe?”
“Maybe?” Jungkook repeats as the door shuts behind him, and Taehyung’s starting to feel exasperated by his doggedness. “What does that mean?”
“It means what it means.”
“Sorry I’m slow,” Jungkook raises an eyebrow, he’s clearly amused at something, and that escalates Taehyung’s exasperation into annoyance. “Could you please explain?”
“It’s a nuanced way of saying, kinda yeah, but I don’t want to make a big deal out of it or have you ask follow up questions,” Taehyung jabs the sixth floor button repeatedly, hoping that somehow it’ll make the car go faster.
“Okay,” Jungkook nods slowly. “Why?”
Taehyung really would like to disappear in a hole right now, “Why are do you care?”
Jungkook shrugs, his hands buried deep in his pockets, “I have my reasons.”
“What are they?” Taehyung tries to turn the tide.
“I’ll tell you if you if you tell me. Reason for reason,” Jungkook grins and gestures between them. “Mano a mano.”
“...I don’t think that’s how you would use mano a mano.”
“Oh, shit, really?”
“Yeah, it means, like, an equal fight,” maybe Taehyung could verbal pocket sand his way out of this, at least while they were in the elevator. “Roughly.”
“But actually?”
“Yeah.”
“I thought it meant man-to-man.”
“No, it means hand-to-hand.”
“Oh, yeah, no, that’s not what I meant,” Jungkook’s ears are slightly pink. “But still, regardless, I’ll tell you if you tell me.”
“Fine,” Taehyung sighs with relief as the elevator finally stops at his floor. He briskly walks down the hall, now if he could just make it to his room, “If you go first.”
“No deal, I asked first,” Jungkook jogs after him.
Taehyung stops at the front door and inserts the key with a shaky hand, mentally calculating the least number of steps it would take to reach his room and barricade himself away from Jungkook’s questions, he curses as he realizes he inserted the wrong key, “I’m older.”
“Right, so you should show me how it’s done, the older the wiser,” Jungkook watches Taehyung struggle with inserting more, wrong, similar looking keys. “Need help there?”
“No, what happened to respect for the elderly?” Taehyung hisses as he inserts another wrong key. “I won’t say anything unless you say it first. I need collateral for potential damages.”
The door finally opens and Taehyung gets one sigh of relief and and three steps in before Jungkook cages him against the wall.
“Okay, now I’m really curious,” Jungkook peers down at Taehyung, who proceeds to inopportunely marvel at how tall Jungkook’s gotten.
“Again,” Taehyung looks over Jungkook’s shoulder and at his bedroom door, contemplating how successful making a sprint for it without being embarrassingly extra about it would be. Probably not very, “You go first.”
“No,” Jungkook insists stubbornly.
“Why?”
“Because I asked first.”
Taehyung groans, rubbing his temples in attempt to stave away his growing hangover. He was just about 200% done with everything and wanted nothing more than to bury himself in his blankets and sink into sleep.
What would the consequences of admitting it even be? Awkwardness probably, maybe avoidance. But that was happening anyway. Revealing it all would be a form of relief, he could get this energy-consuming secret off of his chest and be done with it. And maybe, just maybe, improbably, Jungkook would feel the same–
No. Taehyung quashes that thought. Jimin was still a thing. No use in getting his hopes up.
“Fine,” Taehyung lets out a loud sigh, relishing in their last moment as friends. “I'll tell you.”
“Really?” Jungkook’s face brightens and Taehyung takes a mental photograph for later.
“I just preemptively want to say I’m really sorry because it’s going to make it weird between us, and also I want you to take partial blame because you’re the one hounding me for it–”
“Yeah, sure,” Jungkook shrugs, and Taehyung really wishes he would take this more seriously. It was, after all, a confession that was going to change everything.
“Uh, well,” he draws a breath and proceeds to throw caution into the wind. Unfortunately, he’s still left with his nerves, “It’s because, well, because, um, I’m,” Taehyung pinches his nose bridge again in frustration. “Oh my god, I can’t believe I’m going to say this. To you, of all people.”
“Anticipation is building.”
“...Jungkook.”
“Yes?”
“I know you’re enjoying this.”
“Yeah.”
“But could you please just stop for just one second.”
“...sorry.”
“Okay, where was I? Oh. Yeah. I’m–” Taehyung stops for a moment, covers his mouth and coughs into his hand, “I’m kind of in love with you and even though I was the one who set you up, I’ve become a jealous piece of shit about it and–”
“Sorry,” Jungkook frowns. “But I can’t hear you.”
Taehyung rolls his head back in annoyance, and mumbles again, a little louder this time, “Oh um okay, again, I’m kind of in love with you and I’m–”
“Yeah,” Jungkook frowns again. “Uhm, you’re going to have to speak up.”
Taehyung grits his teeth, “I’m. KindOf. In. Love. WithYou–”
And that’s when Jungkook cuts him off with a kiss.
It feels like the cliche description of lightning, and Taehyung immediately reels and splutters, “Uhm, I’m, uhm, not Jimin.”
“I know,” Jungkook grins down at him.
“Well first, what. And, second, isn’t this,” Taehyung’s thoughts are going haywire. “Like, cheating.”
“Well no,” Jungkook scratches his head. “We, uh, weren’t actually dating to begin with.”
“Wait what,” Taehyung blinks. “What are you, FWBs or something? Or don’t tell me you don’t do labels–”
“No, we were fake-dating to make you jealous,” Jungkook wrings his hands. “It sounds kind of stupid when I say it out loud, but hey, it kind of worked? Oh yeah, also, that’s my reason for caring.”
“What is?”
“I’m kinda in love with you too. Have been for a while, actually.”
“Well,” Taehyung blinks again, still a little shellshocked from the whole proceedings. “If you had just told me outright, you could have made this story probably 80% less miserable.”
“Yeah,” Jungkook shrugs. “But then it wouldn’t have been much of one, would it?”
“True,” Taehyung leans in for a second round. “I guess we’re like soulmates or something. Even after all the shit we pulled each other through, it still worked out in the end.”
“Shitty soulmates. Also,” Jungkook breathes, eyes dropping towards Taehyung’s lips. He whispers, “I actually heard your confession the first time.”
“Fuck you,” and Taehyung pulls Jungkook in by his collar with a laugh. “We’re meant to be.”
x
“So when did you first start liking me?” Taehyung mumbles into Jungkook’s shirt, burying himself away from the offending rays of the morning light. “You haven’t told me yet.”
“Sometime in high school?” Jungkook murmurs sleepily. “Don’t know when.”
“Pick a day.”
“I don’t think it works like that,” Jungkook cards a finger through Taehyung’s hair.
“I want you to have a definitive moment.”
“Why?”
“So that when we’re telling people, you can have something interesting to say. Because ‘sometime in high school’ doesn’t quite cut it.”
“That’s specific.”
“Do it for me.”
“Fine,” Jungkook yawns. “Uh, there was this one time you were talking about your jazz solo and I thought it was the greatest shit ever. Even though I’m not a fan of jazz.”
“Boring, also an insult to jazz,” Taehyung flicks a finger, “Next."
“Now you’re just altering history.”
“Or cherry picking for the interesting bits."
“Still fabricating the truth.”
“It’s fine if it’s lame.”
“Ugh, fine,” Jungkook thinks. “The first time you helped me with algebra?”
“No.”
“That one time you drove me to the hospital?”
“Depressing.”
“...that one time you threw rocks against my window so I would watch and critique you on that one difficult run in Careless Whisper outside in my front yard at like one in the morning and you ended up waking the whole neighborhood up?”
“Seriously?” Taehyung raises his head. “You were attracted to that?”
“...yeah, I dug it. Even if the dogs didn’t.”
“Perfect,” Taehyung flops back onto the pillows with a satisfied grin. “I think it sums us up perfectly.”
“Glad you’re happy,” Jungkook says before he dozes off again, arm wrapping around Taehyung’s waist.
Wow, Taehyung thinks, snuggling deeper into the blankets, love was great.
x
“You know,” Jimin grumbles in lecture, glaring down at the way their fingers are interlaced under the lecture hall desk. “I knew I was third-wheeling from the beginning, but it was never this obvious.”
“You just need to find someone,” Taehyung leans down to grab his water bottle. “Then we can become a car.”
“A car?” Jungkook looks at Taehyung.
“Yeah, like you know, ‘cause it’s four wheeled.”
“Oh,” Jungkook points at the exit. “You know the door is over there, you can show yourself out.”
“Ouch, critics are harsh these days.”
“I mean it’s not like it’s not going anywhere for a lack of trying,” Jimin turns his head and discretely stares at an individual sitting down somewhere in the front.
“Hey,” Taehyung cranes his neck, “Hey, oh my god, really? That’s–”
Jimin cuts him off by leaning over Jungkook and clapping a hand over Taehyung’s mouth.
“Stop,” he mutters embarrassedly.
“How long?” Jungkook glances at JImin.
“A few months.”
“So like, years, probably,” Jungkook snorts.
“What?” Jimin’s face is practically on fire. “Not everyone can wait around like you.”
“Hey,” Jungkook lifts Taehyung’s hand. “I got the guy in the end. It’s about the ends, not the means.”
“Who helped you?” Jimin pounds his chest proudly. “Let’s hear it for the unsung heroes of the story.”
“It’s about the ends, not the means,” Jungkook repeats.
Jimin jabs him slightly-less-than lightly in the ribs with his elbows.
“So what’s your game plan?” Taehyung asks.
“Uh, let’s see,” Jimin extends in fingers in count. “One, pine for days, Two, do nothing about it, and Three, take it to my grave. A truly wholesome list.”
“Really?” Taehyung cranes his neck and before Jimin forcibly stops him. “I mean, it’s not a reach. And you’d be cute together.”
“Do you think so?” Jimin says a little hopefully, voice cracking, before he coughs and lowers his voice. “Not that I’m super serious or anything. It’s just, uh, interest, at this point.”
“Yeah, sure, whatever,” Jungkook and Taehyung grin at each other, before Jungkook leans in, a devious sparkle in his eyes. “We happen to have a plan.”
And Jimin swallows nervously, “What is it?”