Chapter Text
January 2019
“I wanna get so fucked up,” Jungkook told Seokjin in the car on the way to the club.
Seokjin just rolled his eyes. “An hour ago, you said you didn’t want to come. I had to physically turn off your computer so you would stop playing Overwatch and put on your pants.”
“Yeah, well.” Jungkook shrugged. “Now I wanna get fucked up.”
Most of Jungkook’s friends in Seoul were busy with school and exams right now, but Jungkook was only here for his month-long winter break from college in California. With nothing productive to do and no one to hang out with, Jungkook had been wallowing until Seokjin talked him into going out.
Now, though, sitting in a taxi with eyeliner smudged on, tight leather pants hugging his legs, Jungkook was rearing to let loose. Something about having your heart broken, even if that heartbreak happened four long years ago, makes you want to party to forget. The loneliness grew especially bad during idle periods like this, and Jungkook wanted to drive those thoughts out of his head for the night.
Seokjin was already dancing by the time they entered the club, and Jungkook had to drag him over to the bar to get them drinks.
“You brought me here so you’re paying, hyung,” Jungkook told him.
Seokjin rolled his eyes but ordered them shots without complaining. “Go slow, okay? I don’t want to have to drag your drunk ass out of here.”
Jungkook relished in the satisfying burn of liquor going down his throat, the loud music and alcoholic buzz beginning to overtake his senses. He was sober enough to notice how Seokjin’s eyes flitted around the club shiftily as though he was looking for someone, but tipsy enough not to care.
After Jungkook downed his fourth shot Seokjin pulled him away from the bar, declaring that it was time to dance. Seokjin seemed unusually tense today, as though he was on a mission, and Jungkook didn’t know what to make of it. But once he was lost in the throbbing masses all suspicion was forgotten. The alcohol was starting to hit him in full force now, and the room was beginning to spin a little bit. Time passed differently when Jungkook was drunk, and when he was grinding on faceless strangers, sweaty bodies bumping into him from all sides, and the first time he saw what looked like a startlingly familiar face through a gap in the bobbing crowd, he thought he was imagining things. But some kind of magnetic force seemed to draw him in that direction regardless.
In the past four years Jungkook had seen a lot of phantom Taehyungs. When someone with tousled brown hair and a long jacket, or with pointed fairy-like features walked passed, Jungkook felt his heart race until he realized it was just a stranger. So this time, he didn’t believe it was really him until Taehyung himself was standing right in front of him, staring, stock still amidst a gyrating crowd.
Jungkook heard himself say, “Taehyung? Is that really you?”
Taehyung’s eyes grew wide. “Jungkook? You’re in Korea?”
He’d seen this face in his imagination, in dreams, for four years but this Taehyung looked different. Older, more mature, dark bags under his eyes that hadn’t been there before. Jungkook said, “I need more alcohol for this, and turned on his heel back to the bar.”
“Woah woah woah,” Taehyung said as Jungkook downed three shots, one after another. “Slow down.”
Jungkook ignored him, waving at the bartender for more and barely registering as Taehyung pulled his hand back, shaking his head at the bartender.
“S’been a while,” Jungkook said.
“You’re so drunk.”
“No,” Jungkook told him stubbornly. “I barely drank…barely had drunks…” and promptly swayed forward into Taehyung’s chest. It was just as warm and solid as he’d remembered. “M’just gonna stay here.”
Taehyung let out an exasperated breath. “Who did you come here with?”
“Ssseokjin,” he slurred. “Dunno where he’s…he is.”
Taehyung grabbed him firmly by the shoulders and steered him towards the wall— as soon as his back hit the wall, Jungkook slumped onto the floor. He registered Taehyung swearing under his breath. “Stay there, I’m looking for Seokjin.”
“Nooo,” Jungkook called weakly, but Taehyung disappeared from sight. He slumped back against the wall. Maybe he really had imagined this whole thing. To his alcohol-addled brain, the most logical next step was to lay down on the ground and go to sleep.
June 2015
Jungkook:
wya
Jimin hyung
Jiminnnnn where are you we were supposed to meet 20 mins ago
is ur ringer off again
hellooo
I don't have ur friends number…
Jungkook was searching his Kakaotalk for the angriest-looking stickers to send to Jimin when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see a tall boy he recognized from Jimin’s snaps and Instagram. In person, he seemed even taller, intimidatingly handsome. Jungkook quickly stood to greet him.
“Jungkook Jeon, right?” Jungkook nodded. “I’m Taehyung. I think Jimin was supposed to meet us here but…”
“He’s not answering his phone,” Jungkook supplied.
Taehyung nodded. “He’s not usually like this, I don’t what’s up with him.”
“Uh…yeah.” Jungkook was a little bit dazed by Taehyung’s deep voice and sharp, elfin features. He inwardly shook himself. “Yeah. I think he was hanging out with this one dancer before this so maybe he, like, lost track of time.”
Taehyung’s face broke into a grin and Jungkook was momentarily stunned by the way his face brightened when he smiled. “Hoseok? Jimmie is so whipped for him, I bet he totally forgot about us.”
“Damn,” Jungkook said. Now what? Jimin was supposed to be the one introducing the two of them— without him, would it still make sense for them to hang out? Should they just go their separate ways, and wait until Jimin was free to see them both?
“Hey, it’s not so bad— the two of us can make a date out of it, get to know each other; I’ve heard a lot about you from Jimin.” Taehyung’s smile became a little bit more sly. “I’m glad I finally get to meet you.”
Jungkook felt himself flush at Taehyung’s words. Was he flirting? He was definitely flirting. He stuttered to find a response“Y-yeah, we can do that.”
“Shall we go to a restaurant nearby? I’d love to treat you to a meal, if you’re willing.”
“A meal sounds good,” Jungkook replied. “I know a place, I think it’s like, a few blocks away…?” For someone who made a living acting, Jungkook had surprising difficulty forming words when faced with someone as handsome as Taehyung. Taehyung didn’t seem to mind, however; he cheerfully agreed, and they set off towards the restaurant.
Jungkook knew Taehyung was interested; despite all of Jimin’s efforts to keep them apart, he had seen enough thirsty texts and snapchats from Taehyung about him. And while he should maybe be creeped out, there was nothing at all concerning about the older boy’s demeanor. As much as Jimin had complained about how annoying Taehyung was, how much of a shameless flirt he was, Jungkook felt safe around him.
“You’re an actor here, right?” Taehyung asked as they walked.
“I am! I’ve been coming here for the past few summers.”
Taehyung’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re really young though, right? You’re, what…Sixteen?”
“Almost seventeen. I’ll be a junior next year,” Jungkook said. “You’re going to be a senior, right?”
Taehyung nodded. “That’s impressive, being hired in a professional acting company at such a young age.”
Jungkook shrugged, a little embarrassed. “I mean…they usually cast me as like, the kid. But yeah, it’s been a really good experience.”
“I bet. Jimin says you’re really good— I hope I can see you act one of these days. You’re in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, right?”
“Yeah.” Jungkook fought a smile. “I’m sure we could arrange something.”
“Are your parents here, too?”
Jungkook had been dreading that question— for some, unknown reason, he didn’t want to tell Taehyung just yet that he lived in Korea, not California. Part of him felt like Taehyung would lose interest as soon as he learned that Jungkook was leaving at the end of the summer. “No, they’re working back home,” he said instead, and gave Taehyung a sly look. “I have an apartment, actually. Usually with a roommate but he’s…not here right now.”
“Do you,” Taehyung said. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
They looked at each other for a moment, until Jungkook broke the silence. “What about you? What are you doing this summer?”
“Compared to you, not much at all,” Taehyung said, but it wasn’t self-deprecating. “Studying for the SATs, college apps, working…”
“Do you know what you want to study yet?”
“Biochem or microbiology, maybe,” Taehyung replied. “I also really like photography, so I might end up going that route.”
“That’s really cool,” Jungkook said. “Do you want to go to med school, or…?”
“I think I’d stop at a masters,” Taehyung said. “I could do, like, research or something. I don’t think health is for me, though.”
Before Jungkook could reply, he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. “I bet it’s Jimin,” he said with an eye roll.
Sure enough, he picked up his phone to a very frantic, apologetic Jimin, who had, in fact, lost track of time with Hoseok. Jungkook conveyed as much to Taehyung with a grin and suggestive eyebrow raise, and Taehyung gave a gleeful cackle. After assuring him that it wasn’t a problem and he and Taehyung were (very) fine, he hung up.
“What did he say?” Taehyung asked.
“He said something like, I can’t believe I wasn’t there to buffer Taehyung and you when you first met. And then he was like, fine, go hook up or whatever.” Jungkook almost couldn’t believe that he was relaying this information to Taehyung, but Taehyung just let out a choked laugh.
“That’s a blessing from Jimin if I ever heard one,” he said. They stopped in front of the restaurant, and smiled at each other. “Shall we?”