Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Racing through the forest, Jungkook dodges trees and jumps over small ponds. His heart is pounding as he runs for his life. He can hear the hysterical laughter of his pursuer surrounding him. He takes a sharp turn, navigating his way up a steep hill to reach the safety of the cave at the top. He was so close. He could make it. Just a little further and he could duck into the cave and find refuge. Just a few more steps and he could-

“Gotcha!”

He was hit.

Jungkook made a surprised noise. He misstepped and fell down the hill, landing hard on the ground below. He was dying. These were his final moments, he knew that. Yet, he couldn’t help himself from taunting his attacker.

“I’m so killing you next time.”

Jin laughed as he jumped down next to Jungkook and landed his final blow.

“Not if you’re that slow every time.”

Jungkook sighed as the screen popped up announcing his avatar’s death.

He’d been playing tag with Seokjin on their Minecraft server for about an hour at that point. The rules of the game were simple: the person who was “it” tracked down the other until they were able to kill them. Nothing super original or interesting, but with the way Jungkook was sucking at the moment it was surely entertaining enough for his audience.

Jungkook wasn’t currently streaming, just recording their matches. He wasn’t super big on either platform, but he had enough of a fanbase to know what they liked and what they didn’t. Watching him fail repeatedly happened to be one thing they got a kick out of, unfortunately for him. Jungkook was a perfectionist at times, so losing wasn’t something he took lightly. Well, compared to his friends he didn’t. It’s not like he was a sore loser or anything; he just complained more than the others after a loss.

“Hey, I know you’re dead set on revenge, but I actually need to get off.” Jin announced.

“Alright, let me just film my outro real quick and we can jump off.”

Jin wasn’t a streamer or YouTuber like Jungkook, but he liked to join games with Jungkook and their other friends who were. Their audiences seemed to really like his presence, and sometimes they pushed for him to make his own channel. His excuse was that he was too busy with his current job to invest time into a new hobby/job like that. Which Jungkook and their friends understood, but some fans were a bit less sympathetic.

After doing his outro, Jungkook exited out of his recording software. He clicked back over to discord, where Jin was still connected to the call.

“Why’d you need to go?” Jungkook asked.

“My parents are coming over soon. I just wanted time to get ready for that.”

“Ah okay. I didn’t know you had stuff going on today. We could’ve filmed that another day.”

“Nah, it’s fine. Don’t really have much to do before they get here, I just wanna clean up a little.”

“Well tell your mom I said hi,” Jungkook said with a smirk that Jin couldn’t see with their voice-only call.

He could still tell Seokjin rolled his eyes at the comment by the way he laughed, short and faux-annoyed.

“No, I don’t think I will.”

“Then, I’ll tell her myself once I score her number.”

“I hate you.”

“You don’t. You looooove me.” Jungkook teased.

“Sure whatever, I’m leaving.”

“Come on, admit you love me first.”

“Bye Jungkook.”

Jin disconnected from their call, leaving Jungkook - still smiling - alone in the silence. He took off his headphones and leaned back in a deep stretch. His back always ached after sitting still for so long, and it made being a video game content creator very unfortunate at times. After taking a sip from his water bottle, Jungkook stood up from his desk.

Jungkook lived alone in a one-bedroom apartment on the East Coast. Well, not completely alone. He had his cat, Bam, who was originally supposed to be a dog, but for some reason when he asked his landlord about adopting a pet they said the only non-tank animal allowed was a cat. Not one for tiny critters, Jungkook opted to adopt a cat instead. Bam was a small brown short-hair with so much spunk and energy he might as well be a dog. He didn’t regret not adopting a dog in the end, not after bonding with his furry little friend.

Speaking of, it was growing dark outside which signaled Bam’s dinner time. There was a scratching at his closed bedroom door followed by a series of meows that made Jungkook smile. He went over and opened the door, and immediately Bam ran in and started to rub up against his owner’s legs.

“You hungry, bud?” Jungkook asked as he leaned down to scratch the top of the cat’s head.

He was replied to with more meows and loud purring as Bam continued to weave between Jungkook’s legs.

“Alright, let’s get you some food.”

…

“Agust, I’m gonna kill you if you steal my iron one more time.” Taehyung warned Yoongi.

“But I never play, I don’t wanna go mining.” Yoongi complained.

Jungkook continued building the little cottage village he and Jin planned to live in and ignored the argument taking place between their friends. He’d been streaming for about an hour on their survival server, and Yoongi and Taehyung had been at odds for most of it. He glanced over at his chat and saw a couple people asking what Agust was doing to make Vante so angry.

“He keeps hiding out by Vante’s furnaces and taking the iron once it’s done. Which, to be fair, is a genius move.” Jungkook said.

“Whose side are you on, JK?” Taehyung said. “Hey, I’m being serious dude. Stop.” He snapped.

Annoyance was clear in Taehyung’s voice. Yet Yoongi must’ve kept on stealing his stuff because, following a series of shouts, there was a chat on his screen announcing Yoongi’s death to Taehyung. Jungkook and Seokjin both laughed.

“Aren’t you glad we don’t bicker like that?” Jin asked.

Jungkook was stunned for a moment by the question. “What do you mean?”

“We live in peace in our village while they’re dueling over iron. It’s kinda cute, not gonna lie.”

Jungkook smiled. “Aw, we’re such goals.”

He glanced over to see his chat’s reaction and they were all either agreeing they worked better as a team or freaking out about the casual flirting. He and his friends did that often enough most of his viewers knew not to take it seriously, but there were still the few that shipped him and his friends together and would constantly bring it up in chat and comments. Their mods tried to delete anything that went too far before anyone saw it, but sometimes they slipped through. It usually just served as something to laugh off, but for some reason lately he’d found himself more anxious about the remarks.

He tried not to think about that as he turned his attention back to the task at hand. He was nearly out of cobblestone, somehow, so he decided to prep for a mining expedition.

“Whatcha doing, Kook?” Jin asked once he noticed Jungkook taking things from their chests.

“Gotta get some more cobble. Wanna come with?”

“Oh! Can you bring me some andesite while you’re down there?”

There was a beat of silence.

“...Why?”

“For my castle, duh. I like the look of polished andesite for details.” Jin explained.

“Your castle?” This was the first Jungkook was hearing about this.

“Uh yeah, did you think I was gonna live down here in the village with you peasants?”

Jungkook laughed as his chat started throwing out comments about how he should’ve seen this coming. To be fair, with Jin, he really should have.

“Oh my apologies, my lord. How could I ever assume such a thing?” Jungkook said dramatically.

“That’s Sir Jin to you.”

“He’s insufferable,” came Yoongi’s comment.

“Tell me about it.” Jungkook grumbled.

“Excuse me?” Jin shot at him.

“I mean,” Jungkook cleared his throat. “How dare you speak of Sir Jin like that. We should have you put to death.”

“I’m so here for the dramatics. And killing Yoongi again.” Taehyung joined in.

“Do I hear the washer running right now?” Yoongi asked suddenly.

“...Yes, why?” Taehyung said.

“What if I went in there and just threw away all of your clothes.”

“Jimin’s stuff is in there too, and he didn’t do anything!”

“He’s guilty by association.”

Jimin, who was modding for Taehyung’s stream, must’ve sent an angry message in chat because Taehyung immediately started laughing.

“Jimin said ‘if Yoongi touches my stuff, I’ll kill him irl.’” Taehyung read aloud for them all to hear.

“Then he better hope you don’t kill me again. I’m still waiting for you to give me back my stuff you stole last time.” Yoongi said.

Jungkook glanced at his own chat and saw that a few messages had been deleted by his mod for the stream, Namjoon. He wondered what was going on when he saw some of the other things people were saying.

jimin and vante do their laundry together???

kinda sus guys ngl

wait why are ppl saying tae and jimin are dating

Shit.

Jimin and Taehyung were in fact dating, but they weren’t public about it. They lived together with Yoongi in the Midwest. All of their viewers just assumed they were just friends, until they admitted something like this that sent viewers into a frenzy. Jungkook decided it was best to ignore those comments and let his mod take care of anything that got out of hand. He didn’t want to encourage the questioning of Taehyung and Jimin’s relationship.

Jungkook tore his eyes away from his chat and went back to his mining. He was on the hunt for andesite because, truth be told, he was a sucker for doing things for his friends. Especially Seokjin. He hit a cave in their strip mine and started to explore it in hopes of finding the sought after blocks.

After about half an hour of caving, Jungkook comes up to the surface without Jin’s andesite.

“You had one job, Jungkook.”

“Yeah, and that was getting cobblestone! Your andesite was secondary.”

“Watch your tone, peasant.” Jin warned.

“I didn’t sign up to be your slave on this server.”

“Did you elsewhere?”

“Jin.” Jungkook could feel his new anxiety rising up at the implications of the statement.

He refused to look at chat as he approached the village where Jin had started on a castle at the top of the mountain overlooking the small cottages. Jungkook deposited his findings from the mines into a chest inside their storage house.

“Alright guys, I think that’s probably where I’m calling it for today.” Jungkook announced.

“Aw, did Kookie get too flustered to play?” Seokjin teased.

“Not everything’s about you.” Jungkook shot back playfully.

“You could be more convincing.” Taehyung said.

Jungkook shifted in his chair. “I hate you all.”

“Hey, I’ve been keeping my mouth shut.” Yoongi said, sounding offended.

“Yoongi, you’ve been promoted to best friend status.”

“Eat shit, you hear that? I’m JK’s favorite.” Yoongi said proudly.

“Not sure if I’d be proud of that if I were you,” said Jin.

“I’ll burn our village to the ground”

“You wouldn’t. You worked too hard on it.”

“Well, I’ll build my own castle then.” Jungkook supplied instead.

“You sure you don’t wanna share mine?” Jin said.

Jungkook stumbled for a response which resulted in laughter from his friends.

“I think we know who his real favorite is.” Taehyung said.

“I’m leaving now.” Jungkook decided on instead of facing the impending mockery.

“Talk to you later, dude.” Yoongi said.

“Call me later, princess.” was the stupid send off that Jin gave him.

Jungkook rolled his eyes for the facecam and said his goodbyes before ending the stream and disconnecting from the discord call. He sat back in his chair and let out a deep breath.

What the fuck was that?

Flirting was normal for them, especially between Jungkook and Seokjin, but never so much at once. Jin had certainly never called him princess before. Sure it was probably referencing the joke about them sharing a castle, but the way it floated off of Jin’s tongue made Jungkook’s nerves spike up. He didn’t want his viewers to get the wrong idea, but Jin didn’t stream so he didn’t seem to care. Jungkook wished he cared a little more.

Now Jungkook was stuck with warm cheeks and anxiety bubbling in his chest. He wished he understood why all of a sudden the flirting was getting to be too much for him. He was acting as if they hadn’t been doing this for years, as if he had never been flirted with in his life. Which, sure, it’d been awhile since someone had seriously hit on him. That shouldn’t mean he suddenly couldn’t take a flirtatious joke.

Jungkook tried to set aside his strange feelings and got up to make himself and Bam some dinner. After Bam was fed and Jungkook had finished preparing his ramen, he sat down to finally eat. A three hour stream didn’t seem like a lot, but it wore him out. Especially since so many of them could join today.

Yoongi rarely played, it was usually Hoseok who was their fourth player on the server. He had something come up that day that prevented him from joining, so Yoongi offered to take his place this time. Jungkook knew Yoongi was much happier to be behind the scenes than in the content they created together. He modded for the three of them who streamed and often ended up editing their YouTube videos. However, it was always fun to have him on and Jungkook missed the days when they’d all play off camera for hours. They didn’t really have the time to play if it wasn’t for viewers anymore, which sucked.

While eating, Jungkook got a text message. He unlocked his phone to see it was from Jin. He clicked on the app and the text read: you busy?

Jungkook replied, just finishing eating now, what’s up?

did you already forget about our call :(, Jin sent.

Jungkook smiled before typing his reply, didn’t know if that was serious or not

I’m always serious when it comes to calling you

Jungkook hesitated before replying, unsure exactly what Jin meant by that.

you’re never serious, Jungkook decided to reply.

He lifted his chopsticks to take his final bite of food before getting up to clean up the kitchen, pocketing his phone as he went. After washing his dishes and giving Bam a quick pet, Jungkook retreated to his bedroom. He sat on the bed and pulled his phone back out, surprised to see he hadn’t felt the vibrations from two more texts. Both were from Seokjin.

I can be serious
I’m just not as much around the others

Jungkook texted back, shut up and just call me

Within seconds his phone was ringing. Jungkook answered immediately.

“He-”

“Make me,” Jin cut him off.

“What?”

“You told me to shut up, so make me.”

“You realize if I just hang up that effectively shuts you up.” Jungkook shot back.

“Not if I blow your phone up after.”

“Okay then I’ll block you.”

Jin gasped in mock hurt. “You would never.”

“Wanna bet?”

“I bet you couldn’t last a day without me.”

An idea sprung into Jungkook’s mind.

“Okay what’re we betting on?”

Jin was stunned silent for a moment. “For real?”

“Yeah, what’re the stakes here? Because I think I could do it.”

Seokjin laughed. “Alright, how about if you go an entire day without talking to me I’ll send you a selfie. If you don’t then I get to pick an outfit for you to wear on stream.”

Jungkook’s jaw practically fell onto his lap. “You’d send me a selfie over a stupid bet?”

“Yes dumbass, I just said I would.”

Jungkook had only seen pictures of Seokjin a couple of times over the few years they’d been friends. He’d say on streams that he was too handsome to show off, but in private he’d told Jungkook that he was just a bit nervous about showing his face online. Even if that was just within private messages. Which all of their friends completely respected and never pressed to know what he really looked like. So Jungkook was warranted in his shock.

“Wait, why do you want to pick what I’d wear on stream? That feels like a lame stake compared to yours.”

“Aw, you really think seeing my face is that exciting Kookie?” His grin was evident in his voice.

“Stop, you know why I think that’s a bigger deal than wearing something stupid on stream. I’ve done more embarrassing for less.”

“Sounds like you think you’ve got it easy then. So, do we have a deal?”

“Yeah, I guess. When does it start?”

“After this call. I wanna hear- um, I wanna talk for a little longer.”

Was he going to say he wanted to hear Jungkook’s voice? Surely not. That wouldn’t make any sense; he was just still in shock over the stakes of their bet.

“So, how was the rest of Taehyung’s stream?” Jungkook asked to change the topic.

“We didn’t play much longer after you left. They just argued some more and I laid out the framework for the castle.”

“We aren’t gonna need to collect a shit ton of quartz or anything for this castle, are we?”

“Nah, I’m keeping it old school with stone and wood to match the village.”

Jungkook laid back on his bed and hummed.

“How big are you making it?” Jungkook asked.

“Probably only three stories with a couple towers.”

“Shouldn’t take too long to finish then.” Jungkook replied.

Jungkook shifted around in his bed, climbing under his blanket and getting cozy. It was dark outside, so his body was sending him signals to go to sleep. But he didn’t want to abandon Jin just yet, especially not with their day of silence the next day looming over him. He needed all the Jin time he could get while he could because he was determined to win this bet.

“I was serious about us sharing the castle by the way.” Jin said after a few seconds of silence.

“You were?” Jungkook had assumed it was a bit for the viewers.

“Well yeah. Every king needs his queen.”

Jungkook laughed off his comment, trying to ignore the way his stomach twisted in excitement over the statement.

“Or his king.” Jungkook said.

“Now that’s kinda sus.”

“And calling me your queen or princess isn’t?”

There was a noticeable beat of silence between them as Seokjin realized himself.

“You got me there.”

Jungkook curled into himself as he smiled. His chest felt kind of funny, but he decided it was probably the constant social interactions of his day catching up to him.

“Hey, I have stuff early tomorrow. Might need to get off here for the night.” Jungkook said.

Jin sighed on the other end. “What am I gonna do without you for the next 24 hours?”

“I guess get a life.”

“Hey! I do plenty outside of talking to you.”

“Hmm not sure I believe that.”

“Keep acting like that and I’ll bump the bet up to two days.” Jin warned.

“Fine fine, I’m going to bed now.”

“Goodnight, princess. Good luck tomorrow.” Seokjin said teasingly.

Jungkook shook his head like Jin could see. “Bye Jin.”

…

Jungkook sighed as he flopped back on his bed at the end of his day. It had been a long one. He’d visited with his family in the morning, gone to his part-time job in the afternoon into early evening, then had to clean around his apartment once home. He didn’t like spending his entire days being productive, he liked his rest. So, he was thoroughly beat.

He grabbed his phone and started to scroll through Twitter absentmindedly, moreso just giving his hands something to do while his mind wandered. He wondered what his friends were up to as he hadn’t talked to any of them all day. He clicked over to their group chat to read through what he’d missed.

Apparently, it wasn’t much. There were only a few messages: Hoseok asking if anyone was going to be on today, Taehyung saying no, and Namjoon saying Jungkook was probably busy today. He was curious about that last text until he realized Namjoon had texted him privately. He opened the messages.

Hey can we talk about your stream yesterday?
I’m guessing you’re busy, so just answer whenever you get the chance

The messages were sent in the early afternoon right when Jungkook had gone into work. He typed up his reply.

yeah sorry, work and family stuff today. what’s up?

He went back to scrolling while he awaited the response.

It’s nothing big, I just wasn’t sure if it was okay that I just deleted all the chats about Tae and Jimin. I hope it wasn’t too obvious we’re hiding something from them

Jungkook thought about it for a second before answering, i’m sure it’s fine. i think jimin does the same when he sees shit like that. i’m sure they just appreciate you looking out for them. most people don’t even notice what’s deleted in chat bc you’re so fast

Namjoon texted back, Okay, just checking. Hope work and family stuff was good today

Jungkook smiled at his screen.

yeah it was, just tired now

Make sure to get plenty of rest then!

Jungkook clicked out of their conversation and lingered in his text list for a moment. His second most recent conversation was with Seokjin. Without thinking, he opened it up and started typing.

today was so fucking tiring, you wanna call and talk about it?

It was their usual routine: one of them had a particularly demanding day, they called about it, then they went to bed. It wasn’t abnormal for them. Sometimes they’d even play games together to unwind if they felt up to it, which Jungkook didn’t really that night.

It took longer than usual for Jin to reply, and if he had waited just a little longer maybe Jungkook would’ve realized his mistake. However, Seokjin was casual as ever in his reply when it came.

sure thing, just give me a second

In the time it took Jin to get ready, Jungkook changed into his sweats so he could be comfy for the night. Once settled back in bed, he got the call from Jin.

“Hey man.”

“Hi,” Jin replied.

“I’m exhausted. I’ve been up for too long and done too much today. Plus I think Bam was on the verge of plotting my death by time I could finally feed him his dinner.”

“I bet.”

Jungkook was confused by Jin’s shortness. Usually he’d crack a joke to make Jungkook feel better or share something about his own day.

“Sooo, everything good on your end?” Jungkook was prying for a better response from the older man.

“Never been better.”

Jungkook fidgeted with the bottom of his sweatpants. He was anxious for some reason. Did he do something to upset Jin? Or did he forget about something important? Jungkook was about to ask when he got a notification saying Jin had texted him. He frowned in confusion before tapping on it. The text was just a link to an Etsy listing. Even more confused, Jungkook clicked the link.

He froze.

The listing was of a skirt.

A black, high-waisted, pleated skirt with lace trim to be exact.

“...Jin?”

“Yes?” He sounded innocent as ever.

“What did you just send me?”

“I think it’s pretty obvious what I sent you.”

“Okay, so why?”

“You lost our bet, idiot.”

Jungkook smacked himself in the forehead. “Wow I am an idiot! I knew I was forgetting something, you were acting so weird.”

Jin laughed on the other end. “I love being right just as much as I love winning.”

It took Jungkook a second to realize what Jin was getting at with the skirt link. When it hit him, it hit him like a semi.

Did…did Jin want him to wear that on stream?

“Wait wait, so that’s what you’re picking for me to wear on stream?”

“Obviously.”

Out of all of the embarrassing or funny things Seokjin could’ve picked, he picked a skirt? It wasn’t even that embarrassing, it just might be awkward because Jungkook had never worn one before. Plus, it was a skirt. He didn’t normally show off his legs to his viewers. This was all just so strange to him.

“Well, you could’ve taken your time in deciding. That won’t even be that bad.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, it’s just a skirt. Again, I’ve done worse for less.”

“I’ll order it then.” Jin declared.

“Do it. You still have my address?”

“Yep. Says it should arrive in a week if I order it now, so better get prepared.”

…

A week passes without either of them mentioning the bet again. The others didn’t even know about it, so he wondered what Jin was really even getting out of this. Was he trying to humiliate him on stream? He’d have to try a little harder. Jungkook was confident enough with his identity to not freak out over a stupid skirt. A stupid pretty skirt, if he was being honest. So when the package arrived at his doorstep, he immediately took it along with his basket of laundry to the washer.

He texted Jin telling him tonight’s stream was the one, to which he replied he was looking forward to it. Jungkook tended to his usual daily activities as he waited for his clothes to wash and dry. Tonight he was streaming with Seokjin and Hoseok. It was apparently date night for Jimin and Taehyung, so Tae couldn’t join them.

It was always fun getting Seokjin and Hoseok together. They were roommates, so they’d often go bug each other in person during games. Their viewers found their dynamic hilarious, as did Jungkook. He wished he could meet them in person to see the way they operate around one another. He’d only ever met up with Namjoon in person, since he lived in New York and was the closest to him. They’d always talked about road tripping together to see Taehyung, Jimin, and Yoongi, but just hadn’t found the time.

Getting to Jin and Hoseok was a more difficult situation. They lived all the way in Washington, furthest from the others. Jungkook desperately wanted to meet all of his friends in person, but the logistics were hard to get right. Especially if all seven of them wanted to get together. He was hopeful that one day he’d get to see them all in the same room, but for now they were all too busy and broke for that.

Finally, Jungkook’s laundry was finished. He folded his clothes and put them up in his dresser. At the bottom of his basket, there sat the skirt. He picked it up carefully, as if he’d rip it even though it felt like decent quality material. He studied the piece. It was a really nice pick. The waistband was extra high and stretchy to fit more sizes. The lace at the bottom was a really pretty touch that made it seem more interesting than just a plain, pleated skirt.

Well, it was time wasn’t it? Stream started in half an hour, and Jungkook still had stuff to set up for it. So, he should probably get ready. He flipped through his drawer of shirts before settling on a plain black t-shirt with a pocket on the left side. He traded his worn out tank he’d been wearing for the tee then dropped his sweats to the floor. He was anxious, for whatever reason, so he forced himself to slip on the skirt without thinking about it.

It fit him nicely. Jin had asked for his measurements on their call, so it made sense. He folded down the waistband a bit and tucked his tee into it like he’d often seen people do. He took a deep breath before walking over to the full-length mirror he had resting against the wall between his dresser and his door.

He let out a small gasp.

He looked…good? Really good actually. He’d never seen himself in such a feminine outfit, but it suited him honestly. The skirt hugged his waist just right, and with the shirt tucked in his figure was accentuated. He turned and was shocked to see that, even though the material flowed off of his form, his ass still looked great in this thing. He smiled to himself as he did a little twirl, watching as the edges flared up slightly to show the legs of his briefs.

Jungkook liked it. Really liked it. He wasn’t sure what this would mean for him going forward. Would he experiment with his presentation now that he knew he could pull off a “feminine” look? That made him a little anxious knowing how some people might react, but settled on not letting it get to him right now. Right now, he was content with feeling good about himself in the privacy of his own bedroom. Man, surely Jin had no idea that his plan would fail so horribly. Jungkook was far from embarrassed at that moment.

He grabbed himself some snacks and filled his bottle of water before returning to his bedroom. He set everything up for the stream like normal. He was scheduled to start in ten minutes, but he saw that everyone else was already connected to the discord channel. He hopped on and greeted them. He logged onto their server before announcing he was going to start his stream.

“Hey everyone!” He said cheerfully as people started watching.

After giving his viewers some time to filter in, Jungkook and Jin got started on the castle. Hoseok complained at first that he felt left out, so they told him if he could find them a stack of andesite that he could claim one of their cottages in the village. He readily agreed and set off in his own mine to find them the blocks.

They streamed for about two hours in total, two painfully vigilant hours as Jungkook tried hard not to pull his legs up into view of his facecam. Hoseok did eventually find them some andesite, so he got to work expanding and decorating one of their houses. He proudly put a sign above the door claiming ownership of the building. Jin and Jungkook got the shell of their castle mostly finished: three floors with two towers, one for each of them, just as they had planned. Jungkook admitted to feeling tired after all the building and collecting they’d done that day.

“Yeah, I’m probably gonna get off here soon too.” Hoseok admitted.

After saying their goodbyes to their viewers, Hoseok and Jungkook ended their streams. The three of them chatted aimlessly for a while in discord before Hoseok left to do chores. That left Jin and Jungkook alone in the call.

“Hey, wanna switch over to a private call?” Seokjin asked.

“Sure, gimme a sec.”

They switched to their private conversation and started up a new call.

“So what’s up? Why’d you wanna move here?”

“Because I wanted to call you out.” Jin said simply.

“For what? I thought we got along okay today.”

“Not about that. About the bet. I didn’t see that fun little item I bought you once on stream today.”

Jungkook laughed when he realized what Jin was getting at.

“My bad, I don’t usually show off my legs during streams.”

“I don’t even believe you’re really wearing it.” Jin accused.

“Do you need me to prove it to you?” Jungkook teased.

“Yes, I actually do.”

“Fine, here.”

Jungkook turned on his camera and stood up from his chair. He pushed it out of the way as he stepped back to show off his outfit, even adding a little twirl for good measure. He stopped after his spin to watch himself on the screen, still having to admit he looked damn good. Seokjin was quiet, and Jungkook got concerned he disconnected.

“Jin? Still there?”

“Uh yeah, sorry. Glad to see you’re a man of your word even if you’re a coward.”

“I am not a coward!” Jungkook crossed his arms over his chest.

“You didn’t even show off your outfit, so it’s like you cheated.” The smile on Jin’s face could be heard through his tone.

“You said nothing about showing the viewers, plus you’re the one that picked something I could easily hide. Idiot.” Jungkook said as he pulled his chair over to sit back down. For some reason he was starting to feel nervous showing off his skirt, and he didn’t want the warmth on his cheeks to turn into a full blush for Jin to notice.

“This just means you have to wear it again.”

“Fuck off.” Jungkook didn’t want to admit he gladly would.

“Alright, stand back up then.”

“What?” Jungkook asked dumbly.

“I’m messing with you, calm down.” Jin replied, not commenting on the blush now plainly visible on Jungkook’s face. “But seriously, what are you gonna do with that now that you’ve done what we bet on?”

Jungkook shrugged, trying to act casual (like his heart wasn’t racing). “Probably keep it around. Feels like waste to get rid of it. It’s a nice skirt.”

“It is nice.” Jin agreed.

“Well you picked it out, so I’d hope you’d think so.”

Jin hummed in response.

“Um, I’m kinda hungry. I’m probably gonna hop off so I can eat.” Jungkook said.

“Okay, talk to you later, pretty boy.”

Jungkook felt the heat returning to his cheeks, but he rolled his eyes to play it off. “Whatever, bye.”

He left the call and stared at his screen for a few moments just processing the past few hours. He still couldn’t believe that this was the thing Jin had him do, but he was secretly glad for the excuse to explore a new style. He really liked the new look, and it seemed like Jin did too. For some reason that made Jungkook shaky to think about. Why did he care if Jin liked the skirt? It was just a stupid bet.

His rumbling stomach pulled him from his thoughts, forcing him to shut down his computer to search for food. He settled on a grilled cheese because he was much too hungry to wait on anything else. While waiting for his sandwich to toast on the stove, he checked his phone. He was shocked to see a message from Jin that came immediately after their call had ended.

still need a pic for blackmail btw

Jungkook smiled and shook his head. Jin really was insufferable, of course he needed a blackmail photo. Jungkook waited on his sandwich to finish cooking, plopped it onto a plate, then headed back up to his room. He sat the plate on his desk before standing in front of his body mirror again. He toyed with the lace at the bottom of his skirt as he contemplated how extra to be with this picture.

After opening Snapchat, Jungkook posed for his back camera: hip cocked back with one leg slightly in front of the other and a hand resting on his stomach. He looked cute. He looked hot. Turning red, he angled his phone to cover his face before snapping the photo. He clicked send before he could think about it (but not without secretly saving the photo for himself as well).

As expected, Jin screenshotted the snap. He started typing and Jungkook waited in his list of messages for the new text to appear. It took Jin about a full minute to finally send the message, so Jungkook was getting antsy by the time it arrived. He clicked on it immediately and almost dropped his phone at what it said.

pretty boy

Why the hell was this Jin’s new compliment for him? Did he really think Jungkook was pretty? Why had such a short text taken so long to type? Was Jin just as flustered as Jungkook right now? Surely not. Jungkook was reading too much into this. They joked and flirted all the time, but the pet names and pickup lines never meant anything.

Why did Jungkook kind of hate thinking about that fact?

…

Weeks passed in a confusing yet peaceful sort of way. Jungkook was still streaming and uploading to YouTube regularly and without anything out of the norm to note. It was what was happening behind closed doors that led to his confusion. He felt more himself and at peace than he ever had known before, yet everything that once made sense to him was falling away.

The main difference in his life was the skirt. That simple piece of fabric had turned his world upside down in a way. He wore it around the house increasingly often, just because it made him feel good about himself. It’d sparked an interest in him that he’d never had before, leading to many closed tabs of searches for similar items online. Every time he got up the courage to type the words into the search bar, he lost it immediately once images started popping up.

He wanted another one. Maybe multiple more. More than that he wanted to experiment with other “feminine” clothing items. He couldn’t help but notice how well thigh high socks complemented skirts, or how fishnets hugged the legs of those with similar fashion sense to him, or how crop tops that rested just above high-waisted skirts seemed like a tease. Okay, that last one might lead one to believe Jungkook got off on the thought of himself this way, but it really wasn’t a sexual thing for him. It was a new interest of his, a pastime, a way of expressing himself.

All this because of a stupid bet.

Jin had been talking to Jungkook more outside of their group chats as well since that bet. They talked more in private than Jungkook did with the others anyway, hence why he considered him to be his best friend over the others. Yet, there was something different in the air between them. Calls lasted longer as well as jokes being dragged out. Flirty jokes to be exact. Jungkook didn’t know what to make of it, so he just chalked it up to them having this new secret between them: Jungkook had a skirt.

He tried not to think too hard about any of this. To be frank, there wasn’t much to think about regarding the skirt. He knew he was still a guy; he was just realizing that he might be a guy who liked to wear skirts and such. Not might, no, he definitely did. That wasn’t something he’d ever judged other people for, so the matter wasn’t something he overthought about. It was nice, and he was happy. What more was there to worry about?

His anxiety had gotten a bit better surrounding the jokes his friends made, specifically Jin. He’d take a deep breath, remind himself it meant nothing, and would respond with his own joke. It was getting easier. Jungkook still wasn’t sure why the jokes started to bother him in the first place, but didn’t want to dwell on anything negative. Life was going well for him, so why ruin a good thing?

Finally, Jungkook found himself on Etsy with his cart loaded with clothes and accessories he’d had his eyes on for weeks. All it would take was a couple clicks and they’d be on their way to him. He pressed the place order button, and when the confirmation page appeared, he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. It felt good to know he’d have more things to experiment with. He was excited. Again, things were good.

When his packages had all arrived, Jungkook indulged himself in a big unboxing in the safety of his bedroom. He kind of wished he didn’t have to be alone for this because how fun would it be to put on a fashion show for someone? However, Jin was the only one who knew about his first skirt, and even he knew nothing about these new items. For some reason Jungkook was nervous to tell his friends, yet he knew they wouldn’t care. It was just his little secret.

Jungkook opened his packages to reveal some black thigh high socks, a black and white plaid pleated skirt with buckles on it, a pair of fishnet tights, and a black cropped hoodie with fishnet around the hem and two straps connected to the collar and wrapped around to connect again under the hood. It wasn’t a huge haul, but it gave him some options.

In an excited rush, Jungkook began to strip and trade his hoodie and jeans for the fresh, new items. He didn’t even mind that they hadn’t been washed yet, he just had to wear them. He put on the full new outfit with a little hang up on trying to figure out fishnets for the first time. Once they were on, he immediately bounced over to his full length mirror. Jungkook audibly gasped at the sight. The fishnets and socks accented his legs, making them look more shapely. The cropped hoodie rested just above the waistband of the plaid skirt, if he raised his arms his stomach would show. Everything fit him so well, and the way he looked filled his chest with buzzing excitement.

Jungkook turned and examined his backside before doing a full spin to make the skirt flare out. Grinning, Jungkook started to do poses in the mirror. He modeled off his clothing to no one’s eyes but his own and was loving every moment of it. He realized shoes would tie together the look well, so he threw on a pair of his platform boots before marching back to the mirror to examine the full outfit. Man, he wished he could wear this out. He’d surely get compliments and turn a few heads from the right people. Yet, it was the wrong people who held him back from planning to wear any of these items out.

A chime from his phone snapped Jungkook back to reality. He went over to his bed where it lay to retrieve it. There was a message in their group chat from Hoseok.

Hey guys! We still on for the Q&A stream tonight?

Shit.

Jungkook had completely forgotten he’d agreed to be a part of Hoseok’s stream. He rushed over to the pile of his discarded clothes to swap the crop top for the black merch hoodie he’d been wearing then pulled off his boots. Hoseok’s stream was set to start in ten minutes, and Jungkook still hadn’t gotten any of his setup ready. So, he opted not to change his lower half since, even if they turned on cams in discord, nobody would see his attire.

He went out to the kitchen to grab himself a drink before settling in at his desk. He pulled up Hoseok’s stream and saw he had already started. Hoseok was building on his solo Minecraft world while answering questions from Twitter. Jungkook muted the stream but left it open to read chat, then switched to discord to join their call.

“Hey guys, sorry I’m late.”

“No worries, we just started!” Hoseok was always so bright on streams, it made everyone so happy just to hear his voice. Jungkook included.

“What’re you building today?” Jungkook asked,

“I’m setting up my farm, so a barn and some automated crops stuff.”

Jungkook hummed in response, watching as the chat started to ask Hoseok questions.

“Hey guys, if you want me to answer your question ask them using the tag I posted on Twitter please!” Hoseok reminded them.

He was already starting to gather materials for his builds as he waited for viewers to filter in. Jungkook listened as his friends chatted on the call; other than himself, Jin and Taehyung had joined the stream. They were all going to be answering the questions that people tagged Hoseok in on Twitter, unless they were specifically for one of them. They’d done Q&A streams like this before, and it was always really fun. Jungkook was looking forward to it, so he was still kind of shocked he’d forgotten about it in his joy over the new clothes earlier.

“Alright, I think I can start answering questions now. Vante, do you want to be in charge of picking them?”

“Oh hell yeah.” Taehyung replied.

Once Taehyung had pulled up the tag, he scrolled in silence searching for a good first question.

“Alright, here’s an easy one: pronouns check?”

“People ask that like every stream.” Jin said without hostility, just observing the fact.

“I appreciate it,” Hoseok replied. “I use he/him! I think everyone else here does too, unless that’s changed?”

Jungkook felt his breath catch. His new experimentation with presentation didn’t necessarily mean he was questioning his gender, but pronouns didn’t equal gender. Would he be comfortable with other pronouns? Honestly, he kind of liked the idea of people referring to him in a neutral way. So, he decided to speak up.

“Uh, I guess he/they would be fine for me.” Jungkook managed to say with as much confidence as he could force.

“Okay, awesome! What’s the next question?” Hoseok ghosted over the additional pronoun like it wasn’t a big deal, which it actually wasn’t. Jungkook wasn’t non-binary or anything, it just took some skirts to show him that he was okay with other ways of being referred to. He appreciated Hoseok’s casual response to it, making this all feel way less scary.

“Alright next: favorite video game other than Minecraft?” Taehyung asked.

They continued answering some basic questions, nothing really standing out just yet. Taehyung was doing a good job of setting them up for more wild questions later on. He easily skipped over anything to do with relationships or sexuality, as all of their group agreed that wasn’t their fans’ business no matter how curious they all were. Jungkook watched Hoseok mine blocks and craft on the stream as he answered questions with his friends.

“Alright, here’s a fun one: what animal does jhope think everyone else would be?”

“Oh that’s easy. Vante would be a tiger, Jin would be a hamster, and Jungkook would be a bunny.”

“Hey! Why does he get to be a tiger and I’m a little hamster?”

“A what?”

Jin and Jungkook complained at the same time.

“That’s badass, I’ll gladly be a tiger.” Taehyung said, smirk clear in his tone.

“Language!” Hoseok scolded.

“No, but seriously why am I a hamster?” Jin demanded.

“I don’t know, you just have small animal energy.”

“I feel like that’s an insult.”

“No, not at all! I love little animals. I used to have hamsters growing up.” Hoseok defended.

“Okay, then why am I a rabbit?” Jungkook asked.

“Again, I’m not really sure. It’s just your energy. Plus, your cheeks are kinda round like a bunny.”

Jungkook squirmed in his chair. “Uh, not sure how to take that.”

“I’m not comparing your animals, guys. I’m just saying those are the animals I associate with you all.” Hoseok said.

“Here, before Jin or JK blow a fuse, let me ask the next question.” Taehyung butted in. “What’s the last thing you ordered online?”

Jungkook felt his heart drop. Shit. He looked down at his lap, where he was still wearing his most recent online purchases. Nobody even privately knew about his new clothes, he couldn’t possibly reveal it to however many people were watching that stream.

“Easy. A new phone case.” Jin answered.

Taehyung was next to reply, “Um, I think mine was stuff for my PC.”

“Last thing I ordered? Hm, I’m pretty sure it was some decorations for my room. Oh yeah! I got this really cool lamp I’m gonna set up for streams. You guys will really like it.” Hoseok said, smiling at the end of his reply.

Jungkook almost thought maybe he could get away without answering. He remained silent in hopes that Taehyung would move on to the next question and forget about Jungkook.

Yet, Jin didn’t.

“What about you Kook?” Jin asked.

Jungkook was quiet for a second as he weighed his options.

“Uh, I don’t remember.” Was the eloquent answer he decided on.

“Oh come on, don’t give us that. Look at your emails or something.” Taehyung shot back.

Shit shit shit.

“I mean, it was probably clothes or something.”

“‘Or something.’ Are you super sure Kookie?” Jin teased.

Jungkook was flushing red under the attention.

“Um, yeah. Nothing special I’m sure.”

“Are you lying?” Jin pressed.

“I feel like it was something naughty.” Taehyung commented.

“It was not! I swear.”

“I think clothes is an acceptable answer, guys let’s just move on.” Hoseok tried to save him.

But Jin wasn’t having it. “Check your emails or search history or something. I’m so curious now.”

“Fine, okay give me a second.” Jungkook opened his email and stared at the receipts for the clothes he’d been wearing earlier. No way was he admitting to what they were, but they could all tell when he wasn’t telling the truth. So, he decided not to completely lie. “Yeah, it was just some clothes.”

“What kind of clothes?” Taehyung asked. He hated that the two of them were ganging up on him.

“A hoodie. Just a black hoodie with some straps across the chest.” Again, not a complete lie.

“You said ‘some clothes,’ what else did you get?” Jin pried.

“Nothing, it was just the hoodie.”

“You’re lyyyyingggggg.” Taehyung, of course, could tell.

“Hey, this is my stream, and I’m tired of messing with Jungkook. Next question.” Hoseok used his serious voice, making the other two immediately stop.

“Okay fine, give me a sec to find another.” Taehyung said. “Hmm, how about: do you guys read fanfiction? That’s a good one.”

Jin laughed before answering, “Yes, of course.”

“Me too,” Jungkook replied honestly, glad that Seokjin admitted to it first.

“I’ve read like one or two.” Taehyung said.

“I’ve still never read one.” Hoseok confessed.

“I’m gonna force you to read some about us one day. They’re so good sometimes.” Jin said.

“About me and you?” Hoseok asked.

“Not us specifically, but it could be. They exist.”

“That’s so weird to think about. Obviously I’ve said before I don’t mind fanfiction or art, but the thought of people imagining us together is kinda funny. We would not mesh well in a relationship.”

Jin gasped in faux hurt. “What? Do you not think I’m worthy of you?”

“Not that, it’s just we already argue like siblings as it is. Could you imagine us trying to plan a future together?”

“I think all fanfiction is just funny.” Taehyung said. “That’s why I can’t get through any of it. They just make me laugh. Which isn’t a bad thing, for those of you who write it.”

“Kook and I have read some together before. It’s so much fun.” Jin said.

“Not like out loud, but we’ve sent each other recs before.” Jungkok clarified.

“Oh we should totally read jinkook fics out loud next time we’re on a call together.” Jin said.

Jungkook laughed. “No way.”

“I wanna be there too, and Hobi doesn’t get a choice he’s gonna hear this.” Taehyung said.

“No I will not. I’m keeping my fanfic innocence.”

“Sure you don’t want to lose your fic virginity in a group call?” Taehyung teased.

“Watch your wording, please!” Hoseok pleaded, obviously trying not to laugh.

“So anyway, just so you all know our next group call is going to consist of us popcorn reading fanfiction about ourselves like we’re in a literature class.” Taehyung told the viewers.

Chat was going wild over this. Some were sending their recommendations, some were begging them to stream it, and most were just in hysterics over the concept. It was pretty funny to imagine, Jungkook had to admit. No way in hell would they be doing that live though, if they even did it at all. He’d obviously read some of the stuff about them all, and some of it was too much to read on stream.

Fuck he couldn’t even imagine reading any of it out loud let alone in front of his friends. The thought of some of the things he’d read before made him antsy, shifting in his seat with nervousness. He’d thought his anxiety had gotten better, but maybe he still had some shit to work through if the idea of reading some silly fanfiction within the safety of his friends group had him nervous.

They went through a few more questions as Jungkook watched Hoseok finish up his builds. Once he had completed his builds, they sat chatting with the viewers for a little while before Hoseok decided to end his stream. Jungkook was getting kind of tired, so he was grateful they were done. He knew he could’ve left at any point, but he liked sticking around for the entirety of his friends’ streams.

The four of them chatted privately for a few minutes before Taehyung had to leave to do stuff with Jimin and Yoongi. Hoseok announced he was going to make himself food and also left.

“Wanna switch over to a private call for a bit?” Jin suggested.

Jungkook was tired, but getting to talk with Jin for just a little bit longer was appealing to him.

“Sure, talk to you in a sec.”

Jungkook left the group chat and moved to his private conversation with Seokjin. He joined the call and flicked on his camera, even though he assumed Jin wouldn’t do the same. There was just something comforting about knowing his friend could see him from so many miles away. It made him feel less lonely. He didn’t need to see Jin’s face to know he was with him there, just the sound of his voice was enough.

“Hey there.” Jin greeted him as he saw he’d turned on his camera.

“Hi, what’re your plans for the rest of the day?”

“Not much really. I’ll probably end up playing some video games, maybe do some stuff around the apartment since Hoseok is going out.”

“What’s he got going on?” Jungkook inquired.

“A date, I think. He was kinda awkward about it, so that’s my guess.”

“Cute. Well, I hope he has fun with whatever or whoever it is.”

Jungkook settled back in his chair, pulling a knee up to hug his leg to his chest comfortably. He was too busy staring at Jin’s icon to notice what he had just put on full view for the other man.

“Um, Kook?” Jin’s voice was weird.

“Yeah?”

“Are you wearing fishnets?”

Jungkook froze and looked to his own image on the screen with horror as he realized what he’d revealed.

“I- um, actually I- uh…I can explain. Please don’t tell the others.” Jungkook stammered out.

“Dude, it’s cool. I don’t care. Was just kinda shocked that’s all. Didn’t know you owned that kind of stuff.”

Jungkook lowered his leg and sat forward in his chair, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Yeah so about that, I didn’t until today actually. That’s why I was avoiding the online order question.” He confessed.

Jin hummed a noise of understanding. “So, you’ve been buying things to pretty yourself up with?”

Jungkook swallowed thickly. “I…don’t know how to reply to that.”

“Just be honest: you like to dress up, huh?” Jin’s words seemed teasing, but there was something else hiding within his tone of voice. Jungkook couldn’t place it, but it made his stomach flip.

Jin didn’t stop talking, voice dropping low. “Wanna show off your little outfit for me again?”

Jungkook felt his heart begin to pound. “Yes.” He breathed out.

“Get up then. I’d love to see what you bought for yourself.”

It wasn’t commanding the way Jin said it, but Jungkook immediately obeyed like it was. He pushed his chair back and out of the way before backing up to reveal his full form. He wished he had kept on the cropped hoodie now, but for what reason he wasn’t sure. It just completed the look, he supposed.

“Everything other than this hoodie is new.” Jungkook told him.

“Such a pretty boy, Kookie. You look good.” Jin said, tone still low and almost sensual. The thought of what that meant had Jungkook’s gut burning.

“Thank you.” Jungkook replied, tone too formal for it to just be him and Jin in a call together. What was coming over him?

“Did you get yourself anything else you didn’t want to tell the others about?”

“There’s a hoodie.”

“Yeah, you said that earlier.”

“It’s, um, it’s not something I’d tell the others about either.” Jungkook paused, toying with the hem of his skirt. “Do you want to see?”

“Yes, of course.” Jin sounded genuine. It made Jungkook’s face feel like it was on fire.

He turned to fetch the hoodie from where he’d thrown it earlier. Not caring if he was still visible on camera or not, Jungkook pulled off his merch and replaced it for the crop top. He thought he heard a breath hitch through his speakers, but decided it probably was just static. He walked back over towards his desk until he could see himself on the screen. He lifted his arms a little to show off the skin between the hoodie and the skirt, not really knowing what else to do.

“That’s not what I was expecting.” Jin commented.

“Is that a bad thing?”

“Oh most certainly not. You look good.” Jin was repeating himself, but Jungkook didn’t even care. It felt nice to show off and even better to receive praise for it. Especially from his best friend.

“I’d like to get more. That skirt you got me kinda opened up a new interest for me.” Jungkook admitted.

“I’d gladly buy you another one.”

“You- you would?”

“Yes definitely. As long as I keep getting to see you like this.”

Jungkook pulled his chair back over to sit back down in it. “I’m glad you don’t think it’s weird.”

“Not at all.”

“Do you-”

“I think I’m gonna hop off here.” Jin cut him off suddenly.

“Oh. Okay.”

“Talk to you later, Kook.”

“Bye Jin.”

Then, Jungkook was left alone again. Confused and flustered with a half hard dick and not a clue why the fuck he was reacting like that. It was just Jin. It was just a few offhanded compliments. Why was Jungkook kind of…turned on.

Jungkook quickly shut down his computer and went over to flop onto his bed, face landing in a pool of fabric from his hoodie. The stench of new clothing hit him and he cringed back away from it. Jungkook got back up and decided to change back into his sweats and merch hoodie so he could wash his new stuff instead of lounging around smelling like that.

…

Later that night, Jungkook was playing a bit of Hades to pass the time before heading to bed. He was doing terribly, if he had to admit it, because his head was still a fuzzy mess from earlier. He’d had such a good time on stream with his friends, but the weird conversation with Jin afterwards and the confession to dressing up in private left him feeling strange the rest of the day. He was sure he’d shake it eventually, maybe after getting some sleep.

As if the universe could hear his thoughts, Jungkook got a notification from Snapchat saying Jin had sent him a picture. He tapped on it and froze in shock at the image before him. It was a picture of Jin, but not only that it was a full picture of his face. It showed from his chest up to the top of his head. Jin was wearing a light pink hoodie with the top of some kind of logo peeking up at the bottom of the screen. His hair was slightly mussed, but still glossy and beautiful.

Fuck.

Jin looked beautiful.

That wasn’t even the most difficult thing for Jungkook to swallow about the image. The caption made everything ten times more confusing for the younger man.

thinking about you

What did that mean? Jin was never so casually flirty in private; what was his goal with sending that selfie? Jungkook found himself staring at the picture for longer than he probably should have. There was something rising in his chest. Was it anxiety? No, this felt different. It wasn’t a tightness that sucked the breath from him. It was more gentle, silky soft, and almost bittersweet. It made his heart pound as blood rushed to his cheeks. It sent him soaring above his body while his feet tingled from the feeling.

Hope.

He was feeling hopeful.

As the realization sank in, Jungkook couldn’t keep it from himself anymore. The fluttering in his chest, the new feelings that sprang up from the flirting, the way he turned red under Jin’s attention, and this hope rising in his chest from a simple selfie.

Jungkook was falling for his best friend. It was so painfully obvious now; why had it taken him so long to come to terms with this? He was scared of the hope in his chest, so maybe that had something to do with how long it had taken him to realize this. He was honestly terrified of what this meant going forward. Should he tell Seokjin? Should he push it away? Neither seemed very appealing at that moment.

So, he did the only thing he knew to be the right thing to do in such a situation: text Jimin.

hey can we talk?

that’s an ominous way to start a conversation, but yeah of course, Jimin replied almost instantly.

Jungkook took his time crafting the message, typing and deleting and retyping for almost a full five minutes. Finally he decided on, i think i have a crush on someone and idk what to do now.

Jimin texted back after about a minute, am I going to have to pry it out of you, or will you just tell me so I can help?

it’s jin…

I’m sorry if this offends you but can’t say I’m surprised

Jungkook chuckled.

was i that obvious?

I mean you guys only really flirt with each other and Hobi occasionally. I was kinda waiting for one of you to fess up

do we really only flirt with each other?

Jungkook was stumped by this message. Surely he would’ve noticed if they were the only two that flirted jokingly. Right? It was their thing as a group…right?

Jimin’s text back interrupted his anxious thoughts.

dude you can’t be serious

i guess i just never really thought about how none of the rest of us do that. i mean obvs we dont flirt with tae bc hes with you, but idk i guess i was just too caught up to notice no one else did that too

yeah, too caught up blushing on facecam to Jin’s pickup lines

hey easy now

sorry sorry, it’s just funny
you guys are so ridiculous, I’m not even shocked it took this long for one of you to realize

one of us? wdym?

Jungkook’s face was burning because of the implications of what Jimin was getting at. Did he think that Jin-

I mean that you’re both idiots
talk to him, not me

idk if i can do that

okay then suffer
only kidding. but seriously, why not?

Jungkook thought about that. It just didn’t feel right to reach out to Seokjin about this. What if Jimin was wrong? What if Jungkook was taking the jokes too seriously and read the situation wrong? He couldn’t chance messing up their friendship over a dumb crush. He knew once he told Jin that everything would change, even if they didn’t mean for it to. So what was the point in ruining what they had?

i’m not ready, was all they replied with.

well when you are, I’m here if you need anything

thanks so much jimin

anytime

…

So, Jungkook took some time to themself to think over this new development. This accidentally involved basically ghosting his friends, especially Jin. He just couldn’t face him yet, not when he had this new crush hanging over his head turning into shadows of doubt. It clouded his mind, made him not think clearly enough to realize what he was doing. He was just waiting until he was ready to face Jin again. That was all.

There was this fear on the front of his mind that Jin would flirt with him and he’d freak out, essentially giving away his feelings. This would be especially bad if it happened live, so Jungkook didn’t invite Jin to his stream that week. He didn’t stream, so it was normal to not always have Jin online with them. Jungkook noticed that after two days, Jin stopped texting him asking if he was okay. He felt a little guilty, but he was hopeful that Jin would understand when he finally reached back out.

There were many reasons Jungkook was afraid of these feelings. One, of course, was that Seokjin might not feel the same way. Another was obviously the distance. Lastly, he worried their age gap might prove a little tricky even if it wasn’t that much. Jungkook had never dated someone that much older than him and had certainly never dated long distance, so he was rightfully worried about these things. At least in his mind these were valid reasons to ghost his best friend for a little while.

Jungkook was still oblivious to how much this could affect Jin, until Hoseok reached out to him one day after Jungkook’s solo stream.

Hey, Jin said you’re not opening his messages. Is everything okay?

Jungkook sighed as he read the text. Shit. He looked at the date and realized he’d been leaving Jin on delivered for four whole days. He was officially the worst best friend ever.

He texted Hoseok back, yeah im good, sorry if i worried any of you. i just needed some alone time. i’ll text jin now

He switched over to Jin’s conversation and read through the texts waiting for him there.

hey what’s up?
you okay?
saw your stream with Hobi today, looked like fun sad I missed out
did I do something?
hope you’re okay

Jungkook felt his heart sink into the pit of his stomach. He felt like the world’s biggest dumbass. Why had he gotten so in his head about a stupid crush that he’d let himself go days without answering the person closest to him? It’d been two days since the last message, meaning Jin had given up on him. He hoped he wasn’t too late already.

hey im sorry for going ghost. if you wanna call i can try to explain myself

He waited and waited and waited for a reply. It wasn’t coming. To prevent the tears that were threatening him, Jungkook decided to edit his last solo stream down for a YouTube video while he waited. It was a good distraction, and once he was in the groove he had almost forgotten about the text he’d sent.

Then, his phone started to ring.

Jin.

Jungkook immediately paused his video and answered.

“Hello?”

“Hey.”

“So, I’m sorry about this week. I-”

“No,” Jin cut him off. “Let me talk first.”

“Oh, okay.” Jungkook felt a wave of anxiety that made him sick to his stomach, but he deserved this confrontation.

“This week has been so fucking terrible. Ask Hobi, he can attest to me not wanting to even leave my bedroom I’ve been such a mess. You and I were calling, or at least texting, every damn night for weeks. I thought we were getting closer. I thought maybe, just maybe, that you were someone I could lean on. So, I went out on a limb and opened myself up to be vulnerable with you and you leave me on read? Then you spent over half a week not even opening my texts. Do you know how that felt? Then, I see you streaming with our friends like everything’s normal. You didn’t even ask me to join, which is whatever I get that I don’t always play but still it felt like you were purposely pushing me away.”

Jin paused to catch his breath as the words had been pouring out of him in one continuous stream. Jungkook realized he was holding his breath, so he tried to gently let it out and start breathing again but he couldn’t. It felt like his throat was closing. He really was the world’s biggest idiot.

“So, what did I do wrong?” Jin continued. “I tried to open myself up to you and you push me away like the last three years of friendship have meant nothing. Then, you have the nerve to tell Hoseok you just needed time to yourself? What does that even mean? Because obviously that’s not the case, otherwise you wouldn’t have been streaming.”

It was silent for a couple moments.

“Your turn.” Jin said sternly. He sounded hurt and angry, and Jungkook couldn’t blame him.

Tears pricked at Jungkook’s eyes and he closed them tightly as he took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, okay? I know that doesn’t hold a lot of weight right now, but I am. I’m a fucking idiot. I just didn’t understand myself, and I was afraid of letting myself talk to you. I know that makes no sense, but it’s the truth.”

“What didn’t you understand that would lead you to cutting me off?”

“I didn’t mean to cut you off. I- I really only meant to take a day or two to figure things out, but it quickly just got out of hand.”

“Jungkook. What are you talking about? What’s going on with you?”Jin paused, and when Jungkook didn’t reply he added, “Can you really not trust me enough to tell me?”

Jungkook shook his head as if his friend could see him. “No, it’s not that I don’t trust you. I don’t trust myself.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that you just act the way you do and it’s starting to get to me. You flirt with me like it’s nothing, and it makes me so anxious I don’t even know how to face it. I don’t trust myself not to act like an idiot around you, so I just put distance there for a little bit until I felt I could handle it again.”

Jin was quiet for a long few seconds. Jungkook was so nervous they’d given themself away already, that this was rejection. Their heart pounded, and they could feel the sweat leaking from their skin. He felt gross, disgusting, and pathetic. How dare he throw away such a deep friendship over a stupid fucking crush?

“So this is about the flirting?”

“Yeah, I mean that’s part of it.” Jungkook toyed with the strings of his hoodie.

“If you were uncomfortable with those jokes you should’ve just told me. You know I would stop immediately, right? I only made them because I thought you were comfortable with it too. I’m…I’m sorry, Kook. I didn’t realize-”

“No!” Jungkook exclaimed, then started to backtrack to a calmer tone. “I mean, that’s not the issue. I’m not uncomfortable with the flirting.”

“What? But you just said-”

“I know what I said, but that’s not what I meant by it.”

“Please, I feel like you’re keeping something from me. If you don’t want to tell me, fine whatever, but at least talk to me about what I can do to make you feel better about us. I don’t want to be pushing you away if I am.”

Us.

The word struck a chord within Jungkook, making his mind race so fast it felt like it’d gone blank. So, he couldn’t help the next words that flowed from his mouth.

“You’re not pushing me away. If anything, I’ve been pulled in too close.”

“Jungkook…what?”

“Jin,” Jungkook took a deep breath. This was it. He was doing this, and the nervous side of his brain was suddenly just whispers beneath the surface of newfound confidence from his blank mind. “I like you, like like you, and I didn’t want to react to the flirting and end up making it weird or pushing you away. I wanted to figure this out so that I could be normal around you again, but I just couldn’t. I can’t push you away anymore, just like I can’t push away my feelings anymore.”

“You…like me?”

“If you’re uncomfortable or don’t want to keep talking like we used to, I get it completely. I just am sick of hiding this. I needed you to know.”

“This is…the most ridiculous way I’ve ever had someone confess to me.”

Jungkook blinked, dumbfounded. “What?”

“You figured out you had a crush on me, so you ignored me for four days then beat around the bush for twenty minutes until finally admitting how you feel. That’s like the most Jungkook confession ever.”

“If you’re just going to make fun of me for this, I’m hanging up.” Jungkook replied evenly.

“No no! I’m not making fun, I’m just pointing it out.”

“Can you please tell me what you’re thinking about this, Jin.” He felt like his mind was going to explode if he didn’t get his rejection over with now.

“Jungkook,” Jin said, gentler.

“...yes?”

“Do you realize how long I’ve wanted to hear those words?”

Jungkook’s breath caught in his throat. He wanted to reply, but his words were failing him. He was quiet as he waited for his friend to explain what that fucking meant.

“I feel like Hobi and Joon are sick of hearing me complain that you just don’t get it. Every time I hit on you, I’ve meant it. I don’t just flirt with anyone, only people I want to. And yes I realize I’ve flirted with Hobi on stream before, but we have a different dynamic. I don’t flirt with Tae or Yoongi or anyone else, just you. It’s always just been you. I thought maybe you’d notice, but you never did. That’s why I’ve just been waiting to see if there was a chance you felt the same about me.”

“You…like me too?” Jungkook felt like his mind was processing Jin’s words in slow motion.

“Yes, dumbass. I like you too.”

“For how long?”

“Almost since we met. I know you don’t see yourself the way I do, but you’re so amazing Kook. It’s hard not to like you.”

“Since we met.” Jungkook repeated dumbly.

“Dude, are you good?”

“Yeah yeah,” Jungkook shook his head to try to clear his mind so he could focus. “I’m just in shock, I guess.”

“Well, I guess while I’ve got you hooked I can tell you the other big news: I bought tickets to fly out to Maine.”

Jungkook could’ve fallen out of his chair if he wasn’t gripping the edge of his desk for dear life.

“You what?”

“I was going to surprise you, but when you started to ignore me I almost canceled the flight. I’m glad now that I didn’t.”

“You’re coming to see me?”

“No, I figured I’d just come see the sights and go home.” Jin teased.

“Shut up, I’m in a very vulnerable state right now.” Jungkook huffed. “I just- I can’t believe you like me, have liked me for so long, and now you’re saying you’re coming here to see me? I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck.”

“I’m hoping that’s a good thing?”

“Yes, it’s a lot but it’s good. So fucking good.” Jungkook smiled to himself as it all set in. “So, when are you heading here?”

“Um, in three weeks.”

“THREE WEEKS?” Jungkook was in disbelief all over again. “So much for a heads up.”

“Hey, I said I was surprising you originally. How was I supposed to know you’d ghost me then confess your undying love right before my flight.”

“I did not do that.”

“Might as well have.” Jungkook could hear the smile in Jin’s voice.

His chest felt warm in the best way. He felt comfortable, confident, and wanted. It was a wondrous feeling, and he was riding that high for the rest of Jin’s call and into the night. Jungkook felt like he was floating above his body; it was as if he were watching himself go through the motions of finishing work and chores before going to bed. There was so much on his mind he could barely focus on anything other than the repeating mantra in his mind: Jin Jin Jin.

Jin would be there in three weeks. Jin liked him too. Jungkook had to keep reminding himself of these facts because the more he thought about that call, the less real it all felt. Jin would be there in three weeks. He had so much to prepare around his apartment before the older man arrived. Jin liked him too. Jungkook wasn’t alone in his feelings, and hoped never to be.

They hadn’t made anything official, and they decided not to tell any of their friends just yet. They did find out about Seokjin’s upcoming trip to the other side of the country though, and they were over the moon about it. Jimin claimed to be jealous, and Hoseok said he was going to be so lonely once Jin left. But they were all super excited for their meetup. They would probably lose their minds once they found out about the new developments in their relationship, but that was to come. For now, they all focused on Jin’s trip. Jungkook was so excited he thought he might implode.

The days dragged on like each one of them was a full week. Jungkook swore he was going mad with the waiting. He just wanted to see Seokjin, to hear him in person, and to touch him. Not in a weird way, just to hug him and make sure he was real. Jin was a real person who was flying out to see him in a matter of days. Jungkook still couldn’t believe it. Even more than that, Jungkook couldn’t believe the shift in their dynamic since their confessions.

Jin flirted with him incessantly now, and Jungkook could do little to combat it because in all honesty he liked it too much. Jimin had messaged him privately asking if they’d talked, and Jungkook just simply told him yes and that things were okay. He didn’t tell any of them or his viewers about the flirting that went on off camera as well. It was like their little secret. A sweet, thrilling, wonderful little secret. Jungkook was so happy with everything. He didn’t even care that he and Jin weren’t official.

Until the day before Jin’s flight.

Jungkook found himself pacing his bedroom with Bam sitting on his bed staring at him like he’d lost his mind. Maybe he had. His head was full of what-ifs and maybes and worries. What if Jin stopped liking him once he saw him in person? Maybe he’d stop flirting once they were face to face and crush Jungkook. He worried that it was only all so good in his head.

He was so sure of their developing relationship just the day prior, but then Jin gave one random compliment to his roommate on stream and it sent Jungkook spiraling. Jin said that he only flirted with who he wanted to, but that Hoseok was different. It was possible Jungkook was reading too much into it, but he was concerned that there was something going on between them that he didn’t know about. Could that be why Jin hadn’t made things official with Jungkook? Was he hung up on someone else? Jungkook felt ill.

Jin was too busy packing and preparing for his flight to text Jungkook back very much that day. Without telling one of their friends, Jungkook was left alone with his racing thoughts and overwhelming worries. He was being ridiculous, surely, but that didn’t stop the way his heart sank when he thought about Hoseok and Seokjin having something secret like they did.

Jungkook wasn’t a jealous person. He swore he didn’t care about friendly flirting, cuddling, or even occasional kissing under the right circumstances. Yet, there was something about the unknown that was scaring him. He didn’t know where he and Jin stood, not for real. Why hadn’t they become a real couple? What was different about Hoseok that made Jin flirt with him too? Was Jin hiding something from him, even if it was unintentional? Jungkook would be fine if they just knew what was going on between all of them, but they were so scared of what answer they might get if they asked Jin right then. Plus, he knew his friend was busy getting things ready and didn’t want to add stress to his plate.

That left Jungkook alone with his wide-eyed cat in his pristine bedroom. He’d deep cleaned the entire apartment in his spare time over the past few weeks, and he was surprisingly happy with the state of things. At least, the physical state of things. Mentally and emotionally Jungkook felt awful. He finally stopped pacing to collapse onto his bed beside Bam, startling the poor creature and sending him running out of the room. Jungkook sighed and ran his hands over his face.

How was he supposed to face Jin like this? In less than 24 hours, the man on his mind would be standing before him. He was nervous, so nervous. Mostly because of all these new worries floating around inside his skull. Jungkook knew he was being stupid; that once Jin landed and they were together everything would make sense. At least, that was the hope. If he didn’t hold onto that hope, he feared he might really lose it.

Jungkook felt a throbbing developing in the back of his brain. He decided to text Namjoon. The two of them were almost as close as he and Jin were due to the fact they’d met in person before. He was the one Jungkook went to when he needed someone to calm him down, someone with reason, and someone who knew him maybe better than he did. Namjoon was that person and so much more, and Jungkook was eternally grateful to have him and all their friends in his life.

hey, can i request some good joon wisdom?

Anytime, what’s up?

Jungkook took a deep breath as he thought out how to explain the situation without giving away more than he and Jin were ready for.

i’ve been kinda talking to someone, it’s not official though. i think they might be talking to someone else, which is cool! we aren’t official so it’s whatever. i just don’t know if i should ask or just let them tell me idk

Namjoon took a couple minutes to read over that and type up his reply.

Do you want it to be official?

Jungkook stared, dumbfounded, at the response. Did he? Well, that felt easy at first glance. He wanted Jin in every sense of the phrase, but he really loved the friendship they had now. Would dating ruin that dynamic? It sparked new fears within Jungkook.

idrk honestly, i might not be ready to decide

Okay that’s totally fine. But remember that if you’re not exclusive that you can’t ask that they don’t talk to other people. So, are you okay with them flirting with other people?

only if they’re honest about it i guess. but idk if i can ask for that if we arent dating

That’s a good point, idk either. I think you need to decide your own boundaries before you discuss your relationship boundaries, but make sure you’re ready for that convo first

not sure when i’ll be ready for a boundaries convo like that, probably should figure that out soon though

There’s no rush, take your time figuring it out

Jungkook wanted to tell him that there kind of was a rush. Jin would be there tomorrow, and he didn’t know what they were or any of their boundaries.

I’m here for you if you need anything, Namjoon texted.

thanks, i really appreciate you. i’m here for you too, always

Jungkook locked his phone and tossed it aside as he stared up at the ceiling. He thought about the idea of being with Jin. It was exciting and made his belly warm with comfort to think about calling someone his own. He hadn’t dated seriously since high school, so part of him longed for that connection again. With Jin it seemed like it could be so easy, but was that just the idealist in him? He didn’t want to be a pessimist, but the idea that dating could fuck up the good thing they had going scared him more than he’d admit out loud.

Namjoon bringing up boundaries really sparked something in Jungkook. He didn’t even know if Jin liked physical affection. Could Jungkook hug him? Could he kiss him? He wasn’t sure. They needed to talk about so many things. Their changing relationship was still so new and, with the upcoming trip, they hadn’t had the time to discuss any of it yet. Jungkook could feel he’d think himself into another spiral if he kept up that train of thought.

He should just call Jin.

Yeah! That would make him feel so much better. Maybe they could even talk about boundaries a little bit, even if it wasn’t along the lines of dating. Jungkook needed to clear his head before they called though, so he decided to shower in the meantime. He shot Jin a message asking if they could call once he was finished showering and almost immediately Jin replied with a yes. Jungkook gathered up his things and went to the bathroom.

Once he was finished, he felt much lighter. As if the steam had cleansed his worries of their intensity. He felt even better once in bed, under the covers, and Jin’s voice streaming from his phone speaker. He was talking about packing mostly. He complained about how difficult it was to decide how much to bring and what as well as fitting it all into the two bags he planned to bring.

“Well, if it helps you any, you can do laundry while you’re here. Might help you save space or whatever.”

“Oh I already planned on that. Sorry, you don’t get a choice.”

Jungkook laughed. “I’m hiding the detergent from you in that case.”

“Then I’ll just steal your clothes.” Jin stated.

“Don’t have to have a reason to do that, I’d just let you.” Jungkook blurted without thinking.

“Oh really now? Wanna see me in your clothes?” He teased.

“I dunno, just saying you’re my best friend. You can wear whatever of mine you want.”

They continued to chat aimlessly until Jungkook was starting to get tired. His yawns were becoming more frequent and his thoughts were slowing down.

“Hey, I’m getting kinda tired.”

Jin paused for a moment, as if thinking about his reply.

“Mind if we stay on call?” Jin asked finally.

Jungkook was a little taken aback. They’d accidentally fallen asleep on call together, but never intentionally. It made his heart lurch in a wonderful way.

“That’d be cool with me.”

“Sweet.”

And so they continued to talk until Jungkook drifted off to sleep. They didn’t talk about what he wanted to, but for once that day his fears were quiet enough to ignore. As if hearing Jin’s voice was enough to make everything better. He couldn’t wait to hear it in person the next day.

…

It was flight day.

Jungkook was going to be alone with his thoughts for about seven hours while Jin was flying to see him. It didn’t feel real. Jungkook and Jin hadn’t stayed on the phone for long in the morning because Jin had to get to the airport pretty early, but waking up to his voice was heavenly. Jungkook couldn’t believe he’d be doing that for the next couple of weeks. He went around his house doing some last minute tidying before deciding he needed to just sit down and wait.

He made himself some food and sat at the island as he attempted to slowly eat his meal. He tried to will away any negative thoughts about Jin’s arrival. He was so excited to finally meet his best friend in person, and he wouldn’t let some stupid worries get in his way of enjoying this meeting. Bam rubbed up against his legs, as if he could sense his person’s anxiety and wanted to calm him. Jungkook smiled at the cat, bending over to scratch his head in thanks.

After finishing his food, Jungkook cleaned up the kitchen and retired to his room to play some video games while he waited for the time to pick Jin up from the airport. It was hard to focus on the game, leading to many failed attempts to escape the Underworld in Hades. Yet, he kept at it. Minutes seemed to pass in hours as Jungkook repeatedly checked the time between runs. He was just counting down the hours until Jin would be there.

Jin would be there.

It still felt like a fantasy. Jungkook couldn’t imagine if he had actually surprised him by just showing up. He was already floating above reality at the prospect of Jin showing up, but if it really happened he might’ve fainted. Like actually.

Finally, finally, it was time for Jungkook to get ready to meet Jin at the airport. They straightened up their bedroom one last time before slipping on their shoes, grabbing their keys, and heading out. Jungkook had to keep reminding himself this was real. He was driving to pick up Seokjin after his flight so that they could spend two whole weeks together. He was jittery with excitement.

As the airport came into view, Jungkook could feel his pulse racing. Why was he so nervous? It was just Jin.

It was just Jin.

But at the same time, how could it ever just be Jin.

Jin was funny, good to all his friends, handsome, and talented. He was one of the smartest people Jungkook knew and one of the kindest under all the teasing. Jungkook was enamored with Jin, it was clear. So, maybe it did make sense that he was so nervous. However, he did have to remember all of the history he had with the other man. They were best friends and had been for years. There was nothing to be scared of, not really. Jungkook would be fine.

All of this was running through his head as he parked in the garage and made his way through the airport towards where Jin said he’d be. Jungkook had almost completely calmed his nerves when he caught sight of a familiar face. All worries faded out and there was nothing else on his mind.

It was Jin.