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The first time Jungkook meets Taehyung, Jungkook is embarrassingly drunk.
“Wait,” Taehyung says over the rim of his cup, squinting at Jungkook through the shitty lighting. Jungkook can see where his lips are curling. “Is this the Golden Maknae Seokjin’s always carrying on about?”
Jimin snorts, arms folded over his chest, cup dangling from his fingers, and nods. “The very same.”
Taehyung laughs, head coming away from his cup enough to show off a rectangular beaming grin. “Nice to meet you, maknae.”
Jungkook makes to reply - he’s not sure what with but he’ll think of something - then abruptly doubles over and pukes all over Jimin’s shoes.
“Dude what the actual fuck?!”
Jungkook stares at the mess on Jimin’s new canvas shoes in horror, can hear Taehyung’s shocked, startled laugh - and you know what? Jungkook’s gonna be honest. Taehyung is a really good-looking guy and Jungkook hadn’t minded the idea of making out with him at some point during the night, and hell, even stumbling into a bed with him.
But now - but now -
Jungkook isn’t so drunk that he can’t think clearly - or so he argues. So he shoots wide horrified eyes up at Jimin and Taehyung, comes to a solid remedial plan, then snaps his fingers and puts the world on reset.
(The world turns over itself and Jungkook briefly spots a very unamused Jimin on the flip side.
“You owe me new shoes.”
Jungkook smiles innocently and the world turns itself right way round again.)
Jungkook sets it back to the same date, but the timeline has shifted somewhere along the way, and the party is never scheduled. He’s a little bitter that he doesn’t get a shot at redemption with Taehyung, but Jimin clearly knows him somehow - and Seokjin too - so surely it’s just a matter of waiting.
And wait Jungkook does.
For three freaking weeks.
And still nothing.
“All right,” Jungkook says one night, slamming his palms down on the table. He thrusts a finger in Jimin’s direction. “I know you know Taehyung.”
Yoongi frowns. “Kim Taehyung?” he asks around his mouthful.
“You know him too?”
Yoongi shrugs. “Whole group does - somewhat, at least. He’s only just really started to properly hang with us.”
Good, good, Jungkook thinks, keep the new information coming.
“I wanna meet him.”
“I already introduced you,” Jimin says dryly. He scrunches his nose. “Or tried to, anyway. And then you -“
“I know what happened,” Jungkook says, rushing the words out.
Yoongi eyes them up suspiciously. “What happened?”
“Nothing - “
“Jungkook puked on my shoes at a party.”
Yoongi chokes on his food and starts laughing. “How have I not fucking heard this? This is golden, maknae, absolutely golden.”
“Because technically it never happened.” Jimin shrugs. “Again, at least.”
Yoongi points an accusing set of chopsticks Jungkook’s way. “I knew you fucking reset the timeline.”
Jungkook rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, whatever, hyung, like you haven’t all done it.” He pauses suddenly, a horrific idea dawning on him. “Wait. Wait, wait, wait, if Taehyung’s started hanging out with you all, does that mean he can, y’know, too?”
Yoongi shakes his head. “Nah, kid, still just the six of us. Namjoon’s put his ‘valiant Korean recruitment’ on hold,” he says with a roll of his eyes.
“Why?” Jimin teases. “Worried that he’d still remember you puking all over my fucking shoes despite the reboot?”
“Shut up,” Jungkook mumbles, shovelling rice into his mouth. “They were ugly shoes anyway.”
Jimin glowers at him. “For that, you can try meet Taehyung all on your lonesome.”
“What? No, hyung, that’s not fair!”
It’s another two weeks before Jungkook meets Taehyung. Pestering Jimin gets him nowhere - he’s still sore about his ruined-not-ruined shoes. Jungkook’s debated resetting the timeline back to the first night a good thousand times, but if the party didn’t happen the second time, then the event was mere and fleeting and insignificant and unlikely to happen again.
“Oi,” Jungkook says into the phone. He stares at the wallet in his hands. It’s Jimin’s, not his. “You on campus? You’ve got my wallet.”
“Maybe you’ve got my wallet,” Jimin challenges. “Maybe this is your fault.”
“You left the house first!” Jungkook says, before whining, “hyung,” into the phone as dramatically and painfully as possible.
“Coffee shop near B block.”
“See you soon.”
Jungkook does indeed find Jimin at the coffee shop near B block. He’s lounged back in his chair, laughing and sipping from his drink with - Jungkook pauses in the doorway.
Taehyung. Jimin is with Taehyung.
Jungkook grins down at Jimin’s wallet in his hand.
Fuck. Yes.
“Hey, hyung,” Jungkook greets, coming up to the table. The pair of them turn their heads to look up at him. He drops the wallet onto the table. “Here’s your wallet. I spent all the cash, maxed out your cards, lost your student ID, and even managed to get a negative balance on both your printing allowance and your T-Card.”
Taehyung snorts into his drink.
“Shut up and sit down, you brat.” Jimin uses his foot to drag out an extra chair. “I ordered you a drink.”
“With my money,” Jungkook points out dryly as he takes both the drink and the chair. “How kind, Yoongi hyung.”
Jimin grins at him and holds up his own drink. “Thanks for shouting me, Jungkookie. You’re so kind.”
“Jungkookie?” Taehyung asks over the rim of his drink. “Is this the Golden Maknae Seokjin’s always carrying on about?”
Jungkook raises his brows at the repetition to that first night. It’s not uncommon but - but maybe he really was fated to meet Taehyung at some point.
“Don’t know about golden,” Jimin says. “But yeah, this is Jeon Jungkook, resident Golden Maknae.”
Taehyung laughs and pulls his drink away enough to show off a rectangular beaming grin. “Nice to meet you, maknae.”
“You too, Taehyung hyung.” And Jungkook immediately stalls, feels Jimin kick him under the table because Jungkook isn’t supposed to know who Taehyung is - but Taehyung merely grins and chews at the end of his straw, thinking nothing of it.
Jungkook bites at his lip and raises his drink to his mouth to hide his happiness.
He finally met Kim Taehyung.
Jimin leaves them 10 minutes later, already late for class, and Taehyung sets Jungkook’s head spinning for the next half hour. When they finally part ways, they’ve traded contacts, and Jungkook watches Taehyung cross campus to greet a classmate, head still in the clouds.
Kim Taehyung… is something else, Jungkook thinks. He shakes his head, massages at his temples, tries to connect some logical dots to maybe some other logical dots to see if that will make any of their conversation make sense - Jungkook tips his head back and laughs, rubbing at his forehead.
Jungkook can reset the world’s timeline with a click of his fingers - and yet Kim Taehyung is that much more - that much more -
That much more everything.
That afternoon it rains and in a spectacular display of stupidity, Jungkook slips over racing down the wet tiled stairs in his hurry to get out of class and back home before it really pours. Jimin is waiting for him at the bottom, watches as it happens, and Jungkook howls when he hits the bottom, clutches his arm to his chest, and feels sick with the pain.
“Kook, Kook, Kook,” Jimin breathes, trying to steady Jungkook as he rocks back and forth in agony. “Hey, hey, shh I need to check you over - shit, Kook, you’ve split your cheek open.”
“My arm,” Jungkook manages. He’s going to be sick he’s going to be sick he’s going to be - “Hyung my arm.”
“Ok,” Jimin says, carefully angling Jungkook’s arm to the light - Jungkook whimpers and whines and kicks his feet. “We’re gonna have to get you to a hospital, Jungkookie, I think it’s broken, and your cheek probably needs stitches.”
“No,” Jungkook keens, clenching and unclenching is uninjured hand. Fuck it hurts it hurts it hurts - it takes him a moment to think through the pain, but when he does - and Jungkook’s gone and fucking broken the only arm he can actually snap his fingers with so Jimin’s gonna have to - and he knows Jimin won’t do it for him, not without getting permission - “Reset,” Jungkook gasps.
“You sure?” Jimin asks. His fingers are gentle on the top of Jungkook’s head.
Jungkook nods his head quickly. “Please, hyung.”
“Ok.”
Jimin snaps his fingers.
(“Wait,” Jungkook says, less one broken arm, when he spots Jimin on the flip side. “When did you - where did you take it back to?”
“Usual,” Jimin says, frowning. “A day. Why?”
Jungkook nearly shrieks with frustration.
Jimin puts it together and doubles over with laughter.
Jungkook hasn’t met Taehyung.
The world rights itself.)
This time, Jungkook thinks to hell with waiting. He’s meeting Taehyung immediately.
By some blessing or other, Taehyung mentioned part of his schedule during their chat at the coffee shop, and thus Jungkook now finds himself leaned up against the wall around the corner from Taehyung’s tutorial room, waiting patiently for the class to finish.
And yeah, yeah, yeah, Jungkook knows he shouldn’t be forcing fate like this, more importantly he knows he shouldn’t be forcing Taehyung’s fate like this, but like, c’mon. They’ve met twice and Taehyung even said the same damn thing each time. It’s eventually supposed to happen.
Jungkook just isn’t a very patient person.
He’s flicking through his instagram feed when Hoseok passes him - and comes to an abrupt, confused stop.
“Jungkook?”
Jungkook looks up with wide eyes. “Oh, hey, hyung.”
“What are you…” Hoseok frowns, then very quickly grins. “Wait. Taehyung and I have class around the same time on Wednesdays.”
“Oh really?” Jungkook says, wincing when his voice goes that little bit too high.
Hoseok hums and nods, still grinning. “I heard about your fall down the stairs. Didn’t sound too fun.”
“Uh, yeah, wasn’t - wasn’t great.”
“Hey,” Hoseok says, and he sounds thoughtful but - but it sounds real fake, and Jungkook is immediately suspicious. “Remember that time I got that girl’s number - and then you reset the timeline because you’d mixed up the due date of your assessment?”
Jungkook can immediately see where this is going and he pushes off the wall to stand ramrod straight. “Hyung don’t you -“
Hoseok grins and clicks his fingers.
(“Oops?” he says innocently when they see each other on the flip side.
“Fuck you, hyung, fuck you.”)
Hoseok takes him all the way back to Sunday, and Jungkook waits until Wednesday with barely contained agitation.
“Fucking hell,” Yoongi says Monday night, throwing one of the couch cushions at Jungkook. “Go to the gym or something, for fuck’s sake, you’re driving me mental, kid.”
But eventually Wednesday does roll around, and Jungkook finds himself in the same position. Hoseok passes him at some point, sniggering, and Jungkook kindly flips him off - then hurriedly collects his belongings from the ground when he hears the door open and students file out.
He tilts his head side to side, bouncing on the balls of his feet, and figures he’ll just have to wing it - or randomly step out a few thousand times - until he eventually - oof.
Yup, Jungkook thinks, wheezing, there we go.
“Fuck, fuck -“ Taehyung panics and then there’s this whine that Jungkook knows doesn’t sound right, and he jerks his head up with wide, concerned eyes. Taehyung is whimpering and clutching his wrist to his chest and judging by his position - Jungkook resists the urge to start flailing childishly.
Taehyung must have fallen and caught himself on his wrist.
Jungkook admits to debating if he can work this in his favour, maybe play the hero and escort Taehyung to the nurse’s office - but then he remembers how much pain he was in when he broke his arm, and if it’s even a fraction of the same…
Jungkook sighs and clicks his fingers.
(Hoseok is still in close enough vicinity that they catch sight of each other on the flip side.
“Wha - again?”
“Fuck off,” Jungkook grouches, sulking unashamedly.
Hoseok slouches and raises a brow. “This is bordering on obsessive, Jungkook.”
Jungkook once again takes the opportunity to flip him off.)
When the world rights itself, Seokjin is calling him.
“Hey, hyung,” Jungkook sighs, rubbing at his eyes. He’s in the middle of the quad, bright and early Wednesday morning, and he’s figuring out whether or not he should attempt the same plan. “What’s up?”
“Jeon Jungkook I swear to fucking god if you reset today’s timeline one more damn time - “
“Hoseok did the first one!”
“I don’t care!”
Jungkook winces and pulls the phone away from his ear. Damn, Seokjin is pissed. He carefully brings the phone to his ear again. “But hyung,” he whines.
“I’ve sat the same exam twice now,” Seokjin says, exasperated. “You’re lucky the damn thing was written long enough ago that the questions don’t change. What are you even trying to do, Kook?”
“…Meet Taehyung,” Jungkook mumbles, scuffing his toes over the pavers.
“Fucking - “ Seokjin blasts a noisy breath through the speaker and Jungkook figures he must be really tired and irritated if he’s cussing so much. “He’s coming to mine tonight. Be there at 7.”
“Really?” Jungkook says, eyes going wide.
“Yes, really. If you’re late, I won’t feed you.”
“I won’t be, I won’t be! Thank you so much, hyung!”
Seokjin chuckles tiredly. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
Jungkook arrives right on 7, not wanting to look too overeager but also fearful of Seokjin acting good on his threat and not feeding him. It’s Namjoon who greets him at the door, coupled with a raised brow and a knowing smirk, and Jungkook gets this feeling in his gut that he’s about to become the group joke for a while.
Taehyung is already at the table, and he looks up to greet the newcomer with a warm, tired smile.
“Taehyung-ah, meet Jungkook - “
“Golden Maknae,” Taehyung says excitedly, perking up. He laughs and claps his hands, and there's that boxy grin. “About time. Nice to meet you, maknae.”
Jungkook’s not going to lie - if he has to keep resetting their timeline, he’s going to grow real sick of that nickname. But not the excited, amused way Taehyung rolls over it when he says it. Never that.
Jungkook takes the seat next to Taehyung and smiles, oddly shy. “Hey, hyung…”
It’s just the four of them for dinner, and by the time the evening is wrapping up, Jungkook is left with that same overwhelming, heady feeling as last time he chatted to Taehyung. He honestly has to marvel at Taehyung’s brain. He’s definitely intelligent - just in the most unconventional way.
“Thanks for tonight, Seokjin hyung,” Taehyung says as he collects his and Jungkook’s belongings from the kitchen counter.
“And you did a really good job setting the table, Namjoon hyung,” Jungkook adds, grinning when Namjoon deadpans at him. He quietly thanks Taehyung as he hands his stuff over. “Are you headed to the subway?”
Taehyung nods.
“Walk together?”
Taehyung smiles and nods again.
They say their goodbyes, navigate their way down to the lobby, and come out on the street.
“So, Jungkookie,” Taehyung begins, head tipped back to look at the night sky. The light pollution makes it glow. “How do you know Seokjin and Namjoon?”
“Through Jimin.”
Taehyung’s head whips back down so he can stare at Jungkook with wide eyes. “Park Jimin? No way! How haven’t we met earlier?”
Jungkook fights back a wince, mentally throws a few choice words in Jimin’s direction, and shrugs. “No idea, hyung. Guess it’s always just been a timing issue, or something.”
“Huh.” Taehyung’s gaze is lifting to the sky again, and Jungkook smiles despite himself as he reaches out to take Taehyung by the arm and guide him onto the correct street. “What do you think of deja vu?”
The question throws Jungkook a little. “Deja vu?”
“Yeah.” Taehyung rubs at his eyes then musses his hair. “I’ve been getting it a lot lately…” He sounds weary.
Jungkook worries at his lower lip, wonders if he should ask Namjoon about the side effects of too many resets too close together - but then worries about the lecture that’ll come with it and decides, y’know what? It’s not even related. “Don’t really know, hyung. It’s a little weird, I guess. Trips me out.”
Taehyung laughs. “Me too.” He huffs a breath. “I wonder how it works. Maybe it’s like - our future selves equipped with some serious smartphone technology or some killer app or something, and they’re sending us messages like ‘whoa heads up dude your tutor is about to sneeze and someone’s about to ask a really useless question straight after’. Y’know?”
Jungkook snorts into his hand. “You really think that’s the most important information they’d be sending back?”
Now it’s Taehyung snorting. “Hey, not like it’d be the first time that an app with a super cool idea is designed uselessly.”
Jungkook full out laughs this time - laughs all the way down the subway steps to the platform. “Your brain is something else, hyung,” he says through his laughter.
“Ah,” Taehyung says bashfully, rubbing at his neck. His gaze swings away. “Yeah, I know, it’s a little - “
“It’s cool, hyung, I like it.”
Taehyung’s eyes widen a little, then he’s grinning shyly and biting at his lower lip. “Hey, Kook-ah…”
Jungkook hums.
“What are you doing tomorrow? Are you on campus?”
“Yeah, for a bit. Why?”
Taehyung grabs his arm excitedly. “Get coffee with me?”
Jungkook exhales quietly, feels something in him that has been rumbling and unsettled since he first met Taehyung at the party finally hush. “Yeah, hyung,” he says. “Coffee sounds good.”
Taehyung smiles slowly and squeezes Jungkook’s arm. “Perfect.”
Jungkook texts Taehyung all through the night, is bleary and tired as all hell when he rouses in the morning - then remembers that he’s finally finally made it beyond the first meeting with Taehyung and flops back onto the pillows, relieved.
Until Jimin jinxes him by wishing him luck. Jimin totally jinxes him.
The second Jungkook is somehow managing to pour the entirety of Taehyung’s iced coffee all over Taehyung’s white t-shirt, Jungkook curses Jimin to the deepest darkest nastiest depths of hell.
“Fuck fuck fuck fuck,” Jungkook chants, slamming the glass back down on to the table and looking wildly between the mess on the floor and the mess all over Taehyung’s shirt. Thank the lord it wasn’t hot coffee. “Shit - hyung - I - “
Nope, Jungkook thinks, just nope, nope, and nope again.
He’s already raising his hand to click his fingers when Taehyung looks up from where’s he’s trying to pry his saturated shirt off his chest, laughing. The laughter makes Jungkook hesitate. Maybe this is - this is repairable.
But then Taehyung spots his raised hand and says, “oh, no, Kookie, it’s fine, you don’t have to -“
And Jungkook’s first instinct is: shit he knows he shouldn’t know.
His second?
The world turns itself over.
Jungkook finds himself back in his apartment, back at that morning.
Jimin is leaning over the counter, elbow propped and chin in his hand. “You realise that - “
“Nope.” Jungkook holds up a hand. “Don’t say it.”
“- that you’re gonna have to check the coffee date was a significant enough event that it’s still been scheduled for this timeline.”
“I said don’t say it, hyung,” Jungkook whines, immediately fishing out his phone so he can message Taehyung - oh shit what if they didn’t even exchange numbers last night? And then another thought hits him. “Taehyung doesn’t know what we can do, right?”
“Nope,” Jimin says, popping the ‘p’.
Jungkook whines some more and throws a bit of a tantrum. Taehyung thought he was putting his hand up to call for a staff member, he was telling Jungkook that they didn’t need to call for a staff member goddammit.
He freaking reset the timeline for nothing.
The coffee date isn’t in this timeline. So Jungkook freaking puts it in this timeline, and organises to meet Taehyung for coffee in a couple of days time.
Things go marginally better this time - until Taehyung asks if Jungkook has many assessments this semester and somewhere along the way of that conversation, Jungkook realises that the coffee date isn’t the only thing to change in this timeline.
The essay that’s worth 40% of his grade that he thought was due next Monday? Yeah, it’s due today.
(Jungkook mentally shakes his fist at fate. How is that not a significant enough event for the day to have not changed?)
“Fuck fuck fuck fuck,” Jungkook chants, getting to his feet so quickly he knocks his chair backwards and everyone turns to stare and Taehyung is watching him with wide eyes and trying to steady the table and why can’t Jungkook just get this right - “Shit - hyung - I - “
“Kook? Everything ok?”
“I have an essay due today that I thought was due next week and I honestly couldn’t even tell you if I’ve started and - “ Jungkook crams his stuff into his bag then huffs a breath and looks apologetically at Taehyung. “Can… can we - “
“Reschedule?” Taehyung guesses, fingers curling around his drink. He shakes his head. “Don’t be silly, Jungkookie.”
Jungkook’s shoulders sag with relief. He doesn’t have to reset the timeline - unless of course this essay goes to complete and utter shit. “Thanks, hyung, that’s - “
“I’ll just come with you!”
Jungkook blinks. “What?”
Taehyung shrugs and gathers his own belongings. “It’s due today right? I’ve got nothing on, I might as well help you.”
“Hyung…”
Taehyung worries at his lower lip and shrugs again. He hooks his bag over his shoulder and stands. “I can help you find references and stuff - save you some time, you know?”
Jungkook - isn’t sure what to say. So instead he laughs with relief, takes Taehyung by the arm, and drags him out of the cafe and to the library.
Jungkook finds them a quiet table tucked away, and tries to walk Taehyung through the assignment.
“…I don’t get it,” Taehyung says at last. He stares at the criteria sheet in his hands and flips it back to front a good couple of times, like that’ll make it clearer.
“That’s the problem,” Jungkook whines. “I don’t get it either.”
“Like what - what are you supposed to be writing about?”
Jungkook whines a little louder. “I don’t know.”
“You’re the one doing the smart degree, you should at least have a better idea than me.”
“Hyung.”
He flops dramatically onto the table, wonders if he’s going to have to risk failing or resetting the timeline again - but then Taehyung’s fingers are ruffling at his hair as he laughs, and Jungkook decides failing is better.
“Walk me through it again,” Taehyung insists, tugging gently at Jungkook’s hair until he lifts his head. He slides the criteria sheet under Jungkook’s nose and taps at the top of it. “From the beginning. Leggo.”
So Jungkook tries again. And a third time. Taehyung continues to look more and more perplexed, hand cupped over his mouth in thought as he frowns at Jungkook.
“Ok?” Jungkook asks hesitantly as he comes to the end of the third attempt.
Taehyung’s gaze drifts away as he nods seriously - and then he’s laughing apologetically and Jungkook’s flopping over the table again and Taehyung’s pulling at him, trying to get him to sit up again.
“One more time,” he says through his laughter. “I promise, just one more time. I’ve - I’ve almost got it. C’mon. Up.” He whacks at Jungkook’s head with the criteria sheet.
Jungkook sits up and takes the sheet woefully. “I’m gonna fail.”
“I’ve only failed like three times - “
“Ever?”
“No at uni - school’s another story.” Taehyung gets comfortable and looks at Jungkook eagerly. “We’ve got this. Go. Spill.”
“That doesn’t instill any confidence, hyung, whatsoever.”
And Taehyung is laughing again and Jungkook grins at the way it bursts right of him, genuine and uncensored and contagious. “Shut up I said go, maknae, read.”
So Jungkook takes a deep breath and tries to explain the damn thing for a fourth time.
Later, as Jungkook watches Taehyung sort all the research material into piles for the three main points they decided would be the easiest to discuss, Jungkook realises that somewhere along the way…
Somewhere along the way, between the (Jungkook quickly counts) four times he’s met Taehyung and the two near disastrous coffee dates, Jungkook’s started crushing on Taehyung. Hard.
He exhales quietly at the realisation, lets himself sag further into his seat, fingers drifting from the keyboard, as he watches Taehyung mutter to himself, flipping over pages to check the notes they’ve scrawled, the passages they’ve highlighted, before slapping it down happily on one of the piles.
“Hyung,” he calls suddenly, word husking out him.
Taehyung hums and glances up. He frowns, confused. “What’s up, Kook?”
Jungkook opens and closes his mouth, realises that as far as Taehyung is aware, they’ve only really just met, and Jungkook’s heart flips because this could - this could cause problems.
But it’s ok, he’ll wait, he’ll wait, no matter how many resets it takes, because he’s determined to get this perfect, he’s determined to - to -
“Please don’t tell me we’ve got it wrong I still barely understand this damn - “
Jungkook shakes his head and clears his throat. “Thank you.”
Taehyung blinks at him - and smiles.
Jungkook presses the submit button at 11:53 p.m, a full 6 minutes before the deadline.
Taehyung is leaning over his shoulder as he does it, weight draped across Jungkook’s left arm - until he’s rocking back and throwing his arms up in the air, slumping into his chair.
“Thank fuck,” he says, hands coming down to cover his eyes, chin tipping up towards the ceiling.
Jungkook grins at him and laughs wearily. When he looks back to their workspace, four empty coffee cups and an extremely crumpled and scribbled on criteria sheet stare back at him. He already knows he owes Taehyung a good few thousand coffees more. The criteria sheet can burn.
“Hey, hyung,” he says as he shuts down his computer and shoves it away. He props his cheek in his hand as he twists to look at Taehyung.
“Yeah?”
“Free tomorrow?”
Taehyung snorts. “I’m sleeping in first, but sure, yeah, why?”
“Coffee?”
Taehyung lifts his hands enough to peer out at Jungkook, smiling. “Sure, Jungkook-ah. Coffee sounds fucking brilliant.”
Falling together with Taehyung is easy, Jungkook realises. Falling for him is even easier, and Jungkook falls and falls and falls - and just hopes and hopes and hopes that Taehyung’s falling too.
But then Taehyung will wait 25 whole minutes for Jungkook’s overtime class to finish and not even realise Jungkook’s standing in front of him until Jungkook pinches him because he’s too busy staring up at the clouds -
Or he’ll very persistently and diligently make sure Jungkook’s fed plenty of every dish they order when they go out to eat, even if Jungkook swears up and down that he’s going to spontaneously combust if Taehyung forces him to take another bite -
Or it’ll be a horridly windy and rainy and all together miserable day but he’ll come all the way onto campus on his day off just because Jungkook whined about forgetting his umbrella -
And Jungkook thinks that yeah, y’know what, maybe Taehyung is falling too.
Three weeks later, after multiple successful coffee dates and only one brief reset, Jungkook and Taehyung are walking towards the subway, childishly trying to hop from one bright beam of streetlight to the other, when Jungkook gets an email confirming the results for his essay.
“Holy shit,” he says, eyes going wide as he reads the email. “Holy shit.”
“What is it?” Taehyung asks breathlessly, coming to stand beside Jungkook under the one light. He pushes his hair back off his sweaty forehead, chest heaving. “Kook?”
Jungkook starts to laugh and tilts his phone so that Taehyung can see. “That essay we did together - “
“Yeah?”
“I got 89%.”
“Wait - “ Taehyung grabs at Jungkook’s hands, forced him to position the phone better. “What?” Taehyung starts to laugh as well. “Dude, no fucking way!”
He laughs some more, shoves Jungkook away in disbelief - Jungkook grabs at the hem of Taehyung’s shirt, drags him over, and kisses him. Taehyung clutches at his shoulders and Jungkook can feel the curve of his smile, is utterly and pathetically weak for it.
“It was all me,” Taehyung says against his mouth, fingers raking up the back of Jungkook’s neck to tangle in his hair.
“Oh, totally, hyung,” Jungkook agrees, pressing a kiss to the tip of Taehyung’s nose before cupping his face and nudging their mouths together again. He fills his lungs and his heart and the entirety of his ribcage with Taehyung. “100% all you.”
They celebrate with pizza and beer, and when Yoongi and Jimin come home, Taehyung calls them over to join. Soon they’re all sitting drunk around the coffee table, empty pizza boxes abandoned to the couch. Jimin’s found some drinking game app and he’s laughing hard as he crawls away from Yoongi fast as he can, trying to read the next challenge through gasps for air.
“You little shit don’t you - “
“You’re very little too, hyung,” Taehyung says innocently, and as Jungkook snorts into his drink, spraying beer everywhere, Taehyung rests his chin in his hand and smirks.
Yoongi stares at him. “Dead. You’re dead to me, Kim Taehyung. Come here so I can wring your neck.”
He lunges and Taehyung and Jimin collectively freaking shriek, diving in different directions, neither sure who the target is. Taehyung drapes himself over Jungkook’s back, arms coming around Jungkook’s neck, and begs for mercy through his laughter.
“You wouldn’t mess with the Golden Maknae,” Taehyung warns as Yoongi glowers over at them. Taehyung noses at the shell of Jungkook’s ear, laughter erupting out of him.
“Hyung,” Jungkook whines, rubbing at his ears as he’s damn near deafened.
“Sorry, Jungkookie,” Taehyung whispers only for him to hear and - and Jungkook’s eyes widen slightly, insides going still with wonder, as Taehyung’s lips brush over his temple, soft and apologetic and -
And -
Jungkook squeezes Taehyung’s hands, still around his neck, then tilts the wrist of one of them up to kiss it lightly. Taehyung hums quietly, head knocking against Jungkook’s, and wonder surges through Jungkook again.
He shouldn’t be surprised, he tells himself as they finally settle and get onto the next part of the game. He really shouldn’t be. Not after the past couple of weeks of spending nearly every waking moment inside of each other’s orbit. Hell, hours before, he was kissing Taehyung under the streetlights.
But Jungkook stares down at where Taehyung is laughing and smacking at Jungkook’s thigh, weight leaned comfortably against Jungkook’s side, and thinks there’s something heavier to this.
That damn kiss under the streetlight has really set fuel to something in them both and the rest of the week passes with them unable to keep their hands off each other. Jungkook kisses Taehyung between buildings and in the back of the movie theatre and across the table at lunch and tangled under the sheets, and that weekend, when they’re both a drunken hyperactive mess, Jungkook isn’t sure how long he spends kissing Taehyung up against the wall - couldn’t care less, honestly, is just happy to lose himself in the heat of Taehyung’s mouth, marvel at the sharp delicacy of Taehyung’s hips and collarbones and cheeks -
“What are you thinking about?” Taehyung asks him later that night when the party has quietened a little and they’ve folded themselves into the one chair.
Jungkook grins drunkenly and tips his head to rest it on Taehyung’s shoulder. “Just that this is the best timeline yet.”
Taehyung pauses, drink half way to his mouth, and makes a noise of confusion. “Best timeline?”
“Yet,” Jungkook adds.
Taehyung laughs and presses an affectionate kiss to Jungkook’s hair. “I think you’re a little drunk, Jungkookie.”
“Never.” Jungkook smiles as wide as he can up at Taehyung, revealing all his teeth, and Taehyung shoves him away with a laugh.
(Later that night, Taehyung doesn’t shove him away - instead he pulls him down, pulls him close, draws heat with his touch and burns under Jungkook’s fingertips, greets Jungkook with a mouth and body both so willing.
Jungkook drowns in him.)
Jungkook is studying in his room when Yoongi comes to get him, expression sombre, and he immediately knows he isn’t going to like what he has to say.
“Taehyung’s here,” he says lowly as he clamps a hand on Jungkook’s shoulder and walks him to the living room unbearably slowly. “His grandmother passed away - “ Jungkook immediately tries to hurry to him but Yoongi predicts it, squeezes Jungkook’s shoulder hard and keeps him in place. “He didn’t get to say goodbye. The woman basically raised him so - “
“Yeah,” Jungkook says breathlessly, nodding quickly as he stares at Yoongi with wide eyes. “Yeah, I get it, hyung.”
When Jungkook finally gets his arms around Taehyung, he shivers at the amount of misery and grief and hurt and - and guilt that he’s met with as Taehyung cries and hiccups into the crook of Jungkook’s neck.
“I thought he was supposed to visit her over the weekend,” Jimin says lowly. He’s seated on the couch beside them, hand dragging up and down Taehyung’s spine.
“It clashed with his exams too much,” Jungkook tells him quietly, lips brushing over Taehyung’s hair as he speaks. “She told him to focus on his studies. He didn’t - didn’t get round to rescheduling.”
“Fuck,” Jimin breathes.
And as Taehyung’s heart breaks, Jungkook - Jungkook reasons that he can deal with a little heartbreak if it makes Taehyung’s stop.
“Hyung,” he calls, tilting his head to try see Taehyung’s face. “Hyung, hey, shh. When did you get your exam schedule?”
Jungkook’s pretty sure he knows - pretty sure all the faculties release their dates for end of semester examinations around the same time - but he needs it confirmed.
Taehyung gets heavier against him as he exhausts himself. “S-six weeks ago?” he says, breath shuddering. “I don’t - I don’t - why? Jungkook-ah - “
Jungkook hushes him and rolls his eyes to the ceiling. Six weeks. Six weeks. Ok. It’s just before they met but - ok.
Jimin is frowning at him, no doubt having overheard, but then it dawns on him and he nods, shoulders falling.
Behind him, Yoongi is also nodding, and Jungkook almost wishes they wouldn’t, wishes they would convince him this is a bad idea but -
But if it stops Taehyung’s heart break, he reminds himself, even for now -
The exam date should change. If it doesn’t -
“I’ll keep an eye on it,” Jimin promises, no doubt reading Jungkook’s doubt.
Well, that confirms it, Jungkook thinks.
He holds Taehyung a little tighter and snaps his fingers.
(Jimin and Yoongi are both there on the flip side.
“You did good, kid,” Yoongi tells him, and Jimin quietly agrees.
Jungkook nods his head slowly.
He doesn’t tell them how much his heart hurts.)
It takes Jungkook longer to meet Taehyung than he expects. Jungkook is careful to reset to after Seokjin’s sat his exam, lest Seokjin come after at him in the night and kill him in his sleep. But dinner at Seokjin’s doesn’t happen, and Jungkook tells himself it’s fine, it’s fine, because there’s always Wednesdays.
But there’s a lot of changes in this timeline, and Taehyung’s classroom is changed and Jungkook watches instead as a bunch of students he’s never before seen in his life come filing out. And later that night when he’s powering through his essay (the due date’s been changed again), Jungkook carefully makes sure to not think of hours spent at the library attempting to write the damn thing with Taehyung (and he very carefully makes sure not to think of kisses shared under the campus lights).
Catching Taehyung proves to be difficult, no matter how much Jungkook tries to force the timeline - too much in Taehyung’s timeline has changed, and Jungkook finds himself lost and fucking longing like he never thought he could.
Jimin confirms it one night when he sits down on the couch next to Jungkook, eyes him up, and asks, “are you sure you’re ok?”
Jungkook looks up from his phone and blinks, coming out of his daze. “Huh?”
“You haven’t - you haven’t met Tae yet. I know you’ve been trying.”
Jungkook looks down at his lap again. The stress of it is just under his skin. What if fate’s changed the game all together? What if there’s a reason he can’t meet Taehyung, can’t force his timeline? Is it their new fate to never meet?
“I’ve been trying to organise something,” Jimin admits. “Get him over here for drinks or something but - he’s, like, stupidly difficult to get a hold of these days.”
Jungkook winces, feels sick knowing that Jimin is even finding it hard to catch Taehyung. Does fate really not want them to meet? “His timeline’s changed a lot.”
“Yeah,” Jimin says with a frustrated laugh. “I realised.” He punches Jungkook’s shoulder gently. “But you did the right thing, Kook,” Jimin says softly. “I’ll keep helping. Promise.”
Jungkook nods slowly and manages a small smile. “Thanks, hyung…”
Four days later, Jungkook comes home to all of the hyungs getting drunk in their living room - Taehyung included.
Jungkook’s world goes quiet.
He gazes down at Taehyung, who smiles up at him as they’re introduced -
“Oh, the Golden Maknae!”
Jungkook laughs, feels relief make his limbs weak. “Yeah,” he says, sinking down to sit on his knees opposite Taehyung, eyes drawn to him and him only. Someone presses a beer into his hand but Jungkook hardly notices. “Nice to meet you, hyung.”
Taehyung grins and knocks the necks of their bottles together before taking a swig of his beer. Jungkook mirrors him, still weak with relief.
For the first time in a good while, Jungkook feels like he can breathe again.
Jungkook has only technically known Taehyung for three weeks in the new timeline (though they got to know each other very well that first drunken night) when Taehyung calls him and tearily asks if he doesn’t mind coming over. Jungkook immediately knows why, is relieved that Taehyung did end up getting to see his grandmother (last weekend in fact), but is surprised nonetheless that Taehyung would ask for him.
“I’m sorry,” Taehyung mumbles to him later, on the brink of a deep grief-induced slumber. He shifts carefully against Jungkook, nose brushing over Jungkook’s throat where he’s got his head buried in the crook of Jungkook’s neck. “I - I don’t know why I called you.”
“It’s fine, hyung,” Jungkook murmurs, lips brushing over Taehyung’s hair. “You can call me for anything - especially something like this.”
Taehyung sighs quietly - it hiccups at the end and Jungkook can smell the salt from his tears, can feel the weight of his exhaustion. “I - I just did it. Like instinct, y’know? Feels like I’ve known you much longer…”
Taehyung trails off into sleep and Jungkook frowns up at the ceiling, wondering at what Taehyung said.
Could - could things be starting to cross over between timelines?
Jungkook glances at Taehyung’s blotchy tearstained face and shakes his head, dismissing the idea.
Nah. No way it’s possible.
This timeline is - messy. Really fucking messy. They even maybe possibly break up? Jungkook’s not really sure. He just panics and resets the timeline before things can escalate any further.
And after that, fear is constantly at the surface, and Jungkook gets trigger fingers, snapping them whenever he so much as senses something potentially not going perfectly, whatever that damn well may be. And then - and then he just forces things to play out correctly.
There’s one day that they repeat six times - and Jungkook was willing to keep at it until he got it right, but then Yoongi threatened to snap every one of his fingers.
So Jungkook just reset the whole week instead.
“Fucking - “ Yoongi covers his eyes with his hand and exhales slowly. “Kid,” he says levelly. “You need to calm. Down. Let the timeline be for a moment.”
“But - “
“But nothing,” he stresses. He drops his hand and looks at Jungkook tiredly. “Not everything is life and death. I know you don’t wanna lose him and you wanna keep him happy, but sometimes you just gotta let things run its course. I mean - if Taehyung gets pouty because the campus’s stray cat refuses to befriend him - you don’t need to reset the timeline back to when you saw the damn thing and try to win it over for him.”
Jungkook purses his lips and nods slowly. Yeah that one - that one probably wasn’t his greatest idea.
“Just let it settle for a bit, yeah?”
“Ok, hyung,” Jungkook agrees quietly. “I will.”
(Except Jungkook doesn’t, the fear is too deep, the panic is too close to the surface, and he just - snaps his fingers.
He has to get this right.)
Seokjin, Yoongi and Jimin plot against him, and one night Jungkook finds himself trapped on the couch, looking up at Seokjin. He hears the front door close as Jimin and Yoongi take their leave, and Jungkook knows he’s in for a long one.
He smiles innocently and pins his hands beneath his thighs, feet bouncing. “Hey, hyung,” he says, voice already sheepish.
Seokjin opens his mouth, pauses, and then sighs out a laugh. “You’re not in trouble, Kook-ah.”
Jungkook just grins a little wider, shoulders hunching forward. “Ok.”
“Promise,” Seokjin adds. He sinks to sit on the ground, folding his legs underneath him. “Just checking in.”
“On…?”
Seokjin shrugs. “Life, I guess.”
“It’s - it’s good.”
“Good, good.” Seokjin tilts his head and raises a brow. “How’s life with Taehyung?”
Ah, there it is.
Jungkook swallows, smile falling away, and looks aside. He shrugs.
“Kookie,” Seokjin sighs, and Jungkook listens to the sounds of him getting more comfortable, peeks at him out of the corner of his eyes, and knows he really, really is in for a long one. “We’re kinda worried.”
“About what?” Jungkook mumbles. He pulls his hands out from under his thighs and set them palm up on his knees instead, then stares at them. “Everything’s fine.” He hesitates. “I really like him, hyung.”
“That’s what we’re worried about.”
Jungkook frowns. “Why? Taehyung’s a good kid, hyung, I don’t - “
“Hey, hey,” Seokjin says. He reaches out and squeezes Jungkook’s shin comfortingly. “Hey, nothing like that. We know he’s a good kid. He’s a really good kid, Kook, he’s sweet. But Kook… every time you reset the timeline - every time you take it back - he doesn’t remember,” Seokjin says quietly. “You do. You remember everything. You go into every single timeline already head over heels for him.”
Jungkook swallows again and again, finds it oddly hard to listen to someone else voicing his own thoughts.
“Aren’t you hurting?”
“Why?” Jungkook’s voice cracks and he winces.
“Why?” Seokjin laughs breathily, gaze wandering as he drags his hands back through his hair. “I don’t - your heart - you’re such a good kid, Kook. Just like Taehyung. I know - I know he’d be doing the same thing for you, funnily enough. Can you believe that? Imagine if we had you both resetting the timeline,” he teases, and Jungkook grins a little.
“It’s ok, hyung,” Jungkook assures him. “Like you said, I - I remember everything. So it’s easy.”
“How is that easy?”
“Because I know everything, I know how to win him back each and every time. Where to meet him, how to meet him - what coffee to order him, what movies he likes to watch, what route he takes between classes when he’s actively trying to get there as late as possible, what - what - “ Jungkook flounders a little and he laughs. “Everything, hyung, I know everything. I can’t get it wrong. And when I do…” Jungkook shrugs and mimes clicking his fingers. “Then I just make sure to get it right the next time.”
Seokjin is looking at him oddly. “Jungkook… are you forcing his timeline?”
Jungkook feels his teeth grind as he fights not to grimace with guilt. “No, hyung,” he assures. “I just… help it along, y’know? I just make sure I’m in the right place, that’s all. The rest - the rest is - is fate, I guess.” Jungkook swallows and clasps his hands together. “I can’t lose him, hyung…”
“Every time you reset the timeline, Kook, you lose him a little,” Seokjin warns carefully. “No one is consistent between timeline’s. You know this. Even we aren’t.”
“It’s ok,” Jungkook says, nodding to himself. “Because like I said - I always know how to get him back. I always do. I just - I just can’t wait. I want - I want him too much,” he admits, ears flaming.
“I don’t know how you’re putting yourself through this, Jungkook,” Seokjin murmurs, hands squeezing Jungkook’s shins again. “I think you love him too deep.”
Jungkook finds himself unconsciously smiling, slow and uncontained and effortless. “I think I do too, hyung.”
They survive the end of semester and the seven of them gather for drinks on the last day of class. Seokjin is up on his feet at some point, dragging Hoseok with him, as they dramatically reenact some key incidents with a lecturer they apparently share across different subjects.
Jungkook’s abs hurt with laughter, and he whines and keens through it all, arms curled around his stomach, chin resting on the table. “Stop, stop, stop,” he begs breathlessly.
“We’re not making this up,” Seokjin assures as he and Hoseok take their seats.
“You can’t make this shit up, I - oh fuck,” and Hoseok breaks off into laughter.
Jungkook wipes at his eyes, drags in steadying breaths, and looks over to see that Namjoon’s drink has gone skidding off the table. “Hyung,” he says, laughter creeping into his voice again, though his abs beg him no.
“Don’t you dare,” Jimin warns him, voice wavering. His arms are also curled around his gut. “No one else fucking laugh.”
“What he said,” Yoongi groans. “What’d you even do?”
“It was a joint effort,” Namjoon tells them, but judging from Seokjin’s flat look, it was more of a solo venture. Namjoon gets to his feet. “Well, better go replace that.”
Taehyung stands with Namjoon. “Anyone else want another drink?”
“You paying?” Yoongi asks.
“Yeah, hyung,” Jungkook says, grinning wolfishly. “You paying?”
Taehyung laughs - and very abruptly cuts off, twitching violently. Jungkook jolts back when he watches it happen, watches as Taehyung’s expression spasms, as his head snaps down and to the side very suddenly before snapping upright again.
“Hyung?” Jungkook says, startled.
“Taehyung?” Namjoon calls, frowning as he sets a hand on Taehyung’s shoulder. The table has gone silent, mood a violent contrast to what it was mere seconds ago. “Taehyung?”
Taehyung twitches again, glass slipping from his hand to tumble onto the table and then to the floor, contents splashing over his front. Something isn’t right, Jungkook thinks, watching in terror as Taehyung twitches violently again - and again - and again -
Hoseok is getting to his feet, expression wary. “Namjoon - “
Namjoon is frowning even more. He takes Taehyung by the forearm. “I don’t - I don’t know.”
Seizure? Is Jungkook’s first guess. Fuck, worse, micro strokes?
But then Taehyung is rambling quietly to himself and Jungkook’s eyes slowly widen, shoulders sagging as he goes weak with shock, as the horror in his chest seeps into his bloodstream. Wh-what?
Taehyung stumbles over snippets and splinters of past conversations, conversations he shouldn’t fucking remember.
“Hyung,” Jungkook chokes out. This isn’t possible.
Blood drips from Taehyung’s nose and his twitches again and again and Namjoon is just about to force Taehyung down into a seat when Taehyung collapses. Namjoon swears, catches him, and eases him to the floor slowly. Taehyung is limp and pliant, dead to the world.
Jungkook is crouched beside them in mere seconds, Taehyung’s name spilling from his lips, fingers grasping for Taehyung’s. He senses the hush that comes over the bar, hears the panic in the rest of the group’s voices, but doesn’t pay it any attention. Wrong, he thinks again, this is wrong.
He’s already lifting his hand, fingers at the ready, when Namjoon lifts wide eyes his way - and promptly narrows them.
“How many times?” he demands, adjusting Taehyung over his thighs. His arms bracket Taehyung’s shoulders.
“Oh fuck,” Seokjin says, eyes rolling heavenward. He’s got his phone pressed to his ear, no doubt calling for help, but Jungkook knows the comment is directed at him.
“I - “
“Jungkook,” Namjoon warns.
“I’ve got it handled,” he grits out. Just let me reset it, he thinks, just let me, let me, let me.
“You’ll kill him if you’re not careful,” Namjoon says, and the words are almost a furious hiss.
Jungkook recoils at the very idea and - and no. No, Namjoon is being dramatic, is just trying to scare him. Jungkook would never hurt Taehyung, the hyungs know this. Jungkook matches Namjoon’s glare with his own and snaps his fingers.
The world turns itself over.
He’s met with his apartment’s interior when the world rights itself, and Jungkook exhales shakily, fingers dragging back through his hair. Only a couple of days, he thinks, I only took it back a couple of days.
Yoongi comes storming out of his bedroom to join Jungkook in the living room, and Jungkook immediately backs up because Yoongi is livid.
“You little shit,” Yoongi grinds out, and Jungkook winces, knows he’s in trouble.
He squares his shoulders. “I did the right thing.”
“Think so? Jimin called. Taehyung’s in hospital.”
No, Jungkook thinks, stomach sinking, that - that can’t be right. “But I reset it.”
“Why do you think he’s there?” Yoongi snaps. “Namjoon’s right, you’ll kill him if you keep this up.”
Jungkook grinds his teeth. “I’m not a child. I know you’re saying it to scare me.”
“I wouldn’t bullshit about something like this, brat. I already warned you to let things run their damn course every now and then. He’s probably been showing signs of it for a while now.”
Jungkook snorts and moves to the front door. He shrugs into his jacket and puts on his shoes. “Caring isn’t in your nature,” he says nastily.
“Jungkook,” Yoongi warns.
“If it was so deadly, wouldn’t the whole world be going under? It’s not like it’s just us seven that I reset, hyung. Everyone else is fine, aren’t they?”
“Because you aren’t fucking forcing everyone else’s timelines every damn time,” Yoongi snaps. “You’re leaving them to their fate - maybe you should leave Taehyung to his before you put him in an early grave that you can’t fucking get him out of, no matter how many times you snap your pretty little fingers.”
Jungkook’s chest heaves with anger, nostrils flaring. He yanks the front door open. “I know what I’m doing.”
Yoongi barks out a sharp, cruel laugh.
Jungkook slams the door on him.
Jungkook is allowed way too much time to think on the taxi ride to the hospital, and the anger in his chest builds and builds and builds. He’s not a fucking child, and he fucking knows what he’s doing. And Taehyung showing fucking signs of it - of what?! What fucking signs? There’s been no damn signs of anything. This will be fine, it’ll all be fine. And Taehyung may be in hospital for a broken arm or something, not - not on his damn deathbed like Namjoon and Yoongi are suggesting.
Except when Jungkook finally locates Jimin and Taehyung, Taehyung is in a hospital bed.
“Hyung, hey,” Jungkook says, brow furrowed with concern. He shrugs out of his jacket and tosses it with Jimin’s on the sole chair in the room. “What happened? Are you ok?”
Taehyung levels him with a strangely closed off look and Jungkook stops trying to approach.
“Hyung…?”
Jimin is standing next to the bed, hair unstyled, arms folded over his chest. “He collapsed and started fitting. They said he’s showing symptoms of shock.”
Jungkook whips his head back Taehyung’s way, frowning, heart stumbling with panic. “Shock? Hyung, what - I don’t - “
“I know you,” Taehyung says suddenly.
Something about his intonation makes Jungkook’s gut tingle in warning. “O-Ok…? I know you too, hyung.”
“No,” Taehyung says firmly, almost angrily. “I know you.”
Jungkook looks to Jimin but he looks just as confused, so Jungkook looks back at Taehyung, helpless. “I don’t understand, hyung.”
Taehyung is just shy of glaring at Jungkook, chest heaving as he breathes deep. His knuckles are white as he clutches at the bedsheets. “We’ve met at least five times, been on at least three first dates, and broken up once.”
Jungkook’s breath completely leaves him. The more that Taehyung’s speaks, the more breathless with panic he feels. Beside Taehyung, Jimin is staring at the floor with wide eyes, fingers clutching tightly at his upper arms.
He knows they’re thinking the same thing. Taehyung shouldn’t fucking remember.
Jungkook swallows forcibly. “That - that doesn’t make any sense, hyung,” he says weakly - and Jimin immediately shoots him a warning glare.
“Don’t you dare,” Jimin mouths, but Jungkook ignores him.
He’s not - he’s not trying to make Taehyung feel crazy, not trying to have him question his sanity, he’s just - just trying to point out that it not sensical or possible for them to have - to have done all that.
“No,” Taehyung says. He tries to be firm but his voice wavers. “Don’t - it happened.”
“Hyung, we’ve - we’ve - I mean we’ve never broken up even once. I - maybe it’s the shock - maybe - “ Jungkook cards his fingers through his hair. He needs to fix this. His fingers are twitching. Snap them, his brain demands, snap them and fix this. He resists for a while longer. “We’ve met once, hyung, had one first date…”
“Where?” Taehyung challenges, pulling at the blankets. “When?”
And Jungkook stalls for a moment, trying to track back through this timeline -
Taehyung barks out a laugh. “See,” he says. “You can’t tell me which one, either!”
“Hyung, you’re not making sense - “
“Stop saying that!”
“Taehyung - “
Panicked tears are building in Taehyung’s eyes and his pupils are blown wide and his cheeks are so pale it’s concerning and - shock, Jungkook thinks numbly, this must be what caused the shock.
“I don’t know what’s going on,” Taehyung admits, voice cracking. “But don’t - stop saying - I know it doesn’t make sense but - but - “ Taehyung’s breathing hikes and quickens. “But - “
Jungkook shakes his head and starts to raise his hand -
Jimin beats him to it and snaps his fingers.
(Jungkook spots Jimin on the flip side. He’s got his arms folded over his chest, mouth set in a grim line, eyes stern as he stares at Jungkook across the way.
“Still know what you’re doing?” he calls.
Jungkook’s insides shake because - because - does he?
The world rights itself.)
The world rights itself and Taehyung is convulsing at Jungkook’s feet on the living room floor.
Jungkook’s heart leaps into his throat, and he feels shock shudder through him as he stumbles back a step. “No,” he breathes, eyes darting over Taehyung’s form. “No, no, no.”
This isn’t right.
“Hyung?” he calls, voice tight as he drops to his knees and tries to keep Taehyung’s head from smashing into the floorboards. Tears build in his eyes and fear curls in his lungs. “Taehyung?”
Taehyung’s spine draws tight, head slamming back into Jungkook’s palms. He gags audibly, lashes fluttering madly, eyes rolled back to reveal the whites, and Jungkook yells for Yoongi, fucking screams for him, because this isn’t right this isn’t right this isn’t -
“No no no,” Jungkook says, tears starting to drip down his cheeks. He sniffles and shuffles closer, tries to comfort Taehyung best he can. “Yoongi!” But Yoongi isn’t home this time and Jungkook keens low in his throat - Taehyung’s phone topples out of his pocket as a particularly strong spasm has his hips twisting, and Jungkook finds a brief moment of clarity.
He scrambles for the phone, dials 119, and sets it to loud speaker.
“It’s ok,” he breathes, fingers combing shakily through Taehyung’s hair over and over and over as he waits for the operator to connect him. “It’s ok, hyung, it’ll be ok.”
His fingers twitch, desperate to perform that routine snap, set the world off its axis again - Jungkook swallows, hears Namjoon’s and Yoongi’s and Jimin’s warnings drilling through his skull, and thinks maybe for now he should leave the world as it is.
Then Taehyung bites his own tongue hard and Jungkook’s breathing stutters in terror as blood floods Taehyung’s mouth and - ok, he thinks numbly, ok.
He presses a firm kiss to Taehyung’s forehead, squeezes his eyes shut - and snaps his fingers.
(You win, fate, you win.)
When the world rights itself, Jungkook is alone in his apartment. The afternoon sun paints the furniture in gold. He stares out at the sunset and feels his heart ache and ache and ache.
It’s Saturday four months earlier. There’s no party planned for tonight, no shoes for him to throw up on -
Jungkook lowers his chin to his chest, presses the palms of his hands to his eyes, and holds his breath, determined not to cry.
He and Taehyung have never met.
Jungkook sits on the couch with Jimin, but is sure to keep as much space between them as possible. He stares outside sightlessly, whilst Jimin presses his lips to the back of his knuckles, rests his elbows on his knees, and burns holes in the coffee table.
When the front door opens, Jimin jolts upright and Jungkook shakes out of his daze.
Yoongi slips inside carefully and kicks his shoes off.
“Well?” Jimin says, voice hoarse. He gets to his feet. “How’d it go?”
“He’s ok,” Yoongi says quietly. “Still ok.” He looks at Jimin and Jungkook’s not stupid, he can read the looks they’re sending each other, knows they’re about him - but then Yoongi’s looking at him and Jungkook lowers his gaze. “It’s been a good couple of weeks now, kid. I think we’re good. You - you did good.”
Jungkook doesn’t agree but nods slowly and gets to his feet. He feels heavy and tired. He hasn’t seen Taehyung since he saw him fitting on the living room floor (and the times that Jungkook dreams of him over and over and over don’t count). He is weary and broken hearted and full of self hatred.
He never should have messed with fate, he tells himself angrily as he drags himself to bed. His hyungs call out their good nights but Jungkook ignores them.
Well now he’ll leave fate be. Fate can have it’s fucking way.
He closes his bedroom door and swallows the lump in his throat and sniffles back his tears.
And if that means - if that means never meeting Taehyung then - then -
Then so fucking be it.
Then so fucking be it…
Months pass. Jungkook is careful to avoid social gatherings, worried that he may be forcing fate again (and Taehyung seizing on the floor always comes back as a sickening reminder and Jungkook often finds himself dry retching into the sink before he can bring himself to follow the hyungs out of the apartment - he’ll stay he’ll stay he’ll stay behind).
But it’s ok, the hyungs are sweet about it, and they bring their small group gatherings to him. Jimin quietly updates him on Taehyung every now and then - Jungkook never responds, still trying to figure out if knowing makes it easier or not.
He spots Taehyung for himself on occasion, but is always sure to keep a wide range between them. He’s not risking any cliche scenarios like literally running into each other in the corridor or accidentally bumping shoulders or -
(But that’s fate, isn’t it, Jungkook argues with himself. He’s still too scared to push it.)
What he doesn’t expect, is for Taehyung to find him.
“Jeon Jungkook?”
Jungkook freezes, pencil hovering over the page. Taehyung…? He looks up slowly. Taehyung is dressed in a black turtle neck, bangs getting that little bit too long, and Jungkook wants to tug the collar of his shirt down and mouth at his pulse, aches to drag his fingers back through Taehyung’s hair and massage at his scalp. Jungkook forces himself to nod.
“Fucking finally,” Taehyung laughs, ruffling through his bag. He pulls out a notebook and Jungkook recognises it immediately. He’s been looking for it for weeks - had had to rewrite a whole damn essay because he lost it and all his project notes. “I’m Taehyung. I found this and - and then finding you was a goddamn mission, dude. Went through so many friends of friends of friends - and then I found out freaking Jimin knows you, the little shit. And he never said anything, can you believe it?” Taehyung huffs an irritated breath, runs his eyes over Jungkook, then smiles. “Anyway. Here you go.”
Jungkook swallows and reaches out to take it -
“Uh!” Taehyung quickly pulls it back. “Not so fast.”
Jungkook blinks.
“From what I’ve heard from friends of friends of friends of friends - I should have been seeing you at a hell of a lot more parties. Like how have we not met? Would have made my life easier,” Taehyung teases. “I’ve coerced a mate into throwing a party this weekend. Promise me you’ll come. Have a shot with me.” He shrugs a shoulder. “Could be fun.”
“Um…”
“I’m only taking yes as an answer. Otherwise I will dramatically rip this to pieces in front of you.” Taehyung raises a brow. “I don’t mess around.”
Jungkook starts to grin despite himself. “Yeah. Yeah, I’ll come, hyung.”
Taehyung smiles that rectangular grin of his and hands the book over. He frowns suddenly. “Hyung? You’re younger?”
“Oh,” Jungkook says, feels the blood in his limbs drain away in panic. He’s fucked up. He shouldn’t know Taehyung’s older. The urge to snap his fingers is so fucking strong but Jungkook - Jungkook fights it. “Yeah, friends of friends of friends, y’know? Plus I’ve heard - heard Jimin mention you. Figured you were the same age…” Jungkook trails off nervously and thumbs the corner of his notebook.
“Huh,” Taehyung says simply - then he’s grinning again, and Jungkook knows what’s coming. “Wait - you’re Golden Maknae Jeon Jungkook.” He laughs. “Anyway, Jungkookie, I gotta run to class, but I’ll pass the party details onto Jimin and I’ll see you there. Remember,” he calls over his shoulder as he waves and turns away. “We made a deal.”
Jungkook watches him go then stares at the notebook in his hands and bites his lip. He shouldn’t go, he tells himself, he’s asking for trouble.
But - but Taehyung found him this time, didn’t he? By - by chance. He found Jungkook’s notebook and then he found Jungkook…
Jungkook slides the book onto the table and presses his palms to his eyes. A lump grows in his throat and he starts to smile - then he starts to laugh.
Taehyung found him.
Taehyung found him.
This, he thinks, shaking his head, this is fate.
(And he’s freaking going to that party.)
Hoseok takes him for breakfast and sits him down the morning of the party.
“Jimin says you’re actually coming tonight.”
Jungkook hesitates, wonders if this is a trap, wonders if he’s about to get in trouble because though his ban from Taehyung’s life was fairly self-imposed, he’s sure the hyungs agreed with it - but fate brought Taehyung to him, fate did, not Jungkook. He didn’t do this, he didn’t - he didn’t -
“Kook-ah,” Hoseok calls quietly. “Hey, where’s your head at?”
Jungkook swallows. “Maybe I shouldn’t go.”
Hoseok raises his brows in surprise. “Why not? Taehyung invited you, didn’t he? Yoongi said you seemed excited to go.”
“I didn’t force it,” Jungkook blurts. “I promise.”
Hoseok laughs and reaches out to ruffle Jungkook’s bangs. “I know, I know, Kook.” He rests his chin in his hand. “You haven’t reset the timeline since it happened, not for anything.” He holds a hand up before Jungkook can say anything. “It’s ok,” he says. “It’s ok, we know, we understand. You - you learned a tough lesson a really hard way, Jungkook-ah,” he admits carefully. “But it needed to be learned.”
Jungkook blinks and Taehyung is seizing on his living room floor again. He releases a shaky breath. “I’m not going.”
“Jungkook,” Hoseok says, shoulders sagging. “Hey, c’mon, this is a good thing.”
Jungkook shakes his head. “No. I’m not. I’m not going.”
Hoseok looks at him pensively for a moment. “Ok,” he says levelly. “You didn’t force your first meeting with Taehyung, did you? Your first meeting with him, not his first meeting with you. Y’know, the time you threw up all over Jimin’s shoes?”
Jungkook pulls a face but agrees. He didn’t force it. It - it just happened.
“Fate wanted you two to meet, Kook,” Hoseok points out. “Fate has clearly always wanted you to meet. You just - you just kept trying to force it after that first time. So how about this?” He shuffles forward in his seat and braces both hands on the table, grinning. “You go to the party tonight - “
“Hyung - “ Jungkook begins, because no this is a terrible, terrible idea, fate has got it all wrong, fate has -
“You go to this party,” Hoseok says again, emphasising it. “And you… and you let it be.”
“Let it be?” Jungkook echoes hoarsely.
“Yeah, Kook,” Hoseok says. He smiles gently and reaches out to ruffle Jungkook’s hair again. “You let it be. Because if it’ll be…” He shrugs and raises his hand, calling for the waitress. “It’ll be.”
That night Jungkook lets Taehyung come to him (if it’ll be it’ll be it’ll be it’ll be) and when Taehyung finds him, Taehyung is so far gone that Jungkook is honestly surprised Taehyung recognises him.
“Jiminie! Jungkookie!” Taehyung throws himself between them, slinging his arms over their shoulders. “You - “ He hiccups and grimaces. “You came!”
“Holy shit Tae you reek,” Jimin says, words muffled by the hand he holds over his nose and mouth.
Taehyung ignores him and smiles lopsidedly at Jungkook. “Jungkookie you owe me - you owe me -“
Before Jungkook can even so much as raise a brow and ask him what, Taehyung is doubling over and puking all over Jimin’s brand new sneakers.
Jungkook stares, eyes wide, because no fucking way is this happening again.
And then Jimin damn near shrieks, shoving Taehyung away with a “what the actual fuck dude?!” and Jungkook is suddenly scrambling to catch all of Taehyung’s weight against his side.
Jimin tips his head to the ceiling and heaves a sigh. “Clean him up,” he orders. “I’m gonna fucking clean myself up.”
Jungkook watches him go, then looks to where Taehyung is trying to balance on his own feet without swaying, but judging by how often his hand comes abruptly slapping down on Jungkook’s shoulder, he’s fast failing.
“Air?” Jungkook offers.
Taehyung grins stupidly at him and nods.
“Y’know, Jungkookie,” he says as Jungkook drags him to the balcony and out onto it. “If you didn’t wanna kiss me already - “ He hiccups and Jungkook lowers him to sit on the couch, legs sprawled open. “You - you definitely won’t wanna now.”
Jungkook blinks at that, then slowly starts to smirk as he crouches and looks up at Taehyung, clocks his drunken wandering gaze and the open honesty of his alcoholic slur. “I don’t know about that, hyung.”
Taehyung looks down at him and pushes a hand through his hair. His lips quirk. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Jungkook stands, knees cracking. “It’s a been there done that sort of thing - the puking over Jimin’s shoes thing, I mean.”
Taehyung’s eyes widen dramatically and he leans forward so suddenly he almost topples right off the couch. “Really?”
Jungkook laughs and gently pushes Taehyung back. “Really.”
And he has to wonder if he - if he never reset it that first time, if he had let Jimin storm off and clean his shoes, let Taehyung drag him out somewhere for fresh air… would they have - would they have been ok? Would fate have let them be them?
Taehyung’s hand is sliding over his wrist, fingers long and familiar, touch drawing immediate affection, and Jungkook glances down to see Taehyung inspecting him with oddly clear eyes. He squeezes Jungkook’s wrist and smiles slowly. “Good.”
Jungkook thinks fate would have.