Chapter Text
They say that you just know it when you feel it. It's undeniable when the idea invades your senses—sometimes gently, like a broken egg on the top of your head, spreading its cold viscosity all over your scalp, neck, and dripping onto your shoulders. Sometimes it comes like a blaring train that blinds you before hitting you, and you'll be left wondering where it came from and how it arrived.
Every human being has their own version of how love at first sight works. But no matter how many times they describe it, it might look like the ones that taught Jungkook did it wrong. Because the weirdest thing happened today, and he's utterly confused.
It's like a projector is alive in the back of his mind, repeating the same scene again and again, viciously, incessantly. And he can do nothing but let it be.
He closes his eyes as he lays on the empty pool area lounger, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows fogged up due to the temperature difference between the outside and inside of the building. He crosses his arms, closes his eyes and lets his mind torment him.
A press of a cold button. The slide of an elevator door, and the subtle sound to make the point across. The discomfort of squeezing himself between several suited, elderly, grumpy men in the tiny cubicle, but with the relief of being the tallest among them, so he can glance around a bit.
Someone quickly looks away when he spots blonde strands glinting under the clinical fluorescent lights.
He maintains the gaze because he can't simply shift his gaze away. He's intrigued.
Then the other turns to look back at him, right from the other cramped corner of the elevator, and he's caught. He opens a sweet smile as his eyes have a youthful light that Jungkook no longer believes he has in his. And the gesture is so pure and unexpected that he can't help but smile back at the blonde guy. This sweet, sweet younger guy with eager eyes that burn into his mind.
Jungkook had to get out first. He glanced over his shoulder very briefly as he walked away, and those wide and curious eyes followed him around. Jungkook noticed the rosy cheeks that accompanied the boy's gaze, and before he could take note of any more details, the doors closed.
He sighs. In less than half an hour, he has to head down to the hotel lobby to meet the staff waiting for him to accompany him to the shoot location. He doesn't feel like going at all, and he almost ditches the entire operation, but they are just thoughts he lets circle like disoriented flies until his senses calm down, and he rationalizes the matter.
A dozen people are waiting for him, people who woke up early, even earlier than him, and who probably have a family and a busy routine, and they must be fed up with celebrity diva behavior throughout their careers. Jungkook refuses to be part of the horrible movement of people who have lost touch with reality.
He goes down to the lobby with a plastic smile, greets everyone with the polite manners his parents taught him, and allows himself to be led to a studio where they do his makeup, dress him up with an expensive tuxedo, and give him exhaustive directions.
The softboxes have nothing soft in them; the harsh lights make him sweat under the thick fabric of his suit even with the A/C on. The makeup artist comes to him several times to reapply powder on his forehead, nose and chin.
He finds it too early to be giving so many sips on the whiskey each time the director yells ACTION! but at least with the help of the editing team he’ll look good as hell while doing so.
It takes grueling hours for the shoot to finish and by the end of it, his publicist lets him know about a famous variety program that invited him there next week.
Jungkook rolled his eyes for the way he was so tired already, but he told the man on the other side of the line that he’d think about it.
Jimin sighs as he looks up at the ceiling. It’s been fifteen minutes since he’s woken up, but he still didn’t move besides the blissful moments that he stretched out like a feline bathing in the sunlight.
Several notification texts get stacked up on top of one another, coming from the group chat created the moment Jimin let them know he was going to visit Tokyo for a while.
After they dropped Jimin off at the hotel the night before, they went on texting like a flock of macaws non-stop. They were laughing a lot.
Jimin, heavy from sleep and the booze, didn’t bother to know why. It’s morning now, and he still doesn’t. Must be their usual bullshit talking.
He had to silence his phone to be able to sleep properly, without any bells ricocheting against his mind each five seconds.
His belly rumbles and he whines when he accepts that he’ll have to cross the threshold with his hangover face and he’ll have to face the world.
There’s no other option but to go down several floors to have breakfast at the tremendous buffet.
Jimin realizes he has spent a full 15 minutes daydreaming about food and accepts his destiny to head to the paradise floor to stuff himself with all kinds of flavors.
He splashes his face to wake up properly, stretches his limbs, dons comfortable attire, combs his hair, and brushes his teeth to not appear like a total wreck. No makeup, no perfume, just him and his rosy cheeks against the world.
The walk to the elevator is pleasant due to the soft lighting and the plush carpet. The hotel is a serene environment, and he overhears jazz music playing through discrete speakers in various places.
When the elevator doors open, he steps in with his head down, avoiding eye contact with everyone else in the enclosure. The elevator stops twice more until a specific person catches his attention.
Jimin is too shy for his own good, but he can't help himself when he observes a tall, elegant and familiar man moving to the opposite side of the cubicle.
As if sensing the gaze upon him, the man whips his head in Jimin's direction, and the other quickly looks ahead of him. His shyness pulses within him alongside the beats of his heart. He feels giddy. He definitely knows this man.
He looks again because you only live once, and the handsome man’s gaze is still fixated on the same spot—at Jimin.
Jimin smiles, shyer than ever, gentle and sincere. The man smiles back, and Jimin feels the ground opening beneath him due to the impact of that smile. His throat is dry, and he trains his eyes on the floor, keeping his head down and stifling his laughter.
When the doors slide open and the handsome man moves to exit, Jimin follows him with his gaze, feeling mortified as the other turns around and catches his curiosity while he observes the not-stranger as much as he can.
The doors close, and he concludes that a hotel of this caliber is bound to attract celebrities regularly.
Arriving on the breakfast floor, he encounters a bronze sculpture of a giant pear in the middle of the path, and further ahead, sculptures of mushrooms. The entire surroundings are adorned in dark hues—the furniture and the walls, with the exception of the floor.
Artificial lights and the natural light filtering through the windows, even on the cloudy March morning, cast a peaceful illumination.
After being offered a seat, he heads to the buffet counters and helps himself to bacon, croissants, grilled tomatoes, veggies, tamagoyaki, several pieces of sashimi, Parma ham and the cheese nearby, because why not.
When he returns to his table, he also orders eggs Benedict, coffee and apple juice, too curious about the eggs and too thirsty to settle for just one option to drink on the entire menu.
He hums and chews, and keeps humming and chewing even when he gets weirded out glances from the tables nearby, because apparently—and sadly—people don’t know how to enjoy a vacation like he does.
He plans to spend his day wandering around with a friend or alone if no one’s available, waiting to see if the night holds grand adventures in store for him.
The sun is no longer among them as Jimin takes a seat in between the chattering friend group at one of the hotel bars. The view is strikingly beautiful, and he easily gets lost in the distant, cool city lights while sipping his wine, deciding to keep it tame until they cross the hotel's entrance lobby.
The jazz music is smooth and soothing, and the distinct conversations of the patrons blend into a unified murmur. He shakes his head as the reality of his life in Seoul slowly starts to crawl up his calf, intending to reach his head. He's okay, he's happy, and he doesn't need to know all the answers.
Disconnected from the conversation unfolding among his friends and acquaintances, his eyes wander through the vicinity. His heart somersaults, and his breath catches in his throat when his eyes are graced by the sight of him—impeccable as always, calm, collected.
Fiddling with an unlit cigar in one hand, and nursing a glass of whiskey in the other, he is lost in his thoughts. However, the moment Jimin's gaze lingers on him for the first time that night, the other man lifts his eyes in his direction.
He looks at Jimin with the hint of a smile on his face, appearing tired and with an almost indecipherable expression. His eyes are kind, and Jimin's chest swells with warmth, and he smiles back.
Suddenly, time begins to pass more slowly. Jimin wants to cherish every second, like someone trying to hold a handful of sand in their hands.
His table companions start gathering their bags and beer bottles. Jimin's mind races, and he grabs the most expensive bottle of sake on the table, pouring its contents into a shot glass, chuckling.
He signals a waiter and gives him instructions. He watches with a sense of accomplishment as the Korean actor receives the gift, nods at the waiter and thanks him.
He turns his eyes back to Jimin, and he's smirking, and Jimin fears that what holds his bones together will crumble, and he'll fall to the ground like a limp ragdoll without support. This is the most foolish and irrational crush he’s ever had in his life.
The actor raises the glass in the air without breaking eye contact and then tosses the liquid inside skillfully, not letting a drop escape. He furrows his brow due to the high alcohol percentage and then nods approvingly at Jimin.
Jimin feels giggles bubbling inside of him, escaping from his mouth like soap iridescent spheres floating around. His face burns dangerously as his body warns him that there's more where that came from, and the situation is interrupted when one of his friend's acquaintances touches him by the shoulder and points to the bar's exit.
Jimin bows slightly as he passes by the actor, thankfully far enough away from him—precisely on the opposite side of the bar—so that a closer proximity doesn't make him stumble over his own feet and fall flat on his face. The man returns the gesture with a head bow and smiles graciously at Jimin, as if he's adorable.
Jimin spends the rest of the night smiling among his clueless friends, mentally repeating the name of the man to whom he handed the drink, and chuckles to himself as the scene plays in front of his eyes again.
The perfect smile, so bright it lights up an entire room. The strain of the suit fabric around his biceps every time he rested his arms on the counter. The upright yet relaxed posture. The piercing and mesmerizing gaze.
Jungkook. His name is Jeon Jungkook.
Jungkook's routine is somewhat settled in Tokyo, containing enough order to make his therapist proud. He wakes up at 6 in the morning, goes to the gym, then stops by the sauna, and has breakfast.
Today, he is taken by the staff for a photoshoot, and despite being paid billions of won, the incessant hours and costume changes are frustrating and exhausting.
And it's even worse for Jungkook every time he remembers that no matter how tired he is, he won’t sleep if his mind doesn't decide to leave him alone at night.
Which is exactly what happens when he throws himself onto the bed after a long session in the hotel's heated pool. He waits for the entity of sleep to knock on his door and open it slowly, lying next to him until it takes over and puts him to rest, waking up refreshed the next day.
But that doesn't happen.
He lets out a deep sigh as he sits on the bed and turns on the bedside lamp, deciding to head to the bar, again. Alone, again.
He lingers in front of the wardrobe. Should he wear formal attire? A white button-up should do. What kind of shoes should he put on?
He feels pathetic when he turns to the mirror and sees himself dressed as if he's going for an interview or an opening. He sighs again.
It's as if a spotlight shines on Jungkook when Jimin identifies him in the midst of the late-night bar-goers.
He's here, at ungodly hours of the night. All to myself.
He's bold in his decision to sit right next to Jungkook at the bar counter and smiles sweetly at him when his presence is acknowledged. Jungkook smiles back and maintains the comfortable silence between them—and his smile is that of someone who is trying not to laugh at something adorable.
A waiter approaches Jimin and asks what he'd like to drink. Jimin thinks it over for a minute, and Jungkook adjusts himself on the seat and raises his whiskey glass in a celebratory manner. "For relaxing times, make it Suntory time." The waiter even recites the last part at the same time, and Jimin finds it amusing.
The actor takes a sip, and Jimin gives a scrunch of the nose, his eyes disappearing automatically.
He addresses the waiter and orders a glass of wine. His arms cross and rest on the counter, and he gazes at Jungkook again. "Hi."
"Hi," Jungkook smiles back sweetly. "Are you coming back or going out?"
Two pairs of eyes follow the bartender placing a glass of red wine in front of him. The younger man thanks him, and Jungkook observes his fingers delicately maneuvering the stem.
"Uh, I couldn't sleep, actually."
"Do you suffer from insomnia too?" They're both speaking in subdued and almost secretive tones. In a way, this reflects their fatigue.
"Lucky are those who aren't affected by jet lag."
"You're right." Jungkook snickers and takes another sip of whiskey.
Now that Jungkook pays more attention, Jimin's eyes are slightly swollen. The soft voice of a jazz singer completes the dreamy ambiance of his view.
"What brings you to Tokyo?"
Jungkook licks his lips and considers his words before raising his gaze to Jimin. "I'm endorsing the Suntory whiskey brand with great enthusiasm, apparently."
"You're going to repeat that catchphrase all over the internet and television, huh?"
"I guess so."
"Cheers to that." He raises his glass, and the crystal gently clinks against Jungkook's whiskey glass.
It’s a good natured energy among them. Jimin doesn't want this moment to end so quickly.
"What are you here for?"
"To clear my head. I just graduated and came to visit some friends."
Jungkook hums. "What did you graduate in?"
"Philosophy."
"Wow."
"I want to teach."
"That's really cool. You make big bucks with that."
"I hope it does." He chuckles. "So far, it's pro bono."
"You’ll do fine."
Jimin returns the smile that's offered at him, and it seems that no matter how many smiles they exchange, it's never too many.
He orders a refill of his wine in Japanese, and Jungkook raises an eyebrow. "You speak Japanese?"
"A little." His cheeks blush, not from the wine.
"You're really the smart type then, aren't you?" Jungkook seems impressed, and his face lights up with a hint of teasing.
"Stop it," Jimin pleads.
The laughter dies down, and they let the silence take over once more, with the gentle voice of the singer sneaking through their minds.
Jimin looks at him as if he wants to figure him out without asking too many questions, because Jungkook's figure alone is mysterious enough.
He notices the band on Jungkook’s ring finger and ignores the disappointment sinking in his stomach. "Are you married?" he controls his tone so it doesn’t waver as he asks.
"What? No, why?"
Jimin points his head towards the ring.
Jungkook follows his line of sight. "Oh, it's just so people won't bother me," he laughs with a dismissive hand.
"That's a bit suspicious," Jimin grins like a mischievous child.
"I swear I'm not married," he tries, holding back the laugh in his chest.
Jimin leans away from him to scrutinize him with suspicion, narrowing his eyes.
Jungkook’s shoulders sag and he sighs. "Okay, I'm gonna prove it to you."
He unlocks his phone, types his own name and the name of an actress into the Naver search bar, then turns the screen to Jimin.
Jimin is surprised and doesn't even realize he's reaching for Jungkook's phone with his fingers. He holds it and sees that there are numerous articles on Naver about Jungkook's divorce from an actress a year ago, as several headlines assure it. Jimin wonders how he missed those news at the time. "Oh. Okay. Wow."
Jungkook gives a slightly sad smile. "It's been a year."
Jimin looks ahead, his mind blank. "I'm sorry?"
"Don't be."
"Okay."
Jungkook sighs. "I wasn't the best person for her. I stopped loving her. Then she told me she changed her mind about having kids, that now she wanted to. And I realized I didn't want kids with her, and I didn't want kids at all. I didn't see myself heading in that direction. So it ended."
Jimin doesn't know what to say. He has never had fatherhood aspirations either, but he imagines the situation must have been so fucking complicated.
"But I'm fine now. It's been a journey. I found out I like men too," he smiles, running his finger along the rim of his glass, lost in his thoughts. Jimin swallows down the shriek that wants to escape his chest. "I like noisy pop music, I eat too many sweets and I like to embody my competitive and childish stance in competitions, no matter the size of the prize. Sorry, am I talking too much?"
Jimin is lost in his side profile, smiling dreamily as a voice in the back of his mind shouts Eureka! and then he shakes his head. "You're talking enough to keep me intrigued." His palm supports his head, and his elbow is on the counter. "You seem like a fun person."
Jungkook looks at him with an indecipherable aura to his gaze. A bit melancholic, a bit sinful, but Jimin doesn’t want to read too much into it.
"How long have you been here?" He changes topics.
"Two days."
"Three," Jimin smiles. "How much longer are you staying?"
"Another week, I think."
Jimin hums and takes another sip.
"What about you?" Jungkook’s eyes are so big, dark and wide and they have the pull of a magnet. Or a black hole.
"About the same, maybe I'll leave earlier."
Jimin beams, shy, embarrassed by how openly Jungkook is looking at him, as if he's waiting for the rest of the story.
Jimin doesn't have the rest of the story; Jimin is silent with shyness. "I guess we'll see each other around, then."
"I guess we will." Jungkook gives a disarming smile that makes him look much younger.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
They look at each other for a few more seconds, and their two pairs of sparkly eyes speak for themselves.
They know there’s more to come.
Jimin leaves with his head down because he’s not able to hold onto the bold stance much longer.
And because he doesn't look back as he heads toward the corridor, he misses the way Jungkook watches him without blinking until he's out of sight.
Several minutes after the boy has disappeared from his view, Jungkook realizes that he forgot to ask for his name.
Destiny truly seems to want to bring us together, Jimin assumes, because it's Jungkook he comes face to face with when his bare feet lead him to the sauna path the next morning.
A man who can be distinguished from the midst of any crowd emerges through the same door he's about to enter, sweaty, with wet hair and in a robe, and Jimin involuntarily breaks into a smile as the innermost part of his chest hosts a spring filled with blossoming flowers under the incandescent sunlight.
He steps into Jungkook's path, ensuring there's no chance of going unnoticed, and the other responds with a surprised laugh right away. He seems as happy to see Jimin as Jimin is to see him.
The sauna path is made of a cold stone floor, but his cheeks blush and burn as if he's already enveloped in scorching steam.
He avoids lowering his gaze to Jungkook's robe's neckline. There's already too much information in the sliver of exposed skin and in the almost vulgar definition of muscles.
"And look who's decided to check on the sauna too!" Jungkook says, grinning throughout the sentence. Jimin notices the height difference when the older one looks down on him to talk, and his smaller body's response is primal and must be repressed.
"It's not my first time," Jimin can't maintain eye contact as he'd like. Why is it so much harder to talk to the other man? What went wrong in their last conversation, which was so tame?
"I usually come here early in the morning, but today I happened to be running late. That's probably why I'm only running into you now," his eyes gleam, and the corner of his mouth quirks up provocatively, directly igniting Jimin's insides.
"I'm not such an early bird like you, "Jimin adds, and the two lock eyes, waiting for the conversation to proceed even though there's none.
A lightbulb goes off in Jimin's mind. "How about if—"
"Do you—" Jungkook cuts off his sentence because they start at the same time, and then they both start to laugh.
"You go first," Jimin concedes, too curious to want to continue his own suggestion.
"Would you like to have breakfast with me?" He tries to hide it, but his transparent eyes expose the anxiety and apprehension of the possibility of having his request rejected.
Jimin suppresses the scream he wants to let out, and in his ears, there's a ringing that can be translated as fireworks exploding inside his head, and there's a whole sequence of them. "I'd love to."
"Do you want me to wait for you?" Jungkook points back to the door he exited from.
"Oh, no need, we can meet there later," Jimin tucks a strand of his silky hair behind his ear and prays that his cheeks aren't as red as he thinks they are.
"Do you know what?" Jungkook looks determined. "I can take a second row in the sauna. Let's go." He turns and starts walking, just like that. Jimin is left behind, dumbfounded and unresponsive, until the older one holds the door for him and calls him again, and Jimin promptly springs into action.
Jimin focuses on the scent of cedar from the sauna benches to prevent his mind from exploding with a nearly shirtless Jungkook right behind him.
Fortunately, two more men are already inside, sitting in an opposite corner and engrossed in their own conversation, and Jimin and Jungkook sit not so close but not too far from each other. Jimin wears swim trunks that meets his mid-thighs, but Jungkook has only a towel wrapped around his waist, and the younger wonders if he was naked here before or if he used the same tactic of now to cover himself.
Because it's painfully clear that he has nothing else beneath that towel.
They don't talk much because Jimin's brain barely functions. The unfamiliar dialect of the other two tourists is indecipherable, and Jungkook side-eyes Jimin once or twice to check on him.
Jimin, in turn, discreetly checks his watch because the worst thing that could happen to him on a sunny Friday morning is to have a sneak peek of Jungkook's v-line muscles in the most unexpected way possible, and the sight is seared into his eyes.
"Okay, I think we're good," the sentence almost chokes out of Jimin's throat, and he quickly gets up and heads for the door, surprising Jungkook with the abrupt movement.
Jimin feels like he can breathe properly when he's the one leading the way, with no chance at all of having any kind of possible sneak peek, and he thanks all the entities that come to his mind for not having popped a boner in public—worse, in public and in front of Jungkook. Jungkook, the famous actor, Jungkook, the guy who's decades older than him.
They change separately, and Jimin is at a loss for words when he reunites with Jungkook in the hotel corridor, because he ends up standing in front of a heartthrob movie star with wet hair, casual clothes, and a youthful and enthusiastic smile, while he stuffs his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants, looking nonchalant and boyish.
“That’s exactly what you are anyway,” Jimin mutters to himself, and Jungkook says “what?” because thankfully he didn’t understand him, so Jimin simply diverges.
"Let's go?" He asks, and Jungkook nods his head and mentions that he's famished.
Several floors of them being commuted by the elevator later, and after encountering various temptations for their eyes and nostrils passing by the food counters, they sit face to face at a table in the breakfast buffet hall.
Jimin begins his sacred ritual of organizing the plates and deciding to which ones will come first. He reads the beverage section of the menu, distracted. He'll try a different juice flavor today.
Jungkook's breakfast consists of salad, plenty of protein, and a moderate amount of whole grains. Jimin finds Jungkook's commitment to his health very sexy.
He notices Jungkook doesn’t wear the wedding band anymore.
The actor’s black coffee arrives along with the cappuccino and watermelon juice that Jimin ordered, and they happily begin their meal, repeating Jal meokgetseumnida! one after the other.
Jimin takes small bites of varied appetizers and mixes capuccino sips with juice sips, hums alongside his chewing and then digs a little bit more on the surrounding dishes.
Jungkook observes him for several minutes, halfway through finishing his omelette stuffed with colorful toppings that Jimin wouldn't even know how to name. There's a hint of amusement blossoming on his face, and Jimin doesn't even notice.
"Can I say something?" Jungkook's voice startles Jimin's senses, and he looks up, surprised.
"Huh?"
Jimin nods his head seconds after the question properly computes in his mind.
"I've never seen someone eat so happily before."
Jimin is frozen in the spot and immediately feels extremely shy, as if he's been pushed into the middle of a stage and under the spotlight by someone hiding in the wings.
He chews and swallows the ceviche properly before responding, fearing choking, and resorts to sticking with humility and honesty. "I, it's a blessing to be able to eat such good food every time you get a chance. It's truly a privilege that not everyone has.”
He feels so small under Jungkook's pining stare. It's not patronizing, even if the man has all the opportunities to be. His gaze comes from a place of comfort. It's soothing.
"There's a lot of wisdom in these words. I like it," he says, and then goes back to eating.
Jimin lowers his head until his silky strands fall forward. He bites his lower lip and tries to ground his spirit back into his body by pulling it by its ankles.
He unfolds himself to think about some other topic, preferably one that diverges the attention from himself.
"Do you know anyone else here in Tokyo? Besides me?" Jimin inquires with a gentle smile.
"I actually know several people here," Jungkook smirks to himself more than to Jimin. He sets down his utensils and wipes his mouth with a napkin before continuing. "But I have zero desire to cross paths with any of them." He resumes eating as if nothing had happened, and Jimin wonders if he should press further.
"And why not?" His gentle voice conveys a careful question, far from demanding an actual answer. He doesn't want to be intrusive.
"I've had decades in the business I exist in, and if there's one thing I can attest to, it's that most people are unbearable." He leans in further as if he's sharing a dirty secret, and the other is entranced not only by the story but also by all the little details of Jungkook's face, now that he can observe more closely.
He has a little freckle under his lower lip and one at the tip of his nose. There's a scar on his cheek that Jimin had already taken note of before, but it's much more interesting to observe it up close. It's an extra layer of individuality that makes Jungkook so special.
"If they're not sucking up to you and trying to take advantage of you for any reason, they want to extract from you whatever they can, be it material possessions or even gossip."
Jimin raises his eyebrows and lets out a sound of surprise. He looks like an adorable little fish with his wide eyes and full lips shaped in a circle.
"And I have no desire to endure small talk with someone who will sooner or later bring up the topic of my divorce, even if it's just to feign sympathy and pity. I don't want anyone's pity," he huffs and clenches his jaw. His eyes wander around the surroundings, lost in thought.
"I'm sorry for all of this," Jimin provides. "I'm sorry that people feel entitled to your personal life. It must suck."
Jungkook grins at the unexpected swear word, "it really does."
"If it's any consolation, my ex spread rumors throughout the entire university that I had cheated on him when we broke up, just to come out on top. And I never cheated on him, I've never cheated on anyone. I was just tired of his neglecting ass, but he didn't take it lightly." He shrugs.
"He’s a douchebag. It’s his loss," Jungkook tosses the napkin on the table and leans back in his chair, crossing his muscular arms and running his tongue along the inside of his cheek.
Jimin sips from his straw to avoid openly staring at Jungkook as he feels his cheeks burn, and his hands are stuffed between his thighs.
His body language betrays his shyness, a fact Jimin doesn't notice but Jungkook does. Jimin also doesn't notice the subtle smirk that Jungkook gives.
The silence is gentle as it envelops them, and they finish their meals quietly, surrounded by soft chatter and the clinks of cutlery, plates and glasses from others throughout the venue.
Jimin doesn't want this moment to end. Call him guilty or indulgent, but he doesn't want to part from Jungkook.
His body craves the closeness, the easy laughter, the conversation tiptoeing the line of flirtation. The thrill of exchanging fleeting glances and teasing with ambiguous words is inexplicable, even though it's a situation with an unlikely outcome—and the almost nonexistent chance of him meeting his poor expectations.
Jimin will hold onto anything as long as it keeps him close to Jungkook because his presence is addictive.
And he decides he'll embrace his youth with all the adventures he can have and all the risks he can take.
"Some friends of mine invited me to an intriguing bar tonight. Would you like to join?" Intriguing? Really, Jimin?
He holds back a wince and eagerly awaits Jungkook's response with wide and attentive eyes, and his fingers fiddle with the heavy silverware provided by the hotel.
"I'd love to," Jungkook replies, and one of those emotional catastrophes he causes in Jimin’s psyche happens again. It's triggered by an overwhelming smile and crinkling eyes that indicate nothing less than genuineness, matching his words with his emotions.
Jimin breathes out a sigh of relief.
Jungkook knocks on Jimin's door hours later when the moon is already showing off in the sky, taking advantage of the lack of clouds that often spoil its silver and mysterious spectacle.
Jimin has fun with the minibar and is busy with his makeup routine when he hears the knocks on the wood, and he bounces to the door, overwhelmed by the joy that the other's presence brings him.
Dangerous territory.
"Good evening, room service?" Jungkook leans against the doorframe, as beautiful as ever, and with his blinding smile of always. "I came here to bother a certain someone.”
This fucking leather jacket.
"The certain someone would be me, you can come in," Jimin returns another blinding smile. The moon might get jealous of their happiness because they radiate a warm light that the celestial body doesn't possess.
"Look at you, all handsome," Jimin says, facing away from Jungkook as he enters the room, because he wouldn't have the courage to say that face to face. He hears chuckles. "Do you want something to drink?"
"Maybe?"
Jimin snorts. "What does that imply?"
"Do you have whiskey here?" Jungkook inquires.
Jimin rummages through all the mini bottles at his disposal. He murmurs as he reads the labels, and his delicate fingers touch each glass container. "Suntory... hey! They have your whiskey here!"
He tosses the small bottle toward Jungkook, and the actor skillfully catches it.
"Nice!" Jimin praises, and Jungkook stuffs his chest, smiling.
"What are you having?"
"A little bit of everything," he snorts. Jungkook rolls his eyes in a playful manner.
"Can I turn on the TV?"
"Of course," Jimin responds. He cautiously tosses the remote to Jungkook and returns to rummaging inside his makeup bag, unable to properly maintain composure—it's no longer possible to stay calm or focused with the actor's such striking presence in the room.
"Be honest, do you think this outfit matches?" Jimin opens his arms and watches as Jungkook slowly turns his head to see what Jimin is talking about.
It's impossible to guess what's going through Jungkook's mind when he scans the entire length of Jimin's body, something the younger wasn't expecting. Apparently, Jungkook took Jimin's question very seriously.
"You look great, Jimin." He really means what he says, considering his transparent eyes and solemn voice. He adjusts in the place where he's sitting on the bed, shifting his legs to settle better in his position. He doesn't smile as he responds, and Jimin senses an unexpected tension in the air.
"Thanks," he mutters quietly, suddenly transformed into a shy and juvenile puddle of bashfulness. He turns his back on Jungkook and focuses on going to the bathroom to brush his teeth.
Jimin should know better than to play with matches in flammable areas.
Jungkook clears his throat. "Can I say something?"
"Can you?" Jimin humors him from the bathroom with the door open while putting toothpaste on his brush.
"I have something to confess."
"Hm?" Jimin's heart starts beating faster, and he steps back into the room.
"And I’m feeling so guilty," Jungkook's tone changes and he laughs nervously and winces, looking like a pained emoji.
"Hmmmmm?" Jimin crosses his arms and smirks. He ignores the leather jacket, now stretched over the bed, leaving Jungkook only in a discreet cotton T-shirt, showing off his massive biceps.
"Stop smiling, I’m serious! And you’re gonna be mad at me!"
Jimin goes to the sink to spit out the foam just so he can return and say with all his words, "I’m not, tell me."
A beat of silence.
"I still don’t know your name," Jungkook reveals with the demeanor of a chastised child who got caught.
"YOU WHAT—" Jimin almost chokes and, holding the brush with his teeth, promptly picks up a pillow and throws it in Jungkook’s direction. The other dodges it thanks to his quick reflexes and stands up.
"WAIT I’M SORRY—" he chuckles and holds out both hands, and Jimin throws another pillow, "—it's just that I didn’t ask, and then I forgot to do it each time we encountered each other again, and—" he starts rambling, distressed by the sight of Jimin hunting for another pillow like a famished, murderous beast, still with his toothbrush in his mouth "—I got distracted, and I’m sorry, I feel terrible actually—" he holds a hand ahead of him to try to stop and distance himself from Jimin’s threatening stance, who is posing with a pillow and ready to attack, and Jungkook tries to suppress his laughter.
They took a complete spin around the edges of the hotel room.
Jimin drops the pillow on the floor and walks slowly. Midway, he grabs the makeup bag and then passes by Jungkook and goes back to the bathroom sink, closing the door behind him.
Jungkook stands still in the middle of the room, waiting, silently quiet. He listens to Jimin finishing brushing his teeth and then spitting the rinse in the sink.
Jimin steps out of the bathroom and walks until he's face to face with Jungkook, looking up at him. He crosses his arms and holds a stance with an attitude, jutting his hips to the side. "My name is Jimin."
Jungkook looks down, back and forth at Jimin's hard stare, and Jimin narrows his eyes.
Jungkook breaks first. He snorts, "nice to meet you then, Jimin-ah." He then offers his hand.
Jimin can't help the laugh that takes him by surprise, no matter how hard he tries.
He looks down at the huge, veiny hand and holds it with two fingers, more like a baby crab's pinch, out of spite.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Jeon." He raises an eyebrow and disappears back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
"Brat," Jungkook mutters.
He sits back on the bed and surfs through the TV channels while Jimin is on the other side of the door, doing who knows what. He glances at his wristwatch and realizes it's been more than half an hour since he arrived in Jimin's room.
"What are you doing in there, Jimin-ah? Come on, Jimin-ah?" He asks him without taking his eyes off the TV.
"Makeup, Jungkook-ssi," Jimin's voice echoes through the closed door.
"Don't you think it's a bit too late for using that honorific, Jimin-ah?"
A beat of silence passes and Jimin opens the door, and right away Jungkook's mirthy smile fades. He's the same, yet different. Sexier. There's no more of the innocent-looking young guy—this is a man in the prime of his youth.
"Okay. Can I put makeup on you too? Jungkook hyung?" Jimin tilts his head to the side like a puppy, and Jungkook takes a moment to recover from the vision before he can respond.
"Jungkook?"
He nods. "Hm? Yes, of course."
Jimin jumps and cheers, and Jungkook realizes only later what he's just agreed to.
He sets all the tools beside Jungkook as the actor sits on the edge of the bed again. There’s brushes of all sizes, opened palettes of eyeshadows and blushes and bronzers and eyebrow gels and lip pencils.
Jimin is giddy, and he's holding back from bouncing against every single surface in the room like a dog’s rubber ball. The tingle from the slight alcohol’s inebriation is nothing compared to the effect of Jungkook's presence in front of him.
Right in front of him.
Jimin focuses on the rhythm of his breathing as he gently blends the earthy eyeshadows, the right shade to match Jungkook’s golden skin. He does everything to concentrate on the eyelid instead of the rest of his face as he works on it, even though temptation is almost pulling him off track.
Every now and then, his eyes catch the way the scar on his cheek begs for his attention, and he yields for a few seconds, until his gaze gets lost in the freckles of the other, and shortly after, the lips, and that’s when he snaps back to reality.
Jimin is standing in front of Jungkook, and the actor’s thick thighs are spread apart so that Jimin can fit between them without too many issues. He feels Jungkook’s breath quiver before hearing a little giggle when one of the brushes tickles the delicate skin under his eyes. Jimin needs to sweep away the fallen eyeshadow particles there, but the other won’t stop moving.
Jimin smiles along, fondly, and when he realizes the gesture, his face falls. He takes a deep breath and composes himself for the storm that’s about to come when he asks the other to open his eyes.
Jungkook’s eyelids open, and Jimin hears the first thunder rumbling in the depths of his mind. Jungkook is gazing directly into his soul.
Jimin clears his throat and takes a few steps back. "I like it," he says. He crosses his arms and then uncrosses them, rubs his nose, and prays that the redness in his cheeks doesn’t show on his neck or ears.
Jungkook opens his mouth, and Jimin turns away, marching to the bathroom in search of a handheld mirror. He brings it back and gives it to the other, and the tips of their fingers touch.
Jungkook is in awe as he takes in his appearance. His eyes dance frantically like a passionate couple in a tango competition. His lips—now rosy from the discreet lip tint—part, revealing his pink tongue and pearly teeth. He tilts his head at all angles to observe the details, and Jimin feels a flower of warmth blossoming in his chest.
The silence is comforting. But Jimin is a talker, at least with those he's intimate with. "So?"
"I really love what you did with my face, Jimin-ah. Seriously." He smiles, and Jimin looks for something interesting in the carpet.
"Well I’m glad you like it."
Your face helps, he thinks. The tip of his foot drags along the carpet, and he brings his arms behind his back, involuntarily making himself smaller than he is.
"You’re really talented, Jimin-ah. I’ve had my fair share of makeup artists messing things up and then the ones who save the day. You’re closer to the saviors." He chuckles.
"You’re really keen on repeating my name every sentence you can from now on, aren’t you?" Jimin ignores the entire compliment on purpose; he can’t deal with this.
"Do you hate it, Jimin-ah?" Jungkook crosses his arms and tilts his head to the side.
Jimin gulps. He really can’t deal with this right now. His brain physically can’t wrap itself around it.
"We’re late. Let’s go." He turns on his back and searches for his phone, crossing the threshold and waiting for the other man from the outside of the room, holding the door.
Jungkook winks at him as he passes by him and leads the way, and Jimin almost trips on his own feet on the carpeted hallway.
Jimin walks by a drunk individual and is pushed, causing him to stumble. Just before faceplants on the ground, Jungkook reaches out and skillfully catches him. Jimin is left speechless by the strength of Jungkook's arms, which seem capable of effortlessly handling almost anything. Jungkook checks on him with a concerned look, and Jimin reassures him that he's okay.
Jimin's friends warmly welcome Jungkook in the club, and he quickly mingles, making friends throughout the venue. Jimin had expected him to be much more reserved, but Jungkook is friendly and outgoing.
I guess I missed the part where he's a literal actor, Jimin thinks, and he's in the entertainment business. People there are just naturally extroverted most of the time.
"Hi, I'm Jungkook!" He hears the sweet and cheerful voice of the older man addressing a group of people nearby, and a chorus of greetings is returned to him.
Jimin's friend, Yuki, took on the mission of introducing Jungkook to as many people as humanly possible. They are incredibly excited to have a foreign actor hanging out in the same spaces as them.
Yuki walks arm in arm with Jungkook, a possessive grip on his forearm, and Jimin isn't sure if Jungkook doesn't mind being dragged around or if he just knows how to play along. He laughs adoringly as he watches Jungkook glide through the crowd with a friendly smile and an unwavering hand that always reaches up to greet more people.
There are various projections on all the walls of the venue, making the environment look unreal and detached from reality. The house music playing is pleasant, and Jimin takes mental notes that the DJ has excellent taste in his track selections.
"Jimin!" Jungkook shouts, and the other whips his head to see. Jungkook is beckoning him with a hand, and Jimin realizes he’s standing in a corner of the club, alone and smiling at his nearly empty paper cup.
He promptly springs into action, cutting through the crowd to reach a table where the patrons are standing and playing UNO, and Jungkook makes space for Jimin to stand right beside him.
Jimin feels warmth spread through his chest and takes a deep breath to control his racing heart. Jungkook nudges him and smiles, and Jimin returns the smile shyly. It seems like he's having the time of his life, and Jimin is happy for him.
Jungkook points to a young man wearing a Hawaiian-print shirt and sporting a buzzcut who’s standing in front of them. "This is Kaito! He's a surfing instructor!"
Jimin looks at the man and the man nods, clearly more stoned than capable of having a conversation. "Wow," Jimin says. A freshly opened bottle of beer finds its way into his hand, and Jimin holds it without thinking.
"I'm going to Nazaré beach next weekend, it's awesome! Nazaré rocks!" The man raises his hand and gives a high-five to another enthusiastic guy next to him.
Jimin suppresses a laugh due to the surprise at the enthusiasm, and Jungkook nudges him again, telling him to drink the beer. Jimin brings the beverage to his lips, and his brain slowly begins to piece together that it was Jungkook who gave him the bottle.
"Did you see the projections on the walls?" Jungkook says by Jimin's ear, and Jimin jumps but suppresses his reaction. He turns his head to Jungkook and nods, smiling.
We're too close, Jimin thinks, and he seems clueless about it. Jimin looks down because he keeps not being able to handle it.
He notices from the corner of his eye that Jungkook has taken off his leather jacket again. Now it's hanging on one of his arms, causing his bicep to flex in response. Jimin takes long sips of his beer.
"Very beautiful projections!" Jimin responds lamely after several seconds, almost sounding disconnected, and Jungkook asks, "what?" because he didn't hear it due to the noise. Jimin shakes his head, dismissing it, and smiles. It's silly, really, how silly he becomes near the other man.
Jimin goes to the bathroom, and when he returns, the crowd is visibly more excited. A remix of Can't Get You Out of My Head plays on the speakers, and Jungkook pulls him closer, playing with their moves and making Jimin laugh. Meanwhile, Yuki mimics robot-like movements, and the surfing instructor has two girls mimic his moves as if they were on a surfboard.
The alcohol has already gone to Jimin's head, and the beats of the music, mixed with the images from the projectors plastered all over the walls, make him feel disconnected from planet Earth, living in another dimension. Jimin enjoys feeling this way. He looks to the side and realizes that Jungkook has disappeared.
Two seconds later, he finds the actor bending to cross under a limbo stick, surrounded by cheering people.
Jimin smiles.
Someone smashes a bottle. He flinches, and then another bottle hits the wall and shatters into a thousand pieces, and people start to run and scream. Jimin is undeniably confused, and he feels a hand grabbing his arm and pulling him out of the bar. "Run!" Yuki shouts.
Jimin looks back one more time and sees two men exchanging blows, then his feet hit the pavement of the narrow alley in front, and the cold, gentle wind clears his senses and his head slowly starts to work again. He looks around and doesn't know where Jungkook is.
He shouts his name. Seconds later, Jungkook appears, laughing. "I'm here!" he reassures him.
The bar owner comes out onto the street with a pellet gun and starts shooting wildly. The uproar almost gives Jimin a heart attack, and Jungkook grabs his arm and takes another turn. "This way!" he exclaims.
They enter another establishment and lose contact with the rest of the group. It's a 24-hour casino, packed to the brim with people of all ages betting coins on the slot machines. Jimin and Jungkook cause a commotion as they run through the rows hand in hand, laughing, carried away by the adrenaline rush above all.
They reach the end of the venue, and Jungkook gives one last push in their sprint before the security gets annoyed with their antics.
"You've got so much energy!" Jimin shouts to him as he tries to keep up with Jungkook's long strides. The strong grip on his hand keeps him alert, and Jimin is addicted to the feeling.
He looks around as they cross the entrance, and the lights overwhelm him, coming from all directions, while the sounds snap him out of his trance. Jimin realizes they are on the bustling streets of Shinjuku.
Jimin catches his breath as Jungkook slows down, giving him a chance to observe the actor without him noticing. He appears so youthful and cheerful, brimming with spirit and a zest for living adventures.
The first time Jimin laid eyes on him, he thought Jungkook would be closed and reserved. But here he is, running through alleyways and barging into establishments causing chaos alongside Jimin and his reckless friends.
"Over here! We're here!" someone shouts from across the street, and Jimin whips his head up to search for the source of the voice. Three men stand beside a taxi, seemingly waiting for them to get in the vehicle.
Jungkook and Jimin rush to the car, and they squeeze into the cramped space as best they can, considering they have to fit five adult men into four seats.
Jimin does his best to ignore how Jungkook's side presses against his own. His inebriated mind spends the entire journey distracted by the city lights and a familiar warmth.
Yuki's apartment is a thousand times more peaceful, and Jimin settles into a plush leather couch that almost swallows him whole. With each passing minute, more and more people buzz the intercom, and guests start making their way up to the apartment. Jimin is utterly amused by his friends' capacity for making enthusiastic acquaintances along the way.
The bass from the speakers is gentle and mild, set to be there only as background music, and people open the refrigerator or bring more booze and then head to the balcony or sit on the living room floor to chat.
Jimin happily accepts all the drinks offered to him, and Jungkook chats with various people around him. Every now and then, he checks on Jimin, who's quietly sipping on a colorful red drink, sunk into the couch, and Jungkook responds with a charming, endearing half-smile.
Jimin rubs his arms after finishing the cold drink, and Jungkook catches on to it rather quickly. Without saying anything, he stretches out his leather jacket, moves his hand to gently lift Jimin's back from the couch's backrest, and then drapes the jacket around his shoulders.
Jimin's face turns red, and he prays that the penumbra of the surroundings hides it. He smiles, and Jungkook smiles back. It never gets old.
A beautiful girl with a wolf cut hairstyle appears with a white Polaroid camera in hand and starts asking people to smile for the flash. She sits next to Jimin, says hi, and gives him a big smile, then asks Jimin to smile for the photo as well. Jimin becomes shy and covers his face with both hands.
The girl asks him in Japanese what he's shy about when he looks so adorable, and Jimin replies in the same language that he's camera shy.
Jungkook observes the exchange while giving half of his attention to a serious conversation in his group about renewable energy. Several minutes after the girl makes her rounds through the cozy apartment, he asks to borrow the camera from her.
"And for me? Will you smile for me?" Jungkook sits beside Jimin and asks with his eyes gleaming and full of anticipation. Jimin covers his face again and groans.
"Look at me," Jungkook starts, and then points the camera to his own face, giving a big, comical smile. The Polaroid is ejected, and Jungkook shakes the small piece as the image develops in real-time, like magic. He shows the Polaroid to Jimin, and Jimin bursts into laughter.
The result turned out comical, just as Jungkook intended, as an attempt to encourage Jimin not to be timid.
"This one's a gift for you," Jungkook says, handing him the picture. "Now smile for me, because I want one in return. You owe me."
Jimin takes a deep breath and smiles at the camera. The flash nearly blinds him, and Jungkook slowly lowers the lens and waits for the next photo to develop.
They huddle their heads together excitedly, waiting for it to appear, and Jungkook murmurs, "So handsome, Jimin-ah," while nudging him, and Jimin begs him to stop, completely embarrassed.
Comfortable silence surrounds them.
Jimin admires his own polaroid for a while, and Jungkook watches Jimin with a small smile on his face. Jimin hands the polaroid to Jungkook, playfully pressing it against his muscular chest rather than saying anything, and Jungkook ensures to store it in a safe place.
He takes his wallet from his back pocket and places it among his credit cards. Jimin puts Jungkook's polaroid behind his phone case because he didn't bring a wallet.
"How do you pay for things if you're out and about without a wallet, hm?" Jungkook teases.
"My wallet is virtual, it's inside my phone," Jimin rolls his eyes and smiles. "Do you think I'm that careless?"
Jungkook misses the chance to respond in time because he realizes that, despite the opportunity handed to him on a silver platter, Jimin didn't make a joke about his age or supposed past-generation customs.
"Are you okay? Are you enjoying the evening?" he quietly asks Jimin instead.
"Very much," he nods without hesitation. "I'm glad you came with me."
"I'm glad you invited me."
They stare at each other for a few seconds, and in those brief moments, the rest of the world doesn't matter.
Jungkook opens his mouth to say something more but is cut off when Yuki calls Jimin to take shots at the kitchen island.
"Do you want to come too?" Jimin turns and asks Jungkook, who rests on the large, soft couch with both arms outstretched on the backrest.
"I'm good," he responds and notices that his leather jacket is still draped over Jimin's shoulders.
Jimin heads over to the small gathering around the freshly opened bottle of tequila, and several shots taken along shouts and applauses later, he concentrates on nailing every step of a sensual choreography he learned in his first year of college.
He knows the lyrics to the R&B song and mouths them as he dances, while two other friendly girls join in with him.
Jimin gets so drunk that he loses sight of Jungkook and doesn't have much capacity to search or engage in conversations with anyone. His only words are the English sentences the singer passionately expresses in the song, and half an hour later, he realizes he has no idea where his shoes are.
All he's left with are his socks, his enthusiasm, and a third of his dignity.
But everyone is having a good time, so these are not things he worries about.
After getting tired, he reaches for a sealed bottle of water on the kitchen counter and sits next to Jungkook again. Gravity pulls him much more determinedly as he sinks into the soft couch, and his mind is fogged up with blissful happiness. His desperate thirst is quenched with the gulps of water he takes without even pausing to breathe.
Jungkook asks him an unintelligible question and Jimin hums in response. He blinks heavily, and before he knows it, he's snuggled up against Jungkook's side. The last thing he remembers is the warmth that envelops him before he falls into an alcohol-induced slumber.
Jungkook promptly orders an Uber on his phone and carries Jimin down the corridor, setting him down in the elevator.
He asks him to take more sips of water and helps him to put on his shoes, which Yuki thankfully alerted about before they crossed the threshold and the shoes are forgotten forever.
Jimin grumbles that he's too hot without even opening his eyes to communicate, and Jungkook smiles to himself as he takes the leather jacket off his shoulders and holds it in one of his arms instead.
He guides Jimin through the lobby into the car. He drapes the jacket around the younger man once more when he leans his head on Jungkook's shoulder and falls into a deep sleep.
They are dropped off in front of the hotel, and Jimin is carried in Jungkook's arms—with no effort—the whole way. Now that the actor knows where the younger one's hotel room is, he heads there, nudging Jimin to tell him where his key card is to open the door.
Jimin fidgets and mumbles something like "back pocket," nestling his head against Jungkook's neck as if nothing had happened, and the other reaches his hand into Jimin's pocket and retrieves the card from there.
He opens the door, spots the bed, and lays Jimin there carefully. Jimin makes adorable little sounds as he snuggles into the pillow and under the duvet. Jungkook looks for the A/C remote and presses the power button. He remembers Jimin's shoes and takes them off one by one.
Jimin curls his legs up close to his body until he becomes a rolled up armadillo, now lost in slumber. Jungkook searches for a piece of paper and a pen, and finds a stack of Post-it notes in the first drawer of the bedside table.
You've arrived safely. Thankfully, you didn't lose any shoes. Call me if you need anything.
J.
He leaves the room without making much noise and closes the door, making sure it's locked as he leaves Jimin behind to find his own room.
A couple of floors down in the elevator, he enters his room, splashes water on his face, drinks a freezing tonic that was just sitting there in the minibar, and then flops onto the bed without bothering to change clothes or crawl under the covers.
Despite the exhaustion, he remains wide awake for a long time after that.