drunk in love
Title: drunk in love
Pairing: jimin/jeongguk
Rating: PG-13
Genre: romance, humor
Warning: underage drinking, language
Summary: one night, Jimin gets drunk. Jeongguk is the one who suffers.
Note: 6,454 words. Sort of filled this prompt? Written for kiwi_ism! Happy happy birthday woooo! Wow, I'm incredibly rusty. My writing is ligitimately awful, but it's all for you >3
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Drunk In Love
Technically, Jimin isn't old enough to be drinking. He's too young to even be breathing the same air as an open liquor bottle (Seokjin's words), so when Taehyung hands him a bottle of soju and a mischievous smile, he probably should feel a little guilty.
The clink of glasses urges him forward though, makes him giggle as Taehyung and him rush out of the hotel room. Taehyung nearly trips on the way over, clumsily slamming Yoongi and Namjoon's door shut with a yelp.
"Oh my God, shut up!" Jimin whisper-shouts, pushing Taehyung forward, careful not to drop the bottle. "We're going to get caught!"
"Like hell we are." Taehyung snickers, sticking his tongue out, dodging when Jimin attempts to push him again, heart pounding, adrenaline rushing. "Not before I get a sip of this." He exclaims, tapping his finger against the glass, tripping again walking down the hallway to their own room.
Jimin snorts, getting out the key card, handing it to Taehyung, hoping the boy has enough coordination to at least accomplish that. "Seriously, you're not even drunk yet, and you're acting like you're hammered. I'm honestly worried putting alcohol in your system will kill you. Will you remember how to breathe?"
The brunette rolls his eyes, chuckling beneath his breath, "Har har." He says sarcastically, busting the door open, revealing a typical hotel room with a layout the boys have come to memorize. A hallway, a bathroom, a mirror attached to the door, and if you walk far enough into the room, two beds and a couch.
Jimin quietly makes his way through, peering passed the hallway, eyes trained on the bed farthest from the door, a familiar bump in the sheets where Jeongguk is sleeping. And Jimin sighs, knowing that this means Taehyung is going to play him for the other bed, and he's going to be forced to sleep on the couch. (Jimin's not very good at rock paper scissors.)
Unless he somehow manages to get Taehyung to pass out on the floor.
"Alright! Let's crack that baby open." The younger boy says, rubbing his hands together in preparation, hopping onto the bed with a giant grin.
Jimin hisses at Taehyung, nonetheless making his way over as well, albeit less enthusiastic. "You're going to wake up Jeongguk."
"So? He can join us. I don't mind sharing."
"I don't think it's the sharing you don't mind so much as it is getting to see Jeongguk drunk." He holds the bottle out, allowing Taehyung to do the honors, aligning the shot glasses on top of the mattress.
And Taehyung laughs, flashing a smile as he pours liquor into the first cup, then the second, the third, and the fourth."Same difference." He waves it off, and Jimin shakes his head, looking over his shoulder just as Jeongguk turns on the bed, facing away from them, hair poking just so out of under the sheets.
The younger boy picks up a glass, signalling for Jimin to follow suit.
The dancer does, carefully, staring at the contents of the glass, biting the inside of his cheek. This is his first time drinking, and he doubts Taehyung knows that. It's honestly scary how natural this seems for Taehyung. Somewhat disturbing as well. "Cheers." The dancer says, before Taehyung detects his apprehension and starts teasing him about it. (Jimin's thankful for his obliviousness.)
Their glasses clink together, and Jimin's first drink burns all the way down. It rushes to his head and remains there in a dizzy slur.
Taehyung whoops and urges him to do another right after.
Jeongguk wakes up the moment Jimin and Taehyung start giggling. From behind his back, he hears glasses clinking together, hears gulps and sips and teases. Jeongguk resists the urge to sigh. For whatever reason, he feels a little lonely. He doesn't like when the duo leaves him out of things, especially since Jimin is always clambering for his approval.
He rolls his eyes from beneath the blanket, trying not to clutch to it and bring it closer. The youngest doesn't want to tip them off, doesn't want them to know that he's actually awake. (Although considering how drunk the two of them are, he doubts they would notice.)
The smell of alcohol is painfully obvious in the room, and Jeongguk finds himself wishing, quite bitterly, that Seokjin burst through the doors, yelling and waggling his finger at all of them, lecturing them about all their impurities and bad influences.
(He may or may not be a bit jealous of them.
And it's really, actually ridiculous, because there's nothing particularly envious about Taehyung stumbling off the bed without even moving.
Although Jimin's rambunctious laughter that follows that thump of the ground comes pretty close.)
Four shots later and Jimin thinks he might be drunk. (He actually thinks they both might be drunk, because Taehyung has definitely been drinking more than he has, and he hasn't thrown up yet, so he at least better be.)
He's starting to feel a little tired, and for some reason, everytime he opens his mouth, he finds a giggle sneaking its way out. Scary enough, he's actually starting to find Taehyung a little attractive as well, which is a definite sign he needs to excuse himself to use the bathroom.
"Don't take too long!" Taehyung slurs, head on the ground, feet in the air and against the bed. He has a shot glass in his hand which he gingerly tips back, letting out an almost aggravated grunt after doing so.
Jimin waves him off, stumbling, already making it to the bathroom before he realizes he never actually replied. "Okay." The dancer murmurs anyway, feeling at his flushed face. When he catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he's the color of an angry baby beet. "Whoa." He laughs, backing away from the mirror, taking only the upper half with him. His bottom half stays glued where it is, so when he does try to back away, he simply looks like a repulsed baby in a high chair, disgusted by what he sees yet unable to actually move away from it.
His thoughts are jumbled, the most prominent themes on his mind being water, Taehyung, Jeongguk, and his red face.
The latter of the thoughts is solved when Jimin manages to finally twist the tap on, dunking his head into the sink.
He emerges, flipping his hair back, running his hands through his hair.
Again, he looks into the mirror.
"Oh," He says, stopping in his tracks to turn his head ever so slightly, "hello, sexy." His reflection in the mirror gives him a kissy face.
A series of sex growls leave his mouth before he yawns.
Time for bed.
(After he takes a piss.)
Jeongguk is surprised when the room suddenly quiets.
With caution, he turns on the bed, peering his way out of the covers.
On the bed next to him, he sees littered glasses, an almost empty bottle, and a stain which he hopes is alcohol. When he cranes his neck, he sees Taehyung's legs, tossed over the bed, mumbling into the carpet, passed out.
But he doesn't see Jimin.
Odd.
The youngest refrains from calling out though, falling back onto the bed to stare up at the ceiling.
Jeongguk decides that maybe he can take this time to sleep.
(The silence is somewhat unwelcome though.)
Crawling out of the bathroom, Jimin desperately searches for a bed to sleep in.
His thought process proceeds as thus: Where is Taehyung? Hi lamp, you're not Taehyung. That's Taehyung! Hi, there. Oh, he's sleeping. Nice. I get the bed. Haha-
And then he looks up. Sees Jeongguk's head popping out of the blanket in a ruffled mess, black hair against white. In Jimin's influenced mind, he finds the contrast alluring, and his jumbled thoughts combine to one.
Jeongguk.
Jeongguk is used to Jimin touching him. He's used to the older boy hanging over him, fawning over him, and sometimes, begging him for some attention. It's normal. They're normal. There's nothing else behind it. No sexual tension or innuendos or implications. They're just friends.
(Barely even that.)
And Jeongguk is fine with that. Is comfortable with that.
What he doesn't like-what he isn't and probably will never be comfortable with-is Jimin crawling into his bed.
The smell of alcohol surrounds him quicker than a waft of air, and the youngest whirls around on the bed, nearly jumping up and bumping into the headboard, all attempts and hopes of sleep gone. "What are you doing, Jimin?" Jeongguk demands, hissing, scooching over, stopping only when he feels half of his ass hanging off the mattress.
The dancer squints at him, as if trying to figure him out. Like Jeongguk's a book in English and Jimin is the translator carefully inscribing every adverb and adjective, noun and verb. "Aren't you supposed to call me 'hyung'?"
And Jeongguk scoffs, wiping a hand down his face. Of course. Even drunk, he has to point out his alleged superiority. "Fine, what are you doing, hyung?"
And Jimin smiles, somewhat different than his typical ones. More cheeky, childish, impish-genuinely thrilled at the prospect of Jeongguk finally acknowledging him, finally respecting him. "I'm just spending time with my favorite dongsaeng!" Giggles tumble out of the dancer's mouth, falling up and into Jeongguk's ears where they linger, giddy. For some reason, the youngest feels his ears heating up.
"You were just drinking with Taehyung hyung." Jeongguk points out, pursing his lips, shaking his head when that feeling ceases to go away. (The boy doesn't know what it is, but it's making him sick, and he blames it all on the smell of Jimin's breath.)
Jimin looks at him quizzically, quirking an eyebrow, leaning forward as if he hasn't the cerebral functions to keep him balanced, even while sitting. When he leans in too close, Jeongguk holds him by the shoulders, trying to keep him at a distance. And suddenly, he starts laughing again, this time louder, as if Jeongguk were making faces at him while simultaneously cracking stupid jokes. (As annoying as Jimin is sober, he's ten times worse drunk.) "Silly, Taehyung isn't my favorite. You're my favorite!"
The youngest freezes (and he reminds himself, Jimin is annoying, Jimin is horribly and utterly, incredibly annoying). He doesn't understand why, but when Jimin says it, drunk and unaware and honest, it makes him seem a thousand times more endearing instead of annoying. (Which shouldn't be possible, obviously, because Jimin is always, always annoying.) "Shut up." Jeongguk groans, letting his hands slip away from Jimin's shoulders so that he can cover his face.
This proves to be a horrible mistake, because once he does, the balance in Jimin's upper body completely gives way, and the dancer leans forward, an awfully dangerous smirk playing on his lips, hands moving up to pull Jeongguk's hands away from his face. The youngest doesn't even have time to react when Jimin says, "Gladly," in a puff of alcoholic breath that disappears when his lips meet Jeongguk's.
At first, Jeongguk doesn't react. He simply sits there, hands foolishly in the air, near his face, not even touching anything as Jimin moves his lips against his, softly, sloppily, drunkenly. The boy has kissed before (has done more than his fair share of work in the matter), but never in his life has he ever been paralyzed by one. (It feels nice though, in an awkward, one-time-only sort of way, and Jeongguk thinks that maybe that's the reason why he doesn't react at first-can't react at first. Because this is Jimin, and he shouldn't like kissing him. Shouldn't be kissing him at all.)
Then, without even thinking about it, as if his reflexes just now decide to kick in, Jeongguk kisses back, tentatively, shutting his eyes, softly holding Jimin's head in his hands, running his thumbs along the hair hanging over his cheeks.
Until Jimin passes out, slumping forward, right onto Jeongguk's lap, leaving the youngest shocked, eyes wide, staring straight, hands still in the air, a ghost of where Jimin's head used to be.
It takes the youngest a second to register what just happened, and when he finally does, his face flares.
"What did I just do?" Jeongguk asks himself, whispering, slowly clenching his hands, peering down at Jimin, burrowing his way into his thigh. "What-what just happened?"
As if to answer, Jimin snores into his shorts.
In the morning, Jimin feels like death.
His breath stinks, his head pounds, and every single ray of sunlight makes him burn. (He figures this is what a hangover feels like. No amount of songs about the matter could prepare him for this.)
Jimin makes a pact never to drink a single ounce of alcohol again.
"I hate you, Kim Taehyung." Jimin whines, stretching his arms out and tossing his head back.
What confuses Jimin is the fact that he feels a pillow behind him and he actually feels comfortable, despite the dull ache in his head.
"What am I doing in a bed?" The dancer asks aloud, tossing his head to the left before he ultimately regrets it, groaning in pain, slowly curling in on himself, holding his head in his hands.
When he sees the bed next to him, he becomes even more confused.
Because Jeongguk was in the bed farthest from the door. Jeongguk was sleeping here, and when Jimin builds up enough willpower to turn, Jeongguk isn't anywhere to be found.
"Did I kick Jeongguk out of his own bed last night?" Jimin mumbles to himself, shocked and somewhat appalled by his own behavior. He doesn't remember a single thing, and that scares the crap out of him.
Jimin jumps out of his skin when someone speaks, tearing the silence in the room to shreds and a hole right through his head. "Yes. You did. And he's not very happy about it." When Jimin looks to see who it is, Jeongguk is standing next to the bed, eyebrow raised, toothbrush in his mouth. Upon further inspection, Jimin sees bags under the younger boy's eyes, a slight discoloration around them to match.
"You look awful." Jimin grimaces.
Jeongguk scoffs, and he looks like he's legitimately about to spit on Jimin, before he simply knocks him one around the head, sending a wave of immense pain to his brain. "Don't mess with me right now." The youngest threatens, narrowing his eyes as Jimin crumples over, clutching at his head for what seems to be the hundredth time in two minutes.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry." Jimin whimpers, genuinely surprised that Jeongguk only stopped with one hit. Peering through his hands, Jimin isn't sure how to react to what he sees. Jeongguk is looking at him, and it's not in the usual way-not annoyed or amused or quizzical. His lips are pursed around his toothbrush and his eyebrows are turned upward in frustration, confliction. He almost looks vulnerable.
In that moment, Jimin forgets all about his headache.
"You-" The youngest starts, and Jimin drops everything to perk up and listen carefully. "-you don't remember anything about last night, do you?"
Oblivious to the right answer, Jimin shakes his head, shrugging his shoulders, apologetic, settling on the truth, "What happened last night?"
And within a second, the vulnerability is gone, and Jeongguk is back to his regular self, almost laughing, "You and Taehyung were ridiculous. I had no idea what you two were saying half the time-when you woke me up."
Jimin feels his face heat up, and he suddenly feels the urge to apologize again.
Instead, they awkwardly stand there, staring at each other, Jeongguk with that foreign look on his face, and Jimin with a splitting headache.
Before Jimin even has a chance to open his mouth to say anything to break the tension, a groan emanates from the corner of the room, somewhere near the ground. "I hate you, Park Jimin."
The dancer, indignant, throws a pillow, aiming at the source of the sound and grinning when he hears a pained grunt.
And Jeongguk slips away.
"Unbelievable." Jeongguk says to the bathroom mirror, staring at his reflection, flushed red, dripping wet from the water he's been splashing onto his face, sadly failing to cool him down. "Un-fucking-believable." And there's something there in his eyes that wasn't there before, something wide and wild and frantic and panicked. Something begging. And Jeon Jeongguk does not beg, not for anyone. He is not Park Jimin. He doesn't want to be like Park Jimin. He wants nothing to do with him, but-"I can't believe he doesn't remember."
That somehow hurts in a punched-gut sort of way. A way that makes his stomach twist and drop, as if he's riding roller coasters on a loop without any sign of stopping. A way that makes his knees weak and his head hurt.
A way that makes his eyes well up in a pathetic, child-like sort of way.
Jeon Jeongguk wants nothing to do with Park Jimin.
(At least, he wishes he didn't.)
Seokjin is on Jimin like glue.
The younger boy finds it especially overwhelming since they already have a semi-busy schedule consisting of a broadcast as well as the fact that he's never handled a hangover before (and if he's completely honest, Jimin is a little afraid of Seokjin. He has this strange radar for trouble, and right now, it looks like it's out to kill, coming straight for Jimin.)
"How are you so okay right now?" Jimin whispers into Taehyung's ear who's smiling and laughing, goofy as ever.
The younger boy tilts his head at Jimin and says, as if it were the most obvious thing in the whole entire universe, "Alka-seltzer and a Virgin Mary."
"I wasn't aware you were a bartender." Jimin hisses.
Yoongi chimes from the backseat, "What are you two talking about?" A look of pure interest is on his face, and when Jimin looks back at him, he panics. Biting his lip, Jimin tries to prevent his guilt from being too transparent, but it's somewhat hard when Yoongi's skeptically staring (and he knows, he knows, oh my God, they're busted) at the two of them.
"Seokjin hyung's facial hair." Taehyung quips, and from beside Jimin, Seokjin clamps a hand over his upper lip.
Jimin let's a sigh of relief rip from his mouth, because that one comment seems to alleviate all suspicion, and everything is back to normal. Seokjin is yelling at Taehyung for his comment, Yoongi is snickering at the two of them, Namjoon enters the van with a loud taunt of leadership that completely backfires with Hoseok's silly remarks. Peace is restored, and Jimin works to fight through his hangover with a smile.
Which proves a little difficult when he looks around the van and wonders, "Where's Jeongguk?"
"Here!" The boy shouts, running through the doors, hair sopping wet, dripping all over his clothes. His face looks alarmingly red, and Jimin is horribly aware of the fact that Jeongguk's sleep deprived all because of him and his drunken adventures. He looks breathless.
Hoseok immediately chimes in with questions, obviously worrying as Jeongguk straps himself into the van and the engine turns.
The youngest waves him off with a smile, and Jimin shrinks back into his seat.
Jeongguk feels, in all honesty, exhausted.
Since the kiss, he hasn't had a wink of sleep. While Taehyung and Jimin slept soundly, Jeongguk was awake, tossing and turning, too busy thinking to let his body rest.
The moment Jimin leaned forward plays over and over in his head, even now in the van, and the most disturbing bit of it is the fact that, sober and uninfluenced, Jeongguk kissed back. He didn't try to stop it. He didn't push Jimin away. He wanted to kiss back, instinct aside.
(And to make matters worse, Jeongguk can't stop stealing glances at Jimin, can't stop peering at him, hanging his head back across his seat with his eyes closed, obvious pain in the knit of his eyebrows that the other hyungs don't seem to notice.)
"How much sleep did you get last night?" The question sends Jeongguk tumbling out of his thoughts, and he turns to the direction of Namjoon in the front seat, looking at him with quirked lips, obviously worried.
Jeongguk does his best to adopt a bravado. Act normal, he reminds himself, normal. He breathes. "Eight hours, sir." Announcing it with a little salute and a cheeky smirk.
Namjoon only stares though, relatively unamused. Jeongguk tries not to deflate at that. "What were you doing?" He asks, and Jeongguk guesses the question pertains to why he was up so late.
I was too busy dealing with two drunken idiots, one of which decided to kiss me, consequently causing me to question my entire sexual orientation. "I was just watching movies." Jeongguk nods. Close enough. "I just-I couldn't sleep. I started thinking of my family and I just-" He shakes his head, feigning speechlessness (and okay, Jeongguk may or may not be going to hell for using his homesickness as an excuse, but it's one of the most believable, and whenever he mentions it, everyone feels too sorry to question him about it). "I couldn't."
And just as Jeongguk expected, Namjoon nods his head, understanding in the sadness of his eyes (and Jeongguk feels utterly and completely evil) as he turns back around.
Jeongguk lets out a sigh. Looks at the corner of his eye to steal another glance of Jimin.
(And now Jeongguk really feels pathetic.)
One of the best things about broadcasts, at least for Jimin, is the waiting period.
Aside from the constant practice in between performances, the group always messes around together, and it's the honestly the most fun Jimin has in combination with interacting with fans.
Except when you're hungover, everything that's usually fun becomes incredibly awful.
"I hate you so much. I hate you so Goddamn much." Jimin exclaims, shutting his eyes and letting his forehead fall ultimately on a couch cushion.
"You're usually so much fun before broadcasts." Taehyung says, pouting (Jimin doesn't even need to look to see the radiating annoyance of it.)
The vocalist laughs sarcastically, "I'm so sorry. I forgot my sole purpose in love is to entertain you."
"Apology accepted." Taehyung says, smug, happy, and really fucking annoying.
"I swear to God and all that is holy, next time you drink, I'm hiding all painkillers and Virgin Mary ingredients."
"That's not very nice."
Jimin sighs, turning to look at Taehyung, hoping all his thoughts of murder translates into it.
Apparently it works, because Taehyung flees, some random, sarcastic comment on his tongue that Jimin doesn't even bother to listen to.
He gets about two seconds of peace before he feels something cold on the back of his neck.
Jolting up on his elbows, Jimin looks around in a flurry, glaring at whoever dare disturb him.
His fury drowns when he sees Jeongguk, makeup ready, staring down at him with smoky eyes and a slight, almost uncomfortable grin. Granted, he doesn't look as exhausted anymore.
"Hey." Jimin says, moving to feel at the back of his neck.
In reply, Jeongguk offers him a water bottle, which Jimin guesses was the source of the sudden cold. In his other hand, the youngest has a bottle of painkillers.
"Oh my God, I love you." Jimin declares, gingerly taking the two items from Jeongguk's hands, completely oblivious to his sudden uncomfortableness.
Downing a couple pills, Jimin moves to thank Jeongguk properly.
When he looks up, the boy is gone.
Before Jeongguk even realizes what he's doing, he's curled up in the dressing room corner, staring at a piece of cloth on a chair, desperately trying to catch his breath.
Quite frankly, he is in sheer panic. He's terrified, and no matter what he does: breathing, counting, rationalizing, singing, nothing is calming him down.
"Why, why, why," The youngest groans, head in his hands, pounding his head back against the wall. His face is the color of a ripe cherry, and he's sweating, and it's disgusting; the coordinator noona's are probably going to have a cow at the state of him, all disheveled and uncomposed, "all I wanted to do was be normal."
"Really? 'Cause this doesn't really look normal." Yoongi remarks, making Jeongguk about ready to cry. He feels pathetic as is without anyone teasing him for it. "If this is your best attempt at it, I doubt you'll ever be successful in the matter."
Instead of retorting, Jeongguk gives up. He sighs for the upteenth time that day, and he turns, looking Yoongi dead in the eye when he asks, "How do you know when you like someone?"
The older man looks genuinely shocked by the question. "Well, usually, from my experience, if you don't constantly feel like punching someone, it means that you like them to some extent."
"I'm not talking about tolerating someone." Jeongguk qualifies, suddenly finding this a bit more painful. "I'm talking about-about liking someone. There's a difference."
"Is there?" Yoongi looks absolutely pained by the conversation, and Jeongguk can't help but think it's not so great on his side of it either. If anything, it's much, much worse.
Jeongguk shakes his head, looking at the cloth again, trying once again to keep from looking at Jimin, at the spot he knows he's in.
And from the corner of his eye, Yoongi looks concerned, eyebrows so far up his head that his eyes grow bigger. The older man lets a sigh escape him, like he's contemplating whether or not to even get involved in Jeongguk's problems. "Tell you what," He finally decides, and Jeongguk listens, simply because there's nothing else he can do. There aren't anymore options, "are you thinking about the person right now?"
And Jeongguk thinks, sees Jimin's smile, his words, his incredibly annoying compliments, and with a lump in his throat, he nods.
"Then, I think it's safe to say that you like this person. Whoever they are." And Yoongi smiles. "Did that help?"
"Yeah." Jeongguk admits. "I, um, just wanted to be absolutely sure about it, is all."
Oh no.
Almost like a miracle, Jimin's headache disappears. He doesn't feel as nauseous as before, and he definitely isn't as cranky. He grins, relieved that he won't have to endure anymore pain.
And the one thing on his mind is Jeongguk-how he was the one that did it, and he's incredibly thankful for it.
(He knew he liked that kid for a reason.)
The dancer skips around the dressing room, peering over people, trying to find Jeongguk so that he can thank him personally, but the boy seems to have disappeared.
Upon looking for him, Jimin runs into Seokjin whose practicing in front of a mirror. "Seokjin hyung, have you seen Jeongguk anywhere?"
The maroon haired vocalist takes a moment to think before he answers, "I think I saw him with Yoongi earlier. He looked a little out of it." The older man tilts his head, a sort of narrowing in his eyes, and Jimin nearly shrinks, afraid that Seokjin is, once again, on to him and ready to pounce. "Is everything all right with him?"
"Yeah." Jimin answers, definitely, but now that someone's asked him, he's not to sure. Jeongguk has been acting weird around him all day, and so far, every conversation they've had has ended in Jeongguk leaving before Jimin could even say anything. He doesn't really seem okay. But he knows if he mentioned that to Seokjin, the man would never leave him be. (He probably would even go as far as to recruit Jimin as a spy.) "Do you happen to have a definitive location though?"
Seokjin points, "Corner. Where we get our makeup done."
Jimin dutifully leaves.
Jeongguk has taken refuge in the bathroom.
As far as safe goes, it's about as safe as it gets, especially since the boys share everything and it's almost impossible to avoid each other.
He just can't see Jimin right now. Can't do this to himself or him. It's incredibly infuriating that he would start having a crush on one of the most inopportune people, not to mention the humongous detail that the person is his boyband bandmate who he's found incredibly annoying for the longest of times.
(Boy, does Jeongguk know how to pick them.)
"Jeongguk!" The dancer calls for the tenth time. He's checked where Seokjin suggested only to find Yoongi, and the rapper said that Jeongguk has been missing in action since their conversation together. (Jimin finds himself a little envious at that. At least Yoongi gets to have a conversation with Jeongguk. The boy hasn't really given him the time of day lately, and he wishes that Jeongguk would just stop, would just show up and prove Jimin wrong like he usually does. That he's not actually avoiding him without anything to explain why: no hints, no signs, no signals; the embargo of all explanations and forgiveness, strictly indifferent and stoic.)
Someone announces their impending performance time, and without even having to repeat himself, Jeongguk emerges from the bathroom, as if he couldn't hear Jimin calling him ten thousand times. (And Jimin is pretty much convinced-Jeongguk is avoiding him. Quite intentionally.)
"Jeongguk!" The dancer tries again, waving the boy over only to get a flat out cold shoulder, bringing with it iced dejection.
From behind him, he hears a long, drawn out whistle, and Hoseok puts an arm around his shoulders, nearly tight enough to choke him. Nearly. (Jimin kind of wishes someone would. Anything would be better than this constant awkwardness.) "Dude, I know you're usually on Jeongguk's annoyed side, but since when did you start getting on his bad side? That's simply terrifying."
"More like incredibly depressing considering I have no idea what I did."
"Funny, you never seem to."
And Jimin, too annoyed and too immersed in self-loathing, doesn't even bother to retort. He simply pouts. Pouts a lot, all the while staring at Jeongguk, recounting their last few conversations, trying to pinpoint exactly where disaster struck and the younger boy decided talking to him wasn't worth his while. Ever since-
"I got drunk." Jimin says, in an epiphanic sort of way.
Hoseok understandably jumps backward and screams at him for being incredibly stupid because underage drinking is illegal and it causes so many problems with your liver and whatnot, but Jimin can't find it in himself to care at the moment, because he's got it; he knows why Jeongguk is avoiding him.
(Except now he needs to figure out what he did while he was drunk that made Jeongguk so mad.)
Jeongguk just needs to make it through the performance.
He just needs to make it through this one thing, and then he'll be able to sleep it off. He'll be able to ignore it, push it down, drown it.
Jimin will never figure out what he did, and it'll all be okay.
(Just as long as Jimin stops being so persistent.)
"As much as I enjoy you completely ignoring me, I think it's about time you tell me why you're doing so?" Jimin has Jeongguk finally cornered, after the performance, sitting right next to him in the back of the van.
Everyone else is asleep, so Jimin isn't afraid to talk, and even then, the only people near them are Yoongi and Namjoon, probably the two least likely to want to eavesdrop on a conversation between their two awkwardest dongsaengs.
Jeongguk obviously refrains from looking at Jimin, head stubbornly turned toward the window, where it looks like it will stay for the entire van ride.
Jimin persists though, "Did I do something wrong when I was drunk?"
At the way that Jeongguk's back stiffens, the dancer guesses that he's probably right.
"I knew it." Jimin sighs, a rush of air through the purse of his lips. "Was it because I took your bed? Because I'm really sorry about that."
Jeongguk shakes his head, still refusing to talk.
"Was it because Taehyung and I didn't invite you to drink? Because I swear, we wanted to; you're just so young, and I didn't want-"
"Seriously Jimin, just stop." Jeongguk suddenly shouts, whipping around, a certain set in his jaw where he grinds his teeth together. "Just-just shut up."
And for some reason that sounds familiar. Nostalgic. As if there's some involuntary bodily movement that should come after those words which Jimin has somehow forgotten. "Gladly." He mumbles, staring into Jeongguk's eyes, recognition lighting up in the back of his head when the younger's eyes widen and his face suddenly burns scarlet.
And there's only one reason something like that would happen. It would have to be something completely embarrassing and unforgivable. Something absolutely stupid. Typical for drunks and especially typical for him.
"I kissed you, didn't I?"
The cold shoulder that Jimin receives is answer enough.
The moment the van slows to a stop, Jeongguk storms out. He tries to ignore any noises of protest (especially those coming from a particular dancer), tries to ignore the tears threatening to sting his cheeks, tries to ignore the voice in his head screaming for him to work this through, because he can't do this. He's not supposed to do this. Not with Jimin.
He pulls out the hotel keycard and quickly unlocks it, daring to keep it in the keylock in hopes of a quick escape.
He makes it about halfway to the bathroom before Jimin grabs his wrist.
"Let go." Jeongguk grits out.
"I'm sorry." Jimin retorts, and he looks like he actually means it. His soft brown eyes are even softer with regret, and Jeongguk doesn't want that. He doesn't want Jimin to regret anything, because that only proves everything that Jeongguk believes to be true (that Jimin didn't mean to do it, didn't, for once, think that Jeongguk and him would be a good idea).
The youngest rips his hand away, walking right passed Jimin to steal the keycard out from the lock and slam the door shut.
"I-I understand that you're upset."
And Jeongguk breathes, turns around, back against the door, before he closes his eyes and does what the older boy wants. (He asked for it, anyway.) "I'm not upset because you kissed me."
And Jimin looks confused, understandably and hurtfully. "Then-then why-"
"You don't remember what happened." Jeongguk says, simply, still refusing to open his eyes, because it's easier this way. He doesn't have to see Jimin imploring, he doesn't have to see his big eyes, wide with desire for knowledge, he doesn't have to worry about the look of disgust that he knows is coming. He doesn't have to see anything. He can just explain, run, and lock himself into the bathroom with only a single ounce of self-loathing. "I'm not upset that you got drunk with Taehyung. I'm not upset that you crawled into my bed. I'm not even upset when you leaned forward to kiss me." With each explanation, Jeongguk is breathless, he feels his face burning, his stomach turning, and here it comes, the big reveal: "I'm upset because I was awake. I knew what was happening, and even when you kissed me, I kissed you back."
And there it is. Out in the open, ready for criticism and judgement.
But before he can hear any, Jeongguk flees again.
Only this time, Jimin stops him by pressing him against a door.
Jimin doesn't even think now. All he knows is that Jeongguk looks about an inch away from crying. The boy looks like he's going to be sick, and all he's done is comfimed everything that Jimin did while he was drunk. He vaguely remembers bits and pieces of it: walking out of the bathroom and seeing Jeongguk, laughing at the fact Jeongguk thought Taehyung was his favorite, feeling the taddest bit daring when Jeongguk told him to shut up.
He does not, however, remember the last statement.
Because if he had, Jimin probably would have done this a long time ago, just to reassure Jeongguk that he doesn't find him repulsive or disgusting or unnatural. (Except, he probably wouldn't do it in such a crude, tactless way if he had been more prepared.
Then again, he probably would.)
Jimin touches their noses together, one of the few instances where he actually feels bigger than the younger boy, and Jeongguk honestly looks shell shocked, surprised, and a little outraged.
(Jimin doesn't even know why he's doing this anymore, or why he thought it was such a good idea, but it's a little too late to go back now, so he figures, what the hell.) "You kissed me back?"
And the anger dissipates, replaced by pure embarrassment. Jeongguk seems to shrink. Jimin finds a twist of pleasure at the fact that he finally has the upperhand. The youngest stubbornly purses his lips.
"And you weren't under the influence of any alcoholic beverages?"
"I'm not stupid like you." Jeongguk smiles sarcastically, and Jimin genuinely grins, because yep, this is definitely Jeongguk in all his superior, sarcastic, boisterous glory; this is the boy that he adores openly and publicly.
"And yet you're the one that kissed back."
"You kissed me first."
"I was under the influence."
And Jeongguk, at a loss for words, growls, "Shut up."
And Jimin grins, honestly the happiest he's ever been, "Gladly." Then he leans in, close, stopping just shy of Jeongguk's lips. "I'm not kissing you unless you kiss me back." The older boy teases, and he's probably pushing it and Jeongguk is probably going to hit him in T minus two seconds, but the flustered look on the younger boy's face makes it all worth it.
(Jimin is right about the hitting, but is pleasantly surprised when Jeongguk pulls him in by the collar and kisses him gently on the lips again and again and again, until Jimin decides to linger, tangling his fingers into the boy's silky black hair, and dipping him slightly backward.)
Needless to say, Jeongguk just about takes his breath away.
"Wait," Jeongguk says, eyes still closed after minutes, heart jumping out of his chest in an incredible flying sort of joy. He feels Jimin's breath on his face, feels his adoring gaze as he presses their foreheads together, "does this mean we're dating?"
"Are you waiting for a proposal? Of course we are." Jimin laughs, and Jeongguk finds it surprisingly contagious.
And they kiss again.
The next morning, the two of them walk out of the hotel room holding hands.
They find Taehyung asleep in front of their door.
Jeongguk looks at Jimin, guilt written all over his face. "I locked Taehyung out of the room."
Jimin thinks this relationship could work very well.
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