Mark Up My Soul 6/?
Title: Mark Up My Soul 6/?
Pairing: Yoongi/Jungkook (BTS)
Rating: Eventual NC17
Disclaimer: They are slowly taking over my soul to the point that I almost feel like I might be able to own them.
Summary: Jeon Jungkook’s soul mark is a music staff tattooed on his forearm. Every now and then a flare of pain will burn its way up his arm and another note is added. The strangest thing about the newest mark is that it isn’t a note and it isn’t black. It’s just a smudge. Of color. Mint green in the center, fading to deep blue around the edges.
Min Yoongi’s soul mark tattoo is a smudge of dark ink with faded thin lines of white scratched into it. If he squints, the scars sort of look like a music staff. When a new burst of pain manifests as a mint green music note in the darkest spot of black, Yoongi curses fate and his inability to stay away from all things cute. Because soul marks lie, and fate is a cruel bitch from hell.
A/N: This fic isn't done. I'm not sure how consistent I will be with updates
Part 6:
A/N: This chapter focuses a lot on Taehyung who is genderfluid in this fic. I did the best I could with making sure I was honest and considerate to her and showing honest reactions of her friends.
A/N: Someone asked me what their tattoos look like in my head. This is the best I could do with what I had available at work and my own failing artistic ability. Yoongi's tattoo in my head looks more like a dark water color cloudy sky covered in scars. But you know, I'm not an artist. I'm a writer.
They go to the same cafe, the one that Jungkook had randomly approached Yoongi at. It’s a long way from his house, and Yoongi knows and understands that it was fate that led Jungkook’s steps almost right to him. Doesn’t mean he has to be thankful to that fickle bitch, though.
At the cafe with coffees and super sugary breakfast danishes, Jungkook takes a picture of both of their arms. Yoongi covers back up as soon as he’s done, and then watches, holding his breath as Jungkook types in his phone. He tilts the phone so Yoongi can see the message. The image does not show his entire soul mark, but there are some scars visible.
Jungkook:
And now I have two soul marks that match his. Right in the same place. He’s going to be important in my life and you can’t stop that. I might be home today.
Jungkook is nervous while he waits for a reply. After a half hour, there isn’t one, and he sighs in disappointment.
“She’s just thinking about it,” Yoongi says, trying to be reassuring.
“Or she’s showing it to Father.”
“Are you afraid of your father?”
Jungkook snorts. “No. He’s hardly home long enough to be afraid of him. The last time we had a real discussion was when the school wanted me to skip a grade and he didn’t want me to because of the expense of college coming a year earlier. I know he works a lot to make sure I can get into a good school, but ... I just ... I want a dad, you know?”
Yoongi nods. “Yeah, having a dad would be great.”
Jungkook ducks his head. “I’m sorry, hyung. It just ... compared to your ...”
“Hey, don’t do that,” Yoongi says. “Yes, my life has sucked, but now it’s not so bad. Just because we are experiencing different things doesn’t mean you get to discount your feelings. All feelings are valid.”
Jungkook stares at him for a moment and then smirks. “You sound like a self-help book.”
Yoongi sticks his tongue out at him. “Suicide prevention pamphlet actually.”
“Oh ... sorry.”
Yoongi smiles at him and trails his fingers over the music lines of Jungkook’s soulmark, pressing a finger to the smudge of mint green. Jungkook shivers almost violently. Yoongi doesn’t stop his smile from going wider, but he does move his finger. “Suicide never really occurred to me, not at first, maybe after Seokjin-hyung found me and all the pain returned. I was mostly numb to it before then. But then I met Namjoon, another flare on my mark, and then Hobi. I made friends and they helped drag me out of the depth. Kinda like how your friends drag you out of yourself and make you feel more confident.”
Jungkook bit his lip and nods. “TaeTae-hyung definitely did that.”
His phone vibrates and he snatches it up and then frowns. “It’s just Jimin, asking what I’m doing. He wants to dance. He says they’re going to Hobi-hyung’s dance studio.”
“Do you dance?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty good.”
“Well, then let’s go. You can dance, and I can sit down and write lyrics.”
“You don’t dance?”
“Fuck no. Way too much effort.”
Jungkook’s cheeks flush red, and he stammers, “H-hip th-thrusts, though, hyung. I think you’ll be gre-great at those.”
“Fuck,” Yoongi mutters and glares at the top of his coffee cup.
Jungkook sort of chuckles, and Yoongi smiles and shakes his head. “You’re supposed to be innocent.”
“Taehyung is my best friend,” Jungkook says. “You can’t be innocent after that. He likes to kiss and tell.”
“What about demonstrate?” Yoongi asks.
Jungkook’s eyes widen and he shakes his head. “No way. I just found out he wasn’t straight on Friday. And at this point, Jimin would kill me.”
“Right. Then I guess that it’s my job to demonstrate.”
Jungkook smiled. “I thought you were trying to keep your self control.”
Yoongi felt his cheeks flush and he looked away.
Jungkook laughs.
Fuck.
--- ☼ --- ♪ --- ☼ ---
Hobi-hyung’s dance studio isn’t too far from Yoongi’s music studio. The room is mostly white, with stone accents on the end walls. A long mirror covers one wall, and shelves, chairs and benches full of stuff cover the other.
Hoseok-hyung is already dancing, showing Jimin steps to a slower song that thrums through the room. He’s wearing shorts and a plain white T-shirt. Jimin is in longer pants and an oversized tank top that is falling off a firm, muscular shoulder.
At first glance, it looks like a pretty girl sitting on a bench watching them, legs encased in lacy tights. She’s wearing a short pink skirt and a flowing white top that is haphazardly buttoned, showing a darker pink shirt underneath. A wispy scarf covers her neck and her hair is...
“Taehyung?” Jungkook says and tries not to gape.
His best friend looks up and sort of smiles, not really. Kind of smiles, but grimaces and the flush on his cheeks matches the gloss on his lips. He’s wearing more makeup than Jungkook has seen before and he has a clip pulling his bangs pack and pink empty frames that highlight the blue of his contacts. There is a dangling long silver earring that Jungkook recognizes sparkling in the light.
He gnaws on his lower lip and looks down.
It’s suddenly quiet in the room as the song ends.
“Hey guys!” Hobi says, coming over to both of them for a great big hug. “You look awesome in my clothes, dongsaeng.”
Jungkook grunts and mutters a thanks. He’s wearing a pair of Hobi-hyungs track pants, the matching jacket unzipped to show off a ribbed tank top.
But he doesn’t do anything else, and Hobi-hyung pulls away with a frown.
“Taehyung?” Jungkook says again.
“Ah,” Hobi-hyung says and goes back to dancing, leaving Jungkook to stare at his best friend.
“Oh, Taehyung is Taeyeon today,” Jimin says and waves a hand at him.
At her?
Jungkook is so confused. Jimin doesn’t pause in his dance steps as he says this, spinning in a circle at the end of it. He moonwalks over to Hobi-hyung and they bump into each other. Their laughter fills the room as they start to waltz.
They’re acting like it’s no big deal that Jungkook’s best friend is sitting on a bench wearing girl clothes.
Jungkook bites his lips, but with that same courage that had him almost running to Yoongi last week, he says, “Um, okay ... why is Taehyung, um, why are you Taeyeon?”
Taehyung flinches, scooting a little closer to the edge of the couch, like he’s trying to hide. He has both hands gripped tightly together on top of his knee. There are more rings on his fingers than usual and a silver charm bracelet around his wrist.
“Taehyungie told me yesterday that he’s genderfluid,” Jimin says. “Like, some days he feels like a boy and some days he feels like a girl. Some days he doesn’t really feel like anything. Today he feels like Taeyeon.”
“Oh,” Jungkook says, feeling really stupid. He doesn’t know what to do about that. Jimin and Hoseok-hyung don’t seem to give a fuck, still dancing and spinning in circles even though there’s no music, and Jimin explained with such nonchalance, like it doesn't matter. Well, it does matter because it’s something about Taehyung, but nonchalance like it’s no big deal.
Just like a best friend would. Just like he should. Because it’s not a big deal. Not really. It’s surprising, sure. But it doesn’t mean that Taehyung isn’t his best friend anymore.
Jungkook clears his throat. But ...
It’s completely hypocritical if he doesn’t do his best to understand his hyung (noona?) when Taehyung was so accepting of his sextuality and so supportive. His support makes a lot of sense though.
Jungkook’s chest tightens trying to figure out his thoughts in a way that is both thorough and fast because Taehyung is biting his (her?) lip and isn’t saying anything. It hurts just a little bit, but not because Jungkook feels betrayed or anything, just that he ... well, he thought he knew everything about his best friend, and within a few days he’s learned that he’s bisexual, and Jimin probably is too, and Taehyung thinks he’s a girl. Sometimes.
“I ... um--”
Jimin and Hobi-hyung stop dancing and glare at him. Jimin moves toward Taehyung, his eyes narrowing. Jungkook knows better than to make Jimin mad. He may be short, but those muscles pack a mean punch, and he’s willing to fight dirty if he has to.
Taehyung looks ready to bolt, wringing his hands together as the silence stretches. He bounces a heel on the floor. He’s wearing pink flats. Where did he even find shoes like that big enough to fit his feet?
Not supportive. Be supportive.
Jungkook doubts Taeyeon is actually any different than his best friend. Taeyeon is still his best friend, just in different clothes with a different mindset and outlook on life, maybe, and he knows how much Taehyung likes compliments. He doubts that Taeyeon is any different.
So he stammers, “Y-You look really pr-pretty today, Taeyeon-noona.”
Taehyung ... no Taeyeon, meets his eyes through the mirror. He’s almost crying. Or she’s? Fuck.
“Really?” a soft whisper.
“Yeah,” Jungkook says with a firm nod. “Really pretty. I like your shirt a lot, and ... yeah, I’m going to shut up, because you know you’re gorgeous no matter what.”
Taeyeon ... Tae ... Jungkook is going to go for Tae. Just Tae. It’s easier in his head. But Tae flounces over to Jungkook, draping long arms around his shoulders and kisses his cheek.
Jungkook stiffens for only a moment and then wraps his arms around Tae’s waist and whispers, “Really fucking pretty.”
“Thank you,” Tae says. And Jungkook knows that it’s for more than just the compliment. “Thank you so much.”
He pulls away and smiles at him. At her. At Tae. He smiles at Tae. And Tae kisses his cheek and then goes back to the bench.
Yoongi settles down next to Tae on the bench. Tae sort of smiles at him, but the two of them haven’t really talked a lot. Jungkook stares, eyes narrowed with worry. He doesn’t think that Yoongi will care, but it’s still so unknown, everything about this is so different.
Yoongi surprises him.
“So did you get your spankings this morning from Daddy?” Yoongi asks, pulling a startled laugh from all of them, including Tae.
“No. Namjoon-oppa just tried to lecture me on propriety and respect.”
Yoongi snorts. “Sorry, but not really. He’s given up on me, now with you three dongsaengs, he has new victims to try to save.”
“I don’t mind being ordered around,” Tae says, and Jimin sort of chokes on his own breath.
“I bet.”
Jungkook tries not to look at Tae in the mirror. At how she smiles at Yoongi. It’s a different smile than Taehyung’s. Or maybe it isn’t. He can’t tell.
Jimin slaps Jungkook on the shoulder. “You came to dance. So let’s show off. I told Hobi-hyung about our routine a few months ago, and he wants to see it.” Jimin does a quick little shimmy over to the speakers and fiddles with his phone.
The slow music starts up. It’s a song of slow fast quick hit movements. Jungkook’s timing is just a bit off; it has been a long time since he danced to it. He slides his body backwards, balanced on his knee, and feels the strain in his stomach. Ugh, he needs to either do more pushups, planks or actually get his ass in a studio to dance. He wonders if Hobi-hyung will let him practice here.
Jungkook looks at himself in the mirror, which clears his head for a moment and then he dances, this time in sync with Jimin, to their routine. His favorite part are the little bounces, little details, those small movements that don’t mean much by themselves but make the entire routine feel flat if they aren’t there.
It’s been a really long time since he danced to this, so almost two minutes in, he stutters through a step and Jimin laughs at him and ends up on the floor. A moment later, Hoseok-hyung is there, on top of Jimin, practically shouting how good the routine was and can he please learn it now?
Jungkook and Jimin start at the beginning and show Hoseok-hyung the steps.
“You are exceptionally happy and annoying today, Hobi,” Yoongi says.
“That’s what sex does,” Tae says, eyes on her phone.
“Ah, yes, I do believe I’d like to know details,” Yoongi props up a leg on the bench and turns toward Tae.
“You’ve had details,” Hoseok says and waggles his eyebrows at him.
“Not of you in a threesome, I haven’t,” Yoongi says. “It’s always just the two of us when we make details.”
Jungkook stares at Yoongi through the mirror.
“Don’t be jealous, Kookie,” Hobi-hyung says and spins on point. “We’re roommates. It sort of just happens sometimes when one or the other of us needs it.”
“I’m not jealous,” Jungkook whispers. Intrigued, definitely. Especially after the conversation with Yoongi in the cafe and that kiss on his couch. God, he’d been hard so fast. He’s heard enough about sex from Jimin and Taehyung to know that he wants to try it, though their conversations are usually of the heterosexual nature. He hasn’t heard anything about them since they’ve been together.
But are they really together if they both had sex with Hoseok?
He meets Tae’s eyes, and there’s a smirk playing on her lips, gaze dancing with mischief, and he knows that even if Yoongi isn’t going to get details, that he is.
Tae always watches out for him, and this won’t be any different. Tae will give him details so he’s prepared for whenever he’s ready. And he looks at Yoongi. Who isn’t looking at him, but at Tae, and he pales. Ready. With Yoongi? Naked and ... more than kissing? He can’t even imagine it. At least not here. These trackpants are not going to hide an erection.
He swallows roughly and curses the throbbing in his body. He needs to dance again, and luckily, Hobi-hyung turns on some music.
“Random dance challenge,” Hobi-hyung says to Jimin and pirouettes to the middle of the room.
Twice’s song “Likey Likey” starts playing and Jimin shouts in eagerness and they both start dancing. Jungkook joins in on the chorus, since those are the steps he knows to that dance. When the next song starts, “Mirotic” from DongBangShinKi, even Tae gets up to dance with them.
Jungkook loses himself in the music, dancing and stretching and goofing off with Jimin and Hobi-hyung until Yoongi stands up.
“We gotta get to the studio, Hope,” Yoongi says. “It’s getting too late in the afternoon.”
Hoseok nods. “Yeah. We should go get cleaned up.”
“I definitely need a shower,” Jungkook says.
“Same,” Jimin says and spins a few more times with his hands above his head.
“And I need to change,” Tae says.
“Why?” Yoongi asks.
Tae gives him a look that is so very much more Taehyung than Taeyeon, and it makes Jungkook laugh.
Yoongi shrugs. “Your outfit is just fine.” He reaches over and plays with the scarf around her neck. “You had me fooled. Jungkook, too. There’s no way that anyone is going to think you’re anything but the tall gorgeous girl that you are.”
And then she pouts.
“Here to the studio,” Yoongi says. “It’s not far. Five or so minutes.”
Tae turns away from him and her chest hitches, and Jungkook realizes that she might cry, and Jimin coos at her and slides over to her. But when he tries to hug her, Tae pushes him away.
“You’re all gross and sweaty,” she says.
“You didn’t mind it last night.”
Tae smirks. “Sex sweat is so much better than real sweat.”
“It is real sweat,” Hobi-hyung says.
“But it’s different.”
“Please don’t start with him,” Jungkook says. “Her. Don’t start with her. You’re going to lose. Come on. Let’s go shower really quickly.”
“Go back to our place,” Yoongi says. “It isn’t far. Taeyeon and I will meet you at the studio.”
Jungkook meets Hoseok and Jimin’s eyes and then nods. “Yeah. It’s not good to shower and then put on the same sweaty clothes.”
“Just let Jungkook shower first so you two don’t get distracted.” He winks at Hoseok and then stands up and offers a hand to Tae. “My lady.”
The smile on Tae’s face is enough to have all them happy.
--- ☼ --- ♪ --- ☼ ---
Yoongi knows Tae is a little nervous. Jimin pulled him to the side and told him this is the first time Tae has been anywhere but his bedroom dressed as a girl. He does feel like he’s pushing Tae a little more than he probably should, but ... if Tae really protested, he wouldn’t have pushed.
But Tae seems excited. Smiling, hands shaking. Head held high, a pink flush on her cheeks that isn’t just from makeup.
“It’s going to take them a little while to get to the studio,” Yoongi says. “Want to grab a coffee or something?”
Her little nose scrunches. “I don’t like coffee.”
Yoongi smirks. “And Jungkookie says you have enough energy without it.”
She laughs, the sound a bit deeper than some asshole walking by expected, and she gets a dirty look. Yoongi smiles and steps a little closer, touching her cheek.
“Something else then?”
“Why are you doing this?” she whispers and steps back.
“Doing what?” He follows her anyway and holds out his hand.
She bites her lip and looks away. “Just ...”
“Offering to buy my friend a coffee? Making sure one of my friends feels comfortable? Supporting one my friends to help her understand that she’s always beautiful?”
“I’m telling Jungkookie you’re acting like my boyfriend.” She finally takes his hand and lets him lead her toward the coffee shop.
“I think he won’t care. Especially since he had his tongue in my mouth earlier.”
She stops with a shout. “What?”
Yoongi smirks. “We made out today. It was awesome. If he wants you to know details, then he will tell you.”
She sticks out her tongue. “Dirty old man.”
Smiling, Yoongi opens the door for her to the coffee shop, and she bows at him with a little eyebrow waggle. He orders an Americano and she gets an berry tea, bats her pretty eyes at him until he says fine, and buys her something sweet.
They don’t stay at the cafe, headed toward the studio a few blocks away.
“So are you going to tell me about how you got Hobi and Jimin-shi in bed last night? Hobi’s too shy to have instigated and Jimin is still too straight.”
“Are you going to tell me about how you made out with my best friend?”
Yoongi huffs. “No.”
“Then no. Eye for an eye.”
“Dick for a dick.”
Tae laughs. Again, the deeper noise makes a few other pedestrians stare, so Yoongi takes her hand and entwines their fingers. He holds her hand all the way back to the studio.
“Jimin-oppa is still ...” Tae scrunches her face and sighs. “I don't know. He’s so willing, because he says he loves me, but doesn’t that mean we did things backwards? I mean, he’s already saying he loves me and we’re not even officially dating yet.”
“I don’t think there should be a right way or a wrong way when it comes to love,” Yoongi says. “Add the complication of how a soul mark is supposed to work, and there’s this level of perfection you can’t even hope to achieve. You and Jimin will do things your and Jimin’s way. If that means falling in love fast, if that means letting him discover all the joys of buttsex--”
Tae laughs, long and loud and leans into him a little.
“Am I wrong? Isn’t that what you’re doing?”
Tae smiles and says, “Yes, yes, it is. And Jimin is taking it so very well.”
Yoongi smirks over at him. “With an ass like that, what else can you expect?”
“Ugh, it’s such a nice ass.”
“And Hobi’s ass?”
Tae swoons a little. “More like his legs. I had them wrapped around me so tightly yesterday. God, his legs are amazing. ”
“I can agree with that.”
“Jungkook has very nice legs,” Tae says with a hint to her voice.
“Trust me, I’ve noticed.”
“When are you going to get them wrapped around you?”
Yoongi sighs. “I don’t know. Kid’s only seventeen.”
“If you still believed that was an issue, you wouldn’t have kissed him.”
“True.”
“So?”
“So what?”
“What’s the real issue?”
Yoongi sighed and slowed their steps. They were almost at the studio. He took another sip of his Americano while he tried to find a way to voice his thoughts without spilling all his secrets to Taeyeon.
“I don’t want him to remember me badly,” Yoongi finally says. “I just ... a soul mark doesn’t always mean something good.”
“True. I take it it’s been more pain for you than pleasure.”
“Understatement of the century. I just don’t want to be that for him or to him. I don’t want to break his heart.”
“But in order to make him happy and you happy, you have to take that risk.”
Yoongi nods. “Exactly my dilemma.”
Tae smiles in understanding. “If it helps your decision at all, Jungkook learns really quickly. There’s a reason why we call him the Golden Maknae. I’m sure that ability will transfer to learning about sex, too.”
Yoongi laughs. “Thanks.”
She winks. “Any time.”
As a last minute decision, he stops at the street vendor to buy a bunch of food. When they arrive at the studio, Namjoon is already there and nods in acknowledgement and then does a double-take. He rips out a headphone and says, “What the ...”
“You know Taeyeon,” Yoongi says.
Namjoon’s eyes widen a little bit. “Um, yeah. Taeyeon sure.”
“Today,” Tae says and flops on the couch. “I’m Taeyeon today.”
“What?”
Yoongi tunes out Tae explaining to Namjoon and gets his station ready to work. He’s ready to work. Actually ready to work and see the way he can fine-tune the recordings they made the day before.
He doesn’t realize the passing of time or that he’s eating on automatic as music plays in his ears until a hand snaps fingers in front of his face. He lowers the headphones and stares at Jungkook’s smiling face.
And then the brat steals his jajangmyeon.
“Thanks, hyung,” Jungkook says and winks at him. He goes back to the couch and sits next to Taeyeon, ignoring Yoongi’s protest.
“Punk,” Yoongi mutters under his breath. He unplugs the headphones and says, “Listen.” He plays the track for them to hear. Halfway through the second chorus, Yoongi realizes there is a lower voice in their harmonization that wasn’t there before. He stares for a moment before realizing it is Tae.
Fuck. His voice is amazing. Nice and deep and perfect for a three-part harmony at the end.
“Shit, Tae,” Jungkook says in the sudden silence. “That sounded great.”
“Amazing, actually,” Yoongi adds and then says, “Can I ask you to record that, or do I have to get on my knees and beg?”
“I won’t mind you on your knees,” Tae says.
“Hey!” both Jungkook and Jimin protest at once.
“I don’t ... I don’t know the words very well.”
“Easily provided with a lyric sheet and practice,” Yoongi says. “Come on, please, just a small demo that I can lay over what we have and see how it sounds.”
Tae bites her lip. Jimin leans against her, lips almost pressed to her ear and whispers something that has her flushing a little, but also smiling, and then she says, “With a promise like that, no one can say no.”
“A promise like what?” Jungkook asks.
Tae pats his cheek. “I’ll tell you when you’re older, little one.”
“Yah!” Jungkook says and shoves at her waist.
Tae laughs and stands up. “So what do I do?”
Yoongi hands her the lyric sheet. “Just what Jungkook did. Just sing. And sing. I’m going to see if I can write down the notes that you sang before. Just get the words into your head, the melody, everything.”
Yoongi shows her the recording equipment and tells her not to be nervous. Just sing, over and over again. Yes, he’s recording it, but it isn’t really official. They’ll just take the best one. With both Tae and Jungkook on this song, it is definitely going to be his best one.
--- ☼ --- ♪ --- ☼ ---
“So,” Jungkook says to Jimin while Yoongi and Tae are working through the chorus of the song. Namjoon and Hoseok are both in their own little worlds, with headphones in, eyes on their screens.
“So what?” Jimin says.
Jungkook shrugs. “Dunno. Like, you were straight two days ago and now you’ve been in a gay threesome.”
“Okay, so first off, I was drunk.”
“Bad excuse.”
“And second,” Jimin says with a glare, “Taehyung was so into it and really, we didn’t do much more than just ... fuck, fine. I don’t know, okay? I mean. It was hot. Sexy, intense. This morning was better because we weren’t drunk, and Tae started calling us oppa and it was ...” Jimin buries his face in his hands and huffs. “I don’t know. I just ... I love Tae. I love Taehyung so much.”
“But ...”
“But I’m ... getting used to it. I can’t fucking deny that I like it. I can’t, but I’m ... not ...”
“Not supposed to?”
Jimin pouts and nods. “Which is so dickish of me because that means there’s something wrong with you or Yoongi-hyung or Namjoon-hyung, and there isn’t. There isn’t anything wrong with you and I’m just trying to come to terms with the fact that there isn’t anything wrong with me.”
Jungkook nods and accepts that. “I made out with Yoongi today.”
Jimin sits up with a noise and his eyes wide. “What?”
Jungkook smiles. “We ... were talking, and it was ...” It’s Jungkook’s turn to hide his pink cheeks behind his hands. “It was so emotional for him, because he was telling me about his life and his soul mark, and we just ... it was just this perfect connection, and he asked if he could kiss me, and I said yes.”
“That’s all you did?”
Jungkook nods. “I was ... I was hard, but he pulled away. I don’t, I’m trying not to dwell on it, that it doesn’t mean he doesn’t want me. Just that it’s too soon.”
“And you’re only seventeen.”
“Yeah.”
Jimin runs his finger over the new tattoo on Jungkook’s arm, the one they all have. “This is so weird. I’ve never heard of a group soul mark before.”
“Me neither, but hey, fate.”
“Fuck fate,” Jimin mutters.
“That’s Yoongi-hyung’s motto,” Jungkook says with a chuckle. He keeps his smile and leans against Jimin’s shoulder. Jimin runs his hands through his hair, just like Jungkook likes. “Hyung?”
“Huh?”
“You’re my best friend and I love you.”
Jimin snorts, but the touches soften along his scalp and he says, “I love you too, Kookie. But Tae is going to freak when I tell her that I’m your best friend.”
“Yah!” He shoves Jimin in the side. “You’re both my best friends.”
Jimin chuckles. He takes out his phone and then lifts it up for a selca. “Need a picture to show Seokjin-hyung. He’s the only one not here.”
Jungkook smiles at the camera and Jimin holds it at just the right spot to get all of them in the picture. Hoseok-hyung looks up at the right moment and flashes a V.
“Post that on the group chat,” Jungkook says, “so we all can get it.”
Jimin smiles. “Will do!”
“Um, does Seokjin-hyung know about Taeyeon?”
Jimin nods. “Jin-hyung is the first person Taeyeon told, a long ass time ago before we even met you. I always wondered why Tae had a flower for Seokjin, but I never got a footprint for him. Jin-hyung is the one that encouraged Taeyeon to talk to us.” He suddenly snorted. “A message from Jin. ‘Not fair. Nobody is allowed to leave! I’m coming with food.’”
Jungkook laughs. “I won’t say no to more food!”
A half hour later, Seokjin-hyung showed up with more food than they knew what to do with, except eat. So they ate. And Tae sang, letting Yoongi record her voice (or his voice because it was just so deep), and then he dragged Jungkook into the booth with his mouth full of food and spluttering to record the three-part harmony.
Namjoon eventually joined their revelry and the other five were able to laugh and goad him and Seokjin for the pink-cheek filled kisses they were trying to hide. Yoongi laughed with the rest of them until that laughter was pointed at him because Jungkook decided he was tired and rested his head on Yoongi’s shoulder. Yoongi didn’t tell him to move, so Jungkook shut his eyes and let himself relax.
--- ☼ --- ♪ --- ☼ ---
Part 7: Breathless
Part 5: Confessional Kisses
Part 4: Cuddles
Part 3: Selcas and Secrets
Part 2: Music and a Heart
Part 1: Mint Green Smudge
.
Pairing: Yoongi/Jungkook (BTS)
Rating: Eventual NC17
Disclaimer: They are slowly taking over my soul to the point that I almost feel like I might be able to own them.
Summary: Jeon Jungkook’s soul mark is a music staff tattooed on his forearm. Every now and then a flare of pain will burn its way up his arm and another note is added. The strangest thing about the newest mark is that it isn’t a note and it isn’t black. It’s just a smudge. Of color. Mint green in the center, fading to deep blue around the edges.
Min Yoongi’s soul mark tattoo is a smudge of dark ink with faded thin lines of white scratched into it. If he squints, the scars sort of look like a music staff. When a new burst of pain manifests as a mint green music note in the darkest spot of black, Yoongi curses fate and his inability to stay away from all things cute. Because soul marks lie, and fate is a cruel bitch from hell.
A/N: This fic isn't done. I'm not sure how consistent I will be with updates
Part 6:
A/N: This chapter focuses a lot on Taehyung who is genderfluid in this fic. I did the best I could with making sure I was honest and considerate to her and showing honest reactions of her friends.
A/N: Someone asked me what their tattoos look like in my head. This is the best I could do with what I had available at work and my own failing artistic ability. Yoongi's tattoo in my head looks more like a dark water color cloudy sky covered in scars. But you know, I'm not an artist. I'm a writer.
They go to the same cafe, the one that Jungkook had randomly approached Yoongi at. It’s a long way from his house, and Yoongi knows and understands that it was fate that led Jungkook’s steps almost right to him. Doesn’t mean he has to be thankful to that fickle bitch, though.
At the cafe with coffees and super sugary breakfast danishes, Jungkook takes a picture of both of their arms. Yoongi covers back up as soon as he’s done, and then watches, holding his breath as Jungkook types in his phone. He tilts the phone so Yoongi can see the message. The image does not show his entire soul mark, but there are some scars visible.
Jungkook:
And now I have two soul marks that match his. Right in the same place. He’s going to be important in my life and you can’t stop that. I might be home today.
Jungkook is nervous while he waits for a reply. After a half hour, there isn’t one, and he sighs in disappointment.
“She’s just thinking about it,” Yoongi says, trying to be reassuring.
“Or she’s showing it to Father.”
“Are you afraid of your father?”
Jungkook snorts. “No. He’s hardly home long enough to be afraid of him. The last time we had a real discussion was when the school wanted me to skip a grade and he didn’t want me to because of the expense of college coming a year earlier. I know he works a lot to make sure I can get into a good school, but ... I just ... I want a dad, you know?”
Yoongi nods. “Yeah, having a dad would be great.”
Jungkook ducks his head. “I’m sorry, hyung. It just ... compared to your ...”
“Hey, don’t do that,” Yoongi says. “Yes, my life has sucked, but now it’s not so bad. Just because we are experiencing different things doesn’t mean you get to discount your feelings. All feelings are valid.”
Jungkook stares at him for a moment and then smirks. “You sound like a self-help book.”
Yoongi sticks his tongue out at him. “Suicide prevention pamphlet actually.”
“Oh ... sorry.”
Yoongi smiles at him and trails his fingers over the music lines of Jungkook’s soulmark, pressing a finger to the smudge of mint green. Jungkook shivers almost violently. Yoongi doesn’t stop his smile from going wider, but he does move his finger. “Suicide never really occurred to me, not at first, maybe after Seokjin-hyung found me and all the pain returned. I was mostly numb to it before then. But then I met Namjoon, another flare on my mark, and then Hobi. I made friends and they helped drag me out of the depth. Kinda like how your friends drag you out of yourself and make you feel more confident.”
Jungkook bit his lip and nods. “TaeTae-hyung definitely did that.”
His phone vibrates and he snatches it up and then frowns. “It’s just Jimin, asking what I’m doing. He wants to dance. He says they’re going to Hobi-hyung’s dance studio.”
“Do you dance?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty good.”
“Well, then let’s go. You can dance, and I can sit down and write lyrics.”
“You don’t dance?”
“Fuck no. Way too much effort.”
Jungkook’s cheeks flush red, and he stammers, “H-hip th-thrusts, though, hyung. I think you’ll be gre-great at those.”
“Fuck,” Yoongi mutters and glares at the top of his coffee cup.
Jungkook sort of chuckles, and Yoongi smiles and shakes his head. “You’re supposed to be innocent.”
“Taehyung is my best friend,” Jungkook says. “You can’t be innocent after that. He likes to kiss and tell.”
“What about demonstrate?” Yoongi asks.
Jungkook’s eyes widen and he shakes his head. “No way. I just found out he wasn’t straight on Friday. And at this point, Jimin would kill me.”
“Right. Then I guess that it’s my job to demonstrate.”
Jungkook smiled. “I thought you were trying to keep your self control.”
Yoongi felt his cheeks flush and he looked away.
Jungkook laughs.
Fuck.
--- ☼ --- ♪ --- ☼ ---
Hobi-hyung’s dance studio isn’t too far from Yoongi’s music studio. The room is mostly white, with stone accents on the end walls. A long mirror covers one wall, and shelves, chairs and benches full of stuff cover the other.
Hoseok-hyung is already dancing, showing Jimin steps to a slower song that thrums through the room. He’s wearing shorts and a plain white T-shirt. Jimin is in longer pants and an oversized tank top that is falling off a firm, muscular shoulder.
At first glance, it looks like a pretty girl sitting on a bench watching them, legs encased in lacy tights. She’s wearing a short pink skirt and a flowing white top that is haphazardly buttoned, showing a darker pink shirt underneath. A wispy scarf covers her neck and her hair is...
“Taehyung?” Jungkook says and tries not to gape.
His best friend looks up and sort of smiles, not really. Kind of smiles, but grimaces and the flush on his cheeks matches the gloss on his lips. He’s wearing more makeup than Jungkook has seen before and he has a clip pulling his bangs pack and pink empty frames that highlight the blue of his contacts. There is a dangling long silver earring that Jungkook recognizes sparkling in the light.
He gnaws on his lower lip and looks down.
It’s suddenly quiet in the room as the song ends.
“Hey guys!” Hobi says, coming over to both of them for a great big hug. “You look awesome in my clothes, dongsaeng.”
Jungkook grunts and mutters a thanks. He’s wearing a pair of Hobi-hyungs track pants, the matching jacket unzipped to show off a ribbed tank top.
But he doesn’t do anything else, and Hobi-hyung pulls away with a frown.
“Taehyung?” Jungkook says again.
“Ah,” Hobi-hyung says and goes back to dancing, leaving Jungkook to stare at his best friend.
“Oh, Taehyung is Taeyeon today,” Jimin says and waves a hand at him.
At her?
Jungkook is so confused. Jimin doesn’t pause in his dance steps as he says this, spinning in a circle at the end of it. He moonwalks over to Hobi-hyung and they bump into each other. Their laughter fills the room as they start to waltz.
They’re acting like it’s no big deal that Jungkook’s best friend is sitting on a bench wearing girl clothes.
Jungkook bites his lips, but with that same courage that had him almost running to Yoongi last week, he says, “Um, okay ... why is Taehyung, um, why are you Taeyeon?”
Taehyung flinches, scooting a little closer to the edge of the couch, like he’s trying to hide. He has both hands gripped tightly together on top of his knee. There are more rings on his fingers than usual and a silver charm bracelet around his wrist.
“Taehyungie told me yesterday that he’s genderfluid,” Jimin says. “Like, some days he feels like a boy and some days he feels like a girl. Some days he doesn’t really feel like anything. Today he feels like Taeyeon.”
“Oh,” Jungkook says, feeling really stupid. He doesn’t know what to do about that. Jimin and Hoseok-hyung don’t seem to give a fuck, still dancing and spinning in circles even though there’s no music, and Jimin explained with such nonchalance, like it doesn't matter. Well, it does matter because it’s something about Taehyung, but nonchalance like it’s no big deal.
Just like a best friend would. Just like he should. Because it’s not a big deal. Not really. It’s surprising, sure. But it doesn’t mean that Taehyung isn’t his best friend anymore.
Jungkook clears his throat. But ...
It’s completely hypocritical if he doesn’t do his best to understand his hyung (noona?) when Taehyung was so accepting of his sextuality and so supportive. His support makes a lot of sense though.
Jungkook’s chest tightens trying to figure out his thoughts in a way that is both thorough and fast because Taehyung is biting his (her?) lip and isn’t saying anything. It hurts just a little bit, but not because Jungkook feels betrayed or anything, just that he ... well, he thought he knew everything about his best friend, and within a few days he’s learned that he’s bisexual, and Jimin probably is too, and Taehyung thinks he’s a girl. Sometimes.
“I ... um--”
Jimin and Hobi-hyung stop dancing and glare at him. Jimin moves toward Taehyung, his eyes narrowing. Jungkook knows better than to make Jimin mad. He may be short, but those muscles pack a mean punch, and he’s willing to fight dirty if he has to.
Taehyung looks ready to bolt, wringing his hands together as the silence stretches. He bounces a heel on the floor. He’s wearing pink flats. Where did he even find shoes like that big enough to fit his feet?
Not supportive. Be supportive.
Jungkook doubts Taeyeon is actually any different than his best friend. Taeyeon is still his best friend, just in different clothes with a different mindset and outlook on life, maybe, and he knows how much Taehyung likes compliments. He doubts that Taeyeon is any different.
So he stammers, “Y-You look really pr-pretty today, Taeyeon-noona.”
Taehyung ... no Taeyeon, meets his eyes through the mirror. He’s almost crying. Or she’s? Fuck.
“Really?” a soft whisper.
“Yeah,” Jungkook says with a firm nod. “Really pretty. I like your shirt a lot, and ... yeah, I’m going to shut up, because you know you’re gorgeous no matter what.”
Taeyeon ... Tae ... Jungkook is going to go for Tae. Just Tae. It’s easier in his head. But Tae flounces over to Jungkook, draping long arms around his shoulders and kisses his cheek.
Jungkook stiffens for only a moment and then wraps his arms around Tae’s waist and whispers, “Really fucking pretty.”
“Thank you,” Tae says. And Jungkook knows that it’s for more than just the compliment. “Thank you so much.”
He pulls away and smiles at him. At her. At Tae. He smiles at Tae. And Tae kisses his cheek and then goes back to the bench.
Yoongi settles down next to Tae on the bench. Tae sort of smiles at him, but the two of them haven’t really talked a lot. Jungkook stares, eyes narrowed with worry. He doesn’t think that Yoongi will care, but it’s still so unknown, everything about this is so different.
Yoongi surprises him.
“So did you get your spankings this morning from Daddy?” Yoongi asks, pulling a startled laugh from all of them, including Tae.
“No. Namjoon-oppa just tried to lecture me on propriety and respect.”
Yoongi snorts. “Sorry, but not really. He’s given up on me, now with you three dongsaengs, he has new victims to try to save.”
“I don’t mind being ordered around,” Tae says, and Jimin sort of chokes on his own breath.
“I bet.”
Jungkook tries not to look at Tae in the mirror. At how she smiles at Yoongi. It’s a different smile than Taehyung’s. Or maybe it isn’t. He can’t tell.
Jimin slaps Jungkook on the shoulder. “You came to dance. So let’s show off. I told Hobi-hyung about our routine a few months ago, and he wants to see it.” Jimin does a quick little shimmy over to the speakers and fiddles with his phone.
Click to viewThe slow music starts up. It’s a song of slow fast quick hit movements. Jungkook’s timing is just a bit off; it has been a long time since he danced to it. He slides his body backwards, balanced on his knee, and feels the strain in his stomach. Ugh, he needs to either do more pushups, planks or actually get his ass in a studio to dance. He wonders if Hobi-hyung will let him practice here.
Jungkook looks at himself in the mirror, which clears his head for a moment and then he dances, this time in sync with Jimin, to their routine. His favorite part are the little bounces, little details, those small movements that don’t mean much by themselves but make the entire routine feel flat if they aren’t there.
It’s been a really long time since he danced to this, so almost two minutes in, he stutters through a step and Jimin laughs at him and ends up on the floor. A moment later, Hoseok-hyung is there, on top of Jimin, practically shouting how good the routine was and can he please learn it now?
Jungkook and Jimin start at the beginning and show Hoseok-hyung the steps.
“You are exceptionally happy and annoying today, Hobi,” Yoongi says.
“That’s what sex does,” Tae says, eyes on her phone.
“Ah, yes, I do believe I’d like to know details,” Yoongi props up a leg on the bench and turns toward Tae.
“You’ve had details,” Hoseok says and waggles his eyebrows at him.
“Not of you in a threesome, I haven’t,” Yoongi says. “It’s always just the two of us when we make details.”
Jungkook stares at Yoongi through the mirror.
“Don’t be jealous, Kookie,” Hobi-hyung says and spins on point. “We’re roommates. It sort of just happens sometimes when one or the other of us needs it.”
“I’m not jealous,” Jungkook whispers. Intrigued, definitely. Especially after the conversation with Yoongi in the cafe and that kiss on his couch. God, he’d been hard so fast. He’s heard enough about sex from Jimin and Taehyung to know that he wants to try it, though their conversations are usually of the heterosexual nature. He hasn’t heard anything about them since they’ve been together.
But are they really together if they both had sex with Hoseok?
He meets Tae’s eyes, and there’s a smirk playing on her lips, gaze dancing with mischief, and he knows that even if Yoongi isn’t going to get details, that he is.
Tae always watches out for him, and this won’t be any different. Tae will give him details so he’s prepared for whenever he’s ready. And he looks at Yoongi. Who isn’t looking at him, but at Tae, and he pales. Ready. With Yoongi? Naked and ... more than kissing? He can’t even imagine it. At least not here. These trackpants are not going to hide an erection.
He swallows roughly and curses the throbbing in his body. He needs to dance again, and luckily, Hobi-hyung turns on some music.
“Random dance challenge,” Hobi-hyung says to Jimin and pirouettes to the middle of the room.
Twice’s song “Likey Likey” starts playing and Jimin shouts in eagerness and they both start dancing. Jungkook joins in on the chorus, since those are the steps he knows to that dance. When the next song starts, “Mirotic” from DongBangShinKi, even Tae gets up to dance with them.
Jungkook loses himself in the music, dancing and stretching and goofing off with Jimin and Hobi-hyung until Yoongi stands up.
“We gotta get to the studio, Hope,” Yoongi says. “It’s getting too late in the afternoon.”
Hoseok nods. “Yeah. We should go get cleaned up.”
“I definitely need a shower,” Jungkook says.
“Same,” Jimin says and spins a few more times with his hands above his head.
“And I need to change,” Tae says.
“Why?” Yoongi asks.
Tae gives him a look that is so very much more Taehyung than Taeyeon, and it makes Jungkook laugh.
Yoongi shrugs. “Your outfit is just fine.” He reaches over and plays with the scarf around her neck. “You had me fooled. Jungkook, too. There’s no way that anyone is going to think you’re anything but the tall gorgeous girl that you are.”
And then she pouts.
“Here to the studio,” Yoongi says. “It’s not far. Five or so minutes.”
Tae turns away from him and her chest hitches, and Jungkook realizes that she might cry, and Jimin coos at her and slides over to her. But when he tries to hug her, Tae pushes him away.
“You’re all gross and sweaty,” she says.
“You didn’t mind it last night.”
Tae smirks. “Sex sweat is so much better than real sweat.”
“It is real sweat,” Hobi-hyung says.
“But it’s different.”
“Please don’t start with him,” Jungkook says. “Her. Don’t start with her. You’re going to lose. Come on. Let’s go shower really quickly.”
“Go back to our place,” Yoongi says. “It isn’t far. Taeyeon and I will meet you at the studio.”
Jungkook meets Hoseok and Jimin’s eyes and then nods. “Yeah. It’s not good to shower and then put on the same sweaty clothes.”
“Just let Jungkook shower first so you two don’t get distracted.” He winks at Hoseok and then stands up and offers a hand to Tae. “My lady.”
The smile on Tae’s face is enough to have all them happy.
--- ☼ --- ♪ --- ☼ ---
Yoongi knows Tae is a little nervous. Jimin pulled him to the side and told him this is the first time Tae has been anywhere but his bedroom dressed as a girl. He does feel like he’s pushing Tae a little more than he probably should, but ... if Tae really protested, he wouldn’t have pushed.
But Tae seems excited. Smiling, hands shaking. Head held high, a pink flush on her cheeks that isn’t just from makeup.
“It’s going to take them a little while to get to the studio,” Yoongi says. “Want to grab a coffee or something?”
Her little nose scrunches. “I don’t like coffee.”
Yoongi smirks. “And Jungkookie says you have enough energy without it.”
She laughs, the sound a bit deeper than some asshole walking by expected, and she gets a dirty look. Yoongi smiles and steps a little closer, touching her cheek.
“Something else then?”
“Why are you doing this?” she whispers and steps back.
“Doing what?” He follows her anyway and holds out his hand.
She bites her lip and looks away. “Just ...”
“Offering to buy my friend a coffee? Making sure one of my friends feels comfortable? Supporting one my friends to help her understand that she’s always beautiful?”
“I’m telling Jungkookie you’re acting like my boyfriend.” She finally takes his hand and lets him lead her toward the coffee shop.
“I think he won’t care. Especially since he had his tongue in my mouth earlier.”
She stops with a shout. “What?”
Yoongi smirks. “We made out today. It was awesome. If he wants you to know details, then he will tell you.”
She sticks out her tongue. “Dirty old man.”
Smiling, Yoongi opens the door for her to the coffee shop, and she bows at him with a little eyebrow waggle. He orders an Americano and she gets an berry tea, bats her pretty eyes at him until he says fine, and buys her something sweet.
They don’t stay at the cafe, headed toward the studio a few blocks away.
“So are you going to tell me about how you got Hobi and Jimin-shi in bed last night? Hobi’s too shy to have instigated and Jimin is still too straight.”
“Are you going to tell me about how you made out with my best friend?”
Yoongi huffs. “No.”
“Then no. Eye for an eye.”
“Dick for a dick.”
Tae laughs. Again, the deeper noise makes a few other pedestrians stare, so Yoongi takes her hand and entwines their fingers. He holds her hand all the way back to the studio.
“Jimin-oppa is still ...” Tae scrunches her face and sighs. “I don't know. He’s so willing, because he says he loves me, but doesn’t that mean we did things backwards? I mean, he’s already saying he loves me and we’re not even officially dating yet.”
“I don’t think there should be a right way or a wrong way when it comes to love,” Yoongi says. “Add the complication of how a soul mark is supposed to work, and there’s this level of perfection you can’t even hope to achieve. You and Jimin will do things your and Jimin’s way. If that means falling in love fast, if that means letting him discover all the joys of buttsex--”
Tae laughs, long and loud and leans into him a little.
“Am I wrong? Isn’t that what you’re doing?”
Tae smiles and says, “Yes, yes, it is. And Jimin is taking it so very well.”
Yoongi smirks over at him. “With an ass like that, what else can you expect?”
“Ugh, it’s such a nice ass.”
“And Hobi’s ass?”
Tae swoons a little. “More like his legs. I had them wrapped around me so tightly yesterday. God, his legs are amazing. ”
“I can agree with that.”
“Jungkook has very nice legs,” Tae says with a hint to her voice.
“Trust me, I’ve noticed.”
“When are you going to get them wrapped around you?”
Yoongi sighs. “I don’t know. Kid’s only seventeen.”
“If you still believed that was an issue, you wouldn’t have kissed him.”
“True.”
“So?”
“So what?”
“What’s the real issue?”
Yoongi sighed and slowed their steps. They were almost at the studio. He took another sip of his Americano while he tried to find a way to voice his thoughts without spilling all his secrets to Taeyeon.
“I don’t want him to remember me badly,” Yoongi finally says. “I just ... a soul mark doesn’t always mean something good.”
“True. I take it it’s been more pain for you than pleasure.”
“Understatement of the century. I just don’t want to be that for him or to him. I don’t want to break his heart.”
“But in order to make him happy and you happy, you have to take that risk.”
Yoongi nods. “Exactly my dilemma.”
Tae smiles in understanding. “If it helps your decision at all, Jungkook learns really quickly. There’s a reason why we call him the Golden Maknae. I’m sure that ability will transfer to learning about sex, too.”
Yoongi laughs. “Thanks.”
She winks. “Any time.”
As a last minute decision, he stops at the street vendor to buy a bunch of food. When they arrive at the studio, Namjoon is already there and nods in acknowledgement and then does a double-take. He rips out a headphone and says, “What the ...”
“You know Taeyeon,” Yoongi says.
Namjoon’s eyes widen a little bit. “Um, yeah. Taeyeon sure.”
“Today,” Tae says and flops on the couch. “I’m Taeyeon today.”
“What?”
Yoongi tunes out Tae explaining to Namjoon and gets his station ready to work. He’s ready to work. Actually ready to work and see the way he can fine-tune the recordings they made the day before.
He doesn’t realize the passing of time or that he’s eating on automatic as music plays in his ears until a hand snaps fingers in front of his face. He lowers the headphones and stares at Jungkook’s smiling face.
And then the brat steals his jajangmyeon.
“Thanks, hyung,” Jungkook says and winks at him. He goes back to the couch and sits next to Taeyeon, ignoring Yoongi’s protest.
“Punk,” Yoongi mutters under his breath. He unplugs the headphones and says, “Listen.” He plays the track for them to hear. Halfway through the second chorus, Yoongi realizes there is a lower voice in their harmonization that wasn’t there before. He stares for a moment before realizing it is Tae.
Fuck. His voice is amazing. Nice and deep and perfect for a three-part harmony at the end.
“Shit, Tae,” Jungkook says in the sudden silence. “That sounded great.”
“Amazing, actually,” Yoongi adds and then says, “Can I ask you to record that, or do I have to get on my knees and beg?”
“I won’t mind you on your knees,” Tae says.
“Hey!” both Jungkook and Jimin protest at once.
“I don’t ... I don’t know the words very well.”
“Easily provided with a lyric sheet and practice,” Yoongi says. “Come on, please, just a small demo that I can lay over what we have and see how it sounds.”
Tae bites her lip. Jimin leans against her, lips almost pressed to her ear and whispers something that has her flushing a little, but also smiling, and then she says, “With a promise like that, no one can say no.”
“A promise like what?” Jungkook asks.
Tae pats his cheek. “I’ll tell you when you’re older, little one.”
“Yah!” Jungkook says and shoves at her waist.
Tae laughs and stands up. “So what do I do?”
Yoongi hands her the lyric sheet. “Just what Jungkook did. Just sing. And sing. I’m going to see if I can write down the notes that you sang before. Just get the words into your head, the melody, everything.”
Yoongi shows her the recording equipment and tells her not to be nervous. Just sing, over and over again. Yes, he’s recording it, but it isn’t really official. They’ll just take the best one. With both Tae and Jungkook on this song, it is definitely going to be his best one.
--- ☼ --- ♪ --- ☼ ---
“So,” Jungkook says to Jimin while Yoongi and Tae are working through the chorus of the song. Namjoon and Hoseok are both in their own little worlds, with headphones in, eyes on their screens.
“So what?” Jimin says.
Jungkook shrugs. “Dunno. Like, you were straight two days ago and now you’ve been in a gay threesome.”
“Okay, so first off, I was drunk.”
“Bad excuse.”
“And second,” Jimin says with a glare, “Taehyung was so into it and really, we didn’t do much more than just ... fuck, fine. I don’t know, okay? I mean. It was hot. Sexy, intense. This morning was better because we weren’t drunk, and Tae started calling us oppa and it was ...” Jimin buries his face in his hands and huffs. “I don’t know. I just ... I love Tae. I love Taehyung so much.”
“But ...”
“But I’m ... getting used to it. I can’t fucking deny that I like it. I can’t, but I’m ... not ...”
“Not supposed to?”
Jimin pouts and nods. “Which is so dickish of me because that means there’s something wrong with you or Yoongi-hyung or Namjoon-hyung, and there isn’t. There isn’t anything wrong with you and I’m just trying to come to terms with the fact that there isn’t anything wrong with me.”
Jungkook nods and accepts that. “I made out with Yoongi today.”
Jimin sits up with a noise and his eyes wide. “What?”
Jungkook smiles. “We ... were talking, and it was ...” It’s Jungkook’s turn to hide his pink cheeks behind his hands. “It was so emotional for him, because he was telling me about his life and his soul mark, and we just ... it was just this perfect connection, and he asked if he could kiss me, and I said yes.”
“That’s all you did?”
Jungkook nods. “I was ... I was hard, but he pulled away. I don’t, I’m trying not to dwell on it, that it doesn’t mean he doesn’t want me. Just that it’s too soon.”
“And you’re only seventeen.”
“Yeah.”
Jimin runs his finger over the new tattoo on Jungkook’s arm, the one they all have. “This is so weird. I’ve never heard of a group soul mark before.”
“Me neither, but hey, fate.”
“Fuck fate,” Jimin mutters.
“That’s Yoongi-hyung’s motto,” Jungkook says with a chuckle. He keeps his smile and leans against Jimin’s shoulder. Jimin runs his hands through his hair, just like Jungkook likes. “Hyung?”
“Huh?”
“You’re my best friend and I love you.”
Jimin snorts, but the touches soften along his scalp and he says, “I love you too, Kookie. But Tae is going to freak when I tell her that I’m your best friend.”
“Yah!” He shoves Jimin in the side. “You’re both my best friends.”
Jimin chuckles. He takes out his phone and then lifts it up for a selca. “Need a picture to show Seokjin-hyung. He’s the only one not here.”
Jungkook smiles at the camera and Jimin holds it at just the right spot to get all of them in the picture. Hoseok-hyung looks up at the right moment and flashes a V.
“Post that on the group chat,” Jungkook says, “so we all can get it.”
Jimin smiles. “Will do!”
“Um, does Seokjin-hyung know about Taeyeon?”
Jimin nods. “Jin-hyung is the first person Taeyeon told, a long ass time ago before we even met you. I always wondered why Tae had a flower for Seokjin, but I never got a footprint for him. Jin-hyung is the one that encouraged Taeyeon to talk to us.” He suddenly snorted. “A message from Jin. ‘Not fair. Nobody is allowed to leave! I’m coming with food.’”
Jungkook laughs. “I won’t say no to more food!”
A half hour later, Seokjin-hyung showed up with more food than they knew what to do with, except eat. So they ate. And Tae sang, letting Yoongi record her voice (or his voice because it was just so deep), and then he dragged Jungkook into the booth with his mouth full of food and spluttering to record the three-part harmony.
Namjoon eventually joined their revelry and the other five were able to laugh and goad him and Seokjin for the pink-cheek filled kisses they were trying to hide. Yoongi laughed with the rest of them until that laughter was pointed at him because Jungkook decided he was tired and rested his head on Yoongi’s shoulder. Yoongi didn’t tell him to move, so Jungkook shut his eyes and let himself relax.
--- ☼ --- ♪ --- ☼ ---
Part 7: Breathless
Part 5: Confessional Kisses
Part 4: Cuddles
Part 3: Selcas and Secrets
Part 2: Music and a Heart
Part 1: Mint Green Smudge
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