•hobi’s been acting lovestruck as heck around you, and you don’t mind one bit. You’re just as gone over him. All the flirting’s been fantastic, but is he ever going to DO something about it?
•hello loves! I posted this like 3 days ago but I REALLY wanted to tweak the ending cuz I just wasn’t satisfied with it. It didn’t flow well enough for me- it didn’t feel clear nor was there enough angst 😛 so ya girl had to repost. Should I delete the original so no one gets confused? Sorry for any inconvenience!!!! Here’s the finished product! WITH the glorious addition of the keep reading tab! Thanks to the account who answered that ask and helped me out! You’re the best! 💕💕💕💕💕
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“Hi,” I whispered.
“Hey” he beamed back, voice just as hushed and breathless as mine.
The April sunlight danced through the strands of his wavy hair- so beautiful in the best way- casting a molten halo around the edges of him as he stood over me. His lashes were so thick, luscious really. A heavy canopy over his bright coffee eyes, delirious with delight. Every time I smiled, his own grew massively wider. I wondered what it was he was seeing in me that made him look like he was floating off the ground.
He bounced lightly onto the balls of his feet, hand crushing his bag strap as he looked down at me.
“So, I think it’s pretty obvious by now that I like you.” He blurted out all at once as I staggered internally.
Hobi...liked me back? I knew it. No I didn’t. I just wanted it. Does he mean it, really mean it? I felt lightheaded.
“Like, I fell hard, y/n…” hoseok continued.His cheshire cat grin snaked across his face, devious eyes sparkling like he was proud of himself for being so painfully obvious. Like it was some delicate dance he’d mastered instead of the insane game it really was. Like he hadn’t been willfully driving me crazy for weeks now as those giggling eyes wrecked me for fun.
I couldn’t believe it. Every part of my gut had wondered- had known we had a connection- but I wasn’t prepared for the adrenaline spike of hearing his sweet voice say it out loud.
“Because- look at you, you’re so- you all the time. It’s just so cute and… well, I just… if I’ve been obvious, you seem pretty obvious too. So I can’t think of any reason why we ...shouldn't just, you know, lean into it…” He babbled, giddy as he smiled through a toothy lip bite, like he hadn’t just dropped a bomb at my feet in a neutral space. He’d come closer somehow as I stood there shellshocked, his eyes suddenly infatuated with the teardrop dip of my Cupid’s bow.
“Lean into it?” Breath shallow, I peaked up at him through my lashes. Stop dancing around this. Tell me you want me too, hobi. Admit it. I didn’t deny his guesses. He was right. He was completely right. But I was desperately tired of this mad hatter approach of his that still kept a two foot gap between us. Especially when he was looking at me like that.
God, Hobi’s eyes were so pretty. They made me feel like I was already lost and gone. Like I was smiling up at him, pressed skin to skin beneath his golden body for the thousandth time that day. Hidden away somewhere deep beneath a sumptuous duvet, my sanity some far off thing, never to be seen again as long as he kept his hands on me... those were the sorts of things his eyes whispered to me.
When in reality, this hoe had yet to do anything more than make me heady and dizzy with fleeting touches and glances. He’d been stringing me along for weeks now, toying with me. Who knows when he’d figured out how I felt about him, but god, he was right. I’d been just as bad as him. I was falling apart, floating around smiling like a proper idiot whenever he was near me- he knew. And he loved it. He ate it up like catnip, the little brat.
And He felt it too! Heck, he was even admitting it right now! But what I didn’t understand was why he’d never actually acted on it. All this flirting, all this tension- and no follow through ! Nada. None. Zip.He hadn’t even held my goddang hand yet. Do it. Do something! I screamed in my head. Anything! For the love of God, Just do it, you coward.
“Hobi, are you asking me something?” Spit it out, Hobi
Nonchalantly, he flipped his wavy bangs out of his eyes, weight sinking into one hip. “Do I have to?” He whined, shrugging. “I mean, you have to know how I feel by now, right? God, y/n, can’t you tell I’m nuts about you?” He shook his head softly at me, eyes wild and happy- like he thought he was explaining gravity to me. Like this was simple and funny. Like further words were absurd and unnecessary. It was such a him thing to do. And It bugged the crap out of me.
“Then. show. me,” I growled. My eyes flicked up, all boldness and challenge, and god-he laughed!
“I am! I’m trying to. What else do you want!” His playful eyes glittering innocently. He dipped forward from his hips, an exaggerated right angle as his face plummeted right in front of mine. He’d never been that close to me.
My eyes went wide at how at small the gap between our lips was, a small gasp flying out of me before I could stop it. Is this it? I felt myself sink into the gravity around him, drifting in against my will, praying he’d finally pull the trigger-
But before I could register what was happening, he was rocking back away on his light airy feet, laughing happily and completely ignoring my lightheaded state. That jerk.
Screw him.
He had the endurance to twirl in this cheeky dance all night, but I was over it.
“Insufferable! You are absolutely insufferable.” I huffed.
“What? Why? I’m just being honest! I’ve told you how I feel, now tell me what you want.” He bit his lip, positively bursting at the seams with laughter and I’d had it.
“What do you mean ‘what do I want’?!” I huffed again. I want you to touch me already, Hobi! God, I’m about to combust. Please. Just do it...you’re RIGHT there….. “Are you serious?” I was getting angry now, this was just feeling cruel.
“I’m asking! How else will I know what you want?” His eyes were almost glowing now, and it pushed me over the edge.
Squaring my shoulders and shaking my head, I dove straight in,“This, you idiot.”
Crashing forward, I fell into his lips. With my fingers snaking through his hair and around his warm neck to brace myself, I sank right into him.
I’d startled him- I heard a sputtered, muffled version of my name get stuffed back into his mouth by my kiss. His eyes had flown wide. For all his goading, he hadn’t expected my boldness, hadn’t expected to be one upped. But what had he expected? Toying with me like this for weeks now. It was his first time not having the upper hand and it felt delicious.
Flustered as he may have been, it barely took him a second to recover before he melted into me. And Jesus, when he did-
His veiny palms circled my waist, scooping me up and into him. I toppled off balance on the balls of my feet but he just pressed me tighter. God , I felt so dizzy, so warm and secure in his hands. Why the heck did you made me wait so long for this, Hoseok?
His lips were lazy and sweet even though his embrace was desperately secure. He took the time to drag the tip of his nose against mine, long fingers tracing over my cheek as he smiled between kisses before dipping back in. I’ve never been so infatuated with a feeling in my life. He tasted like the butterscotch toffee we’d made in home ec today, salty and sweet, and I couldn’t get enough. I felt so greedy but so dizzy and happy.
To the point that I hadn’t even realized I was giggling until he bit my bottom lip and tugged it, avortex of warmth swirling in my belly when he did. Dazzled, my gaze flicked up to meet his- it was as glittery and dazed as mine. Only, it held something extra now- something that looked an awful lot like craving.
Oh.
He’s never looked at me like that.
There was a sharpness to his grin, like now that I’d opened this up as a possibility he wasn’t sure what part of me he wanted to devour first. His eyes held an edge I hadn’t seen in him before, and I realized very quickly that I didn’t know what I was in for anymore. I was used to the playful, evasive boy in him. The one who would play with my hair and brush it from eyes, then disappear with a vagabond smile and leave me wanting. But not today. Not by the way those razor sharp eyes were dragging over me now as I caught my breath. No, this was another creature entirely- it delighted and terrified me all at the same time that I might have awoken more than I meant to.
God, this tension between us was maddening now, but I loved It. It was his move . What will you do now, Hobi? His palms encased my waist, fingers splayed into my softness there with an intensity that said he didn’t know what to do with his hands but he’d be damned before he let me go. He looked predatory and strong. He looked beautiful.
“Why the heck did you wait so long to do that?” He asked, bottom lip snagged in his teeth. And then his eyes changed. They were laughing.
“Wait- why did I ?! Are you serious right now?” Incensed, I shoved him hard in the chest. And the jerk laughed! Out loud—again!
“Yes! I am. If you wanted me that badly, you should’ve shut me up weeks ago. Why in God’s name would you let me be in charge of anything?” He teased, forehead pressed to mine, his smile deliriously wide.
“You! You’re why, you little-Oh my god, I’m gonna kill you,” I squinted murderously up at him, truly seconds from strangling him. I could have murdered the boy with my bare hands then. It would have been easy. He was certainly skinny enough.
“Ooo, kinky.” His eyebrows bounced salaciously, nose scrunched as he pretended to snap his teeth at me. But I wasn’t here to take the bait anymore. I felt an emotion I didn’t want to name tug at my chest, something hot flooding the corners of my eyes that I stubbornly pushed back. I can’t believe I thought you were different...
“You can’t turn everything into a joke, Hobi. I’m serious.” I sighed, stepping back to get some distance. “This isn’t a game to me....I really... liked you.” My hurt came out in mangled past tense, my voice small. Wimpy in my ears. “But I was the idiot to think you’d really meant any of those things you did.”
His sweet face went slack at my honesty. This was a new variable he hadn’t planned on... He didn’t know what to do with this sort of vulnerability. His mouth opened just to close itself again, not so much as a single sound coming out. Silence.
The quiet told me all I needed to know. I really was just something fun to pass the time to him, wasn’t I? He sputtered over nothing again before falling quiet, the look in his eyes making a little piece of my heart crack....
“I thought so.” A bleary glaze of tears threatened to cloud my vision, and I hated how pretty he still looked to me, even in abstract. Stupid boys. I was just a toy to him.
Steeling myself, I took one shaky breath to say my peace. “ I’m the only one with any real skin in this game, aren’t I? You know what- it’s a shame cause I really liked you, Hobi. Cant believe I thought you were different.”
My eyes flicked up to his one last time. I’d never seen him less assured, mouth still gaping like a river bass as I shook my head. His kiss was so perfect... I wanted to stay in it forever. but I didn’t want to be a joke to him. I didn’t just want to be fun for him. A body to help him pass the time. I wanted to matter to him, like he mattered to me. One more glance was all I could handle before I turned on my heel, my arm gripping my waist to hold myself together, and hid away from his sunlit presence.
I’d barely made it three solid steps before a warm hand clutched my wrist and spun me back around. “Would you wait like 5 seconds, woman?” Hobi was so riled up; he was panting like he’d run half a mile to catch me.
“Why should I ?” I challenged, eyes darting between his hand on my wrist and his face. A defiant tear had slipped down my cheek and I pivoted so he wouldn’t notice. I didn’t do it fast enough though, and hoseok noticed in a heartbeat. His hand molded to the side of my face in an instant, and I hated how quick my instinct to melt into him overrode my anger. His thumb brushed across my cheekbone, sweeping the tear away as I felt myself turn pliant at his touch.
His other hand reached up to trace the corners of my forehead, ghosting over my hair and tucking the mussed strands back into place. His face was open, soft now.
He took a long steady breath as his eyes studied me, the beginning of a smile I didn’t understand tugging at the corner of his perfect lips. His voice gentle when he finally began to speak.
“Y/n, look at me. I just told you how much I like you. Doesn’t that count for anything?”
“But then you turned it all into a joke after you kissed me. And it’s.... that was really scary. To work up the courage to do that and then have you laugh about it. Like it’s all just some joke to you....like I’m joke to you.” Ashamed, I looked up at him through my lashes as he continued to play with my hair. I wanted to still be mad at him- I had every right to be- but now he was being so....I don’t even know. Dreamy.
His laugh was different this time, more of a chuckle, empty of derision. Warm and rich and sweet as he looked down at me.
“Are you serious? I wasn’t laughing AT you, y/n. The most beautiful girl in school just kissed me—I was happy! Like, deliriously happy. I’d been trying to work up the nerve to do that for weeks now, and you beat my scaredy butt to it.
“ I don’t know why you’re so convinced that I don’t care about you. You’re not some plaything to me... you’re a badass, y/n. I’m so in awe of you. I couldn’t think you were a joke if I tried! I just ... suck at talking to you so I try to make you laugh...I can’t believe you’re mad at me! Or how pretty you are when you’re pouting.” He nuzzled his head down to brush his nose across mine. “I’m nuts about you. This is ridiculous. You don’t need to run away.”
His fingertips slipped down my shoulders to my wrists and twined them with both my hands as his forehead rested on mine. I felt my eyelids flutter shut at the crackle of electricity his touch lit up in me. “Stay. I won’t laugh anymore. I’m sorry,” he whispered.
I took a deep breath at his reassurance and God. He smelled so pretty. I don’t know how to describe it. He just- smelled like hobi. It was comforting and sweet and so-him. God, he was right. I was crazy about him. Where the heck did I think I was going? This was where I wanted to be.
“I overreacted, didn’t I?” I peeked up through my lashes at him, flinching in advance as I waited for his answer.
“Nah, I like how intense you are.” He confessed. “I know I’m an idiot sometimes. I probably could’ve handled that better. I’m just, still learning how to speak y/n. I’m not fluent yet .” He dropped his face, bashful, and that familiar flutter came back to my belly.
“So, what you’re saying is, you need more practice?”
“Oh, all the practice I can get.” And just like that—That look was back in eyes again. His gaze infatuated with my lips again. “Should we start now?”
“Hobi... “ my voice came out unsteady as his gaze raked over me. His lip was caught in his teeth and he was perilously close to me.
“Yes, y/n?” He whispered against the shell of my ear, and I shivered. I felt his hand on my waist tighten at my tremor as he whispered “Oh, this is going to be fun.”
The warmth of his breath as he dipped down to press a kiss to my throat lit my nerve endings up like a Christmas tree.
“Hobi, class is about to let out. We can’t just stand here making out in the hallway.” My words were valid, but held very little conviction as he worked his way up my neck one kiss at a time. He stopped just beside my ear, his warm breath sending something sparkling to shiver down my spine.
“Well, l guess you’ll just have to let me take you on a date then.” With one last kiss pressed open mouthed and hot to the skin beneath my ear, he pulled back to meet my eyes.
But when he looked at me again, all his seduction was gone. My bright happy Hobi back in his place- eyes glittering and boyish again. I wobbled a little at the quick change and the proximity of his smile, knowing full well what those lips could do to me now. “Where and when?”
“Tonight. At seven. Your favorite burger spot. I’ll drive.” His hands had slipped off my body and back to his messenger bag strap. He was walking backwards away from me now, cheeks glowing in sunlight as he smiled.
“Are you picking me up on that god forsaken moped?” I teased.
“Hey, you know you like holding on to me. We both know you think it’s hot.” He winked across the hall at me. I felt my blush creep up my cheeks at being found out. I opened my mouth to respond, sputtering and struggling just as the sound of the bell crashed through the hallway, cutting me off. Hoseok’s laughter was visible in his entire body as he walked away.
“Seven. Sharp! I’ll see you then.” He called out as the atrium began to fill with students dashing from class. He sent me one last cheeky wink before I lost sight of him amidst the bodies, and finally started to catch my breath.
the one where you and Jungkook try to be “just friends”
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-masterlist
•7k words of angsty, fluffy hearts that don’t know what they’re doing with themselves
•jungkook x reader
•part 11 of very overdue jungkook drabble series
•enjoy my babies! sorry she took so long! I will edit in my excessive overuse of italics latah!
•what if you met the perfect person at the worst possible time?
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After the events of the contract, the air in Jungkook’s apartment became incomprehensibly lighter. You had made your list and he had his. It had been discussed and agreed to, and then never spoken of directly again. You were both on equal footing now- an atomic bomb had been diffused. Now it was time to revel in the clean air of peace.
About two or three days later, on a sunny Thursday afternoon, Jungkook let himself into his apartment. As the door swung open, he was greeted by the fresh scents of lavender and honey, a fragrance combo he knew all too well now. You must have just showered- lavender shampoo and honey + vanilla body wash- both in the most alarmingly feminine packaging he’d ever seen, but they made Jungkook smile every time he saw them by the white tile in his shower.
Sure enough, you came lazily around the corner and into his living room in long baby blue robe, hair wrapped up in a towel twisted like a turban. There was music coming from the guest room and you sang along softly, looking sweetly down at the hardwood as Jungkook’s cat lovingly traipsed around your ankles. He couldn’t help but think it was all very Disney princess of you- the flowing fabric of your robe, the small animal hypnotically following the sound of your musical voice. A lazy smile came over his lips at the sight of the two of you. He squashed the part of him that wondered if you needed a prince….
You hadn’t noticed him in the entryway yet as you danced around merrily with his kitten. If he stood there any longer unannounced, it was going to begin to verge on creepy, so he dropped his keys into the bowl by the front table a bit harshly, allowing them to happily rattle against the glass.
“Oh!” You piped as your gaze shot up. “Hi!Welcome home, Kook!” Your cheeks were a happy, rosy pink from the steam in the shower, your smile magnetic and bright as always- pearly, glittering teeth on full display. You tugged to make sure your floor length robe was properly shut, but your smile never faltered….That effortless ease of yours was back- you looked more at home in his place than he did, and he loved it. If being “friends” with you was all it took to get your light back, jungkook was happy to comply.
“Hey.” He smiled back, sloughing his duffle bag off his shoulder. He bent down to slip off his shoes, poking his tongue out at the cat who briskly refused to greet him.
“Sorry. I guess she really did come over to the dark side. Not sure you’re gonna get her back.” You giggled. Gracefully, you flowed across the hardwood in your elegant robe to take a seat on his couch. Your eyes beamed brightly as you noticed your tiny accomplice. She had dutifully followed, paws kneading at your thigh as you scratched behind her ear. Jungkook admired how effortless you looked now, how enticing you were even with nothing on display- your silky robe covering your skin and draping around you like some mystical priestess. You were just your relaxed self today- a goddess in her garden- and jungkook was living for it.
“I see that. Don’t know if I blame her. I’d probably pick you over me too.” His smile was so genuine, sweet, as he ran his fingers through his bangs, dragging them back out of his eyes. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this light. He went to the kitchen, returning shortly with a cold water bottle. You had unfurled the towel from around your hair, dutifully scrunching it upward to dry your tousled strands.
“Hey, you showered at the gym,” you noted out loud, voice soft but happy.
“You have a keen eye, madam. I did indeed. Trying my best to be Switzerland over here.” He took a generous swig of his cold water to hide the flush in his cheeks. He was always a sucker for acknowledgement. He was also clearly the only man employing the backwards logic of hoping he’d impress a girl by following her request to refrain from attractive behavior.
You beamed up at him from the sofa. “I think we are doing the most divine job here, Kookie. So much progress all ready!! You didn’t offer to cook dinner yesterday, I didn’t speak in my British accent last night after that downton abbey marathon- the progress. Heaps and heaps of literal progress. This is going swimmingly.” Your doe eyes sparkled up at him.
“I’m pretty sure you’re the only person under ninety five who uses the word swimmingly.” He teased. He could feel himself relaxing around you. It was so incredibly nice.
“Then clearly, I’m the only person you know with some culture.” You squinted at him playfully, flicking your hair towel toward his hip as he bounded away in the other direction. You both erupted into a fit of laughter. This was harmless. This was fun. The tension had finally shattered and the world felt good for the first time in ages…. perhaps that’s why you felt more confident than you should.
“Hey, what are you up to today, Kook?” You blurted out, the question blitzing past your internal filters. He paused, caught off guard-his brown eyes a touch too wide for a second before he could hide it. Where was this going?
“Not much.” He shrugged, trying to regain his composure. “ We wrapped my project up a little early so I’m actually off for the rest of the day. Why, uh, do you ask?” He rested a hand in his pocket as he shifted to one hip.
“Really? I don’t have anything planned either!” You chirped, your eyes starry with some idea jungkook worried he would regret. “Rehearsal got canceled for this afternoon so I’m free as a bird! Hey, do you wanna go check out that new coffee shop on Main with me? I’ve heard some really great things about it.” Your eyes glittered optimistically. Jungkook, however, hesitated- just for a fraction of a second.
“Are you- are you sure?” He tried to seem as steady as possible. Things were good right now. Would something like that be testing your luck too soon? Going out somewhere with you felt like one heck of a gamble: someone two days sober going to a brewery- all risk and no reward.
Oblivious to his resistance, you trudged on.
“Yeah! Why not? This is going SO WELL, Kookie! Can’t you feel it? We can finally just have fun now. Be the friends we were always meant to be without these gooey, sticky, messy feelings getting in our way.” You stared up at him like you’d just had to explain why two plus two equals four, chuckling at his reservation.
“I don’t know- doesn’t going to a coffee shop alone sound kind of like a, well a date?” His face was bashful now, all innocence and uncertainty as he messed with the back of his shaggy hair.
“Would it be a date if you went with Tae? Or Yoongi?” You countered.
“Well, no but they’re-“
“What? Boys?” You interrupted. “Are you really incapable of having platonic coffee with a woman, Jeon Jungkook?” You eyes were a steely challenge, but the corners of your sinful lips were twisted in a naive smile.
“No! Of course not- it’s just that we’re um, we’re,” he cleared his throat, an attempt to bring his voice back down to his normal octave before it began cracking. “We’re friends. We are friends. Totally. We are. This stage is just…. still new. We don’t really know- I don’t really know- what it can handle yet.” He said as honestly as he could. He couldn’t bare to look at you right now, so he looked everywhere else around the living room. Geeze, did he need to dust this place. Maybe he should just stay home and do just that instead...
“Precisely. It is still new, but Kookie, we’ve been crushing this. And if we can survive literally living together then we can absolutely handle platonic daytime beverages!” You stood triumphantly, chest lifted, absolutely oblivious to how something so simple could go wrong.
Still though, you noticed the apprehension in those sweet brown eyes of his just the same. Crossing to stand beside him, you softly bumped a fist against his shoulder. “Hey,..... I’ve got you. We have to practice getting better at this yeah? Besides, isn’t it safer than hanging around here all afternoon? We’d have social obligations, public witnesses. Friendship accountability…..But if it gets weird or date-y or bizarre, just tell me. And the second you’re uncomfortable, we leave. Yeah?”
You’d dropped your chin to look up at him, eyes round and soft. Genuinely earnest. Taking in a shaky breath, Jungkook knew you were right. He knew you were on his side too. Practice was a good thing. It meant maybe he’d finally be less weird around Tae and around you and eventually things would get back to normal. Which would be great. It really would.
On some level, it stung a little that you were so well and over him all ready, but if you were good with this, then he needed to try to be too. Things would never be normal if he didn’t fully get over you instead of whatever this crazy pretend thing was he was trying to do. And your company was nice. So nice. Maybe that’s why he felt a bit guilty about getting to willingly indulge in it. But he could tell you were showing no signs of backing down about this, so finally, he acquiesced.
“Fine. You really are a stubborn one, aren’t you?” He tried to scowl, but he couldn’t even believably pretend to be mad at you.
“MmHmm. Ya darn right. Only way I make it in this crazy business.” You smiled, all innocence and molten sunshine up at him, and jungkook would have followed you off a cliff. You winked over your shoulder at him as you scurried to go get ready. Jungkook shook his head at himself. Maybe you and Tae weren’t such a mismatch after all...The combination of hard headed spontaneity you both had was bound to be the death of him at this rate.
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A few moments later, you emerged from the guest room ready to go. You’d chosen something simple: denim shorts, a bedraggled pair of formerly white converse, and a tied up yellow T-shirt with a faded message about saving the bees on it. It was one of the few times jungkook had ever seen you in something that didn’t sway around you as you walked and internally at least, he had to admit that it suited you just as well.
You had rough dried your hair and shoved it back out of your face with a pair of happy rose gold sunglasses. Rosy to match your general perspective on life. You looked ready to take on the whole world with your sunny disposition and unconquerable optimism. Poor Jungkook never had a chance. He was ready to follow you off the edge of the world.
The two of you had decided to walk since the weather was so agreeable today. Well, you had rattled off something about carbon footprints and how overly congested the city all ready was without you both adding to it. And he gave a resigned shrug and followed you down the sidewalk. Jungkook did take a moment to playfully point out that the air quality was precisely why you shouldn’t be breathing in the smoggy air as you walked to the cafe, but you swiftly swatted him and told him to live a little- that there were way worse ways to go than inhaling too much carbon monoxide on a happy summer day.
You both prattled on perfectly content in each other’s cheery company along the walk, which was regrettably longer than you expected it to be. When you both finally arrived, there was a glossy sheen of sweat on both your foreheads and an ache in the soles of your feet.
“You know, there really should be better arch support in converse.” You muttered as you pushed through the cafe doors, relishing in the icy blast of cool air that rushed to meet you.
“I think they’re flat on purpose, y/n. I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Sorry, sunshine.” Jungkook quipped.
“Tragically, I think you’re right. But my feet are killing me.” You admitted. “I know, I know. I should’ve thought of that before I made us walk four miles for iced coffee.” You admitted. Better to cop to it first before it could be used against you.
“Hey, it’s no big deal. I really should walk around my own city more anyway. I mean, what’s the point of paying downtown rent and never making the most of it?” He shrugged pleasantly. He was quick to catch the grimace on your face as you shifted your weight. “Hey, are they seriously bothering you though?” His chocolate eyes swirled with subtle concern.
“Honestly? I’d saw them off entirely if it wasn’t going to hurt more.” You shrugged, giving him a lopsided ‘what can you do?’ smile.
“Well hey, sit. I’ll go grab our orders then.” He looked so boyish, so eager- it was adorable. Too adorable. You needed to squash it.
“No…. hey. You’re doing it again. No being nice to me. You promised. I’ll be fine. Five more feet won’t do me in.” You protested.
“I’m nice to my friends, y/n. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have any. You’re just gonna have to suck it up sometimes.” He grinned amiably.
“Maybe, but not this time. I have friends too, and they all know they’d lose against me in an argument. I perform for a living, Kookie. I’m probably just still sore from rehearsal . I’m a professional- I’ll survive.” You brushed past him, intentionally bumping his overly broad shoulder along the way.
“You know, I don’t remember you being this hard headed when I first met you.” Jungkook squinted good naturedly at you as the two of you walked to the counter.
“Oh I definitely was. You just didn’t know how to read the signs yet.” Your eyes were defiant but giggles bubbled out of you anyway.
“Guess not.” His hands settled on the edge of his hips as he dipped his head, tongue flicking out to lick his lips. His hair fell in thick waves over his eyes, hiding just how much he was beaming. This felt good. Jungkook was so...happy.
He hadn’t felt this content in a long time. You were right- He could totally handle this. He was absolutely confident that no matter what happened today he could totally handle-
“Hey, hold still.” You whispered.
Crap. Anything but what you did next apparently.
Without another word, your set of small, soft fingers reached up to delicately part his fringe out of his face— leaving whatever was left of jungkook to utterly dissolve. Breath caught in his chest, his eyes shot up to find your beautiful face scrunched in concentration as you rearranged his hair. Your lips in a gentle smile as you rose up to fix it.
It took everything in him not to lean into your touch with you this close. He could smell that lavender shampoo again. He wanted to bury his nose in it…... God, He was an idiot. An absolute idiot. He couldn’t handle this- at all. Not if this was all it took for him to feel undone around you. The alarm bells were practically screaming at him to run away before he made it worse.
“Sorry,” you said softly, brows scrunching. “That was gonna drive me crazy. How do you even see these days? They’re getting so long”
Jungkook’s eyes were wide-his soft mouth kept parting like he was trying to respond, but his voice wasn’t cooperating. He’d never actually let it grow this long before. His hair had only gotten as long as it was from emotional turmoil and unintentional neglect.
He’d meant to cut it a hundred times- he really had-but then one afternoon, you’d mentioned what nice hair he had. It had been back when you and Tae had first moved in. Some small passing comment about how pretty the waves were, how much they suited him. He’d never admit this— and he hated himself for it a little but— but after that, he never could bring himself to commit to cutting it. It had been his one silent act of rebellion. Keeping around the one part of him you’d actually mentioned liking about him, and it was now firmly coming back around to bite him in the ass.
As you innocently fussed with his hair, part of him was begging you to stop. He couldn’t handle this at all….but the other was desperately hoping you’d slide your fingers further back into his hair and pull him down to you. Which was not helpful. At all. God, how many times now had he imagined your fingers in his hair? How many dreams had that popped up in just to come back and ruin him now in this moment? He was a wreck. But you seemed to be entirely ignorant of his struggle as you finished artfully sweeping his waves to the side, tucking the last bit behind his ear.
“There. Much better.” You stepped to the side proudly to admire your work as Jungkook promptly had an asthma attack. Your smile made your cheeks puff out a bit, and jungkook was right back to floating out to sea over how gorgeous you were when you it finally registered that you were looking up at him. “Kook? Hello?”
“C-c- contract. That has to… go on the contract.” He choked out with a bit of a bumbling gasp
“what does ? What do you mean?” Your brows furrowed again but this time in confusion.
“That… you can’t, my hair is… no. You can’t um, do that” his eyes were pleading with you.
“What do — oh. Oh,” your face fell. “Oh god- was I too close? do you hate that? Some people hate having their hair touched. I didn’t even think.”
“No.....no. I actually um, like that. A lot. Too much probably.” He shut his eyes, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed.
“I am so dumb. I didn’t mean to overstep your boundaries like that...” you suddenly felt like the worst person on the planet. It was written all over your face.
“Hey, No. it’s okay.” He interrupted, suddenly feeling the need to rescue you from your unintentional embarrassment.
“It’s really not though. I’m sorry. Things were going so well that I didn’t even think. I—“
“Don’t worry about it, yeah? Friends fix each other’s hair right? I just got- caught off guard. That’s all.” His smile was a little wobbly
“That’s all?”
“Yeah, that’s all. Promise.” His eyes were soft, willing you to believe him.
You grimaced. You didn’t quite buy that he was suddenly okay. It seemed too easy. The shift too abrupt.
You tried to ignore the creeping voice telling you today was a bad idea— that you should never have left the apartment— but the warmth radiating from his sweet brown eyes was quickly drowning anything else out as he smiled down at you. Distractedly, you took note of the flutter in your heart when he looked at you like this. Pitiful. You brushed it away, but still, what a sad state you were both in. Maybe neither of you were quite as ready as you thought when this outing began.
You could tell he genuinely wanted to neutralize whatever just happened, but you were still having a little trouble accepting his kindness. “Okay. Still, I clearly didn’t think. So how- how do I fix this?”
Jungkook’s stomach felt hollowed out at the gentle plea your gaze was making. He hoped he was succeeding at trying to play it way cooler than he felt. Flexing his jaw and letting his chest rise, he knew he needed to redirect this conversation before he blurted out something he’d regret. Suggesting that a kiss would make it better would be helpful to no one. He needed to help you let your guard down again, stop beating yourself up. He knew his playfulness would help.
“Well if you decide to pay for my drink to make it up to me, I’m not gonna STOP you.” His teeth flashed bright in his smile, making your shoulders soften down from your ears
“I think I can handle that.” Your tongue went out to wet your lips, attempting to keep your grin in check.
“Good. Cuz after a walk that long my thirst is unbelievable. What’s bigger than the extra large?” He slung a loose arm over your shoulder and sent an exaggerated squint up at the menu.
“Fine….. do you worst. I deserve it.” Your eyes rolled as you feigned a heavy sigh, swatting him in the chest. His beautiful broad solid chest. You immediately flushed, regretting your action but not knowing what to do about it. Your fingers grazed his frame as they fluttered down and away. You shamefully calmed the hitch in your breath, stuffing your hands in your pockets to hideaway from any further contact with him. He squeezed your shoulder once playfully, as you squeaked out a smile that looked an awful lot like a grimace. Bashfully, you shrugged him off, hunching your shoulders and side stepping ahead.
Clearing your throat, you sent him a challenge. “Do your worst, Kook. I can take it.” A smile he couldn’t contain burst across his face, the apples of his cheeks glowing in his happiness.
“Careful. You don’t know who you’re talking to.” He sent a wink your way and danced up to the cashier, leaving you clutching the straps of your crossbody. This was just normal platonic ribbing. Friends did this all the time. Jungkook did this to Taehyung all the time. So why were you somewhere in the stratosphere every time his chocolate brown eyes sparkled at you? You’d been off to such a strong start but your traction on this hill was steadily becoming frustratingly slippery. Best to just double down and brace the storm. You still had to get home...
“....and for you, miss?” A voice you didn’t recognize piped up, pulling you from your reverie. It belonged to the perky young barista behind the counter. He looked maybe 16 at the mostx all freckles and braces. This must be his first job— he was too enthusiastic. His eagerness didn’t suit someone who’d been worn down by the service industry just yet.
“Oh, I’ll take a lemonade.” You smiled kindly at him.
“Just a plain lemonade, miss? We have mint and watermelon lemonades for summer. Are you sure you don’t w-want to try one of t-those?” He seemed to sputter a bit under the directness of your gaze. An endearingly rosy hue tinted his cheeks at your eye contact, making your smile bloom wider.
“Really? You know what- watermelon lemonade sounds amazing. I’d love one,...Jordan.” You added, spying his name tag.
At this, his blush crept clear up his neck to his slightly too big ears. He dropped his eyes from you completely, a goofy smile showing off his pristine orthodontic gear. “Awesome. Your orders will be right up.”
“Oh but I haven’t paid yet.” You shot an incredulous look at Jungkook, who seemed to be holding back laughter.
“Your friend already got the bill, miss” the boy beamed back at you.
“What?”
Jungkook avoided your gaze, looking the other way.
“You brat,” you whispered at Jungkook. “I was supposed to treat you—It was your idea.”
“Was it? Sorry. Must have slipped my mind.” He had the nerve to look smug.
“You know what? You are impossible.” You huffed. “Thank you for your help, Jordan.” Reaching into your bag, you stuffed the cash you were intending to use into the tip jar as his eyes went wide.
“You too, Miss!”
─────────────────────
Jungkook fell into a fit of laughter as you both settled into a bistro table by the window.
“Oh hush. I don’t know why we went through all of that just for you to pay anyway.” You crossed your arms beneath your chest defiantly.
“Because- I told you. I treat my friends. Which you are now. That’s the whole point of today right? Practicing being friends?” He said smugly.
“Well, yeah but…” you stammered.
“No buts. It is what it is, y/n. Best accept it.”
“Is this your version of not being nice to me? Cuz I gotta say, you suck at it. You’re still being nice. You’re just also being annoying” You scrunched your face at him as he continued to laugh. It was hard to be mad at him when he smiled like that.
“See? That’s why we’re practicing. Besides,” he reached over to tap your temple. “I saw you overthinking over there. Figured you were probably still stuck on what happened. I just didn’t want you to feel bad.” One side of his mouth tugged into an apologetic smirk.
“Oh. You could tell?” You brushed your thumb across your arm.
“Yeah. I’m “too observant,” remember?” His face was soft as his eyes reassured you. “You’re just gonna have to beat me to the counter next time. If, you know, we both survive this outing. Neither of us seem to be doing so hot.” He laughed.
“Right? Not sure what I was thinking,” you sighed.
“Well, hey. I know we’re stumbling around in the dark here, but I think we’re doing just fine.” He nodded, hoping to cheer you up.
“Pros by Christmas?” Your optimism was sparkling in your eyes again, and Jungkook couldn’t help but melt a little.
“Pros by christmas. I’ll go ahead and concede now. Should know better than to argue with you by now anyway.”
“Yes, yes you should.” You giggled, propping your heels up in the extra chair beside you. “Sorry, my feet are still killing me.” You added sheepishly.
“Oh that’s right. Sorry. I’ll go grab the drinks when we’re ready. I’m not sure that poor kid could handle another interaction with you without passing out anyway.” He teased.
“Was it that obvious?” You covered your face with your hands.
“OH YEAH. You were probably too spaced out to notice, but his voice dropped a whole octave when he spoke to you.”
“No! But it was still so high!” You bit your lip, trying to hold back your giggles.
“...And cracking like Peter Brady. He was probably already planning the wedding by the time you smiled at him.”
You held the back of your hand over your mouth as your laughter spilled out anyway. “No! I was just being nice to him! He seemed so nervous.”
“He was nervous because you were being so nice to him!” Jungkook pointed out matter of factly. “I’ll take the watermelon lemonade, Jordan. Have you had your first kiss yet, jordan? I can help you with that if you like, Jordan.” Jungkook’s pitched jumped to mimic yours, mock fluttering his eyelashes demurely and swinging imaginary hair over his shoulders.
“Shut up! I didn’t say any of that,” you defended, eyes glistening as you laughed.
“You might as well have. I expect an invitation to the wedding when he works up the nerve to ask.” His stomach twisted strangely at the word wedding, remembering Tae’s words at the boba shop weeks before.
“Oh my god! Leave me alone. You’re the worst!” You bellowed, laughing so hard your cheeks were glistening with tears now. Still laughing at the joke, you remained unaware that jungkook’s mind had wandered elsewhere.
Jungkook found he couldn’t help but picture what you might look like on your wedding day. You seemed like the kind of girl to weave flowers into your hair, he thought. You probably looked beautiful in white. You looked beautiful in everything else....There was no doubt you’d be gorgeous that day. It wasn’t even a question. Who the groom would be on that fine day, however, was still entirely in question.
“God, I can’t breathe. Fine- we’ll be sure to add you to the guest list. Just leave that sweet boy alone, jungkookie.” You laughter filled your corner of the cafe as jungkook tried to shake his worries away.
“Guest list? Please, I’m the officiant. I practically set you two up.” He stuck out his chin in mock offense. Blotting the crinkled edges of your eyes, you finally began to catch you breath.
“I can accept that.” Tucking loose strands of hair behind your ears, you smiled down at the table.
“Good. Hey, I think our drinks are up. Stay here and don’t move those feet or I’ll be forced to carry you home and undo all our progress.” When you gasped, he quickly added “And you won’t be able to say a thing about it because you know it’ll be your fault.”
He stuck his tongue out at you as he walked past, and you felt a massive smile stretch across your face. That warmth was back in your belly, betraying you again as a blush danced across your cheeks. You were glancing down to check your phone when a bright, saccharine voice suddenly cut through the air.
“OH. MY. GOD!!! JEON JUNGKOOK, IS THAT YOU?”
You looked behind you to see a woman with luscious, waist length honey hair and the longest legs you’d ever seen bouncing her way straight to jungkook- your jungkook.
“Amanda?” Jungkook’s innocent eyes went wide when he saw her. She looked familiar to you, but you couldn’t place her. All you knew was that this beautiful stranger was standing incredibly close to jungkook, and it agitated you on a fundamental level.
“It is you! I knew it! I never forget a face.” Her eyes sparkled with familiarity as her fingers found purchase on his skin. Cradling his biceps she beamed up at him before pulling him into a tight embrace, hands snaking under his shoulders. You bit back bile at the sight of her hands on him. Who was this woman? And what was this sharp sting in your chest?
“What are you doing here? I thought you lived in LA now?” Jungkook’s voice floated from somewhere within her thick hair.
“Ugh, you have the best memory. Always such a sweetheart!” She pulled back to pinch at jungkook’s cheek and you felt yourself grip the edge of the table. “I am in LA now- you should totally come visit me! It could be so... much... fun.” Her eyes sparkled up at him with something sultry in them that gave you the distinct urge to reach out and snatch at her hair until her all her extensions came loose. She dragged a manicured finger along the arc of his forearm and a viscousness you’d never felt before flared in your bloodstream.
“But anyway! I’m in town for my new role. We’re shooting just outside the city, but the cell reception is egregious and there isn’t a green smoothie for miles so I came to find some civilization. I never imagined I’d stumble on such a treat!” She shrugged her shoulders coyly, clutching onto the arc of Jungkook’s bicep like it was keeping her afloat at sea.
“Amanda and I met on set back when I was interning at a production company in college.” Jungkook explained bashfully to you. He didn’t seem to know what to do with her forwardness and couldn’t begin to read you. Amanda seemed to be noticing your existence for the first time, but wasted no time turning her gaze back to jungkook.
“It was my first leading role, and I was waiting to meet by costar when the cutest, shyest guy anyone had ever seen showed up at the first day of filming only to break all our hearts by working behind the camera.” She pouted up him, sky high eyelashes fluttering as she pretended to wilt pathetically. “Such a tragedy that all this beauty tries so hard to stay hidden. The cheekbones of a Greek god, I swear. Wasted.” She squeezed his face in her palm between her thumb and forefingers and jungkook blushed for all he was worth.
“I don’t know about all that…. I just like capturing the moments. I don’t think I’m made to be on screen.” Jungkook’s humble eyes fell to the floor, desperately uncomfortable with her all attention.
“Well, there’s not a single woman in this cafe who agrees with you. It’s a crime. A selfish crime. Especially now that you’ve grown up so much- you’re a grown man now, Kookie.” That lusty haze was radiating around her again. It was so strong you almost choked on it as she dragged a red fingernail across the T-shirt on his chest that jungkook gently removed.
“All right, Amanda. That’s enough.” He chuckled good naturedly. Of course he was being lovable right now you groaned, gracious to a fault - even to this hoe.
“Honestly, I’m sure your girl here agrees with me.” She winked at you in solidarity as if you would be okay with any of her behavior if you were in fact jungkook’s girl. You flushed at the thought, before guiltily burying it away deep in your subconscious. There was already enough to deal with.
“OH! y/n’s not my.. we’re not… I mean… you know, we’re um...” jungkook was butchering this and he knew it. He hadn’t even properly introduced you, and it felt entirely too late to do that smoothly now.
“Friends. Very close friends actually.” Your smile looked strangled. “I don’t think he’s ever mentioned that story before though.” A terse gleam flashed across your eyes and jungkook felt the distinct urge to hide.
“Oh! Well of course not. His humility is as strong as his bone structure.” She was so cozy and so close to him, and jungkook wasn’t stopping any of it. Why wasn’t he stopping it? Anger burned white hot in your belly before it finally clicked- why would he? Why would a single, beautiful man stop the advances of a single beautiful woman? Because he was with you? You may have been pretending to be friends today, but at the end of the day- you were his best friends girlfriend and he really didn’t owe you anything. If two healthy consenting adults wanted to flirt in a coffee shop, who were you to stop them? He isn’t yours, y/n.
The thought knocked the wind out of you.
He wasn’t….. you were being catty and ridiculous. You were ashamed of yourself. But god, if that wench didn’t unwrap her claws from around him you going to-
“I think that’s about all my ego can take, Amanda.” Jungkook interrupted. All the tension was becoming palpable and it needed to break. “It was really nice to see you, but I’m afraid I’ve been rude to y/n long enough. I promised her we’d hang out today and I’m doing a very bad job of that now.” He smiled over at you, chocolate eyes warm and reassuring. He slipped out of Amanda’s grip to come beside you, voice gentle and apologetic.
Something in your chest felt triumphant at being chosen, if even in the smallest way and you felt like a brute for it. You shouldn’t be so happy to see her so caught off guard at having her praise rebuffed. She didn’t seem used to this tactic not working for her.
“Maybe we can catch up another time before you fly back?” He offered softly, and she took one last swing at trapping him.
“Oh of course, Kookie! That would be the highlight of my trip. You still have my number right?” She tipped her chin, making her eyes as wide and inviting as possible.
“Yep!” He answered a little too quickly, eager for her to go. Whatever personal space jungkook had had before vanished as she pressed up against his chest to kiss both his cheeks and give him her best lingering look.
“I’ll look forward to hearing from you then,” She cooed in a voice so breathy you wanted to vomit. She twisted her hips as she sashayed out of the cafe and the noxious atmosphere finally began to settle. Once she was out of sight, jungkook collapsed back in his chair, blowing a curl out of his eyes.
“Whew, glad that’s over. God, she’s a whirlwind.”
“Who is she exactly?” You asked, voice sounding caustic even to your own ears.
“Wait….the Amanda Everly? The I-never-use-a-body-double-this-is-all-me Amanda Everly? The red carpet sweetheart, was supposed to win best supporting actress at the Emmy’s this year Amanda Everly?” You struggled to keep your jaw from scraping the floor.
“One and the same. She cut all her hair off in that last role so I didn’t recognize her when she came in.” Jungkook shrugged nonchalantly.
“You’re- you’re friends with her?” A feeling you couldn’t name swirled in your chest. It was dark and treacherous and you didn’t like it- not one bit.
“Sort of? We went on a couple of dates back in college when she was filming Starfall but it never went anywhere. We just bump into each other from time to time on projects. She’s cool but was a..bit much for me honestly.” He smiled, easy, relieved that she was gone, but you hadn’t quite caught your breath yet.
“That… that movie was a huge success. She was Hollywood’s darling for ages after that. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize her. You work around people like her all the time?” Your shoulders were beginning to sink.
“Overly flirtatious people with no boundaries? I mean occasionally.” He flashed you a smile that was all teeth, and something in you wilted. You didn’t know. You knew he worked on films, did editing work and things behind the scenes. You never thought anything of it. It just felt like something you both shared in common- a love of telling stories.
But as far as you knew, he’d just wrapped up a nature documentary. You didn't realize how many different kinds of films he worked on...and It had truly never occurred to you that there might be a time where jungkook would be around other women lightyears more beautiful than you and more wildly successful in your field than you could ever dream to be while they filmed love scenes in front of him and threw themselves at him between takes. The thought made your stomach lurch and your pulse quicken. What….what if he accepted one of their advances? What if one day they got to call him theirs?
Up until now, You and jungkook had existed in this little vacuum sealed bubble inside your head. All this time, you’d thought ‘how do I get out of this without breaking this sweet guys heart?’ The power was in your hands.But for the first time in all of this, it occurred to you that you might very well be the one getting your heart broken. Jungkook was tall, handsome, fit and sweet as the day is long. He was an incredible catch for some lucky girl. Some single happy uncomplicated girl who could give him all the love in her heart. Some girl who wasn’t you. And just where would that leave you?
“Hey,.... are you okay?” Jungkook leaned across the table, searching for your eyes that couldn’t seem to meet his.
“Hmm? Yeah. Totally. I’m fine. Little star struck, that’s all.” You shook yourself from your reverie and smiled as massively as your face would let you, but your eyes were endlessly sad. And jungkook always knew to trust your eyes.
“If something’s bothering you, you’d tell me right? That’s… how this works. That’s how friends work.” His brows knitted together desperately, hoping you’d tell him the truth because something definitely wasn’t right. He was so sincere, and you were about to lie to his face to save your own hide.
“Duh, of course I would. This was my idea remember? I’m fine.” You crossed your arms and lifted your chin heavenward, trying to be convincing. He saw right through you.
“Y/n, nothing’s going on between me and Amanda. You know that, right?”
“Of course I do. But if there was, that’d be a good thing right? Cuz you and I are friends. And we’re happy for each other when stuff like that happens……… you deserve to have a girl that makes you happy.” You whispered the last words, blinking back the tears that told a vastly different story from the conviction in your smiling voice. When he finally put all the pieces together, it broke Jungkook’s heart.
“Hey, do you just want to go home? I can grab our drinks so we can head back?” There was a mournful swirl in his brown eyes that mimicked yours and for the first time today you didn’t resist- you let him take care of you.
“Yeah, sure. I’d be okay with that.” You nodded, attempting cheerfulness and jungkook saw straight through you as a tear glinted back at him from the corner of your eye.
“I’ll be right back, okay?” His eyes searched yours, concerned etched into the curves of his face. “I’ll be right back.” He squeezed your shoulder as he walked past and you let your tears run drop for drop as soon as he was gone.
This was a mess. You weren’t just his friend…. you clearly wanted more than that. Friends don’t want to murder the girl who steals your attention. Friends don’t feel this ache in their chest when they realize you don’t belong to them and you never will. Friends don’t feel threatened at the idea of you happy with someone else. You were a fraud…..You had been adamant that he treat you the same as everyone else- so why was your pulse being so jittery and unsteady? Why were your hands trembled when you reached up to dry your face before he could see the marks from your teardrops?
You had Taehyung. Wonderful Taehyung. And that should be more than enough? So why wasn’t it?
You sniffled, defeated and fed up with yourself on a day that had begun so hopefully. Jungkook returned with both your drinks and an extra pastry in hand. When you asked what it was for, he’d simply said “to bring your smile back” and what was left of your heart cracked in half.
The one where you and Jungkook have a heart to heart
——————
•masterlist
•part 12 of jungkook ‘drabble’ series
•jungkook x reader, taehyung x reader
•2k syllables of pure emooootttionnnnn, hella angsty tbh
•forbidden lovers au
•note: oh yeah...two updates in two days- who am I, friends? Hold me back! Posting at 2am like a proper creeper. 🙈 anyway! Today’s chapter is transitional + highly necessary for le story, but ooof - What a punch in the gut. But I love you all! Things will get brighter soon? Maybe? Kind of? Probably- but not really? But like sweet Kookie, we can hope 🤷🏽♀️
✨also! Happy birthday sweet, baby boy! ✨
I hope 23 is divinely kind to you, Jungkook ! 🐰✨🎂💕
•what if you met the perfect person at the worst possible time?
—-
The walk home was quiet. The dip in your countenance had made all his planets tip out of balance- jungkook felt the shift in their orbit, distinct and unsettling. He didn’t even have to glance your way to feel the sadness rolling off of you in waves. It made his chest feel sick. He couldn’t stand seeing the girl at the center of his cosmos feel like this- so halfway through the walk, he summoned his courage and acted on it.
“You’re a shit liar, you know that?” He declared with hands shoved in his jean pockets.
“What?” You asked, snapping your face in his direction, eyes disoriented and wide.
“I said you’re garbage at lying.”
Puzzled, you searched his face, “wha-what are you talking about, Kookie?”
“I know something’s bothering you, y/n. You can’t hide your emotions for crap. So tell me and let me help, or else what was the point of all this?” He shrugged.
“That’s easier said than done.” You mumbled forlornly.
“Bull- I almost had a seizure because you fixed my bangs- do you have any idea how embarrassing that is to admit? But I did it and we got past it, but you don’t have the decency to tell me what’s wrong? That’s so unfair.” He was pushing you, seeing how far you’d let him go. He hated being this blunt with you, it pained him really-but you said you wanted honesty. And you weren’t giving it to him. Something was wrong- he knew it- and he wasn’t going to just sit around and wait while it tortured you. No. If he had laid out all his cards for you, then you could work up the nerve to tell him the truth. It was the least you could do.
Popping a piece of cream cheese danish into your cheek, you sighed, deep and resigning as you look up at his determined eyes. “You’re not gonna let this go, are you?”
“Not a chance,” his mouth tugged into wonky smile, eyes hopeful that you’d let him in.
“It’s not very pretty, Kookie.” You warned.
“It doesn’t have to be.” He shrugged easily as a heavy sigh huffed out of you from some deep place in your bones.
“Fine. I’m a fraud, Jungkook.” you confessed, feeling scandalous as the truth rushed past your lips.
Jungkook fought back a shiver at hearing you use his full name. Upset as you were, his name still sounded beautiful wrapped in your voice. Not helpful- he scolded himself. Not now. He shook his head to clear it as you continued….
”I wanted us to be upfront and honest with each other, right? I pushed and pushed for us to be friends and move forward out of our little purgatory - but the second Amanda showed up I...ive never felt anything like that. Ive never felt jealousy that intensely petty in my life! I hated her, Kookie. I hated her, and I didn’t even know her! I didn’t want her around you, I didn’t want her to touch you, I didn’t even want her to look at you because-“ You caught yourself. Stuffing the rest down and scowling at the sidewalk, face scrunched and murderous at the memory. “Because I’m a hypocrite.”
Jungkook wasn’t sure what to do with that information. He’d pushed for it and now he had it, but he felt hopelessly out of his depth, so he opted to listen carefully...to give you silence and give you room to pour your heart out without judgment.
You came to a stop on the corner, dropping your shoulders and looking up at the sky. “I am so sorry, Kookie. I’ve been so selfish. I can’t believe I was so arrogant that I tried to make you be friends with me while you had to watch me date your best friend, while we lived in your place. I’m just….so disgusted with myself that I could be so inconsiderate to you of all people.” Your remorseful eyes found his, awaiting the wrath you felt you deserved only to find his soft and compassionate.
“Hey, it’s okay.” He smiled. It was gentle and warm and kind beyond reason- which oddly made you feel even worse.
“It’s not though, jungkook. It’s absolutely in no way okay. How can you not see that?” Your hands waved desperately in front of you, sloshing lemonade across the sidewalk.
“Because... I see you. I see someone trying her hardest to take care of everyone else’s heart and feeling greedy or selfish when she listens to her own and someone has to tell you it’s okay for you to feel things. Amanda’s really pushy, and honestly? Most people don’t like her. Even if our friendship were 100% as platonic like you want it to be, you probably still wouldn’t like her because she’s superficial and not very nice and you’re not that kind of person. You’re kind to everyone but even you have your limits. You just realized you’re human, that’s all. That’s okay, you know, y/n.”
“But….” You wobbled, thrown off by his response. “That’s not my point. With taehyung, I- if you feel even half of what I felt in that coffee shop, I don’t know how you can coexist around him. And I- I ruined your friendship.” Hot tears flooded your beautiful irises and jungkook fought back the distinct urge to cradle your delicate face.
“Hey…. I’m not gonna lie being around Taehyung has been really hard lately. Because unlike Amanda, I know he’s a great guy. That’s why I’m willing to try anything to make this all work. I don’t… I don’t want to find out what life without him is like.” Jungkook shifted his weight, hands coming to rest on his hips. “He’s my best friend.”
You swallowed thickly. “And you can’t tell your best friend what’s going on with you. You have to try to figure it out on your own so you don’t hurt him.”
“Yeah…. something like that.” He nodded.
“You know, he was my best friend too.” You sniffled. Jungkook’s doe eyes flicked back to you. “For a long time. I didn’t want to date him because I didn’t want to ruin things. But you know how he is- he gets stuck on one fantastic idea and he won’t give up until he makes it his reality. He waited around until I finally gave in. And I was so grateful he did……. So I get that. Just wanting to tell your best friend what’s wrong cause Tae always knows how to make things better, feel less scary. But ive found the one thing I can’t tell to the man I tell everything to. I never dreamed I could cook up anything that would hurt him as much than this.” You gestured a hand between you both, and jungkook’s heart melted out of his chest and fused with the asphalt. “I feel like such a monster.” You’d never know there was nothing you could do that would ever make Jungkook see you that way.
“He would know what to do. He always does.” Jungkook couldn’t bring his eyes to look at you. He hadn’t felt how much you weren’t his to have this acutely in weeks. It was like being stabbed- he couldn’t catch his breath. What was he doing?
“I love Taehyung, Kookie. I really truly do. He is so precious to me. I was beginning to build my entire future around him in my head, you know? And he told me these stories about you for ages. I was so excited to meet you one day! I never imagined a future where I’d be sitting across from you in a coffee shop, furious that another girl had her hands all over you touching in- in all the ways I can’t.” Your voice trailed off, thick from the tears that had finally started to fall. Jungkook stood shell shocked as you fell apart on the sidewalk.
“I have all these feelings I don’t know what to do with. I thought- I thought maybe, if I told you how I felt they would all go away, you know? I’d realize I was being crazy or they’d just run their course. But you’re wonderful. Those feelings that terrified me? They haven’t gone anywhere. I thought they had, I really did. But back at the cafe, I realized one day some other girl is gonna get to hold you....She’s gonna play with your hair, and it’s gonna be okay. She’s gonna get to eat your home cooked meals, and help you pick out furniture for your next place when you move. She’ll get to be on your arm when you finally show the world your film one day. she’ll be beside you when you’re sick, have tea with you before bed like I do and you’ll remember her favorite shampoo when you go to the grocery store and I…. I won’t be anything to you. I’ll just be another girl you don’t remember anymore. Just someone from the past. A ghost. And that just... broke me…. im trying to get over you, Jungkookie. I really, really am.. because being your friend is better than being your nothing. But one day, I’ll still be Tae’s and it may be wonderful.. but you’ll be someone else’s. And I didn’t realize just how much that would hurt until now.....
“I thought I was okay, I really did- but I was lying to myself. And I- I don’t know how to do this. How....how do I let go of you, Kookie? How do I say goodbye to something I never really had?”
And with that,
your silent floodgates finally cracked open, a cacophony of rivers crashing down your soft cheeks that you simply didn’t have the strength to hold back anymore. You clutched your arms tightly against your yourself but the tears just rushed faster as they fell.
“Y/n….” God, jungkook wanted to rearrange all the stars in the sky for you. To hold you and kiss you and tell you that you were it for him. That he didn’t want anyone else. That it was ridiculous for you to even worry about seeing him with another girl, because how could he want anyone else as long as he knew you existed. He wanted to tell you that were perfect to him- so sweet and gentle and incredibly kind- and that he didn’t want to make peppermint tea for anyone else or hear any another girl singing in his shower at 1am. He wanted to tell you that you had nothing to worry about, that everything would be all right, that you were his world and you had been since the moment you stepped into that diner- but he couldn’t.
Not now. It wouldn’t be right. You weren’t his to tell these secrets to. Not now..maybe not ever. So all these words, all these small, secret infinities that would have shattered everything stayed trapped behind his teeth as his own tears began to flicker in his eyes.
His ribs cracked in their cage, heart ripping apart at the seams seeing you this way. His lips were a breath away from calling you “baby,” but that would have only caused more harm. So instead, he slipped one sure steady arm around your shoulder and whispered into your hair.
“hey, let’s get you home, Okay? It’s just up the street. We’re almost there.” He pleaded.
“I am so sorry, Kookie...look at me-I’m a blubbering mess. This is so embarrassing. I- can’t do anything right lately. Jungkook, I’m so sorry-I-this... it isn’t your job to fix this.” You looked down at your trembling hands, trying your best to hold the last shreds of yourself together.
“Shhh, don’t worry about any of that. It’s doesn’t matter right now, okay? Let me take you home, y/n. Please?” His warm coffee eyes studied your downturned face, searching for a look, a sign, the slightest hint that you would let him in. That was all he wanted- to sweep you up off the concrete and into his arms, and carry you back into the home that was just as much yours as it was his now, and cradle you until all of this heaviness left your bones. He was aching for it. He needed to care for you somehow, but would you let him?
In a soft defeated sigh, you pressed your wordless cheek against his chest and nodded a silent “yes” to jungkook. You couldn’t catch your breath to form a reply just yet, but you didn’t need to. Jungkook had all he needed now. Permission to take you home. Permission to make it better. Permission to help you figure out how to bare up under the weight of all that was crushing you. The whole way home, you never said another word. You couldn’t have if you tried ..... but really, you didn’t need to.
the one where jungkook is in love with his best friend’s girl
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•masterlist
• jungkook x reader, taehyung x reader
•500ish words?
•romance, angst, forbidden love au
•I’ll properly edit this later with a photo or gif and proper description, but this will be an ongoing Drabble series.
•Le second part, le third part, le fourth part, le fifth part, le sixth part , le seventh part,
What happens when you meet the perfect person at the wrong time?
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Jungkook’s strong hand laced its way up the back of your neck and wove its way into the tendrils of your hair. He pressed his forehead against yours, yearning to be closer to you and trying his best to hide the pain etched across his face. His nose brushed against yours as your lashes fluttered shut, and without saying a word, you knew. You knew everything he felt because you felt it too.
Your clutched onto fistfuls of his shirt, tugging him closer to you. His breath was so sweet, so him and your fingers itched to trace the lines of his face, but you couldn’t. You would not. He was not yours to touch. “Jungkook….” the whisper caught in your throat.
“Shhh…. I know.” He pressed his lips into your hair, a touch so soft you might not know it had been there.
You pulled back to look up at him, and something in him broke. Your usually starry doe eyes looked so….sad. Jungkook could handle his own torment at not being able to have you, but this? This he couldn’t stand. Against his better judgment, one of his hands reached out to cradle your face. He saw you tense under his touch- should he pull back? But then he saw you sink into him, cheek softly melting into his palm. He saw relief wash over your sweet face and the first smile he’s seen on you in forever tugged on the corners of your lips.
You reached up delicately to cover his fingers with yours. He took the moment to memorize your face, drinking in every detail until his gaze fell on your lips. God, you were so beautiful. And your mouth was so… pretty. The gentle dip of your Cupid’s bow. Your bottom lip so decadently full and soft. On its own accord, his other hand rose to your face and began tracing the curve of your mouth. You startled, wide eyes flashing up at him.
He willed himself to look up at you, to assure you everything was okay, that he had you and nothing would happen. That it was okay, that you could breathe. But he couldn’t bring himself to say any of it. He was too hypnotized by the way the rough pad of his thumb caught against the incredible softness of your lip. He completely missed the chaos of wonder and panic in your eyes.
You needed to tell him to stop. You needed him to stop to being so beautiful, to stop smelling so warm and intoxicating, to stop being so close. God, You couldn’t think when he was this close. You couldnt breathe when he did things like this. You felt your heartbeat quicken and rage inside your chest as you desperately tried to still it, to remind yourself why you couldn’t have this wonderful thing before you…. But you couldn’t remember.
All you could think of was Jungkook. The sweetness of his touch, and the hazy look in his eyes, and how badly you wanted him to never let go of you, and how close his lips were if you just- But no, oh Gosh, Taehyung. Taehyung would be so hurt by this. No. What were you thinking? No, no, no, this was all wrong. You had to stop… you had to -
“Kookie…” you gasped.
The alarm in your voice snapped him from his reverie, his big brown eyes flicking up to yours in concern. “Wha- I’m- so sorry.” He shook his head, trying to gather his bearings. His thick hair ruffling into his eyes, and His brows furrowing as he struggled to grasp what he’d almost done. You clasped both of his hands in yours and pulled them down from your face. You held them tenderly but with an urgency that jungkook was scared to acknowledge.
“We can’t… we can’t do this.” You pleaded for him to understand how important this was.
“I know. You’re right.” He tipped his head back toward the ceiling, pinching his eyes closed in concentration and remorse. You swallowed thickly at the sight of his beautiful throat. You’d give anything to be able to give in, just for a second, and kiss the arc of it. You tried your best to push the thought away, dropping his hands and taking half a step back as he continued. “God, you’re right. I’m so sorry. I’m right here. I just got… lost… for a second. It won’t happen again. It can’t.”
“No, it can’t, Kookie. I’m so sorry.” You couldn’t bring yourself to look up at him anymore. It hurt too much. Instead you occupied yourself with the way you were worrying your own hands. He put his hands on his hips, trying to find something else to do with them so he wouldn’t reach out for you again.
“Tae doesn’t deserve that. Geeze, this is such a mess. How did this even happen?” He raked a hand through his hair. You loved that messy dark hair. You loved the way he cared for his friend like he was his brother. You loved both men. And it destroyed you to think you were hurting either one of them.
“Me. That’s how this happened. I caused this mess.” You sniffled, hugging your elbows tight to your body. “I ruined everything.”
Any part of jungkooks heart that hadn’t shattered up to this point, cracked at the pain in your voice. You were so innocent in all this. You had never asked for any of this, but here you were blaming yourself. How could either of you have ever known what was coming? Jungkook drew in a measured breath as he closed his eyes and remembered the day that everything in his world had changed...forever.
You guys have been so kind, crazy patient and hella lovely with your response to my Jungkookie series. So while I crank out the next few installments, I thought I’d go ahead and make a proper masterlist for you guys! You can get caught up and enjoy all the starcrossed pining Kookie goodness ✨💫💕 ((will be updated with each new chapter//ongoing))
What if you finally met the perfect person at the worst possible time ?
1. the one where Jungkook is love with his best friend’s girl
2. the one where jungkook meets you for the first time
3. the one where jungkook takes you and Tae for boba
4. The one where jungkook invites you both to his apartment
5. The one where Jungkook wakes up beside you...sort of
6. The one where jungkook tries to forget you
7. The one where Jungkook gets dragged to your show
8. The one where Jungkook has unexpected guest
9. The one where jungkook makes you coffee
10. The one where you and jungkook come up with a plan
11. The one where you and jungkook try to be “just friends”
12. The one where you and jungkook have a heart to heart
13. The one where you and jungkook try to mend the rift
The one where Jungkook invites you both to his apartment——————————
•jungkook x reader, taehyung x reader
•4K words
•ANGSTT!!!! , tension, romance, forbidden lovers au
•Le part one, Le part two, Le part three, Le part four, Le part five, Le part six , Le part seven
•part 4 of an ongoing Drabble series where jungkook meets the girl of his dreams only to realize she’s his best friend Taehyungs girlfriend
What if you met the perfect person at the worst possible time?
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On the way to jungkook’s apartment, the three of you discussed movie soundtracks, happily debating what the best one had been last few years. You were infatuated with La La Land, but Jungkook was firm in his support of the Greatest Showman. Taehyung, contentedly in his own little avant- garde world, boasted about some French film neither of you had heard of, hijacking the aux cord in horror when he realized the two most important people in his life were both completely ignorant of it and insisting you both listen to it before he disowned you both.
Admittedly, it was actually pretty good, but jungkook felt something prick his conscience at Taehyung’s choice of words- the most important people in my life. After another round of discussion, the three of you settled into a comfortable groove as jungkook switched the music over to the black panther soundtrack. He’d had subwoofers added to his car a while back and anything with a solid bass line sounded extra addictive now. Jungkook noticed your dancing in the backseat, with particular attention to how well your hips moved before dragging his distracted eyes back to road before you all crashed.
You all arrived at Jungkook’s place well after midnight, but Taehyung still had limitless bounds of energy. He immediately went to work hooking up the game system as jungkook suddenly wished he’d taken the time to tidy up a bit before he’d left home this evening. In his defense, he hadn’t thought he was going to have anyone to impress tonight.
A few pillows and blankets were tossed around in disarray. On his coffee table, a bag of chips had been scrunched closed in a hurry and there were scattered magazines that lay with their pages flipped open. These small touches just made it feel like a home to you. You liked it here.
His home was clean and elegant, like him. The furniture was all either in soft shades of grey or made of raw wood with iron details here and there. It was undeniably masculine, but it was breezy and open and that made the space calming somehow. You liked his black and white photographs in his gallery wall, noticing the detail and suddenly realizing you were blocking the doorway as you gaped at his home. “Sorry, you have a lovely home, jungkook.” You flicked your eyes over your shoulder to give him a sheepish smile.
“Thanks, Y/N. She’s not much, but she’s home.” He rested his hands on his narrow hips, taking a deep intake of air. He wondered what this place looked like through your eyes. What it made you think of him. He really should have put those chips away, he thought as he rolled his eyes at himself.
By this point, you’d slipped out of your sandals and were currently gliding across his floor barefoot toward his iron bookshelf full of scattered camera equipment in the far nook of the living area.
“I didn’t know you were into photography,” You mused outloud.
From across the room, jungkook bashfully cleared his throat. “Film making, really. I studied it a little in college.”
“A little?” Taehyung piped up, head buried in the cords behind jungkook's entertainment console. “Kookie’s going to be the next Spielberg. He was the king of film festivals in college. He almost got a shot at sundance. He’s a prodigy.” His eyes flicked up, blowing a puff of air up at his bangs that were now swept with dust.
A soft pink flushed across the top of Jungkook’s angled cheeks. You’d hadn’t seen him look so bashful before. It was impossibly lovable. To see such jungkook wearing such a sweet boyish lack of assurance in himself while standing here in this broad, lean masculine body was such a jarring contrast that your heart chose that moment to work twice as hard.
“I don’t know about all that,” jungkook muttered, a sheepish look on his face. “But I do love it.” He was beside you at the bookshelf now. Both of your fingers danced over the lenses and baubles of his camera equipment. He reached over to grab for his favorite lense to show you when, just by chance, you reached for it too and his hand brushed yours. You bristled at the contact, immediately retreating and pulling back your fingers as a soft gasp left your lips. Your eyes fell anywhere but up at jungkook’s. It was because of that that you missed the way his mouth parted when you caught how unsteady your breathing had become. You didn’t catch the way he stuttered when he realized his touch had that kind of affect on you, on the way your beautiful chest heaved with your uncomposed breathing.
He cleared his throat, hoping the gravel would break up the tension of the moment. He glanced Taehyung’s way, only to realize his friend was still neck deep in cords and game controllers. Jungkook crossed the room to get some space from you because gosh, even the air particles were charged around you. It was hard to get any spare oxygen. He flexed his hands at his side trying to get rid of this excess of nervous energy. He didn’t catch the way your mouth went a bit dry as you watched the muscles of his forearm dance and flex beneath his skin. At the way his veins danced to the surface, reacting to his inner tension.
Taking his cue, you also bolted to the far, opposite side of the room. You nestled yourself deep into the farthest corner of his leather sofa, tucking your feet beneath you and hoping that if you just made yourself small enough these traitorous emotions would go away. You glanced over to Taehyung- your incredibly wonderful, loving Taehyung- hoping to get yourself in check.
He’d just dyed his hair the most shocking shade of turquoise blue, and you took a moment to remind yourself how luxuriously it made his skin glow like the warmest honey. You reminded yourself how, just two weeks ago, you’d been standing in his kitchen making you both tea while he worked on his newest painting, and you’d smiled to yourself- thinking for the first time that you wouldn’t mind doing small lovely things like this with him forever. Two weeks ago, you’d known that if Taehyung had asked you to marry him- you’d have said yes.
You’d known that the entire time you’d visited his family with him. It was in the back of your mind every time his mom showed you an impossibly adorable baby picture and you’d melted at his wide grin and too big ears. You thought about it when you’d accidentally overheard Taehyung talking with his uncle. Your heart had been overwhelmed with a flush of excitement at the idea that his family thought you were good enough for their taehyung. You’d known it on the drive to dinner tonight when you’d quickly hidden your newly created wedding ideas board on Pinterest when Taehyung had leaned over to kiss you at the red light and told you how beautiful you were.
You’d known it right up until you got to the edge of the diner booth and locked eyes with the alarmingly handsome Jeon Jungkook, who’d looked equally awestruck up at you. This was a mess. Your heart twisted and clenched in your chest. You reached up to rub your palm across it as if that could somehow ease the ache.
The bizarre part was that you not only felt like you were somehow betraying Taehyung by being attracted to his friend, but you also felt oddly disappointed. It was hard to explain, but you wondered if what you and Taehyung had was really as strong and as special as you’d thought if it could be so easily knocked on its backside by one distractingly handsome person. Maybe the two of you weren’t as predestined as you’d thought. The idea made your chest ache.
You felt like you’d let Tae down even though you hadn’t acted on it or done anything. You also felt like you’d let yourself down for getting swept up in a boy who was a stranger just a few hours ago. Plus, if he mattered this much to Taehyung, jungkook would definitely be in the wedding if there was one. You couldn’t fully explain why but the thought of that made your stomach turn. You had to get this under control. If Taehyung really did love you enough to marry you, there was a good chance “uncle jungkookie” would be a part of your life for the rest of your life so you needed to do some damage control ASAP.
“Hey, Kookie, play us something! God knows what monkey set your entertainment system up, this is gonna take a minute. Play y/n something while she has to wait on us.” Tae demanded from across the room.
Jungkook blanched at the request, eyes flicking over to the keyboard beside his couch, a bit dangerously close to you. “No, I don’t know about that, man. I can just put something on Spotify while we wait.” He resisted.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would we do that when we could have live entertainment?” Taehyung scoffed.
“I’m out of practice. I haven’t touched the keys in over a month with this new shoot I’ve been working on.”
“Then no time like the present, little one. Why waste having my golden voice around? Kookie and I used to be in an acapella group in college, y/n. Have I ever told you how many girls kookie’s falsetto got him once he finally stopped being so shy?” Tae wiggled his eyebrows, shooting a smug look back at a horribly embarrassed Jungkook.
“Hey! Hyung- don’t”
“I remember.” You said softly. Jungkook almost broke his neck whipping around to look at you.
“Were you at a performance? Have- did i meet you before?” The thought troubled jungkook more than he let on.
“Not a performance, no, but I was at an acapella mixer once. I transferred to you and Tae’s college for my last year. I didn’t have a lot of friends yet so I went to check it out. I heard all about you. Everyone said you were wonderful, but I think you had a girl you were interested in at the time. You didn’t leave her side the whole night. Anyway, that’s the night I met Tae.” A small smile tugged at your lips as you leaned your chin on your knees and smiled across at him.
“Yeah, she kept me friendzoned forever, bro. We were friends for like 2 years before anything ever happened, but here we are! Nuts, right?” Taehyung beamed triumphantly. His smile was so wide his eyes almost disappeared. Jungkook felt like he was going to vomit. Had he really been that close to meeting you first and ruined it without even knowing it? What the heck were the chances of that? His eyes trailed over to you, only to be met with a melancholy half smile and a gentle shrug of your shoulders. He felt sick.
He turned his attention to the keys. Clearing his throat, he began playing a gentle melody just trying to warm his fingers up. He needed something to occupy him right now before he spiraled at the realization of how many times he probably passed you on the sidewalk or may have been almost introduced to you before tonight but it had never been in the cards. The song he played became more passionate the more he tried to lose himself in it and it built until he realized that you were softly singing along to it. Of course you knew it.
Your gentle voice wrecked him all over again. It was so airy, so pretty- so you. He could hear it so much better in the acoustics of his apartment than he had at the diner. He knew exactly what song you’d sound good on. It was a long shot, but he was pretty sure you’d know it. His fingers slowed, transitioning into the key of the new song and his crisp voice cut through the still air.
“You know I want you. It’s not a secret I try to hide. I know you want me. So don’t keep sayin’ our hands are tied.”
He kept his eyes trained on the keyboard, but in the corner of his vision he saw your mouth gape as you realized the song he’d chosen. “Re-write the Stars.” a feeling you couldn’t name tangled its way into your chest when it was time for your lines in the duet. You marveled at how beautifully your voices blended together, like you’d been singing together your whole lives. Taehyung’s rich baritone was gorgeous, but he hardly ever sang for you unless he was being silly. This- this was an entirely different beast altogether.
Tae joined in and tried to add a harmony that didn’t quite fit, but he belted it loudly and without care anyway. Your ears searched for Jungkook’s gentle melody, lost somewhere under Taehyung’s boisterousness. Eventually you picked it up again, and followed his voice. Your heart rate quickened at the intricate sound the two of you created when you sang with him, and you doggedly attempted to ignore the content of the lyrics. You half hoped he’d chosen it because of the discussion in the car and just assumed you knew the song. But the other part of you, the part you tried to ignore, secretly knew he’d chosen it on purpose- for you.
At that moment, Taehyung came to flop on the couch in between you. Game controller in hand, adamantly belting out his exaggerated non- harmony and knocking you back to earth. Jungkook seemed to realize he was getting nowhere with this song. It certainly wasn’t helping so, clearing his throat, he thought he’d switch to something more upbeat.
Your ears perked up at the change and before he could start, you began singing the opening lyrics. You absentmindedly squealed at how happy this song made you- how it was impossible to be in a bad mood when you sang along to it. A few seconds later, jungkook nodded seriously in your direction and told you he totally agreed. You didn’t think anyone had heard you- so his delayed approval made you blush. Taehyung said he didn’t know the song and asked you to sing it for him while he set up the game menu.
Jungkook’s jaw flexed at his friends request, but he was eager to hear you sing it too. The chorus of “I like me better when I’m with you” flowed from your soft lips and both boys melted. Jungkook softly sang along and taehyung bopped along to the melody. At the tail end of it, you looked up and caught Jungkook all ready watching you. Your voice faltered abruptly, eyes crashing away from him. Jungkook covered for you by quickly ending his playing to make it seem planned and went to grab the other game controller, muttering something under his breath.
“That sounded beautiful, babe.” Taehyung said to you, pulling you in to kiss your forehead. His lips dropped to the tip of your nose and his eyes lingered on your lips. Usually, you would be a gooey mess at his affection and praise but just now, you felt like you didn’t deserve it. You shot him the best smile you could muster, brushing your nose against his and quickly dipping your chin. You grabbed a nearby blanket and half buried yourself in it as jungkook approached the couch.
Taehyung had already sprawled his long legs out along the length of the sofa, his upper half leaning on you. He was perfectly comfortable and showed no signs of moving, so you once again wound up in the middle as jungkook lowered himself on to the other side of the couch. He left a sizable gap between the two of you, and you were immeasurably grateful.
The boys dove deep into competition, switching games a few times as you alternated between scrolling on your phone and getting oddly wrapped up in the fighting. You didn’t know who to cheer for, so sometimes it was just safer to retreat to Instagram. Which was safer than Pinterest and all it’s sudden recommendations for your now in question wedding board.
At some point, after a few snacks and countless rounds, the time of night finally began to creep into everyone’s bodies. Somewhere in the course of the evening, Taehyung had somehow slumped down until his turquoise hair had flopped across your lap, his eyes beginning to fall heavily as your fingers twisted through the strands of it. A thick yawn left Jungkook’s lips and you felt yourself mirror it. It was late and you were all exhausted, two of you particularly worn out by the drain of your inner turmoil alone.
Taehyung had officially fallen asleep now, head in your lap, nose pressed to your belly and game controller lost on his chest. He was a goner for the night. Your head rested back against the couch as you turned your neck to look over at jungkook. He’d gotten closer to you somehow through the course of the night. You hadn’t noticed when. Now his hip almost touched yours, but not quite. The room was lit by a small warm lamp and the fuzzy blue glow of the tv.
“Kookie?” you whispered. “Is it okay if we just stay for the night? I don’t think there’s any way I’m gonna get him off this couch.” You’d never know, but Jungkook knew he would have given you anything when you said his name like that. Your eyes were sleepy, your smile soft. You looked impossibly sweet. It took everything in him not to pull you into his chest and kiss your tired eyelids.
“Of course,” he replied without a second thought. “You’re always welcome here. Can- can I get You anything?” You weren’t sure why, but his response made you blush.
“No, I’m fine. Thank you though.” You both settled into a comfortable silence. His chest rose and fell, heavy with tiredness, as he tried his best to stay awake and drag out the seconds he had with you. Your thick eyelashes fluttered along your cheek as you started to doze off. Jungkook couldn’t help but notice how silky your skin looked, how much he wished he could press a soft goodnight kiss to your full cheeks. But by this point he absolutely knew his instincts were not to be trusted.
“ Hey, Kookie- oh. Hey, iis it okay if I call you Kookie? I never actually asked.” You half mumbled in your sleepiness.
A breathy laugh fell from his lips. “Yeah it’s fine. Everyone calls me that.”
Reassured, you continued. “Okay, Kookie- can I ask you something?”
“Sure.” His felt his pulse quicken.
“How did you and Taehyung become friends? I know you’ve known each other forever, but he’s never told me how you guys met.” Your question caught him off guard. It hadn’t been what he expected at all, but it was one of his favorite memories so he didn’t mind sharing. He settled in, lacing his hands in his lap and leaning back to look at the ceiling.
“I was 13? Taehyung and I went to the same school but had never really hung out because he was a grade older than me. We wound up being sent to the same summer camp that year. They didn’t group us by age there, they did it by last name so alphabetically we got stuffed in the same bunk.” He smiled softly, closing his eyes to picture everything.
“I’d never been away from home before and a lot of the guys were older than me. I was just trying to keep up with everyone. One day, this guy was giving me a hard time- shoving me around over something. I don’t even remember what. He took the snacks my mom had sent me from home and fell back on my bed, eating them in front of me. But he was so much bigger than me that when he did, a beam in the bed cracked. He threatened to blame it on me and get me sent home- that’s when Taehyung intervened.
“He grabbed the kid by the back of his collar and told him he’d seen the whole thing. That he’d get him sent home if he tried anything, and the kid bolted. Tae gave me a bag of his chips that he’d brought from home and helped me fix the bed. I found out later that Tae made sure the counselors knew it wasn’t my fault so I wouldn’t get in trouble. After that, we were inseparable for the rest of the summer. He’s been looking out for me ever since.” Jungkook’s gaze was wistful as he reminisced. Things were so much simpler back then. You smiled at the pureness of the memory.
“That’s so sweet. So you guys have known each other over a decade huh?”
“Wow. Has it really been that long? Yeah, I guess so. It’s hard to remember life without him…. What-what made you ask?” He chewed at his lower lip as he glanced over at you. Your features were so serene in your half asleep state. Jungkook thought you looked ethereal in the soft glow of the television, your forehead crinkled a little as you concentrated on your words.
“I can just tell how important you are to him. I mean he says it, but I can also see it? He doesn’t light up around other people the way he does with you. It’s like he’s the best version of himself around you….I think your friendship makes him really happy.” You nodded as you finished your statement, emphasizing your words. Something solemn trickled down Jungkook’s spine at your words. You were right. His friendship with Taehyung was special. If it had lasted this long, nothing was going to get in the way of that. They were brothers. He had to figure this out. He owed it to Taehyung.
He leaned forward, grabbing the remote to switch off the tv. The suddenness of it startled you a little, eyes blinking open and trying to focus in the dark. When you finally could see, your eyes caught on Jungkook’s. The room was pitch black except for the slivers of streetlight and the night’s full moon filtering in through the gaps in the window blinds. Beams of that moonlight softly kissed Jungkook’s face. He looked like he was from another world- the hollows of his cheekbones, the perfect curve of his mouth, the way his big brown eyes glittered, even in the darkness. He was beautiful, like an ancient statue or some work of mythology.
You breath became shallow as your eyes wandered over his features. You hoped the darkness would hide you until you looked back up and realized Jungkooks eyes were trained on you. You couldn’t place the emotion in them, but whatever it was- it was practically screaming at you. His lips were parted as he tried to coax his own lungs to work smoothly. You both stayed like that for a beat too long, the only other sound in the room Taehyung’s hushed breathing.
Jungkook was closer to you now but still wasn’t touching you. From the look in his eyes, you could tell he was dying to, but the tension in his jaw showed how much restraint he was trying to use. Unconsciously, your palm found its way to rest on Taehyungs shirt- his breathing pulling you back to the present and reminding you where you were. Whose you were. You tightened the fabric in your grip. It was the only thing keep you from completely drifting out to sea and losing yourself in jungkook’s unspoken affection.
“Do you… need anything?” His voice was husky, deeper than it had been earlier like it had rumbled from his chest. You shook your head softly, unable to speak as he held you transfixed in his gaze.
Finally finding your voice and dropping your eyes, you cleared your throat and replied, “no,I think I’m just going to get some sleep now.”
He swallowed thickly, forehead creasing like there was something he wanted to say, but he couldn’t drag the words out. He was so tired. He didn’t think he could get up from the couch if he tried to. He would eventually he thought, but just not yet. Just a few more seconds with you.
In the silence, he struggled to hold on to his alertness. His eyes fell shut despite his attempts to fight them. He’d noticed earlier how close your hand was to his on the couch. His own ached to reach out and cradle yours, but of course he couldn't. He never would... and he knew that. Still, as he held onto his consciousness, he nudged his fingers just a whisper away from yours. Somehow, it gave him hope. He couldn’t have you, but in the past few moments he could have sworn you felt something too. Maybe it was just a madman’s fantasy, but if you did, it at least helped him feel a little less alone. He would fix this in the morning. He had to. But for tonight, you were here and that was all he could ask for.
Distantly, he heard your soft voice whisper a delicate “Goodnight, Jungkook.”
He half thought he was already dreaming, but responded with his own “Goodnight, y/n. Sweet dreams.” Before completely surrendering and letting sleep overtake him.
The one where Jungkook meets you for the first time
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•jungkook x reader, taehyung x reader
•romance, angst, forbidden lovers au
•le first part, Le second part, le third part , le fourth part, le fifth part , le sixth part , le seventh part,
•this is an ongoing Drabble series
What happens when you finally meet the right person, but it’s at the completely wrong time?
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You’d happily floated into the diner that night just behind an absolutely overjoyed Taehyung. His fingers were linked with yours as he pulled you along behind him. You giggled as you attempted to keep up with his long stride, and jungkook thought it was the prettiest sound he’d ever heard. Your skirt flowed around you as you slid into the booth and flashed a brilliant smile at him.
“You must be Jungkook! Oh, I’ve been so excited to meet you! I’m pretty sure you’re Taehyung’s favorite person in the whole world. I’ve never heard him talk as highly of anyone as he does of you. It’s so nice to finally get to meet you.” You were rambling but it was adorable. Your face was so genuine and your words were so kind. And your smile was blinding. With all the sweetness in the world, you warmly extended your hand out to shake his.
The instant magnetic pull he had to you caught Jungkook completely off guard. It took him a half second too long to respond, bashfully attempting to recover his composure, but the second he touched you, you both felt it. Something electric jumped between you two.
You’d retracted your hand a little too fast, but it was so subtle Taehyung didn’t even notice. He was too busy getting lost in the menu to have any concern over his two favorite people all ready getting along so well. You tucked your hands beneath your skirt and found yourself dropping your eyes, your smile glowing just a bit dimmer in confusion.
As the night went on, the conversation at the table never died. The three of you laughed and whispered, sharing stories until late into the night. From time to time, jungkook’s knee might accidentally brush yours, causing you both to startle and jump back. Or in a fit of laughter, your eyes might meet across the table and you’d both get a bit caught up in the other. Eventually one of you had to tear your gaze away to break the moment, but it took more of a concentrated effort than it should have. You guys clicked so well. Too well. To the point that anyone walking by the booth was in borderline danger of becoming radioactive from the intensity of the attraction radiating off the two of you.
This was ridiculous, he thought. You were Tae’s girl. This was the happiest Jungkook had seen him in….well, ever. And it was obvious why. You were magnificent. Jungkook was struggling to keep his eyes off you. It would have been easier, he thought, to dismiss you if you’d only been physically attractive. You could find great hair or a nice set of boobs anywhere. But there was just, something else about you. Something he couldn’t quite describe.
But whatever it was, jungkook was drawn to it like Icarus to the sun. And he got the sense it might ruin him just as quickly. God, you were so sweet. Not in a fake plastic way, but in a genuine, sincere way that was way too hard to find. You were also bright and smart and wickedly funny. And you just, radiated this wildly innocent, free-spirited light.
Over the course of the night, he’d seen you break unselfconsciously into the craziest voices that had the entire table laughing. He’d seen the way your love for your family spilled out when you told stories about them. He’d seen the way your eyes sparkled with light when you got excited. How adorable you were when you seemed unsure of yourself and dragged your bottom lip between your teeth.
He’d been knocked on his butt in surprise when he realized how much you knew about things like sports, comic books and movies. And he’d wanted to grab your hand and run into the sunset with you when a song he loved came on the diner’s radio- one he immediately belted along to- and you’d jumped in to harmonize with him. Crap. Your voice was beautiful. Of course it was.
He was so stunned that without realizing it, he’d stopped singing. He slumped in the booth in awe of you as you danced along in your seat and finished the rest of his favorite chorus- word for word.
Oh no.
When the two of you had first arrived that night, Jungkook had noticed how affectionate Taehyung was with you and how easily you responded. Obviously Tae was head over heels for you, so initially you didn’t give a second thought to his forehead kisses or him draping his arm around you. But as the night wore on, and you had more and more of these little moments with jungkook, something had shifted.
Tae had a tendency to talk about himself. It never came from a bad place, taehyung just got deeply wrapped up in things- he had a hard time switching gears once he’d gotten himself worked up about something. You and jungkook both knew this well about him- He’d get on a tear about how his job was going or how well his last investment had panned out, and everyone knew it was time to get comfy because he was going to be harping on this for a while. He was a lovable guy with a good heart- he was just prone to tunnel vision. Once he got in deep on one topic, it took him awhile to find his way back out. And there were more than a few times when Jungkook could tell it made you uncomfortable.
From what he’d gathered, you very giving and open, and Tae’s materialistic rants seemed to leave you at a loss. Whenever they popped up, you’d fiddle with a straw wrapper or become particularly preoccupied with the bubbles in your soda. Jungkook felt his face scrunch in concern at the fact that Taehyung hadn’t noticed this. How long had you guys been together for him not to realize you didn’t want to hear him talk about money all the time? Taehyung would reach out to trace his finger along your shoulder or hold your hand then and it would startle you a bit. You seemed to have drifted off somewhere else, and his touch had broken up your daydream. He’d smile at you, and you’d try to smile back but it didn’t quite meet your eyes. And yet, taehyung would dive right back into his stories with almost more gusto.
After this pattern had repeated itself a few times, jungkook felt the urge to bring your bright, airy laughter back. He humored taehyung of course, nodding along here and there, but then he’d turn the conversation back to you, asking you a question about yourself or saying something that made you laugh. He’d feel something warm flutter in his belly when your eyes lit up again and you began to eagerly prattle off a response.
But he also noticed Taehyung would smile proudly at you then too, like he was taking credit for the smiles Jungkook had created. And jungkook couldn’t help but feel slimy for the sharp jolt of whatever this was- annoyance?- that he was feeling toward his friend as he scolded himself for being upset by that. Tae was allowed to smile at you. He didn’t have any power over that. He needed to chill out.
Tae would go on from there to tell stories about how close you both were and the goals you both had planned. He’d refer to you both as “us” and jungkook couldn’t explain why that made him mad. He kept his face level and cool. He saw you shrink a bit too though, but quickly try to cover it up, redirecting the flow of the conversation back to how good the food had been or a new movie you’d watched. Jungkook tried not to think about it too hard.
It suddenly occurred to jungkook that the night was wrapping to a close and he wasn’t even close to being ready for the night to end. He wasn’t close to ready to having to figure out if he could get away with hugging you goodbye without his hands having a mind of their own and pressing you too close, too intimately or his nose trying to smell your shampoo. It wasn’t rational, but his thoughts raced trying to find a way to extend the night. The dishes were being cleared and the check had been picked up and he wasn’t ready to give up those bright sparkling eyes. He had a plan.
He offered to take you both out to a boba shop nearby that stayed open extra late on the weekends and insisted he drive everyone since you guys had ubered there. He let it slip- half on purpose- that you specifically would love this place. He gushed with a shameless enthusiasm over how almost pretentiously pretty it was, and how it was a little out of the way, but he’d be glad to go there just for you. He noticed how light his chest felt when he caught the toothy grin it elicited from you. You’d giggled in excitement, tugging on Taehyung's sleeve and bouncing toward the door, as Jungkook bit his lip, smiling at no one in particular. He should be ashamed of how good he felt, but he didn’t. Instead, he found he felt proud to have drawn such a reaction out of you. He didn’t recognize himself in that moment. What was taking over him? He palmed his keys and dutifully followed you both out to the parking lot, hoping the cool air would clear his head.
