SMALL DOSES || JIKOOK✅

27

JIMIN POV

"Holy shit."

With a groan I rolled over, a
jolt of pain searing through my neck due to the awkward angle I'd been lying in since crashing for the night on the couch.

Head pounding and mouth dry,
I swallowed a few times to dislodge my tongue, which had stuck to the roof of my mouth.

Hello, hangover from hell.

Sitting up, I stretched my aching limbs, head continuing to throb as memories flooded back of Nadi's little visit.

Who the hell did she think she was, telling me how I was supposed to feel about him?

As if she knew shit.

She hadn't even met him and there she was, assuming she
had it all figured out.

What was even more
infuriating was they'd left me
out in the cold by going to
Tae's place without me,
thereby allowing Jungkook
to keep company with the
only members of my family
I cared about.

What. The. Fuck?

Envy crashed through me, mingling with anger and every other fucked up emotion.

I knew I was being childish.

Selfish, even.

And I knew I should be above
all the bullshit and be able to
just get on with things.

Act as though everything
were fine, like any mature
adult would.

But I couldn't.

In truth, everything was far
from fine.

I let out a couple of curses and stood, slamming the door shut
to the bathroom as I went
about my morning routine.

Christ. So much for trying to remain professional.

* * *

I'd made a point of waiting
till after Jungkook would be
gone to arrive at the club.

Noting there wasn't much time left to set up, I picked up a box of flameless candles from behind the bar and made my way to where Wes was setting up.

"Sorry I'm late."

"No problem."

"How are you feeling?" hobi asked, the dance floor now littered with tables and chairs
in preparation for the open mic night we held every second Tuesday of the month.

"I'll live."

I set the box down on one of
the tables and began unpacking, switching on and then placing
a candle on each surface to
add to the atmosphere.

"He gone?" I asked, gaze flickering toward the stairs
for a moment.

He rolled his eyes as he began
to help me with the candles.

"I didn't see him leave but
I've been dealing with a
couple of deliveries."

"So, are you okay?" he questioned.

"Yep." I gave him what I
hoped was a nonchalant shrug.

He scowled at me, not
buying what I was trying
to sell for a second.

When he stopped and propped his ass against the stage, folding his arms, I prepared myself for the interrogation to come.

"You sure about that?"

Another shrug.

"Could be better. I'll just have
to do what I've always done
and avoid working in the office
while he's up there, no big deal."

"Don't you think it'd be easier
if you just talked to him?" he suggested.

"There's nothing left to talk about. he knew the deal when
he hooked up with me and I'm quite happy to leave things as they are, if you don't mind."

My glare told hobi to drop it.

"Fine." he said in an acidic
tone, his voice trailing off to a whisper as he muttered something else under his breath.

"What did you say?" I asked, bristling.

Shaking his head in
disapproval, he let out a heavy sigh before he spoke.

"I said you're a fucking idiot
who has no idea what he's risking."

"Do you think connecting
with someone on that level happens every day?"

"If I'm not prepared to do
any thing about it, it doesn't matter."

"You may think it doesn't
matter but the look on your
face when he walks in the
room?"

"That my man, is some
powerful stuff."

"And I'm not talking about
the sex part either."

"Whenever he's around,
you're different."

"Better, even."

"I've never seen you respond
to anyone that way before."

"What else am I supposed to
do? If you and Tae hadn't tried
to force us together in the first place, I wouldn't be in this mess!" I snapped.

"All we did was put you both
in the same room, What happened after that was out
of our control There's no mistaking what's been up
since that boy walked through the doors of this club and the way I see it, if you don't start being honest with yourself and admit you have feelings for
him, he will be gone and you'll
be alone." He warned, giving
me his best scowl.

"Even if that's true, he told
me that between the job here and school, he had no time
for a boyfriend." I huffed, exhaling a loud breath.

He rolled his eyes. "And you chose to believe him."

"How convenient."

"Don't you realize nothing's impossible if you want it bad enough?"

"I already told you I don't
want anything from him."

His face fell.

"Whatever, I've had enough
of arguing about your
willingness to throw away
what's sitting right in front
of you."

"Call me when you grow
a pair."

"In the meantime, finish
setting up. I'm gonna get something to eat."

As he slammed the exit
door behind him.

I let out a frustrated growl
before I stepped up onto the stage and removed the heavy cover off the grand piano.

There was work to be done and
I welcomed the distraction, plugging in and testing the microphones and amp, then heading backstage to put
the cover away.

I then brought out a couple of guitars and rested them in
their respective stands.

Stage set and ready to go for when we opened in the next
hour or so, I glanced at the
stairs once more, then at the bar.

Realizing I had the place to myself, I picked up one of the Gibson acoustics and sat my
ass on the edge of the stage, plucking at the strings and toying with the haunting melody that had been inside my head since the day I'd met Jeon Jungkook.

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