on patrol | vol. i ✓

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

"We uh...we should get going," the smaller man begins slowly, realizing that everyone's eyes are on the two of them. Sure, they are nowhere near finishing their late-night dinner, but they can't stick around after putting on that show. Jimin pulls out his wallet, but is stopped by Jungkook, who's still twitching a little from the attack.

"Let me pay," Jungkook spits out rapidly before making a strangled noise. He whips his wallet out and basically rips some bills out of it before placing it on their table. "I'm sorry!" he manages to basically yell out before dragging Jimin out the tent. Jimin doesn't put up a fight.

They manage to walk in silence for a few minutes before Jimin stops and tugs on Jungkook's sleeves. "Hey, you alright?" he asks softly, biting his lower lip, and Jungkook dies a little inside at how adorable the man looks.

"Yeah....sorry about the...mess," Jungkook mutters, feeling extremely self-conscious. Man, he thought the day couldn't get any worse after the riot, but now he's managed to embarrass himself in front of his date in probably one of the worst ways possible.

"No, I'm sorry," Jimin blurts out, and Jungkook peers at the other man curiously.

'Why would you be sorry?"

"I'm sorry for...egging you on. I shouldn't have done that..."

"Don't apologize for that, I was being an idiot," Jungkook replies, hanging his head low. This is awkward now, and Jimin's never going to like him back now and-

"Why did you do it?" Jimin asks quietly after a brief moment of silence. Jungkook sighs lowly. Well, the cat's basically out of the bag already, and he doesn't think he has a shot at salvaging this date anyway, so...

"I didn't want to look like a wuss...but I guess just made things worse," Jungkook admits pitifully, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"You? A wuss? Are you kidding me?" Jimin asks, his eyes wide open. Jungkook jerks his head up and stares at the smaller man. "You fight crime, you have four stab wounds and you just came back from a riot, and you think I'd ever consider you a wuss?" Disbelief is evident in his voice, and the officer swallows nervously at the tone. "I'm not going to think any less because you can't eat spicy food. Do you think less of me because I can't watch scary movies?"

"What? Of course not!"

"Exactly."

"Oh..."

"So...are you still hungry?"

"After all that water, no not really...but I guess you must be hungry."

"No, I'm good. Plus, it's getting late, I should walk you home," Jimin says with a soft smile. Jungkook opens his mouth to argue that he should be the one taking the smaller man home but decides against it. It feels nice to be sort of taken care of, so he lets Jimin walk him back to his apartment.

"I had a nice time," Jimin starts once they are standing in front of Jungkook's apartment. Jungkook flashes the other man a lopsided grin before nodding slowly.

"Can I...can I hold your hand? For a minute? Before you go?" the officer asks, resting his back against door behind him. Jimin lets out a small twinkle of laughter before he leans forward towards the taller man. Then with a coy smile, he tugs at the other man's collars, bringing his face down a few inches.

"After what happened today, I think you deserve a bit more," Jimin breathes out shyly before placing his lips tenderly against Jungkook's cheek. The officer stares with his jaws slack and his eyes wide open as Jimin pulls back with a shy smile on his face. "Good night, officer," the smaller man says before taking his leave.

Jungkook doesn't think he's had a better day in his life.

-

After his super late night meal, Namjoon find himself nursing a cup of tea in his hands as he watches Seokjin put the plates away. Namjoon knows that he should be heading home soon, but he's enjoying the serene and warm atmosphere of the apartment too much. Perhaps this was what he needed after the hectic day. Some sense of normalcy. Interaction with someone outside of the station who isn't a criminal, knowing his son is safe and sound.

"Does...Tae remember his mother? If you don't mind me asking," Seokjin asks carefully as he sits back down. "It's just that...he never draws her or talks about her."

"Tae was...really little when we got a divorce. He used to ask why he doesn't have a mother when all his friends do..." Namjoon begins after a moment of silence. He's not used to talking about this part of his life, but he figures perhaps letting the bottle open might help the pain and guilt that's constantly with him.

"Oh...I'm sorry..."

"No, it's fine...He's gotten used to the idea of it just being between me and him. At least I think that's the case. I mean, the divorce was kinda nasty, so I can't really talk to him about it. Not yet anyway."

"I see..."

"Well enough of this depressing talk. What about you? Are you...single? Married?"

"Oh, definitely not married. And definitely single," Seokjin answers with a toothy grin.