Life's a Bumpy (and Bruising) Ride | NamKook

Notification

"Yo, Jungkook, I can't remember shit from the party last night, and Namjoon's all depressed. What'd you do?"

"That's not how you're supposed to greet an employee, hyung."

Jungkook's part-time job was, of course, at a Starbucks, and being that it was a Sunday, business was a little slower than if the usual crowds were compared to Monday's. As such, Jungkook found himself fiddling around with the different pieces of equipment during one of the many lulls in business to distract himself from the guilt that gnawed at his stomach and the anxiety that rushed through his head.

And Taehyung's presence (and intruding question) was only worsening those dreaded emotions.

"And have you actually tried asking him directly before coming to me?" Jungkook deflected, avoiding Taehyung's piercing gaze by thrusting himself into an abrupt clean-up duty.

Taehyung sighed wearily and splayed his upper body across the counter, head rested against his arm so that he stared directly at Jungkook's side profile. "Tried. He refused to spill, which he never does, and I decided you were the only other person who would've been with him last night." He trailed his fingers along the edge of the bartop. "That and I heard him rambling on about you while being dragged back to the dorm."

Jungkook raised an eyebrow, curious as to what his soulmate had to say about him. But he decided to squash that curiosity and, instead, snorted in mock amusement at Taehyung's retelling of the incident. "I thought you said you were too drunk to remember anything from last night. How'd you manage to drag him back to the dorm?"

Taehyung scoffed and waved his hand dismissively. "Jimin was an absolute angel and dragged us both inside."

Jungkook hummed in understanding, wringing out the rag he used to clean the espresso machine. "He does have a higher alcohol tolerance than you, after all."

Taehyung grumbled something underneath his breath and abruptly dragged himself off the surface of the counter, face now placed directly in front of Jungkook's. Jungkook startled, but held his gaze steady with Taehyung's, refusing to bow down to his stubborn glare.

Taehyung was the first to break eye contact (Jungkook cheered in silent victory) before pushing himself away from the counter and smartening his pose. Arms crossed against his chest, body leaning to the left, head tilted back in silent judgment.

Jungkook readied himself for the oncoming interrogation.

"Stop trying to avoid the question, Jungkook," he spoke, purposefully amplifying his voice to project a sense of authority. Jungkook wilted slightly underneath his stern glare. "My roommate's depressed, and I know you're the reason behind it, so just go talk to him already!"

Jungkook bristled under the scrutinizing speech, hands clutched tight in the fabric of his uniform's apron. It wasn't like he wanted to upset Namjoon last night. Hell, he should be the one that's upset! What kind of a hypocrite did his soulmate think he was, getting it on with someone while knowing full well that Jungkook was coming to the party and was going to (eventually) approach him?

Now that Jungkook thought about it, he hadn't actually done anything besides tell Namjoon to stop fooling around with someone physically. So, what the hell was up with the guy?

"I didn't do anything," he ended up muttering, pout tugging down the corners of his lips, arms crossed against his chest. Upon Taehyung's skeptical eyeing, he tacked on, "Just told him and his partner of the night to stop being touchy-feely, is all." He hunched further in on himself, shoulders raised up to his cheeks as his frown deepened. "I didn't appreciate having someone breathing down my ear every five seconds, so excuse me for telling the guy off."

After a few tense seconds of silence (on Jungkook's end, at least), Taehyung finally ended up releasing a deep sigh of disappointment? exhaustion? before shaking his head lightly and making his way back to the front entrance of the shop. Jungkook's tense posture relaxed a little upon seeing the sophomore's back turned toward him; relieved of no longer being the victim of his scrutinizing gaze.

Just as Jungkook let his guard fall, Taehyung, halfway out the open door, glanced over his shoulder and announced, "I'll pass the news along!" before finally leaving the disturbingly empty Starbucks shop.

Jungkook allowed his body to relax fully and made a motion that was probably to continue his task of cleaning the rest of the machines, but then his brain finally processed Taehyung's parting words, and his body instantly froze.

"Fuck," he moaned, burying his head into the palms of his hands.

He should've kept his damned mouth shut.