The last thing Jimin expects to see when he reaches the bottom of his apartment complex's stairs – okay maybe not the last thing, but still – is Namjoon's nice, new car sliding up to the curb, the passenger window sliding down, and Jungkook's head popping over from the driver's side to say,
"Hey hyung! Get in! Let's go for a drive!"
"Kook-ah, what the fuck?" Jimin says it with a chuckle. And of course, he slides into the front seat of the car. "Is this even legal? Do you have an international driver's license?"
Jungkook pulls away from the curb, keeping his eyes responsibly on the road. But he squishes his brows together, and even from the side, Jimin can see the little crease between them.
"Of course this is legal. You'll seriously get into a car with Namjoon hyung – the literal god of destruction – no questions asked, but with me, your best friend of ten years, you start asking questions?" Jungkook whines, but it's all fun.
"Listen," Jimin starts. "I have lots of questions."
Jimin can't be sure, but it looks like Jungkook's fingers tighten on the gear shift.
"I'm sure you do," he says lowly, softly.
Jimin's heart nearly leaps out of his throat.
"Let's save questions for later," Jimin quickly says, reaching forward to turn on the car's Bluetooth and connect his phone. "If we're going for a drive, we need jams."
Jungkook steers Namjoon's car onto the highway, heads out of the city and into the rolling mountains. The fog has let up a little. Enough to make driving feel like less of an extreme sport, but not enough to give the pair a glimpse of the mountain's peaks.
Jimin finds the song he's looking for and presses play with a grin. The opening chords begin, and Jimin cranks the volume.
"No!" Jungkook wails. "Jimin hyung, no. Spare me. Please."
Jimin throws his head back and laughs.
"I'm just trying to live out my Twilight fantasy, okay?"
"We're not even in Washington," Jungkook grumbles.
Although Jungkook hates the series, Jimin knows he will sit and listen to the soundtrack with Jimin. When they decided to spend the semester in Oregon, Jimin had forced Jungkook to watch every single movie with him. A few times, actually. So he knows a little indie music is nothing.
Yeah, Jimin knows Jungkook will listen.
And he does.
The winding highway loops bend after bend. Every so often rain sprinkles down, and Jungkook calmly turns on the windshield wipers. They squeak back and forth, back and forth. Jimin belts the English lyrics. Eventually Jungkook does, too.
This should be weird, Jimin thinks. But it isn't. It's perfectly normal. Driving around with Jungkook, exploring the place that reminds him of home but also reminds him they're an ocean away. It's always been natural with Jungkook, but maybe Jimin should be worried last night might ruin things. Might make things awkward, might pick them apart.
But Jimin has a feeling it won't.
Jungkook's presence grounds Jimin, even as they climb this mountain. He's fresh from the gym; it doesn't look like he showered. His hair is pulled up in a bun, his clean tshirt stretches across his chest. Jimin can smell his deodorant and laundry detergent, the warm air of the car thick with his musk. All of it's nothing new, but today it makes Jimin lightheaded. It makes him a little delirious, a little achy. He's drawn to Jungkook now, like some switch in his brain went zero to a hundred in less than twelve hours.
So it feels right to reach over and put his hand on Jungkook's, over the shift. The younger hardly flinches. Just smiles.
After half an hour or so, Jungkook turns onto an unmarked gravel road. Jimin knows they're pretty high up, but he isn't ready when the trees clear and Jungkook pulls the car up to the edge of a landing. A lookout, of sorts. All he can see are the tops of the clouds. There must be a trail that leads up here. Benches and picnic tables line one side, but the other is only marked by a rickety guardrail. They're parked in the middle.
Jimin turns the music down to a hum.
"What's this, hm? Makeout mountain or something?" Jimin asks.
His hand still rests atop Jungkook's, tattooed knuckles shifting under his palm.
"Just a place Namjoon hyung told me about," Jungkook says. His voice sounds distant, like the words come from the far corner of his mind. "I mean, we can make out if you want to."
Jimin splutters and slaps Jungkook's chest.
"I was kidding!" Jimin squeals. Jungkook giggles and grins, scrunching his nose. "We – we need to talk. Like, actually."
Jungkook sobers.
"Yeah, we do. That's what I was thinking, too. Why I brought you here."
"If it doesn't go well, are you going to throw me off the side of the mountain?" Jimin asks, theatrically serious.
Now it's Jungkook's turn to shove playfully at Jimin's shoulder.
"I will if you keep up the sass!"
They laugh. Together. As they wind down, Jungkook's hand sneaks out, grabs Jimin's again. The way their fingers interlace so easily – like their hands were made to hold the other – has something itching behind Jimin's eyes.
"Jungkook-ah."
Jungkook keeps his eyes down, traces the contours and lines of their woven hands.
"Hm?"
"Talk to me."
Even if Jungkook won't look at Jimin, Jimin won't look away. The corners of Jungkook's lips dip down. Not a frown. It's thoughtful, shy. Reserved.
"So," Jungkook begins. He takes a deep, steadying breath and lets it out. Jimin can see the artery in his neck pulse, can see the leftover tracks of sweat on the skin concealing it. Sticky, salty. Jimin resists the urge to untwine their fingers to run them across it. "Um. Last night."
Jimin squeezes his hand instead.
"Yeah, last night. Things happened."
An exhaled huff.
"Yeah. Hyung, I hope you know I – I don't expect anything else to happen. You were drunk, and I really shouldn't have said anything. O-Or let anything happen, like it did. It was...really intense."
Jimin rubs his thumb over Jungkook's knuckles, rests their hands on the center console. Just like their hyungs did the night before.
"Hey, it's okay," Jimin soothes. Jungkook's palm is starting to sweat, so Jimin unlaces his fingers and gives into his urges. The skin of Jungkook's neck is warm, sticky like it looks. Jimin kneads the muscles there, encourages him to relax. "You're right, I was drunk and it was intense. But it felt really good. For me, at least. And I still feel good about it. Do you?"
Jungkook's head snaps up.
"Really?" he squeaks. "I mean, yeah. Fuck, yeah. I feel – fantastic."
Jimin giggles at Jungkook's repeated enthusiasm.
"How long have you been thinking about kissing me, hm?"
It's a teasing question, but Jungkook is very serious again.
"Well..." Another deep breath. "When we accepted the offer abroad. That day – well, that moment, really – I told myself I wouldn't let myself come back to Korea without telling you. How I feel, I mean. Wanted to go back home with you. Like – with you."
A smile crawls up Jimin's cheeks.
"Is this the first time you've procrastinated something? Like, ever? It's the last week of school, Jungkook-ah, it's not like you to put something off like this."
"Yah! I'm serious!"
"Watch it," Jimin warns, always teasing. "Just because we dry humped in my bed doesn't mean you get to disrespect your hyung."
Jungkook's cheeks flush.
"Hyung, please," he mutters.
"So you've liked me the whole time we've been in America?" Jimin asks. His fingers toy with the little hairs escaping Jungkook's bun, now. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"
Jungkook swallows roughly.
"Loved."
"What?"
Jungkook clears his throat and looks right at Jimin. His eyes swim. Not with tears, but with something deeper. Something warm and churning and honest and vulnerable.
"Hyung, I've loved you since middle school."
Jimin's fingers freeze.
"You...?"
"I told you that I think about kissing you everyday. I was serious. Every day since I've met you, Jimin. I've loved you. I love you. And I wanna kiss you everyday. From now on, I wanna – I just – I love you so much."
Jungkook might not cry, but Jimin sure will.
But instead of letting his tears of discovery, his tears of relief slip down the slope of his nose, Jimin grips the back of Jungkook's neck and pulls him into a kiss.
"You're – " Jimin says against Jungkook's lips, " – you're so. Fucking. Annoying."
When Jungkook smiles, Jimin kisses his teeth. It's exactly like last night. All-consuming, fiery want tumbling from Jimin's mouth, his hands, his chest. The middle console pinches his side, but he couldn't care less. Jungkook's strong hands hold him firm, guiding his jaw to shape and mold to his vision.
"Says you," Jungkook breathes.
Jimin pulls back with a sloppy, wet noise.
"I'm so stupid, Koo," Jimin sighs. His tears have fallen, have mixed with their saliva, are clinging to their lips. "For so long, you've...and I didn't even know..."
"Shh," Jungkook says. His thumb brushes more tears aside, his tongue licks his tear-stained lips, his wide eyes blink. "I have you now."
Jimin lets his head fall forward, thunks their foreheads together.
"Let's go back. I want to snuggle. And eat."
On cue, Jimin's stomach gurgles obnoxiously. Jungkook immediately slides his seatbelt back on, throws the car into drive.
"I need to step on it, you're scary when you're hungry."
This earns him another slap to the chest.