"Hey...you're not still mad at me, right?" Jungkook murmurs, cheek pressed against the side of Yugyeom's head as his best friend piggy-backs him down the main path towards the drop-off zone.
The whole "hey, so I met a stranger on Saturday morning and now we're bonded" conversation at lunch had gone over pretty well, all things considered...but just like with Jaebum, his best friend hadn't exactly been thrilled to find out how many health-related secrets Jungkook's been keeping from him these past five or six weeks. Moonbin had clearly seen the warning signs ahead of time and ducked out before the two of them actually started arguing (ostensibly to meet up with Minhyuk and Sanha, but Jungkook knows how much his roommate hates conflict, so he can't really blame the werecat for wanting to escape). And it really had been an argument, at least by their standards – in the eight years he and Yugyeom have known each other, they've only come to blows (verbally, that is) on a handful of occasions, so anything involving genuine anger always feels like a Big Deal.
Still, Jungkook knows he'd kinda had it coming, what with keeping his chronic sleeplessness and daily headaches (and those awful recurrent migraines) a secret for so long. Were he in Yugyeom's shoes, he probably would've been pissed too.
"But they weren't always as bad as yesterday," he'd tried to explain, a cold sort of nausea churning in his gut and a lump lodged in his throat at seeing Yugyeom so visibly upset with him. "It wasn't even an issue until this past weekend – if they'd been like that right from the start, I would've gone to see a doctor weeks ago, I promise. But I was coping just fine...at least, I thought I was. Look, I know it sounds like a big deal, but I wasn't really keeping it a secret on purpose, I just didn't wanna worry you over nothing. I didn't think it would get worse all of a sudden. Yesterday was just...really, really bad."
"Of course it got fucking worse, Kookie," Yugyeom had fumed, throwing his hands in the air in an agitated gesture as he paced back and forth on the other side of the picnic bench. "It got worse because you ignored all those migraines for over a month and didn't fucking tell anyone how shitty you were feeling!"
"But it wasn't like that all the time," Jungkook had insisted plaintively, regretting how much food he'd eaten because now it felt like it could come back up again at any moment. "The headaches always went away so fast, and I mostly felt okay when I was at school. If I'd known things were gonna keep getting worse, I would've told you, honest. I'm sorry, Gyeomie..."
He could tell his best friend hadn't been entirely happy with that flimsy excuse, but it was also obvious that Yugyeom hated fighting as much as Jungkook did. So, with a muttered threat about dragging Kookie's ass to a healer himself the next time he so much as sneezed, the werewolf had dropped down onto the bench beside him and pulled him into a firm and much-needed hug, nuzzling the crown of his head with a soothing rumble. Just in time, too – Jungkook had probably been about five seconds away from actual tears, and one more firm rebuke would've pushed him over the edge.
He really, really hates arguing with his friends.
But before they could properly talk things over and make amends, they'd both realised the time, and Yugyeom had been forced to make a mad-dash up the path towards the business and economics building so that Jungkook wouldn't be late for class, the human-hybrid clinging onto his back for dear life. The werewolf had dropped him off right at the door to his study hall with about thirty seconds to spare – Yugyeom had wanted to go further inside, but Jungkook had point-blank refused to be carried over to his seat in front of everyone. Hell no. He'd been humiliated enough for one day, thank you.
However, the abrupt, unresolved ending to their earlier conversation hadn't sat comfortably with Jungkook. They'd hugged it out, sure, but he knew there was more that Yugyeom had wanted to say; a whole world of pain and frustration the wolf had elected to hold back for Kookie's sake. Knowing they were still at odds had been fucking unbearable.
So Jungkook had continuously glanced at the clock throughout his two-hour lecture on competitive business models in land revenue, a knot of guilt and uncertainty gnawing away at his insides the whole time, the throbbing pain in his ankle almost an afterthought compared to the hollow ache in his chest. By the end of class (what felt like several decades later), Kookie had managed to thoroughly convince himself that his worst fears had finally come true; that their friendship was over, their bond would never truly recover from this day, and it was entirely his fault.
But then Yugyeom had been waiting for him in the corridor outside his classroom with a cheerful smile, nuzzling Jungkook's temple in his usual tender greeting and turning around so that the human-hybrid could hop up onto his back. As they stepped out into the sunny campus grounds, the wolf was already musing aloud about potential dates for their next sleepover at the Den, listing off all the new horror movies he and Binnie wanted to marathon. It was as if their argument had never happened at all.
Jungkook honestly hadn't intended to bring the topic up again until Yugyeom did, but his fears and doubts have been slowly building up over the past two hours and by now they've reached a boiling point.
He just has to make sure there's no lingering bad blood between them. He'll never sleep tonight if there's even the faintest sliver of doubt left in his mind about the status of their friendship; the thought of Yugyeom still being angry with him is making Jungkook feel physically sick.
"Kookie..." The werewolf huffs a quiet sigh and carefully bumps Jungkook a little higher onto his back when he starts to slip. "C'mon, bun, like I could ever stay mad at you. I won't apologise for getting upset back there, because I kinda feel like my reaction was justified, you know? But I'm sorry I yelled. You know it's only 'cause I worry about you, dude."
Jungkook's lips curl into a relieved smile, that hollow ache in his chest finally easing as he presses his face into Yugyeom's shoulder, arms curling around the werewolf's necks in a tighter sort of back-hug, a little too emotional to speak for a moment. He'd seriously been so worried about losing the trust of his oldest and dearest friend because of his own stupidity, but now he feels dumb for overthinking things (again) and assuming the worst. Of course Yugyeom would never throw their friendship aside over a little argument – he's way too sweet and forgiving.
"Love you," he mumbles into the wolf's shoulder, once the threat of actual tears has safely passed.
Yugyeom tilts his head back and to the side, a sort of backwards nuzzle against Jungkook's hair. "Love you too, stupid."
"You're stupid," Jungkook retorts without missing a beat.
Yugyeom bumps him up a little higher again. "Only 'cause I'm copying you, dumb-bun."
And just like that, everything's back to how it should be. Jungkook sniffs a grin and rests his cheek against the side of Yugyeom's head again, gaze focusing back on the path ahead of them as it opens up into the circular drop-off zone. Most of the university students tend to walk, cycle or take the bus to campus (since Seoul's transport network is fairly cheap and has a regular timetable, and who the fuck can afford a car on top of tuition anyways), so there's only one vehicle waiting in the designated zone; a long, black, expensive-looking car with fully tinted windows both front and back (modifications that are only licenced for certain sunlight-sensitive species). Jungkook suspects he knows who it belongs to, but then there are probably a few vampire students who attend the university during daylight hours, so he can't be certain.
Yugyeom comes to a sudden halt, still about thirty feet away from the vehicle, and Jungkook feels his friend grow tense beneath him.
"Hey," he murmurs, giving Yugyeom a squeeze where his arms are still draped over the wolf's shoulders. "Am I getting too heavy? Here, let me down, it's not far – I can just hop the rest of the way."
The wolf doesn't acquiesce to his request – doesn't seem to register his words at all, actually – his gaze still fixed on the immobile car as he slowly cocks his head to one side.
"You don't feel that?" the werewolf asks, his voice so hushed that Jungkook wouldn't have heard it at all were it not for his hybrid genes.
"Feel what?"
Yugyeom sucks in a slow, shuddering breath. "That," he articulates. "You don't...the air doesn't feel different to you?"
Jungkook breathes in deeply, but all he can smell are the late spring blossoms on the nearby cherry trees and Yugyeom's comforting pack-scent.
"...no?"
The werewolf takes a careful step backwards, and then another, moving them several paces further away from the drop-off zone, his grip on Jungkook shifting as he glances around.
"It's...ugh, fuck, I feel weird," Yugyeom mutters, and shakes his head like there's water in his ears or something. "Kook, I don't think we should go this way. Maybe you could ask you boyfriend to meet us at the bus stop?"
Jungkook's genuinely concerned now. Yugyeom's not easily spooked, and like all werewolves he's got good gut-instincts (and an enviable ability to know when it's about to rain). But they've never been in a perilous situation together that would allow Yugyeom to test out his sixth sense for danger, so Jungkook can't be certain it isn't just the pollen making his friend's nose feel itchy or something.
Still, if Yugyeom's uncomfortable being here, he doesn't want to force the werewolf to ignore those instincts either, even if their surroundings seem to be perfectly safe.
"Okay," he agrees, giving his friend another squeeze, lowering his head to press his face against the side of Yugyeom's neck, seeking to comfort the wolf with the tactile contact. "I'll give Tae-hyung a call. You wanna get outta here?"
Yugyeom nods, visibly relaxing, and bumps up Jungkook a little higher on his back as he turns around to head back the way they came...
Only to stop short with a sharp inhale, immediately tensing again.
Jungkook startles and lifts his head from Yugyeom's shoulder, blinking a few times when the sunshine blinds him for a second. His vision adjusts after a moment, and his eyes go wide in surprise at the tall figure standing less than a foot away.
"Oh, Seokjin-ssi," he reacts, trying to dip his head in a polite bow as best he can.
"Jin-hyung," the vampire corrects, his lips curling up in a soft, fond smile. "Hello, little one. It's good to see you again."
Jin isn't wearing a sunhat or shades despite the clear skies overhead, and appears unbothered even though he's standing directly in a ray sunlight, the pale, unblemished skin of his handsome face fully exposed. Jungkook knows that a vampire's tolerance for sunlight is supposed to improve with age, but he's never seen a vampire willingly bask in the sun like this before with no added protection. The barrier creams and skincare products specifically designed for creatures of the night will only do so much to prevent daylight damage – Eunwoo tends to slather himself with the stuff (being a model and an actor, he generally has to work during daytime hours), but even he rarely steps outside without a sunhat and shades.
Still, if it's bothering him, Jin isn't showing any obvious signs of discomfort; his easy smile and relaxed countenance give nothing away. The vampire's warm amber gaze moves from Jungkook's face to Yugyeom's, his expression softening as he takes in the werewolf's tense posture.
"I'm sorry if my presence frightened you," he apologises gently, the lapels of his dark coat fluttering in the cool spring breeze. "I understand it can sometimes feel a little disconcerting to those with heightened senses. You must be one of Jungkookie's friends?"
Yugyeom seems temporarily unable to speak, so Jungkook answers for him, giving the werewolf's temple a reassuring nuzzle. He remembers how big and powerful Jin had felt the first time they'd met on Saturday, his presence seeming to fill the whole apartment, and even with his hybrid instincts mostly dormant, Jungkook had still wanted to run and hide. But he doesn't feel that now, not even a little bit. He just feels...safe.
During lunch, he'd briefly described his interactions with all of Tae's nestmates, but he'd left out the details about their individual enhancements – he hadn't wanted to betray his new hyungs' confidence by revealing such private information, especially when it came to Yoongi's gift of foresight and Jin's...whatever. But now he regrets not warning Yugyeom ahead of time about the eldest vampire's tangible authority, especially given that the wolf's senses are dialled up way higher than his own. Kookie can only imagine how unsettling it must feel.
"This is Kim Yugyeom, my best friend," he supplies cheerfully. "Gyeomie, this is Seokjin-hyung, one of Tae's nestmates."
Yugyeom's breath leaves him in a shaky whoosh, clearly relieved by the familiarity between Jungkook and the powerful newcomer, his tense posture relaxing a little. He recovers enough to dip forward in a quick bow, very nearly dumping Jungkook headfirst onto the ground in the process; the hybrid clings tighter to his best friend's shoulders with a startled yelp.
Large, strong hands steady them both, Jin's laughter a delighted, musical sound that seems to make the world around them glow even brighter for a moment.
"Here, pup, let me help you with that," the vampire murmurs, still smiling, hands shifting to form a surer grip on Jungkook. "If I may?"
In an effortless show of strength that suggests he's done this many times before, Jin plucks Jungkook from the werewolf's back and swings him up into his arms as though he weighs nothing at all, holding him as Namjoon had done the previous day with one arm wrapped around his back and another beneath his knees.
Jungkook feels his cheeks tinge pink as he automatically clutches at the vampire's shoulders, heart beating a little faster. It's not that he particularly dislikes the position (not at all, actually), but yesterday he'd barely been able to lift his head, let alone walk on his own, so the whole carrying-him-around thing had been something of a necessity at the time. The only thing wrong with him today is a mildly sprained ankle, so being cradled like this in Jin's arms seems a little excessive. He swears Tae and his nestmates all think he's made of glass or something.
"Hyung, it's alright, I can walk-" he tries to insist.
"No he can't," Yugyeom refutes, far too cheerfully (aish, every bit the traitor Moonbin had been earlier that day).
"No you can't, dearheart," Jin echoes, with a look of sympathy. "Not on that poor ankle. We'll have Joonie take a look at it, I'm sure you'll be back on your feet in no time. Yugyeom-ah, would you care to join us? There's plenty of room in the car. Or is your Alpha expecting you home?"
The werewolf's hands fiddle with the strap of his satchel, gaze flitting to Jungkook's face quickly, their eyes locking for a brief moment. They've known each other long enough that Jungkook can see the unspoken question there, the silent "do you need me to stay?" that they've communicated to each other numerous times over the years. As always, Jungkook's touched by his friend's loyalty and protectiveness, but despite his mild embarrassment at being carried around like a helpless child, he's never felt more comfortable or content than he is right now, cradled safely in Jin's arms. There's something about the gentle vampire, about all of Tae's nestmates come to think of it, that drastically lowers his guard in a way he's never experienced with anyone else before. Despite his mind telling him that he's only met Jin once before, his instincts are saying family, and all his usual inhibitions have faded away into the background. There's a level of trust there that he can't quite explain, an absolute bone-deep surety that Tae and his nestmates won't ever hurt him.
He doesn't fully understand how or why he feels that way, but he imagines it probably has something to do with his newly-established bond. That's something for future-Jungkook to puzzle out whenever he finally gets a moment to think straight between all these unexpected meet-ups.
At the slight shake of his head, a silent reassurance that he'll be fine on his own, Yugyeom's gaze shifts back to the vampire, a more confident smile curling at his lips.
"Thank you, but Jaebum-hyung's probably waiting for me," the werewolf answers, fixing his satchel-strap more comfortably across his chest. "It was nice meeting you, though. And thank you for taking care of Jungkookie."
"Jaebum? As in, Im Jaebum?" Jin asks curiously, and Jungkook glances up at him, matching Yugyeom's look of surprise. Taking their reactions as confirmation, the vampire grins delightedly. "Oh! I knew he'd recently taken in another cub, but I never had the chance to meet you in person. Do give my love to the pack, won't you? And tell Mark I've managed to source that book on Dheigi water spirits he's been looking for."
Still looking vaguely stunned, Yugyeom nods jerkily.
Jin's smile softens further. "Thank you. I'll let you go before the rain comes, but I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again soon." He takes a small step closer. "May your feet carry you safely home, lupellus."
The vampire blows gently, as he had on Jungkook's hands a couple of days ago, and the breeze picks up around them (warmer than it had been moments before), Yugyeom's eyes closing as it briefly ruffles at his fringe. Then the werewolf blinks, looking dazed but happy, ducking his head in a quick bow as his cheeks flush faintly pink.
"I...thank you." Yugyeom gaze flickers upwards, shifting to meet Jungkook's, his smile more genuine than it had been before, something a little bit like excitement brimming behind his eyes. "Hope your ankle feels better soon, Kook. Message me later, okay?"
"I will," Kookie promises, somewhat baffled by what's just happened but glad to see his friend looking so relaxed again. "I'll text you as soon as I'm home. Say sorry to the team at practice tonight, won't you? Tell everyone I'll be back by Wednesday."
"Sure thing," the wolf agrees as he waves, already turning to leave, apparently very eager to get home all of a sudden. "Bye, love you!"
Well. That was weird.
As Jin turns to head back down the path towards the parked car, Jungkook casts him a tentative glance, a thousand questions tumbling around in his head. Jin catches him looking and smiles fondly.
"Something you'd like to ask me? Go ahead, little one."
Jungkook feels his cheeks flush hot again at the term of endearment (god help him, he really likes the way Jin says it), but as always his insatiable curiosity outweighs his shyness.
"What was that?" he asks hesitantly. "The...blowing thing?"
Jin's smile curls a little wider, and he chuckles softly, shaking his head like Jungkook's just said something particularly cute.
"A blessing," the vampire answers after a beat. "A rather traditional one, I'll admit, but it's the sentiment that counts. It'll keep your friend safe from harm on his journey home...unless he has the misfortune of being as clumsy as you are, my dear."
That last part is said teasingly, and Jungkook finds he's comfortable enough in the elder's presence to drop his head against Jin's shoulder with a soft whine of complaint, but he's unable to hide his smile at the vampire's answering chuckle. Man, that's a sound he could listen to forever. It makes him feel so warm and fuzzy and happy inside.
"Where's Tae-hyung?" Jungkook asks after a beat, belatedly remembering his boyfriend's absence. Not that he's complaining about Seokjin being here to collect him, but he isn't the vampire Jungkook had been expecting.
"Waiting in the car," Jin answers, and shoots a look of fond exasperation towards the vehicle. "I'm afraid he caught the sun earlier today, so I made him stay inside while I came to fetch you. Naturally he wasn't too happy about that, but Jiminie's been keeping him company. Or sitting on him, most likely – TaeTae can be rather stubborn, as I'm sure you've already gathered. Quite the fighting spirit. It's little wonder he was drawn to you, bunny – the two of you are very much alike."
They've reached the car, and Jin pauses briefly to stare at it for a moment, before the back door pops open seemingly of its own accord. It's probably the least surprising thing that's happened so far today, so Jungkook decides not to question it at this point (he'll probably just end up even more befuddled), allowing the vampire to lean down and ease him inside.
"Kookie!" Taehyung chirps, from the far side of the backseat, where Jimin actually does appear to be sitting on him. "Dude, get off, I'm not gonna bolt anymore."
As soon as Jimin has slid gracefully from the younger vampire's lap, Tae's scooting across the seats to wrap his arms around Jungkook in a tight embrace.
"Hi, baby," his bondmate murmurs, pulling back after a beat to cup Jungkook's face between his ungloved hands. "How's your ankle?"
"S'okay," he replies, eyes closing as he takes a moment to just enjoy the skin contact – aigoo, his touch feels so much more intimate without the gloves. Smiling, he breathes in Tae's now-familiar scent and feels the residual stress of the day just melt away.
Gentle hands lift his foot and carefully work off his new Timberlands. It hurts a little, but no more than usual when he's taken a tumble; he grits his teeth and bears it so as not to unduly alarm anyone.
"Aw hon, it's looking pretty swollen," Jimin comments, and Jungkook glances down to see the blond kneeling at his feet, carefully examining his injured ankle.
And then Jungkook blinks, dumbfounded, because holy shit when the fuck did the car get so big?
He could've sworn it looked like an average-sized car on the outside – fancy and expensive, sure, but not as big as a fucking limousine. There definitely hadn't been this much distance between the back and front doors – aigoo, there's at least a full two metres' leg room between himself and the driver's seat, and the backseat's definitely a fuckton wider than the width of the car had suggested from the outside.
"Here, sweetheart." A stool is suddenly positioned under his leg to support his sprained ankle, Jin smiling up at him gently as he crouches down next to Jimin. "Is that better?"
What.
Where...where had that stool come from?
Holy fuck, holy fuck, holy fuck...
Taehyung chuckles beside him, slipping an arm around his waist and brushing a kiss against his cheek.
"It's Jin-hyung's car, Kookie," the vampire says, as though this explains everything. "It tends to be a little more...adaptable, compared to your average commercial model."
Seokjin reaches up to brush the backs of his fingers down Jungkook's cheek in the gentlest of caresses, his smile softening.
"I know this must all seem rather overwhelming, but it's perfectly safe," he reassures. "I just thought a little extra leg-room might be of benefit – you really ought to have elevated that ankle during your afternoon class, Kookie."
Jungkook feels himself blushing again (fuck, one day his capillaries will stop being so fucking trigger-happy, but today is not that day), a tiny wry smile tugging at his lips.
"Sorry," he apologises, because that's something else he seems to do a lot around his new hyungs. "Guess it slipped my mind."
Jimin rubs his shin above his injured (and admittedly quite impressively swollen) ankle. "I'm sure Namjoon-hyung will have something to get rid of the swelling," the blond says with cheery confidence. "And something to heal up TaeTae's sunburn while he's at it."
"Shut up," the younger vampire gripes, but it lacks any real heat.
Remembering Jin's comment about Taehyung catching the sun earlier, Jungkook turns to take a closer look at his bondmate. The fully-tinted windows make the lighting in the back of the car dim enough that the discolouration is less obvious than it might otherwise have been, but there's definitely a pinkish tinge to the vampire's cheeks, darker along the top of his cheekbones and the bridge of his nose.
Jungkook makes a quiet, displeased noise in the back of his throat, reaching out to ghost his fingertips against the sun-warmed skin.
Gently catching his hand, Taehyung smiles and kisses his fingers.
"It's fine, baby, it'll be gone in a few hours," Tae reassures. "Happens all the time."
Jimin grunts in sardonic agreement, and Jin exhales a somewhat exasperated sigh.
"Far more often than it should, my love," the older vampire agrees, his tone caught somewhere between fondly amused and gently chiding as he reaches up to cluck Taehyung beneath the chin. "One of these days, I'm going to charm those sunglasses permanently onto your face."
Taehyung just smiles beatifically.
Jin sighs again with an indulgent look, nudging Jimin up from the floor and rechecking the stability of the stool beneath Jungkook's ankle before scooting backwards out of the car.
"Seatbelts, darlings," he reminds them, before closing the backseat door.
Tae reaches over to fasten Jungkook in before he even has chance to look for the belt himself, and again he's caught between giving into that mild twinge of embarrassment (because he actually can look after himself in the most basic sense, honest to god) and a warm flutter of satisfaction at the vampire's attentiveness. A cool hand slips into his own, and Jungkook glances down to see Taehyung intertwining their fingers, feeling the resultant burst of happy-love-contentment that pulses warmly in his chest. He's slowly starting to understand what their bond feels like after a few brief experiences, and there's genuinely nothing better than being able to sense the vampire's happiness as though it's his own.
"Is this okay?" Taehyung asks tentatively, giving his hand a squeeze. "Jin-hyung said I didn't need to use the gloves anymore, since you already know about the bond – not unless I get upset about something, anyway. But if it's too much-"
"No," Jungkook interrupts, unintentionally gripping Tae's hand tighter for a second, before forcing himself to relax again. "No, you're fine. I like it."
Taehyung's smile softens, and he leans in to kiss the corner of Jungkook's mouth tenderly.
"Okay. But if you need me to let go, just say so."
On the other side of Taehyung, Jimin makes a quiet noise of adoration, hands pressed against his cheeks.
"You two are so fucking cute," the older vampire coos, regarding them both with a tender gaze. Then his expression brightens anew, and he turns to open a concealed compartment next to his seat. "Hey, are you thirsty? We've got...pretty much everything, to be honest. Geez, hyung really keeps this thing stocked up."
"Kookie likes melon soda," Taehyung supplies helpfully.
Jungkook's touched that the vampire remembers that one offhand comment he'd made during their first proper date two days ago. They'd talked about so much that evening, he's surprised Tae managed to recollect such a small detail.
"One melon soda coming right up," Jimin promises, and moment later he's reaching over Taehyung to pass him the ice-cold can. "Tae, hon, you want anything?"
The younger vampire shakes his head. "I'm good. Here, baby let me get that for you."
Jungkook had been trying to open the can one-handed, unwilling to relinquish his comforting grip on Taehyung, the can wedged between his knees as he tries to get a thumbnail beneath the tab. Taehyung reaches over with his free hand and effortlessly pops the tab open with his little finger.
Right. Enhanced strength. That's something he keeps forgetting about.
"Oh! Did you see that news article from this morning?" Tae suddenly asks, pulling out his phone. "About the new tribe of merfolk they just found near the Bermuda Triangle? Apparently there's like hundreds of them, a whole colony, they've been living in this giant sea cavern below the surface..."
Jungkook rests his head against Taehyung's shoulder as the vampire angles the phone towards him, smiling as he lets his bondmate blabber on enthusiastically about the once-thought-extinct species and the lost city of Atlantis and how Tae had always dreamed of meeting a living merman, how he knows there has to be more of them out there.
"I mean we've only explored, what, ninety percent of the ocean so far?" the vampire continues passionately. "And that area near the Bermuda Triangle has been surveyed so many times because of all the shipwrecks and stuff in the past – if they didn't notice a whole colony of merfolk right under their radar, who's to say there aren't more cities scattered across our coastline, hidden from sight?"
"Tae's a nature-documentary addict," Jimin reveals in a stage-whisper, glancing over at Jungkook with a fond grin. "Once he gets started, there's really no stopping him. He'll be researching merfolk for the rest of the month."
"But it's so cool," Tae enthuses, turning the phone to show Jimin. "Look at their architecture!"
"You've already shown me, hon," the older vampire reminds him, amused.
"Their history is pretty interesting, though," Jungkook acknowledges. "I did a project on merfolk for my art class last year; spent hours researching their culture and studying old paintings. Filled like three whole sketchbooks full of drawings – even tried my hand at sculpting, although that didn't go so well. I'm definitely more of a sketcher."
"You draw?" Jimin asks curiously, putting away his own phone and giving Jungkook his full attention.
"Oooh, can I see? Do you have photos?" Tae presses keenly.
Jungkook's usually a lot more reserved about showing people his artwork outside of the classroom, with the exception of Binnie and Yugyeom. He kinda sees his drawings as something private, almost like an extension of himself, and the fear of someone rejecting his work or critiquing it too harshly often makes him too paranoid to share the finished product with his wider friends group.
But he finds himself wanting to share that secret part of him with Jimin and Tae, his usual inhibitions falling away so easily yet again as he pulls his phone out and opens up his gallery, scrolling through his albums until he reaches the one specifically reserved for his art class sketches.
"They're nothing special," he forewarns. "Sometimes I just wanna doodle but it always kinda turns into a full-page sketch, you know?"
"Ohmygod," Jimin breathes, leaning over Tae to adjust the angle of his phone, studying the image more closely. "You drew that? Kookie, babe, holy fuck..."
Jungkook feels his cheeks heat up again, unable to keep his lips from curling into a pleased little smile, satisfaction blooming in his chest at their positive reactions. It's not like he needed anyone's validation, not really – he's proud of his artwork, that's why he stubbornly refuses to give up on his evening classes even though they're not covered by his scholarship and it invariably ends up costing him a third of his annual wages. It's so fucking worth it, though – the quality of his recent work compared to the sketches he'd submitted just over a year ago, aish...it's like he used to draw blindfolded or something. Maybe he won't ever be able to pursue art as a full-time career like he wants to (his parents would be so fucking disappointed if he dropped out of university for the sake of his 'hobby'), but being able to dabble in sketching and painting on the side will be a huge stress-relief if nothing else. Besides, if he keeps working hard at it, he might even be able to sell a few pieces one day. Yugyeom's been begging Jungkook to draw him a tattoo for his twenty-first birthday (he's got several pages of ideas sketched out already), and if it turns out okay then that's always an option for a little extra on-the-side while he's finishing his business degree.
"Fuck, I wanna get that one on a t-shirt," Taehyung admires, leaning over the phone as he zooms in on the watercolour merman sketch. "This is a fucking masterpiece, dude, how are you even real?"
Aigoo. Being praised feels really fucking nice.
Jungkook could get used to this.