Jungkook hated Jonghyun.
But he loved the guy's house.
He loved the room layout of it and where the stairs were. He really liked how big it was and that every step he took echoed off the high ceilings.
"Don't get too impressed, Kookie," Jimin giggled, pushing his bedroom door open, "It really isn't fun to clean all this."
Jungkook went into the room after Jimin motioned for him to, finding it messy and so....so Jimin.
There were nice clothes thrown all over the floor, as well as clothes that Jungkook remembered Jimin having when he left for Ilsan.
His eyes fell on Jimin's bed while the older dug around in his walk-in closet.
Hanging off Jimin's headboard was the black hoodie Jungkook bought him all those years ago.
He moved over and picked it up, a bit happy that he found a hole in the front pocket. Jimin must've worn it a lot and that made him....feel funny.
"Happy Birthday to you," Jimin came out of the closet singing, making Jungkook turn around. Jimin's eyes landed on the hoodie, yet he threw on a smile and held out the box in his hands, "Here, Jungkookie."
Kook moved over, the hoodie still tucked into his left hand, and he took the box from Jimin, flipping it over to the top.
"Hyung," the younger sighed.
"I know," Jimin pouted, grabbing Jung's arm, "But you wanted one so bad...I had the money, Kookie and it's your birthday gift."
"These are expensive," Jung sat down on the bed, setting the box to the side.
"I know. I know....but it's...touchscreen so you can save your drawings on it and do your assignments and-"
"Hyung, it's a really nice gift, seriously and I love it, so much. But this...they cost way too much."
"Jungkook," Jimin took his hoodie and bundled it in his lap, "I have a good job and I could afford it. This is my gift to you and you better accept it. If you sell it for anything and hand me a single penny I will never forgive you."
Kook stared at the box for a while, playing with his fingers, "That's really harsh, Hyung."
Jimin rolled his eyes and laid his hoodie between them.
"I'm sort of surprised you kept that," Jungkook smiled, pointing to the black bundle between them, "I didn't think...it was that cool looking."
"It's comfy," Jimin shrugged, "And it's...one of the first things you got me. It means a lot to me."
Jungkook nodded, his eyes falling to the floor. After a while he mumbled, "It's pretty crazy how we just...how we became family without anyone asking why."
Jimin giggled, standing up and stretching. The movement caught Kook's attention, but his eyes wandered once he realized how good Jimin looked. He's finally healthy.
"You were so excited to have someone to play games with."
"Hey, one player mode gets boring after seventeen years. I deserved a player two."
"Yeah," Jimin smiled to himself as he moved to his vanity, "You did. You deserve a lot for how selfless you are, Jungkookie. That's why I'm giving back, okay? Because I appreciate how you and your family took me in...had me registered....protected me and loved me."
"You're part of the family, hyung. We love you because you're lovable. And nice. And a good cook. And gentle."
"Okay," Jimin laughed out, "I understand. Thank you. I love you, too."
Jungkook laid down on his stomach across Jimin's bed, bringing the older's hoodie up to lay his head on it. It smelled nice; like expensive cologne.
A couple knocks at the door had Jimin calling for their visitor to come in, which warranted Jungkook glaring at Kim Jonghyun as the oldest male kissed Jimin's forehead.
"Hyung," Jimin stood up, showing Jungkook how small Jimin was compared to this guy, "This is my brother Jungkook."
"This is the infamous Jeon Jungkook?" Jonghyun smiled at the youngest, moving over to give him a handshake, "Jimin-ah never stops talking about you or your parents. He told me you got a scholarship, that's impressive."
"Yeah," Jungkook smiled weakly, hiding his face in Jimin's hoodie moments later.
Jimin gave his boyfriend a small shrug, then hugged him lightly when he moved back to stand beside him.
"I gotta go meet my manager and I'll probably be back late tonight, but maybe not. I left enough money for you to order in or go out or whatever you wanna do."
"What about Mrs. Min?" Jimin asked.
"Her daughter came and took her out for the day. She'll be back tomorrow around noon. You can manage until then, yeah?"
"Yeah, I got it," Jimin nodded, "Are you working on promotions?"
"We're designing the album cover," he smiled.
"Cool," Jimin smiled back, hugging him lightly, "Have fun."
"You too," Jonghyun wrapped his arm around Jimin's smaller frame and kissed his forehead again, "See ya tomorrow."
"See ya," Jimin bit his lip as his boyfriend slipped away, leaving the door open since he and Jungkook would be the only two in the house.
Kook lifted his head, a sullen expression on his face, "Hyung."
"Sorry, Kookie," Jimin blushed and sat back down, "Um...do you wanna take Eomma out for dinner? I think she'd like that."
"Yeah, but...Hyung..." Jungkook paused as the front door of the house closed. "When we were younger...all the stuff we did...do you regret that?"
Jimin turned towards his vanity mirrors, looking down to the mess on the desktop, "No...I don't regret it, Jungkook. I loved you and I wanted to be with you."
"Do you hate Hoseok?"
"No," Jimin picked up a pen and started playing with it, "He's nice and you like him."
"Eomma hates him because he's not you."
"What?" The Hybrid turned to the younger.
Jungkook sighed and rolled to his back, "Yeah, she's always wanted us to be together. I did like you back then, before I left. There was a little something there, but with the distance...it kind of just...poof."
Jimin dropped his head and sat the pen down, "Yeah...poof." He sighed and closed the box with Jonghyun's engagement ring inside. He still hadn't answered him yet.
∆∆∆∆∆
"Thank you for bringing us out, Jimin," Mahi smiled across the table, grabbing Taemin's hand before lacing their fingers.
"It's no problem," Ji shrugged, "I wanted to have family dinner, but it was such short notice of Jungkookie getting here."
"It's very nice of you to treat your mother," Taemin smiled sleepily.
Jungkook was sure his dad was tired; after all, he said he had been through three stressful surgeries during work that day.
"Appa," Jimin dropped his fork and let his shoulders slump. "Will you please accept my offer now? I can do it, I promise. I wouldn't ask you to if I couldn't, you know that."
"What offer?" Jungkook looked between his dad and Jimin, his glass of water in his hand.
"It's nothing," Taemin stated, "I can't do it anyways, I have priorities. And pride."
Jimin deflated even more then went back to stabbing his green beans. He didn't look up for a while, so Jungkook turned to his mother.
She gave him a small smile, one that told him to drop it, but he was a different person than he was when he was seventeen.
"Seriously," Kook glanced between all of them, "What is it?"
"Nothing," Taemin said again, leaving Jimin with an open mouth and sad eyes.
"Dad, what's the offer?"
"I want them to-"
"It doesn't matter," his father interjected, "I won't accept no matter what. It's all a matter of my ego and I'm too selfish to let it go. Thank you, but no thank you."
Jimin shifted into his pouty mood rather quickly, his head resting against his hand as he finished his dinner.
"Jimin, baby," Mahi said gently, gaining the Hybrid's attention, "Elbows off the table, please."
Jimin slid his hand into his lap and quietly apologized, getting a soft "It's alright" from Mrs. Jeon.
Jimin's tail flicked against Jungkook's thigh, and the younger looked down to it.
Jimin's fur really was beautiful. He took care of it more, it seemed. His left ear had a small chunk taken out of it and Kook had only noticed when they were leaving Kim Jonghyun's house. He still had yet to say anything about it or ask what happened.
∆∆∆∆∆
"Kookie," Jimin leaned against the younger's doorframe.
"Yeah?" Kook asked, shoving a t-shirt into his old school bag.
"I...it's supposed to storm tonight. No one's gonna be at Jonghyun's besides me, so I...I was wondering if you'd stay with me?"
"Hyung...I have to go to the airport in the morning."
"Oh," Jimin looked to the ground, "Well, I could drive you."
"Yeah? Sure it's not inconvenient?"
"No, I...I'm inviting you to a sleepover, after all," Jimin giggled, lifting his eyes to meet Jungkook's.
"Then...yeah, I don't mind."
∆∆∆∆∆
"Jungkookie!" Jimin suddenly grabbed the younger's arm and squealed, his tail flicking in excitement, "We can make a pillow fort in the theater!"
"Theater?" Jungkook repeated.
"Yeah, it's seriously just a sheet in front of recliners, but pillow fort! Please?!"
Jungkook pushed a hand through his hair, then let out a small laugh, "Sure."
∆∆∆∆∆
Jimin was giggling as he draped the fairy lights from his bathroom over the back of the recliners.
Jungkook shook his head in amusement as he laid out the many blankets over the air mattress. Jimin said this room got really cold, so they had a quilt as well as Jimin's fluffy blanket and a few throw blankets.
"Eomma would be proud," Jimin said, standing back to admire the fort (which really just looked like a canopy over their mattress).
"Yeah," Jungkook chuckled, "She would."
"Can't wait to tear it down in my sleep," Jimin smiled, stretching his arms above his head, "Oh! Let's take a picture!"
Jimin pulled out his phone and Kook moved to stand beside him as he took a photo.
The Hybrid let out a sleepy laugh then turned the camera around and put his arm over Kook's shoulders, "Smile, Kookie."
"Hyung," Kook whined, just as Jimin took the photo.
The older laughed and dropped his phone onto the small table beside the recliner closet to him, "I'm sleepy Kookie."
"Okay," Jung smiled lightly, "I...I'm gonna go call Hoseok, I'll be back in a second."
"Alright," Jimin nodded, moving over to climb under his blanket and one of the throws.
Jungkook stepped into the hall and pulled his phone out, closing the door as he tapped his boyfriend's contact.
Sadly, it went straight to voice mail and Jungkook sighed. "Hoseokie," he started after the beep, "I know you're still mad at me, but I'll explain everything when I get home. I just wanted to call and say goodnight. I'm hanging out with hyung tonight, so...I just wanted to tell you we made up. Goodnight."
After a short wait, Jungkook headed into the theater and found Jimin flipping through Netflix from the projector in the back of the room.
He put on South Park as Jungkook laid down beside him, getting comfy under the quilt and another of the throw blankets.
About five minutes went by before the rain from the storm started rolling in.
Halfway through the show Jimin was pressed into Jungkook's chest as he whimpered at the thunder.
Kook tried his best not to fall asleep, so he started talking with Jimin, wanting the older to sleep first so he knew Jimin wouldn't be scared.
"Hyung, what happened to your ear?"
"Oh," Jimin muttered, reaching up to touch the healed gap, "I pierced it and then ripped it out with my hairbrush one morning. I was half asleep," he giggled.
"Ouch, that had to suck."
"The pain was momentary," Jimin shrugged, "The nasty scab lasted a few months."
Jungkook let out a small laugh, sleepy and weak sounding, then he tilted his head to the side and pressed a kiss into Jimin's hair.
The Hybrid blushed, his tail fighting it's way out the blankets so he could move it freely.
"Sorry," Jung muttered, "Habit. I always kiss Hoseok's head before I go to sleep."
"It's okay," Jimin whispered, "It's calming."
A loud roar of thunder shook the house and Jimin wiggled as close to Jungkook as he possibly could, a few tears springing from his eyes.
"It's okay, Hyung," Jungkook wrapped him up tighter, more securely, "I'm right here."
"Thanks, Kookie," Ji whimpered, sniffling after.
Jungkook started rubbing soothing circles into the older's back, hand accidentally grazing the base of his tail.
Jimin gasped then let out a small sob, pulling on Jung's shoulder.
"Sorry," Kook mumbled, "'m tired."
"Sleep," Jimin whispered, "Your flight's early."
"You first," Kook smiled tiredly, "So I know you'll be okay."
Jimin nodded and let himself relax. The thunder sounded a little farther away with it's next clap and Jimin let himself close his eyes.
Jungkook watched him settle, felt his muscles relax, and saw how his eyes fluttered shut as his tail laid down against the mattress.
Jimin looked so peaceful to him; so serene. He looked like...a god, almost. No, Jimin was heavenly, but maybe he was more of an angel- Jungkook's guardian angel.
The younger smiled at the thought and let his hand come up to rest on the Hybrid's cheek.
He admired Jimin for a bit more, then draped his arm back over the older's waist, feeling his fur slightly touching his fingers.
Jimin's breathing was calm now, and he seemed to be dreaming as he muttered incoherent words every minute or so.
Kook found himself laying his forehead against Jimin's, stopping the uneasy mumbling from the Hybrid.
In an instant- a blurry, blank-minded instant- Jungkook was pushing Jimin's lips farther apart with his own.
Once he came back to reality, he paused, thinking of Hoseok....then he thought of what Jimin said. He realized how kissing Jimin felt.
Compared to Jimin, there was so much less spark with Hoseok and when he kissed Hoseok he was still able to breathe.
A few seconds of his lips against Jimin's and he was struggling for air.
Suddenly, Jimin started to kiss back, startling the Human. Jungkook pulled away, but yanked Jimin inevitably closer, "I'm sorry, Hyung."
"It's okay," Jimin whispered, laying his arm over Jung's side, "I love you," he smiled.