Work Text:
"I'm a handful, but that's what hands are for.
Pin me to the floor, treat it like it's yours."
This is crazy, absolutely crazy. Asking his best friend's boyfriend's friend, absolutely-zero-commitments Jeon Jungkook, to be his fake date just to show off to an ex? Jimin guessed he couldn’t run away from his own plan.
What could go wrong anyway?
***
Messages:
mimi: i knew it
mimi: i fucking knew it
mimi: god i feel so fucking stupid
soulmate: ): what happened
mimi: that asshole is bringing him to the weekend thingy
soulmate: the weekend with your co-workers?
mimi: yeah
mimi: remember when he used to repeat over and over that they were just friends?
mimi: lmao i hate him
mimi: how could i waste almost two years of my life with him
“I’ve moved on and all of that,” Jimin was saying as he poured another glass of wine. “But it annoys me because it proves that I was right, you know? That every time I asked about Seungmin and he said I was overreacting, I was right.”
His relationship with Yejoon was dead before they broke up but instead of ending things in a peaceful way, his ex had the audacity to turn into a bigger asshole after that. Jimin still surprised himself thinking about how in love he was with him when it was obvious that he was a living piece of shit.
He didn’t deserve neither Seungmin nor him.
“Well, you are free now so fuck him,” Taehyung said, chewing his noodles as he winked at Jimin. “The best thing you can do is be polite and mind your business during the weekend with your co-workers. You are not even supposed to be all together all the time, right?”
“We have a dinner on Saturday and then a lunch on Sunday.”
“You can even avoid them if you want,” Taehyung pointed out with a smile, trying not to fuel Jimin’s anger.
Jimin knew that Taehyung was who had been by his side, supporting him after his break-up so he guessed that, deep inside, his best friend was worried about him. It was going to be the first time they were going to spend a couple of days together after over four months avoiding each other.
“I bet Hoseok and his husband are going.”
Jimin pouted against his glass, “Yeah. Hoseok and Namjoon are coming.”
The problem was that Jimin was sure that Yejoon wanted to show his new boyfriend off, especially in front of him. After all the nasty things he had said about Jimin during the past months, he had no doubt that he would do whatever he had to do to piss Jimin off a little more. To keep nudging him until Jimin snapped at him and he could say that he had been right all this time when he said that Jimin was the bad guy in all of this.
Why did he fall in love with someone like him?
Jimin took another sip as an idea started forming inside his mind.
Contrary to his ex, Jimin had never shared much about his private life or his feelings towards the break-up, hence it was so easy for Yejoon to spread fake rumours about him.
But what if he wasn’t so private about himself anymore?
“Oh no.” Taehyung tilted his head to the side to stare at him. “ Oh no. ”
“What?”
“You have that look .”
“What are you talking about?”
Taehyung poked Jimin’s cheek. “The look of ‘I’ve just had a crazy idea’”.
They had been best friends for more than a decade and on top of that they were soulmates. Jimin couldn’t feel surprised when Taehyung read him like an open book. He was the only person on Earth that considered him a transparent person after all.
“I was thinking that maybe I should bring my boyfriend too.”
Confused, Taehyung scrunched up his nose. It was impossible that Jimin had been hiding a boyfriend to him , so Jimin waited in silence until his best friend reached his own conclusion.
Jimin couldn’t feel prouder of his idea.
“Okay but, Mimi, everybody knows I’ve been dating Yoongi for years. How am I going to pretend to be your fake boyfriend?”
“Who said you are going to be my fake boyfriend?”
Taehyung pointed at Jimin with his chopsticks as he furrowed his brow, thinking about the friends that could do that for Jimin. They knew damn well that Jimin could count his safe people with the fingers of one hand and most of them had been taken for years, like Hoseok and Namjoon or Taehyung and Yoongi. Jin was spending his Holidays in New Zealand with his cousins. And…
A smirk bloomed on Taehyung’s lips, “I see, sneaky boy.”
“He will love the idea.”
Even if Jimin had faith in his plan, the truth was that he wasn’t so sure about it. There was a time in which Jeon Jungkook would have accepted any crazy idea that left Jimin’s lips but around his break-up and during the next months their relationship had become so…
“So this is how you finally admit that you’ve been crushing on Kook for months?”
“What.”
Weird .
That was how their relationship was now.
Extremely weird.
Because when Jimin was still dating Yejoon they fell in a dynamic of bickering when they met. Jungkook used to tease him, telling Jimin that the best life was the life without commitments, and Jimin always struck back whispering that, maybe , the problem was that nobody was ready to deal with someone like him.
It was their thing… until it disappeared.
And then they had to face something else .
“Don’t lie to my face, Park Jimin. Yoongi has noticed it too.”
“He’s hot but I’m not crushing on him,” Jimin huffed before opening his mouth to ask for some noodles. “I had enough with my ex.”
Taehyung rolled his eyes, shifting on the couch to bend his legs and press them against his chest.
“Just say you would be hitting on him if he hadn’t stated so many times that he was a ‘hook-up’ guy and that he wasn’t into relationships.”
It was Jimin who rolled his eyes this time.
“Would I sleep with him if I was completely sure that everything would stay the same after that? Yes. Does that mean I have feelings for him or whatever you think? No way.”
“Fine. That’s more than what you’ve confessed in months. I’ll take this as a win.” Taehyung’s gaze moved from Jimin’s face to his phone on the coffee table. “Now message him.”
It wasn’t dumb, was it?
Jimin would say that Jungkook and him were pretty close to be proper friends and they were going to a really fancy hotel in the middle of the mountains. They didn’t even need to spend a lot of time together and it was just for a weekend —in fact, for less than that—.
God, what if Jungkook turned him down?
What if he thought he was the typical crazy ex because of this?
Or even worse, what if Jungkook thought he was still in love with Yejoon?
“Don’t start overthinking after making the decision,” Taehyung said as he handed Jimin his phone and leaned against him to see the conversation with Jungkook.
“You just want to read our messages, you piece of shit.”
Messages:
mimi: hey are you casually free next weekend and looking for a fancy adventure?
dumbass: elaborate on that
mimi: my co-workers have planned a weekend in a hotel and i’m not going to go alone
dumbass: and instead of asking taehyung you are asking me to go with you because…
mimi: why don’t you say yes so i can tell you after that that i need you to be my fake bf but that you’ve already said yes
dumbass: wo wo wo wo wooooooo
dumbass: is this how you ask hot guys on dates? cause i’m not really into that pretty
mimi: 🙄
mimi: meet me tomorrow at 5:30pm at the coffee shop next to yoongi and tae’s place
dumbass: always so bossy 💘
***
Jungkook was Yoongi’s best friend, almost like a little brother. But while Yoongi was a cute, quiet introvert, Jungkook was probably the most chaotic and unpredictable person Jimin had ever met.
Jimin would never forget that Summer he lost his mind and came back from his hometown with his right arm completely tattooed. Or that night he decided he wanted to see how he looked with blonde hair.
Jungkook was just like that.
And also stupidly hot. No matter what he was doing, no matter if he wasn’t even trying.
He was breathtaking even when he was wearing his big sized clothes and his eyes were barely open because the night before he was partying until it was really, really late.
“Hey, pretty,” Jungkook greeted him after taking the seat across from Jimin’s with a grin curling up his lips.
Judging by the big backpack he was carrying, Jimin guessed he’d had a photoshoot that day. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so harsh with him the day before. Asking if he was really free to meet would have been nice. But sometimes he took advantage of that soft spot he knew Jungkook had for him.
“Long day?” Jimin pointed at the backpack and drew an apologetic smile. “I ordered that vanilla iced coffee you like so much. Hope it was okay.”
“Are you trying to buy my official yes with coffee?” Jungkook teased as his grin got wider, his hands leaving the backpack on the free chair next to him. “And not really. We are filming a MV outdoors and although we checked the weather last night, it was so windy and sunny that we had to push it back.”
“Oh. Isn’t that like… super bad for your tight schedule or something like that? The last time something like this happened you were stressed for days.”
Jungkook tied up the upper part of his curls in a cute bun and shrugged, “Not really. Since it’s outdoors, this time we have more days saved for things like this. The band wants something that looks, I don’t know, like basic, you know? But basic my ass.”
“Let me guess… indie?”
A soft chuckle left Jungkook’s lips and Jimin smiled.
“So… what’s that fake boyfriend thing you were talking about yesterday? And don’t tell me this is because of that dick you have for an ex.”
Jimin tilted his head down and pulled at the sleeve of his thin cardigan. Was he that predictable that Jungkook hadn’t needed the context to guess why he needed him as a fake boyfriend?
Did that mean that this was a terrible idea?
“Okay, then I won’t tell you that.”
“Jimin…” Jungkook’s hand grabbed his fingers to stop him from ruining the sleeve of one of his favourite clothes. “Hey, look at me. Is he saying some shit about you again? Maybe it’s time that you tell your own version too and…”
“No. It’s… no.” His fingers slipped under Jungkook’s and Jimin missed the warm of his skin almost instantly. “He’s taking his new boyfriend with him. And I don’t know.”
Jimin cut himself off when the waitress approached them to set their drinks down on their table. She smiled at them as they thanked her and Jimin soon pulled his teapot and his mug closer, waiting some minutes before pouring the hot drink inside it.
“I guess I just want to show him that I’ve also found someone. Or maybe I don’t want to go alone after he promised me so many times that Seungmin and him were only friends. I’m so dumb.”
“You are not dumb. He’s just an asshole,” Jungkook said through his teeth after taking a sip of his iced coffee. “And after all the things he has been saying about you, if I were you I would also want to show off my new partner and how happy I am without him.”
This was… weird again.
They didn’t talk so deeply about anything. Jimin always started talking about something else before Jungkook could dig inside him and take a look at all the secrets Jimin had underneath his skin.
Or Jungkook made a flirty comment and they fell again in their typical banter.
“And let’s be honest, we would be hot as fuck together. Everyone will want to be us.”
There he was.
“Everyone will want to be you to date me, you mean?” Jimin said with a cocky tone, tilting up his chin as if he was that kind of arrogant person on a daily basis.
“Don’t be delusional, baby. Everybody will wonder how did you catch someone like me.”
“Or why.”
Jungkook raised his eyebrows, “I still have time to say no, don’t forget it.”
“But you won’t, hm?” Jimin winked at him. “You are going to be my bratty, stunning boyfriend for the weekend, aren’t you?”
Jungkook sighed and Jimin giggled, knowing that he had won. Jungkook was probably in since the beginning. He had been nervous about it without reason. Even if they weren’t the closest friends, they helped each other.
Jimin would have done the same for him.
Although it would have been kind of concerning to hear an idea like this one from Jungkook’s lips.
“Well, well, well, the bratty, stunning boyfriend. Is that a compliment? I like it.”
The way Jimin had to press his lips together to not smile again after that couldn’t even be described with words.
“Just one thing before you get too excited,” Jimin pointed at his mouth. “I’ve never been a person into public displays of affection so we can skip the fake kisses.”
Jungkook pouted, bringing a hand to his chest, “Not even a tiny one? This hurts.”
“You’ll have to keep dreaming about it.”
The good part was that their dynamic could be misinterpreted easily so the only difference between their real relationship and this fake thing was that they would need to be a little more clingy. Like the typical couples that had started dating and had eyes only for each other.
“Remember that’s a really fancy thing. Bring your best clothes.”
“You’ve said that around ten times already, pretty. Calm down. I’m a cinematographer not dumb.”
And it wasn’t even a random new guy.
Jungkook’s face was all over his Instagram and his Twitter account. Mainly on Twitter, where they kept teasing each other even if they were originally replying to Taehyung or Yoongi.
“So hand holding, pet names, cheek kisses, an arm over your shoulders or around your waist…”
“I think we have enough with your pretty and your baby.”
“You may have enough, not me.”
“I can’t stand you.”
“But here you are, fake dating me.”
*
Messages:
mimi sent a pic
mimi: say hi to my future boyfriend
mimi: ngl i’m scared he will be like acting too much
mimi: idk is it really a good idea?
soulmate: oh shut up and let me ship you both in peace
soulmate: just let me know how he kisses cause yoongi and i have a bet about it but we have never got the chance to talk to any of his hookups
mimi: ???
mimi: i’m not even going to ask
mimi: and fake kisses are not allowed!
soulmate: and if they are not fake?
mimi blocked you
***
Jimin had just come home from work when Jungkook messaged him to ask him if he could show him some possible outfits for the weekend.
At first, Jimin thought he meant sending him some pics but when twenty minutes later instead of getting pictures, someone knocked on his door, Jimin understood why Jungkook had insisted so much on knowing if Jimin was at home and if he’d had dinner.
“I didn’t expect you to be the type of person that surprises his boyfriend after a long day at work with food and his company.”
Jungkook’s cocky smile spread an unexpected warmth across Jimin’s chest, “I thought you already knew there’s no one like me.” He winked an eye at Jimin and walked towards Jimin’s living room after taking off his shoes to leave the bag with the food on the table and the other with the clothes on the couch. “Hope it wasn’t a bad idea to come, though. Are you sure you are not too tired?”
While the other day at the coffee shop Jungkook was wearing ripped jeans with a black t-shirt, today he was dressed in what seemed to be the most comfortable sweatpants on Earth. Jimin shouldn’t be checking him out as he walked behind him but when Jungkook turned around to talk to him and caught him staring at his butt, Jimin didn’t even try to pretend he was looking somewhere else.
“It’s fine. I prefer to yell at you in person because your outfits are terrible.”
“There are so many other better reasons why you could scream at me yet you pick that one? Accept you are gonna lose it once you see me wearing them.”
Jimin rolled his eyes as he grabbed two pairs of chopsticks and plates. Unless he was wrong, this was probably the first time that Jungkook and him were having dinner without Taehyung and Yoongi.
Possibly Jungkook was there because he wanted to tease Jimin while he showed him his different options. Maybe he had picked some really bad ones just to annoy him?
Or perhaps he was bored at home and this idea crossed his mind and that was it.
Even though Jimin tended to overthink multiple things, for once he forgot soon about it and focused on enjoying Jungkook’s company. After such a tiring day, it felt refreshing to not be alone at home, sharing their dinner while Jungkook told him about the wedding photoshoot he’d had the day before.
“So basically they didn’t like any of my ideas and did the weirdest poses. I’m not sure I’m gonna like the result but you know, the client is always right.”
Jimin laughed with his cheeks filled with food.
“Poor Jeon Jungkook, having to deal with the unpredictable ideas of a couple in love.”
“Please, don’t ask me to do that while we are at the hotel. Normal selfies looking stunning is more than enough.”
“And what about some animal filters? Don’t you want to have some bunny ears?”
“We can discuss that.”
Jimin smiled, taking a sip of water and wondering why Jungkook loved to describe himself as the zero-commitments, let me mind my own business in peace Jeon Jungkook when the truth was that he was many more things.
Things that Jimin usually forgot because it was easier to perceive Jungkook in such a simple way. But things that also were part of him, either Jungkook omitted them or not.
“Are you going to show me your outfits or you just wanted to see me?”
Jungkook left his plate on the table and turned around on the couch to stare at Jimin with a funny smile on his lips and a cocked eyebrow.
“Maybe both?”
They stared at each other in silence after that. The downside of their constant jokes was that it was impossible to tell when they were saying just the most honest truth. But that didn’t prevent his cheeks from reddening under Jungkook’s intense gaze.
“Stop hitting on me, we are already dating.”
“I’m trying to keep the flame of our love alive.”
“You just need to show me your abs for that.”
Jungkook chuckled as he grabbed the bag with the clothes. Although it was the first time they were alone at Jimin’s place, it was not the first time Jungkook was there. They had celebrated a bunch of birthdays because Jimin had the biggest living room in their group of friends.
“I was going to change clothes in the bathroom but you can always undress me if you want, pretty” he whispered as he hovered above Jimin, pressing his hand against the backrest of the couch, next to Jimin’s head.
Jimin ran a finger from Jungkook’s abdomen to his neck as he grinned at him, “Sorry, love, but that’s another thing that will have to happen in your dreams.”
“You really love to break my heart, don’t you?”
Jungkook rushed to the bathroom and Jimin straightened up on the couch as he waited for him, taking his phone to message Taehyung.
Messages:
mimi: maybe i was wrong and he’s taking it seriously
soulmate: he’s a good guy, i’m not surprised
mimi: he bought me dinner
soulmate: IS HE THERE
mimi: yeah
mimi: he’s showing me some outfits
soulmate: i shed a tear
“What do you think? I’m planning on wearing this for lunch. It’s like classy but not too fancy.”
Jungkook walked towards the couch, stopping next to it to show Jimin his outfit. And if Jimin had ever planned on making jokes about his clothes, they all disappeared from his mind the moment his eyes fell on Jungkook.
He got up and his fingers started rolling up the sleeves of Jungkook’s grey shirt.
“I’m giving you a seven out of ten because this is one of my favourite colours,” Jimin murmured but his tone was so off that it didn’t sound as playful as it should. “But I think you look better like this,” he said as he finished rolling up his sleeves, his fingers brushing Jungkook’s forearms.
“I’ll get the ten out of ten with my charisma, don’t worry.” He raised his free arm to tuck part of the hair that was falling over Jimin’s cheek behind his ear. “You like it, then?”
Jimin blinked at the sensation of Jungkook’s fingers over his face, “Yeah.” He hadn’t even registered that his fingers had wrapped around Jungkook’s elbow. “Maybe I can try to find a matching outfit. Is that too much?”
“Or you can wear a loosen shirt and let people wonder if you are wearing something that’s mine or yours.”
Why was Jungkook’s hand on his neck?
“Your ideas are surprisingly good sometimes.”
A soft chuckle escaped Jungkook’s lips as his fingers finally left Jimin’s body, “I know.”
“Remember that you can’t go barefoot, though.”
For some reason Jimin couldn’t explain, Jungkook was slowly turning the weekend into a plan that looked appealing and not like something that could make him feel terribly uncomfortable. At times, it was as if his ex and his new boyfriend weren’t even attending and the only thing that mattered was having a good time with his co-workers and Jungkook.
Maybe it was some kind of strange coping mechanism to not get stressed over Yejoon’s presence.
“Are you practising what it’s like to be able to touch me whenever you want?” Jungkook asked when he was showing him another outfit and Jimin fixed the collar of his navy blue button-up shirt.
“I’ve always touched you whenever I’ve wanted, Kook,” Jimin reminded him, his fingers now around his jaw. “That’s not new, love.”
Jungkook placed his hand on the small of Jimin’s back as a smile curled up his lips. He pulled him one step closer, their chests were practically touching. Only a few inches kept them apart.
“I can’t say the same. Maybe I’m the one who needs to practise a little bit.”
“We won’t need to be this close there, you know that, right?”
Jimin’s fingers slid down his neck to unbutton the beginning of Jungkook’s shirt, casually, just to see if he looked better like that or not. Just to keep touching him a little bit more, even if he didn’t want to admit it.
Jungkook only smiled, “This one or the other for lunch?”
“This one.”
“Because you want to play with the collar?”
And Jimin smiled too, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
Was it dangerous or simply good that Jungkook made him feel that everything was going to be fine?
*
Messages:
mimi: lmao he looks so hot with his outfits
mimi: i won’t need to pretend that i want to eat him up
soulmate: oh wow this tea is burning
mimi: he said he will pick me up so i won’t have to drive there cause i’ll prob be nervous
soulmate: cute
mimi: taehyung
soulmate: what? it’s cute
***
Jimin checked his suitcase while he waited for Jungkook to arrive —his pyjamas, another pair of shoes, his outfit for the lunch, plenty of clothes he knew he didn’t need but made him feel relaxed anyway, his make-up bag and the other he used for his skincare routine…
It was too soon to be waiting for Jungkook but Jimin wanted to arrive at the hotel as soon as possible. Surprisingly he wasn’t feeling nervous, just excited. The prospect of seeing some of his favourite co-workers and spending the dinner next to Jungkook pushed away the discomfort of having to see his ex-boyfriend with his new trophy.
He had styled his blonde hair slightly backwards, parting it in the middle and showing his undercut. It was hard not to touch it every few seconds but Jimin was trying to keep his hands pressed against his thighs or occupied with his phone.
At least the red suit he was wearing was so comfortable that he wouldn’t need to worry about it. Not like his makeup, that was so subtle that Jimin would have to retouch it in the middle of the dinner before he ended up with a smudge of eyeshadow around his eyelids.
His phone buzzed between his fingers when Jimin was scrolling through Twitter to distract himself.
“Jungkook?”
“I accidentally left my flat earlier than I should and I’m already here,” Jungkook sighed and Jimin could picture him rubbing his neck as he said that. “Can I come in or do you want me to wait here or…?”
Relief ran through his veins after that.
“I’ve been ready for almost half an hour.”
The familiar sound of Jungkook’s chuckle filled his ears, “Eager to spend the weekend with me?”
“A little bit.” Jimin grabbed his suitcase and the blazer of his suit. “Not much, though.”
“Don’t lie to me, pretty.”
Jimin hung up before Jungkook could hear him laughing or even sense him burning under his make-up, accentuating the effect of the blush he applied earlier.
Jungkook had shown him his outfit so Jimin shouldn’t be surprised when he saw him. Or that was what Jimin thought until Jungkook got out of the car to help him with the suitcase and Jimin found himself devouring him with his eyes.
His loose leopard print blouse was barely covering his chest. It was tucked in his tight red trousers and Jimin lost track of time following the pattern of black spots all over the fabric. Had his waist always been so narrow? And why did it seem that it was asking to be touched?
“Are you going to look at my face at some point or you are going to keep eating me up with your eyes in silence?”
“You didn’t tell me you were going to wear boots,” Jimin commented as his gaze finally met Jungkook’s face. “This blouse was our best choice the other day.”
Incapable of keeping his hands to himself, Jimin ran his fingers over the fabric, feeling Jungkook’s muscles under his palm.
“The other day you were willing to button up your clothes and look at you today,” he kept talking, brushing the exposed skin of Jungkook’s collarbones before turning around to get inside of the car.
“You were who couldn’t stop unbuttoning my shirts so I thought you liked me more like this,” Jungkook reminded him while he struggled with his seat belt. “You look stunning.”
Jungkook said it casually, not even daring to look at him but smirking anyway. That bastard, always so straightforward, so flirty, so annoying with those comments that get under Jimin’s skin too easily.
Jimin looked at Jungkook’s profile while he was driving and let a smile bloom in his lips at the thought that they were right —they were going to be the hottest couple of that dinner.
*
Messages:
mimi sent a picture
mimi: we are here!
soulmate: what kind of couple pic is that
soulmate: mirror selfie in the elevator?
soulmate: and is jungkook’s hand on your waist or my eyes are deceiving me?
mimi: we are technically a couple for the weekend
soulmate: and for the rest of your lives lmao
mimi blocked you
***
After sending the picture to Taehyung —and temporarily blocking him— Jimin’s mind kept repeating his best friend’s words for a couple of minutes while they walked along the corridor, checking the numbers of the rooms to not miss their own.
It was good that they looked like a couple even in pictures, right? He shouldn’t be getting deeper into that. Jungkook and him would need to learn a new dynamic for a little more than twenty four hours and then they would go back to their usual bickering.
“Seven, one, seven,” Jungkook was mumbling as if he was reminding himself the number the reception guy had told them. “Here!”
They had arrived forty minutes earlier than expected so they didn’t need to rush to the restaurant of the hotel. Apparently, the secretary of his boss had made a reservation in advance so they would be all together in a corner, or something like that . Jimin didn’t really pay attention to those details when he read the email with all the information.
Although he clearly remembered the characteristics of this room —a ridiculously huge bathroom with a spa shower that was big enough to have three people inside and two sink cabinets. A balcony with a tiny table and two chairs. A minibar and a wardrobe that seemed to cost more than most of the furniture Jimin had at home. And a king size bed.
Perhaps because he had been so worried about Yejoon and about Jungkook looking more like a friend rather than a boyfriend, Jimin hadn’t really had A Moment to process that they were going to sleep in the same bed until now.
“Your boss is fucking crazy,” Jungkook commented, his suitcase forgotten next to the bathroom door as he walked across the room. “I know your agency has been doing really well for a few years and that you have plenty of reasons to celebrate but holy fuck. Have you seen this balcony? What the fuck.”
“I mean, we still had to pay a part of all of this. She’s not paying for everything, even if she’s so extra that I wouldn’t be surprised.”
When Jimin got hired almost seven years ago, this marketing agency was starting to recover from a really weird couple of years. He had started as an intern but then they asked him to stay and Jimin had felt so comfortable and so well treated that he couldn’t decline the offer.
It was some months later when they had that important meeting where they told them that Jessica Hyunju Ho was going to be their new boss.
Back then, not many people had supported the decision but years later she had proven to be the miracle Blueberry Digital Marketing needed to grow into the successful company it was now.
Jungkook placed his jacket over the mattress and lifted up his gaze to look at Jimin as he wiggled his eyebrows.
“So… nervous?” At first, Jimin genuinely thought he was talking about his ex and his new boyfriend. But Jungkook walked around the bed to get closer to him and Jimin bit his lower lip. “I would be if I was about to share the bed with me. You are not ready to wake up next to me, pretty.”
“I’ve seen your morning face many times, love. It’s nothing new to me.”
“And my morning bare chest?”
Jimin parted his lips, pressing his forefinger against Jungkook’s sternum, “You better put on a t-shirt. Haven’t you seen that we have AC in our room? It’s going to be cold after the dinner.”
Jungkook took the chance and laced their fingers together.
It was so hard not to notice how perfectly their hands fit.
“Nobody has ever told you that you can turn the AC off?”
Jimin’s eyes followed Jungkook’s curls, that fell chaotically over his cheeks, until he was staring again at his neck, and his collarbones, and fuck, at him as a whole. His co-workers wouldn’t be able to tear their gazes away from him.
“Are you really going to sleep shirtless?” Jimin mumbled as his eyes climbed up his throat to reach his pink, beautiful lips, that were stretched in a wide smile.
“Does that bother you?”
The amount of answers Jimin could give Jungkook after that question were countless and started with a simple no and finished with a complex something like that . Because what was Jimin supposed to tell him? That suddenly he’s too aware of how fucking attractive he was? That maybe he was indeed nervous about sleeping next to him?
That it was extremely hard to not lean closer until he could brush his collarbones with his nose and press his lips against his skin?
“It doesn’t bother me.”
“Good, cause that bed looks too comfy to have a bad night because of this,” Jungkook murmured and Jimin felt the air too heavy inside his lungs to be talking only about sleeping. “So don’t let him bother you either, promise?”
Jungkook’s thumb caressed the back of his hand and Jimin realised how tightly he was holding onto him, his fingers firmly wrapped around Jungkook’s.
“I will likely be too busy teasing you to pay attention to him.”
Jimin stopped breathing when Jungkook took a step closer, erasing any kind of physical distance between them. His eyes closed when Jungkook’s lips kissed his forehead, almost where his hairline was.
“Staring at my neckline, you mean?” Jungkook talked against his skin and Jimin held back a shiver.
“I can do both. I’m good at multitasking.”
It was then when Jungkook’s lips slid down the side of his face, not really touching it. It was more like a brush. Like something Jimin could sense under his skin but wasn’t really there.
“We can leave the dinner early anyway if you don’t feel okay,” he added in a whisper, next to his ear. “We can always order more food and eat here or whatever.”
Jimin’s free hand cupped Jungkook’s cheek, pulling him back until their eyes met. Some confused, funny wrinkles appeared on his brow as he stared at Jungkook. His face was burning again and Jimin couldn’t even hate him for that this time.
“Why are you so cute all of a sudden? Who are you and where’s my Jungkook?”
For once, the smile on Jungkook’s lips wasn’t playful but sweet.
“I’m just being your adorable, protective boyfriend. Am I doing a good job?”
“You almost tricked me.”
Jungkook cocked his head to the side and hit the hand Jimin had on his cheek with his nose cutely, although it also felt like a funny caress. Like the type of thing Jungkook would do to show affection.
“Come on. Let’s go to the restaurant before it gets late and someone takes the best seats.”
Minutes later, when they were in the elevator again, Jimin realised for the second time that night that they were still holding hands.
*
Messages:
mimi sent a pic
mimi: don’t tease me about this but why am i thinking that this bed is too big?
soulmate: cause your subconscious was willing to cuddle him to sleep?
mimi: he’s been awfully sweet tonight
mimi: it’s doing things to my heart
mimi: it’s this some kind of spell
soulmate: yoongi says that jungkook has always been sweet and that you were just blind
mimi sent a pic
mimi: i can’t be blind tonight lmao
soulmate: so we are at the level where you send pics of jungkook doing random stuff like putting on his jacket okay okay i see
mimi: shut up tae
soulmate: 🤐🤐🤐
***
“Stop stealing food from my plate,” Jimin hissed as he slid the hand that wasn’t holding the chopsticks over Jungkook’s thigh under the table. “You still have a lot on yours.”
“Feed me, then?” Jungkook teased, all cute eyes and soft voice. As if that could erase the hot aura that his outfit created around him. “Please?”
They had arrived at the restaurant early enough to sit almost at one of the corners of the table. Instead of sitting across from each other, Jimin had asked Jungkook to sit beside him so he could feel him closer and also talk in whispers.
Hoseok and Namjoon were in front of them, looking in their direction every few minutes. Especially when Jungkook said something stupid only Jimin could hear and Jimin burst out a giggle.
Jimin had forgotten the real reason why Jungkook was there pretending to be his boyfriend. It was practically as if he had also forgotten that they weren’t really dating because it was so easy to talk to Jungkook, to lean closer, to rest his head on his shoulder when Jungkook made him laugh so hard that his stomach hurt.
“Can I say that I wasn’t surprised when you said that you were dating?” Hoseok suddenly confessed while they waited for their desserts.
Jimin could feel the guilt building up inside his body. Hoseok and Namjoon weren’t really close to him like Taehyung or Jin were. Even Yoongi and Jungkook knew more about him than the married couple but they had known each other for such a long time that Jimin had to bite his lip to not say in a whisper that everything was a lie.
He could confess next week. This was a problem for Jimin from the future.
“I guess the only surprise was that it took us so long to confess, hm?” Jungkook replied with a smile as he played with Jimin’s fingers, that were resting again on his thigh. He was doing it as if it was normal to him and there wasn’t anything he would want to do more than grabbing Jimin’s fingers and tracing all his rings. “I can’t believe Jimin never noticed that I was hitting on him all along.”
Jimin’s heart jolted inside his chest as he hid his face in Jungkook’s neck, “Shut up.”
Don’t say those lies, I could believe them.
“Namjoon was the most oblivious person on Earth too so I can relate to that, buddy,” Hoseok laughed, taking a sip of his beer.
If Jungkook hadn’t repeated so many times that he wasn’t made for boyfriends and dates, Jimin would have believed his words right away. A part of him was even upset that the possibility of that being true was so, so low.
What was happening to him since they agreed to do this?
It was called fake dating because it was, indeed, fake.
And he had asked Jungkook to pretend to be his boyfriend because he wasn’t precisely a person Jimin could picture mixing his real feelings with… this. Even if this felt so real that sometimes Jimin couldn’t help but wonder how Jungkook’s lips would taste after drinking so much wine.
But it was just their usual sexual attraction, wasn’t it?
Nothing more.
“Don’t eat my mochis while I’m in the restroom,” Jimin warned Jungkook before pressing his lips against his jaw, softly. Without thinking and without reason because he didn’t even like public displays of affection. But Jungkook had been acting so well and Jimin was having such an amazing dinner that it just felt like the right thing to do.
Like a way of thanking him for doing all of this for him.
He was so focused on Jungkook that he didn’t remember Yejoon’s presence until he bumped into him on his way to the restroom. He smelled like cigarettes and beer and the thought of how familiar that smell used to be for him when they were dating made him feel sick.
“Hey, Jimin,” Seungmin said when the silence started getting tense between them. “You look stunning tonight.”
Seungmin was a few years younger than him, all sweet smiles, round cheeks and gentle words. Jimin felt so bad for him because it was obvious that he was genuinely whipped and that he likely thought that Yejoon spread so many rumours about Jimin because he was just hurt and not because he was just an asshole.
“You too. I love your coat.”
Seungmin smiled, not even covering his face when he blushed at Jimin’s compliment.
“For a second I thought you couldn’t come because I didn’t see you in the restaurant,” Jimin admitted and he surprised himself when those words didn’t taste like a lie. He hadn’t seen them until now.
“You seemed pretty busy to notice anyone but Jungkook,” Yejoon commented, sounding more pathetic than poisonous.
Yejoon was always so jealous of Jimin’s friends, even if that friend was someone whose life was about hooking-ups and not getting involved with people that were in a relationship. It was almost cute to see him trying to bite his tongue to not say something inappropriate in front of Seungmin.
“Can you blame me? I bet I’m not the only one in the restaurant that only has eyes for him.”
“You guys look so happy together,” Seungmin commented, without an ounce of malice in his voice.
“We are,” Jimin smiled and pointed at the door of the restroom. “I would love to keep talking to you but…”
Yejoon snorted and Jimin’s smile got wider.
“Sure! Sorry,” Seungmin took Yejoon’s hand and started dragging him towards their table.
“Nice to see you, Mimi.”
Jimin only rolled his eyes after that and rushed to the restroom to get to his seat as soon as possible. He felt strangely calm and stable but he didn’t want to play with his luck too much. Not when it had been weeks since the last time they talked.
“You okay?” Jungkook murmured when Jimin sat next to him again, checking his face as if he could read his mind.
And Jimin stopped controlling his acts when his fingers grabbed Jungkook’s hand to bring it closer to his lips. He kissed his knuckles and smiled in a way that seemed too intimate to be in the middle of a restaurant, just staring at each other.
“More than okay, silly.”
*
Messages:
soulmate: everything’s going fine???
soulmate: did you see him?
soulmate: is he bothering you?
soulmate: why aren’t you replying to my messages?
soulmate: just tell me you are fine i’m worried
soulmate: mimi?
***
Even if the dinner was better than expected, when they entered their room Jimin felt the wave of exhaustion falling all over him. He had been so stressed out about it and about talking to his ex that now it was as if he needed two days of sleep to recover.
“Do you want to shower first?” Jungkook asked as he took off his rings and clock. “You seem tired.”
Jimin shook his head, “Go first. I want to take a really long shower.”
“Are you sure you are okay?”
“I’m just exhausted. I promise.”
Jimin heard the sound of the bathroom door closing as he removed his makeup with slow movements to not damage his skin. He couldn’t do his proper skincare routine until he had showered but starting with this while Jungkook was in the bathroom was the best way of getting to bed earlier.
He was so tired that he didn’t even think about checking his messages. Jimin was dreaming about passing out on that huge bed. He didn’t even remember that maybe Jungkook would leave the bathroom only wearing some sweatpants and no t-shirt.
His hand covered his mouth to hide a yawn and Jimin nodded when Jungkook’s soft voice told him that he had finished in the bathroom. Jimin took his pyjamas and the cosmetic bag where he had his skincare products and his toothbrush.
Time seemed to slip through his fingers while the hot water relaxed his muscles even more, making his eyelids heavier than they already were.
Was this the weight of relief falling on top of him because it was the first time since their break-up that Yejoon didn’t bother him at all?
With damp hair, no make-up and his comfy, dark green satin pyjamas Jimin finally got into bed, where Jungkook was waiting for him replying to some messages.
Jimin noticed then that he accidentally left his phone on Jungkook’s nightstand before going to the bathroom but he didn’t care. He didn’t have energy to talk to anyone anyway.
Jungkook rolled onto his side to stare at him. The light of the lamp on his bedside table created the most beautiful shadows over Jungkook’s features and Jimin leaned closer until they were inches apart, admiring how handsome he was even when he was close to falling asleep.
“Thank you for coming here with me,” Jimin whispered. “I didn’t expect you to take all of this so… seriously and I… I don’t know. I’d always thought that you were such a mess. You know. Not in a bad way but…”
Jungkook chuckled as his hand moved to touch Jimin’s hair, massaging his scalp with his fingers, “I am a mess with some things but I’m really committed to others. Maybe if you had given me the opportunity to show you how I am, you wouldn’t be surprised right now.”
Rather than resentful, his voice tone was just gentle, soft . Jungkook was pointing out a fact and Jimin had no reason to get offended when it was true that he barely knew Jungkook. Jimin made up his own version of him inside his mind and now that Jimin was meeting the real Jungkook, he was willing to see every part of him.
But Jimin was too drained to have a deep conversation that night.
“I’m going to have to treat you to some coffee more often to not be surprised if we need to fake date again.”
The brush of Jungkook’s fingers against his scalp was as relaxing as his previous long shower. It was something new in their dynamic, to take care of the other like this, but Jimin wasn’t going to complain.
Their relationship was evolving so effortlessly that Jimin wished the weekend could be longer to go back home knowing that there wasn’t a secret Jungkook hadn’t told him.
Yejoon taught him to beg for attention, for soft caresses, for sweet words. Dating him was like such an expensive privilege that slowly turned his love into something far from it.
Jungkook was the opposite —caring, tender when it was necessary, mature. Good.
Yeah, Jungkook was stupidly good.
Good enough to make Jimin want to smash their mouths together until they could eat up the fake part of whatever they were doing.
Was it even fake for Jimin?
Fuck.
“Sounds like a date to me, pretty.”
Jimin let his eyes close, “Keep dreaming, Kookie.”
Would Jungkook even accept if it was one?
*
Messages:
jk: hey tae
jk: jimin is sleeping
jk: sorry i accidentally read some of the messages you sent to him when i was leaving my phone on the nightstand
jk: he’s okay just tired
daddy: thank god
daddy: did the asshole do something?
daddy: istg imma kick his ass if he did
jk: lmao they talked a bit but jimin didn’t tell me what he said
jk sent a pic
daddy: you are so gross but cute sending me pics of the other
jk: jimin sends you pics of me?
daddy: 🤭🤭🤭
***
Jimin woke up in the middle of the night, confused for a couple of seconds by the intense heat surrounding him. Half-asleep, Jimin recognised Jungkook’s body pressed against his chest.
They weren’t touching —their legs weren’t tangled, his arm wasn’t circling Jungkook’s waist and Jungkook’s fingers weren’t laced with Jimin’s.
But for Jimin it was as if Jungkook was everywhere, suffocating him in a way that could only happen when feelings were involved.
Jungkook was a light sleeper too, they had talked about it a bunch of times, so Jimin hesitated before shifting slightly behind him, accommodating his neck better over the pillow.
Somehow, they were wasting such a big bed like that.
Jimin’s nose brushed Jungkook’s nape, exhaling softly against his warm skin, taking the risk of raising his arm to place it on his waist.
“H-hm,” Jungkook hummed. And Jimin couldn’t tell if he was awake or still asleep.
“I can’t believe Jimin never noticed that I was hitting on him all along.”
The comment Jungkook had made while they were having dinner echoed across the walls of his skull and Jimin just held Jungkook tighter against him, as if he was asking him if it was true. As if he was begging him to stay like this a little longer, until he could figure it out his own feelings and also understood Jungkook’s.
Their relationship turned into something weird because Jungkook couldn’t tease him about having a boyfriend anymore or because without Yejoon there wasn’t an obstacle between them?
“Tickles,” Jungkook mumbled, lifting up his shoulders in a cute way and trying to remove the sensation of Jimin’s hair touching his neck.
Jimin’s arm twitched over Jungkook’s waist and started moving away from it to not bother his sleep even more when Jungkook’s fingers found Jimin’s, keeping him right where he was. Their bodies pressed but without being a mess. Feeling the heat of their bodies and barely hearing the silence over their heartbeats.
Again, it was so intimate to be like that with him; without talking, just letting their limbs decide where to touch, where to hold, where to stay.
“You okay?” Jimin heard Jungkook whisper, his voice low and a bit raspy.
Jimin nodded behind him, a hum vibrating on his lips. “You?”
“Yeah.”
*
The next time Jimin woke up, it was because he was feeling cold. There was no longer a warm body pressed against him and his arm was stretched before him instead of wrapped around Jungkook’s waist.
His cheeks burnt under the hot rain of memories from the night before and some kind of sadness twisted inside his stomach when Jimin remembered that they were supposed to leave a couple of hours after lunch.
Some of his co-workers were staying the night, which meant that they would drive straight to work the next day but Jimin had already turned down that plan by the time he asked Jungkook to be his boyfriend.
Was he regretting the decision?
Fuck.
This was supposed to be so easy because it was Jungkook and it was him and their relationship was perfect to pretend to be something more even if they weren’t. But at some point the lines of what they were and what they pretended to be had blurred and Jimin couldn’t tell what was the truth.
Was there even a lie?
What if they both were just using this as an excuse to be free around each other, to feel and talk without filter, to just let themselves be until they had to go back to their usual dynamic?
Jimin groaned with his mouth pressed against the pillow and reached for his phone, gasping at the sight of so many messages from Taehyung.
Messages:
mimi: OH MY GOD TAE I’M SO SOSRRY
mimi: GOD I FEEL SO BAD
mimi: I WAS SO EXHAUSTED I PASSED OUT
mimi: DON’T HATE ME I’M SORRY
soulmate: jungkook messaged me
soulmate: don’t worry babe
soulmate: he told me you talked to the asshole 🙄
soulmate: wtf did he say
mimi: oh i don’t even remember lmao
mimi: he wanted to talk but i wanted to pee and went back to the table with kook, hoseok and namjoon so 🙄🙄🙄
The sound of the bathroom door opening caught his attention and Jimin ran his fingers through his messy blonde hair in a poor attempt to fix it a little bit. All of a sudden, he was so nervous after spending half of the night cuddling Jungkook.
He wasn’t uncomfortable, right?
They both clearly said they were okay.
Jimin bit his lip as he got up from the bed to charge his phone, clearly avoiding to say something to Jungkook.
“Did I wake you up?” Jungkook wondered, not even waiting for a response. “Sorry. I was wide awake and I thought that I could take a shower and work a bit while we waited for our breakfast.”
“Waited for our breakfast?” Jimin rubbed his eyes as he frowned. Weren’t they supposed to go to the restaurant of the hotel to have breakfast?
“Yeah, I… called the room service and asked if we could have our breakfast here.”
Something inside Jimin’s chest melted when he turned around to face Jungkook. His cheeks were still flushed from the shower, his hair was tied up in a bun and the hoodie he was wearing was so big that it covered the beginning of his thighs.
He looked way less flirty and cocky than usual.
And Jimin smiled at the sight.
“You have so much work to do that you can’t leave the room to have breakfast?” Jimin asked, walking towards him until his fingers could play freely with the hoodie strings. “You could have told me and I wouldn’t have dragged you here.”
Jungkook shook his head, “No. I just prefer to send some emails now and edit some pictures rather than waiting until I’m home. I just didn’t want to wake you up to go to the hotel restaurant.”
“I woke you up last night by accident,” Jimin pouted and looked down at his own hands, that seemed to be glued to Jungkook’s hoodie.
Their habitual banter had been forgotten that morning and replaced by a softness that made Jimin’s smile grow wider, and wider, and wider, until his face was too small to contain how happy he was of having Jungkook here.
He was so sure that his weekend would have been completely different if it wasn’t for him.
Jimin hoped Jungkook knew that.
“If it wasn’t because this morning you were still holding me I would have thought that I was dreaming,” Jungkook shrugged, not wanting Jimin to feel bad when he had slept peacefully. “Could you rest?”
“Yeah. That mattress is a paradise.”
“The paradise was sleeping close to me, pretty.”
There he was, but even if this was more similar to their familiar dynamic it wasn’t completely the same. It didn’t feel that it was.
At least for Jimin.
Maybe it was because he was playing with his hoodie strings, or because Jungkook was staring at him as if he was the only thing that mattered, or because Jimin was realising that he had been lying to himself for a really long time about his feelings for Jungkook.
“I was expecting to see your famous bare chest this morning but instead I woke up to an empty bed.”
“My bad. I can take my hoodie off if you want.”
Jimin’s eyes widened, as if he was shocked. “I can’t believe you are not wearing anything underneath.” His hands trailed down his upper body by instinct and slipped under the fabric without second thoughts. His fingers met the warm skin of Jungkook’s abdomen, the defined muscles tensing under his touch. “Did you run out of t-shirts or what?”
Jungkook chuckled right before a knock on the door broke their moment.
“Morning! Room service!”
*
Messages:
mimi: sorry i was having breakfast with jungkook
soulmate: don’t worry!
soulmate: did you see many co-workers while you were having breakfast?
mimi: 0 lmao
mimi: we had breakfast in our room
soulmate: oh
soulmate: oh
mimi sent a picture
mimi: jungkook ordered all of this while i was asleep cause he wasn’t sure what i would preferred
***
Although the lunch was still a fancy event, it wasn't like the dinner from the night before. Jungkook was wearing the navy blue button-up shirt Jimin had picked that night in his living room, the sleeves were rolled up, showing his forearms, and it was tucked inside his skinny jeans.
Jimin couldn’t help glancing at him from time to time while they were getting ready in their room. His white loosen shirt contrasted vividly with Jungkook’s dark clothes, as if they had done that on purpose too.
“Ready?” Jungkook asked as he opened the door of the room.
“Sure.” Jimin reached out for his hand and smiled when they laced their fingers.
They were in the elevator when Jungkook told him that he had forgotten his phone in their room and that he needed to go back to take it because he was waiting for an important email.
“On a Sunday?”
“Last time they emailed me at midnight. On a Saturday.” Jungkook rolled his eyes and let his hand go almost painfully when the doors of the elevator opened. “Take the best seats.”
“I will.”
Sadly, fate wasn’t always on his side.
Jimin could have pretended that he wasn’t seeing Yejoon approaching him but at the same time he didn’t want to look like a coward after the polite conversation they had during the dinner.
They could share a couple of words before going to their table. It wasn’t that hard.
“Hi.”
Jimin had to make an effort to not clench his jaw when Yejoon smirked at him.
“Your boyfriend doesn’t have lunch?” Were his first words and Jimin chuckled, amused. He couldn’t stand his jealousy back then and he wasn’t going to be patient with it now. “I wanted to say hello.”
“Shouldn’t you be more concerned about your boyfriend rather than mine?” Jimin rolled his eyes, running a hand through his wavy hair.
Yejoon made a gesture with his hand, taking a step closer to Jimin. “Between you and me, he’s so docile that it’s even boring.”
For a long second, Jimin only stared at him, pursing his lips and thanking his past self for running away from this piece of shit. They were so close to move in together, to start a life together .
Jimin had loved him, genuinely.
But there was nothing left inside him to offer to Yejoon anymore, not even hate.
“You never change, don’t you? No one is enough for you.”
“You are one to talk, Jimin.” He sounded so friendly. No wonder why his worst comments were the ones he said with a warm smile on his lips. Yejoon knew damn well how to be charming and how to be cruel. “I clearly remember you saying that you were bored of my shit . That you didn’t deserve that.”
Jimin crossed his arms over his chest, more than tired of dealing with him. He could barely handle talking to him but it was impossible to do it if he was going to spend the conversation acting like a child.
Or like the asshole he was.
“Yejoon, we broke up almost five months ago and before that we used to fight non-stop over the most stupid things for so long that I don’t even remember how we used to be at the beginning.”
There was no poison in his words.
It was the first time that he had the guts to say that to his face.
“I wonder how that new boyfriend of yours stands you. Although I gotta say I’m surprised. I always thought that Taehyung was the one who was into you.”
“My boyfriend has a na-.”
“Hi.” Jungkook’s low voice sent shivers down Jimin’s spine. He was standing next to him and Jimin didn’t lose a second to press his body against Jungkook’s side, sliding his hand on the back pocket of Jungkook’s jeans. He even sighed, relieved, when Jungkook wrapped his arm around his shoulders. “Jungkook.”
“Yejoon.”
Where Seungmin had done his best to ease the tension between them, Jungkook seemed ready to tear Yejoon to pieces with his bare hands.
“Did you find your phone? It took you long,” Jimin pouted as his nose nuzzled against Jungkook’s neck.
“Sorry, babe. I got the email while I was in the room and I was replying to them.”
“So, uhm…” Yejoon muttered, clearly annoyed because they weren’t paying attention to him.
“See you at the restaurant,” Jimin smiled at him.
“Nice to meet you!” Jungkook added and didn’t even hold back the chuckle that escaped his lips after that. Just when they were far enough, he grunted, “Asshole. Did he bother you too much?”
“Not at all.”
Right then, as they walked towards their table, Jimin knew he was so transparent to Jungkook. More than ever.
He knew that Jungkook could tell that he wasn’t lying. That he was more than fine after talking to his ex.
Jimin’s free hand caressed the collar of Jungkook’s shirt and Jungkook snorted, “I was wondering how long would it take you to do that.”
“I’m weak. And you look too beautiful with it to resist it.”
The seats they took the night before were still empty, as if they were waiting for them. Jimin waved at the few co-workers that had arrived before them and pulled Jungkook’s chair closer to him once they sat down.
“You liked that much to have me close last night?” Jungkook teased him, his lips brushing his ear.
Jimin turned his head to the side and their noses touched. His fingers slid across Jungkook’s thigh and he held his breath when Jungkook tucked some blonde strands of his hair behind Jimin’s ear without pulling back.
Something inside him was pushing him to lean in until their lips touched too but Jimin ended up tracing Jungkook’s cheek with the tip of his nose and leaving a kiss that lingered too much on his jaw.
It wasn’t enough but Jimin didn’t want to kiss Jungkook until he had explained to him that he wasn’t faking it.
That he hadn’t pretended not even a bit since they got to the hotel.
*
Messages:
mimi: can i ask why you never told me that i was deep into jungkook?
mimi: deep as in please tell me you wouldn’t mind taking me on a date and then spending the night at my flat
mimi: fuck
mimi: what do i do now
soulmate: TOOK YOU LONG
soulmate: DUMBASS
soulmate: AND I TOLD YOU!!!!
soulmate: CONFESS
soulmate: OR KISS HIM IDK
soulmate: DO SOMETHING
mimi blocked you
mimi: wait i love you
mimi blocked you
***
The lunch had been the biggest festival of flirty comments, subtle caresses and kisses that never happened ever. If the tension was thick before, it had turned into something unbearable.
Jimin could barely breathe when they reached their room. His mind was racing and his heart was stuck in the middle of his throat.
When did his feelings change?
And why didn’t he see it coming?
Jimin remained quiet while they brushed their teeth and packed their belongings, even though their suitcases were mainly ready since they had been there around twenty four hours.
It was because of his experience with Yejoon, wasn’t it?
His sweet, attentive and tender boyfriend became a monster all of a sudden and although Jimin had moved on smoothly because his love perished after a few heated fights, it had left a scar that didn’t hurt but made him hesitate.
But with Jungkook Jimin hadn’t been blind by his intense feelings.
There was only one question to answer —if Jungkook could also feel the way their bodies attracted the other, as if they were magnets bound to be together, did that mean that it was possible for them to be… something else ?
Just because Jungkook was on a similar page it didn’t mean that he suddenly wanted to drop his lifestyle to start something serious with someone.
Ah, fuck.
The balcony seemed to be the perfect place to clear his mind but it wasn’t working at all. The breeze hit his face gently and he was leaning against the tiny wooden table when he heard Jungkook’s footsteps.
“Is everything okay?” Jungkook murmured, joining him on the balcony.
He had changed clothes again and was wearing the same comfortable outfit he had this morning. With the difference that this time Jimin could see a t-shirt peeking out the collar of his hoodie.
“Yeah,” Jimin assured but he wasn’t able to look at him for more than a couple of seconds, fidgeting with the long sleeve of his white shirt. “I was just admiring the views. And thinking, I guess.”
“About Yejoon?”
Jimin shook his head, humming when Jungkook raised his arm and scratched at his nape, carefully.
“I was thinking that this weekend here has been so special thanks to you.”
Jungkook looked taken aback, not expecting a confession like that, and Jimin took advantage of it to keep blurting out what had been crossing his mind for the last hours.
His tiny hands cupped Jungkook’s face and the world disappeared around them. Though Jimin would have only had eyes for him even if they were in a crowded room.
“You know, when I asked you to come with me and pretend to be my boyfriend I had imagined such a different weekend. I thought that we were going to spend our time doing… I don’t know. But it wasn’t like this.”
Jungkook’s fingers trailed down his spine until they could grip Jimin’s hip, pushing their bodies closer.
“Then how has our weekend been?”
By the way he was clutching his white shirt, Jimin guessed that the atmosphere was dense for Jungkook too. That maybe his mind was also a war of emotions and thoughts and confessions that struggled to find their way to his lips.
“I already told you. Special.” Jimin let out a nervous giggle. “I really don’t want us to leave.”
“I don’t want to leave either.”
“Jungkook, I…”
Jimin tilted his head up, their noses brushing again like they did back in the restaurant. Perhaps it was so hard to breathe because he needed the air that was leaving Jungkook’s lips.
“Jimin.”
He had promised himself that he would explain to Jungkook that nothing had been a lie, that he wanted to stay here with him because the prospect of going back to their previous dynamic made him upset.
Yet when Jungkook pronounced his name he couldn’t stop himself from kissing him. It was the most delicate touch. They hardly press their mouths together but it felt heavenly anyway. He had been yearning for this for more than a weekend.
For more than a month.
Would he ever find out when Jungkook stole his heart like this?
“I thought you said we couldn’t kiss, pretty,” Jungkook murmured and his voice was so close to crack at the end.
“I said we couldn’t fake kiss, love.”
Jungkook leaned his forehead against Jimin’s, letting his eyes flutter close and keeping Jimin against his body.
“Do you know…” Jungkook swallowed. “Are you serious?”
“I am.”
Jungkook laughed. He laughed clear and loud. He laughed with his whole chest. He laughed as if he’d got the best news ever. He laughed adorably, though. And Jimin smiled because it was the first time he finally saw past all Jungkook’s layers —beneath his cocky self, beneath the soft side, beneath it all.
And vulnerable, raw Jungkook became his favourite one within the seconds he was laughing.
“I’ve been wanting to ask you out for weeks,” Jungkook murmured, embarrassed, with flushed cheeks and wide eyes. He was so beautiful like this. Even more than with the navy blue button-up shirt. “When Yejoon and you broke up I freaked out. I wanted to support you and take care of you as a friend but at the same time I was so happy because you were single and that meant…”
“I thought you didn’t know how to treat me because you couldn’t joke anymore about me having a boyfriend.”
Jungkook’s cheeks were melting under Jimin’s palms.
“I was a fucking mess. I didn’t want to be one of those gross guys that only comfort their friends because they want something more. I didn’t care if we were meant to be friends but, fuck, I also knew that the tension… that I couldn’t be imagining it, you know?”
Jimin moved his thumbs across Jungkook’s cheeks in an attempt of grounding himself and not saying the first stupid thought that crossed his mind.
“The tension was there even when I was dating Yejoon. But I ignored it. All the time. I ignored it until it exploded in my face.”
At the beginning, Jimin was too in love to process what was simmering between them. Afterwards, Jimin was dealing with a heart that wasn’t broken, just tired. He was obsessed with open wounds that never existed, looking for any sign that reminded him how precious his relationship with Yejoon used to be. And at the end, Jimin couldn’t find the reason why his whole body craved more when Jungkook was close, and teased him, and smiled at him, and poked his cheek and called him pretty.
“But…” Jimin hesitated, scared of the possible answer. “What happens with the zero-commitment Jeon Jungkook?”
“Well, pretty. It happens that I’m so whipped that I haven’t been able to be with someone else for months.”
Jimin surged forwards after that, standing on his tiptoes to let their bodies merge and reborn in the middle of a kiss that shouldn’t feel familiar but didn’t taste like something new. Jungkook’s fingers were not gripping his hips anymore, his hands resting over the fabric of his white shirt as if he had understood that Jimin was going to stay.
They parted their lips at the same time, Jimin’s tongue shyly meeting Jungkook’s as they smiled, unable to deepen the contact more because they were more bright teeth crashing rather than lips moulding.
It didn’t matter, though.
They would have time for one, two, and a million kisses more.
“So… are you casually free to go on a crazy adventure with me?”
If Jimin was remembering correctly, he had used the word fancy the last time. When he asked him to be his fake boyfriend.
Jungkook hummed with his lips tracing Jimin’s jawline. “Elaborate on that.”
“Drop the fake and date me for real?”
“You are not doing all of this because you want to see my morning bare chest, right?” Jungkook’s lips were against Jimin’s neck as he spoke. He was mainly printing his smile over every inch of his skin.
“H-hm, how did you know?”
“I could sense your disappointment this morning.”
Jimin giggled as he pulled Jungkook even closer, hiding his face in his neck. They didn’t say anything, just stayed like that, holding the other. The air filled his lungs again when his eyes closed and Jimin inhaled Jungkook’s perfume.
He wouldn’t have believed it if someone had told him a week ago that he was going to arrive at the hotel with a fake boyfriend and leave it with a real one.
He wouldn’t have believed that the boyfriend would be Jungkook.
Or well, perhaps, and just perhaps, a part of him wouldn’t even blink an eye if someone had told him that the right person for him had been calling him pretty for months and making him smile with his playful comments, his pet names and those smirks that, now that he thought about that, Jungkook saved only for him.