Chapter Text
Growing older wasn't all it had been cut out to be, Jungkook mused to himself as they headed home after the day's activities. In comparison to others his age, he considered himself as being exceptionally more mature. After all, his adolescence had been spent in the spotlight rather than in the classroom. Exposure to the working world at such a young age had taught him far more than school ever would.
Early exposure to the working world had also taught him about the importance of a good night's sleep, something which he hadn't managed to get last night. Their schedules for the day had finished and they were finally on their way home at 8 o'clock. The car was quiet as members drifted off into various stages of sleep. Jungkook's determination to stay awake and celebrate him turning twenty slowly dissipated as exhaustion washed over him. He fell into a deep sleep almost immediately, joining his members in the land of nod.
Just as quickly as he had fallen asleep, he had woken up, thanks to Hoseok who was shaking him roughly by the shoulders. "Wake up, you can't sleep in the car," he said as he reached across and unbuckled Jungkook's seatbelt for him, grabbing his bag at his feet and slinging it over his own shoulder before holding his hand out for Jungkook to take. A smile was plastered onto Hoseok's face, a smug smile.
"Where is everyone?" He asked quietly, his body awake and his voice only barely. He chose to ignore why exactly Hoseok was smiling like an idiot, knowing that he would find out soon enough as he dragged his heavy limbs out of the car and followed him up to the apartment. Hoseok was making small talk with him, talking about what they would be doing in practice tomorrow and about how the day's schedules had gone and Jungkook wished that he would just stay quiet. A headache was starting to make itself known to him and every syllable of Hoseok's words were only aggitating it more.
When they reached their door, Hoseok stopped him with a hand pressed against his chest. "Wake up a little bit, Jungkookie," Hoseok cooed as he pinched one of his cheeks hard. "We can't have you falling asleep this early in the night."
Jungkook hadn't expected the volume of noise which he was met with as soon as Hoseok opened the door. Taehyung was on him in a second, elbowing him and pulling his head into a vice grip, yelling and laughing at Jungkook's futile attempts to get away from him. Jimin was poking at him as well and dragging him into the apartment by his sleeve, body weak from laughing at Taehyung's attack on the maknae.
"What is this!" he shouted above the noise that both Taehyung and Jimin were making as Namjoon and Seokjin stood in the hallway, laughing.
"It's a celebration for our 20 year old Jungkook," Hoseok exclaimed as he took Jungkook's coat off of him and tossed it onto the overflowing clothes rack.
Yoongi emerged from the kitchen then, with a bottle in one hand and a filled shot glass in the other. "Jungkookie!" he yelled, smiling as he presented Jungkook with his first shot of the night. "You do the honours of starting off this party," Yoongi continued, hand gripping Jungkook's shoulder as he eyed the shot in his hand.
He really hadn't expected the members to plan anything like this for him, especially given how exhausted they all seemed in the car earlier. But maybe that was just their way of trying to hide that they had a night of drinking planned.
"Since you haven't shut up about wanting to legally drink once you hit 20, we all decided that what better time and place to get hammered than in the comfort of the dorm with your six favourite people in the whole entire world?" Namjoon teased as Jungkook shook his head, smiling. The shot was still in his hand, and admittedly, the thought of downing the poisonous liquid was making him feel sick. Like many underage teenagers, he had drank in the past, but had never gone crazy. Whenever an elder would allow him some, he'd hesitantly drink it and as soon as he started to feel just a tiny bit different, he'd decided that he'd had enough. But now that it was perfectly okay for him to get off of his face, of course he was going to take advantage and get to a point where he couldn't even remember his own name. Stress for Jungkook had recently been at an all-time high and he hoped that the alcohol would help him to unwind in a way that sleep and rest really couldn't.
"Aren't you all tired?" he asked, because personally, his body felt like it was about to shut down.
But they all scoffed at him, Seokjin especially. "I'm not tired enough to turn down a night of heavy drinking. Now drink up and let's have some fun!"
Jungkook followed Seokjin's orders, sputtering as the vodka hit the back of his throat.
Straight vodka. So that's how tonight was going to go.
It didn't take a lot for them all to be drunken messes. Taehyung was gone past the point of no return after 7 shots of whiskey and had ended up on the floor of the living room, legs crossed and head hanging. Jimin was rubbing his back soothingly and listening to the slur of words that spilled from his mouth. He couldn't really make out what he was saying, but he nodded along nonetheless.
Hoseok, Seokjin, Namjoon and Jungkook were in the kitchen coming up with stomach-churning concoctions of drinks. Unfortunately, Jungkook was the test bunny for said drinks and the mix of all the liquors was starting to take effect. "No more," he whined, his voice that bit higher, "Not yet," he continued as he stumbled his way into the living room, the others following as they tried stifling their laughter.
"Taehyung," he exclaimed, a finger outstretched and pointed at Taehyung on the floor, "Get up, bro, we have to siiiiing and dance," Jungkook swayed from side to side, dancing to whatever soundtrack was playing in his head.
"I don't think he'll be doing any singing," Yoongi said from his spot on the couch, a beer in one hand and a soft smile on his face. He had been in the same position on the couch for most of the night, simply observing the members' drunken antics rather than joining in on said antics.
Jungkook sat down heavily next to Yoongi, a pout on his face, "You're only on your second beer Yoongi-hyung, you need to keep up!" Yoongi glanced over at Namjoon and Seokjin, who were nodding in agreement with Jungkook.
"He's right, Yoongi, you're the most sober out of all of us and that's usually never the case," Namjoon joined in on Jungkook's interrogation of Yoongi. Taehyung grunted something from the floor. "I think he agrees," Jimin giggled, translating for Taehyung. Jungkook joined the two on the floor, laughing far too hard when Taehyung's hands came up to his head, mumbling something along the lines of, "I'm already getting a hangover."
Seokjin held the bottle of tequila out to Yoongi - which was already half empty, thanks to Namjoon and himself. But Yoongi just glared at the bottle, then at Seokjin, who rolled his eyes and handed the bottle back to Namjoon who swigged from it in earnest.
Jungkook was up beside Yoongi now, leaning against him and pleading Yoongi to take the last few shots he could stomach with him.
Namjoon and Seokjin had slinked away to the kitchen with Hoseok, and Jimin had managed to drag Taehyung up off of the floor and had hurried him into the kitchen as well. Even in his drunken state, Jungkook could hear them quietly bickering over the cake they were about to present to him. He appreciated the thought, but really, they needed to be more low-key.
Yoongi was still swigging from the same bottle, looking ahead of him, enjoying the momentary silence with Jungkook. He lit up a cigarette, not caring what Seokjin would undoubtedly say to him about smoking in the apartment. He let the smoke fill his lungs and held it for as long as he could before exhaling, when he felt Jungkook's hand come to rest on his thigh. "For me hyung, please," Jungkook spoke quietly, his expression soft and his eyes bearing into Yoongi's. "I want you to have fun, too."
Looking down at his cigarette, Yoongi rolled it absentmindedly between his fingers. Jungkook squeezed his thigh, urging him to speak. Yoongi turned himself slightly so that he faced him, "I am having fun, Kookie," he assured him as he took another drag from his cigarette.
"You've been sitting here all night and that might be your definition of fun, but it isn't mine," Yoongi tried to hide his smile as Jungkook slurred over the last few words.
Yoongi swigged from his beer, attempting to hide his grin. But Jungkook could spot that smile from a mile away, "What are you grinning about?" He asked Yoongi, his tone taking on an air of sarcastic shock.
"Nothing, just," Yoongi trailed off as he took a drag from his cigarette. He paused, looking at Jungkook peculiarly - or, at least, Jungkook thought the way he was looking at him was peculiar.
"You're cute when you're drunk," Yoongi commented, and Jungkook wasn't sure whether the flush on Yoongi's cheeks was because of the alcohol anymore.
Jungkook felt his muscles tighten in response to Yoongi's offhand comment, his posture stiffening as Yoongi continued working his way through his cigarette, thinking nothing of what he'd just said to Jungkook.
Jungkook was shaking his head now, defiant and determined, "Take some shots with me," he jumped up from the couch, scurrying over to the shelves where a bottle of whiskey lay. "If you're worried about being ill tomorrow we only have practice and that's in the evening, so you should be good by then," Jungkook really wanted Yoongi to join in the Shit-faced parade, and Yoongi honestly couldn't help but feel bad from the way that Jungkook looked at him with hope in his eyes.
He didn't say anything, just took the bottle from Jungkook and took a long swig from the bottle. It burned his throat and he shivered as the alcohol began its process of entering his bloodstream. Yoongi kept telling himself it was worth it just for the way that Jungkook's face lit up as soon as Yoongi's hands reached for the bottle.
"Happy?" Yoongi asked as his hand going to rest on the back of the couch.
Jungkook's smile was wider than he'd ever seen it, he was absolutely beaming, "Happy."
Yoongi was hammered.
Jungkook was far more drunk than he had been.
Taehyung was in bed fast asleep in the day's clothes. He'd thrown up in the kitchen sink after an intense karaoke session and Jimin had taken it upon himself to be the adult and get Taehyung safely into bed. Hoseok had been in a similar state and had made the decision all by himself to put himself to bed before more damage was done.
It was just the five of them in the living room now. Their rowdiness had died down after karaoke (it had been a really intense session, especially after Taehyung had almost passed out after insisting he do Cypher Pt 2 and 3) and they were sat talking, their eyes heavy, bodies' weak and heads starting to pound.
"Before we call it a night," Namjoon spoke up, "Let's play a game."
Seokjin and Yoongi groaned, whilst Jimin and Jungkook voiced their agreements excitedly. "Nothing stupid," mumbled Yoongi as he glanced over at Jungkook, who was whispering to Jimin. Jungkook had managed to not get himself into the worst of states, in comparison to someone. Yoongi honestly couldn't believe he was still going, he could have sworn that he'd kept track of him consuming at least 10 shots of various liquors. The boy was strong, he had to give him that.
"Truth and dare isn't stupid, is it, hyung?" Namjoon asked innocently as Seokjin rolled his eyes, complaining, "It's better than Never Have I Ever, quick, start the game so I can go to sleep."
His reluctance earned him a cushion to the face, Jimin being the one who launched it at him. "You're so old, stop dampening the mood! I'll start."
Seokjin wanted to hit him, he really wanted to hit him but decided now was not the best of times to deliver a black eye onto one Park Jimin.
Jimin stood up from the floor, leaving Jungkook and pacing around in a circle, fingers steepled under his chin, thinking.
"Jungkook," Jimin began with a wide grin on his face. But Jungkook didn't like that grin. He knew that grin, was all too familiar with the implications of that fucking grin. He wondered if Jimin noticed the colour draining from his face. "My sweet Jungkookie," he cooed as he sauntered over to him and petted his hair with mock affection. "Truth or dare?"
Jungkook gulped. His palms were clammy, and his heart rate had escalated significantly. He pondered his options. Choosing dare was a death wish, he had come to conclude. Jimin was ruthless and he knew, he just knew that Jimin would have him kiss one, if not all of the members present in a heartbeat. At least with truth, the outcomes weren't as daunting, right?
"Truth," he answered eventually, voice small and quiet, as he dared not to spare Jimin a glance. The room was spinning, and his stomach was beginning to protest the excessive consumption of alcohol. "Truth, quickly, give it to me before I vomit all over you," he urged Jimin to hurry up, hand coming up to cover his mouth.
After he'd finally stopped pacing, Jimin had sat himself beside Yoongi, leaving Jungkook alone on the floor. He felt so incredibly small right then and there.
"Ok, easy," Jimin nodded, his fingers tapping on the back of the couch just by Yoongi's shoulder, "Have you ever thought about any of us, sexually?" He finished the sentence with a knowing, shit-eating grin. It was common amongst the older members to have done some stuff in the past, but Jungkook was oblivious to any recent events. And when it came to Jungkook, he had always kept quiet about his romantic feelings, and not just for those within the group, but for others as well.
So the second Jimin had asked the question, in Jungkook's panic, his gaze had immediately landed on Yoongi.
He couldn't pry his eyes away from Yoongi. He didn't know why, but part of his brain thought that yanking his gaze away from Yoongi would be too obvious, so he simply let his stare bore into Yoongi. Jimin was giggling and squeaking maniacally beside Yoongi, hand over his mouth proving to be futile in its attempt to shut him up.
"Hurry up and answer!" Namjoon moaned, completely oblivious to how much Jungkook wanted the earth to swallow him up there and then.
"I-," he paused, and went to speak again, but just ended up stuttering. Yoongi was frowning now, confusion written across his face more than anything else. "I...," he stopped.
Jimin had managed to compose himself enough to sweep in and save Jungkook from the torture he himself had created, "Ah, Kookie, find your words. It's alright if you have, I'm sure many of us have," he looked at Seokjin and Namjoon nodding at them and urging them to agree with him in order to ease Jungkook's nerves.
"Of course," Yoongi spoke up, much to Jungkook's dismay. "Taehyung and Jimin for example-"
"Hyung!" Jimin yelled at him, eyes wide in panic before he began laughing nervously. "Yes, Taehyung and I... For example," he gritted his teeth, eyeing Yoongi. Well, if they were ever meant to find out now was the time.
"You and Taehyung..." Namjoon trailed off, brows furrowed in thought as he and Seokjin exchanged quizzical glances, "You've been fucking Taehyung?"
"Ah, Namjoon, please don't phrase it like that!" Jimin whined as he hugged his knees, hiding his face in embarrassment.
"How come Yoongi knew and we didn't?" Seokjin asked, admittedly feeling a little offended.
"He had a hunch," Jimin shrugged, but Yoongi was shaking his head as he lit a cigarette, "I heard them one morning when they thought I had left," he explained as he blew the cigarette smoke towards Jimin who attempted to waft it away by flapping his hands.
"Let's ignore Taehyung and I and focus on the game at hand, yeah?" Jimin sighed as he steered the conversation back to Jungkook, "Oh and Namjoon, It wasn't me who was fucking Taehyung-"
"JIMIN!" they all yelled at him, Jungkook louder than the rest.
As they chose to ignore Jimin's situation for the time being, attention was back on Jungkook who was feeling considerably more brazen.
"Have you?" Seokjin was prying now, "Ever looked at or thought about any of us like that?"
Jungkook didn't hesitate to nod, which made Namjoon straighten up in shock, and Seokjin break out into a smile. Yoongi remained unchanged.
"Oh, Jungkookie!" Seokjin exclaimed, eyes darting around to look at the others to see who was about to be exposed. Only, he'd have to wait a while longer to witness the exposure.
"But I'm not saying who," Jungkook continued with a twinkle in his eye and a heart-wrenchingly beautiful smile on his face. It's amazing what Jimin getting dragged under the bus had done for his confidence. Of course they weren't going to find out, how could they? They never would find out, either, as long as he kept it to himself and told no one. He knew telling Jimin was a bad idea but his brain to mouth filter was severely damaged by tequila earlier and it had just slipped out. He had to admit that telling someone had put him at ease. He only wished that that someone was someone other than Jimin.
The game continued with little excitement, Namjoon had to kiss Jimin, Jimin had to kiss Seokjin and then, Jimin had to kiss Yoongi. "Ah, do I have to?" Yoongi groaned as he pushed himself forward up off of the couch. "And why is Jimin kissing everyone tonight?"
Jimin shrugged, clearly not complaining about him being their hoe for the night.
"Kiss him, Yoongi," Jungkook said, timidly as he felt butterflies fluttering around in his stomach.
Yoongi let his hands come up to rest on Jimin's hips, pouting cutely at Jimin as the younger threw his head back in laughter. "We should put on a show for them," Jimin suggested, teeth nibbling his lower lip out of nervous energy.
"No, we shouldn't," Yoongi discarded Jimin's want for voyeurism immediately as a hand he had on Jimin's hip came up to rest on his cheek. "Come here," Yoongi pulled Jimin closer until their chests were flush against each other. And then they were kissing, slowly at first as Yoongi took control, guiding Jimin to keep it relaxed and soft. Jungkook folded his arms across his chest, hugging himself tightly as his stomach flipped. The inside of his cheek was going to be raw by the time the two were finished.
"This is pathetic," Namjoon jeered the two. Yoongi's response was a middle finger as Jimin smiled into the kiss. Jimin's hands were roaming all over Yoongi's back, digging in some places. Jungkook almost felt dizzy as he realised that Yoongi was deepening the kiss, tongue delving into Jimin's mouth at a more determined, languid, rhythmic pace, fingers digging into his sides, and when Yoongi bit down on Jimin's bottom lip, Jungkook's mouth fell agape as Jimin moaned wantonly into the kiss.
"Ok, enough!" Seokjin jumped up from his seat. Jungkook glared at him. He didn't want that kiss to end. Jimin was resting his forehead against Yoongi's, waiting for his senses to return before he pulled away, giggling. Jungkook completely blanked Jimin, instead, he was staring at Yoongi, who's hair was askew and who's lips bore the tell-tale signs of a make-out session.
"That was fun, now I'm going to bed, goodnight," Seokjin bowed out from the night's activities, but not without his last words, "Yoongi... Jimin," he said, turning to face the two, "You two seriously need to let out that pent up sexual frustration." Yoongi scoffed, as did Jimin. As Seokjin retreated to his room, he was soon followed by Namjoon and Jimin.
Yoongi was standing by the window, looking out across the city's skyline.
Jungkook was sitting on the couch, twiddling his thumbs.
"Do you like Jimin, Yoongi?" he heard himself ask, cursing his brain to mouth filter.
Yoongi turned around, "Of course I do."
Jungkook shook his head, "No, I mean, are you attracted to him?"
Yoongi paused. Jungkook had always had an inkling about the two's friendship. Yoongi had often hinted at him and Jimin's closeness, and whenever they were in a group together, the two were rarely seen by each other's side, which led Jungkook to conclude that they were spending a lot of alone time together. "Are you?" came Yoongi's voice, snapping Jungkook out of his thoughts.
"No," he replied.
"Mmm," Yoongi replied, a pensive frown on his features, analysing Jungkook's sure answer. Jungkook didn't really know what his reply was meant to signify, but he did know that Yoongi had just swerved his question completely.
"Well? Are yo-"
"I'm attracted to him but we're not involved, if that's what you're wondering, Kookie. That was only the third time I've kissed him."
Only. Jungkook forced himself to reply to Yoongi, if not verbally then physically as he nodded, "Ok," came his simple reply.
"Ok," Yoongi replied, features soft as he stood in front of Jungkook, his hands in the pockets of his pyjama bottoms. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine," Jungkook assured him quickly as he stood up from his seat on the couch, brushing past Yoongi and announcing that he needed to go to sleep before his hangover began.
He'd curse his liquid courage in the morning.
He didn't curse his liquid courage in the morning, but he did curse his liquid courage at half four in the morning as he stumbled through the darkness and eventually made it to the kitchen.
His tongue felt like sandpaper, his throat drier than the Sahara. Water. He needed water.
As he leaned against the sink regretting every decision he had made that night in regards to alcohol, his mind drifted to the conversation he and Yoongi had, only two hours earlier.
However, he couldn't ponder on the details of the conversation for long, because he heard his name being called from the living room.
It was Yoongi. Still awake and on his laptop.
"Why are you still awake?" Yoongi asked him as Jungkook waddled into the living room, eyes unaccustomed to the light coming from the small lamp in the corner. "You're dying aren't you?"
Jungkook nodded, Yoongi laughed, and Jungkook felt those butterflies again.
"I was asleep but Namjoon's snores are worse when he's drunk, apparently," Jungkook said through a yawn.
Jungkook couldn't believe his eyes when he caught a glimpse of Yoongi's laptop screen. He was working. He was working after he had spent the night drinking.
"You work so hard," Jungkook was whispering now, talking was too much of a strenuous activity for him in his delicate state, "You should go to bed, hyung."
Yoongi shut the laptop and stood up to turn off the lamp in the corner. The only light that was streaming in through the windows was courtesy of the moon and the cities' shining lights. "Your eyes can't handle the brightness," Yoongi explained as he sat down beside Jungkook, moving his laptop onto the coffee table.
They were sitting in silence, comfortably. Jungkook filled that silence occasionally with a yawn. Then something in the pit of Jungkook's stomach stirred. The air felt closer, the temperature warmer as he swore that he felt Yoongi scoot inconspicuously closer to him, their shoulders touching now.
Jungkook didn't realise, but he was holding his breath.
Yoongi's hand was resting on his thigh now.
"Hyung?" came Jungkook's little voice. He sounded so small.
Yoongi didn't reply as Jungkook felt more movement beside him. Yoongi was looming over him now. Jungkook could barely make out his features in the moonlight. "Do you like me, Jungkook?"
Jungkook didn't reply. Couldn't.
He replied in the only way he could - by kissing Yoongi.