Chapter Text
“I used to eat lamb all the time at home but I haven’t found a good restaurant in Seoul.” Jungkook tells Yoongi over the phone. He’s walking home from class, notebook full of lecture notes in hand, as he happily chats with the dragon.
The idea to call Yoongi after class was random but after 20 minutes of contemplating whether he should or not, Jungkook decided to say ‘fuck it’ and clicked the dial button.
He’s glad he did because now he’s blushing and grinning like a schoolgirl with a crush.
( Crush? What a strange phrase to use for Yoongi.)
“Mm. I know a place.” Yoongi’s gravelly voice replies. He sounds like he’s tired but the older had assured him that he wasn’t earlier. “ How about I take you out for lamb skewers? It’ll be Hyung’s treat.”
Jungkook grins even wider. He’s probably getting a lot of weird looks from people on the street but he, oddly enough, doesn’t care.
“Really? You don’t have to Hyung.” He doesn’t have to but gods does Jungkook want him to.
Yoongi is so cool (he’s a dragon!) and Jungkook isn’t ashamed to say that he wants to get to know the older better. He hopes that they can become close, like he and Namjoon are.
‘Hopefully close, but not close enough to get an embarrassing crush on him, like the one you have on Namjoon,’ An awful voice reminds him in his head.
And, well, the voice isn’t wrong but Jungkook doesn’t want to hear it.
“I want to Kook-ah.” Yoongi says and oh gods, the cool Hyung just called him a nickname!
“Cool beans.” Jungkook winces as the words leave his mouth. Who says “cool beans” anymore?!
An embarrassed flush covers his face and Yoongi chuckles in his ear.
“I’ll text you later, ok? Have a good night Jungkook-ah.” Jungkook just barely manages to mumble a ‘good night’ back before Yoongi hangs up.
Jungkook’s face is beet red for the rest of the walk home.
-
Jungkook’s hand trembles for the first time in years as he lines his eyes with kohl.
He doesn’t wear makeup very often and when he does, he always goes for a light look. Concealer, a bit of highlight and blush, flavored lipgloss, and a bit of under-the-eye eyeliner.
He curses as his hand shakes out of control. This is the third time that he’s almost poked himself in the eye.
Yoongi will be picking him up soon and to say he’s nervous is an understatement.
He wants to make a good impression on Yoongi. They’ve met twice before but this will be the first time that they’ll sit down and talk , just the two of them in a restaurant with plates full of lamb. He wants to seem… cool in Yoongi’s eyes. Wants to be worthy of becoming the dragons friend.
His belly rumbles at the thought of the succulent meat.
He hasn’t eaten much today, he hasn’t been able to stomach anything with so many butterflies in his tummy. He scarfed down a granola bar before rushing to work this morning and now, at 8 pm, his stomach was upset with him for it.
His phone buzzes right as he sets down his eyeliner pencil. He’d barely managed to line his eyes without blinding himself.
He fumbles with his phone for a moment, palms sweaty and shaky, before finally checking the new message.
Yoongi: I’m downstairs, bun. Do you want me to come up? Or should I wait here for you?
Jungkook quickly types out that he’ll come downstairs, ignoring Yoongi’s usage of the (innaccurate and very dumb) nickname Jimin had given him. Jungkook is completely human with no ancestry of bunny hybrids. So where the ‘bun’ name comes from he has no clue.
He hurries to stand and grab his bag, doublechecking that he has everything he needs. When he’s finished checking he gives himself a mental pat on the back.
As Jungkook walks out, he sees Namjoon studying on their ratty old couch. Namjoon’s previous roommate took the old one so one of the first things they did together was find a new couch at a mediocre garage sale. They don’t have the money to get a new couch, one without holes and suspicious stains (they’ve covered up the stains with a spare blanket and have a silent agreement not to speak about The Stains), but Jungkook wouldn’t want a new couch. They have so many memories on that busted up couch that he would feel wrong throwing it away.
Namjoon glances up as he hears Jungkook’s footsteps. The older smiles, dimples just barely appearing in his golden skin.
“Have a good dinner Jungkook-ah. Be safe.” He bids.
Of course Namjoon knows about Jungkook’s outing with Yoongi; he tells his roommate everything that goes on in his life like Namjoon is some kind of in-person diary.
Jungkook’s heart thunders against his ribs in a way that he knows is wrong. He shouldn’t… feel this way about Namjoon. They both have soulmates out there, waiting for them or coming for them.
Jungkook has so many feelings about his soulmate. Excitement, dread, happiness, despair, but most of all guilt. He feels like he’s cheating on his destined by crushing on Namjoon. He feels dirty, putting Namjoon in a light that only the person at the end of his red string should be in.
But he can’t help it. How is he supposed to keep himself from falling for Namjoon when the older is so irrevocably wonderful? From his smiles to his kindness to the way he seems to know everything, Namjoon is perfect in every way.
Really, how was he supposed to not fall in love with Namjoon?
Jungkook musters a wobbly smile. “I will, Hyung. I’ll even bring you some complimentary bread.”
Namjoon smiles wider as a silent thanks before returning back to his school work.
Jungkook withholds a sigh as he walks out of the apartment.
Like the sun loves the moon, Jungkook can never be with Namjoon. But perhaps, like the sun, he can still love the moon from afar.
-
Jungkook’s jaw is on the floor.
He looks, eyes bugged out and probably drooling, at Yoongi. The dragon somehow looks sheepish and smug at the same time.
“You have a motorcycle ?!” He screeches.
It’s large and black and sleek. Jungkook doesn’t know a thing about motorcycle brands but this one looks expensive, too expensive for a co-co-cafe owner.
It’s cool. Yoongi is cool.
“I bought her about two years ago.” Yoongi pats the seat lovingly. “Jin-Hyung hates how loud bikes are and Hobi passed out the first time we rode together so I rarely ever take her out. She still drives like she’s brand new.”
Jungkook continues to stare slack-jawed.
Yoongi must mistake his stunned silence for hesitance because he then says, “I should have called and told you about the bike. If you don’t feel comfortable riding, then we can get a taxi or-”
“Are you kidding?” Jungkook hates cutting people off but he has to stop Yoongi’s train of thought. There is no way he’s going to pass up the chance to ride a motorcycle with his cool new dragon Hyung. “If I don’t ride this thing, I’ll actually die right here. Do you want to be become a murderer, Hyung? Do you want my death on your hands?”
Yoongi grins, wide enough to show his gums. “No, I suppose not.”
“Then we have to ride this motorcycle. For my health.” Jungkook says and that’s the end of it.
“Well, if it’s for your health,” Yoongi turns around and pulls two helmets out of seemingly thin air. He must have used magic.
Almost all supernatural beings can use magic but dragons have always been known to wield a tremendous amount of it. There are different kinds of dragons, if Jungkook’s middle school history teacher is correct. Briefly, he wonders what kind of dragon Yoongi is.
He could probably tell by the color of his scales, which shift from a dark blue to a deep purple everytime Yoongi turns his head, but Jungkook isn’t knowledgeable enough about dragon’s to be able to tell.
It doesn’t really matter what kind of dragon Yoongi is or how much magic he has, not when the older is smiling at him so kindly as he places a purple helmet on his head.
-
When Yoongi stops and takes the helmet off of Jungkook’s head, a large grin is on the younger’s face.
Motorcycle rides are exhilarating.
They’re loud and the constant rumble they make still thrums in his tummy even though they’ve stopped. But, riding on a motorcycle gave him a look at the city that he’d never gotten before.
Seoul, despite all of its flaws, is gorgeous at night. Colorful lights and pretty buildings and different kinds of people. Jungkook has been living here for almost a year and he can’t believe he’s missed so much of the city’s beautiful night life.
Yoongi gets off first and places his helmet on his seat. At Jungkook’s wide smile, the older gives a small one back.
“First time?” He asks with a knowing quirk of his lip. Jungkook nods.
“I’ll help you get off. Things can be a bit wobbly after your first time on a bike. Swing your other leg for me.” Jungkook does so. “Grab my hands and hop off bun.”
Jungkook puts his hands in Yoongi’s, surprised that the olders hands are larger than his. Yoongi is a lot shorter than he is, almost the shortest of the group if he remembers correctly. He expected Yoongi’s hand to be small like Jimin’s.
He’s pleasantly surprised.
His happy shock vanishes quickly as his feet hit the ground. His legs wobble and his knees buckle and suddenly he’s falling forwards. Yoongi is still small in comparison to Jungkook, who is 176 cm of pure muscle thanks to hours in the gym. He knows all of his weight is going to cause Yoongi to tumble backwards and then they’ll end up on the ground.
But, Yoongi doesn’t even budge from all of Jungkook’s body weight crashing against him.
No, the dragon only laughs with his lips too close to Jungkook’s ear. With his body against the other, he can feel the dragons laughter in his chest as though it’s his own.
“Told you things would be a bit wobbly, bun.” Yoongi chuckles. He’s completely still, casual despite Jungkook’s weight against him. “Tell me when your legs feel better and we’ll head inside, ok?”
“O-Ok.” Jungkook curses himself for stuttering.
And so they stay like that for almost 5 minutes until Jungkook’s jelly legs become normal again.
-
The restaurant is small and cozy and has an atmosphere that reminds Jungkook of Busan.
“It’s family run.” Yoongi tells him as they sit down at a table. Jungkook opens his mouth to reply but gets interrupted by a dog-hybrid boy coming to the table.
He’s young, maybe 9 or 10 years old, with a notepad in his hand and a child-sized apron around his waist.
“Welcome back Mr. Min!” He greets with large smile. He’s missing one of his front teeth.
Yoongi ruffles the child’s hair and Jungkook swears the small dog hybrids tail wags. “Hey kid.”
“The usual?” The kid looks at Jungkook with a tilt of his head. “Uh… two usuals?”
“Hold on, we haven’t discussed it yet.” Yoongi chuckles and the small child grows an embarrassed flush.
“It’s fine,” Jungkook assures. “I’ll eat whatever you usually get.”
His mouth craves lamb skewers but his stomach is ready to devour anything as long as it’s food. Jungkook can’t decide which is more important.
“Are you sure, bun?” Yoongi asks.
There goes that nickname again. Jungkook doesn’t want to admit it but it’s starting to grow on him a bit (don’t tell Jimin).
He nods.
Yoongi turns back to kid who looks at him with wide, innocent eyes. “Two usuals, please Junnie, and add an order of lamb skewers too.”
The child - Junnie - writes it all down. “What kind of lamb? We have salted or sweet.”
“What kind do you want Jungkook-ah?”
It takes Jungkook a moment to realize that Yoongi is talking to him. He figured Yoongi was ordering lamb for himself. “Oh, Hyung, you don’t have to-”
“I said I’d take you out for the best lamb in Seoul and that’s what I’ll do. Salted or sweet, bun.” Yoongi’s voice is kind but firm. He leaves no room for arguments.
Jungkook’s cheeks redden. “Sweet, please.”
Junnie writes it down. “And what to drink?”
“Blueberry iced tea and a glass of fire whiskey for me. You?” Yoongi asks.
Jungkook looks at Junnie. “Do you have any lemonade?”
The boy nods and dashes away with his notepad full of their order.
Jungkook quirks a teasing brow. “Fire whiskey, huh?”
“I like the taste.” Yoongi shrugs. “Do you drink?”
Jungkook may be a freshman in college but he’s old enough to drink. He spent a few years after high school working, saving up the money to go to college. He turned 21 in Busan and celebrated by drinking his first glass of wine.
“Not really.” The buzz of alcohol makes him anxious rather than relaxes him. “Fire whiskey sounds like it burns.”
Yoongi smirks and Jungkook’s tummy does a… thing . And, to his dread, it’s not a thing of hunger.
“Fire whiskey isn’t a drink for little humans.”
Jungkook doesn’t get time to come up with a response before Junnie returns with their drinks.
-
Apparently, Yoongi’s “usual” is the biggest bowl of tteokbokki that Jungkook’s ever seen.
Cheese sizzles on top of the rice cakes and the sauce bubbles a bit. Steam bursts out of the bowl. The meal is obviously too hot to eat so he takes another sip of refreshing lemonade.
He glances up, ready to make a comment about tteokbokki, and pauses when he sees Yoongi taking a casual bite from his own bowl. He’s completely unbothered by the no doubt scalding rice cakes and continues to eat without a care.
“This is even better than usual.” He comments, finally looking up from his meal. “What about yours, Koo-ah?”
“Um,” Jungkook looks down at his untouched, still steaming bowl. “Mine is too hot to eat.”
“Ah.”
Luckily, Junnie appears with a plate. “Here are those lamb skewers! Enjoy!”
Jungkook’s mouth waters as the dog hybrid places the plate of lamb in front of him. They look so good and they’re, thankfully, not as hot as the tteokbokki.
He thanks Junnie before picking up the skewer and taking a long-awaited bite.
His stomach rumbles, pleased, as the lamb touches his tongue.
It’s delicious. The lamb is tender and juicy, the sweet sauce used to glaze it matching perfectly. Jungkook isn’t sure what kind of sauce is on the lamb but he doesn’t care, not when it tastes so good.
And maybe he’s a bit dramatic, this is the first thing he’s eaten since breakfast almost 12 hours ago. But, he’s quite sure that this is the best lamb in Seoul just like Yoongi said.
“So, what do you think?” Yoongi asks, voice full of curiosity.
Jungkook swallows his mouthful, immediately craving a second bite. “You were right, Hyung, this is the best lamb in Seoul.”
Yoongi grins.
...
The tteokbokki does eventually cool down enough for Jungkook to eat and he’s not surprised that it’s as delicious as the lamb. By the time he’s half way finished with his bowl, the check comes.
Jungkook doesn’t get the opportunity to reach for it before Yoongi’s silently slid the check towards himself.
“Hyung.” He says through a mouthful of rice cake. He swallows. “I’ll pay for mine.”
Yoongi doesn’t look up from the check. “Now, why would you pay for anything when I invited you out?”
“But…” Jungkook, admittedly, doesn’t have much of an argument prepared, brain as stuffed as his belly.
“Now,” Yoongi gives his card to Junnie who quickly takes it and the check away. “Do you want to finish that or take the rest home?”
…
Jungkook does end up taking the rest home in a to-go box. The ride home, Jungkook clinging a bit tighter than necessary to Yoongi the whole time, is quiet. Jungkook feels himself sadden a bit at Yoongi pulls up to the apartment complex. Hopping off of the motorcycle is a lot easier than the first time, although his legs still wobble a bit.
“Thanks for dinner, Hyung.” Jungkook smiles, bag of leftover tteokbokki clutched in his hand.
“No problem, bun.”
It feels oddly like the end of a nice date.
‘If this were the end of a date, then you would kiss his cheek as thanks.’
Jungkook’s cheeks burst into flames at his own thoughts.
“Bye Hyung.” He says hurriedly. “Have a safe drive home!”
“I will. Bye, Kook-ah.”
Jungkook rushes to the apartment, cheeks red and his heart thundering in an all-too familiar way.
Fuck.
