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Something smells like...outside. Like outside and warm alcohol-infused air. It also smells a little foul, so Jimin twists his head to the other side, not ready to open his eyes yet. Sleeps for a little longer, but by now his brain is already half functioning and the sunlight is too bright to ignore, so blearily he blinks them open and peers into the carefully structured face of another, deep asleep with pretty features and a small crusted stain of drool by the corner of their lip.
Jimin blinks a few more times, before jumping back a bit in shock. It jostles the other man, but he doesn’t seem to wake.
Hesitantly, he reaches a hand out of his blanket, and taps the man on the arm. It hits skin with a quiet slap, followed by another.
“Hey,” Jimin calls, shaking the guy. “Excuse me!”
The stranger groans, and lifts his hands to cradle his head. He hears a string of curses ringing out, and Jimin gives him a minute or so to come to his senses. “Why are you in my apartment?”
“Your what?” the guy whimpers, before he seems to realize that he’s not alone. He snaps his head up in panic, which triggers a wave of pain to course through him, and hisses as he leans back and proceeds to nearly fall out of the bed. Out of reflex, Jimin reaches over and pulls him back.
“What the--”
“How did you get in?” Jimin interrupts him, and he knows he has a right to be feeling creeped out of his mind and calling the cops right now, but he’s more confused than angry. What a surreal experience. He didn’t think his home security was that bad, after all.
“I--isn’t this my room?” the guy looks up, and then around.
“This is 309.”
“Three-oh--” the guy repeats. “B-but I remember typing in the code! And it worked. This makes no sense.”
“Oh,” Jimin frowns, thinking hard. “That’s weird. Do we... happen to have the same code?”
The other guy is gnawing at his lip now. “Maybe? Is--is it…95...13?”
“Oh my god,” Jimin gasps, leaning back. “We do!”
“We do?” They mirror each other’s expression of disbelief. What kind of a coincidence to be sharing the same passcode in the same building, too. Then the guy seems to remember where he is, because he flushes a bright red and scrambles to get out of the bed, kicking the blankets everywhere as he goes.
“Holy shit, that’s right, I’m so sorry about this, I really wasn’t sober last night, and I won’t do this again. I’m so sorry. My room’s right next door, I must’ve came here by mistake. Shit, I’m so sorry. Thank you for not being an asshole about this; I would understand if you were, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to apologize fifty times. I get how it is when you’re drunk,” Jimin waves him off, smiling politely. If anything, the guy looked truly remorseful, and he probably was just another college student, if his young looks are anything to go by.
“I’m so sorry once again,” the guy bows, retreating out of the room. “Um, is there anything I...is there anything you want, or..?”
“Oh, no, no. It’s totally fine. You didn’t fuck anything up,” Jimin says, jumping off of his bed and walking the man out to the doorway. “Be careful from now on, okay?”
“I’m so sorry,” the guy repeats, like it’s the only thing he knows how to say. Jimin reaches over to pull the door open for him, and he smiles awkwardly in thanks, bowing his way out. Jimin nods back at him, and closes the door. He waits until he hears the gentle click of a door pulling shut, and then quietly twists the handle, tip toeing his way back out to change his passcode.
--
“Hello, everybody, how are you doing? My name is Jimin, I’ll be your server for today.” The voice sounds strangely familiar, and Jungkook looks up with a frown to try and figure out why. His eyes widen.
“I’ll come back in a few minutes to check on you guys, then.” Their eyes meet, and Jimin startles. “Holy fuckin shit,” he hisses, before immediately clasping a hand over his mouth, his cheeks turning red. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry, that slipped out,” he apologizes, before ducking out of their view and speeding away.
“What was that?” Hoseok turns to him, frowning.
“It’s a long story,” Jungkook sighs into his glass of water. A bit of it touches his nose, and he wipes it off with a grimace.
“Oh no,” his friend says, leaning forward. “You’ve finally gone and done it, haven’t you? You went and stalked the guy.”
“What?”
“I told you to work up the courage to talk to more people so that when you finally find someone attractive you don’t resort to shit like this, but of course you don’t listen to me and look what happens.”
“What?!” Jungkook calls again, offended. “No! I didn’t stalk him! We live in the same apartment complex!”
Hoseok gasps again, this time more softly. “You were a pervert,” he accuses.
Jungkook reaches over to try and whack him on the face. “It’s not that,” he snaps, sinking back into his seat. “We didn’t meet on the best terms, that’s all. I was really drunk, and--no no no, it’s not what you think,” he quickly denies when he looks at Hoseok’s expression, “remember when we went out last Friday night?”
“Oh yeah, with the guys?”
“Mm-hmm. I was shitfaced afterwards, right? He lives right next to me, and apparently we have the same passcode, so I must’ve accidentally entered his room instead of mine, and fell asleep there.”
Hoseok scoffs out a laugh, looking amused at the situation. “Wow,” he muses. “All the interesting things happen to you.”
“Shut up, I felt like dying the next day; I felt so bad. He was really nice about it though. If it was me I would have beat the crap out of myself.”
“Honestly, I’m a little worried as to why he didn’t beat the crap out of you,” Hoseok says, twisting his body so he can catch another glimpse of their waiter. “Isn’t that a little too trusting?”
“I don’t think he was trusting me, more like being a decent person,” Jungkook mumbles into his hand.
“Even a decent person--” Hoseok stops talking, watching his friend with a strange look. “I should’ve known,” he breathes.
“What?”
“Oh my god, it’s so obvious. You think he’s cute, don’t you?”
“Shut up, no I don’t.”
“Awww, don’t deny it, you suck at hiding your facial expressions,” Hoseok coos at him. “Well, at least now you and your neighbor have something in common.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Jungkook snaps back. “I’m not dumb enough to keep my code the same after that, and I’m sure he isn’t either.”
Hoseok hums. “I guess that’s true. What a bummer, though. Maybe you could’ve sneaked into his house at night and climbed i--”
“You fucker, finish that sentence and I’ll beat the crap out of you!”
“Oh, oops,” Jimin moves back to avoid getting whacked by Jungkook’s arm, and Hoseok snickers as Jungkook recoils in horror.
“Shit I’m so sorry--”
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Jimin laughs, “at least you weren’t trying to hit me.”
“Oh my god, I’m officially the worst neighbor ever--”
“What? No! You’re not, trust me, I’ve had worse,” Jimin reassures as Jungkook sinks into his seat. “By the way, I didn’t catch your name..?”
“Huh?” Jungkook says, heart stuttering. “Oh, right. I’m Jungkook.”
“Jungkook,” Jimin repeats, nodding, and he blushes harder. “I’m sorry we have to officially meet like this, Jungkook, I should’ve come over to say hi earlier.”
“No, it’s totally fine, thanks for being so...not an asshole.” He hears a sarcastic ‘Eloquent’ from Hoseok, but chooses to ignore it. Jimin laughs again.
“How could I ever?” he says, and then, eyes falling down to the menus on their table, speaks up again. “So have you guys decided, or..?”
“Oh,” Jungkook voices, quickly picking up his menu to scan through it. “Actually, I haven’t really…”
“I have, in the time you two were having your nice little chat,” Hoseok announces, and Jungkook shoots him a glare.
“Take your time,” Jimin tells him. “I can always come back in a few minutes, okay?”
“Thank you,” Jungkook watches him go, and Hoseok leans over with the most serious look on his face that he’s ever seen.
“Ten bucks he didn’t kick your ass ‘cause he finds you cute, too.”
“Shut the fuck up, please,” Jungkook hisses, his face burning hotter by the minute. He buries it into his menu to try and hide the red. “He was just being nice, because that’s literally his job.”
“He didn’t look over at me once,” Hoseok tells him.
“That’s because you had your order figured out already.”
His friend looks at him like he’s the dumbest, before throwing his hands up in defeat and leaning back into his chair. “Yeah. Sure. Of course that’s why.”
“Of course that’s why,” Jungkook affirms, squarely looking back down to the words in front of him. His eyes glance over to the counter, where Jimin is busy pressing keys into the register. Feeling his cheeks heat up, he decides to look back down again. It’s because he’s nice. Jungkook will have to tip him better.
--
When Jimin walks out into his small, sad excuse of a living room, the first thing he does is turn right around and head back into his room, closing the door lightly and leaning against it in confusion.
He rubs at his eyes, making sure everything looks clear enough to him, before finally opening the door again and peeking out carefully.
Looking closer, that’s not a dead body on his living room floor at all. It’s definitely breathing if Jimin focuses his eyesight, and squinting the silhouette even looks familiar, just like…
“Jungkook?” Jimin steps out, eyes now blowing wide as he steps closer. In some sick stroke of luck, his next door neighbor seems to have worked his way into Jimin’s apartment once again, and is now sleeping in the most uncomfortable looking position on Jimin’s floor, his face wedged into the carpet and his body looking stiff like a stick. Jimin’s not even sure he’s vacuumed in the past few weeks or so.
“But I even changed…” he breathes out, pausing in the midst of his life crisis to glare at his door, like it’s the door’s fault that his apartment security is always breeched these days. But at least the intruder is someone he kind of knows. Jimin settles for trying to shake his neighbor awake instead, turning him to the side so he hopefully doesn’t wake to the feeling of fiber in his mouth.
“Jungkook,” he repeats with a pout, “you have to wake up.”
“It’s Saturday,” the other whines, swatting his hand away, and Jimin covers his mouth to mute the laughter that threatens to sound.
“It is,” he says, “but I don’t think breaking into your neighbor’s place again counts as a worthy celebration. Get up.”
“A wha..?” Jungkook grumbles, and he finally opens his eyes, trying to make out who it is that’s in his room right now. His eyes finally catch on Jimin’s, and the pieces click together surprisingly fast. Within a few seconds, Jungkook is shooting up from the floor in haste, hand going to wipe at his face as he looks around the room that definitely does not belong to him.
“What the hell?” he squeaks, looking more and more horrified to the point Jimin can’t even fake his anger anymore. “But--but--I even changed my passcode! It can’t possibly be the exact same again!”
“I really would hope not, but you’re in my house,” Jimin says, tilting his head in exasperation. Jungkook continues to look at him like he’s staring at some scary upperclassmen.
“One two...” he starts.
“Six three?” Jimin finishes, and Jungkook cradles his head.
“I feel like I’m in some twilight zone right now,” he breathes.
“Sadly enough, I agree.”
“Listen, I am so sorry this keeps happening,” Jungkook begins, pushing himself up from off the floor. “I swear I’ll make it up to you, I don’t know why I’m like this. I didn’t even drink that much yesterday--I’m just going to quit completely, that’ll probably solve things. I hate myself, I’m, shit--”
“Don’t beat yourself up too much over it,” Jimin teases. “Sure, it’s not the best arrangement, but I’d rather have you than a lot of other people.”
Jungkook feels his cheeks heating up, despite knowing that Jimin hadn’t any implications behind the sentence other than just being the saint that he is. He rubs at the back of his neck, embarrassed. “I guess I should make my way out now, huh?”
Jimin gestures to the door. “I won’t stop you,” he shrugs, and stays sitting on his floor as he watches Jungkook shuffle to the exit. He twists the handle and steps out, but turns back around to apologize one last time.
“I’m really sorry, once again. I know it doesn’t make up for anything, but I--”
“A coffee will do,” Jimin cuts him off, and Jungkook blinks.
“What?”
“I said you can just treat me to a coffee. We’ll call it even then,” Jimin smiles at him, eyes curved into crescents and pressing one sleeve to his cheek. He looks cute. “I’m really picky with my orders.”
“Oh…” Jungkook says. “Oh. Okay...yeah. We can do that. I can--I can treat you. Um, we can go together, and you can get your. Coffee. Maybe when you’re free? Or like, if you want you can just tell me, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to--”
“I can go with you,” Jimin nods with a smile, and Jungkook’s mind unhelpfully begins screaming in anticipation.
“Woah,” he breathes, and Jimin catches himself in laughter, pressing his face into his hand. Jungkook flushes; that was so fucking uncool. “I mean--we can go today, if you want?”
“That’s fine,” Jimin says. “Although I’m sure you want to go clean yourself up a bit first?”
Right. He probably looks like a wreck like he always does after a Friday night. “Yeah, I’ll get going. Um, just. I can come knock on your door? When I’m done?” Jimin nods again, and Jungkook takes a deep breath and smiles. “Okay. Cool. See you.”
--
“Oh.”
Jungkook slows down to a jog and then a walk as he watches Jimin approach, a few bags of food in his hands. He pulls an earbud out of one ear, and then thinking better pulls the other out too, stopping his music completely and waiting for the man to catch up.
“Good morning. Out on a run?”
“Yeah,” Jungkook nods, glancing down again. “Grocery run?”
Jimin laughs. “Yeah.”
“You need any help with that?”
“Nope. I’m pretty fit myself, you see.” Jimin lifts the bags high up to demonstrate, and then quickly drops them back down with a huff. Jungkook smiles.
They walk with a comfortable air back to their apartment, reveling in the quiet of the morning. Jungkook doesn’t usually like waking up so early, but he’d been a little lazy with his exercise routines the past few days. And to be honest, he’s kind of glad to have sacrificed some sleep if he can run into the other like this.
“Have you changed your code since then?” Jimin asks conversationally, and Jungkook nods.
“It’s not really the safest to have someone know how to get into my house,” Jungkook answers. He thinks about his words, and quickly adds, “not that I don’t trust you to not rob my house. But I just--um.”
“Yeah, I changed mine for the exact same reason,” Jimin agrees, and Jungkook sighs in relief. They make it up the stairs, Jungkook walking past 309 to his own room while Jimin sets his bags down in order to free one hand and unlock his door.
“I’ll see you soon?” Jungkook asks, and his neighbor nods. His hand is already turning the handle when Jimin speaks again.
“Hey…” he calls him back, and Jungkook stops, turning back around with a curious look. He presses his lips into a smile. “Just in case…” Jimin begins, “...my code has a five in it.”
Jungkook blinks, running the information through his mind while a question mark floats above his head. But why would he tell him that..? His mind goes to his own numbers, and his mouth parts in understanding. Shit. He’s going to have to change his code, then. He clears his throat. “Then...my code will have a seven in it.”
Jimin raises his brows, gaze quickly flitting over his keypad before he looks back at Jungkook and nods. “No sevens,” he says.
They both nod awkwardly to each other, and stand there for a few still seconds, before both simultaneously going to change their passcodes.
Jungkook makes it halfway through his numbers before he slips out a chuckle. Jimin joins him with a quiet giggle, and by the time both of their new passcodes are set the two of them are laughing out loud, sending glances of amazement to each other. Jungkook’s lock blinks green two times before turning blue to let him know that the new key is set, and he makes a mental note to write the digits down somewhere before he forgets them. He’s changed his lock so many times the past month, it’s not even funny.
“Ah, this is crazy,” Jimin says, gaining his breath back first. “I’ve never had something so weird happen to me before in my entire life.”
“Same here,” Jungkook agrees. “We must think more alike than we should.”
“It’s like accidental telepathy,” Jimin adds, and he nods before the two of them fall into silence once more, smiling at each other as they stand outside their rooms. Jungkook looks down and remembers the bags in Jimin’s hand, and he gestures to his door.
“You should go in,” he offers.
“Ah, right,” Jimin says, looking down. He bends over to pick them up again. “You should, too.”
“Yeah.” But neither do for a while, until Jimin lifts a hand, the bags rising along with it, as an attempt to wave.
“I’m gonna…”
“Yeah, me too,” Jungkook says.
“We should hang out again sometime,” Jimin smiles, “if you’re free, that is.”
Jungkook feels the excitement bubbling up in him, but he keeps his cool and nods. “Definitely.”
Unbeknownst to him, Jimin holds back another laugh at the sight of his neighbor’s extremely enthusiastic looking expression, and he waves goodbye before finally opening his door and stepping inside. Jungkook watches him go before he enters his apartment and jumps, knees to chest, in victory, clenching his fists in excitement.
--
The night is still early when there’s a knock at Jimin’s door. He’s still slurping up the remains of his ramen, clad in his pajamas and ready to sit back and relax for the rest of the night. Jimin frowns, noodle still hanging out out his mouth, wondering who it is at this time.
There’s a small beep, followed by another, and then another, and Jimin quickly snaps the ramen from his lips and stands in caution as his lock beeps open. The handle of the door twists, and Jungkook burrows inside with a stumble in his step and an unnatural flush in his cheeks. The way his eyes are glazed over and unfocused shows that he must’ve been drinking. Again.
Jimin frowns. He really needs to have a talk with the other about how much he should ‘let loose’ on Friday nights. For now, though, Jimin approaches with worry.
“Jungkook, are you okay? I thought you had no fives.”
“I don’t--” Jungkook hiccups, and shakes his head to try and clear his mind. “I wanted to look for you, actually.”
“Oh...and you guessed my code?” Jimin doesn’t know how he should feel about that.
“Guessed it a while ago, actually,” Jungkook confesses. Jimin frowns harder. “M’sorry, really had to ask you something.”
“What is it? You sure you don’t want to wait until you’re a little less drunk--”
“I have to ask it now,” Jungkook says, and with both hands he clasps Jimin’s shoulders, squeezing firmly but not tight enough to be uncomfortable.
Taken aback by the sudden motion, Jimin steps back, and his hands automatically go to keep his neighbor at an acceptable distance away. He draws back in amazement at the touch. Damn, that chest was more toned than it looked…
“If I…” Jungkook begins, swallowing as he tries to gather his thoughts. Jimin watches him with wide eyes. He can smell the alcohol on his tongue, and Jungkook slowly leans closer.
“If I bought you flowers…”
“What?”
“...would you accept them?”
Jimin bursts out laughing, both hands going to cover his mouth in delight. Out of everything he’s expected, he’ll admit it surely wasn’t this. “Do you really need to be drunk to ask me this?”
“It took a lot of courage,” Drunk Jungkook nods to himself. “What kind of flowers would you like?”
“I like all flowers.”
Jungkook pouts. “I have buy you every single flower?” he whispers. “I’m poor.”
“It’ll be fine even if you buy me just one flower,” Jimin smiles up at him. He feels all warm inside all of a sudden, and his hands find their way to Jungkook’s chest again. “You sure you don’t want to get some sleep before dealing with all this, though?” he asks gently. Jungkook nods, leaning into him.
“I’m kind of tired,” he confesses, and his head lolls to the side until Jimin guides it to his neck, and Jungkook rests on his shoulder, nearing sleep.
“Are you sleeping here?”
Jungkook shakes his head, his hair tickling Jimin. “I don’t wanna bother you again,” he says, and pulls away before saluting him a goodbye and stumbling towards the door.
Jimin watches in amusement. He follows just to make sure his neighbor isn’t passing out in front of his door, and rushes over when Jungkook looks like he’s about to do just that, pulling the younger close to him once again as he tries to rouse him from sleep.
“Jungkook, tell me your code. I need to get you inside,” Jimin calls, and Jungkook mumbles something incoherent. He sighs. “You really need to stop drinking so much…”
He eyes the keypad, a strange thought coming to his mind. No sevens, Jungkook had told him. But if he did have a seven…
Jimin’s finger goes to press on the nine, the keypad lighting up blue to show that it senses motion. He presses down on the seven, then hovers over to the nine again, before hesitating.
His finger clicks the three, and the keypad glows green, something unlocking from within. Jimin gapes. “Fuck, that actually worked?” he breathes to himself. That’s crazy.
Jungkook’s body sags even more against him, and Jimin nearly buckles under all the weight. “Oh, you are so heavy,” he grumbles, and forgets everything in favor of dragging the limp body on top of him back into its natural habitat, the door closing behind them.
--
“I am so sorry,” Jungkook thrusts a cup of coffee into Jimin’s face the next day, the other still bleary from the night’s lack of sleep.
Jimin yawns in his face as he takes it. “Yeah, I guess I do need this. Thanks,” he says, taking a sip. Jimin had been lying when he said his coffee orders were picky; he drinks anything.
Jungkook waits nervously as the older drinks, fidgeting with his hands. “Um, I’m really sorry,” he repeats once Jimin is looking back at him. “I’ll fix it, I swear. This isn’t going to happen again. I’ll even help you install a manual lock, if you want. I can talk to the landlord about it.”
Jimin hums, like he’s waiting for something more. Jungkook looks from side to side. “I’m sorry.”
“Is that it?” the other asks him, and Jungkook lifts his head, looking like a deer in headlights. Does he want something more?
But Jimin only smiles that same, slightly fond smile that he’s been giving him for the past few weeks. “I’m still waiting for my flowers, you know,” he says, bringing the cup to his lips again.
Jungkook gapes, mouth opening and closing. His face is red as he stutters. “I--I can go buy them right now!”
Jimin laughs. “Oh my god, you’re so cute,” he says, and Jungkook blushes a brighter tomato. “How about breakfast? Have you eaten yet?”
He’d bought himself a sandwich at the very same cafe he’d gotten Jimin’s coffee from, but Jungkook shakes his head.
“How about I make us something?” Jimin offers, and Jungkook nods enthusiastically. “Great. Come on in.”
Yesssss.