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Jungkook's seven, he's in the middle of the forest, he's lost his classmates and teacher ten minutes ago and he has no idea how to get home. He couldn't care less, though.
'Hello, Mister,' Jungkook says, eyes opened wide as he stares at the dragonfly perched on top of a swaying grass blade. It's a beautiful thing, with a deep green body and emerald wings which buzz idly in the still air, with eyes like jewels and fragile legs. Jungkook's mesmerized.
He lifts his hand and reaches with a finger to touch the dragonfly's wings but stops short when he notices how fast their flitting has become. 'Can I touch your wings, Mister drag–' ah, he can't remember the word. 'Dragonflew.' That must be it.
The insect can't understand him, of course, but the flitting of its wings stops after his request, and Jungkook takes what he's given. He's less hesitant this time as he brings his pointer near the dragonfly, and he only flinches a little bit when the insect turns its head towards his finger.
Its curious eyes seem fixated on Jungkook's fingertip, and Jungkook's happy to let it admire his nails – his mom cut them nicely for him –, but he's also extremely impatient to know what those pretty wings feel like. Careful to not scare the dragonfly away, he lifts his other hand and reaches for the wings.
He's got quite close when the dragonfly stirs again, and his hand comes in contact with the insect's tail. The touch lasts for just a moment, too quick for Jungkook to register much, but then the dragonfly surges for his finger and bites.
Jungkook yelps, beyond surprised, and begins shaking his abused hand with fervour, hoping to get 'Mister Dragonflew' far away from him as soon as possible. To make sure he manages, he continues the movement for at least a minute, up until the tears in his eyes get too much and he has to wipe them away.
Jungkook knows he's a big boy, though, and he knows big boys don't cry, so he gets up from where he's fallen on his bum and takes a deep breath to steady himself. He holds it in, then exhales it with all his strength, tightening his fists and frowning his brows in that way his mom finds adorable. His mom would be proud of him.
His mom wouldn't be so proud of the fact that he got lost from his group, though, so he starts stomping his way in a random direction, telling himself he's got to find them at some point if he just walks.
And he does come across someone, just. Not his group.
He's a little ways from where the dragonfly got its revenge on him when he spots a young lady perched on top of a tree stump. She's dressed in peculiar clothes, what his mom would call 'a pious granny's Sunday attire', but what Jungkook can see of her side profile is as far from that definition as he can imagine.
The lady's skin is a pretty golden and it's painted with thin, white lines and small triangles – or rectangles, he forgot again. She's got all types of dangly earrings which remind Jungkook of the dragonfly's eyes, and there are metal hoops piercing her lips and the side of her nose and even her eyebrows, and wow. The lady's really pretty, even to his untrained eyes.
Curious, he starts unconsciously pacing towards the tree stump, careful not to step on a twig and scare the lady. He's starting to wonder if she knows he's there when she suddenly turns to him, just like the dragonfly did.
When Jungkook locks eyes with her, two things happen: first, he straightens and takes a few good steps backwards, but then she lunges towards him and takes his hands before he can even blink. She's got a manic smile on her lips when he dares to look again, and it's then that he starts fearing she'll bite his finger too.
Jungkook surely wouldn't be able to be a big boy then.
Fortunately, that doesn't happen. Instead, the lady runs her fingers over the skin of his wrists in soft, circular motions, looking deeply into his eyes with just a shadow of her previous smirk. Slowly but surely, Jungkook relaxes and lets go of the tense line of his shoulders, raising his own fingers to touch the lady's skin with caution.
It's a nice feeling, something close to what he thought the dragonfly's wings would feel like, but a lot warmer. Her eyes are the same deep green as the insect's body, and she's petite as well, so Jungkook's allowed to think she's some sort of embodiment of Mister Dragonflew.
'Jungkookie,' she says suddenly, and Jungkook startles from his thoughts. Even her voice has something of the buzz of a dragonfly's wings. 'That's a really nice name for a pretty boy like you.'
She sounds a bit like his mom too, so he's quick to nod approvingly. 'My mom told me she named me Jungkook so I can be as big as China when I grow up!' he babbles excitedly, completely missing the fact that the lady shouldn't – can't – know his name.
The lady just laughs and shakes her head a little bit, smiling down at him with kind eyes. 'Well, Jungkookie, no matter how big you grow, you won't be able to find your teacher,' she tells him, voice still buzzing slightly, like a bad sound effect. Jungkook's takes aback by her words, even more by her phrasing, but he lets her continue.
'I'll give you two options, Jungkookie. One, you forget all about your– your mom, your teacher, your life before–' she makes a pause, and Jungkook shifts uncomfortably on his feet. 'And you remain here, with me. It's a good life here, in the woods, Jungkookie.'
Jungkook's already shaking his head from side to side, so she laughs and continues. 'Or, I can get you to your teacher.' He starts nodding his head vehemently, bringing another giggle out of her. 'But, Jungkookie.'
'But?' he asks, his best puppy eyes equipped and ready to break a heart. It doesn't look like it works on the dragonfly lady.
'But I'll have to put a curse on you,' she tells him in a low voice, and he can hear the trees around them rustle their leaves more urgently. 'It won't be a bad curse, no, you're too cute for it–' at this, she pinches his cheek with her fingers. They feel a little scaly, even though they look smooth and soft. 'But it will be a curse. What do you say, Jungkookie?' she asks.
Jungkook thinks for just a second, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. 'I want to go back,' he tells the lady and watches as her eyes light up with mischief.
'Well, Jungkookie, your curse is simple,' she begins, and really, he's already scared. 'From now on, whatever pain you feel, your soulmate will feel it too. Likewise, whatever pain they feel, you'll experience it as well.' Her words are simple enough, so Jungkook nods. There's one thing he doesn't understand, still.
'What's a soulmate?' he asks. Her laugh rings prettily in the air, all the buzzing gone from her voice. He patiently awaits her answer.
'A soulmate is someone you can connect with, Jungkookie. It's not something I can explain to you like this, so you'll have to wait and see for yourself,' she tells him, voice dreamy, then ruthlessly pinches the skin of his wrist, where her fingers were still drawing mindless circles. Jungkook yelps in surprise and swats her hand away, a little rudely, but it does the job.
Seemingly pleased, the lady straightens her back, adding a mere inch or two to her height. 'Just stay where you are, Jungkookie. Your teacher will find you soon.' Then, she nods and takes his cheek in her hand, gently.
‘Remember, the curse can only be broken if you and your soulmate find true love within each other,’ she tells him with a sense of finality, then turns away and starts walking back to her tree stump.
There's still something irking Jungkook, though, so he clears his throat and calls her. 'What's your name?' he asks when she turns to him again.
'Mister Dragonflew,' she answers. 'But you can call me Mijin, Jungkookie.'
He watches agape as she closes her eyes with a smile, then disappears right in front of him. For a second, everything's silent, even the trees and their unruly leaves.
And then, he hears a faint 'Jungkook-ah' in the distance and recognises his teacher's voice. Still a little shaken up by the lady's– no Mijin's presence, he calls back and waits rooted on the spot for his teacher to find him.
-
It's a beautiful day of May, Jungkook's got his favourite caramel frappuccino on sale, but Namjoon can clearly see he's irked.
Now, Namjoon knows that when Jungkook is in a bad mood, it's best to remain quiet and approach him carefully – especially when he's furiously playing with the temples of his glasses like he is now. He knows that especially well, but he's kept his mouth shut for ten minutes already and this was supposed to be their bro date. Where they talk.
'Kook-ah, is something wrong?' Jungkook perks up at his question, eyeing him as if he just now realised he was there. Namjoon shifts in his seat and puts on an expectant look.
Jungkook frowns the slightest bit, then puts his hands in Namjoon's face. He's wearing a twin expectant look, and Namjoon's starting to feel threatened. 'You see these, hyung?' he asks, condescendingly, and Namjoon can only nod dumbly.
'Something special about them? You-you did your manicure, or?' He keeps his tone level with uncertainty, partly to rile Jungkook up the slightest bit more, partly because he really doesn't know what he's supposed to see.
Jungkook scoffs, then shakes his hands in Namjoon's face with more vigour. Namjoon shrugs, and he takes his hands back, defeated.
'I got fired again, Joonie-hyung,' he mutters, then proceeds to repeatedly hit his forehead on the table. It attracts a few questioning stares from the other customers in the café, some a bit more pitiful than annoyed.
Namjoon just ignores them, too focused on trying not to burst out laughing. 'What was it this time, Kook?' His voice is wavering a bit, but Jungkook doesn't seem to notice.
Instead, he lifts his head and props his chin in his left hand. His eyes look sad, and that makes Namjoon feel a little guilty. 'Well, Joonie-hyung, let me tell you,' he begins dramatically, and Namjoon loses all sympathy for him.
'This morning, I woke up because my back hurt like a motherfucker. That's right, it was so bad I woke up. Can you imagine, hyung?' Jungkook's voice is teetering on a moan, and Namjoon's not sure how well the café's staff are taking it.
'But let's say I could live with that. My so-called soulmate is a masochist, I've lived through worse, but this takes the cake, hyung.' Namjoon's barely suppressing his giggles, and Jungkook's less than happy with it, but he continues nonetheless.
'So I was at work, I was taking someone's order, hyung,' he stops for a second, rearranges himself in his seat, 'and suddenly, I start feeling pinpricks on my chest.' Namjoon can see he's rehearsed his speech, his performance. 'You know that vine with the guy who's stirring some sausages with a broomstick because there's oil popping everywhere? Well, I'm pretty sure my soulmate was cooking shirtless.'
Namjoon's positively choking on giggles at this point, and Jungkook can hear a girl laugh in the booth behind him. He's stifling laughter himself, so really, he can't blame them.
'And then, hyung. Hyung, I think he just put his entire hand on the stove or something because next thing I know, my hand is burning and I'm chucking an espresso paper cup at some lady while yelling "fire" because I actually thought my hand caught on fire,' Jungkook finishes with a solemn nod.
Meanwhile, Namjoon is having the time of his life laughing a few lungs out. 'Jungkook-ah, you're so dumb,' he's wheezing through each howl, his face red and eyes filled with tears. Jungkook can't even be mad.
'Look, hyung, if Hoseok was also a masochist and burned his hands twice a week like my shitty soulmate does, you'd turn into a dumbass too.' Jungkook tries to be intimidating, but Namjoon's laughing only intensifies. The girl behind him isn't doing any better trying to keep her giggles down.
Jungkook is starting to feel attacked.
It takes Namjoon an entire minute to calm down and go back to breathing normally. 'Kook-ah, you've really got to find this– person, or whatever.' Jungkook nods, pout strong on his lips as he sips his frappuccino.
'I know, hyung, I know.’
-
It's a few days later that chaos breaks loose in Jungkook's life.
The constant pain in his back is still there, and he's convinced his soulmate is actually enjoying it. What's worse, though, is that his fingers still hurt at random times throughout the day, and really, there's no excuse for that.
But Jungkook's going through it with his head up high, like the man that he is. (He definitely doesn't have a mental breakdown about it in the shower for the nth time, no.)
Regardless of whatever, he is jobless at the moment, so in need of a job, and he just happens to have scored three interviews on the same day. Quite the achievement, but he insists it's a coincidence.
Jungkook's waiting for the bus after having told Namjoon that at least five times when it happens.
He's staring into nothing and then he's staring at a random stranger walking on the opposite side of the street, dangerously distracted by the dirty windows of a pet shop. He's quite the sight too, and if Jungkook looks closely, he might just spot his dangly earrings, their silver finish and green gemstones. A familiar sight, but he's too distracted by the way the man's hair is parted to show off his forehead.
Jungkook knows he's a goner already – he should really review his priorities in men because 'pretty, tall and broad' really shouldn't be his only criteria. He's a simple man, though, and it seems that the particular gentleman he's spotted is a simple man as well because the next second, he's walking straight into a pole.
Jungkook, on the other hand, doesn't walk straight into a pole. Rather, he just stays rooted in his spot and chuckles like the jackass he is, just to feel the same, extremely specific pain hit him in the next millisecond.
'This really can't be happening now,' he tells himself, but sue him if he's not sprinting across the street in the next second, avoiding the honking cars like the champ he is and sweating profusely because that's it. That's the love of his life now and he's not about to miss his chance, skull-splitting pain or not.
'You!' he yells as he manages to reach the man without being run over by a car. 'You're my soulmate,' he says as the man turns to him, baffled to no end.
It takes him a second to react, probably because he just hit his head in a pole a minute ago. 'I'm– I'm not your soulmate, kid, what stuff are you on?'
Instead of answering him properly, Jungkook just chuckles and shakes his head knowingly, then slaps himself as hard as he can. He hears the man yelp in pain, his own cheek burning, but it does the job.
'What– Er, what did you just do?' the man questions him, just as confused but not as belligerent. 'That thing with– with your hand, you–' he stops and looks around, sparing some nosy passers-by a sour glare. 'How the hell did you slap the both of us at the same time, moron?'
'The same way you got me fired by high-fiving a stove, you moron,' Jungkook answers him with a smile and watches his eyes widen in surprise. To further prove his point, he pinches the side of his forearm, hard.
The man yelps again and clutches his arm, looking at Jungkook with a mix of disbelief and– amusement. Jungkook himself is trying to keep his giggles down because the man's forehead has reddened comically following his violent impact with the pole. It's really not helping with the current situation.
'I think you have some explaining to do, er–'
'Jungkook.'
'Jungkook, yes. I'm Seokjin, by the way.' He nods, and Jungkook hump approvingly. the name fits him. 'And I really need a detailed explanation right now.' He's eyeing Jungkook with a weird intensity, as if he's afraid he'll run away.
That's exactly what Jungkook's planning on, anyway. 'I have to take three job interviews today, so just give me your number and we can meet up some other time, alright?' He tells Seokjin and waits for the man to nod before pulling out his phone from his pocket.
'It's "not fake",' Seokjin says the next moment, and Jungkook stops dead in his tracks. '"Not fake" as in 668-9859,' he explains sheepishly, and Jungkook's really a goner.
'And next you're going to tell me you've got a "yes fake" one too,' he mumbles as he saves the contact.
He hears Seokjin chuckle before mutter a 'well'. 'That's a story for another time, though,' he dismisses quickly, patting Jungkook on the shoulder with a light hand. 'Now go and ace those interviews.'
Surprisingly, Jungkook does.
-
Seokjin offers to take Jungkook out for lunch the next day, and Jungkook's eager to accept. His fridge was getting empty anyways.
At the current moment, however, he's standing outside the diner and weighing his chances of escaping his whole soulmate-situation. Not because he's shy or nervous, no, but because that's a 90's-themed diner and Jungkook's not big on old men, or weirdos.
And don't get him wrong, he's not on the normal side of the spectrum either, he's a cursed 22-year-old with a degree in pop culture for god's sake. But a 90's themed diner that's not even historically-accurate is just a little below his standards.
Jeon Jungkook is a man, though, so he doesn't waste any more time – he's very particular about being punctual – and enters the diner.
Inside, he's met with even more over-exaggerated patterns and flashy colours, chunky designs and an actual bright pink jukebox. To the side, there's a waitress smiling blankly at him – she's missing the mandatory apron and she's got a tablet for taking orders.
Truly a kitsch show.
Thankfully, Jungkook spots Seokjin in a booth before he can demand to speak with the manager. It's hard not to anyway; he stands out like a sore thumb with his clean-cut outfit, his parted hair and deliciously broad shoulders. Or maybe Jungkook's trained his eyes to spot pretty men.
He's starting to feel more confident in this entire soulmate ordeal already.
Without further ado, Jungkook walks towards the booth and waves awkwardly when Seokjin spots him. He's met with a polite smile and a nod, then a small 'hi' as he sits down and puts his phone on the table.
Jungkook clears his throat silently and finally looks into Seokjin's eyes. 'Hello,' he half-mumbles, half-squeaks. Seokjin laughs at that and leans in to put his elbows on the checkered table while Jungkook scoffs. It's not his fault Seokjin's a bit intimidating.
His little mishap is, luckily, quickly forgotten. 'So, Jungkook-ssi, how old are you?' Jungkook frowns, and Seokjin's eyes glint with mischief.
'What's so funny?' Jungkook thinks for himself, but answers nonetheless. 'I'll be 23 in September.' His voice is clearly more than a bit weirded out, but Seokjin doesn't seem fazed.
'Oh, so I am your hyung! And here I thought your babyface was misleading,' he laughs, a little bit louder this time. Even though Jungkook feels a little offended, he can't help but find it adorable. 'Oh, and September? What are you, a Libra or– or a Virgo?'
'V-Virgo.'
'That's a bummer, isn't it?' Seokjin's still laughing. Jungkook is mildly perplexed. 'I'm a Sagittarius, can you imagine? We're in for a ride, buddy.' Scratch that, Jungkook is extremely perplexed.
Fortunately, they're interrupted by the waitress from before who's come to take their order. Her Korean is a little ragged, but Jungkook guesses it's just to add to the western vibe of the diner.
He orders a hamburger and a milkshake and frowns when Seokjin orders straight from the Korean foods part of the menu. 'The audacity,' Jungkook thinks when he proudly asks the waitress for 'bulgogi and a coke, please'. He's not against Korean food, but you don't just come into a North-American diner and order bulgogi. Not when you're on a ""date"" with a pop culture major.
'So, Jungkook-ah,' Seokjin begins before Jungkook has the chance to scold him. 'Tell me why exactly you can feel this,' he pauses and pinches his arm hard, 'the same way I do. Please.'
Jungkook yelps in lack of a better answer and softly massages the abused area. 'Well, Seokjin – er, can I call you hyung?' Seokjin nods. Jungkook pauses for a second, then starts again.
'Well, Seokjin-hyung, it's quite a long story.' His voice is hesitant, and he'd rather be anywhere else in this moment.
'I've got all day, Jungkook-ah.' Seokjin's voice, on the other hand, is teetering on patronising, and that's mildly infuriating.
Jungkook's only vow is to never lose his temper in front of potential boyfriends with a reason, though. 'It's quite dumb, actually,' he starts again after taking a deep breath. He's looking straight at Seokjin this time.
'So when I was seven, I went on a field trip. Nothing too special, just a walk in a forest and some ice-cream afterwards, but. Something out of the ordinary happened that day.'
Seokjin lets out a laugh at that, a mix of disbelief and wonder in his eyes. 'What, did you get cursed or something?' he asks, and Jungkook snaps his fingers without missing a beat.
'Bingo!' he half-shouts, spurring Seokjin's laughing fit further. 'I met a witch in the woods and she cursed me– us to feel each other's pain.'
'That's the dumbest story I've ever heard, Jungkook-ah, and I'm a book editor.' Seokjin shakes his head and Jungkook can only pout, offended. A few beats pass in silence and gradually, Seokjin's laugh dies down in his throat. 'Wait, you're actually telling the truth?' he asks, bewildered but still slightly amused.
'Basically, yes.' Jungkook's answer doesn't seem to satisfy Seokjin.
'What do you mean, "basically"?' he demands and Jungkook realises he might be in trouble.
Still, he tries to keep his cool. 'Well, there's a bit more to the story, but...'
'But?'
'It'd be awkward to tell you, and it's better if you don't know anyway, you know?' He ignores Seokjin's scandalised 'no, I don't' in favour of laughing nervously. Trust me on this one, hyung,' he dismisses Seokjin's scoff.
'Jungkook-ssi' – he fucked up – 'give me one good reason not to stand you up right now and high five my goddamn stove ten times,' Seokjin threatens, and Jungkook actually feels a shiver run down his spine. A pretty man who's tall and broad and goofy and intimidating? The witch really made a great choice.
Now's not the time to fall in love, though, because Seokjin seems to have a countdown going in his head. 'She might've mentioned that you're my soulmate too? Which is kind of dumb, haha, but whatever, right?'
Seokjin looks a little taken aback for a second, but he promptly schools his expression in a neutral one. 'This is better than zodiacs,' he mumbles dreamily, an unsettling smile on his face. Jungkook might have to reconsider his life choices.
Seokjin's back to his – hopefully – usual bubbly persona in a second. 'Did she mention anything about a cure?' he asks, and Jungkook panics again. 'Not that I wouldn't love to be connected with my soulmate for the rest of my life, but if you get in a car crash and I'm having a meeting, I can't promise you I won't high five my stove like, forty times when you get off painkillers,' he continues, and Jungkook decides on the spot he doesn't deserve to know the truth.
'She didn't say anything about that, no,' he says, watching Seokjin disapprovingly. 'I guess we'll just have to wait and see.'
Seokjin sighs, disappointed, and Jungkook might feel bad for him if he wasn't so – insufferable.
He doesn't have too much time to dwell on that, though, because the next moment the waitress' back with their orders. His hamburger looks alright, but Seokjin's bulgogi seems to be taken straight out of a food magazine. Jungkook's just a little bit jealous.
'Now that I'm better informed on our – predicament, Jungkook ah,' Seokjin says and digs his chopsticks in his food, 'let's get to know each other better.'
-
The next day, he's once again out and about with Namjoon, this time to a park near their university. It's a small thing, just a cluster of trees with a few paths twining through, a tiny playground and two ice-creams carts scattered on one end and another, but it'll do for Jungkook's mock therapy session.
'Joonie-hyung, he's terrible, horrible– he's so– ugh. I hate him, hyung.' Jungkook pouts, conflicted and troubled. He's walking alongside Namjoon, but he's kicking his legs in a way that makes him look like a miffed five-year-old. No one's allowed to judge him, though, he is going through a crisis at the moment and he has the right to deal with it like a child.
Namjoon lets him babble, then laughs his adorable 'ha' with a dumb smile on his face. Jungkook glares his way, but he doesn't look at all intimidated. 'What'd he do?' he asks, eyes filled with mirth already.
Jungkook scoffs, looks the other way with the same pout on his lips. 'He's pretty, he's tall, his shoulders are delicious – trust me on that one, I've never seen anything like that in my entire life. He's already my type, but he’s also polite, makes cute sounds when he eats, he dresses nicely, he promised to get me sunflowers when I told him they're my favourite flowers. He's just – perfect, and I can't stand it. At all.'
Namjoon finally bursts into laughter when Jungkook's voice takes on a whine at the end. 'Kook-ah, it sounds to me like you've got a crush,' he says, still chuckling, and pats Jungkook on his shoulder with a reassuring hand.
Jungkook gasps, offended. 'How can you imply that?'
'I didn't imply it, I said it.'
'The fucker, he's laughing,' Jungkook grumbles in his head. 'I do not, I repeat, I do not have a crush,' he grumbles aloud, frowning at Namjoon. Looking like a five-year-old.
'Okay, okay, you don't have one,' Namjoon laughs, patting his shoulder again. 'What did you do for five hours, though?'
Jungkook hums, trying to put five hours' time into as few words as possible. 'Well, we ate and talked. A lot of both, actually.' Namjoon nods in his direction, expectant. 'He paid for the both of us, which was nice.' Namjoon laughs and mumbles 'sugar daddy', but Jungkook ignores him. 'Oh, and he looked at me at one point and he was all serious and stuff and I think my dick twitched,' he says, a bit louder just to shut Namjoon up.
Scandalised, Namjoon covers Jungkook's mouth with his hand. 'There are children here,' he whisper-yells, looking around for any potentially-corrupted youth. Jungkook snorts, amused, then licks his hand.
Namjoon takes his hand back at that and shoots Jungkook a sour glare. 'That sounds like a hell of a crush to me, Jungkookie.' He somehow manages to sound both condescending and thoughtful at the same time.
Jungkook remains silent for a few beats, as if in deep thought, then, 'Nah, hyung, that can't be it, try again.'
Namjoon just sighs. 'Isn't it alright to have a crush on him, though? He seems to like you anyway – he made it clear enough when he paid for your food and said he'll get you flowers – and the cure for your curse is to fall in love with each other, right? So – er – wouldn't it be helpful to speed up the process?'
'He does sound right,' Jungkook thinks, but he shakes his head nonetheless. 'I'm not a weak idiot, hyung. I am a man, so I can't have a crush,' he tells Namjoon with a cocky smile on his lips, just to spite him.
Namjoon just sighs again and facepalms himself softly.
-
Even after two weeks of knowing Seokjin and meeting up with him almost every other day, Jungkook does not have a crush on him.
Of course, there are a thousand and one reasons to have a crush on Kim Seokjin, editor in chief of a respectable publishing house and part-time poet, work-out advocate and owner of two sugar gliders. Of course, Jungkook adores him so much it's ridiculous, adores his voice – which is versatile in an amusing way –, his cheeks and the way they stick out when he smiles, his hair that always looks flawless.
But he does not have a crush.
Not when Seokjin takes him out for a walk in the park and brings him the biggest and prettiest sunflowers Jungkook's ever seen. Not when he invites him over for dinner and microwaves lasagne but tells Jungkook he cooked it himself – he saw the package in the trash and called him out anyway.
Not when he gifts Jungkook the smallest cactus because apparently Jungkook's 'tiny on the inside but makes a fuss on the outside' – 'accurate enough,' Jungkook reasons.
Especially not when Jungkook finally grows the balls to invite Seokjin to a romantic picnic on the rooftop of his apartment building at sunset. Especially not because he prepares it thoroughly and even buys flowers – in a pot, no less. Especially not because Seokjin ruins each and every one of his attempts at kissing him in the soft light of the sunset by cracking bad jokes.
Seokjin deadass doesn't deserve it.
-
Three months pass and Jungkook's basically living at Seokjin's place.
It really wouldn't be a problem if they were actually boyfriends and not 'I love you so much, Kook-ah, but like a friend', but Seokjin's as oblivious as a stick and Jungkook's a shy mess unless it's about food of sleeping over because 'I'm tired, hyung, please.'
Namjoon's deleted Jungkook's number two days ago because 'I haven't seen you in one week because you're always at his place, either bickering with him or gushing over him, but you two aren't together. Bullshit, Kook.'
He's right, but Jungkook's shy and doesn't have a crush, so why should he do anything.
Right?
-
Another month has passed when Jungkook realises he's got to do something, and soon, because Seokjin has taken up cooking again and his hands are suffering.
It started out small, just some scrambled eggs in the morning because 'Kook-ah, you look hungry, let hyung make you something.' Then, it suddenly became 'I think I'll make some flambéed bananas for dessert tonight, what do you say?', and Jungkook started considering making them himself.
Luckily for the both of them, Seokjin happily lends the role of cooking complicated things to Jungkook, but seems adamant to keep cooking simple foods for breakfast. He reasons Jungkook's not awake enough in the morning to touch a stove or a microwave – not that he interfered with that one too often.
Jungkook eventually agrees because he does enjoy being pampered in the morning, especially by the man of his dreams whom he loves and adores deeply. Even more so because Seokjin sometimes squishes his cheeks and feeds him his food piece by piece, looking lovingly into his eyes. It's almost as if he really loved Jungkook.
Right now, it seems to be one of those mornings. Jungkook's slept over last night because one, it was weekend and two, three a.m. is not a suitable time to go home. Especially after Seokjin has drunk him under the table in the worst shot game ever.
So, Jungkook's in his house – like he usually is –, specifically in his kitchen, and he's going for a glass of water because his throat is parched. It might be his hungover, but it doesn't matter anyway. He just wants his glass of water.
He manages to acquire it easy enough and decides he'd rather drink it in the living room, where he can pretty much see the entire city. Seokjin's always liked heights, so he bought his apartment on the 21st floor. Jungkook really appreciates the view, but he doesn't want to think about what would happen if the elevator broke one day.
Regardless of that, he turns on his heels and starts pacing for the living room, eyes mostly closed, when he suddenly hits something.
The something is about his height, smells nice and feels very warm and soft. It also produces a very Seokjin-like yelp, but Jungkook's all too focused on his glass of water slipping from his hand and landing between his feet with a cracking sound.
For a second, everything is silent. His feet are wet with both blood and water, but Seokjin's feet are somehow untouched, so just a little wet. And then, Jungkook registers the pain.
His first instinct is to scream, but Seokjin's already got that covered for him. He's yelling, alarmed, something along the lines of 'Kook-ah, shit, I can't feel anything, are you alright?', but Jungkook can't hear him. His feet hurt way too much, so he just plops down on his ass and starts crying.
It's definitely the hungover.
He can hear Seokjin bolt to the kitchen, and when he comes back he's got the entire roll of paper towels in his hands. He's quick to start drying Jungkook's feet gingerly, careful not to touch the open wounds and accidentally deepen glass shards stuck in them. Jungkook's thankful, but there's something that doesn't sit right with him.
''H-hyung,' he starts, but his voice breaks. He clears his throat and tries again. 'Hyung, why – why aren't you feeling anything?' he asks, still hiccupping with sobs, but Seokjin just shakes his head.
'We'll see about that later. We've got to take you to the hospital now, so give me a moment to put some pants on, alright?' His voice is soothing, and a warm hand is suddenly petting Jungkook's head, so he just nods.
-
Two hours later – which he partly spent being carried by Seokjin, bridal-style –, they're back.
Jungkook's brain is going haywire, caught up in thoughts of 'does that mean he loves me too?' and 'do I want a summer or a spring wedding?', but at least his feet aren't screeching in pain anymore.
Seokjin's still carrying him when they enter the apartment – after spending two minutes just opening the front door –, and Jungkook's having trouble breathing because he can feel his arms flex where they're touching him. Jungkook's not too bad when it comes to muscles, but Seokjin's are – special. They kind of make him weak in the knees.
That's not what he should be thinking about, though, considering he is in the arms of the person he's thirsting over, but whatever. His train of thought is interrupted anyway when they step inside the living room and Seokjin groans, looking at the hardwood. It's started to bloat a little.
'Shit, hyung, sorry,' Jungkook mumbles, but Seokjin simply shakes his head.
'I'll manage,' he says and resumes walking towards the guest room where Jungkook's been sleeping lately. They struggle with the door again, but Seokjin refuses to let Jungkook down. Quite literally and figuratively.
Once he lays Jungkook down on the bed, he throws a small smile and heads for the door again. 'I'll be right back, Kook-ah, I've got to dry what's left of my floor,' he says.
Jungkook, now left alone, takes a pillow from his side and screams in it with all he's got. The sound's muted enough, but he still hears Seokjin chuckle from the living room. He ignores him, though, and focuses on the problem at hand.
Seokjin didn't feel anything.
Jungkook slaps himself again, hard, and listens closely for a reaction. He's met with Seokjin's low humming, but no yelp, squeak or grunt of pain.
Seokjin doesn't feel anything. Which means the curse is lifted.
So, 'we're in love with... each other?'
There, he said it.
It's a few minutes later that Seokjin finally re-enters the bedroom, and Jungkook jumps in surprise. He knows he's red in the face and probably looks like a deer caught in the headlights. Seokjin's mirthful smile is enough to confirm his thoughts.
'Your feet don't hurt anymore, do they?' he asks. Jungkook shakes his head and waits for Seokjin to take a seat on the bed before he speaks.
'Hyung, do you love me?'
Jungkook watches closely as Seokjin's eyes widen in slow-motion as he darts them around the room. 'Where is it?' he asks, and Jungkook frowns, taken aback.
'What?'
'The hidden camera,' Seokjin mumbles. 'Jiminie made you do it, right? That ungrateful prick,' he grumbles, still looking around the room, alarmed.
'There's no hidden camera, hyung,' Jungkook laughs and stretches on the bed to pull Seokjin closer to himself. He intertwines their hands next, effectively turning Seokjin into a mess.
'There is actually a cure to the curse – sorry I didn't tell you – and it's for us to fall in love with each other,' he explains sweetly, smiling up at Seokjin. 'So, if you can't feel this,' he continues and slaps himself, again, harder; Seokjin doesn't even flinch. 'That kind of means you're in love with me, hyung. And that I am too.'
Jungkook can almost hear the emergency alarms going off in Seokjin's brain, but he doesn't laugh. Instead, he waits patiently for him to be able to function properly again.
It takes a minute for his eyes to clear of bewilderment and fill with something quite like – fear?
‘Jungkook-ah,’ Seokjin begins, voice wavering. It would be funny if Jungkook didn’t feel his stomach drop. ‘I – it can’t be that I l-love you, no,’ he babbles, almost panicked, and Jungkook takes it as cue to panic as well.
He flexes his fingers where they’re still intertwined with Seokjin’s and motions to pull his hand away. ‘Hyung – it’s what she said,’ he whispers, suddenly wishing he’d have another glass to drop on his feet, anything to break the tension.
Seokjin seems to have similar thoughts; he’s staring blankly at Jungkook’s hand which is just centimetres away from his now. His mouth is slightly agape and he looks dumb, but Jungkook still thinks he’s pretty. Even the frown that settles between his brows is pretty.
Jungkook should really work on his focus management.
Seokjin remains silent, still frowning. ‘It’s alright, hyung,’ Jungkook sighs and lifts his hand to ruffle his hair, a nervous habit he’s picked up in childhood. When he plops it down again, he feels Seokjin tentatively take it into his own hands.
Jungkook lets him, a bit taken aback, but doesn’t comment on it. There are all kinds of thoughts running through his mind, some about how he’s got to find a way to get home now, some about how it doesn’t feel real that he’s just got rejected. It seems too sudden, too cold-blooded, and Seokjin’s not helping either, just holding his hand like that while ignoring him otherwise.
Jungkook sighs again, spares a glance towards his bandaged feet. ‘I should head home, hyung,’ he whispers, feeling a knot tie itself in his throat. ‘I can’t cry,’ he tells himself, but tears still pool in his eyes. They’re subtle enough, but he’s got to blink rapidly so they won’t fall and it makes him dizzy.
He looks up at Seokjin when he’s done shaking off the tears. He’s met with a puzzled look and slightly-pouty lips. ‘Jungkook-ah.’ Seokjin says his name almost like a question, so he nods and waits for the man to continue.
‘How do you know you love me?’ he asks. Jungkook feels his stomach drop again.
He laughs, breathlessly, and averts his eyes to their hands. His is clammy, but Seokjin doesn’t seem to mind. ‘Well, hyung, it’s not that easy, is it now,’ Jungkook says, a bit strained, but it’s alright. He notices he’s picked up on Seokjin’s habit to always ask rhetorical questions when he’s nervous, and that makes his heart squeeze.
‘The witch told me you were –‘ his voice breaks, but he keeps going. ‘Are. Are my soulmate. And, when I asked her to explain what a soulmate is – I was seven, I had no idea –, she told me it was someone I could connect with.’ He squeezes Seokjin’s hands and tries to fight the tears. Jungkook’s not even sure why he’s crying.
He hears Seokjin chuckle, humourlessly. ‘Am I someone you can connect with, Kook-ah?’ he asks. Jungkook can feel his eyes on him but doesn’t dare to look up – instead, he nods.
‘Well, if we put the problem like that, I feel like I can connect with you too, Kook. It’s been like that since you first came up to me, that’s why I was always so – comfortable around you.’ Jungkook’s looking straight into Seokjin’s eyes now, a mix of fear and hope stirring in his gut.
Seokjin’s laughing, somewhat breathless and in awe. ‘Was I in love with you this whole time?’ he asks, that same habit of asking rhetorical questions when he’s nervous. ‘This is dumb, I’m a grown man, I should be able to manage my own feelings,’ he groans. Jungkook takes credit for the mention of being a man. Ironic or not, it’s a good joke.
‘It’s so dumb, Kook-ah, but – I do think I love you.' Jungkook snorts and squeezes his hand. 'Like, not just in a friend way, but – er. Why didn't I think of this sooner, Jungkook-ah?' he asks, partly scandalised, and Jungkook's wheezing at this point. He’s so relieved he forgot he was supposed to be crying.
'Wait, no, stop laughing, this is serious,' Seokjin grumbles, but Jungkook's long gone. Instead of giving up and letting him have his laugh, though, Seokjin takes the matter into his own hands and slaps Jungkook's arm about as hard as he can.
Jungkook howls in pain, over-exaggerated but Seokjin will let it pass. 'I knew you weren't hitting me just because you'd feel it too, hyung,' Jungkook laments, his laughter subdued to just a chuckle, but that's all Seokjin needs.
He takes Jungkook's chin between two fingers, as romantically as he can considering they're both red in the face and Jungkook's teary-eyed from laughing. 'Kook-ah,' he begins, getting closer to his face slowly. It’s a much needed deviation from their previous impediment.
'Do you know what makes a relationship complete?' Seokjin asks, but Jungkook doesn't give him time to finish his thought. Instead, he cups his face in warm hands, looking so happy, and smashes their lips together. It's just a peck, but it's aggressive because Jungkook's fighting tooth-and-nail to win a non-existent battle.
He parts with a loud smacking sound and directs a cocky grin in Seokjin's direction. Seokjin just chuckles and leans in again to give him a proper kiss – that's still aggressive because Jungkook's suddenly too confident and rowdy.
That ends too when Jungkook tries to move closer to Seokjin and bends his foot in the wrong direction and it hurts. He parts away with a whimper and clutches his foot. For a moment, Seokjin thinks it was because of the kiss, but he's quickly disappointed when he opens his eyes and sees Jungkook frowning at his feet.
'You're such a baby,' he comments, training his features in a disinterested look. Jungkook directs the glare towards him at that.
He scoffs and slaps Seokjin's shoulder with spite. 'And you're a dick,' he mumbles.
Seokjin just laughs. 'Maybe so,' he agrees. 'But you still love me.'
'Yeah, I do,' Jungkook smiles.
Seokjin was right, it is so dumb, but it makes him happy.
-
When Jungkook wakes up, it’s still early. He’s used to waking up before Seokjin, though, so he just manoeuvres himself from his position on top of his – well, his soulmate.
He plops back down on the mattress, careful to not wake Seokjin up too soon. Jungkook can see he’s a bit sweaty – probably because Jungkook slept on top of him – and he also knows Seokjin hates waking up sweaty, so. Jungkook will give him some time to cool off.
In the meantime, he takes his chance to admire his boyfriend of two weeks thoroughly – not that he hadn’t done that a million times already. It feels different now, though – they’re free real estate.
Propped up on his elbows, Jungkook roams his eyes over the bridge of Seokjin's nose, along the soft highs of his cheeks, over his cupid’s bow and the pout on his lips. It’s adorable, and Jungkook can’t stop the muffled giggle that leaves his lips. Carefully, he leans in and places a peck on the corner of Seokjin's mouth, just to feel its warmth.
He feels Seokjin's lips move minutely so he retreats, even though he did want a few more kisses. Instead, he resumes his observation session and lifts a hand to move a strand of hair from Seokjin's forehead.
Seokjin stirs at that and moves his head to the side, exposing his ear better. Jungkook’s eyes land on his earring, the one Seokjin always wears without any obvious reason.
It’s a familiar sight in a way, something about the iridescent finish of the green gemstone irking Jungkook’s memories, but he can’t place it. Not in his mom’s jewellery cabinet, not in his own. It’s not something he’s ever seen in a shop and certainly not something his friends would wear. He’s got to look for it somewhere else, but it’s not every day you see a single earring that looks taken out of a witch’s ear.
‘A witch.’
Jungkook gasps because that’s it. That’s where he’s seen it, it’s that witch’s goddamn earring and Seokjin, his goddamn boyfriend, is wearing it, which can only mean two things. Either he is the goddamn witch, or the witch gave it to him. Which would be the more plausible option, but the fact that he might be in bed with the witch is, well, more exciting.
And a bit terrible because that’d mean Seokjin faked his confession and made Jungkook almost cry just because he’s an asshole.
Still, it seems he won’t have to wait too long for his answer because Seokjin suddenly huffs and opens his eyes. It’d be cute if Jungkook’s head wasn’t running a mile a minute, so he just shakes Seokjin's shoulder to speed up the process somehow.
It works, in a way; Seokjin does look a little scared, but he’s awake.
Jungkook doesn’t give him any time to breathe. ‘Hyung, please don’t tell me you’re the witch,’ he asks, jumbles the words together with how pressed he is.
It takes a second for the words to register in Seokjin's head. ‘Witch? Me – Jungkook-ah, did you not sleep well?‘ He sounds scandalised and a lot confused, but Jungkook’s having none of it.
‘No, it’s not that, just – your earring, hyung, it’s the same as the witch’s,’ he explains. Seokjin seems to catch on at that and mumbles a small ‘oh, that’ before he breaks into a smile.
The smile turns into a chuckle, then into full-fledged laughter. ‘It makes so much sense now, you know?’ he asks through hiccups and snorts, but Jungkook shakes his head – he doesn’t know.
‘I got this from a weird lady at a festival,’ he starts, still wheezing. ‘I was twelve, I think? Thing is, she just came up to me when I lost my parents in the crowd and put it in my ear, just like that. I didn’t even have pierced ears!’ It makes sense, but it doesn’t explain why Seokjin's wearing it all the time, so Jungkook asks him about it.
‘Well, I haven’t been able to take it off since.’
Jungkook nods slowly, then shoots Seokjin a blank look. ‘It’s got a really, really obvious clasp, though,’ he says, voice brimming with disbelief.
‘It doesn’t have any clasp, what are you talking about?’ Seokjin looks sincere, but Jungkook’s already unfastening the earring. ‘It’s just a metal hoop, there is no –‘
Seokjin stops when Jungkook shows him the earring. ‘Dumbass,’ Jungkook mumbles, but Seokjin's too caught up staring at the small jewel. It’s softly glowing in the semi-darkness of the room, casting a greenish light on Seokjin's cheek.
‘It’s the first time I’ve seen it in real life,’ he whispers, voice full of awe. ‘It’s even prettier like this.’ Jungkook wholeheartedly agrees.
For some time, Seokjin just admires the earring and Jungkook admires him. Then, ‘Well, now that we got that out of the way,’ Jungkook says, and Seokjin looks up. ‘Can I get a good morning kiss?’
He gets both a chuckle and a kiss as an answer, quite an interesting mix in his opinion, but he’s not complaining. Seokjin's lips are soft and linger on his with what feels like a smile, and his fingers are caressing Jungkook’s cheek like he’s the most precious thing. It’s so nice and it makes Jungkook feel so happy, but what’s more important is that they’re finally free.
There’s no curse, no magical earring, no weird witch to make it feel like a hassle. It’s just them now, just them and two apartments and two sugar gliders and Jungkook’s future cat that he’s been planning to adopt since he was a kid. It’s just them and it’s –
It’s normal, and Jungkook’s happy, and Seokjin seems to be pretty happy too when he just climbs over Jungkook to get revenge for last night and kiss him some more.