Archive of Our Own

“My family thinks we’re dating.”

Jungkook almost drops the popcorn that the cinema worker has just handed him as he whips his head to stare at Hoseok, watching as the older male casually pays for their snacks.

“Huh?” Is all that comes from his stunned brain as Jungkook gawps at his friend.

Hoseok glances at him as he waits for the receipt to be printed as he puts his card back into his wallet. “I said that my family thinks we’re dating.”

Jungkook looks at the bored-looking worker to make sure that this is all real, and not him dreaming during the movie they’re about to see.

“Hold on, you can’t just drop that with zero context, hyung,” Jungkook rushes out, flustered to the point his ears feel boiling hot, as he hurries after his friend as they move towards the theatre their movie is playing in.

“What context does it need? My family thinks we’re dating, that is all,” Hoseok grins at him, amused, as he steals a small handful of the popcorn.

“That – that is the context I need,” Jungkook deadpans as Hoseok shows their tickets to the staff worker standing at the doors, both of them not really listening as the worker directs them where their seats are as they walk into the theatre.

Hoseok shrugs as he eats the popcorn as the colder air of the theatre greets them, along with the overwhelming smell of popcorn and nachos, as they walk up the steps of the rows of seats for their row.

They have plenty of time before the previews start, and Jungkook is going to use every second until then to pry the fucking answer from his friend.

“I guess it’s because we always hang out?” Hoseok guesses as they sit down in their seats as Jungkook puts the shared bucket of popcorn between them.

“Hyung, that makes even less sense, we’ve been hanging out like this for a while now,” Jungkook says as he watches the male turn his phone to airplane mode.

And it’s true. It’s not like this – going to the cinema together – is anything different to what they do when the rest of their group of friends are busy.

“You know how my mother gets, she’s convinced that I am going to die alone despite the fact I’m only in my late twenties and have plenty of time to find someone to commit to. A few years ago, she was convinced that Yoongi-hyung was my boyfriend when he briefly moved into my place whilst he was waiting for his new apartment to be emptied.”

Jungkook keeps his mouth shut because he too had that thought a few years ago. The duo just has that natural chemistry together.

“And it may also because I said that I have been seeing someone more lately,” Hoseok admits as he takes another handful of the popcorn, causing Jungkook’s own hand to clench on air as he feels his eye widen, once more, at his hyung.

“Have you?” Jungkook blurts out first, part offended that his friend has been keeping something like that quiet from the group, part nervous for the answer.

Hoseok snorts at that as he shakes his head. “Of course not.”

Jungkook’s nervousness simmers away.

Okay, so, Jungkook may have a slight confession to make.

He’s soft-of had a tiny crush on his friend for a while now.

But, it’s one of those crushes that comes and goes, the type where you think you’ve overcome the urge to explode with extreme fondness and nerves around the person, only to have a few months of reprieve before you’re smacked in the face with the feeling again because your crush has the most contagious laugh ever and it just makes you smile in return.

“Why tell your mother that when you know how obsessed she is with matching you with people?” Jungkook questions, not seeing the logic, as he stuffs a few popcorn pieces into his mouth.

“Because she threatened to use a matchmaking service out of concern,” Hoseok groans heavily as he slouches in his seat. “If I wanted to match with a stranger, I would use Grindr.”

Jungkook scrunches his nose at the mention of the app. That app is just a toxic ground of the same number of assholes that ghost you once they’ve had a taste of you, but when you live in a bustling capital city, finding someone to date is like looking for gold dust amongst piles of ashes and rotting trash.

“And now she thinks that I’m the one you’ve been seeing?”

Hoseok hums as he nods, popping another piece of popcorn into his mouth. “If it makes you feel good, she approves of us being together.”

Jungkook feels his face burn and is thankful for the low lighting to hide it. “But, we’re not together, hyung.”

“I know that, but she doesn’t,” Hoseok sends him a cheeky grin as the theatre becomes a little louder as more and more people arrive and take their seats.

“Hyung, you can’t lie to your mother, you suck at it,” Jungkook reminds his friend as he tucks in his legs close to his seat as people scoot on by them.

“I can lie through the phone.”

Jungkook shakes his head at that. “And what about when you next see her, huh? Won’t she start asking about how we are?”

Jungkook’s heart trips on his own words, feels his cheeks burn hotter, and has to take off his jacket to help cool down his flustered body.

“I haven’t confirmed that it is you, she just suspects it is you, so it won’t hurt her to suspect it for a little longer before I correct her,” Hoseok waves away Jungkook’s concern over his lying skills.

“You’re setting yourself up for failure, hyung. She’s going to light your ass on fire when she realises you’ve been stringing her along.”

“So, what do you suppose – we fake date for a while just to get her off my back?”

Jungkook wasn’t ready.

Not even close to being ready to hear such words come from Hoseok’s mouth.

Jungkook draws more concern from those around him than from Hoseok himself as he thumps Jungkook on the spine to help him cough out the popcorn that got lodged into his throat.

“You’re good, just take even breaths,” Hoseok reassures him calmly as he rubs Jungkook’s spine. “I’m going to get you some water, keep breathing for me, yeah?”

Jungkook, through the tears streaming down his face and the gasping-cough sound he keeps making as he remembers how to breathe properly without choking, sends his friend a weak thumbs up as he sags back against his chair as Hoseok disappears from his sight to get him a drink.

“Holy shit,” Jungkook croaks out to himself as he recovers, his hand pressed over his thumping heart that is reacting more to Hoseok asking if they should fake date rather than the fact that Jungkook almost fucking died a few second ago.

Jimin and Taehyung are going to scream their heads off when Jungkook tells them about this, his main supporters in coming clean about his tiny crush.

It’s not because he’s scared of rejection that he hasn’t revealed it to the older male, it’s mainly because his crush flickers in and out of existence, so it just feels…wrong for him to confess.

But, Jimin and Taehyung always counter his reasoning with, ‘maybe it keeps coming and going because you’re repressing it? Not allowing it to fully grow?’.

Hoseok may be your loud, enthusiastic, person that wears positivity like it was made for him because he doesn’t believe in living a life that makes you cry, and sends waves of that energy out into the world whilst having a solid centre of calmness amongst the waves.

Hoseok is the perfect blend of both energies – loud with calmness. And for someone like Jungkook, who has a low energy for loud socialness because, despite his tattoos and piercings, he finds it hard to mingle with random strangers, finds it draining even, but he never once feels drained after hanging with Hoseok, or any of his friends.

Hoseok always seems to notice when Jungkook is feeling a little overwhelmed with a social setting – whether that is in bar, at a restaurant, or just hanging out like they’re doing now – because he’ll somehow draw all of Jungkook’s attention only on him as he tells Jungkook a random story about something.

Maybe that is why Jungkook’s crush keeps coming back. He likes the attention, he likes how soothing Hoseok is, even when he’s not trying to take Jungkook’s mind off something.

And now Hoseok has put those words in his head.

‘My family thinks we’re dating.’

‘She approves of you.’

Jungkook practically claws the bottle of water from his friend as soon as he returns, hoping to drown the voices repeating like a giddy mantra inside his skull as he sucks down large gulps of the cold water.

“You good?” Hoseok questions with a low chuckle, amused, as he watches Jungkook almost drain half of the bottle.

“I’m good, but you won’t be if you don’t fix this with your mother.”

Hoseok waves off the concern as the lights dim, relaxing into his seat, as others begin to quieten as the previews start.

“I’ll handle my ma,” Hoseok hums with all the confidence in the world, despite the fact he truly does suck at lying to his mother’s face.

Jungkook can still recall a birthday meal, a few years ago, where Hoseok’s mother booked for the meal to be in a seafood restaurant, and Hoseok forced himself to eat the entire meal to hide to fact from his mother that he doesn’t eat seafood.

And ended up puking most of that meal in the restaurant toilets, causing Namjoon to be the one to break the news to Hoseok’s mother of why her only son was vomiting up his birthday meal.

Jungkook zones out as the previews for the upcoming movies drone on.

He tries hard not to overthink the words Hoseok made in jest, tries not to picture it, even if it were to be fake.

Would his crush dissolve if he were to fake date his friend? Would dating Hoseok offer him closure?

Or, would fake dating his friend cause Jungkook’s tiny crush to explode?

Jungkook has seen plenty of movies and TV shows about friends fake dating, he’s read the books too, so he knows fully well how this could end if they were to ever do such a thing.

But, on the bright side, it would be easy to pretend to be Hoseok’s boyfriend. They’ve known each other for years, they regularly hang out, have seen each other in their most embarrassing moments to have that depth of realism to their pretend relationship, and Hoseok is a naturally affectionate person with his touches, so hugging, holding hands, all of that would be easy to do in front of the other’s family.

Jungkook sharply shakes his head as he drags himself from his thoughts.

Not like any of his thoughts will ever happen. Hoseok just has to keep himself away from his mother so that he can drag out this lie a little bit longer to get her off his back.

Jungkook relaxes into his own seat, stretching his legs out as much as he can, as the movie begins.

And if he laughs a little fonder than he normally does, it’s all because of Hoseok’s startled cursing and exclamations whenever he’s caught off guard by the movie prompting him to laugh in such a way.

Working at a private neighbourhood academy school as a receptionist wasn’t something that Jungkook expected to work as once he left the military, but Namjoon scored him the job with ease despite his lack of experience of qualifications.

Being the son of the director, as well as one of the teachers, made it a lot easier for Namjoon to hook him up.

“Yah, keep it down, I won’t tell you three again,” Jungkook scolds sternly from his desk, not looking away from his computer monitor, as the group of boys lingering in the foyer start to become too noisy.

Jungkook makes an effort to keep his tattoos covered whilst he’s at work, not wanting to deal with the paranoid parents that view tattoos as a sign of him being a ‘bad influence’ on their bratty kids, but he keeps his earrings in, all various sized silver hoops and chains.

But, the kids that attend this academy take his Busan drawl as a hint to keep their mischief under wraps whenever he breaks it out, like he’s just done so.

Jungkook moved to Seoul as soon as he was able to, all eager-eyed to make it in the big capital with his dance skills.

Reality soon served him a heavy cold dose of it when, after a couple of years of being a trainee in a small idol company, Jungkook had an existential crisis about his future, and dropped out without really thinking it fully through.

If he hadn’t met Jimin, a fellow dance trainee at the company, who was his gateway into meeting the rest of his friends, Jungkook wouldn’t even have this job, years later.

Jimin was just like him – from Busan, a dancer with just the dream of doing it for as long as he could – but unlike Jungkook, who stuck where he landed when he first came to Seoul, Jimin wasn’t scared to bounce around from different agencies until he figured out that he too wasn’t for the training-to-debut lifestyle.

Instead, Jimin got himself a job to pay his rent, built up his experience of making choreography and showing off in Hongdae until he was experienced enough to apply for paying jobs as such in the local dance studios around Seoul, which is how he met Namjoon – who was helping his father scout local teachers that wouldn’t intimidate the young kids that would come through their academy doors.

Through Namjoon, Jimin and Jungkook met the others.

Yoongi and Taehyung, both from Daegu and rough around the edges of not conforming to Seoul’s manner of lifestyle, were already working at the academy when Jimin was offered his own job there. Yoongi, the academy’s only piano teacher, and Taehyung was one of two day care teachers that worked at the academy during the morning and early afternoons.

Jin was the academy’s amateur dramatics teacher, so he and Jimin became fast friends since their jobs naturally overlapped, and Hoseok was the academy’s IT wizard of making sure the classrooms equipment ran smoothly whilst also helping keeping the kids in line outside of the classes.

All at once, Jungkook gained more friends in the first few months of Jimin working at the academy than he made in the first couple of years of him living in Seoul.

And then he was hit with his crisis that resulted in him spontaneously dropping out of the shitty excuse of a trainee program he was in, and enlisted to do his military service, all to the concerned surprise of his hyungs.

Two years later, and here he is, working for the exact academy that saved Jimin’s ass years ago.

Hearing a lot more kids start to exit their classes, their day of learning finally over at such a late hour, Jungkook waves goodbye to those that call it to him, watching every kid that leaves with a small smile on his face.

Sure, sometimes the kids can be brats and radiate ‘spoilt’ energy, but Jungkook can remember being their age, going to an English academy as well as a dance one, after school, so he knows the exhaustion they feel by the end of the day.

Being a kid nowadays is a lot like being an adult, just minus the financial worries.

“I had two absences this evening,” Hoseok notifies him, looking tired himself, as he hands Jungkook his class register. “And don’t forget to leave your computer on when you leave, I need to update the security software before I leave.”

Over the years, the academy has expanded its subject classes to follow trends, so now Hoseok ran his own little class of IT, which was always in high demand, and meant the other was always fully booked.

Jungkook glances down at the list of names, noting the two that were marked as such. “I’ll let their caregivers know.”

Hearing a goodbye called in English as two sets of class registers are placed on his desk, both he and Hoseok grin and wish the two foreign teachers a goodbye too as they leave.

“I can’t wait for the long weekend, next week,” Hoseok groans as he stretches, making Jungkook smile at the little sounds he makes as he does so. “I need the break.”

“It’s an extra day of rest,” Jungkook teases as he scans over the English register to read the little written notes for him about why so-and-so may be missing according to the student’s peers, his own skill having improved a lot since he was in school by doing this job.

“An extra day is an extra day,” Hoseok huffs out and then a heavy hand is landing on top of Jungkook’s hair, making him shout the other’s name as he bats away the hand that has just completely messed up his hair.

“I’ll catch you later!” Hoseok calls with a grin as he heads back towards the classrooms.

Jungkook is proud that his tiny crush is tiny because his cheeks are still neutral and not burning hot as he begins to send emails and texts to the caregivers of the absent students.

Jimin, Jin, Yoongi, and Namjoon, leave with firm reminders for Jungkook to not stay later than his shift (since he does if none of his friends are working back late to chase him home), and Jungkook tries to hurry with the admin work so that tomorrow’s workload is a lot lighter.

But, naturally, Jungkook loses track of time, and almost has heart failure when he feels a ghost of a breath brush against his left ear, causing him to yelp and jump from it.

“Fucking hell, hyung!” Jungkook shouts, sagging with relief back into his chair, as he glares at Hoseok’s smirking face who had been looming over Jungkook’s shoulder without him even realising it.

“You were supposed to leave half an hour ago,” Hoseok states as he leans against the wall of the little nook Jungkook’s working area sits in the foyer.

“Says the one also still here,” Jungkook retorts as he turns back to his screen to quickly save and exit all the programs he uses. “Give me a minute, and it’s all yours.”

“It’s that time of the year where I wanna smash every single computer in this place as I update it, so I have a reason – you? You’re just a workaholic.”

“It pays the tattoo bills,” Jungkook jokes as he pushes his chair back to stand up, switching places with Hoseok so he can do his thing with it. “Besides, you forget – paperwork is a laborious hell.”

“Don’t even utter that word around me, I have a pile in my room that keeps calling my name,” Hoseok groans as he begins to work on Jungkook’s computer.

Jungkook glances around them and notices the other’s bag on one of the chairs in the foyer, and smiles as their cleaning lady comes in to start her shift now that academy is empty and closed for the day.

“How long will it take?” Jungkook questions, watching as Hoseok boots up the security software.

“Hopefully not that long, it’s only been a few months since I last updated yours.”

Jungkook grabs for his jacket, feels for his wallet, and slips away as quickly as he can before Hoseok can yell at him to go home instead.

He still hears the sound of his name being called in fond exasperation as Jungkook lightly jogs down the stairwell, the automatic doors of the academy still open enough to allow it to bleed out into the concrete stairwell.

Jungkook winces as soon as he steps outside into the bustling late evening of a neighbourhood still active as people come and go past the building the academy is located in.

It doesn’t take him long to make his way to and from the GS25 that is down the street from the academy, a black carrier bag in hand, as he climbs the concrete steps up to the floor of the academy.

“You’re a brat, go home,” Hoseok immediately greets him as soon as he steps through the automated door that slides open at his arrival as he mock glares at Jungkook from where he sits, waiting for the software to do its thing.

“I can hear your stomach from here,” Jungkook says as he digs into the black bag for the triangle kimbap he bought for the other, as well as a bottle of water.

“I’m the hyung, I’m meant to look after you, not the other way around,” Hoseok softly rebukes as he takes the items, thanking Jungkook for them, as Jungkook pulls out his own kimbap to eat as he keeps the other company.

“As if a day doesn’t go by where you, or one of the others, isn’t doing something to help me,” Jungkook snorts around his bite, making Hoseok grin, because it’s true.

“So, what are your plans for next weekend?” Hoseok questions as Jungkook pulls over a chair to join the other as they wait for his computer to update.

Jungkook shrugs. “Sleep, game, eat, repeat?”

Hoseok kicks his shin at his answer, making Jungkook laugh. “You’re twenty-five, not fifteen.”

“Don’t shame me for how I spend my downtime.”

“You not going to Busan like Jimin is?” Hoseok asks, glancing to quickly check on the progress on screen before looking back at Jungkook in time to see him shake his head. “Why not?”

“I can’t be bothered dealing with the KTX crowd,” Jungkook says with a shrug. “I’ll see them in a few months for Chuseok.”

“That’ll be an even bigger crowd,” Hoseok deadpans as he cheeks his mouthful of rice and seaweed.

“I’ll deal with it then,” Jungkook grins as he bites into his food, making Hoseok snort with a laugh at his answer.

The silence that hangs between them is comfortable as they both eat and drink the water Jungkook bought for them, both listening to the gentle humming from their cleaning lady as she works down in the classrooms.

And when Jungkook’s computer is updated and approved by Hoseok, they call out a fond goodbye to the cleaning lady so that she knows she’ll be alone now, and head for the subway station a few streets away as they chat about nothing in particular, both running on fumes now.

It’s always the same, regardless if it’s after work or not, Jungkook is always waved goodbye since his stop is the first one out of all their apartment locations, but it always makes Jungkook’s tiny crush wriggle when it’s just him and Hoseok as Hoseok waves goodbye to him when Jungkook leaves the train.

Tiny crushes are unpredictable.

Sometimes, they flare up for no real reason - for example, Hoseok may change up his usual work attire for his usual style flare and it makes Jungkook’s ear burn slightly when he notices the switch-up – and sometimes for a very obvious reason (which Jungkook likes to avoid because his face is too transparent around his hyungs without blushing around Hoseok doing something cute).

But, it’s been a week since Hoseok told Jungkook about his mother assuming that they were dating, and his friend hasn’t mentioned anything since then, and it’s not like Jungkook can bring it up because that would look a little questionable.

Maybe no news is goodness, as the saying goes.

Maybe Hoseok was doing a good enough job with fending off his mother with vague answers?

Jungkook forces his curiosity to take a firm backseat.

He needs to stop thinking about it.

The more he thinks, the longer his tiny crush lingers.

Hearing the kakao alert come again, Jungkook pauses in organising the different methods of sending out this month’s newsletter that their director writes himself before sending it to Jungkook to proofread and send out, and pulls his phone from his jeans pocket to see which hyung is blowing up his phone despite all of them being under the same damn roof.

Hobi-hyung

Yo~

U know how im ur fave?

I need a tiny favour

Jungkook frowns down at his phone.

It’s not like Hoseok to just come and ask him for something, it’s never stopped the other before.

Define tiny…

Jungkook glances at today’s schedule, and feels his eyebrows pull tighter into his frown as he confirms with himself that the male is indeed free right now, and yet he’s just sent Jungkook a reply.

Hobi-hyung

Tiny?

How else do you define it lol

Hyung, what do you want

Hobi-hyung

Rude

Okay

Don’t freak out

I

Jungkook doesn’t dare take his eyes from his screen as his heart all but moves up into his mouth.

Hobi-hyung

U remember me saying about my family thinking we’re dating?

I need a TINY favour of u pretending to my bf this weekend

Jungkook is up from his chair in a heartbeat.

Making sure to keep his steps quiet to not disturb the other classes currently taking place, Jungkook all but rushes for the IT classroom.

“Hyung, what the fuck?” Jungkook whispers as he shuts the door behind him, his entrance startling his friend enough for him to let out a yelp.

“Before you say, ‘I told you so’, hear me out,” Hoseok rushes as he leaves his computer chair to come to where Jungkook is standing in front of the classroom door.

“You’ve just texted me to see if I will pretend to be your boyfriend for your family,” Jungkook stresses the words whilst ignoring how fucking hot his face feels at saying, ‘your boyfriend’.

“It’ll only be for the weekend, I promise!” Hoseok whispers, both of them painfully aware how thin these walls can be. “My parents want us to join them on a hiking trip.”

Jungkook squints his eyes at his friend. Hoseok knows how much he enjoys hiking.

“Hyung, one weekend will bleed into another weekend, which will bleed into us being dragged to someone’s birthday party,” Jungkook tries to rationalise this for him, since he knows how this sort-of thing unravels in movies and books.

“I’ll worry about that later, right now, I have my mother on my ass asking about if we have a tent, or if they should bring the one that my sister and I would use as kids.”

Jungkook squeezes his eyes shut, and takes in a deep breath.

“If this is going across a line, tell me,” Hoseok urges, meaning it, and Jungkook opens his eyes to see his friend’s face concerned.

“I’m more worried about the fallout, than us pretending to date,” Jungkook admits heavily. “We’re close enough that we can make it believable, but I don’t like deceiving people, hyung.”

“I get that, but my fat mouth got us into this mess and I’m trying to get us out with minimal damage,” Hoseok sighs out, looking stressed. “My ma will find it too suspicious if I suddenly tell her that we’re over, but if I drag out the lie for another few weeks, she’ll believe me when I tell her that we prefer to be friends instead.”

“And by us spending the weekend together with them, as a ‘couple’, it can help us prove that we prefer to be friends than a couple,” Jungkook connects the dots, and Hoseok nods with relief flooding his face. “That’s still a risky gamble, hyung.”

“I know, but it’ll be believable, which is what counts.”

“Just a weekend,” Jungkook reaffirms as his entire body goes numb with what he’s accepting to do.

“Just a weekend,” Hoseok confirms with a sharp nod. “It’ll be nothing too different to how we usually hang out.”

“Except the fact we’re pretending to be a couple,” Jungkook deadpans, making Hoseok smile sheepishly.

“We’ve got this, I have confidence in us,” Hoseok grins as Jungkook turns the door handle, making to leave since he’s supposed to be working himself.

At least one of us does, Jungkook thinks to himself as he sends his hyung a playful eyeroll.

“Send me the details. I need to know what to pack.”

Hoseok nods as Jungkook leaves, and on his way back to the foyer, Jungkook feels like he’s having an out of body experience.

He’s really doing it.

He’s actually going to pretend to be someone’s boyfriend.

Collapsing down into his computer chair in sheer disbelief of how the last five minutes have gone, Jungkook just stares at the glass door across from him.

Is it wise for him to pretend to be Hoseok’s boyfriend, whilst away in the wilderness for an entire weekend where they will be expected to act like a couple, when he has a tiny crush on the other?

Of course not.

And yet, here he is, looking down at his phone as he reads the details that Hoseok has just messaged him.

“Jeon Jungkook, what are you getting yourself into, huh?” Jungkook murmurs to himself as he returns back to his work, his mind still half processing what he’s entering himself into this coming long weekend.

“Jeon Jungkook, what are you getting yourself into?!” Jimin shrieks, both he and Taehyung taken completely off their guard by Jungkook’s rather sudden reveal.

Thankfully, they’re only in Taehyung’s dinky apartment and not out in public as Taehyung hisses as his chopsticks holding the scorching hot dumpling breaks in half from the sudden tension in his grip.

“It’s all pretend - I know that, he knows that - nothing will happen, relax,” Jungkook reassures both of them as he hands Taehyung some tissue to clean up his mess.

“The fake dating trope exists for the sole purpose of making shit happen,” Jimin retorts, still shocked.

Jungkook simply ignores the twin looks of concern as he inhales the salty black bean noodles instead of answering his hyung.

All week, he’s been putting off telling his main supporters that want him to confess to Hoseok, and since he’s leaving with Hoseok tomorrow for the weekend, he can’t prolong it even more, especially since Jimin has been on his ass to go to Busan with him.

“Jungkook, you’re going camping with Hoseok as you pretend to be boyfriends – that is prime real-estate for your crush to either shrivel up and vanish, or prove to you once and for all that you’re whipped for him,” Taehyung says around his mouthful of dumpling as he stands up from where they’re sitting on the floor around his little table filled with delivery food in his living area with the TV on in the background, to put the used tissue into the trash bag.

“I am aware of that, thanks, Tae.”

“Have you both even discussed how to act like a couple?” Jimin throws at him, still too concerned to go back to eating his own noodles.

Jungkook straightens as he uses a tissue to clean the black sauce from his mouth. “Of course we have. We’re just going to hold hands, call each other ‘babe’ now and again, and act like how we usually do.”

“I’m-you know what, we need to do some fast research to make sure you can survive this fucking weekend,” Taehyung says as he grabs for his phone that is flung on the sofa behind where Jungkook is sitting.

Jimin – however – is already on the case, his fingers tapping fast on his phone’s screen.

“Should I be offended that you both doubt my ability to call Hoseok, ‘babe’, whilst holding his hand?” Jungkook sarcastically states as he reaches for his drink.

“You’re going to blush even before you can get that term of endearment through your lips because all he has to do is look at you and you’re the colour of a peach – so yes, we’re concerned about your ability to act.”

Jungkook shoves more food into his mouth, ignoring the betrayal of heat scorching over his cheeks as his friends’ tag team against him to improve his ability to not be a chaotic gay around his crush.

By the end of the evening, Jungkook has a headache from being forced to watch random movie clips that feature couples hiding their crush from each other, and from listening to Taehyung and Jimin creating ‘what-if’ scenarios to desensitise him from blushing around Hoseok this coming weekend, and as a result, has disowned both of his friends about five times for it.

“Isn’t this ironic – you didn’t go to Busan because of the KTX crowds, and yet…” Hoseok trails off as they walk along the platform, away from the train they’ve just disembarked from.

“Hush and lead the way, hyung, this is your territory,” Jungkook nudges the older male with his shoulder, causing the other to laugh as they make their way through Songjeong Station which isn’t as large as Seoul Station is, but still foreign enough to Jungkook who hasn’t been here before.

“Unlike Seoul, we only have one line here, so we’ll be meeting my parents fast,” Hoseok grins over at them as they walk through the groups of people as they trickle outside and towards the subway stairs entrance.

Jungkook refuses to get lost by losing sight of his hyung despite the simplicity, so he sticks to Hoseok like a shadow as they go through the motions of entering the underground system, huddling themselves into a train carriage, and following after his friend as they return back to ground level some forty minutes later.

“So, now that we’re here, when do we exactly start to act?” Jungkook questions as they walk the neighbourhood streets. “You know, to get into the flow of it?”

Unlike the chaos of last night as Taehyung and Jimin tried to desensitise him from blushing by torturing him with ‘what-if’ scenarios concerning him and Hoseok this coming weekend, he and Hoseok have a firm plan of action.

Jungkook almost bites his tongue off – but manages to keep all sounds of surprise to himself, thankfully – when Hoseok links his hand with Jungkook’s own, swinging them slightly as they walk.

“I don’t think my mother will say anything first, but I can’t promise her not saying something by tonight,” Hoseok warns Jungkook, sending him a small smile that Jungkook returns with ease. “My dad won’t even care, to be honest. He’s much too laidback to question anything.”

“Probably why your mother has so much determination,” Jungkook chuckles softly as Hoseok leads them down another street. “Is this the home you grew up in?”

“Nah, they moved from the area I grew up in. Why?”

Jungkook is honest as he says, “was curious how young Hoseok viewed the world.”

“You mean – what posters did I have up and how many did my gay ass have of one celebrity,” Hoseok corrects with a grin, making Jungkook laugh. “The answer to that would be – a lot. I still have no type.”

Jungkook smothers the flutters that rise up in his stomach at hearing that. It’s always good to know when your crush has no set preference of who they find attractive, but it also not helpful to stop the little butterflies that come around with hope.

However, those flutters sharp turn into a large bout of extreme nervousness as soon as he sees two distant figures standing next to a car with its rear door open as they shove rolled up sleeping bags into it.

It may have been a while since he last saw Hoseok’s parents, but they haven’t changed, especially his mother when she spies them coming and all but screeches her way to them as she yanks her son into a bone-crushing hug.

Endeared, Jungkook politely stands to the side, leaving his hyung to deal with his mother, as Jungkook bows at the other’s father as he waves at Jungkook before he hurries back inside the building complex that they live in.

“I told you to call me when you were near so we could pick you up at the station!” Hoseok’s mother scolds her son, hitting his shoulder for it, as she releases him as she spies Jungkook’s silent form, sending him a blinding grin as she reaches for him. “Oh, Jungkook-ah! You look like you’ve lost weight since the last I saw you – have you not been eating well?”

“I’ve been eating well, Mrs Jung,” Jungkook reassures her, touched for the concern.

“Ma, leave him alone,” Hoseok cuts in with a small whine as he grabs for Jungkook’s hand.

“You both look far too skinny for my taste, but living in Seoul unfortunately does that to you,” she sniffs in disapproval, eyeing both of them up, but not commenting on their joint hands. “I’ll pack some more meat.”

“Ma!” Hoseok calls in soft exasperation as his mother promptly leaves them.

“Your mother is tame compared to mine – mine would’ve demanded to know what I’ve been living on,” Jungkook chuckles as Hoseok leads them to his parents’ car.

“I hope you don’t mind the extra calories we’re going to be forced to consume this weekend,” Hoseok chuckles back, his smile growing as his father returns with a small pack of bottled of water. “Need any help, dad?”

“Your mother is bringing the last, but you both can put your backpacks in the car, we’re ready to leave once she comes down,” Hoseok’s father says as he puts the bottles into the rear of the car.

Following Hoseok’s lead, Jungkook places his backpack packed with his clothes and essentials for two nights of camping next to Hoseok’s own, and assists his father whilst Hoseok runs inside to assist his mother.

“Thank you for inviting me,” Jungkook’s manners kick in, despite how awkward he’s feeling with being alone with the older male.

“You’re Hoseok’s lad now, it was time we had an outing as a family,” Hoseok’s father huffs, not really paying attention to how Jungkook freezes on the spot at how easy it was for the male to say such a thing.

Sure, they’ve been friends for years, and both of Hoseok’s parents have seen Jungkook a fair few time as a result, but to hear this?

Jungkook swallows down the hard lump of guilt. This is all pretend, after all. He can’t accept or overthink such warmth when he’s deceiving the male.

Jungkook grunts softly at the firm slap to his back as Hoseok’s father grins at him. “Though, it was about time he confessed to you. It’s been years in the making, seeing you two tiptoe around each other.”

Jungkook doesn’t even feel the departing pat to his back as his brain becomes white noise as he gawps at the spot where the male had just been as he whistles to himself as he climbs into the driver’s seat.

Before Jungkook can even have a second to process, he hears Hoseok and his mother bickering as they come outside – Hoseok’s mother trying to take the icebox from Hoseok, whilst Hoseok evades her hands.

“Climb in, babe, I’m just putting this in the back and then we’re off,” Hoseok grins over at him as he walks past Jungkook towards the rear of the car.

“You okay, dear? You look like you’ve been startled,” Hoseok’s mother questions him softly, pausing in climbing into the front passenger seat as she notices his stillness.

“I’m fine!” Jungkook reassures, his voice pitched higher than his usual tone, but he still gives her a smile to back it up.

Once both parents are inside the car, Jungkook spins around to face Hoseok as he slams down the rear door, the lock automatic as comes and nudges for Jungkook to climb into the backseat.

“What? You okay?” Hoseok notices before he leaves to go around to the other passenger door.

Not even close, not when your father has just insinuated something that can’t even be true, Jungkook screeches inside his head as he lies and tells his friend that he’s perfectly fine.

Inside the car, it’s easy for Jungkook to take a conversational backseat as Hoseok catches up with his parents, and Jungkook suspects that Hoseok is also trying to give Jungkook time to warmup to the situation without forcing him to be talkative.

Jungkook gives the hand in his own a gentle squeeze of thanks, one that doesn’t go unmissed as Hoseok returns the squeeze as he effortlessly continues with his tale of the type of mischief that his students have been caught doing during his classes.

“Are we camping in a campsite, or camping in a hiking area?” Jungkook questions once he feels his shyness simmer down.

“Campsite, but the campsite is connected to the base of the mountains, so we have plenty of trail choice,” Hoseok’s father answers him, glancing at Jungkook in his rear-view mirror.

“Hoseok mentioned that you’re a hiker, so we chose this site to woo you to Gwangju’s charm,” Hoseok’s mother adds, turning slightly in her seat to smile at him.

“I think Hoseok-ah has that part taken care of, don’t you, son?” comes the teasing tone from Hoseok’s father, and it makes Jungkook’s cheeks burn – predictably – but also Hoseok’s own as he laughs a little higher than he normally would.

“I had to put the charm on sooner or later,” Hoseok deflects lightly, and Jungkook almost does his usual thing in biting his tongue in admitting any close to his crush on the other.

“He just had to dial it up a little higher for me to notice he was charming me,” Jungkook casually adds, and it makes Hoseok’s father grin at him in the mirror.

“Of course you would grin like that – he’s just like how you were when we first met,” Hoseok’s mother scoffs, catching her husband’s grin.

As the pair of them share light-hearted retorts to each other about their ‘courting days’ as Hoseok’s mother claimed it, whilst Hoseok looked both mortified and endeared as both of them were subjected to listening to it.

The atmosphere in the car was nice, playful, and soothing.

Much like the male beside him.

Jungkook watches the scenery pass, and feels the nervousness in his stomach begin to melt away the longer he casually listens to Hoseok beg for his parents to not scare Jungkook away when he’s just convinced him to date Hoseok.

But, while his nervousness slips away, his mind is still fixating on just how much of this is real or fake from Hoseok’s end now that Hoseok’s father has planted that seed of, ‘what the fuck’ in Jungkook’s head. 

Of all the things that Taehyung and Jimin ‘prepped’ him for last night, not once did the option of ‘he’s always liked you’ came up since all the scenarios were around Jungkook trying to hide a blush.

Depending on how the campsite looks, and how far apart theirs and Hoseok’s parents’ tent will be, Jungkook may risk trying to pry an answer from his friend as soon as they’re alone.

Hoseok would tell him if Jungkook reveals what his father told him, right?

It’s not like Jungkook has ever asked the other if he likes Jungkook – because, why would he? Jungkook’s crush is tiny, he didn’t need to ask because it’s a tiny thing.

But, Hoseok is a very frank person. He’s the one you go to where you need a no bullshit answer for something because Hoseok will tell you the honest truth without making it come across as malicious or negative.

So, if Jungkook were to ask Hoseok if he likes Jungkook enough to make this real between them, surely the other would tell him the truth?

“Come on, babe, time to prove to my ma that we’re not feeble and can actually carry stuff,” Hoseok chortles, purposely baiting his mother, as they climb from the car as soon as they’re parked in the car parking area of the campsite.

It’s your typical campsite from the broad look that Jungkook can get as he assists Hoseok – welcoming building for you to collect your area number with a modest onsite convenience chain store, and as he follows the family away from the concrete car park and building down the main pathway that branches off into different parts of the open land already filled with tents, as well as a few concrete buildings for public showers and toilets.

“It’ll be a squeeze, but both tents will fit on it,” Hoseok’s father assures them as they arrive at their assigned area to find an empty wooden deck ready for them to set up the tents on it.

“We’ve slept in smaller spaces,” Hoseok grins at Jungkook, causing a wave of memories to hit Jungkook of the times of crashing out on the floors of their friends apartments as they all share the few blankets and pillows on hand, to falling asleep against his hyung’s shoulder on the subway.

Thankfully, the tents that the Jung’s own are the nice and easy ones that do not require a fucking degree to put them up (unlike his own family tents, which Jungkook hates with a seething passion), so it doesn’t take Hoseok long to set up theirs as Jungkook does the legwork for the family in bringing things from the car.

A smile bite of lunch, a quick change in foot attire, and then they’re off towards the hiking entrance of the base of the mountain, leaving behind all the conveniences of the campsite as Hoseok’s parents decide on their first trail of the weekend.

“You enjoying yourself so far?” Hoseok checks in with him as they lag further behind his parents, both of whom are content with taking the lead.

Jungkook nods as he inhales the crisp woodsy scent of the woods that they’re hiking in, feeling the clean air like a healing balm to his mind the longer they walk the trail through it.

“It’s been too long since I last did this – military not included,” Jungkook tacks on, making Hoseok laugh. “We should do this more.”

“Don’t let them hear you say that, you’ll just fuel my mother’s agenda of luring me back home,” Hoseok huffs in a soft laugh as they keep to each other’s walking pace.

“How about you? You still feeling confident?” Jungkook lowers his voice, painfully aware at how far their voices can carry out here in the woods.

Hoseok grins with an enthusiastic nod. “I mean, tonight will be the true test of both of our nerves over dinner because my mother and soju are a lethal weapon for her curiosity.”

Jungkook files that away to remember for this evening. “I got your back, hyung.”

“And I’ve got your front,” Hoseok hums, glancing at Jungkook as he smiles.

“Soppy,” Jungkook laughs fondly, nudging his friend his shoulder, which makes him laugh as he instantly grabs a hold of his shrieking hyung as he loses his footing up the slight dirt bank they’re walking up now, losing traction with digging his feet deep into the dirt.

“That’s it, as payback you have to deal with me latched onto your arm until we reach the top of this,” Hoseok hisses out, flustered but finding the amusement in his own reaction, as he clings to Jungkook’s offered arm as they continue to hike up the incline.

“Just dig your toes down, you’ll be fine.”

Both of them shriek when Jungkook loses his own footing on the loose dirt, causing both of them to cling to each other and surrounding branches for their balance.

“We’re hopeless,” Hoseok giggles as they begin to dissolve into a mini bout of laughter at how utterly hopeless they’re being as they reach the top of the steep incline where they’re greeted by the fond amusement of Hoseok’s parents.

“Should we start a bet of who will fall on their butt first out of you two?” Hoseok’s father teases as they begin to walk in a group again.

“That was a fluke incident, the ground is too dry,” Hoseok makes the excuse for both of them, grinning with flushed cheeks from the slight effort it took both of them to climb up the bank whilst not losing their pride to gravity.

“It’s only going to get steeper,” Hoseok’s mother points out with a laugh.

Jungkook glances down at the ground, noting the dusty loose dirt even on the trail.

He and Hoseok share a look.

“Ten thousand won that you fall before I do,” Hoseok challenges with a grin.

Jungkook grins back.

“Challenge accepted.”

It’s on the way down from the trail peak that Jungkook wins his bet as Hoseok skids down an incline on his ass despite trying to ease himself down it at a snail’s pace.

Jungkook blames the dusty dirt coating the back of Hoseok’s legs and rear for distracting him, causing him his own skid of panic as he pays more attention to the male in front of him than where he’s placing his own feet.

There is something incredibly satisfying about eating grilled meat and drinking soju under the darkening evening sky on a spring day.

Maybe it’s the endorphins from the hours of hiking through nature and the laughter it brought, or maybe it’s because Jungkook hasn’t felt out of place or awkward around Hoseok’s parents despite the reason why he is here in the first place with them.

Even when Hoseok’s mother tries to dig for details about their ‘relationship’, just like how Hoseok had warned Jungkook that she would once the soju was flowing, it’s still light and playful, even when she keeps shoving food their way for them to eat despite feeling full to burst.

“I’m just glad that he finally has someone to pour his love into,” Hoseok’s mother continues to passionately tell Jungkook, leaning over her husband’s lap so that she can grab Jungkook’s hands with her aged ones. “He’s always been extremely fond of you, always spoke of you highly, it’s so nice to see how a friendship can grow into something more.”

Jungkook blames the heat to his face from the lingering heat from the portable gas grill they’re sitting around.

“Ma, give him some breathing space,” Hoseok tries to sway his mother from Jungkook’s space, sounding flustered and nervous as he pauses in collecting their cooking utensils into a pile to make it easier for him to carry since he and Jungkook were about to leave to clean them in the sinks in the onsite showers building.

“Fuck what people say, Jungkook-ah,” Hoseok’s mother continues, her gaze and hold on him so intense that Jungkook barely dares to breathe. “We will always support you two together. Never doubt that.”

“My family are supportive of us two,” Jungkook assures with a touched smile – even though that truth is half stretched. His family are supportive of his preferences, and they already love Hoseok as his friend anyway.

“As they should be. Love is fluid, easy to share, to spread, and hard to truly hold back.”

Jungkook swallows thickly as his heart kicks in his chest.

“Babe, can you help me with these?” Hoseok’s nerves are already in his voice, making it high and wobbly, but thankfully it gives Jungkook the excuse he needed to gently remove his hands from the hands around his own.

“Alright, time to call it a night for us, love, before you scare Jungkook away,” Hoseok’s father distracts his wife to allow Jungkook and Hoseok to scurry away with the greased utensils from their dinner.

“I’m so fucking sorry for that,” Hoseok says as soon as they’re far enough away, shooting Jungkook an embarrassed look. “She doesn’t always get to meet those I like, so I think she’s pouring all of that onto you tonight. She’s not usually that straightforward.”

‘She doesn’t always get to meet those I like’, Jungkook’s crush-focused brain picks up on and won’t let it go even as he reassures his friend that it’s okay.

“Your mother looks like she’s not the type to swear, I think that took me more by surprise than her declaring that I have a space in the family,” Jungkook jokes lightly as they enter the washroom and head for the sinks that are empty.

“Please, my mother may look dainty, but her mouth sure isn’t when she’s chewing you out for missing her video calls,” Hoseok snorts, relaxing at Jungkook’s joke.

“This place isn’t too bad,” Jungkook murmurs, looking around the public washroom. “It’s a lot cleaner than I expected it to be considering that it’s a long weekend and the number of people out there.”

“You and your nose,” Hoseok teases affectionately. “This place meets your standards?”

Jungkook rolls his eyes the light-hearted teasing. It’s because he has a slight sensitivity to strong odours, which is why Jungkook actively avoids using public restrooms as much as he’s out and about.

The powerful scent of either cleaning chemicals or urine is enough to make him gag.

But, it doesn’t just fall to public spaces. Jungkook has an aversion to strong scents to himself – he doesn’t wear strong cologne or use strong ‘masculine’ labelling scents. He much prefers clean scents such as cotton and some fruit tones.

Anything clean smelling, and Jungkook’s nose is happy.

Which is also another reason why Jungkook’s tiny crush keeps returning.

Hoseok just doesn’t seem to be a fragrance fan in general. He doesn’t wear cologne, even his fabric softener is a muted scent of cleanness. He just smells like himself, so whenever they hang out in close proximity – like now, as they rinse the utensils under the water – Jungkook only smells the other’s fabric softener.

It’s nice to be close to someone and not develop a headache from strong, overpowering, scents.

“You call me babe easily, have you noticed that?” Jungkook casually comments in the lull between them as he replays the day in his head.

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Hoseok muses, sending Jungkook a quick look. “You sound surprised that I’m capable of pet names.”

“I’m surprised that you haven’t stuttered saying it,” Jungkook deflects lightly, keeping it light and playful between them even though he badly wants to probe deeper.

“I’m surprised that you haven’t blushed.”

Jungkook cringes as he drops the pan into the metal sink at that as he meets Hoseok’s playful gaze.

“You trying to make me blush, hyung?”

“If I was, I’d say that I’ve just succeeded,” Hoseok teases as he breaks their gaze by looking down at his hands as he continues to rinse the metal tongs they used for the meat.

Jungkook refuses to press the back of his hand to his cheek to confirm if that is true.

“You already lost one bet today, you sure you wanna lose another?” Jungkook baits.

Hoseok’s gaze is back on him in an instant.

“Are you sure that you want to make that challenge?” Hoseok shoots back, both of their hands paused in the actions of cleaning, the tepid water running over their skin.

‘No, but this may be the easier way of me figuring out if you like me too’, Jungkook rambles in his head as he grins at his friend as he offers a wet hand to the older male.

“By the end of this weekend, I bet that I can make you completely lost for words with a pretty blush to seal the deal.”

Hoseok’s stare on him is heavy as he studies Jungkook’s own before he grasps Jungkook’s hand with one of his own.

“Challenge accepted.”

It’s during his shower that the panic hits him.

He’s challenged his crush to a bet on who can make the other the most flustered that words fail them and their face is the colour of a tomato.

What in the actual fuck was he even thinking?!

Jungkook is going to fucking lose, and he hates losing. He’s too competitive, he knows he is, and yet-

Jungkook lightly thumps his head against the tiles of the shower cubicle he’s in.

Hoseok is going to destroy him. Simple. His friend is going to do something so simple and Jungkook’s face is going to melt off and his brain is going to forget how to use his words.

Groaning softly to himself for his own lapse in judgement, Jungkook laments over the fact that his tiny crush is going to grow as a result of this little bet between them, and Jimin and Taehyung are going to never let him forget that he challenged his secret crush to a battle of who can fluster the other whilst pretending to be boyfriends.

With any luck, he can hopefully make the other blush at least once.

Even if he has to play dirty and ask lightly hint questions about what Hoseok’s father insinuated.

It’s not cheating.

It’s surviving through the bet that will destroy him, hopefully later and not as soon as Jungkook returns back to the tent he’ll be sleeping in with the other male.

Jungkook thumps his head again because he knows how clingy he gets with the older male when they sleep beside each other.

He’s absolutely done for.

The spring night air is just chilly enough to make you shudder slightly, but not enough to shake and curl up into a ball.

And yet….

Jungkook is barely breathing as he feels Hoseok inch closer.

His game plan of not clinging to his crush tonight is fast going out of the tent as they share the heavy camping blanket over them.

“Hyung?” Jungkook whispers, thankful for the darkness inside their tent as it hides the blush already on his face as he listens to Hoseok shift closer, feeling the other’s warmth come closer.

“It’s cold,” Hoseok whispers back. “Aren’t you cold?”

Jungkook swallows, his throat feeling tight and dry, as little flutters in his stomach begin over something mundane as cuddling.

But, because of his crush and their bet, it feels like any little interaction between them is heavily layered now as a result.

“We can cuddle if you promise to keep your cold hands to yourself,” Jungkook teases, but it sounds off, it sounds….Jungkook sucks in a deep inhale as he hears the undercurrent of flirtation in his own voice.

He didn’t mean for it to come out like that. He didn’t mean to-

Jungkook’s lungs let out all of the air in his body as Hoseok wraps an arm slowly across his chest, his leg skimming over Jungkook’s own legs as he shifts closer to Jungkook’s form.

This isn’t how they cuddle.

It feels disjointed.

It sits wrong in Jungkook’s gut.

Hoseok lets out a little huff of surprise as Jungkook reorganises their position where he’s the one draping himself around his friend as he flips onto his side, curling around him almost, as they exhale into each other’s faces.

“Better?” Jungkook murmurs, feeling his ears burn at how intimate it sounds and feels compared to how it would normally feel.

“Much,” Hoseok murmurs back, and again, Jungkook is so fucking thankful for the darkness as he feels the other’s fingers slowly run up and down his spine from where his arm is draped over Jungkook’s arm.

It already feels better to be lying like this, Jungkook isn’t going to lie. It felt too weird for him to lie on his back with the other next to him when he’s the one that clings to Hoseok’s frame.

Maybe he felt the same too?

Jungkook runs his fingers through the partially dried hair at Hoseok’s nape, the length just long enough there for him to twine around his fingers.

Hoseok makes a sound of relaxation, and Jungkook can feel it in the other’s body.

“Hiking is fun an all, but camping on a hard surface is not,” Hoseok jokes quietly between them, making Jungkook huff out a small laugh.

“It’s part of the experience,” Jungkook quietly whispers as his eyes fall shut, heightening his other senses.

The comforting smell of Hoseok deep in his nose, his warmth and familiar frame as Jungkook snuggles closer, the lulling sensation running up and down his back as Hoseok’s nails lightly tickle over the material of Jungkook’s sweater that he’s wearing.

The tiny crush inside his heart shatters as an overwhelming pang of longing hits him so hard, it makes him briefly stop breathing as he lies there, completely at its mercy.

The shuddering exhale he makes as he feels the pang begin to relax its hold on him is thankfully missed from Hoseok, who sounds like he’s either asleep, or just on the cusp of it.

But, sleep is far from Jungkook’s mind. He’s too busy trying to stuff the longing feeling back inside the shell that used to be his tiny crush.

Hoseok’s mother was right.

Love is fluid, and you can’t hold it back.

The love for a friend hits a lot differently when your tiny crush on said friend has just evolved into a capitalised Crush status.

Jungkook, for the first time ever, is too aware of the other’s little puffs of air against his lips, since Hoseok tends to sleep with his mouth slightly open.

He’s more aware of the weight against him, at how comforting it is to feel it pressed against him.

Even the stilled fingers lightly pressed against his back make Jungkook wish that they were moving again so that he could have that connection stronger.

It’s like he’s unlocked a new level of awareness, one that only comes when you’re deep into a crush and it makes you long for more of their attention.

He doesn’t know how long he lies there, listening to the comforting, lulling, breathing of his friend.

But, when he wakes up to the bright early sunlight streaming in through the material of their tent, Hoseok is still holding him, even as Jungkook lies on his back now, having flopped onto it some point during his sleep.

Hoseok is still asleep with his face pressed into Jungkook’s chest, his arms and legs still wrapped over Jungkook’s own.

Jungkook forces his eyes shut, despite the brightness, and savours the feeling.

He doesn’t know what today will bring in terms of his newly grown crush on his friend, or how said friend will try to fluster him to win the bet between them.

Jungkook just knows that he’s in a for long day of trying not to overthink his reactions so that he can still keep the act of being Hoseok’s boyfriend in tact around the other’s parents, and also not overthink Hoseok’s actions towards him.

Today’s hike will further kill his calves, but at least that will help distract him away from overthinking everything for a few hours.

Honestly, Jungkook was expecting Hoseok to start winning the bet during breakfast where Jungkook’s half awake mind would be easy prey to fluster.

But, his friend didn’t do anything out of the norm.

He then expected Hoseok to start teasing him as they set out for their hike which was the longest route around the mountain, one that held views of the landscape than just the woods, which would lead you to its peak.

His friend didn’t.

Hoseok joked around with Jungkook like he normally would, held his hand like they have been doing until it became impossible to do so as they got sucked into the hiking route.

Jungkook felt like he was on edge as a result, but not in a ‘scared’ way, more like in an ‘nervous-excited’ way.

Hoseok wouldn’t have forgotten their bet so easily. The other loves to play, even if it is in the form a bet. That just means that Hoseok is plotting his moment, and whilst that should fill Jungkook with nerves, it doesn’t.

It fills him with excitement. He’s curious.

But, you know the saying, ‘curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back’ exists for a reason.

Jungkook just hopes that his own curiosity doesn’t result in his blushing face.

“Babe, come here, I want to take a picture of you with the view in the background,” Hoseok’s voice draws Jungkook from his mind, looking ahead to see the other waiting for him to catch up as his parents linger, taking a breather.

Jungkook fondly rolls his eyes as he hikes his way up to where the Jung family are waiting at a little rest area of the route that has wooden benches scattered around small space.

“I’m a sweaty mess,” Jungkook points out as he uses the cuff of his jacket to dab the sweat away from his hairline.

“And yet, you still make it look good,” Hoseok retorts smoothly, his phone already in his hand, ready for Jungkook to come closer to where Hoseok directs him to stand.

Jungkook is glad for the flush from all the walking as it hides his true blush from Hoseok’s gaze.

“I’m not posing alone,” Jungkook bargains, not moving to the exact spot that Hoseok wants him to go to.

“I’m sweatier than you, there is a reason why I asked you to pose.”

“Sweat looks good on you,” Jungkook blurts out without even thinking, and he feels his own eyes mimic the startled widening of Hoseok’s own as they stare at each other.

To Jungkook’s dismay, he too can’t tell if the red to Hoseok’s cheeks are any redder than they were before his mouth betrayed him.

“I didn’t know that was a kink of yours,” Hoseok saves the silence from becoming awkward as he steps to join Jungkook’s side with his cheeky remark.

Jungkook keeps his mouth shut on the automatic retort of, ‘it is when it concerns you’ from ever leaving his brain as Hoseok angles his arm to get them both in the camera screen with a decent shot of the view behind them.

“Don’t kink shame me, babe,” Jungkook retorts back, just as cheeky without it threatening to undo his effort of keeping his expression playful, as he smiles at their camera selves.

Hoseok’s accidently manages to capture the pure shock on his own face as Jungkook’s own face smiles at the camera as their picture is taken.

Jungkook smugly (and very giddily, internally) observes Hoseok’s surprised face.

“What? Did you expect me not to call you it?” Jungkook teases lightly, keeping it playful whilst his own heart skips in his chest from the rush it’s giving him at calling Hoseok the endearment.

However, the glint that appears in Hoseok’s gaze, as a little hint of a smirk appears too, makes Jungkook want to take his teasing back.

“I think I prefer hearing ‘babe’ over ‘hyung’,” Hoseok teases him, and Jungkook forgets everything but, ‘I prefer hearing ‘babe’ over ‘hyung’’ as it implants deeply into his mind.

“Come on, you two! We still have a lot of ground to cover!” Hoseok’s father calls to them, killing the growing tension between them as they both whip their heads to look at the other’s parents.

Something about Hoseok saying that has made something change between them.

Jungkook has never felt tension before with Hoseok.

But now?

It feels heavy in the air between them as they continue the hike.

Even when they reach the peak of the trail and the most gorgeous views greet them for their hard work, that tension still lingers between them.

“Stand over there, I need a photo of you two and the backdrop of the mountains,” Hoseok’s mother urges, not giving them a say in the matter as she hustles them to where she wants them to stand, before hurrying back from them as she and her husband get their phones ready.

And just like that, a test for their acting appears before them.

They’ve taken plenty of photos together, they know their go to position whenever they stand next to each other, so it’s all muscle memory as they press against each other as they each wrap an arm around each other’s back, holding each close, as they smile at the two phones pointing at them.

But, the tension in the air around them seems to make things a lot tighter, pushing them closer against each other, tilting their heads more towards each other, as their free hands make V signs, and then, lastly, a heart made together when Hoseok’s mother calls for one.

Jungkook isn’t even aware of the tight grip he has on the other’s jacket, or the way Hoseok’s arm is trying to curl him closer, until they break apart as their photo session ends to the cooing approval of Hoseok’s parents.

And when they see the pictures, Jungkook wants to coo himself at how fucking perfect they look together with the picturesque mountains behind them and the late afternoon sun lighting them nicely.

“Send me all of these,” Hoseok stresses the word, stopping his mother from deleting the ones that she deems, ‘not good’.

Jungkook is glad that the other is too distracted with stopping his parents from deleting the photos, his determination to save every single image endearingly cute, since Hoseok completely misses the blush on Jungkook’s cheeks as a result.

But, Hoseok’s father doesn’t as he sends Jungkook a fond smile from over his wife and son’s backs.

The fond smile makes his blush grow, but the guilt in his stomach returns.

He’s still – technically – lying to them, so he still feels the guilt, despite the mounting evidence that Hoseok may return some form of a crush if this tension between them is anything to go by.

And on the walk back down the mountain, Jungkook can’t help shake off the guilt.

Hoseok’s parents have been so welcoming, loving, towards his ‘relationship’ with their son, and Jungkook is lying to their faces about it.

It makes his stomach spin, and completely takes him away from the family he’s with as they make small random bouts of small talk as they trek down the shorter hiking trail to return to the campsite for dinner.

It’s only when they’re near the campsite entrance from the trail routes that Hoseok breaks away from his parents, hanging back until Jungkook meets his pace.

“You’ve gone awfully quiet, you okay?” Hoseok questions softly, concerned, as he looks over Jungkook’s face for a hint to why.

Jungkook slows his pace more, forcing Hoseok to follow it, as it puts Hoseok’s parents far enough away from them that he can confidently say, “I feel bad about lying to your parents.”

Hoseok’s concern doubles as he links a hand with Jungkook’s right one, both of them close to dragging their feet now instead of actually walking.

“This is my fault; I was the one that got you into this. I’m sorry for making you feel this way, Jungkook-ah. I really….I really don’t want you to feel bad. They love you regardless of the fact if you’re a friend, or a partner.”

“We can leave,” Hoseok continues, drawing them to a halt, his expression and tone serious, as they continue to hold hands. “I can call us a cab and get us either a bus or the KTX back to Seoul. Just say the word, Jungkook. The very last thing I ever want to do is make you uncomfortable due to my own doing.”

Jungkook is a little taken aback, and he’s not even trying to hide it as he stares at his friend with surprise.

“What would you say?” Jungkook asks, curious, as he tries to overcome his surprise.

“To my parents?” Hoseok clarifies, and Jungkook nods. “I’d tell them that work needs me to go in and fix a computer issue. My parents are hopeless with computers, they wouldn’t need any more details other than that.”

“And they would accept that so easily, despite how hard they pushed for you to bring me?”

Jungkook is prodding, he knows he is, but with how things have changed in regards to how he feels towards Hoseok, the idea of admitting that he has a crush is a lot scarier now than it was yesterday.

“They’ve met you, seen us together, it would be enough,” Hoseok assures, still serious about helping Jungkook end the charade. “You did this as a favour to me, Jungkook. I owe you, not the other way around.”

Only…..Jungkook doesn’t want this to be a favour anymore.

Last night proved that to him, and today….the tension between them….Jungkook feels guilty for lying to Hoseok’s kind parents, but he’s also become really fucking greedy and curious to explore this new tension that is still hanging in the air between them, even now.

Even now, with Hoseok’s parents no where to be seen, Hoseok is still holding his hand, stood close, all of his attention focused on Jungkook only.

“I’ll stay,” Jungkook hears himself say the words, finds that he doesn’t regret them either. “I’ll stay.”

Hoseok frowns, unsure. “Are you sure? I don’t want you feeling like shit for me, Jungkook-ah. I really do mean it when I say that I’ll get us both out of here within a flash if you say the word.”

“I know, hyung. I can see it to know that you mean it,” Jungkook reassures the other, squeezing the other’s hand to prove it. “Come on, we should freshen up before we start dinner because if my legs feel like jelly, then yours must do.”

Hoseok still looks concerned, but takes Jungkook’s lead, as they both begin walking again.

“Was that a dig at how skinny my legs are compared to yours?” Hoseok squints at Jungkook, keeping the air light like Jungkook had when he made the comment.

“Was that a dig at how big my legs are compared to yours?” Jungkook retorts back, grinning, since he sees the tension in the other’s shoulders begin to lift as they return back to a light-hearted topic.

“I never used the word, ‘big’.”

“And I never used the word, ‘skinny’.”

Hoseok snorts at their childish back and forth as he swings their hands slightly between them. “I’ll admit to my legs feeling like they’re about to drop off any second. Fuck that trail, never doing that again in a hurry.”

“At least the pictures were worth the suffering,” Jungkook muses, cringing at the sweat clinging to his skin and hair, as they head for their camping area.

“Very true,” Hoseok hums in agreement. “We gave the mountains some competition today.”

“Oh? Our sweaty looks were enough to combat against the raw beauty of nature?” Jungkook chuckles, amused.

Hoseok sends Jungkook a smile that makes his heart trip. “I meant that our smiles were enough to wow nature over.”

Jungkook shoves his laughing friend away for the cheesy remark. “You need to stop hanging around Jin-hyung.”

Hoseok wraps an arm around Jungkook’s shoulders as he bounces back to him, still giggling enough that it makes Jungkook helplessly smile at the other with fondness running loudly through his veins.

At least his cheeks are free from a blush, but his inner monologue of him comparing Hoseok to the mountains could sure cause a blush to form any second if he doesn’t shut up.

“You go on ahead and get ready to shower, I’ll let my parents know of our plans in case they get sucked into prepping dinner without us helping them,” Hoseok tells him as they near their tents, seeing that his parents already setting up the small seating area between their tents with the portable grill in the middle of the setup.

Jungkook gets his stuff, and hurries to the showers where he spends the entire length of his shower replaying the day in his head.

Now that Jungkook thinks about it, has he been reading too much into the supposed tension that he’s been feeling with the male?

Is this just his feelings towards his crush making it feel like things between them are layered now that Jungkook is the one creating these layers in his head?

‘I prefer hearing ‘babe’ over ‘hyung’

But, why else would Hoseok make a comment like that?

Hoseok hasn’t made comments like that with Jungkook before. When they bicker playfully, it always stays in the playful setting, never into the teasing, borderline flirting, setting.

Jungkook has seen the other flirt, he knows how the other’s voice drops, his gaze turns, the way a little pleased smirk that upturns his lips, and Jungkook saw a tiny fragment of that today towards himself.

So, is it all in his head when he knows how the other flirts and had some of that directed towards him?

Would Hoseok really try to win their playful bet that way when it is so easy to make Jungkook blush by just complimenting him on something?

Everyone in their group of friends know that Jungkook and compliments are a sure easy way to fluster him into a strong blush because he struggles to accept them after having condescending adults ridicule him back in his trainee days.

Hoseok could easily win based on that, and yet…he hasn’t.

Jungkook is the one left scrambling in this bet because Hoseok is so chill that he’s hard to fluster, he’s the one trying to figure out how to win this bet that doesn’t result in him blushing too.

Though, when he accidently flirted with the other, it did result in Hoseok being taken by surprise by it, but Jungkook can’t flirt with his crush, that is just asking for him to be burnt by the fire he’s cautiously poking at.

And, honestly, Jungkook doesn’t want to win a bet using something like that. It will just further confuse him if Hoseok responds to it because he assumes it’s purely for the bet, rather than Jungkook genuinely wanting to flirt with him.

Jungkook turns the water heat higher to chase away the mind circles he’s going around in.

This shower cubicle is witnessing more of Jungkook’s musing over his crush on Hoseok than his own shower back home.

The dinner follows the same flow as yesterday’s, and as Jungkook and Hoseok clean up, his parents bid them a goodnight as they go for an evening stroll around the campsite to take in their last night under a pollution-free night sky.

“Our KTX is around lunch, so I told ma that we’ll grab something in the station so that we’re not rushing in the morning as we pack up,” Hoseok tells him as they walk back to their tenting area.

“Back to the grind,” Jungkook sighs out as he enjoys the peace and quiet as everyone else keeps to their own company.

“Despite the little hiccup from today, have you enjoyed yourself?” Hoseok asks him, looking over at Jungkook, catching his gaze.

“You would know if I hadn’t,” Jungkook chuckles as the sounds of their boots scrape along the loose pathway of dirt and gravel. “I’m easy to read, according to Jimin and Tae.”

“They’re your closest buddies, of course they can read you like a book,” Hoseok snorts, endeared.

“You’re a close buddy too, can’t you read me?” Jungkook flips back, suddenly curious.

“Will it make me sound less of a friend if I admit that sometimes I can’t?”

Jungkook feels his eyebrows rise as his steps falter at the hesitant admission with Hoseok slowing too as he looks nervously at Jungkook.

“It doesn’t, let me just get that stated,” Jungkook reassures to ease that nervousness, feeling his own rise because he’s always assumed that he was transparent to his friends. “I’m just surprised, is all.”

“You have a good poker face, Jungkook-ah,” Hoseok chuckles softly, his feet moving slightly over the dirt as they stand still. “It’s easy to know when you’re happy, they way you smile tells so, but your smile is hard to read sometimes.”

“This entire weekend, all my smiles have been true, hyung. I really have enjoyed myself with you and your parents.”

Hoseok gaze is searching Jungkook’s face, he can practically feel the other’s gaze on his skin as he sees his honesty for himself.

“The only moment that I was unhappy was the moment you knew something was amiss, so give yourself more credit, you can read me well,” Jungkook tries to lighten the other, not wanting Hoseok to doubt him or their weekend together.

Sure, it was a weekend spent lying to his parents, but their interactions have been nothing out of the norm for them, despite the pet name part, that was new but easy to adapt to.

“I-Never mind, I guess…I guess I can read you, huh,” Hoseok says and it makes Jungkook’s heart sink because it sounds so….empty?

Jungkook can see the smile before him, but he can also see a tightness around his friend’s eyes.

Hoseok doesn’t sound happy with his own words, and Jungkook can’t figure out why.

Isn’t that why Hoseok admitted to struggling to read Jungkook? Because he wanted assurance that he can? But now that he’s been given it, he sounds so…disheartened?

Jungkook’s head is a mess from the sudden whiplash.

“You don’t sound too happy about that,” Jungkook blurts out as a result of said mental whiplash.

Hoseok shakes his head in denial.

Jungkook can see that it’s a lie even as his friend reassures him that he is happy.

Again, the tension between them arrives, but this time, it’s different.

It’s been a long time since Jungkook last felt awkward around the other, so long in fact that it takes him the full length of the walk back to their tents to recognise the feeling between them.

“Come on, lets take some of this to the car so that it’s easier for all of us in the morning,” Hoseok suggests, already moving to pack away the utensils in the bags they were in.

Jungkook wordlessly follows the other, allowing the distraction to fill in the space between them now.

He’s so confused to why things between them are suddenly like this, but if Hoseok needs the quiet distraction of them just getting shit done to help his parents in the morning, then so be it.

Some of the worry in the back of his mind simmers away during the night when he feels Hoseok curl around his back, hugging him close like he normally would.

But, only some of it.

Hoseok’s body language had been distant when they settled into their tent, which is why Jungkook kept his usual clinginess to himself.

But here they were now, somewhere in the middle of the night, spooning like they normally would.

Jungkook tries hard to push the ‘why?’ from his mind; he doesn’t want to fall down the mind trap of overthinking when they have a busy morning ahead of them.

So, instead, he savours the feeling of Hoseok cuddling him as he presses his hands over the ones lightly pressed against his stomach.

Hopefully, tomorrow can offer some insight.

Hopefully.

It’s like the weekend never happened.

That’s how Jungkook feels after a few days at work.

The only thing to show from that weekend is the fact that Jungkook’s crush is still going strong, and now that they’re back in their normal routines, his feelings towards Hoseok are steadily growing since he sees and interacts with his friend every single day.

Which, to put it politely, is distracting.

Jungkook has enough shit to deal with being the academy’s receptionist and sometimes part babysitter to the kids that loiter in the foyer during class times without having Jung Hoseok distract him with his pretty laughter, or the way he sometimes causes the kids to become overexcited due to his own infectious energy.

Jungkook finds himself watching Hoseok more than his actual fucking PC monitor whenever his friend comes and goes.

It also doesn’t help that Hoseok literally hasn’t changed any of his interactions with Jungkook, despite the tension (both flirty and awkward) from the weekend.

Hoseok still teases him about having his face too close to the screen, that he needs to go home at the correct time, and all the other mundane shit friends say to each other on a daily basis when you work with them.

It’s like Jungkook is the one that felt the tension, the one that overthought the entire fucking weekend because he is the one with the crush, not Hoseok.

Their bet never came to fruition. Jungkook never managed to question about what Hoseok’s father insinuated. He got no answers this past weekend, just more conflict in his own head.

Jungkook lets out an aggravated sigh directed towards his own fucking brain for making his tiny crush explode into a not-so-tiny crush as he types more harshly on the keyboard beneath his fingers, the sound of it jarring in the foyer of kids chatting.

His phone’s screen lights up with a notification, catching his attention from the corner of his eye from where it is charging from the USB port of the PC tower, so he pauses the slight aggressive attack on the keyboard to see what it is.

Seeing Hoseok’s name in the notification bar fuels his curiosity more than his confusion because Hoseok is teaching at the moment.

Hobi-hyung

I forgot to send these at the weekend lol

Jungkook’s thumb slowly scrolls down the page of the message as he sees himself and Hoseok in various stages of posing with the mountains behind them, and feels his throat grow tight as he is once again reminded of how good they looked.

Jungkook saves most of the pictures, excluding the blurred ones, before he replies back.

We still look good despite the sweat lol

Locking his screen, Jungkook returns back to his work.

That was the first time Hoseok has mentioned their weekend together, and it was over a text message.

Jungkook’s fingers hit the keys hard, again.

This is all in Jungkook’s head. He’s the one that overthought everything despite knowing the high chances of his crush exploding – because that’s what happens when the universe narrates your love life.

He can’t get angry at his friend. Hoseok has done nothing wrong.

The way Jungkook is feeling is all on him, and him only.

He just…needs a few days to get through the process of not holding his own friend accountable for a crush that he has no idea that exists.

“The pictures are cute, I don’t blame your crush for growing,” Jimin says as Jungkook retracts his phone from across the table, being mindful of the heat from the grill that Jimin is working with the scissors and tongs for the cooking meat.

“Not helping said crush returning back to normal,” Jungkook grunts as Taehyung grabs his wrist so that he can see the pictures easier as he scrolls through them.

It’s the next day, and Jungkook couldn’t put off the mandatory grilling session (pun not intended) from his two closest friends that tried to prepare him for his crush growing over the weekend.

“Aww, this one is adorable with the heart pose. Hoseok looks like he’s trying to give the sun a run for its shine,” Taehyung comments as he zooms in on the image in question.

Jungkook purposely looks away from the blown-up image of his crush’s smiley face.

“If this meal is an, ‘I told you so’ type of meal, watch me walk out of that door.”

“It isn’t,” Jimin reassures over his sulky tone, focused on the meat than looking at Jungkook. “We just wanted a catch up. Hoseok has been in chipper spirits, whereas you-”

“Look like someone that wants to play sad music and mope around,” Taehyung states bluntly, cutting off Jimin, as he releases Jungkook’s wrist, allowing him to lock his screen and put it onto the table near his glass of water.

“I do not,” Jungkook fires back, glaring at the male sat beside him.

Taehyung rests his chin on the back of his hand as he gives Jungkook a, ‘oh really?’ type of stare.

“You have been a tiny bit mopey,” Jimin further gangs up on him, causing Jungkook to gawp at his other friend in betrayal.

“I’ve just been keeping to myself, how is that mopey?”

“Because the air around you is mopey, rather than, ‘I’m busy, speak to me if you dare’ kind of air that you have when you’re working,” Taehyung retorts. “Don’t give me that look, you know fine well how you react if we bother you when you’re neck deep in paperwork.”

Okay, so that is kind-of true. Even the kids have learnt to read Jungkook’s mood when he’s working because they can be uncharacteristically quiet for up to an hour sometimes as they wait for their friends classes to end.

“I refuse to believe that I have had a ‘mopey’ air around me. I’ve just been trying to process a crush,” Jungkook says as he grabs the chopsticks from the wooden box on the side of the table.

“It must be difficult, despite the fact you’ve been crushing after Hoseok-hyung for at least a year now,” Taehyung drawls as he places the square pieces of thin napkin tissue onto the table for Jungkook to place their chopsticks on.

“Have not. A crush is a crush when it stays, not blips in and out like mine did,” Jungkook fires back.

“That is love,” Jimin pipes up as Taehyung unlocks his own phone, causing Jungkook to point the four metal chopsticks in his hand at the male.

“I am not in love with Hoseok-hyung.”

“‘A crush is a brief, but intense, infatuation for someone, especially someone unattainable’, which is what you experienced,” Taehyung reads, sounding pleased, and Jungkook closes his eyes shut and prays for new friends.

“I hate you both, can’t we just eat good food and talk shit without it involving me,” Jungkook sighs out as he opens his eyes and places the chopsticks down on the napkin paper.

“We’re not talking shit, we just want you to be happy, Jungkook-ah, and right now, you’re not,” Jimin intones gently, his hands stilling, as he gives Jungkook his full – but brief – attention. “Is your plan to ignore your feelings towards Hoseok-hyung – like you have been doing – or are you going to at least try and see if the other feels the same way?”

“He doesn’t,” Jungkook quickly shoots that idea down. “He showed no indication that he does.”

“He called you ‘babe’,” Taehyung points out, and Jungkook rolls his eyes at that.

“Because he had to, we were pretending to be a couple.”

“Did he call you it only in front of his parents?” Jimin fires back, drawing Jungkook’s gaze back to his friend who has returned to grilling their meat.

Jungkook casts his mind back.

And recalls the moment at the peak, where they took the photos he’s just shown to his friends.

“Babe, come here, I want to take a picture of you with the view in the background.”

“It was still in front of his parents, but at a distance, so I dunno if they even heard or paid attention,” Jungkook answers, and gives Jimin a flat stare at the immediate way his eyes latch onto Jungkook. “It doesn’t count, drop it.”

“How about physical affection? Was he touchy?” Jimin shoots back, not dropping it.

Jungkook lets out a huff as his back thumps against the chair back. “Hoseok-hyung is affectionate, you know that.”

“Did he kiss you?” Taehyung asks, and immediately Jungkook’s face is on fire even as he sharply denies it. “Not even on the cheeks?”

“Taehyung, shut the fuck up,” Jungkook wheezes out, flustered all the way to his hairline, as he takes a long drink of his water.

“Did he hold your hand? Away from his parents?” Taehyung breezes along, and Jimin makes an interested sound.

“Sometimes?” Jungkook responds, barely recovered.

“How many times?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t keep count.”

“For all you know, Hoseok-hyung does have a crush on you and he was trying to show it,” Taehyung declares, and Jungkook shakes his head in sharp disagreement. “How do you know, huh? You don’t.”

“Tae, watch me shove you off your fucking chair in the next ten seconds if you don’t drop such a st-” Jungkook cuts himself off as his phone pings with two ‘kakao!’ notification alerts that rings around the table from the others phones too.

“Tell me what’s spilling in the group chat this time, my hands are busy,” Jimin urges as Jungkook unlocks his phone with Taehyung crowding against him instead of opening his own phone.

Jungkook opens up the chatroom without bothering to read the notification.

And feels, more than hears, Taehyung’s gasp.

Hobi-hyung

Ma wants permission to send u some homemade kimchi and she doesn’t trust me giving it to u so she wants ur address babe

lol sorry, habit

“He called you ‘babe’?!” Taehyung wheezes, and Jimin yelps as he catches his hand with the hot metal of the grill as he startles at that.

“In the group chat?!” Jimin demands as Jungkook wordlessly continues to stare at the chatroom as the replies come flying in.

Jin-hyung

ABOUT FUCKING TIME

Yoongi-hyung

You’re excused for the cuteness, congrats you two

Jungkook feels like he’s disconnecting from his body as Taehyung reads out the words, causing chaos to happen at their little table as Jimin says ‘fuck it’ to grilling the meat and grabs for his own phone as more chaos appears in the chatroom.

Namjoon-hyung

You two kept that quiet, but I agree with jin-hyung – about fucking time

“Jungkook? Breathe, you need to breathe,” Taehyung urges, only noticing his complete stillness as he shoves Jungkook’s phone onto the table away from them so he can wave his hands in front of Jungkook’s red face to cool him down.

“What do the hyungs mean by – ‘about fucking time’?” Jungkook quietly whispers, afraid to speak any louder in case the entire world implodes on him.

Taehyung glances at Jimin – who has just shoved his chair back so that he can come and crouch on the other side of the table, ignoring the looks he gets for it - as he and Taehyung ground him with their hands on his own as the kakao messenger continues to ping since Jungkook’s screen has timed out.

“I think, maybe, Hoseok-hyung had his own support team,” Jimin gently says as Jungkook stares at his friend.

“He doesn’t like me,” Jungkook states, his mind completely unable to process anything but, ‘huh?!’.

Taehyung lets go off his hands to tap at Jungkook’s lock screen so that he can see the notifications.

“Hoseok-hyung is texting you – a lot,” Taehyung carefully says as he hands the phone to Jungkook’s stunned form. “You should read them.”

“Read them, we’ll pretend to not exist as we get the food ready,” Jimin claps Jungkook’s thighs in a supportive manner before he returns back to his chair as Taehyung frantically saves the charred bits of meat.

Jungkook stares down at the phone in his hands, the weight of it feeling a lot heavier than he remembers it feeling.

His phone pings again with another alert, sees the quick flash of Hoseok’s name, and slowly unlocks his phone with the code.

The chatroom screen is the first thing to greet him with no new messages in it, meaning that Hoseok is messaging him in their own private chat.

With a deep inhale to steel his nerves, Jungkook backs out of the group chatroom, and opens the one that he has with Hoseok.

Hobi-hyung

Jungkook??

I can explain

I mean

I’m sorry for sending the message to the wrong chat – I didn’t do it on purpose I sweat

*swear

U must be confused because of hyugns but I can explain

*hyungs

Can I call you??

Jungkook??

“He wants to call me to explain,” Jungkook’s tongue and lips are so dry from nerves that the words stick in his mouth as he says them.

“You want to have that conversation now?” Jimin questions in concern. “You don’t look like you can string a word together, never mind listen to what he has to say.”

His friend is right, Jungkook literally can’t fucking think straight right now, he’s so thrown off guard, he can’t even remember how to stand up if someone were to tell him to do so.

“Tell him that you’re eating with us and that he can call you afterwards,” Taehyung offers him a direction to cling to, and Jungkook’s thumbs are already typing it out.

I’m out eating with tae and jimin

Call me later?

Hoseok’s reply comes not even a second later, as if he was still in the chat.

Hobi-hyung

Sure! Let me know~ enjoy ur meal!

“He said, ‘sure’,” Jungkook tells his friends as he locks his phone screen, and meets their supportive gazes.

“Well then, lets load you up with good food. By the time we’re done here, both of you will be ready for that phone call,” Jimin hypes him a little, offering Jungkook his own portion of meat as Taehyung hands him some lettuce to wrap them in.

And true to his friend’s word, both of them stuff Jungkook so full with food that on the ride home in the subway he’s still in a mini food daze as they wave him off the train at his stop.

It’s only once he’s alone in his own apartment, does he really feel the shift in the evening’s events.

The term of endearment slipping into a text when it was only used verbally.

The hyungs reactions to said endearment.

Hoseok’s own chain messages that all revolve around, ‘I can explain’.

Which brings to where Jungkook is now, sitting on his bed, typing out the message to let Hoseok know that he’s home and free to talk.

What, exactly, does Hoseok need to explain?

And, is Jungkook really ready to hear – to hope – that Jimin was right, that Hoseok had his own support team in regards to a crush.

He answers Hoseok’s call on the first ring.

“Hey, hyung,” Jungkook greets the other as he normally does, even as his entire body stiffens up in tight anticipation.

A sigh of relief comes. “Hey. How was your meal?”

Small talk it is then.

“It was delicious because Jimin paid,” Jungkook keeps his tone light, friendly, and hopes it disguises his own building nerves as Hoseok makes a soft sound at that.

“That’s good. I won’t drag this out, I’m sure you’ve spent the last hour puzzled about what happened in the chatroom,” Hoseok begins, and Jungkook’s nerves are not ready for the sudden directness onto the topic.

“Puzzled is putting it mildly,” Jungkook phrases softly.

“I told you that I accidently sent it to the wrong chat – that is true. What isn’t true is the part of me saying that I’m sorry for calling you, ‘babe’, because I’m not.”

Jungkook forgets to breathe as Hoseok continues to speak.

“I know this is a lame way of confessing to someone, I am aware of that. But…I…have liked you for a while now, Jungkook-ah. It’s why it was easy for me to lie to my mother about liking someone, because I do.”

Jungkook has to keep his grip tight on his phone to prevent it from dropping from his ear.

“The hyungs, they’ve been trying to push me into confessing to you for awhile now, so that is why they reacted the way they did. When I told them about my mother pressuring me to invite you to come at the weekend, they convinced me to ask you instead of assuming that you would say no.”

“And then I said yes, proving them right, and you wrong,” Jungkook comments softly, making Hoseok laugh a little high, as if he was shy or embarrassed, Jungkook can’t tell.

“I promise you this, Jungkook-ah, I didn’t invite you to prey on you or anything like that, so please don’t think that I would do such a thing. My own mouth got me caught in my mother’s web of determination to see her son’s boyfriend that didn’t exist, but her son was too cowardly to admit that he didn’t exist because her son was too much of a coward to confess to his crush, never mind ask him out on a date,” Hoseok rambles fast, as if he can’t stop the flow from spilling now that he’s revealing it all to Jungkook.

And Jungkook can relate to the rush of words, even though his brain is making white noise as he absorbs the impossible fact that they both have a crush on each other.

“Makes two of us then,” Jungkook admits with a numb tongue and a frantic heart pounding in his chest.

Hoseok’s silence is deafening.

So, Jungkook continues, since he knows how it feels to have your brain just still and go, ‘huh?!’.

“I’ve had a crush on you for a while, but I always dismissed it because that’s what you do when you’re in denial of crushing on a friend,” Jungkook laughs awkwardly as his fingers play with the hem of his jeans, tucking it into his sock as he speaks. “I knew that by agreeing to pretend to be your boyfriend that it could encourage my feelings towards you – which they did – but I still did it because I assumed that you could never look my way twice like that.”

“Okay, I need to quickly cut in to firmly deny me not looking your way twice – I haven’t stopped looking your way ever since you came out of the army.”

Jungkook’s face heats up fast at the blunt admission. “Oh.”

A soft huff of a laugh comes at his dumbfounded reaction. “So, both of us have been true chaotic gays by crushing hard on each other, spilling our woes to our friends who have been trying to urge us both to confess to each other, and ultimately ended up confessing to each other after pretending to be boyfriends because one of us failed to separate fantasy from reality.”

“Pretty much,” Jungkook fondly says, smiling, as he moves to lie down on his bed to stare up at his ceiling, feeling much more at ease now.

“I’m not going to lie; I’ve spent the last hour preparing myself for you to turn me down and wish for us to be friends, and then lost myself in how awkward it will be the next few times we meet up.”

“I spent the last hour in denial that you could have feelings towards me, despite how the weekend went where it felt so easy to be your boyfriend,” Jungkook admits back, feeling safe enough with Hoseok to reveal such a vulnerable feeling.

“Sorry about how I was during our last night down there. I tried to see if you felt anything towards me, to see if I was reading the signals from you correctly, but I really do fucking mean it when I say that you’re hard to read, Jungkook-ah. It’s why I kind-of distanced myself because you were just being a friend, and that killed my pride to know that it was all in my head despite how right it all felt,” Hoseok reveals with a small laugh to help keep the tone light, and Jungkook can feel the other’s vulnerability like it his own because they both had felt the same thing, at the same time.

It makes sense now, how Hoseok’s behaviour changed that night.

“We both felt the same thing and yet we both managed to convince ourselves that we were wrong about what we saw from each other. We’re both hopeless, maybe this was fate intervening in making sure you slipped up tonight,” Jungkook jokes, making Hoseok laugh.

“Thank you to the universe for stepping in when both of us struggled to do just that,” Hoseok chuckles fondly, sounding at ease too.

Jungkook’s heart skips a step as he chews on his lower lip as he stares up at the ceiling as he pictures Hoseok’s face.

“Will you go on a date with me sometime this week?” Jungkook rushes the words out, despite trying to say them slowly, his nerves in control as his heart sprints in his chest.

“You beat me to it,” Hoseok groans, and the sweet relief that floods Jungkook makes him roll onto his side to press his giddy smile into his pillow.

“That isn’t a day, hyung,” Jungkook chuckles fondly.

“I’m free all-day Saturday, if you are?” Hoseok answers with, sounding just as excited as Jungkook is feeling.

“Sounds like a date,” Jungkook grins with such a wide, euphoric, grin on his face, he must look like he’s insane.

“Huh, who would’ve thought that after a weekend of pretending to be boyfriends that we’d actually be on a date the following weekend,” Hoseok muses, sounding amazed at their turn of events.

Jungkook can relate to such a pleased, but stunned, feeling.

“I’ll let you know of our date plans tomorrow. I need the rest of the night to thank the universe.”

Hoseok’s giggles are infectious as he teases Jungkook fondly, which makes rejuvenated butterflies in Jungkook’s stomach to flutter around in anticipation of the following days.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then. Sleep well, Jungkook-ah.”

“You too, hyung,” Jungkook murmurs softly before hanging up, knowing that he’ll struggle for sleep tonight.

He has a first date to plan, after all.

The first date nerves are there, but they fade away fast into the background of their laughter and smiles as they move around the different arcade machines.

Jungkook didn’t plan on the VCR game to render Hoseok into a screaming, chaotic, mess, but he also didn’t plan on his own terrified screaming as they both pressed against each other as they tried to fend off the zombies trying to eat them.

But, not all is the same as it used to be, though.

Now, now they hold hands.

They press closer together when they walk side-by-side.

Even over the pizza they’re sharing, as they bicker back and forth about which Avenger is better (clearly Iron Man, he’ll make Hoseok see the light), the air between them remains warm and comforting.

“Babe, pass me a napkin, the grease from this pizza is unreal,” Hoseok requests as he glares down at his jeans where a drop of grease had landed.

Jungkook hands him a handful, blushing, but smiling because that is the third time tonight that Hoseok has called him that, and the other male doesn’t even seem to notice it.

Not that Jungkook is complaining about the term of endearment being used, he just feels soft from wondering if the other has called Jungkook this so much in his head that’s why it’s so natural for him to let it slip freely now.  

“What do you want to do after this, babe?” Jungkook questions as he cuts another slice of the pizza.

Hoseok’s glaring vanishes from his face to stare up at Jungkook with a mix of surprise and-

“Well, that is one way to fluster you,” Jungkook teases with a smile – despite the fact he still has his own blush on his face – as Hoseok’s cheeks turn pink.

“You called me ‘babe’,” Hoseok states, hand poised mid swipe against the grease drop on his jeans.

“Don’t you prefer me calling you that, instead of ‘hyung’?” Jungkook reminds the other of what he said last weekend.

Hoseok’s tries to bite back the full pleased smile that he wants to make, Jungkook can tell from the way he’s biting his lower lip as he looks down at his lap, his hand moving again.

“Whatever you want, babe.”

Really, their first date together isn’t any different to how they normally would hang out.

And yet, it feels completely different.

It feels right.

It feels fluid, this change between them.

Fluid enough that it could grow into something so much more.

A crush that turns into love.

Because, as a wise, passionate, woman once stated - love is fluid, easy to share, to spread, and hard to truly hold back.

And neither of them are holding back now.