Chapter Text
The monotone voice of Jungkook’s professor nearly lulled him to sleep. He had only ten minutes of class left and then he could go meet Taehyung, but staying awake was easier said than done. It was a miracle he hadn’t fallen asleep in the past hour and fifty minutes. He had tried taking notes at first, but the warmth of the summer afternoon had seeped into the classroom, making him sweaty and sleepy. He just wanted to leave, maybe go to the public pool a few blocks away to relax and cool off. Maybe he could go after going to that new bakery with Taehyung.
Sweat rolled over his back and Jungkook barely resisted the urge to groan in annoyance. His university could have at least invested in some air conditioning – the open windows allowed a soft breeze to come in, but it also meant more heat came in. At least today was the last day of classes – the end of May meant exams were coming soon. Jungkook felt his stomach coil with nervousness just thinking about it.
“You’re all dismissed. Good luck on your exams, everyone.” Professor Kang’s voice rang through the classroom, still monotone as ever. Jungkook didn’t look forward to the exam for this class. At least he still had his handbook and some notes from the other classes, from before it was too hot to pay attention to the words coming from his professor’s mouth.
Jungkook got up, quickly pushing his notebook, empty water bottle and pencil case in his backpack. Then he nearly ran out of the classroom, instantly regretting it as he was sweating twice as hard now. He sighed and slowed down, stopping by one of the sinks in the hallway to refill his bottle. He and Taehyung were supposed to meet up at the entrance, so he walked downstairs to their meeting point. When he got there, his best friend was already waiting, holding a can of coke against his forehead. Jungkook wanted to snort at the funny sight, but decided that took too much energy on this already way-too-hot day.
“Let’s go,” Jungkook said as he kept walking, straight out of the building into the bright sunlight. He squinted his eyes – he should have brought sunglasses.
“Not even a greeting?” Taehyung huffed, but he followed Jungkook out. “Can’t wait to get to the bakery and out of the sun.”
Jungkook hummed. The bakery they were visiting was having its grand opening today and offered one free cupcake with every purchase. Taehyung’s cousin owned the bakery with his boyfriend. Jungkook had never met them before, since they used to live in Daegu. But Taehyung had spoken highly of them, so Jungkook was excited to meet them, if not a little nervous.
Jungkook and Taehyung met when they both started classes at SNU. They were both first-year art students, but Taehyung was two years older – he studied Business before realising that’s not what he wanted. He lived with his brother Namjoon in an apartment close-by the university, so more often than not Jungkook stayed over at their place when his dorm roommate brought another hook-up over after partying.
“There it is!” Taehyung exclaimed, pointing towards a small bakery with a big, pink sign.
“’All you knead is love’?” Jungkook read out loud.
Taehyung grinned. “Sounds like a name Seokjin-hyung would pick. He loves puns a lot. If you want to impress him, just laugh at his jokes and you’re in.”
They walked inside the bakery, a cute little bell announcing their arrival. The entire decor was in soft pastel colours: pine wooden floor, white walls with shelves decorated with plants and candles, flowers in soft pink and orange hues. There was a big window at the front of the bakery, letting in tons of natural light. A bench stood against the window, with fluffy and comfortable-looking pillows. There were three oval tables by the bench, each with a chair so a total of six customers could sit down by the window. A long, baby pink counter divided the store in half. A display on top of it showcased all different kinds of pastries – pies, muffins, doughnuts, cookies, even food Jungkook didn’t recognise. At the back of the bakery were big shelves with all kinds of bread, the smell heavenly. Multiple small blackboards on the wall showed the price of all the offered food, the handwriting careful and neat.
What surprised Jungkook the most was the big cat scratching post. It had three small platforms on which a cat could nap, tiny ladders connecting them. Jungkook thought it was a little strange that a bakery had a scratching post, but maybe this was one of those themed bakeries like the cat or dog cafés that were all the rage right now.
“Taehyungie! You made it!”
Jungkook looked up to see a tall, handsome man walk from the back room into the bakery. He was smiling brightly, eyes scrunched up in glee.
“Told you I would. I brought Jungkook with me, I told you about him, right?”
The man turned towards Jungkook then, still smiling. “Yes, you did. Hi Jungkook, nice to meet you. I’m Seokjin, the most handsome Kim cousin.”
“Nice to meet you, Seokjin-ssi,” Jungkook greeted, bowing.
“No need to be so formal, you can just call me hyung,” Seokjin said. “We had the big rush around noon, like we expected, so we’re out of free cupcakes for now. Jimin’s in the back making some extra, so he’ll come greet you in a bit. What can I get you guys for now?”
Jungkook looked at the displays, his stomach grumbling at the sight of colourful cupcakes and different types of cookies. “I’ll have the Cookie Monster Cookie, please.”
“Good choice! You want anything to drink?”
Jungkook looked up and saw Seokjin point at one of the blackboards. They had different kinds of coffees, teas, juices and milkshakes. “Do you happen to have banana milk?”
“We have some in the back. I’ll grab some for you,” Seokjin replied, then he turned to Taehyung. “What about you, Taehyungie?”
“I’ll have a blueberry muffin and iced tea.”
“You can sit down if you want and I’ll bring your orders to you. Jimin should be out with some free cupcakes in a sec,” Seokjin said, then he went to the back to get Jungkook’s banana milk, Jungkook assumed. As he opened the back door, a black cat entered the bakery, slowly walking towards the scratching post. It jumped onto the second platform gracefully, before turning in a few lazy circles and settling down. It stared at Jungkook and Taehyung, its ear flicking around.
Jungkook smiled at the cat, before slowly walking towards it. “Hey, kitty,” he said softly, “You gonna nap? Want some scratches?” He stuck out his hand so the cat could sniffle it, familiarising itself with Jungkook. It then closed its eyes and pushed its head against Jungkook’s hand, allowing him to pet its head and scratch its ears.
“Seems the kitty likes you,” Taehyung remarked. Jungkook looked over his shoulder and saw Taehyung sitting on one of the chairs, arms resting on the table. He smiled, then looked back at the cat, who was purring loudly.
Just then the door to the back opened again and the most beautiful man Jungkook had ever laid eyes on walked in. He had pouty lips, a small button nose and full cheeks. His blonde, wavy hair was long, pulled back in a tiny ponytail. But that wasn’t what made Jungkook’s eyes widen: it was the two adorable cat ears on top of his head. They were blonde, matching his hair, and flicked around excitedly when he noticed there were customers. He was holding a tray of cupcakes, beautifully decorated with baby pink and blue meringue.
“Hi there, welcome!” His voice was soft – it reminded Jungkook of a fairy. Maybe an angel. “I see you’ve met Yoongi-hyung.”
Jungkook raised an eyebrow and looked around. Only Taehyung, the beautiful man and Jungkook were in the room.
Light, airy giggles filled Jungkook’s ears. He saved the sound in his head, so he could replay it over and over again. “You’re scratching his ears right now.”
Jungkook jerked back his hand, looking at the black cat in shock. It was still lying there, lazily swishing its tail back and forth. The moment Jungkook stopped scratching, the cat opened its eyes and glared at the beautiful man. Then it got up and walked towards the back.
“Guess I annoyed him. Oops?” Jimin scratched his head sheepishly, head tilted to the side. “I’m Jimin, by the way. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Jungkook.”
“I’m Taehyung, Seokjin’s favourite cousin,” Taehyung piped in.
Right at that moment, Seokjin walked in from the back, carrying a tray with their orders. “Ah, I see you met Jimin. Isn’t he a sweetheart?”
“Hyung!” Jimin whined, his cat hears pressed down flat on his head. “Stop embarrassing me in front of customers.”
Seokjin chuckled and put down the tray on the table Taehyung was sitting at. “I’m allowed to boast about my amazing employees. And your cuteness really draws in more customers. We’ve had more people come in than I thought we would on our first day and it’s all because of my two best employees.”
“We’re your only employees,” a deep voice drawled. Jungkook looked at the back door and saw another man walk in, wearing the same pink apron that both Jimin and Seokjin were wearing. He had black hair that fell into his eyes and fluffy black cat ears that reminded Jungkook of–
“Yoongi! I thought you were on break,” Seokjin said.
So Jungkook had been petting that man and not a regular cat? He felt his cheeks heat up and hurried to sit down on the bench in front of Taehyung, who had a teasing glint in his eyes. “Not a word,” Jungkook warned quietly. Taehyung zipped his lips and winked.
“I had a power nap,” Yoongi said. “We still need to prepare the bread dough for tomorrow morning, so.” He shrugged.
Seokjin tsked. “You shouldn’t do that, Yoongi-ah. We’ll still finish all the work even if you take a break.”
“Well, I was enjoying my break in peace when someone,” he glared at Jimin again, “interrupted my precious scratching time.”
“Oh?” Seokjin looked amused. “Who was giving you your precious scratches? I thought only Hoseok could do that.”
Yoongi huffed. “First of all, Hoseok is not the only one. You know I have a sensitive nose, I only like soft smells. Which Hoseok happens to have. And this kid.” He looked at Jungkook then, who, as if on cue, started blushing again.
He could hear Jimin’s giggles. “Don’t worry, Kookie. It’s a compliment. Hyung wouldn’t have let you pet him if he didn’t like you.”
Kookie.
He tried to stop blushing, willed his brain to stop sending those signals to his cheeks to make them blush – but hearing someone so beautiful call him Kookie did something to him and he could feel his blush spreading to his neck. He quickly grabbed his banana milk and drank, hoping it would cool down his heated-up cheeks.
“Where is Hobi-hyung anyways?” Taehyung asked, thankfully diverting all the attention from Jungkook.
“He’s delivering some orders. But he texted me and he’s on his last delivery, so he should be back soon,” Seokjin replied.
Taehyung hummed. “So how was the grand opening day so far?”
Seokjin started talking about all the types of customers they had so far: young teens coming in to get breakfast before school, old ladies ordering cake and gossiping by the window, business men in suits buying lunch – they’ve seen them all. Jungkook munched on his cookie while listening to Seokjin’s stories, eyes widening when he bit into it for the first time. The cookie was just how he liked it: not too crispy, but nice and chewy and deliciously sweet. He hummed a couple of times, appreciating the taste.
“You like it?”
Jungkook startled, nearly choking on his cookie and heart beating fast. He coughed a couple of times, trying his hardest to breathe again. When he looked to his left, he saw none other than the beautiful man sitting next to him, his cat ears flicking around lazily, smirking.
“Y-yeah, it’s good,” Jungkook wheezed. He cleared his throat, trying to get his voice under control again. “I like it.”
Jimin smiled brightly, his eyes forming adorable moon crescents. “I’m glad! I’m in charge of all the cupcakes and cookies, including the one you’re eating right now. Positive feedback is nice.”
Jungkook nodded, not really knowing what to say without embarrassing himself.
“Are cookies your favourite sweets?” the angel asked.
Jungkook blinked. “I… I guess?”
“So Kookie loves cookies. Good to know!” Jimin smiled, a hint of mischief hidden behind those pretty eyes. “You’ll come visit again, right?”
“Of course,” Jungkook said, the words leaving his mouth before his brain had processed them. “I… I mean…” He could feel the tips of his ears reddening, his cheeks hot to the touch. God, he seemed way too eager.
But Jimin didn’t mock him, or laugh, or joked about his eagerness. Instead, his smile became impossibly brighter, stars shimmering in his eyes. Jungkook could hear tingling bells in the distance. “Good! Can’t wait to see you around! I have to go back to work now though, enjoy the rest of your stay.” And just like that he got up and went to the back again, out of sight.
For the rest of their stay, Jungkook stared at the back door, waiting for Jimin to re-emerge. When he didn’t come back for the next hour, he gave up and told Taehyung he was going home. He couldn’t get those shining eyes and fluffy ears out of his mind for the rest of the day.
♡♡♡
The next day, Jungkook decided to get breakfast at All you knead is love. It was a Saturday and he didn’t have to be up early, but he wanted to have a productive day and study for his exams that started next week. So he woke up at eight, got dressed, grabbed his wallet and study books and left.
When he arrived at the bakery, he saw an elderly couple sitting by the window, enjoying their breakfast together. There were three other people waiting in line, ready to order. Yoongi and another man were behind the counter, both wearing the silly pink aprons Jungkook saw the day before – he guessed those were the official uniforms.
Jungkook stepped into the bakery, making the little bell ring. Both employees looked up at the sound and Yoongi smiled when he saw it was Jungkook. He whispered something in the ear of the other man, then resumed his work. Jungkook was patiently waiting in line when a soft, squeaky meow caught his attention. He looked up from his phone and noticed the scratching post. A tiny, white cat was lying on the small platform at the top, its fur long and fluffy. Jungkook smiled, walking towards it.
“Hello, there,” he greeted softly. “Since the black cat yesterday was Yoongi-ssi, I’m guessing this is you, Jimin-ssi?”
The cat meowed again, as if confirming Jungkook’s assumption. The cat – Jimin? – rubbed his head against Jungkook’s stomach, who chuckled and started scratching him softly behind his ears. He heard loud purring and the cat shamelessly dropped on his back, showing his small tummy. When Jungkook put his hand on it, the cat grabbed his hand, excitedly biting it. Jungkook hissed.
“Nice trap, little one. Should’ve seen that one coming.”
The cat let go then, moving his little head left and right as if to say ‘touch my belly again! I dare you!’.
“He can be a real menace sometimes.”
Jungkook turned around to see Yoongi standing there, looking a little sleepy. He smiled at Jungkook when they made eye contact.
“Menace?”
“Yeah. Acting all cute right before attacking you. Isn’t that right, Jiminie?” Yoongi scratched the cat’s chin, who started purring again.
So it really was Jimin. Huh. “I don’t mind. He’s cute,” Jungkook said, before slapping his hand in front of his mouth. He really needed to learn how to think before speaking.
Yoongi looked at him, a knowing glint in his eyes. “He’s the cutest. He can come off a little strong sometimes, but only with people he likes.”
As Yoongi said that, Jimin stood up and jumped onto Jungkook’s shoulder, his little claws holding onto him for dear life. Jungkook winced, then smiled at the little cat. “You having fun there?”
A small meow was his response. Jungkook lifted his hand to pet Jimin on his head, earning loud purrs.
“Did you come here just to pet Jiminie or are you going to order something?”
Jungkook turned around to see the other employee standing behind the counter, wiping it clean. There was no line anymore – everyone who wanted to order was now gone or sitting at one of the tables.
Jungkook blushed, dropping his hand. Jimin meowed again, somehow sounding offended. “I came here for breakfast and some study motivation.”
“Ah, to be young again and study for exams,” the man said with a sigh. He stared off into the distance, probably daydreaming about his college days. He shook his head. “Anyways, I’m Hoseok, Seokjin’s boyfriend. Nice to meet you.”
Jungkook bowed, forgetting Jimin was still on his shoulder. He nearly fell, but Jungkook caught him last minute and put him back on his shoulder. “I’m Jungkook, nice to meet you too.”
Hoseok smiled. “Taehyungie told me about you, but only good things so don’t worry. What can I get you?”
“Hmm…” Jungkook walked towards the display, Jimin’s nails digging into his shoulder, trying not to fall off again. He was nibbling Jungkook’s ear, but Jungkook didn’t mind. He saw Hoseok looking at them amusedly, but chose to ignore him. “I’ll get some banana bread and oolong tea, please.”
“Good choice! I made the banana bread just now, so it’s still nice and warm.” Hoseok winked at him and started putting Jungkook’s order on a small tray. “So are you going to study here for long?”
“I was planning on staying here until noon, then go back home to have lunch with Tae-hyungie.”
Jimin stopped nibbling his ear then, instead choosing to paw at his cheek. Jungkook picked him up from his shoulder, lifting him in the air and nuzzling his adorable little face with his nose. Jimin closed his eyes, purring loudly again. “He sure purrs a lot,” Jungkook remarked.
“Only with people he’s comfortable with,” Hoseok said, cheeky smile on his face.
“I met him yesterday,” Jungkook deadpanned.
Hoseok raised his eyebrows at him. “So?”
“So… Am I that likeable?”
“Don’t underestimate yourself,” Hoseok said, frowning. “You’re nice, calm and cute. Three things Jiminie here likes most about people. Of course he feels comfortable around you.”
“O-oh,” Jungkook stuttered, his cheeks heating up. “I… Well. Okay then. I’ll just… go study now. I guess.”
He took his tray with one hand, still holding Jimin in the other, and walked towards the last empty table. He sat down on the bench, put down his tray and Jimin, then opened his backpack to grab one of his study books. As Jungkook opened the book and took a sip of his tea, Jimin made himself comfortable in his lap. Jungkook smiled down at him. “Will you be my motivation for today?”
Jimin meowed. He started pushing his front paws on Jungkook’s legs, kneading them. Jungkook chuckled, feeling fond, then began focusing on studying. The small cat in his lap certainly motivated him.
He drank his tea and ate his banana bread while reading a chapter on expressionism. The first year of his studies was very theoretical, serving as a foundation for all art students. Jungkook couldn’t wait to finish it and start his second year, when he could choose a specialisation. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to pick yet, torn between Photography and Graphic Design, but he had a month or two to think it over properly. For now he should focus on his exams and try to make it out alive.
At one point, Jimin left his lap to go to the back. Jungkook didn’t pay it any attention, eyes still glued onto his book. Until he heard the chair in front of him scrape the floor. When he looked up, Jimin – human Jimin – was sitting in front him, tail lazily swishing from side to side. “Hi, Kookie!”
“H-hello, Jimin-ssi,” Jungkook stuttered, suddenly nervous upon realising it was Jimin he had been petting all day. It was different seeing him in his human form – it was easy to forget how beautiful the man was when he was in his cat form.
Jimin pouted, cat ears flattening. “Don’t be so formal! Call me hyung!”
“Oh.” The tips of Jungkook’s ears reddened as he said: “Okay… Jimin-hyung.”
Jimin’s ears straightened again, flicking around quickly. “I’m starting my shift at noon, so I wanted to tell you why I’ll be going now. I come in early with Yoongi-hyung when he has an early shift since we live together and I don’t want to take the bus on my own.” He pouted a little at that. “But Jin-hyung got us this wonderful scratching post! So I can nap until my shift starts and then again during my break.”
Jungkook smiled. “That sounds really nice. I’m glad Seokjin-hyung is a good boss.”
“He and Hobi-hyung are the best,” Jimin agreed. Then he gasped. “Wait here!” He got up and ran off to the back, leaving Jungkook behind to stare at the back door. When Jimin returned, he practically ran up towards Jungkook’s table. He was holding a little box in his hand, decorated with little drawings and stickers of animals and fruit. Jimin put it down carefully, then looked back up at Jungkook expectantly.
“That’s for me?” Jungkook asked, flattered. Jimin nodded fervently, his tail swishing fast, betraying his nervousness. Jungkook opened the lid and looked inside. Jimin gifted him a cupcake, cutely decorated with the drawing of a cat. He smiled. “You made it yourself?”
Jimin nodded. “It’s banana flavoured. I hope you like it.”
Jungkook took the cupcake out of the box and took a picture of it with his phone, wanting to remember it. Then he bit into it. The rich flavour of banana and frosting exploded on his taste buds and he groaned, closing his eyes. “It’s so good! I’ve never had a banana cupcake before and it’s delicious. You should definitely put it on the menu if it isn’t already on it.”
When he opened his eyes, he saw Jimin smiling shyly, his cheeks a bright shade of red. “I’m so relieved,” he said, sounding out of breath. “I really wanted you to like it.”
“Mission succeeded,” Jungkook reassured him.
Jimin’s smile widened, his ears flicking happily. “Thank you. My shift starts in five so I’m going to the back now. It was nice spending the morning with you, Kookie. Please study hard and come again,” he said.
“Thank you, Jiminie-hyung, I definitely will.” Jimin went to the back again and Jungkook checked his phone, seeing it was almost noon. He packed up his stuff, noticing he had already studied quite a bit. Jimin’s presence really motivated him after all. He smiled to himself.
After paying and saying goodbye to Hoseok and Yoongi, Jungkook left the bakery. He felt weirdly relaxed, even after studying for hours. The image of a certain white cat came to mind and Jungkook shook his head, trying not to blush. It didn’t mean anything. Jimin just felt comfortable enough around him to lay in his lap, that was all. They were becoming friends! Jungkook smiled. Yeah, he was getting to know Jimin and becoming his friend. Nothing more.
And if his heart beat a little faster whenever he saw Jimin smile, then that was nobody’s business.
♡♡♡
On Tuesday, Jungkook and Taehyung went to the bakery again. Taehyung had a project he needed to finish, so he would only be picking up lunch and then leave again to go work on that on campus. Jungkook decided he would stay and study at the bakery – and maybe, even though he wouldn’t admit it to himself, it might have something to do with the little white cat he saw lounging on the scratching post the moment he walked in.
Jungkook ordered a large blueberry muffin, a croissant and some oolong tea. Then he settled down into the same spot as last time. There were two girls sitting at one of the tables, seemingly on a date as they were holding hands and looked a bit shy. Other than the girls no one else was sitting down, but there was a steady stream of customers who bought their pastries to-go.
When he finished his food, Jungkook took one of his study books out of his backpack and began studying. He was wearing his glasses today, as his contacts got painful if he wore them for too long. They slipped down his nose a little when he bent over his book, but a little paw pushed them back up.
Surprised, Jungkook looked up to see Jimin – kitten Jimin – sitting on top of the table. “Are you my assistant for the day?” Jungkook joked. Jimin meowed in reply, then lifted his paw again to boop Jungkook’s nose, making Jungkook scrunch it.
“He wants attention.”
Jungkook looked at the counter, where Yoongi stood, refilling the display with freshly baked goods. “Really?”
“Yeah, he’ll get extra annoying. That’s how you know he wants attention. Needy little thing,” Yoongi joked, winking at Jungkook. Jimin let out an offended meow, tail up straight.
“It’s okay,” Jungkook said to the cat, petting Jimin to pacify him. “Attention is nice, right? And I guess attention when you’re a cat is even nicer.”
Jimin didn’t meow this time, but started purring loudly, plopping down onto the table, showing his tummy. Jungkook wasn’t going to fall for that this time, so he only scratched Jimin’s chin and cheeks, avoiding the danger zone. He kept petting Jimin as he resumed studying, sipping his tea from time to time. He lost track of time and only noticed how late it was getting when the bakery was empty and Jimin had disappeared to turn back into his human form and help close up.
“I didn’t notice what time it was, sorry,” Jungkook apologised and he quickly got up to pack his belongings.
“It’s okay, Jungkookie. You’re Taehyungie’s friend, so you’re basically extended family,” Hoseok joked. “You’re always welcome here. And you’re not in the way of clean-up, so don’t worry about it.”
Jungkook nodded, strapping his backpack on. He was about to leave when Jimin came rushing in from the back, holding a wrapped box again. His ears flicked nervously, just like last time. Jungkook smiled. Jimin never failed to make him feel endeared.
“I made you this,” Jimin said, before shoving the box into Jungkook’s chest.
Jungkook opened the lid and saw a little stack of chocolate brownies, maybe four or five pieces. He smiled and bowed. “Thank you, Jimin-ssi. I’m sure they’ll be delicious.” When Jimin frowned, Jungkook quickly corrected himself: “Jimin-hyung.”
Jimin smiled at this, that beautiful smile Jungkook had already grown so fond of. “Good. Please let me know how you like them, okay?”
“I will,” Jungkook promised. “But I’ll go now and let you guys close up. Bye, everyone!” He said the last part loudly. He got various responses of ‘bye Jungkookie!’ and ‘see you next time!’. Then he stepped outside, walking home feeling a little floaty, excited to try the brownies Jimin made for him.
♡♡♡
“You know he’s courting you, right?”
Jungkook looked up from his book to see Yoongi sitting in front of him. He was in the bakery again, enjoying iced green tea and the cold pasta salad he brought from home. When Yoongi spoke up, Jungkook blinked owlishly.
“Courting?”
Yoongi smiled. “You’ve been coming here almost daily for two weeks now, right? And how many baked goods has Jimin given you?”
Jungkook mentally counted. He had gotten that banana cupcake the first time, then brownies, chocolate cookies, raspberry muffins, a full loaf of banana bread and red velvet cupcakes. “A lot,” he said and blushed upon realising.
“He likes you, so he’s been giving you courting gifts. The more he gets to know you, whether in his cat or human form, the more he gushes about you to me. And I live with him, so I hear about you a lot.”
Jungkook hid his face behind his hands, embarrassed. He had noticed the little gifts of course, but he didn’t realise they were courting gifts, as Yoongi called them.
“If you’re interested in him too, you should give a courting gift back,” Yoongi said, suddenly sounding serious and smile gone. “You shouldn’t play with his feelings if you don’t like him like that. You hurt him, I break your neck. And I mean that in the most threatening way.”
Jungkook gulped. Yoongi’s tail had stopped swishing from side to side, but stood upright, alert. He was dead serious. “Okay,” he whispered.
“Okay,” Yoongi replied, smile returning. “Good conversation, Kook.”
♡♡♡
Exams came and went, and Jungkook survived them all by studying at the bakery. Usually Jimin sat by his side in his cat form, but as time went by he started showing up in his human form more, wanting to talk to Jungkook. Jungkook learned that Jimin went to a culinary school for two years before applying for his job at Seokjin and Hoseok’s bakery. He and Yoongi had gone to the same school and applied for this job together too. They had grown up together, childhood best friends, and were basically family. Yoongi always looked out for him, Jimin had said, and he could be very protective over him. Jungkook had noticed this already – being threatened by him – but decided to not mention that little fact to Jimin.
It was the end of June and Jimin had not stopped giving Jungkook courting gifts. He hadn’t mentioned the word courting, but Jungkook finally noticed how Jimin usually waited for him to taste it to see his reaction first-hand, how his eyes got an excited glint when he noticed Jungkook loved whatever Jimin had made that time. Now that exams were over, Jungkook decided it was time to return the favour and make Jimin a courting gift too. He wasn’t the best at baking, but he was an art student, so he would make Jimin a painting.
He stayed at home to work on the painting for three days. His roommate had already left to go see his family during the summer months, so Jungkook could work in peace. Taehyung visited him on the second day with pizza and fizzy drinks, so they watched a movie together and relaxed. On the third day, Jungkook finally finished his painting. He had painted Jimin in his human form, all soft angles and light colours. He was surrounded by white and pink water lilies, his fluffy white tail peeking out from behind one. Jungkook liked the painting, liked how he could capture Jimin’s softness and the mischievous glint in his eyes. He just hoped Jimin would like it too.
♡♡♡
The next day, Jungkook went to the bakery, painting wrapped up in silver wrapping paper. It was Thursday afternoon, which meant Jimin had already finished his shift and was relaxing in his cat form. When he walked inside, he saw both Jimin and Yoongi in their cat forms cuddling. The sight was adorable and Jungkook felt kind of bad for interrupting, but he was too nervous to wait any longer – if he did, he would end up going back home and Taehyung would have given a full hour-long pep-talk for nothing. So he marched on, walking up towards the two cats.
“Jiminie-hyung,” he greeted softly, scratching him behind his ears. Jimin opened his eyes sleepily, purring loudly the moment he saw Jungkook. “I brought you something. Can you wake up and turn into your human form, please?”
Jimin got up at that, all sleepiness gone. He stretched a little, limbs long, then jumped off the scratching post and ran to the back, coming out a minute later in his human form. He wasn’t wearing his apron this time, since his shift was over. Instead, he was wearing a big white sweater, nearly drowning in it, and black skinny jeans, highlighting his wonderful thighs.
Jungkook looked back up, blushing furiously. He shouldn’t be thinking of Jimin’s thighs!
“You got me something?” Jimin asked, nervously playing with his fingers, cat ears flopping up and down.
Jungkook held up the painting, cheeks still bright red. “Yeah, I… I made you this.”
“Is it…” Jimin hesitated, voice trailing off.
Jungkook wanted to be clear about his intentions. “A courting gift? Yeah, it is.”
At this, Yoongi, who was napping until now, shot up, meowing and staring at both of them.
“Hyung, shut up,” Jimin hissed, his cheeks heating up and turning a shade of red almost as bright as Jungkook’s own cheeks. He looked back at Jungkook. “You know what that means, right?”
“Yoongi-hyung explained it to me, so yes,” Jungkook confirmed.
“So we’re officially courting each other now.”
“Yes.”
They stared at each other, until Yoongi meowed again and reached out towards the painting Jungkook was still holding. “O-oh,” he stammered, “right. Here, open it.”
He handed the painting over to Jimin, who gently took it from him. He opened the wrapping carefully, then gasped when he saw the painting. “Is that me?” Jimin asked. Jungkook nodded. “You made me look so pretty!”
Jungkook frowned. “You are pretty. I still think I didn’t capture the entirety of your prettiness.”
Jimin stared at him, mouth agape and ears flicking wildly. Jungkook then realised what he had said, so he looked down, mouth a thin line. He meant what he had said, but that didn’t mean saying it out loud made him feel any less embarrassed.
“Thank you, Kookie. I love it.”
Jungkook looked back up at Jimin, seeing him smiling at the painting, eyes full of wonder.
“You’re welcome,” he mumbled. “So… what happens now? I don’t really know what courting means.”
Jimin’s tail swished wildly, the only outward sign that he was nervous. “Well, you just showed your interest in me by giving me a courting gift. Now we’ll spend more time together, going on dates. Until we’re comfortable enough to make it official, unless either of us realises they don’t like the other.” Jimin gulped. “Please tell me soon if you don’t like me anymore, though. Okay?”
Jungkook frowned. He stepped a little closer to Jimin, then said resolutely: “That won’t happen. I like you.” As embarrassing as admitting this was, Jungkook’s need to reassure Jimin was stronger than his shyness, so he fought through. “I won’t change my mind unless you do.”
Jimin looked him in the eyes, searching for something. Then he smiled, soft and fond. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yeah.” Jimin let go of the painting with one hand so he could hold Jungkook’s hand. “Let’s do this.”