Archive of Our Own

9pm

Jimin squeezes between two people already covered in sweat and griminces.

he really wishes he wasn’t here right now.

This morning, his best friend and roommate, Taehyung, had burst into his room waving around two tickets screaming about how he won them. They were for a band that Taehyung LOVED called Euphoria but Jimin had only heard of in passing, mostly from Taehyung and the muted music coming from his room.

“I don’t have anyone else who’s willing to go and I refuse to let the second ticket go to waste, so I'm forcing you to go.” He had said with huge puppy dog eyes. Jimin wishes he had fought him more on the matter.

He forgot that concert venues are loud and filled to the brim with people.

If it wasn’t for the excitement filling Taehyung’s eyes as he takes in the crowd, Jimin would already be gone.

One more person pushes into him and Jimin has had enough, he needs to be out of the pit right now.

“Is it okay if I watch the show from the bar?” Jimin asks Taehyung loudly over the sound of what has to be over a thousand people.

“The bar? Are you sure? It’s way more fun in the pit.”

“I want something to drink and I don’t want to force my way back in here again.”

Taehyung just shrugs “Sure go ahead, I can find you after the show.”

Jimin is ecstatic that Taehyung wasn’t set on him spending the entire show next to him and begins his trek to the back of the venue.

After being forced to touch the sweat of at least thirty more people, he finally reaches the bar. Thankfully, the bar was a little less crowded than the floor letting him finally breathe. Once he takes a seat the lights in the room go down and a hush finally falls over the crowd.

A band comes on stage that must be the opening act. Taehyung told him all about each band performing tonight but he remembers absolutely nothing.

“WE ARE LATE NIGHT, ARE YOU READY TO ROCK!!” The lead singer screams into the microphone.

They start playing something loud without much rhythm and Jimin tries not to cringe.

“I’ll have a vodka soda.” He tells the bartender loudly, desperate to focus on anything that’s not this band.

“Not a fan?” A voice comes from the seat next to him. A man is leaning against the bar, taking a beer from the bartender and looking at Jimin with an amused expression.

He guesses his distaste isn’t exactly subtle on his face.

“I’m just not familiar with them.” Jimin shrugs. “Not really my crowd.”

“What about the main act?” The man asks, one eyebrow raised. It’s pierced and the stage lights shine off of it whenever he moves.

“They’re fine I guess.” Jimin shrugs again, taking a long sip from his beer. “I’m honestly just here because my friend is a big fan, he’s in the pit right now.”

The man looks past him into the huge crowd that has now formed in the middle of the venue. He smiles softly like he’s fond of all of these strangers or something.

“It’s fun there even if you don’t like the band.”

Jimin shrugs. “I’m not in the mood to be pushed around by sweaty strangers today, maybe another time.”

The man looks at Jimin hard, like he’s trying to figure him out for some reason.

“So, if you don’t like the bands, what do you listen to?”

“I’m more of an indie music kind of guy”

The man’s face brightens up. “Let me guess, you’re a big Phoebe Bridgers fan?”

Jimin looks away, his face starting to burn. “Maybe.” The man barks out a laugh.

“Hey, there’s no shame in that! She’s a great musician. I love her stuff a lot too.”

Jimin looks at the man head to toe and takes in all the tattoos and the piercings covering the skin he can see. “You don’t really look like someone who’s heard even a second of her music.”

The man barks out another laugh. “You’re funny, what’s your name?”

And usually, Jimin’s not the type of person to give his name out to random men he talks to at the bar but something about the man in front of him makes him want to see where this ends up going.

“Jimin.”

“Jimin...that’s such a pretty name.”

“Now you have to tell me yours.” Jimin pouts.

“Mine’s Jungkook.” He says slowly, like he’s expecting Jimin to have some sort of reaction to that.

A larger man with a headset comes up behind Jungkook and taps him on his shoulder. Jungkook looks up and sighs.

“I have to go now.” He says with a frown. He waves the bartender over to the two of them again and tells him to put the rest of Jimin’s drinks on to his own tab.

Before Jimin can refuse, Jungkook is speaking again.

“Meet me here after the show okay?”

It’s worded like a demand but Jimin can see that Jungkook is unsure, he’s asking him to see him again.

“Okay. I’ll be here.”

The crowd cheers in the background as Jimin watches Jungkook walk away.

---

10pm

“EVERYONE WELCOME EUPHORIA TO THE STAGE.”

The room is filled with screaming and Jimin takes another long drink of the vodka lemonade that Jungkook has so kindly offered to put on his tab.

The stage flashes with dramatic lights of all colors and fills with fog as the band members walk onto stage.

Four people make their way on stage, each one taking their place behind a different instrument (drums, keyboard, guitar, and bass.)

Then, the lights go still and a single person makes their way onto the stage with their head down.

He comes to a stop in the middle of the stage in front of a microphone and lifts his head.

Jimin almost chokes on his drink.

“ARE YOU READY TO ROCK TONIGHT?” Jungkook yells into the microphone before the guitarist starts strumming and the song begins.

Jungkook in the shadows of the bar was attractive but that was nothing compared to this Jungkook.

He was dressed in leather pants that stuck to his skin and a loose torn band tshirt with a chain necklace dangling over it.

His hair was parted in the middle and Jimin could see that his eyes were covered in red eyeshadow and that his nails were painted black.

Jimin couldn’t tear his eyes away for even one second, afraid to miss any movement the man would make. He wanted to commit all of this to memory.

Then Jungkook starts singing and every single thought he’s ever had goes out the window.

He’s heard Euphoria’s music before, but never like this. Never with Jungkook’s raw vocals followed by his amazing stage presence.

Jungkook performs like he owns the stage, demanding every single person in the room’s attention. Jimin knows that not a single soul here could tear their eyes away from the figure on stage even if they wanted to.

Jimin has been to his fair share of concerts, but nothing compared to the raw energy Jungkook had while performing. It was nothing Jimin had ever experienced before.

The opening song comes to and end and the room shaking cheers from the crowd shake Jimin out of the trace Jungkook has put him in.

“Thank you for all coming out.” Jungkook says with a smirk. There’s a bead of sweat making it’s way down the side of his face and Jimin doesn’t think he’s ever seen anything more attractive in his life.

“This next song is for someone I just met. I hope you end up liking it.” Jungkook’s eyes somehow find Jimin’s all the way at the back of the venue before breaking into the next song.

Call off the search for your soul, or put it on hold again
She's having a sly indoor smoke
She calls the folks who run this her oldest friends
Sipping her drink and laughing at imaginary jokes
As all the signals are sent, her eyes invite you to approach
And it seems as though those lumps in your throat
That you just swallowed have got you going

Jimin feels too hot for his skin, the lyrics, the melody, and Jungkook’s husky vocals all hitting his brain at once.

Jungkook ends the song on his knees, panting into the microphone. The crowd goes even crazier than before.

“I’m glad you all liked that one.” Jungkook smiles out over the crowd. “Because we’re just getting started here.”

---

12am

Jimin can’t help but drop his jaw in awe when Jungkook makes his way over to the bar again, his eyes trained on Jimin.

He smiles and winks at Jimin once he takes a seat. “Can I buy you a drink?”

Jimin forces his mouth shut. “Why didn’t you tell me you were the main singer?” He mumbles, embarrassed.

Jungkook throws his head back in a loud laugh. “Where’s the fun in that? I love it when people have no idea who I am, it keeps me humble.”

Oddly enough, Jimin believes him. Most men in Jungkook’s position would have been completely different people. Fame and money do dangerous things.

Jungkook didn’t act like any of the things Jimin associated with being in a band.

Sure, he looked like a rockstar with his piercings and his tattoos, but his speaking voice had a softness to it that was so different from the way he acted on stage with his teeth barred and his knees on the ground.

“So, what do you do?” Jungkook asks as he pushes a beer towards Jimin. Jimin takes the alcohol silently thanking Jungkook for providing him with the alcohol he was going to need to continue this conversation.

“Oh it’s kind of embarrassing….” Jimin tails off.

Jungkook scoffs. “Nothing you do could be embarrassing. A job is a job. I didn’t even go to college, I was a waiter until the music thing started getting traction.”

The admission makes Jimin smile. “Really? They let you be a waiter with all of those piercings and tattoos?”

“Of course not, I was untainted back then.” Jungkook says with a smirk. “I looked like an angel when I was 20.”

Jimin can’t help but laugh, fully believing the other. He sure was acting cute for someone who looked so dangerous.

“It's boring.” Jimin shrugs off, taking another sip of the drink Jungkook handed him. it’s sweet and jimin wonders what someone like jungkook is doing drinking something like this.

“impossible” Jungkook says with a smirk. “I'm sure anything you do is interesting.”

“I just work at an office. It’s boring.” jimin deadpans.

Jungkook is silent for a moment and Jimin fears he’s actually scared the rockstar off.

“Do you like it there?” he asks.

Jimin stares at him. no one asks if he likes what he does, they mostly congratulate him on landing something with a stable income in this day and age.

“no. I hate it so much.” Jimin groans. It makes Jungkook laugh which in turn makes jimin’s stomach flutter.

“Alright so that’s not what you do then is it? what you do is what you like to do.`` Jungkook says with a serious face. “I mean when I first started doing music I had to work as a waiter for a long time but I would have never told people that’s what I do you know?”

Jungkook breaks into a smile and places a soft hand on jimin’s knee. it burns. “so Jimin. What do you like to do.”

“I mean…I guess I like to dance..” Jimin mutters, his face turning red from a mixture of the embarrassment of the confession and the way Jungkook has started to rub circles into his knee with his thumb.

“dancing!” Jungkook exclaims with a smile. “That sounds so fun.” He takes his hand off of Jimin and he immediately misses the heat.

“it was.” Jimin says with a smile, Jungkook's enthusiasm makes him relax a little. “I was on a dance team all throughout college but nothing ever really came from it I guess….”

“so?” Jungkook asks “why did something need to come from it?”

“I mean, shouldn’t it?”

“even if my band had never made it big and we were still making absolutely nothing off of our songs I would still be doing it.” Jungkook says. “You should do things because you like doing them, not because it makes you rich or gives you social capital or anything like that.”

“I guess I never really thought about it like that…” Jimin trails off.

“Society has everyone convinced that if they do something that it has to give them money or make them look cool. nothing really pushes you towards doing things just for yourself.”

“That’s really insightful.” Jimin says, leaning one hand on the table.

“Am I impressing you?”

“A little bit.” Jimin says with a laugh. “You’ll have to work harder to make me properly impressed though.”

“Do you want to get out of here?” Jungkook asks.

“I don’t do one night stands.” Jimin says seriously even though he’s smiling. The goofy smile on Jungkook’s face is making him want to do something a little stupid.

“Neither do I, not anymore. I’m just hungry and between you and me the bar food here is not good.”

Jimin giggles. “Okay, we can go get some food then. What do you want to eat?”

“Oh, I have the perfect place in mind. Do you trust me?”

“Shockingly, I do. Lead the way.”

---

1am

The night air is brisk and makes Jimin involuntarily shiver when the two of them walk out the back doors of the venue.

Without even saying anything, Jungkook hands over his leather jacket, telling Jimin that he was too warm anyway. Jimin hesitantly takes it, the leather soft and worn in under his fingertips with the calming scent of vanilla wafting up from it.

Before he can thank him, a young girl appears in front of them out of nowhere.

“Jungkook.” she says with a shy smile. “Your show tonight was so good, thank you for everything.”

“Thank you for coming tonight.” Jungkook responds with a smile that makes the girl blush. Jimin can’t blame her.

“I was wondering…” She says shyly. “If I could have a picture with you?”

Jungkook beams down at her and nods. Jimin moves away from the two towards the wall and watches the interaction.

Jungkook is kind and gentle when interacting with the girl, taking her phone and holding it up for the two of them to get into frame.

When she looks back at the picture she looks up at Jungkook with pure unfiltered joy and Jimin can’t help but smile too.

More girls make their way over to the singer and Jungkook takes his time talking to each of them and taking his picture with each one.

Jimin knows that he should probably be a little irritated at these girls holding Jungkook up and making him wait for his food but watching them all smile as they look up at Jungkook just fills him with joy.

When Jungkook finally waves goodbye to all of the girls and makes his way back over to Jimin, he’s not even thinking about food anymore. His mind is filled with thoughts about how lucky these girls are to love and be loved by someone like Jungkook.

“That was cute.” Jimin says with a smile. Jungkook shrugs, gently grabbing Jimin by the bicep and pulling him away from the venue.

“I love them all, I really do.” Jungkook sighs. “Teenage girls don’t get enough appreciation in the music industry and I'm glad that I can inspire them.”

Jungkook’s smile is so fond, it makes him look like he’s glowing under the fluorescent street lamps.

“Sometimes it’s a bit much, with that many people listening to my music. I don’t like the “fame” aspect of performing. I just like the inspiring part and the performing parts.”

“I think I know what you mean.” Jimin says. “You like connecting with people through your music but you don’t like people obsessing and idolizing over you?”

Jungkook snaps his fingers. “That’s exactly it! I love my fans more than anything in the world but there are times when I wish I could just fade into the background.”

Jungkook turns to Jimin then and brings the two of them to a stop. “I also hope I don’t get interrupted again tonight because I would really love to give you all of my attention from now on.”

Jimin's face flushes furiously. “Well, get me something to eat and i’ll see if you deserve my attention back.”

Jungkook beams. “Yes sir! Don’t worry, I know the perfect place. It’s right up here on the next block.”

The place turns out to be an unimpressive looking diner with fading neon lights.

“Hello boys.” The waitress says when they walk in, barely even looking up from her spot behind the counter. “Take a seat anywhere, i’ll bring you some water.”

Jungkook pulls Jimin into a booth in the back corner of the restaurant and Jimin realizes that they’re the only two people there right now. It is after midnight so he guesses it’s not that much of a surprise.

“Me and my bandmate Hoseok discovered this place when we were an opening band like four years ago.” Jungkook says, looking around. “We were honestly just trying to find anywhere that was still open at 2am but we ended up falling in love with this place. We usually come back here every time we play here when we have the time.”

Jimin leans on one hand. “So you brought me here instead of your bandmate?”

Jungkook blushes a delightful shade of pink. “Well...I would usually bring him here but we were both...a little preoccupied.”

“So you’re not the only one who hits on strangers at their own shows. “ Jimin teases.

Jungkook’s eyes widened comically. “We don’t sleep with our fans if that’s what you're thinking.” He says. “I know the power difference there isn’t fair. We end up finding other people to hang out with though.”

Jimin just smiles. “You’re a good man Jungkook. I can tell.”

Jungkook just shrugs bashfully.

“Do you two know what you want?” The waitress says as she sets the two waters down in front of them.

Jimin orders a burger and fries while Jungkook orders a burger, chicken strips, french fries, and onion rings.

“What?” Jungkook asks when he sees that Jimin is staring at him with an open mouth. “I work up a sweat when I'm performing. Sue me.”

“How did you even end up performing, it sounds like you weren’t trying that hard to end up famous.” Jimin asks, his curiosity getting the best of him.

“It’s honestly not that interesting.” Jungkook says through a mouthful of fries. It should be disgusting but Jimin can’t help but find it endearing.

“I honestly just loved performing whether it was for one person or a sold out venue. The band and I would play where they would let us and more and more people just kept showing up. Before we knew it, we were going on sold out tours. It’s crazy but all of us love it so much, we wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

“Back in school, I used to perform in our dance department's programs every year. Being on stage like that really can’t be compared to anything else in the world. “

Jungkook claps his hands like a child. “Exactly! The adrenaline rush is like nothing else, not even the world’s biggest roller coaster could come close to it. And the rush lasts for DAYS. I’m addicted, I can’t even lie.”

Jimin laughs. He’s not very well versed in the popular artists that top the charts these days but he suspects none of them talk about performing like this, like nothing else in the world could ever compare to it. Like they would be doing it even if they made no money off of it and no one showed up to their shows.

“Your passion is so refreshing.” Jimin says honestly, “What about your other band members? Do they share the same enthusiasm?”

“Oh you’re asking about my band members now? I see, you’re tired of me and want to scope them out instead.” Jungkook says with a cheeky smile. It makes Jimin reach over the table and slap him softly on the arm.

“They’re all the exact same as me, I think that’s why we work together so well. I’ve known all of them since I was a teenager, we kind of just grew up together.” Jungkook says fondly.

“Tell me more about them.” Jimin rests his head on one of his hands and watches as Jungkook smiles softly, unknowing how present his feelings for his friends and bandmates were on his face.

“Well, I am younger than them all by a few years so they all treat me like their little brother. I met Namjoon when I was sixteen and he was eighteen. He worked at a guitar shop at the time and when I came in just to stare at them he asked me if I wanted to play. He ended up giving me free lessons because he’s a good guy like that. I didn’t end up that great at guitar but one day I was so proud that I had learned how to play This Charming Man by The Smiths that I forced him to listen to me play it and sing it. He asked me to join a band he had right afterwards.”

“A golden voice.” Jimin jokes. It makes Jungkook laugh.

“I don’t like to brag, but I guess so. His band was made up of some of his friends from school, Hoseok was on bass, Yoongi was on piano, and Seokjin was on drums. Their vocalist had just left and Namjoon told me later that it felt like fate had brought me to them. They let me join the band immediately. Namjoon and Yoongi wrote most of our songs, our first album is exclusively by them, but once I got older, they let me join in their sessions and I started writing as well. And well, we ended up here. They’re all so great to me, I can’t imagine my life without them in it.”

“That’s good that you are all so close to each other.”

“Yeah, especially since we shared a tour bus for months at a time, not gonna lie it got a little rough at the beginning when all we had was a van. Do you know how horrible it is to travel hours in a van with four other boys? It’s bad, I only made it through because they baby me.”

The mental image of Jungkook crammed into a car with the four other boys, a pout prominent on his lips, makes Jimin start to shake with laughter. “God, I wish I could see that.”

“Now it’s your turn.” Jungkook says. “Tell me about the friend you came to the show with.”

“Oh,” Jimin looks at Jungkook in shock, honestly not expecting the other to ask him about his own friends. “We met in college in a mandatory science class. He sat next to me and neither of us were good at science so he tried to make me laugh during every class. We became roommates the next year and kinda never left. We like to call each other our soulmates because it really does feel like he’s the other half of me sometimes. He gets me in a way that no one else in my life ever has.”

Jimin honestly could wax poetic about Taehyung all night but he figures Jungkook doesn’t want to hear that. When he makes eye contact though the other looks completely invested in Jimin and doesn’t look weirded out at all.

“It’s not in a romantic way, it’s more like the two of us were made from the same cloth and were destined to find each other again. I don’t know if this is making any sense.”

“Of course it is.” Jungkook says seriously. “Platonic soulmates are just as important as romantic soulmates, sometimes even more. I feel like everyone in the world has someone they are destined to meet and have to themselves for the rest of their life. Sometimes it’s platonic and sometimes it’s romantic.”

“Have you found that person yet?”

“I mean, I know that my band members and I were fated to be together but I don’t know if they’re my soulmates per say. I like to imagine that my soulmate is a romantic soulmate.”

“A hopeless romantic?”

“A little bit.”

“That’s really cute.”

“Cute?” Jungkook tilts his head and Jimin wants to coo at him.

“Yeah cute, I don’t meet a lot of people who are hopeless romantics these days, especially ones that look like you.”

“Like me?”

“You know.” Jimin gestures at Jungkook's face, making the other one smile. “The piercings and the leather jacket. Those things.”

“Ah well these are all just on the outside, anyone can be a hopeless romantic on the inside. What about you Jimin, are you a romantic?”

Jimin rubs the back of his head, suddenly nervous. “Oh I guess so. I don’t really believe in having one true love or things like that but I'm not bitter or anything.”

“I suppose all dancers have to be romantic to an extent. It’s the same with singer-songwriters.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jimin asks.

“Well, we express love right? With our words or our bodies, so we have to believe what we’re expressing right? I don’t think you could be one without being a little romantic, that’s the appeal of it.”

Jimin swears that Jungkook is diving into the deepest parts of his mind and finding thoughts down there that Jimin hadn't even known about. “That’s true.” He says with a smile.

“I want to see you dance, would you show me?” Jungkook asks, his gentle smile transformed into a smirk.

“What? Right here?” Jimin narrows his eyes at the other, not wanting to let him win.

“Why not?”

“I don’t think this dirty diner has the right atmosphere for dancing.”

“Is that so?”

Jimin realizes that he does want to show Jungkook his dancing, he wants to prove that he deserves all the observations the singer had made about him in their short time together.

“I know just the place.” Jimin grabs Jungkook’s hand and yanks him off his seat.

Jungkook throws some money on the table before he lets Jimin drag him out of the diner and down the street.

---

2am

Jimin leads Jungkook to the only club in the city that he visits on a regular basis. He can already hear the Charlie xcx bumping from a block away.

“A gay club.” Jungkook states as the two of stare up at the neon rainbow sign reading ‘Serendipity’

“How did you guess?” Jimin deadpans, making Jungkook roll his eyes.

They show their ids to the bouncer, Jungkook only getting a second glance, before the two of them are let in.

The club is practically barren compared to the other times Jimin has been here but it’s probably because he’s never been here at 2am.

Can I buy you another drink?” Jungkook asks, leaning into Jimin. Jimin can smell the cologne he’s wearing and it’s making him a little lightheaded.

“Sure, I could probably use some more vodka.”

Jungkook laughs loudly, a big and unafraid laugh, and it makes Jimin smile.

“I’ll be right back with that then.”

Jimin watches as Jungkook struts his way up to the bar and immediately gets the attention of the bartender.

He allows himself to fully take Jungkook in for the first time tonight. He’s just dressed in a simple white shirt and a pair of jeans with a leather jacket over it but he wears it so effortlessly that it looks like high fashion on him.

From here, Jimin can see that Jungkook is making the bartender blush. He has no idea what he’s saying but he imagines Jungkook doesn’t have to try too hard to make someone blush.

Jungkook gets handed his two drinks and makes his way back over to Jimin. He hands one of the cups to Jimin and starts to sip on his own. A small strand of hair falls in front of his face and Jimin can’t help but reach up and push it behind his ear.

“Thanks.” Jungkook says quietly, a slight blush forming on his cheeks.

Jimin is amazed that he can make this beautiful man blush even a little.

he downs his drink a lot faster than he means to, trying to drown out that thought and stop it from going somewhere far worse.

“Woah there.” Jungkook’s eyes are sparkling with amusement “you didn’t have to chug it.”

Jimin flushes but stands his ground. “I'm just ready to go dancing.”

Jungkook shrugs and chugs the rest of him drunk as well. “lead the way.”

The DJ is playing some r&b song that Jimin doesn’t recognize but once he reaches the dance floor he feels the best through his bones. He can’t help but start to move.

He gets lost in it for a while. It's been so long since he’s been able to dance like this and not think about anything else. His mind is blissfully empty, only the song reverting through his skull.

“you dance so beautifully.” Jungkook’s voice comes from right next to his ear. his hands cautiously rests on his hips and jimin leans into it.

Jungkook moves along with him, his hands growing more confident with every second, inching up his stomach.

jimin’s head gets foggier and foggier, lust seeping into every one of his cells.

All Jimin wants to do is kiss him, every single bone in his body is telling him to just do it.

Then suddenly, The heat against his back is gone and Jimin feels a hand wrapped around his wrist.

Jungkook gently pulls him out of the swarm of people and towards the door to the bar.

“Where are we going?” Jimin asks once they step outside, giddy with anticipation.

Jungkook turns to meet Jimin’s eyes but the heat that he expected isn’t there, instead Jungkook looks almost fond.

“Do you know any partner dances? Like classical dances?”

Jimin tilts his head in confusion, his thoughts jumbled from the drastic change of pace. “Um yeah, I know a couple. I did classical dance so I ended up learning a few of them.”

Jungkook breaks into a smile and continues to pull Jimin to an unknown destination.

All Jimin can do is follow and he comes to the realization that he trusts Jungkook despite knowing him for only a couple of hours.

The walk takes a while and Jimin is glad that he brought his thicker jean jacket with him tonight.

Jungkook finally comes to a stop at a park with the biggest fountain Jimin has ever seen.

“A park?” Jimin questions, breaking into a smile. “Why a park?”

Jungkook holds his phone up and waves it. “So you can teach me how to dance.” He taps his phone and classical music pours out, perfect for waltzing.

“You just want to use me for your own gain.” Jimin laughs.

Jungkook steps closer. “Guilty as charged.”

Jimin sees a bit of the heat he expected to see earlier and he finds it hard to swallow.

“Okay come here.” Jimin says, taking both of Jungkook’s hands and pulling the other closer to him.

It’s hard to focus now that Jungkook’s face is so close to his own. This close, Jimin can see a faint scar on his cheek and he aches to reach up and touch it.

“You have a scar.” He says and mentally kicks himself. He really didn’t mean to bring it up but apparently Jimin has lost his filter tonight. It’s uncharted territory.

“Oh yeah.” Jungkook smiles and reaches one of his hands up to brush against the scar. “It’s dumb. I got it when I was a kid, my brother gave it to me by accident. Nothing cool, sorry to disappoint.”

“Weirdly enough, I feel like that backstory fits you perfectly.” Jimin says with a smile. Without even thinking, he reaches up and touches the scar. Jimin swears that Jungkook’s breath comes to a complete stop.

Jungkook's face is so soft and Jimin never wants to take his hand off of his face.

The thought shocks him and he yanks his hand away from the other’s face. How can he be thinking about forever when he’s known this man for a couple of hours?

“Okay wrap one hand around my shoulder here.” Jimin takes one of Jungkook’s arms gently and places it on his own shoulder.

“And I'll put my hand on your waist.” Jimin slowly wraps his hand around Jungkook’s waist and tries his hardest not to think about the feeling of his body under his palm.

“And then with the other hands, we lace them together.” Jimin grabs Jungkook’s free hand and moves them into position.

“Does this make me the girl?” Jungkook says with a smile.

“Please, no such thing as girls and boys when it comes to partner dances. Only leaders and followers. In this case, i’m leading you..”

“Lead away then.” Jungkook says softly.

Jimin closes his eyes and lets the music flow through him before he starts to move the two of them around the fountain.

Surprisingly, Jungkook follows him perfectly, needing no instructions. He matches every single one of Jimin’s movements perfectly, like the two of them were made to dance together.

“You’re doing really well.” Jimin says.

“Well I have an excellent teacher.”

Jungkook is close enough for the heat of his breath to wash over him. They’re so close it would be so easy to lean in and press his lips against Jungkook’s. They look impossibly red and shiny, Jimin wonders if he uses anything on them.

“I’m barely teaching.” Jimin says softly, almost a whisper.

Just as he’s about to give in to temptation. The song fades out and the next song starts loud.

Jimin comes back to his senses and pulls back, stepping away from Jungkook.

He doesn’t do one night stands and he’s not about to start now.

Jungkook rubs the back of his neck. “That was good.” He says.

“You’re a natural born dancer.” Jimin says lightly.

“Performers remember.” Jungkook says with a smile, starting to relax. “I have to know how to move.”

Jimin gets a flashback of Jungkook on stage which is the last thing he needs right now.

“Of course, I guess I should have guessed that.” Jimin says, forcing a smile.

“I didn’t have any training or teaching or anything like that.” Jungkook tacks on, almost shyly.

“Really? No music classes or anything? Not even a vocal lesson?” Jimin says surprised.

Jungkook smiles. “Nope, I wasn’t even in choir when I was in high school. I learned everything all by myself. Even now I still don’t have a vocal coach even though my label wants me to have one.”

The two of them take a seat down on the fountain. Jimin can feel the mist of the water hitting his back.

“They’re trying to force a vocal teacher on you?” Jimin asks.

“Kinda.” Jungkook shrugs. “We got lucky that we still have relative freedom over our music, the company just likes to suggest things that they think we should do or say. I never really listen to them much and it frustrates the hell out of them.”

Jimin laughs. “Yeah, I didn’t really peg you as a rule follower kind of person.”

Jungkook looks at him with a smile. “Well, I didn’t beg you as a rule breaker kind of person but here we both are.”

Jimin scoffs, “I break plenty of rules.”

“sure you do.”

“we’ll,” Jimin says, an idea slowly forming. “how do you feel about trespassing?”

---

3am

The upscale neighborhood , usually bustling with life, doesn’t have a single soul on it this time of the night. That is, except for Jungkook and Jimin.

The two of them make their way through numerous backgrounds that face the river giving them the perfect view.

“how did you know about these?” Jungkook asks. Jimin knows the other is a least a little impressed.

“Taehyung used to date someone who lived in one of these houses and he showed me the view of the river here one night. we’ve broken in a couple times even after they broke up. there’s no other view of the river like this in town.”

“I really wish I could see the stars right now.” Jungkook says, his eyes trained on the sky.

Jimin looks up as well, only seeing the bright light of the full moon.

“Now that I think about it, I've only seen the stars a couple times in my life.” Jimin confesses. “I’ve lived in the city for my whole life, never seen the sky without light pollution.”

Jungkook snaps his gaze away from the sky and trains it on Jimin, his jaw dropped. “Really? That’s so sad.”

“I guess I don’t really know what I'm missing.” Jimin says. He tries to remember what the sky looks like with stars shining bright in it but he comes up blank.

“When we drive on tour, we always end up traveling through some pretty barren spots and those are always the best places to look at the stars. We would stop at 2am just to look up at the sky. The stars are so bright and they look so magical up there in the sky. And sometimes when it’s dark enough, you can even see the milky way.”

“Wow.” Jimin can’t even begin to imagine what the galaxy looks like to the naked eye.

“You should take a vacation soon, somewhere with no light pollution and look at the sky, for me.”

“That sounds like a great idea.” Jimin says with a smile. “I haven’t had a real vacation in a long time and that honestly sounds like what I need.”

“Is your job stressful?” Jungkook asks. Jimin admires the effort to appear interested in his boring office job.

“Not hard, just draining.” Jimin admits. “It’s just sitting in a chair all day doing the same things with the same routine. I haven’t had a break from it in a long time.”

The only sound between them for a moment is the sound of their feet hitting the dirt path beneath them and the sounds of the bugs in the trees.

“Why don’t you quit?” Jungkook asks quietly.

“That’s not how life works.” Jimin sighs. “I wish I could dance for the rest of my life but the reality is that I need to pay bills and I need to live. This job allows me to continue existing.”

Jimin takes a deep sigh and continues. “It takes an insane amount of luck and talent to succeed in the artistic industry and even with an insane amount of talent, you need ten times more luck. Or thousands more dollars I suppose.”

“That’s true.” Jungkook says. “I always knew I was extremely lucky to be where I was but you really but it into perspective. I wish there was a way I could help you though.”

Jimin shakes his head. “It is what it is. We all have to do whatever we can to continue living.”

“Do you do any dancing anymore?”

“Just in the clubs when I go out but...nothing else really.”

“Why not?”

Jimin looks over at Jungkook and sees that the other looks genuinely upset.

“I don’t have time anymore I guess. It’s hard enough to work, keep a social life, and have down time at the same time, everything else just doesn’t matter.”

“But the way you talk about it, the way you move. It doesn’t look like you want to live without it.”

Jimin just shrugs again but he knows that Jungkook is right. He loved dancing more than anything and now he can’t remember anything more satisfying than teaching Jungkook a simple waltz.

“I think you should try and make more room in your life for dancing, that’s my official diagnosis.”

“Well I think that we need more alcohol.” Jimin says in the most serious tone he can muster.

“Oh, of course.” Jungkook says. “Shall we find a store that’s still open at this time and indulge ourselves?”

Jimin hooks his arm through Jungkook’s and leads them away from the river. “We shall.”

---

4 am

With Two soju bottles in hand and an armful of snacks, Jimin and Jungkook manage to find a park completely empty.

“It’s kinda scary here at night isn’t it?” Jungkook says, sitting down on one of the swings. It’s a little too small for him and the sight reminds Jimin of an oversized puppy.

“I guess.” He sits down on the swing next to him. “It just feels wrong because there are no kids here. Playgrounds need children to feel right.”

Jungkook giggles. “That was kinda deep. I’ll use that in our next song. I’ll use a playground as a metaphor for everything.”

This has Jimin giggling too. “It’s all just a metaphor for young love, how naive and innocent it is.”

“Have you ever been in love?” Jungkook asks, his giggling coming to a stop.

“I think I thought I was in love a lot of times but in the end it wasn’t. I don’t think I've ever been in a true soul crushing forever love.”

“Oh.” Jungkook says. Jimin doesn’t want to look over and see his face. “I haven’t even thought I was in love. It’s kinda hard to fall in love when you’re busy all the time. I was kinda hoping you would tell me what it felt like.”

Jimin finally looks over and sees that Jungkook is once again staring up at the sky. His eyes look like they’re sparkling and Jimin wonders if it’s what the sky looks like when there’s no light pollution.

Jimin opens his soju and takes a long drink, the liquid burning as it goes down his throat.

“I think it’s different for everybody, no one can ever explain what it feels like to be in love.”

Jimin sets down the bottle of soju next to him and lies down on the soft grass next to the river bank. Soon after, Jungkook joins him.

“Is it okay if I confess something?” Jungkook asks quietly.

“Yeah.”

“You are the most beautiful person I have ever met, inside and out.”

“Jungkook-” Jimin says quietly, almost pleading.

“Please, let me say this.” Jungkook says. Jimin shuts his mouth.

“I’ve spent so much of my life moving so fast. I really am only focused on my music and when I meet people they only stay for a short while. Hell, I don’t think I've ever been in an actual relationship. But somehow, you’re different. I don’t know how or why, but I want you in a way I've never wanted anything before in my life.”

Jimin turns his head to find Jungkook already staring at him.

“It’s only been one night but I think there’s something really special between us. Please tell me that you agree.”

Jimin swallows loudly. “I agree.”

Jungkook’s face softens and he pushes himself off the swing set and stands in front of Jimin.

“I am going to kiss you now.” He states, his hands wrapping around the chain of the swing.

Jimin doesn’t even get a chance to move before Jungkook is leaning down and pressing his lips against Jimin’s.

They’re soft and taste like the strawberry soju they’ve been drinking. It feels so natural for Jimin to melt under Jungkook’s touch and let him seep into every single one of his cracks.

Jungkook fills every single one of his senses until the only thought he’s having is Jungkook, Jungkook, Jungkook. Over and over and over again.

Jungkook bites on his bottom lip and Jimin lets out an involuntary groan, reaching up and threading his fingers through Jungkook’s long hair.

The hair is so much softer than he thought it would be so he tugs at it, making Jungkook moan right into his mouth.

“Holy fuck.” Jimin pants. “You’re so hot what the fuck?”

Jungkook turns red before connecting their lips again, this time with more heat and hunger in it.

Jungkook’s hand rests on his waist and starts to creep up his shirt, hot fingers touching sensitive skin.

The touch brings Jimin back to his surroundings and he remembers when the two of them are. It’s early enough that joggers could start coming.

“Jungkook.” Jimin pants as he manages to separate their lips. “We should stop, we’re in public.”

“Right.” Jungkook says, his eyes completely glazed over. “Let’s go back to your place.”

“I live like twenty minutes away…” Jimin says. “Don’t you have a hotel or something.”

Jungkook’s face drops and he moves back the slightest amount. The distance between them feels suffocating now.

“The band shares a single hotel room every time we travel…And, I have to leave early tomorrow morning..” Jungkook looks down at the watch wrapped around his wrist. “Well technically, today.”

“Right..” Jimin trails off. Jungkook’s hotel room is filled with his other band mates right now and Jimin’s apartment is far too far away from the venue.

Jimin’s stomach plummets. It’s not fair that he meets someone like Jungkook who likes the same things he likes and says all the same things he’s thinking.

And he looks the way he does. It’s not fair that Jimin only gets all of it in a fleeting moment in time.

“Let’s get some breakfast and then I can walk you back to your hotel.” Jimin says softly. Because even though he’s sad the night is coming to an end, he still wants to leave it on a good note. He wants this to be a good memory for the two of them.

“That sounds good.” Jungkook says with a smile.

The hotel isn’t too far away but the two of them take their time, their hands lazily tangled together as they walk in comfortable silence.

Jimin knows it’s weird to feel this comfortable with someone he's known for seven hours but nothing about being with Jungkook feels uncomfortable at all.

---

5am

Jimin pokes at his stack of pancakes, not all that hungry.

Across from him at the only breakfast place they were able to find that opened before 6am, Jungkook is also picking at his eggs and toast.

Neither of them know what to say or do around each other now, knowing that they’re interested in each other but unable to do anything about it except sit in silence in this booth.

Jimin takes a sip of his black coffee and grimaces when he finds out it’s gone cold. Have the two of them really been sitting here in silence for that long?

“Okay this is stupid.” Jimin groans. “We only have like an hour left with each other, why are we sitting here in silence?”

Jungkook shrugs, not looking up from his plate. “It just sucks that it has to end like this ya know?”

“Yeah I know…” Jimin looks out the window and notices that the sky has started to change to a light grey.

“Wait, let’s go watch the sunrise.” Jimin says, excitement coloring his voice.

Jungkook looks out the window and breaks into a smile as well. “I can’t remember the last time I watched the sunrise.”

Jungkook throws a wad of cash on the table for the bill and the two of them head outside again.

“We should find a rooftop.” Jungkook says.

“Where the hell are we going to find a rooftop?” Jimin questions.

“The hotel I'm at has one, we can sneak up there.” Jungkook smirks.

“Sneak?!” Jimin gapes at him. “We are not going up on a roof illegally.”

“It’s not illegal!!...I don’t think so. Plus, we won’t get caught, I've done so many times before. Please? It’s the best place to watch the sky.”

Jungkook pulls his puppy eyes on him again and Jimin groans in defeat. “Fine, we can sneak up there. But if we get caught, you’re taking all the blame.”

“Will do!” Jungkook says cheerfully. He grabs Jimin’s hand and laces their fingers together before leading him down the street.

Jimin has never really been a big fan of hand holding before but something about the way his hand fits in Jungkook’s feels so right that he never really wants the other to let go of him.

Jungkook’s hotel is a lot bigger than Jimin thought it would be but he figures that’s what sold out tours get you.

He swipes a card to get into the lobby and the people at the front desk don’t even look up to see who’s walking in.

“Are you sure we’ll be able to get on the roof?” Jimin questions once the two of them get in the elevator. “This place is pretty fancy, I'm pretty sure their rooftop access won’t be open.”

“Trust me.” Jungkook turns to him with a mischievous smile. “I know how to get anywhere.”

They arrive on the top floor and Jungkook leads him through a series of hallways until they arrive at a door with rooftop access written on it in big block red letters.

Unlike the other doors in the hotel, there is no keycard access and instead a simple lock for a key.

Jimin watches in shock as Jungkook pulls out a bobby pin from his back pocket and sticks it into the keyhole.

“You know how to pick locks?!” He whispers loudly.

“Of course I do.” Jungkook says without looking up. “I didn’t want any locked doors to ever hold me back.”

He pauses for a moment before continuing.

“Plus, Namjoon, my bass player, would constantly lock the door behind him and fall asleep so I had to pick locks pretty often just to get all of us back into our rooms for the night. It’s been a useful skill all around.”

And with one final twist, Jimin hears the unmistakable sound of a door unlocking.

Jungkook stands upright again and opens the door with a bright smile. “After you Mr. Park.”

Jimin can’t help but laugh. “Why thank you Mr. Jeon.”

Once Jimin reaches the lop of the stairs, the sky is revealed to be a mess of shades of pinks and oranges.

“Wow.” Jimin can’t help but stand in awe.

“Wow is right.” Jungkook says, equally as shaken.
The two of them make their way over to the side of the building. Jimin leans over the edge enough to look down the side of the building onto the street below. People have started to wake up and have started making their way down the street. Jimin wonders where they’re going.

“Be careful.” Jungkook wraps a hand around Jimin’s bicep and pulls him back.

Jimin wants to roll his eyes and tell Jungkook that he can control his own body perfectly fine but before he can open his mouth, Jungkook pulls him against his chest and wraps both arms around his waist.

Jungkook is at the perfect height to hook his head over Jimin’s shoulder. He feels perfectly warm from head to toe even though the wind is stronger up here.

“I have pulled a lot of all nighters before but I don’t think I've ever seen the sunrise like this.” Jungkook says quietly. Jimin gets it, he doesn’t want to break the fragility of this moment either.

“I don’t think I've ever seen the sunrise. I’m not a morning person.”

“Well, I'm glad this is the first time for the both of us.” Jungkook says with a smile in his voice. “That means we’ll remember it forever.”

“As if I could ever forget you in the first place.” Jimin scoffs.

“Do you promise?”

“Promise what?”

“That you won’t forget me.”

Jimin intertwined his fingers with Jungkook’s where they rest against his stomach. “I don’t think I could forget a single moment from tonight even if I wanted to.”

“I don’t think I'll ever forget you either.” Jungkook admits.

They stand watching the sky turn various shades of pinks and oranges until the sun finally makes itself known over the horizon. Jimin has no idea how much time has passed but it feels like an eternity but only a second at the same time. He has no idea how they can exist side by side like that but everything has been different with Jungkook.

The shrill sound of Jungkook’s alarm on his phone breaks the two of them apart.

“I have to get going.” Jungkook says.

Despair settles deep in Jimin’s stomach.

“I’ll walk you to your room then.”

---

6am

The walk to Jungkook’s hotel room is short. Jimin wishes it was longer just so he could spend at least one extra minute by Jungkook’s side.

“This is my room…” Jungkook trails off as they come to a stop.

Jimin doesn’t know what to say. What do you even say to someone you had not a physical, but an emotional one night stand with?

“Will I ever see you again?” Jungkook asks quietly, like he’s shy.

The question shoots Jimin straight through the heart.

“I want to but…”

“Right.” Jungkook looks down at his feet. “I get it. Maybe it’s better to just leave tonight as it is. Keep it as magical as it was.”

“A moment in time that defied reality.” Jimin says, his smile weak.

“I hope you don’t mind that I'm going to write a song about you.”

“I can’t wait to listen to it. Maybe I'll come and see you perform again.”

Jungkook raises both hands to cup Jimin’s cheeks. “Oh Park Jimin, you are the most beautiful person I have ever known. Go and live your life the way it’s meant to be lived.”

He pulls Jimin into the sweetest kiss Jimin has ever experienced. It feels like a goodbye, a confession, and a life changer all at once. Jimin kind of feels like crying.

“Jeon Jungkook,” Jimin says once the two of them separate. “Live your life as happily as you live it right now. I hope you find love at every turn.”

The hotel door opens and a man with bright red hair peeks his head out. “Oh, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” He says.

“It’s fine, we were pretty much done.” Jungkook’s eyes look shiny and Jimin hopes that he wasn’t about to cry. He doesn’t want their night to end on a sad note.

Jimin pulls Jungkook into a bone crushing hug. “Goodbye Jungkook.” He whispers into his shoulder.

“Goodbye Jimin.”

They rock back and forth a bit until Jungkook’s bandmate clears his throat. “We have to be on the road in fifteen minutes so you better start packing.”

Jungkook steps back without breaking eye contact with Jimin.

Jimin really doesn’t want to go but with one last smile, he turns around and heads down the hall.

He hears the hotel room door close once he gets to the elevator.

His tears fall once the elevator door closes.

He’s smiling when he reaches the bottom floor.

He pulls out his phone and types a quick text to Taehyung as he walks down the street to the train station.

Jimin: You will never guess the night I just had.

Taehyung: tell me everything

Jimin: it was like magic, nothing I have ever experienced before.

---

Six Months Later

“Jimin Jimin Jimin!!!!!” Taehyung shouts as soon as Jimin walks through the door.

He loves Taehyung dearly but the last thing he wants to hear after a long dance practice is his name being hollered at top volume

“What is it Tae?” Jimin groans

He runs to Jimin and stands directly in front of him, breathing heavily. “Listen to this!!!” He shoves his phone in Jimin’s face as a guitar flows from the speaker.

Jimin freezes when he hears Jungkook’s voice fill the room. He takes a closer look at the phone and sees a song called hfdkfghd with the cover art of a moon.

I go crazy 'cause here isn't where I wanna be
And satisfaction feels like a distant memory
And I can't help myself,
All I wanna hear her say is "Are you mine?"

Jimin can’t help but break into a smile. “He actually did it, he wrote a song about me.”

“So it IS about you!” Taehyung’s exclaims. “I knew IT!”

Jimin shrugs, “He told me he was going to write a song about me, it’s not that big of a deal.”

Taehyung slaps his arm hard. “Not a big deal??? He wrote a SONG about you!!!!! It’s at the top of the billboard charts!!”

“That hurt.” Jimin pouts, rubbing his arm.

“You have to call him? How can you hear this song and not want to spend the rest of your life with him?” Taehyung says frantically, his eyes wild.

“It’s not that simple.” Jimin sighs. He’s tried to explain this to Taehyung over and over again but his friend refuses to listen.

“We both agreed that we wouldn’t work out as a couple in the places we are in our lives right now.”

“SO? You two are so obviously into each other, who cares if it crashes and burns?”

“I would rather have good memories of the time we spent together than have it burn into something filled with resentment. I don’t want to live that way.”

Taehyung doesn’t respond so Jimin keeps on talking.

“You know,” Jimin starts. “I never really believed in fate that much until I talked with him. You were meant to be in my life forever as my best friend and that night with Jungkook changed the course of my life. I mean, I joined a dance club, started volunteering at the dance studio, and started looking for a new job. I wouldn’t have done any of that without him.”

Taehyung narrows his eyes. “What’s your point here because this is just convincing me you’re soulmates.”

“I feel like when and if Jungkook and I meet again, it will be fate bridging together when we’re both in a place where if we wanted to have a relationship, we could. It’s probably stupid.”

“You’re right that is stupid. But also hopelessly romantic. When did your life turn into a movie?”

“Jungkook really had an influence on me I guess.”

Jimin taps on Taehyung’s phone to repeat the song.