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Jungkook stared at the map blankly, praying to the power above for it to make sense , the blue light from the mobile screen reflecting on his eyes. But even after fifteen minutes of studying the map , he found no directions leading to the cafeteria. Maybe they were there somewhere on the map but hidden , on second thought, why would someone keep the cafeteria directions hidden on a map unless they were going on a food heist and wanted to be as discreet as possible.
And the worst thing was he couldn't even build up the courage to ask anyone about it. Ugh! Why does everyone in this university seem so …cold & snobbish & maybe vicious too? Maybe he was being a little judgemental but the group of people he met in the morning just added to his thoughts. His antisocial personality didn't help either….
He let out a deep sigh , just a second before he felt the presence of a warm hand on his shoulder making him spin around in an instant definitely faster than a tsunami hitting a beach.
The sight he was met with was pleasing. The guy who instead of calling him like a normal person decided to place his hand on Jungkook's shoulder was pretty easy on the eyes. Too damn easy.
"Hi ! I'm Kim Seokjin. You seemed a little lost there , are you new ?" The stranger's voice pulled Jungkook out of his drool worthy thoughts , his tone cheerful , lips curled into what Jungkook thought was a reassuring smile , his eyes shining just as bright as the curve on his full lips.
After spending half of his day with no decent human encounter , Jungkook finally felt at ease in the new place. He smiled for the first time that day. Maybe moving to a new university in his second year wasn't a bad idea after all.
"Jeon Jungkook here. Well to be honest I am a little lost , I was trying to find the cafeteria on the map but it's not even there or if it is I can't find it.", Jungkook frowned as his gaze once again found the map.
"Then you've found the right guy or shall I say the right guy has found you ? The map isn't going to help much. It has to be updated. I am heading towards the cafeteria , my friend is waiting for me there." Jin paused for a second before assessing Jungkook once again.
"How about I take you with me and we can all have lunch together as you're new here and stuff?"
Jungkook grinned.
"Well , do I have a choice ?"
Jin chuckled a bit before taking a step closer to the younger one. "Not really , so come along."
His slender fingers coiled around the younger's wrist , pulling him closer before he wrapped an arm around Jungkook's shoulders , taking note of how the younger's muscle rippled under the weight of his arm , as he dragged the younger on their way to the cafeteria.
They rounded a corner before taking another turn while Jin willed himself to shut up and not scare the younger away. He has a habit to chit chat with people around him, most are already used to it , but Jungkook doesn't seem like someone who likes to keep company so him letting Jin to lead the way while holding him was enough ,more than enough.
Baby steps. Don't scare your new friend away.
Jin took a deep breath before his eyes found Jungkook's yet again. All his pep talk suddenly evaporated from his mind.
"You seem like someone who hits the gym often."
Jungkook flushed before he turned his gaze away , he could feel the heat travelling up his neck , could feel his cheeks & the tip of his ears burning , being coloured in red.
"It's a good way to pass the time when I'm free and also a good way to keep myself healthy , so yeah."
"You're….so...stiff. If it's any comfort to you I won't kill you on our way to the cafeteria , don't worry."
Jin said , his voice lowering to a whisper as he finished his sentence as if sharing a mysterious secret. He leaned a little on Jungkook's side pinching his cheek lightly while Jungkook just stood there staring at him blankly for a moment before blinking a few times , a soft smile breaking out on his lips.
"I totally believe you."
"I'm not lying , I swear." Jin almost yelled looking scandalised , his lips unknowingly forming into a cute pout.
Jungkook chuckled a little at the elder's antics , he felt warmth enveloping his heart.
"I never said that you were."
Jin just gave him a side eye , before they both halted in front of large glass doors.
"Here we are , your highness. Now let's go find my friend."
Jin started moving forward only to stop after taking a few steps once he realised that Jungkook still hadn't moved an inch from his place.
"Are you okay, Jungkook?" Jin questioned , his voice a soft whisper.
As Jungkook gazed into his eyes, hesitation & a slight hint of fear visible in those doe like dark orbs.
"Will your friend be okay with me joining you both ? What if I'm a bother? "
Jungkook stared as the worry in those honey brown orbs melted into something warmer , something akin to fondness. He could be wrong but at this moment he wants to push that thought away to a dark corner of his mind and not look back.
Jin reached out , enfolding the younger's hand in his , the warmth from his slender hands slowly seeping into Jungkook's skin making him feel at peace , his anxiety slowly washing away as the elder's gentle hold tightened a little.
Although Jin met the younger one a while back , there was just something about him which made him want to be with him , to comfort him. He knew he wasn't obliged to but he wanted to , the innocence in those doe eyes was crystal clear , it was almost if the stars reside in them , that warm genuine smile. At that exact moment Jin could tell he wanted Jungkook in his life for a long while , he could use a good friend like him.
"He will like you , don't worry. He can be a little distant at first but as you get to know him , you'll realise he's a lot warmer , someone who cares more than anyone else."
Jin assured , his voice lowering to a whisper as he finished off , a far off look in his eyes as a fond smile played on his lips.
Jungkook grinned , his heart feeling a little more at ease.
"He sounds like a great guy. Now I really want to meet him."
Jin grinned back , before dragging Jungkook with him.
It wasn't long before they reached their destination and Jin sprinted off only to hold his /bestfriend/ , Taehyung tightly from the back, Jin's hands encircled around his neck as he nuzzled his nose in Taehyung's fluffy dark chocolate locks. While Taehyung just held onto Seokjin's arms , his hold on them got a little tighter as seconds passed.
They were just there , lost in each other's presence only to break away when they felt someone staring at them. Jungkook just gazed at the duo while an amusing smile played on his lips , a knowing look in his eyes , which they turned a blind eye to. Jin gave Taehyung a sheepish smile before he turned to face Jungkook.
"This is my best friend Kim Taehyung and Taehyung-ah this is Jeon Jungkook , my new friend. He was kinda lost so I decided to take him here with me."
Jin blabbered explaining the whole situation to Taehyung , while Jungkook just waved at Taehyung with a cute smile playing on his rosy lips and Taehyung returned it , waving back just as adorably.
"Jin hyung" , Taehyung called out in a soft voice , then raised his voice a little higher when Jin didn't stop.
"I know him , we met once in a research workshop , the one I told you about."
Taehyung chuckled at the astonished look on Jin's face , he looked so lost at the moment , Jungkook giggled after a few seconds of trying hard to hold his laughter in. Jin pouted before taking his seat ignoring the two younger ones who were almost touching the floor all the while clutching onto their stomachs tight, doubling over with fits of laughter.
"Why didn't you both tell me sooner ? I kept blabbering like a dummy all this while , for what ?"
Jin kept complaining only for them to howl with laughter yet again , before they both reached out to hold the elder's hands in theirs , while Jin pretended to snatch it away only for them to hold it tighter ,not letting go even for a second.
They all settled down after laughing their hearts out , as they were having their meal, Jungkook didn't fail to notice the small touches , them feeding each other in between , the eye contacts. He may disregard their hug from earlier as friendly but what was happening right in front of him was anything but friendly. He tried to ignore the curious monster in him , nagging him to prod further , but as he watched them interact with each other , it got harder to push that curious eyed monster aside.
"Are you both dating ?" Jungkook questioned , eyeing them both. He watched the way they both froze , as if deer caught in headlights , sending small glances to each other.
"We are just friends." They both spoke in unison , the panic clear in their voice at the mere insinuation of them being together.
Jin coughed a little , before speaking out.
"There is nothing between us."
Jin nodded at the end of his sentence as if to assure him of the truth behind his words , on the other hand Taehyung just sighed before he once again went back to poking his food with the fork.
Jungkook could feel it , feel the tension between them from across the table , they weren't dating but there being nothing between them except friendship seemed a little odd to him. They may not be lovers , but they weren't just friends either.
Taehyung's reaction told him , he thought the same , that it was Jin who was being oblivious to the changing dynamic of their relationship. But it wasn't his place to speak out , so he decided to just nod before he paid his whole attention to the delicious food kept in front of him.
The atmosphere around them turned light again after a few moments , the flow of the conversation quite easy for people who barely knew each other. Jungkook was someone who didn't like interacting with people much , someone who knew well how to blend in the shadows without attracting even the slightest attention to himself but with Jin and Taehyung , he liked initiating conversations, sharing stories. For the first time in forever Jungkook thought he could get used to some company , he felt like he belonged.
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Jungkook ran as he saw them walking a few steps ahead of him before he hopped between the duo making them let out a 'oof' as they stepped aside a little , slinging his hands on the older men's shoulder , he joined in their journey to the parking lot.
"Who will believe this is the same quiet kid we met 3 months ago?"
Taehyung teased , a playful smile played on his lips.
"I know right ? He is a baby monster in the disguise of a human."
Jin continued as ruffled Jungkook's hair a little.
"Not you both talking shit about me when I'm walking right by your side. Are you two forgetting that I take boxing lessons ?"
Jungkook smirked , as Seokjin and Taehyung stared at each other before glancing back at Jungkook.
"NO WE ARE NOT."
They yelled as they tickled Jungkook from both sides , to the point he almost fell on the floor from the pain in his stomach and at his sides from all the laughter , not giving him time to retort.
"I YIELD.'
Jungkook managed to speak between all the laughter and tickles before they stopped , grinning at Jungkook ear to ear.
They stretched their hands out , pulled Jungkook back up on his feet before they continued their walk , their conversations on the way to the parking lot filled with laughter and lots of teasing.
"Okay ! So this is where we part ways."
Jungkook muttered as he squeezed their shoulders , before letting go. Jin dragged Taehyung to his car while Jungkook walked off to his own car.
As they drove off , the ride was silent until Jin decided that the silence had lived too long between them.
"So ready to spend your day with me?" Jin passed him a 'flirty' smile as he placed one of his hands on Taehyung's thigh.
Taehyung just stared at him for a few seconds before his cool and calm demeanour vanished as he burst into a fit of giggles.
"Shut up. Oh my god!" Taehyung mumbled between his giggles , trying to hold his laughter in.
"Here I'm using my oh so amazing flirtation skills on you and you are laughing at me!! I'm very hurt , Taehyung-ah." Jin pouted , his attempt to keep a sad-angry mask failing miserably as a chuckle escaped past his lips.
"Oh , so you are flirting with me. May I know the reason for this sudden attention?” Taehyung raised one of his brows , an amused smile gracing his lips as he stared at his hyung.
"Mhmm.. You are just so beautiful , anyone will be charmed." Jin grinned at him , passing a wink to the younger.
"CAN YOU NOT?!" Taehyung whisper-yelled as he slapped Jin's arm in a light manner before he turned away to stare out the window at the beautiful scenery passing by as the car bloomed with Jin's laughter.
Taehyung could feel the blood rushing up his neck to his cheeks and to the tips of his ear , could feel the skin being coloured in a beautiful shade of pink. He may not admit it to Jin at the moment , but the sound of his laugh set his heart on a faster pace knowing the reason behind it was him , the familiar sound of his voice soothing to his heart just like the warmth on his thigh.
He felt he could get used to this new feeling blooming in his heart.
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" You like Jin hyung , right ?" Jungkook questioned , a knowing look in his eyes.
Taehyung sighed as Jungkook twirled him around before pulling him closer , were his feelings that obvious?
"I do a lot more than I should. He is my best friend , I don't wanna lose him like this."
"But what if he likes you back? Maybe he is scared too , if you both don't take any further steps then how will you know?" Jungkook muttered , eyeing Jin who was at the bar having his drink.
"And what if he doesn't like me that way. What if I ruin things?"
"If he gives you a sign , will you tell him?" Jungkook stared back at Taehyung, a determined gleam in his eyes.
"How?" Taehyung questioned , what can the younger do anyways?
"Just wait and watch." Jungkook smirked before pulling Taehyung closer
The party was in full swing , everyone enjoying their hearts out except Jin , who sat at a corner watching both his friends dancing along to a soft slow song. It felt great to see both his friends hanging out together , getting along so well but seeing them being so close to each other made him feel weird , his stomach twisting in ugly knots.
He realised he didn't like the thought of his best friend with someone else , he didn't want to share Taehyung with anyone else , he didn't want to lose him in any way. He was being selfish , he knew he was keeping Taehyung away from everyone , scaring away people from Taehyung but he didn't want someone to replace him in Tae's life.
The thought scared him to death , the thought of someone else being able to hold Taehyung so close , in a way only Jin has the right to , of someone knowing the fact Taehyung smells like lavender and vanilla , knowing what Taehyung likes and dislikes.
Maybe it was the alcohol kicking in but he could feel himself moving towards the two familiar bodies in the crowd , before he reached out to clasp Taehyung's hand in his , dragging him off the dance floor.
Minutes later they stopped in an empty corridor , Taehyung just gazed at him all confused , as Jin trapped him between his arms and the wall.
Hell...
He didn't know what to do , Jin's hold on his hand earlier wasn't too tight , but it was just so … intimate ….so possessive in a way he never experienced before.
"Jin hyung, what are you doing? YOU drank too much didn't you -" Taehyung mumbled only to get cut off in mid by a finger on his rosy lips.
"Hush...Just wanna hold you." Jin managed to whisper before he leaned towards Taehyung , placing his head in the crook of Tae's neck his nose nuzzling the skin there before he loosely held Tae's waist in his hands , slowly tightening his hold , and Taehyung just held him by his shoulders , one hand resting on Jin's head ruffling his hair , letting him do whatever he wants.
"What's wrong ?" Taehyung questioned , it's a wonder his voice came out smooth , because he was losing his mind due to the proximity between him and Jin.
"I don't like it" Jin raised his head a little to stare at Taehyung , his lips forming a cute pout.
"You don't like what?" Taehyung questioned , threading his fingers through Jin's dark brown locks.
"I don't like seeing you close with people who aren't me. I hate it when you give your that…. beautiful… your precious , rare smile to other people , they might end up liking you." Jin explained , his one hand travelled up to rest on Taehyung's cheek.
Taehyung just stood there in shock , his eyes shut closed , still not believing his ears , his finger movements in Jin's locks coming to an abrupt halt.
Is Jin really trying to say… no .. but it seems like that…
"I don't have a problem if others like you because you're just so beautiful , so talented and smart , you're amazing , I don't blame them. But what if you like them? What if they're better than me? What will happen to me then? What if I lose you?"
Taehyung's eyes snapped open as he heard soft sniffles , Jin was crying. He reached out to Jin , wiping away any trace of the salty water from his handsome features , before he placed a soft kiss on one of his cheeks.
"I won't like anyone else. Do you know why?"
Jin shook his head in a no adorably at the question aimed at him.
"How can I when I like someone already? That person takes care of me , never fails to make me feel loved. I don't think anyone can love me as much as he loves me."
Taehyung grinned , wiping away a stray tear from cheek as Jin just gazed at him wide eyed.
"You like someone else?" Jin whispered , his voice laced with a tinge of hurt.
Taehyung chuckled before shaking his head as he smacked Jin's head in a light manner.
"It's you who I like. I like you more than one should like their best friend ,I like you as a lover , someone I wanna spend my whole life with. I see my future in you."
Taehyung gave him a fond smile as he caressed his cheek.
"I like you too , Taehyung-ah. I have liked you for a while now , I'm sorry it took me so long to realise that the happy feeling in my heart whenever you're around isn't because you're my best friend but because I love you as a lover." Jin paused chuckling a little at how dumb he sounded before continuing.
"It's scary how much I love you , sometimes I'm scared of my own feelings , of their intensity but hey it's you , you make me feel brave , braver than I am."
Tears ran down Taehyung's rosy cheeks , his nose a pretty shade of pink. He couldn't believe this was happening in reality , he didn't want to wake up if it's all a fever dream.
"As much as I love how things are unfolding right now , you're drunk , hyung." Taehyung murmured , his voice a low whisper , trying hard to hold back his tears.
Jin leaned in close , his thumb gently wiping away the tears before he peppered Taehyung's face with soft kisses pausing right in front of his lips.
"I'm not drunk , Taehyung. I only drank one shot , I'm far from being drunk. If things would've turned awkward between us I would have just played it off. I wanted to take a chance but I didn't want to lose you ,I can't."
Taehyung just leaned up , closing the gap between them , the soft press of their lips sent shivers down their spine. The barest touch of their lips ignited a different kind of desire in them , a want to be as close as possible.
They stepped back , soft smiles gracing their lips , their cheeks tinted a beautiful shade of red. Jin reached out to hold Taehyung's hand in his , raising it to his lips before placing a gentle kiss on it.
"Will you be mine , Taehyung-ah?"
The hope shone clear in his eyes , as he held onto Tae's hand tighter.
"Mhmm …. Only if you'll be mine." Taehyung smirked.
"All yours." Jin grinned , pulling Taehyung closer in a hug , only to have someone jump on them a few seconds later.
"Gosh… I can't believe it took you both this long to get together." Jungkook teased , his arms holding them close in his arms , as they turned to look at him.
"Are you crying , Jungkookie?" Taehyung giggled.
"I'M NOT , SHUT UP!"
"You totally are." Jin joined in on the teasing , before they all bursted into laughter as Taehyung and Jin pulled Jungkook closer in a tight hug.
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"Taehyung-ah" , Jin placed a gentle kiss on his chin , "Wake up."
"Let me sleep for a little while more." Taehyung mumbled sleepily, turning on his side to hug Jin closer.
Jin hummed before he leaned in closer to pepper Taehyung's face with kisses , he atlast stopped on his lips as he placed a gentle peck on his lips Taehyung leaned up pulling him closer , their lips slotting against each other like they're meant to be , his hands encircling Jin's neck holding on to him tight , before they broke away , foreheads pressed together , eyes shut closed , as they took deep breaths mumbling 'i love you's.
Taehyung leaned up to place a soft kiss on Jin's forehead , a fond smile playing on his lips mirroring Jin's.
At that moment they knew life was going to be better. It may not turn out how they want it to ,but as long as they have each other , nothing else really matters. What matters is them in every moment , being there for each other , together. It was more than enough. They were enough for each other…