Chapter Text
Jungkook is currently standing in his dorm hallway, staring at his closed door. He takes a second to breathe, because if he doesn’t, he’ll probably scream. Then he lets his forehead rest against the door.
He has locked himself out. Again.
And this time isn’t even on purpose.
He sighs and straightens up, rolls his shoulders back a bit and hopes his cologne covers up the fact that he hasn’t slept at all and that he hasn’t brushed his teeth in twenty four hours. God. He wonders if there is some other RA that can unlock his door for him, but he’s already late to turn in the paper he’d been working on all night and let’s be honest–-he’s too afraid to go knocking at anyone else’s door.
Because Jimin is always so nice to him, even though Jungkook has made him unlock his door at least ten times since the semester started.
It started the first time he locked himself out, when he’d honestly just forgotten his keys in a different pair of jeans. He realized it just a second too late, the door slamming in his face as he realized his current pockets were void of any key. And that’s when he’d gone traipsing off to meet his RA, literally for the first time because he’d missed the first hall meeting of the year.
Jimin’s door had been open, music playing as he sang along and made his bed. All Jungkook could see at the entrance to his door was a tuft of red hair, bobbing along to the music. He’d knocked gently on the open door, and Jimin had turned around and smiled at him. Jungkook’s heart stuttered and he’s pretty sure his voice also stuttered when he tried to tell Jimin he’d locked himself out and he’s also sure he almost tripped on absolutely nothing when Jimin invited him in simply because Jungkook couldn’t stop staring as his cute smile, eyes crinkled to slivers of the moon and cheeks bunched up, rosy and a little chubby. And that was the day Jungkook realized he wanted to lock himself out of his room every day so long as he could see that smile. So he did.
Since that day, Jungkook has locked himself out of his room at least ten times. He’s done it on accident only twice, but the rest have definitely been on purpose. Jungkook will wear his best outfits or wear shirts of bands that he knew Jimin likes (and that Jungkook also likes… can you say Fate?). He’ll mouthwash and spritz cologne on himself, maybe ruffle his hair a little bit to make it look like he woke up that way. And every single time Jungkook feels just a little more pathetic until he sees Jimin’s gorgeous smile and glowing red hair and knows that it’s worth it.
Jimin is always around–-in his room or coming up the stairs with a load of clean laundry or comforting one of Jungkook’s neighbors down the hall and every time, Jimin smiles and tells him it’s okay and unlocks Jungkook’s door. The more Jungkook locks himself out, the more he wants to do it again and again and again, because Jimin always smiles at him, always calls him “Jungkookie” in the fondest voice, always gives Jungkook a rush of excitement and that invigorating feeling of really liking someone that Jungkook feels in his rapidly beating heart when he’s around Jimin or, even worse, when he’s in bed, hiding his face in his pillow because he’s grinning and thinking about Jimin’s laugh. Jimin is nice and beautiful and Jungkook is totally whipped.
“Aish,” Jungkook says to himself now, still staring at his door. The paper he’s worked on all night is clutched in one hand, and Jungkook stares down at it as if apologizing for managing to fuck up so badly. First he procrastinates writing his paper until the night before, then he doesn’t get any sleep so he can stay up and write it, and then he locks himself out. Jungkook is amazed at his own stupidity. Then he sighs and heads down the hall to meet his fate in all his sleep-deprived glory.
“Do you know that they’ve now given me a copy of your room key?” Jimin says. Jungkook almost doesn’t even realize he’s spoken, because Jimin has literally just woken up. His hair is a mess, shooting up in all directions, and Jungkook can see his blue plaid pajama bottoms beneath the blanket he has draped over his shoulders.
“Oh my god,” Jungkook murmurs out, barely stopping himself from also calling Jimin cute. “I am so sorry, oh my god. Why do I always do this? I’m so sorry, I’ll go bug someone else for once, oh my–”
“Jungkookie!” Jimin says, laughing and drawing out the “eeee” on the end of his nickname. “I was joking. I mean, they really did give me a key, but I don’t mind.”
“You were asleep. I woke you up. Oh my god.” Jungkook feels like such a mess. He feels disgusting and like he needs a shower and like he also could just push Jimin back into his bed and also crawl in with him to snuggle and fall asleep instantly. He also kind of feels like he could throw up, because oh my god, he woke up a literal angel and he has never felt worse than he does right now.
Jimin still manages to shine and laugh like the sun when he’s just woken up–-still looks gorgeous without make-up and in a plain white tee, plaid pajama bottoms, and his striped comforter. Jungkook would literally walk Jimin down a red carpet with the way he looks now, because he’d probably just start a new pajama trend and celebrities would follow in his wake because he is just that gorgeous. In his pajamas.
And here Jungkook is, in the same tee-shirt he wore yesterday and jeans that really need a wash and bags under his eyes and his shitty essay clutched in one hand (that he might rip because he’s so nervous and feels so bad right now, oh my god).
“Jungkookie, relax,” Jimin says, genuine concern on his face. He steps forward and puts a hand on the younger’s shoulder. “Are you okay? You kind of look like you might cry.”
“I might,” Jungkook says on accident (he really meant to say that in his head). “I’m sorry, I just haven’t gotten any sleep and my door is locked and I woke you up and this” he clutches his paper to hear it crinkle, “is probably an F.”
Jimin smiles softly. “Oh, Jungkookie. Is this your first all-nighter? When is this due?” He pries Jungkook’s paper out of his shaking hands and smooths it out on the surface of his open door.
“Like, right now,” Jungkook sighs, watching Jimin and really wanting just to snuggle under that blanket with him.
“Ah,” Jimin says. “You’ll be okay. Don’t worry. Listen, Professor Kim is really nice and won’t mind that you’re late. Don’t even tell him what happened; he probably won’t care.” Jungkook nods listlessly and watches Jimin continue to smooth the creases out of the paper. “After his class is over, which you’ve probably missed a lot of by now anyway, just come back home, okay? Don’t worry about your other classes. You need some rest. Okay?”
Jimin looks at Jungkook, who’s still standing there feeling mostly panicked and sick and tired, but Jimin is looking at him with bright eyes and his essay (which is still crinkled but has now been touched by an angel) in his hands and Jungkook is starting to feel all his panicked energy turn into absolute, overwhelming affection.
Jimin smiles at him and grabs his keys. They walk to Jungkook’s door in silence, because Jungkook doesn’t know what to say beyond “thank you” and “why are you so nice to me” and “when my class is over can I come over and nap with you” and also “can I kiss you.” So he doesn’t say anything.
Jimin unlocks his door and waits for Jungkook to grab his keys. Out in the hall, Jimin hands him his essay and smiles. Jungkook takes a deep breath and kind of huffs exhaustedly, and Jimin laughs. Jungkook smiles back at him, his panic settling to make way for even more of that overwhelming affection. His heart is beating a thousand miles a minute and Jungkook’s hands are shaking a little bit, but Jimin is also so cute and Jungkook is so tired he might cry about it once he gets this stupid essay turned in.
“Are you okay now?”
“I think so,” Jungkook says, looking down at his essay. “Thank you,” he finally says.
“Of course, Jungkookie.” Jimin pats him on the shoulder like he always does, then lets his hand trail down to rest at the small of Jungkook’s back as they walk to the stairs. “Come see me when you get back from class?” Jimin asks.
Jungkook stops one step down so he has to look up. The lights of the stairwell make Jimin glow even more than usual, and if this were some other universe, Jungkook would absolutely lean up to kiss him. And in this universe, Jimin would kiss him back and hold his face and laugh quietly and promise Jungkook they could make out later if he went to class now.
But Jungkook is in this universe, where he feels like an asshole and an idiot and Jimin is still beautiful and kind and Jungkook is too shy to do more than lock himself out so he can see him.
“Sure,” Jungkook says.
Jimin reaches out to brush his hand on Jungkook’s cheek. “You’re gonna be fine,” he says.
Jungkook freezes and looks at the other with wide eyes. Jimin laughs, says “Go! You’re already late!” and pushes him a little. Jungkook finally starts to head down the stairs, stopping at the bottom to look up at Jimin. He’s still there, grinning now and looking like he knows all of Jungkook’s secrets. Which, he probably does.
Jungkook smiles and heads out the door.