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jeongguk sighs as he navigates his way through the sweat-slicked bodies, all grinding against each other as the deafening music of the club pulses through their systems. he weaves through the crowd with practiced ease, familiar with and, at this point, a little bored with the usual friday night scene. he's getting restless, groaning as he looks around at the boring selection of people presenting themselves.
it's all taehyung's fault really. he had barged into jeongguk's apartment a few hours previously, decisively ignoring the fact that he was in the middle of taking care of some very important business which demanded his immediate attention (read: eating cereal and watching anime), and proclaiming rather loudly that jeongguk needed to get laid. jeongguk had been about to open his mouth to present what would have been a very reasonable and well thought out argument as to why that most definitely was not true when he was interrupted by his netflix stopping right in the middle of his episode of death note, because at least jeongguk watches fucking manly animes, not that flowery shit that taehyung ropes him into watching when he has nothing better to do (and he may or may not have just switched over from watching fruits basket, but that's nobody's business but his own), and telling him with a cheerful notification noise that you've been watching netflix for a very long time, are you sure you're still watching? (and jeongguk really doesn't need this kind of judgement coming from his computer. but then, it was far later than he had anticipated and - wait, wasn't he about to prove a point?) jeongguk looked down at his computer screen then turned his head towards the now soggy bowl of fruit loops resting in his lap and yeah, maybe taehyung has a point.
so he had allowed taehyung to draw some eyeliner on him, trying to have some semblance of faith in the elder as he proclaimed with absolute certainty "don't you worry jeonggukie, we'll get you laid! how could anyone resist a fine piece of ass like yourself?" and okay, yeah, jeongguk had to give him that, because he's nothing if not observant and how could anyone not be aware of their own hotness?
except now he's starting to think he may have been a little bit wrong because it's been two fucking hours and so far, jeongguk has come across just about no willing partners for his supposed one night stand.
(okay, so that's not one hundred percent true. there had been one or two girls who had pressed themselves into his side and whispered dirty things into his ear, but he had had to turn them away as gently as he could while making it absolutely clear that he likes dick, thank you very much.)
and now his supposed wingman and best friend (though jeongguk might have to reconsider whether or not he deserves either of those titles at this point) has disappeared, most likely getting fucked in a public restroom while jeongguk is left to maneuver his way through the writhing bodies as he tries desperately to resist the urge to just go home and crawl under the covers and cry himself to sleep while listening to g dragon on repeat (because gd is the only man who will ever truly hold the key to jeon jeongguk's heart.)
just as he's about to accept defeat, give himself a pep talk on the way home about how it's not jeongguk's fault that nobody in that club knows a good looking man when they see one. because jeongguk is a strong, independent college student who don't need no man goddamnit. he's just resolved to go home and catch up on some much needed sleep, when his eyes are caught by a flash of orange hair sitting at the bar. jeongguk squints his eyes to get a closer look at the man and, okay, so he may not have the best eyesight, and he may be be looking from a bit of a distance, but one would have to be blind in order to overlook the obvious sex appeal oozing from the man. his chest is wrapped in a fitted black t-shirt which exposes his, if jeongguk says so himself, very defined collarbones, and his strong thighs are gloriously displayed in a pair of skin tight leather pants which leave very little to the imagination and - okay, jeongguk may be drooling a little bit at his point.
(can you blame him? it has been an awfully long time since he's gotten laid and he may be a little bit weak to pretty boys with sculpted asses and wow, does jeongguk really want to bite into his.)
his eyes trace back up the man's body and stare appraisingly at plump lips, a defined jawline and beautiful, watery eyes and - wait a second, is this guy crying?
by this time, jeongguk has managed to slip his way between the numerous couples littered everywhere and is now standing by the bar, a respectable distance away from the boy, but still close enough to clearly see his features. however, jeongguk still has to do a double take when he sees the tear tracks lacing down the boys chubby and downright adorable cheeks, which jeongguk will file away and think about later because right now, his thoughts are entirely taken up by the fact that this boy is actually honest to god crying in the middle of a nightclub, nursing what looks like one of those fruity drinks taehyung always orders because "alcohol is yucky jeonggukie!" (not that that does anything to keep him from getting absolutely hammered every friday night.) as jeongguk stares at the boy, another boy comes up behind him and wraps a comforting hand around his shoulder and says a bit loudly so that the boy (and unintentionally, jeongguk) can hear him over the pulsing nightclub air.
"don't think about him jiminnie! he has no idea what he's missing out on because of what he did. this is your chance to get over him! find a nice boy to fuck your worries out of you!"
said friend is obviously hammered, and the ethereal boy doesn't look any happier than he did before, a forced smile spreading across his cheeks which seems to satisfy his tipsy companion, but doesn't quite reach his eyes.
now, jeongguk's not an asshole - he's really not (most of the time), and he knows the rule against taking advantage of people when they're in such a vulnerable post-breakup state. and he knows that if taehyung were here right now (the abandoning piece of shit), he would be whooping jeongguk's ass for even considering it. but the thing is, taehyung's not here, and jeongguk has enough drinks in his system to feel a pleasant buzzing in the back of his skull, and all he can think is that it's been so damn long since he's had the opportunity to share his bed with someone so ridiculously attractive as the orange haired boy sitting right before his eyes. and he can't get it out of his head how easy it would be for him to walk right over there, provide a shoulder to cry on, make the boy feel cherished and valued for just one night, and then he'd be on his way. no hard feelings, right?
with these thoughts clouding his mind, he downs the rest of his whiskey, because he's a real man dammit, who drinks real alcohol (he may or may not grimace as it goes down, and his eyes might linger longingly on the orange haired boy's strawberry daiquiri, but that's besides the point.) with his vision pleasantly fuzzy, he walks right up to the beautiful boy and leans against the counter, flashing a soft and comforting smile in the boy's direction.
"hi, my name's jeongguk."
~
jeongguk feels like he's going to be sick. and no, it's not because of the rather excessive amount of alcohol he had recently consumed. no, jeongguk feels sick because the beautiful boy in front of him is telling him all about his ex boyfriend and the wonderfully colorful things he'd done to him.
in the past twenty minutes, jeongguk has gotten to hear all about the man who had dated and called this boy, jimin, his own for nearly a year, and had, in that time, accomplished such a wide array of sleazy acts that jeongguk would be impressed if he wasn't too busy being angry and disgusted. the man had not only cheated on jimin with the boy's cousin, who had only recently reached the tender age of eighteen, but had actually had the nerve to tell him at the boy's family reunion. as he and the cousin announced it to the rest of jimin's family. then this boy, this beautiful, lovely, trusting boy, had volunteered to move out of their shared apartment, to give the newly outed couple a chance to be by themselves. he had even allowed the ex boyfriend to keep all of their shared items, assuring the man that he could always get new ones. and now jimin is living with a close friend, the one who jeongguk had seen earlier, and was looking everywhere for an apartment which he couldn't afford because, oh yeah, he had also lost his job the same week.
so now his friend decided to drag him out to this shitty nightclub, with the suggestion that jimin get back on the horse, and left him all on his own to sit at the bar and sip at fruity mix drinks which he can't actually afford to pay for. jeongguk thinks that friend is an idiot, because it's clear that what jimin needs right now is not some shitty one night stand. what this boy needs is revenge and some tlc (which jeongguk is more than willing to provide.)
and jeongguk is maybe a little bit disgusted with himself, because now he honestly can't believe he ever once considered taking advantage of this poor selfless boy who has been stepped on so many times that he is actually sitting here in front of jeongguk, sniffling and saying he should have known better, that he should have tried harder, a sad smile stretching its way across his plump lips which jeongguk can't even think about kissing right now because this boy is honestly so fragile and delicate that he's afraid he'd collapse if he gave him even a slightly too enthusiastic hug. what the actual fuck.
the boy's eyes widen with confusion and a little bit of hurt and it takes jeongguk a moment to realize that he had spoken the four words out loud. he scrambles for a suitable way to explain himself because the boy's lower lip is trembling and fuck, jeongguk cannot handle any more tears from this boy, or else he's going to burst into tears himself.
"how could you even possibly think that any of this is your fault?" jeongguk ventures, voice soft (or as soft as it can be with jimin still able to hear him over the pulsating nightclub air.) jimin's eyes widen and his mouth opens and closes a bit, as though trying to find a suitable answer which jeongguk knows he won't find. "don't answer that." he says, just in case.
"there is literally no reason for you to be blaming yourself right now. that guy that you were dating? newsflash, he's an asshole. and no, he' s not misunderstood or bad at expressing his feelings. he is. an asshole." jeongguk's tongue is loosened with one too many drinks and before he knows it, he's ranting. "i'm going to be perfectly honest; i first approached you tonight because you looked vulnerable and i thought you'd be an easy lay. not to mention you have the finest ass i've ever come across. but i am so disgusted with myself for thinking of you so simply when there is obviously so much more to you than that. you are such a beautiful human being. that friend that brought you here is an idiot. it makes me sick to think that if any other horny idiot had approached you, you might have been taken advantage of. and i'm going to be honest, i am an asshole. i am a complete and total asshole, but at least i'm seeing that i was wrong. at least i'm trying to be less asshole-y. and i know we've only known each other for like a half hour, but i can honestly say that you are one of the most pure and honest people i have ever met. so don't think of yourself as anything less."
it's takes jeongguk a couple moments to really process what he's just said because wow, jeongguk is not a man of many words, and he's pretty sure he just spoke more in the past couple of minutes than he had in all of last week.
jimin's shoulders are shaking, and jeongguk thinks he may be crying again, but when his head lifts up, his eyes are dry and there is a beautiful smile stretching across his face. it takes jeongguk a moment to realize that in his alcohol induced slur, the speech may not have come out as well articulated and intelligible as he had hoped, but he decides that's okay. because jimin looks about a thousand times happier than he had a few minutes ago and that, jeongguk decides, is enough for now.
"i'll tell you what," jeongguk starts, once jimin's laughs have trailed off into soft giggles and hiccups which warm jeongguk's heart, "drinks are on me. how many of those have you had?" he gestures towards the pink drink between jimin's small hands. "um, two i think?" jimin says, cheeks flushing and fingers twitching. "but you really don't have to..." jeongguk silences him with a finger to his lips. he leans in closer so that jimin can hear him. "i don't like being the only drunk one. and trust me, you deserve this. it's the least i can do."
it's fifteen minutes later, when they're both red faced and giggling, that jeongguk turns to jimin and looks him in the eye, expression one of dead seriousness.
"have you ever thrown a drink in someone's face?"
jimin's answering wide eyes are all it takes before jeongguk is grasping him gently by the wrist and leading him out of the seedy nightclub and into the cool night air.
~
jeongguk can't stop giggling, and neither can jimin, and they're starting to draw weird looks from the woman standing behind the counter. which doesn't make sense because they're standing in a 7/11 at two in the morning and laughing in front of the slurpee machine, which admittedly is weird, but can't be the weirdest thing the woman has encountered while working the graveyard shift.
i've had too much to drink, jeongguk just barely registers, as he stares ahead of him at jimin's pink cheeks and giggling face, hair mussed and eyes clouded over with alcohol. he's clutching a large slurpee cup in his hand and near doubling over in laughter, amused by something which is probably completely mundane and uninteresting, but in his drunken mind is the funniest thing ever created. jeongguk sobers a little bit at the sight, because he may be drunk, but he's not nearly as drunk as jimin, and jeongguk wonders if maybe he should have made him stop after the fourth drink. but jimin looks happy, and jeongguk decides that's enough for now.
they walk towards the counter together, leaning against each other for balance and giggling the whole time. it takes jeongguk a moment to find his wallet, digging through his pockets and trying not to get distracted by the way jimin is nuzzling his face into his neck, warm breaths ghosting over his skin and making him shiver. it takes him even longer to count out the right amount of change, and the woman at the counter looks pretty annoyed (either that, or she just has a resting bitch face. jeongguk is inclined to believe the latter.) he forks over the cash, grabbing jimin by the arm and flashing the cashier woman a bright, if slightly tipsy smile. she does not return it.
they burst out into the sidewalk, the cold night air serving to sober them slightly and their smiles grow more reserved. they pause, and jeongguk turns towards jimin, gazing down at him and happy to see the attention returned. jimin's eyes are curving into crescents and his lips are curled into a gentle smile and his cheeks are flushed with alcohol and his orange hair is fluffed in odd directions. jeongguk thinks he's never seen anything so beautiful in his life. they look at each other for a moment, seemingly forgetting what they were doing, before jeongguk suddenly starts, taking a minuscule step back. jimin frowns, and jeongguk takes his free hand in his own, using the other to gesture towards the cup clasped in jimin's other hand.
"give me an address." he states, looking into jimin's eyes. jimin's gaze loses some of its alcohol induced blur, and he looks at jeongguk with some mixture of excitement and trepidation. "oh my god," he murmurs softly in a high voice which makes jeongguk smile a bit dopily (in a manly way of course), "are we actually going through with this?" jeongguk shrugs.
"you don't have to, but i really need to see some justice brought and i will go without you if you decide against it. so either way, i'll be needing an address." jimin's hand tightens in jeongguk's grip, and he brightens again, taking jeongguk's hand and leading him towards said boy's car. "i'll just give you directions." he states firmly, taking his place in the passenger's seat and crossing his arms with a determined look on his face. (which jeongguk definitely does not find adorable.)
as jeongguk turns his key in the ignition, he looks over at jimin's smiling face, meeting his crescent eyes with a grin of his own, and decides that maybe taehyung's not the worst friend in the world.
~
jimin is swaying back and forth a bit, drunken determination twisting his features into a confident smile. he pauses in front one of the apartment doors, and jeongguk reaches out to steady him with a gentle hand on his back. jimin shoots him a grateful, if slightly dazed smile, and reaches up one fist to rap against the door. jeongguk is starting to think this may not be a great idea, but there is still a little alcohol running through his system; just enough to soften his judgement. he grips the now melted slushie in his free hand, not trusting jimin's coordination right now.
jimin's little fist slams against the door, hard and incessant, and they are definitely waking up the neighbors. jeongguk can't find it in himself to care.
he can hear muffled whispers behind the door, frustration clearly lacing through the tone. suddenly, the door opens, jimin swaying unsteadily, caught only by jeongguk's hand which seems to have remained on jimin's lower back. the man at the door looks half asleep, but still furious. a "what the actual fuck..!?" leaves his mouth before he sees who it is standing on his doorstep. his eyes widen comically. "jimin?"
jeongguk can feel an unreasonable amount of anger well up inside his chest. this is the man who hurt jimin. this is the man who took everything the angel offered and threw it right back in his face. jeongguk tenses, jaw locking and eyes narrowing. neither jimin nor the man notice, the latter's attention still on jimin. his jaw has dropped open a bit.
jimin pulls himself up with one hand on the doorframe, the other coming up to point accusingly at the man.
"you-!" he exclaims, speech slurred and confident. jeongguk's lips twitch into a small smile.
"you are... a very bad man!" jeongguk snorts at his insult. jimin really is too precious.
"you were very very mean to me! i am a good person! jeonggukie says so! i did not deserve your meanness!" jeongguk's cheeks warm when jimin mentions his name. the man's eyes flicker to him, seeming to notice his presence for the first time. his eyes narrow. jeongguk crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow. they stare at each other for a time, neither willing to back down. the man looks pissed off. jeongguk smirks a little. serves him right. it takes him a moment to realize that jimin is still talking.
"-and i didn't even like your mother's cooking! i was just being polite!" he is rambling, words slurring together and jeongguk puts a gentle hand on his arm. this seems to snap jimin out of his reverie. he looks toward jeongguk and jeongguk holds out the slushie. jimin's eyes light up as he remembers why they came here. jeongguk smiles at the sight. the man looks utterly confused by the exchange. jimin turns back to him, slushie now gripped firmly between his hands.
"i never did anything unkind to you. i now realize that i should have, because you did not deserve my kindness. so here is something that you do deserve."
jimin bites his lip, smile threatening to break through, and lifts the cup. there is a split second of recognition crossing the man's face, but it is too late. the slushie flies out of the cup, splashing blue all over the man and his hall carpet. jimin's hand flies over his mouth, giddy giggles threatening to escape. jeongguk is laughing too, almost doubled over. the man's hands rise to wipe the sticky mess out of his eyes, and jeongguk realizes that fuck, they really need to get out of here.
he grabs jimin by the arm, running down the hallway and tugging the boy along with him. jimin is still giggling, stumbling after jeongguk. the man is calling out down the hall, cursing at them as they dart down the stairs, giggles bursting through their lips. they run all the way out of the apartment complex, pausing once outside to catch their breaths. they lean against the wall, hysterical laughter wracking through their bodies as they double over.
"did you see the-"
"his face oh my god-"
"i can't believe we actually-"
"that was so much fun-"
they are able to calm down eventually, giggles dying down into little hiccups. they turn to look at each other, gazes meeting. the smile melts right off of jimin's face, and jeongguk frowns. but his next move surprises jeongguk.
jimin brings both of his hands up, cupping jeongguk's face and taking a step closer. their eyes meet, their lips a hairbreadth away from each other. jimin licks his lips and leans in.
suddenly they are kissing, and jeongguk can't believe how good it feels. jimin's lips are just as soft as they look and-
jimin is pulling away, a panicked look in his eyes. jeongguk frowns, reaching out for him, but jimin darts out of his reach, one hand coming up to cover his mouth. jeongguk is about to ask what's wrong when jimin suddenly turns around and bends down, emptying his stomach all over the grass.
~
jeongguk fumbles with the keys held in his grasp, his other hand carefully steadying jimin's slumped form, pressing into jeongguk's side with his full weight (not that he actually weighs that much.) he had originally intended to take jimin to the drunken boy's own home.
after the whole throwing up debacle, jimin had very nearly passed out, jeongguk catching him around the waist before he could face plant on the concrete. he had tried to solicit directions out of the boy, but he was in no shape to give them, mouth hung open and head lolling onto jeongguk's shoulder. looking at the boy's messy (but still very beautiful) profile, jeongguk had concluded that there was no way he was getting anything decipherable out of the drunken boy; and there was no way he was leaving the boy on his own.
the only logical solution seemed to be taking jimin back to jeongguk's house, because the boy needed to be looked after in the state he was currently in. the decision had seemed much more reasonable before jeongguk remembered that his elevator is broken and he lives on the third floor. he had dragged jimin up one story before giving up on enabling the boy's own weak steps, picking him up bridal style and carrying him the rest of the way.
(jeongguk is suddenly very grateful for all of the hours he's spent at the gym lately.)
jeongguk finally manages to get the door open, wrapping an arm around jimin's waist and guiding him into the dark apartment. jimin is a bit more awake now, blinking confusedly at the no doubt unfamiliar scene before his eyes. his eyes land on jeongguk, and some of the confusion seems to fade. his lips curl into a lazy grin, and jeongguk can't help but return it. he carefully leads jimin down the hall and into his bedroom, depositing him gently on the mattress. jeongguk moves to leave the room when he feels a tug at his shirt. he turns around to find jimin, eyes hooded with sleep and small fist curled into jeongguk's t-shirt. his lips are formed into a cute pout, and jeongguk almost coos.
"please don't leave me here, jeonggukie."
jeongguk frowns at the sadness in jimin's voice, leaning down to run his fingers through jimin's fluffy hair.
"i'm just going to get you some water. i'll be right back."
his answer seems to satisfy jimin, as he makes a small humming noise under his breath and his hand loosens its grip on jeongguk's shirt.
when jeongguk returns, jimin is staring at the ceiling with an intense level of focus. when he hears the door open, however, he darts up to a sitting position, features twisting into a cheerful grin. jeongguk hands jimin the glass of water and makes sure he drinks the whole thing, running his fingers through the boy's hair the entire time.
"jeonggukie?" jimin asks, eyes drooping. jeongguk hums in response. "i have to pee."
jeongguk laughs, and it's ridiculous, because it's not even all that funny. it's just that he feels so light, happier than he has in a while. he points down the hall and jimin thanks him happily, stumbling out the door. for a moment, jeongguk wonders if maybe he should have walked jimin down the hall, but brushes it off when he hears the door close down the hall. he leans back on the bed, eyes fluttering closed as he waits for jimin. he falls asleep to the sound of gentle footsteps padding across wooden floors. in his sleep, he smiles.
~
bright sunlight is filtering through the windows and casting a cheerful glow over jeongguk's bedroom. normally, he would be up at the break of dawn, going out on a run or working on his homework which he never does the night before. but then, of course, normally he's not painfully hungover.
jeongguk groans, moving to throw an arm over his eye to block out the invasive light. however, much to his dismay, said arm won't budge. jeongguk's brows furrow in confusion at the distinct warm weight pressing his limb into the mattress. he cracks his eyes open and peers down, catching a glimpse of fluffy orange hair. suddenly, the events of the previous night come rushing back to him, and he smiles faintly. he blinks his eyes open wider and tilts his head to get a better look at the boy.
jimin is pressed into jeongguk's side, laying on his arm with their legs hopelessly tangled. his face is lax in sleep, soft and innocent. his hair is tangled and his mouth is hanging open slightly, a small puddle of drool pooling at the corner of his lips. jeongguk thinks he's beautiful.
as he watches, jimin begins to stir, lips curving into a frown as the sunlight finally finds his face. he scrunches his nose in distaste and jeongguk chuckles softly. jimin's eyes blink open, still hazy with sleep. he looks up at the ceiling, then frowns, his brow furrowing in confusion. he looks to his side and makes eye contact with jeongguk. recognition travels across his face, and he turns bright red, eyes widening slightly, then turning toward their feet. this time, jeongguk can't keep himself from releasing a soft coo. jimin's head snaps up, and he looks even more embarrassed than before. jeongguk smiles at him.
"hi."
jimin smiles a small smile, relief creeping over his features. he returns the greeting with a small "hello" of his own, and this time his blush looks more pleased than embarrassed. jimin looks like he wants to say something, so jeongguk waits. jimin's fingers twitch nervously.
"do you remember... i mean, that is, do you know what... what we..?"
he trails off, biting his lip, and jeongguk smiles reassuringly.
"nothing happened. we slept."
jimin looks relieved.
"no, i know! that's not what i was worried about. i just wanted to make sure that you remembered everything too..." he trails off into quiet mumbles. jeongguk had forgotten how shy jimin was.
"i remember. i think your ex will remember too." jimin's eyes widen.
"so we actually-? i didn't just imagine that?" jeongguk shakes his head. jimin pauses for a moment, then starts breaking down into fits of giggles. jeongguk smiles, then winces as jimin produces a particularly high pitched giggle, suddenly reminded of the throbbing in his skull. jimin notices, and calms down a bit. "sorry!" he says softly. jeongguk shakes his head, waving him off.
"i'm fine. just need some painkillers. do you want some?" jimin shakes his head, still smiling. "nope! i don't really get hungover!"
jeongguk huffs a sigh and gets out of bed, mumbling a bastard which causes jimin to giggle softly again.
when jeongguk returns, jimin is pulling on his shoes, and jeongguk feels his heart sink a bit.
"leaving already?" he asks, trying to keep the insecurity out of his voice. jimin seems surprised at his reaction.
"well... i mean, i don't want to bother you. no more than i already have anyways..."
"you're not a bother." jeongguk surprises himself with the sincerity of his words, and jimin looks up with a hopeful expression. "thanks." he says softly, practically beaming at jeongguk, and jeongguk feels his heart skip a beat. he stones himself, trying to mentally prepare himself for his next words.
"can i take you out to breakfast?" jimin's expression is shocked, but jeongguk refuses to back down, staring back with confidence that doesn't reflect the butterflies he feels fluttering in his gut.
as jeongguk watches, jimin's lips slowly curve into a smile. "yeah," he says, a bit breathlessly, "yeah i'd like that."
(later, jeongguk checks his phone under the table and finds a new message from taehyung.
i take it u scored? ;)))
jeongguk looks up across the table at jimin's laughing face, and thinks he definitely didn't score what he meant to. but jimin's eyes curve into little crescents when he talks, and maybe, just maybe, he got more than he ever thought he could.)