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The smell of dinner wafts through the air, and instinctively, Jungkook’s stomach growls in response. No matter the time of day or what mood Jungkook finds himself in, Seokjin's cooking always has that effect on him.
When he calls out to Seokjin, he kicks off his shoes at the door and rushes into the kitchen. An apron waits for him on the nearby countertop, neatly folded and recently purchased specifically for him. It takes everything in Jungkook to not laugh at the sweet gesture.
“Ready?”
Jungkook turns to Seokjin, his own fingers making quick work of the apron’s ties behind his back. Seokjin has already begun cooking, but he had promised over text that it was just to get some of the beginning steps out of the way; ones that he knows Jungkook already knows despite his novice status.
“Of course,” Jungkook assures, grinning wide as he watches the steam curl over Seokjin’s favorite pots. “What are we making tonight?”
“My famous pork dish, of course.”
Jungkook smiles as he washes up, absolutely delighted that Seokjin has decided to teach him how to make his signature meal. This one, in particular, is Seokjin’s absolute favorite to cook; and he’s been known to covet his methods on how to prepare it.
Yet he’s going to teach it to Jungkook.
Seokjin is diligent when he shows Jungkook how to make the marinade. He’s meticulous with the measurements and triple-checks that Jungkook has the appropriate amount before he lets him drop it into the bowl to mix. Once the vegetables are chopped and combined with the meat, Jungkook’s expression falters for a brief moment.
“Ah, hyung. Aren’t we supposed to let this soak overnight?”
Without batting an eye, Seokjin swings open the refrigerator’s double doors and pulls out a large metal bowl.
“Hyung’s got it covered. I prepared this last night so we could cook it together. I’ll use your marinated pork for tomorrow since I know you’re too busy with school to come back for dinner again.”
Jungkook’s heart swells. Seokjin must have known just how excited Jungkook was for this to have taken the extra steps to prepare the first half of the dish in advance. This lets Jungkook get to participate in the full lesson. He reaches out and hugs Seokjin as tight as he can. All the tension and stress from such a long, grueling day of classes start to bleed out drop by drop.
University is hard. Lately, Jungkook feels like art is even more difficult.
He really is tired.
Suddenly, his eldest hyung lets out a small squeak of surprise followed by bubbling laughter. It takes all of Jungkook not to melt right then and there.
It comes as no surprise, but he really does have the best hyungs.
Jungkook feels the way his muscles ache and pull as Jimin presses on his back, helping Jungkook’s fingertips reach even further on the wooden floors than his stiff joints would normally allow. He’s angry and tired, the sharp words from a bad critique during class still ringing in the back of Jungkook’s mind. He doesn’t mean to let it cloud his mind, but this is one of the few safe places and safe people Jungkook can let himself feel this way around.
Jimin comes into view, bare feet carefully stepping in front of him. “Wanna learn my routine from my contemporary class?”
Jungkook quirks his eyebrow. Contemporary matches Jimin’s graceful, lithe movements, and this speciality of his is evident in every step he takes. Jungkook’s dancing is more R&B and pop focused, so the suggestion feels like such a weird change of pace.
Although, Jimin knows how to goad him into it. All he needs to do is simply ask “What? Can't do it?” before Jungkook is scrambling to his feet with a small pinch in his brow. Jungkook knows he falls for it every single time Jimin challenges him, but he’s stubbornly competitive by nature.
And this hyung knows it.
Jimin guides him through the dance routine he’s been working on for some showcase coming up. The movements are fluid, sweeping, and almost like liquid. Jungkook takes a few tries, but eventually he’s able to mimic the steps he observes in the mirror. They practice for the next few hours, Jungkook having to work his muscles and joints in ways he’s never really had to before. Contemporary dance is slower, almost more powerful, and he can feel the way his limbs tighten with the control needed to hit every beat.
By the time the sun sets, he and Jimin are both sprawled out on the floor, practically drowning in their own sweat. The sounds of labored breathing bounce off the walls, but Jungkook pays it no mind as he turns over and looks at Jimin through the mirror.
“I’m so tired.”
Jimin smiles, delighted and sweet. “You always get so stuck in your head. Sometimes you gotta work out your thoughts with your body.”
Jungkook realizes that these words probably would’ve sounded silly if Jimin had said them when they were stretching. In fact, Jungkook probably would’ve just laughed it off and shrugged––but Jimin knew to lure Jungkook in first and let the realization come second.
Jungkook groans as he sits up, his hair plastered to his forehead with the amount of sweat dripping down his face. He reaches over, pinching Jimin’s cheeks, and giggles when his hyung laughs and slaps his hand away.
The anger about his critique isn’t quite there like it was before. It’s subdued and tired, much like Jungkook’s entire body at the moment.
“Yeah,” Jungkook agrees. “I do feel better.”
Creativity is hard when it’s the last thing he wants to work on. Jungkook argues that creativity is a skill; it’s something to be sharpened and polished. There are some who are naturally creative and know how to express themselves from the very beginning, but Jungkook just thinks most normal people aren’t inherently born that way.
Although, there are times where he looks at Taehyung, and that reasoning seems to falter.
“Like this, Jungkook-ah,” Taehyung says softly, his paintbrush swirling in the acrylic paint. It feels sloppy––Jungkook personally never uses his paintbrush to mix the paints directly, but of course, it somehow works for Taehyung.
Painting is more up Jungkook’s alley than cooking and dancing, but it’s still something he’s only ever dabbled in. With an upcoming capstone project, Taehyung had invited Jungkook to his apartment in order to work on it together. His reasoning for Jungkook’s company: “It’s more fun with a friend!”
For a while, Jungkook just stares at his blank canvas. He doesn't even have an inkling of what he should start off with. Taehyung just brushes shapes right onto the canvas, whereas Jungkook itches to grab his pencil first for a sketch. Even though he wants to start with something familiar at first, Taehyung encourages him to “just go for it.”
Jungkook dips his brush into the green he’s mixed on his tray, watching as the colors streak across the bristles. Since he’d mixed it directly on the palette like Taehyung, the colors aren’t perfectly blended. It’s out of his normal routine, but Taehyung looks at him with an expression that tells him he should roll with it.
Jungkook starts with the background. He plops down a glob of the paint and starts smearing it over the entire canvas. It’s quick and simple, but something about the streaky color makes him smile. It has its own charm, he supposes.
Taehyung eventually stops paying him any mind and Jungkook is left alone with his own work. His red paint forms a couple of flowers in the center, and he ignores the way his mind kind of wanders. It’s definitely not something he’d normally create, nor are the colors ones he’d use, but there’s something so… freeing about this at the same time. It’s new and different and Jungkook takes a deep breath for what feels like the first time all week. This isn’t for a class, so the pressure of doing something creative without the scrutinizing eyes of his professors feels liberating in more ways than he can count.
“Having fun?” Taehyung asks, but there’s a smugness to his tone like he already knows. Jungkook throws him a stern look, but Taehyung doesn’t back down––he just simply laughs in response.
“A little,” Jungkook admits, green and red paint covering the sides of his hands from the messy mixing. “I guess it’s not so bad trying something new…”
Two of Jungkook’s older hyungs are on today’s agenda. It’s officially Jungkook’s first guitar lesson with Yoongi while Namjoon offers songwriting support, and he’s been looking forward to it all month.
“Hey,” Yoongi greets softly, voice deep and crackly from probably being locked in the studio all day. Namjoon perks up at the intrusion. “How was school?”
Realistically, Jungkook’s day was… fine. Although, he’s been uninspired with pretty much everything lately. Being an art major doesn’t help—it requires a level of creativity of him every single day that he doesn’t always have.
Looking at Namjoon and Yoongi in front of him, Jungkook realizes he doesn’t know how to really vocalize that. These two live and breathe creativity in every facet of their lives, both being excellent producers and lyricists. Music isn’t exactly Jungkook’s specialty either.
“Doesn’t look good,” Namjoon teases, expression soft as Jungkook plops down on the nearby couch. “Wanna talk about it?”
Jungkook doesn’t, or perhaps, he doesn’t know how to.
They both look at him so patiently and softly, so Jungkook tries. “I’ve been dealing with all kinds of art blocks and nothing I try seems to help…”
Yoongi hums, as if he completely understands while Namjoon reaches out and sympathetically pats Jungkook’s shoulder.
“Being in the arts is hard,” Namjoon comments, voice gentle. “It’s not like you can just skip class because of art block.”
“Exactly,” Jungkook groans, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What do you both do? I’m sure you get stuck with a song every now and then.”
His hyungs turn towards each other as they think about how to answer. Yoongi’s expression doesn’t change much, but Namjoon looks pensive as he considers the question altogether. It’s sweet that they’re both taking his words to heart.
“It’s okay if something you make is crap,” Yoongi offers simply, Namjoon barking out a sharp laugh of surprise. “When I need to finish a song and it’s not going well, I fiddle with a new song on the side.”
“I do the same,” Namjoon adds. “I work on small poems or even just stanzas––anything to get the brain working. Sometimes it’ll give you a new perspective.”
“Not everything is going to be perfect.” Yoongi stands and brings the guitar in the corner over, plopping it onto Jungkook’s lap. Jungkook rushes to catch it before it falls, feeling clumsy about the whole thing. “Practice makes perfect. Even if you have to push out a million crappy drawings, you’ll eventually get the one you like done.”
Jungkook hums, fingers gently plucking at the guitar strings to fill the silence. “A new perspective, huh?”
Hoseok is kind and sweet, and radiates a kind of warmth that Jungkook often melts into immediately. There’s a special place in his heart for his sunny hyung, and the idea of spending the day with him makes Jungkook’s heart swell with joy.
“I think this would look great on you!” Hoseok’s lips practically curl into a heart, clearly excited at the jacket hanging from the store’s branded hanger as they shop downtown. “Don’t you think?”
Jungkook eyes the jacket Hoseok pulls off the rack. The material is black––definitely something Jungkook would pick out for himself normally. But it seems a bit edgier, definitely more fitted than the baggy shape Jungkook usually wants.
“Try it out!” Hoseok chimes, shoving it against Jungkook’s chest when he sees the hesitance. “You seem really tired these days so think of it as hyung’s treat.”
Jungkook wants to argue that he doesn’t deserve something that looks so expensive, and he certainly doesn’t think his busy schedule and avoidance of his responsibilities warrants a gift like this. Yet Hoseok’s warm smile makes Jungkook purse his lips and shove his arms through the sleeves. Hoseok even takes the hanger for him while he does.
“Ah! It’s perfect, don’t you think?!”
Hoseok eagerly pushes him towards the mirror, gesturing towards the new garment. It isn’t something he would have picked out right away on his own, but now that he sees it, he can’t help but smile.
In all honesty, Jungkook loves it. He turns around for a moment, checking how it frames his back, and finds himself laughing when Hoseok pulls out his phone, the camera shutter going off immediately. It’s such a simple gesture, but this jacket feels like it lifts a lingering hug. He knows the gesture from Hoseok is to make him feel better, but he’s far too excited about owning something so fashionable and unique to reject such an act of kindness. Hoseok looks thrilled to see Jungkook wearing something he picked out, and it isn’t long before they’re both up at the register, Hoseok swiping his card before Jungkook can even get out his own wallet to try to argue it.
“Hyung,” Jungkook complains, bumping his forehead against Hoseok’s shoulder. “It’s so expensive… I can’t ask you––”
“You’re not asking me,” Hoseok interrupts, grinning as the employee starts bagging the jacket. “I’m offering. And if my little Jungkookie is having a hard time, use this jacket to make you feel better.”
Jungkook looks at him, confusion written all over his expression. “Feel better?”
“Yeah! Confidence is key to everything. Trust me, when you’re not feeling your best, dressing your best will give you a new attitude for the day.”
Jungkook feels like he might not quite understand it quite yet as they walk out of the store, bag in hand. But he also knows that Hoseok is never wrong.
Jungkook sits in his studio, heavy boots clunking on the floor as he looks at the large sketchpad on its easel in front of him. His hands are covered in charcoal and his clothes are dusted with graphite, but this is everything he could’ve asked for. His hands itch with the desire to move, to press into the paper. His shoulders ache with the way he’s been hunched over his canvas for so long, planning and calculating.
An idea for his next project had come to him in the middle of the night. The moment the sun broke over the horizon, he was running out the door to get to campus as soon as possible.
In the mini-fridge in the corner sits Seokjin’s pork dish for lunch and on the coat hanger sits Jungkook’s new jacket. (And yes, he had gotten a boost of confidence wearing it today.) His muscles still ache from the dancing, too. Tied in with a new attitude from Taehyung and perspective from Namjoon and Yoongi, Jungkook feels ready to tackle everything in front of him.
Jungkook cracks his knuckles and pushes his pencil into the paper again. It doesn’t take long.
He finally finds it in himself to start.