Chapter Text
The club is packed to bursting when Jungkook arrives, people of all kinds out in full force to start the weekend off right. He weaves his way through the masses, slipping between gyrating bodies and deftly avoiding errant splashes of drinks on his way to the bar, where he manages to flag down the bartender and put in his first order of the night.
Surveying his surroundings as he takes a sip, Jungkook is pleased to spot quite a few potential options for companionship amongst the revelers. Now he just needs to decide what he's in the mood for- a fun and flirty tryst, or something a little heavier? But in the midst of debating between trying his luck on the dancefloor or staying near the drinks Jungkook’s eyes land on the most beautiful man he's ever seen and the whole club seems to grind to a halt around him.
The stranger is sitting at the opposite end of the bar, his broad shoulders barely contained by his black suit jacket, the scarlet shirt underneath unbuttoned just enough to reveal a tantalizing amount of skin. Even sitting his long legs are unmissable, as are the way the fabric of his pants hugs his body in all the right places. Short black hair effortlessly frames his face, which Jungkook is reasonably certain had to have been carved from marble because there's no other explanation for its flawlessness. The sharp slope of his jaw, the perfect curve of his full lips, and the gleam in his dark eyes as they flick up from his drink to meet Jungkook's for just the briefest second...
Oh, Jungkook is absolutely gone.
He barely even registers himself standing and sliding down the bar beside the gorgeous stranger until he's already there, his body giving his brain absolutely no time to formulate a plan of attack before he's begun to speak.
"Come here often?"
The man tilts his head to look Jungkook up and down before letting out a snort.
"Someone hot as you surely has to have better pick-up lines than that," he replies- and oh, his voice is just as stunning as his face. Jungkook can't decide if he's blessed or cursed.
"Well, it got your attention, didn't it?"
"Only because it was so lame." But the stranger is smiling now, and Jungkook smiles too.
"So you think I'm hot?" he asks, taking a seat.
"I've got eyes, don't I?" The man's gaze lingers on the exposed skin of Jungkook's arms, tracing the lines of his tattoos upward. "You look like you could throw me up against the wall and not even break a sweat."
"Probably." Jungkook waggles his eyebrows. "Wanna test that theory?"
"At least buy a guy a drink before you start going all Tarzan on him. If you even can...isn't it past your bedtime?"
"I'm almost thirty," Jungkook scoffs.
"Really?" The man seems genuinely surprised, and Jungkook pouts.
"What's with the look?"
"I never would have guessed, with that baby face of yours..." The stranger tips back the rest of his glass, then motions to the bartender for another. "Guess you can still call me hyung though. I'm Seokjin."
"Nice to meet you, ahjussi. I'm Jungkook.”
Seokjin scowls. “And just how old do you think I am?”
“Mm...forty-five with a good skincare routine?” Jungkook replies with mock-earnestness, snickering at the incensed expression on his new companion’s face.
“Yah! Kids these days, no respect…”
“How come you can call me a kid but I can’t call you old?”
Seokjin just huffs, sliding one of the beers the bartender has placed in front of him over to Jungkook. “You’re trouble, I can already tell.”
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Jungkook asks, taking the glass and raising it up.
Seokjin clinks it with his. "Let's find out, shall we?"
It doesn’t take more than a few rounds for Jungkook to realize he’s completely head over heels for a man he’s just met. Sure, some of that feeling could be due to the alcohol, but even without it Jungkook is quite certain he’d be smitten with Seokjin all the same. It’s not just his unfair beauty, though that would be enough to ensnare most. No, it’s the squeaky little laugh he lets out when Jungkook tells a cheeky joke, or the way his eyes light up when he shares a painfully bad pun of his own. It's the way he tells stories, his entire body gesticulating wildly as he regales ridiculous exploits that have Jungkook clutching his sides with laughter.
Every little part of Seokjin seems tailor made to draw Jungkook in, and if the way the distance between the two of them has been getting smaller and smaller all night is any indication, Jungkook can say he’s not the only one. He's noticed the way Seokjin can't seem to stop his eyes from trailing over Jungkook's body, or how his cheeks flush such a pretty pink whenever Jungkook compliments him. It’s distracting, it’s dangerous, and it makes Jungkook even more ravenous.
When their spirited conversation finally reaches a lull, Jungkook leans forward with a grin.
"Dance with me?"
Seokjin blinks, looking toward the floor and back. "Only if you have very sturdy toes. I'm far from talented."
"I'll be the judge of that," Jungkook declares confidently, holding out his hand. Seokjin rolls his eyes but takes it all the same, allowing himself to be pulled amongst the throng of moving bodies underneath the colorful lights.
True to his word it takes Seokjin a while to find his feet, and once he does he's still charmingly unbalanced compared to Jungkook's easy rhythm. But even so the younger can't help but be helplessly endeared by how Seokjin doesn't seem to mind the stares as he throws himself entirely into his movements, wild and unrestrained. It feels so different being here with him, the two of them matching each other's energy so effortlessly, pushing and pulling and laughing all the while like old friends and not two strangers who just met less than an hour ago.
"You're really not bad at all," Jungkook tells him later, when a slower song has come on and they've relaxed a bit. "Just unique."
"High praise considering you make everyone else out here look like flailing toddlers," Seokjin quips, making no motion to stop Jungkook as he wraps his arms around the elder's waist. "You're not an idol in disguise or something, are you?"
"If I am then you must be too, with a face like yours." Jungkook tilts forward so that he can feel the heat radiating off Seokjin's skin and see the way it glistens under the light.
"Such a smooth talker."
"I think you like it."
"Whatever would give you that idea?"
Jungkook presses their bodies together, feeling Seokjin against him and smirking at the sharp inhale he receives in return. "Just a hunch.”
Seokjin laughs, soft and low, and the sound of it sends electricity straight down Jungkook's spine. God, he's so beautiful. "Got any more of those?"
"Maybe..." Jungkook can’t hold back any longer, can’t spend one more second staring at those perfectly plump lips without tasting them for himself. He leans in, eyes fluttering shut just before they make contact, and feels a delicious thrill at the way Seokjin does the same.
Their first kiss is perfect, it’s heaven, and it’s over before Jungkook can even fully begin to rhapsodize because all at once the feeling of Seokjin-his lips, his waist, his chest-disappears. With his arms suddenly empty, Jungkook opens his eyes and looks around in confusion to no longer see anyone in front of him.
“…Seokjin?”
But the older man is nowhere to be found in the throng of bodies dancing without a care. What the hell just happened?
Jungkook takes a step forward only for his foot to snag on something on the floor. He glances down, gasping at the pile of clothes that weren’t there before- clothes that look exactly like…Seokjin’s?
“What the hell?” Jungkook mutters, bending down to inspect them. It’s no doubt who these belong to-there’s even the silver pendant he'd been wearing. But why did Seokjin take them off, and more importantly how did he do it so fast? It's not physically possible, he was literally just right here-
Jungkook is about to scoop up the clothes when he hears something sharp and high pitched coming from underneath them. With trepidation he lifts the sleeve of the discarded cardigan only to reel in surprise at the mouse lurking underneath. No, wait, not a mouse, it’s-
“A hamster?” Jungkook exclaims in disbelief. “How on earth did you get here?”
It's tiny-so small it could easily fit into the palm of Jungkook's hand-with dark grey fur and a white underbelly. The color contrasts with the bright pink of its teeny nose, which twitches along with its long whiskers. Beady black eyes blink up at Jungkook, who can only gape in total bewilderment. How did a hamster of all things get into an Itaewon club, and what is it doing in the clothes of Jungkook's disappeared companion?
Jungkook is starting to think someone slipped something into one of his drinks. Nothing about this night is making any sense at all, and he should probably go home before he ends up in the river or something. But what does he do about these clothes- and more importantly, this hamster? He can't just leave it here in the club-the little thing will be a ham-pancake in seconds. But can he take it with him? What if it has rabies or something?
Honestly he's amazed that between the pounding music and bright lights that it hasn't already run off in terror. But bizarrely the little thing seems perfectly calm, still looking up at Jungkook with those big eyes. Gingerly, Jungkook reaches out a hand toward the creature and is amazed when it scurries onto his palm, plopping down with no fear. Jungkook stares at it for a few moments before exhaling loudly.
"This is the weirdest night of my life."
Between his still-inebriated state, the shock of Seokjin's sudden disappearance, and the challenge of having to transport a tiny mammal across the city without accidentally smooshing it, it'll be a miracle if Jungkook makes it back to his apartment without incident. So it’s a good thing that he’s nothing if not stubbornly determined.
After first picking up the remains of Seokjin's clothing he carefully tucks the hamster into the side pocket of his jacket, holding it in place with a gentle hand so that the little guy doesn't accidentally bounce out as Jungkook wobbles his way toward the subway station.
Even considering its unnatural calm earlier, Jungkook still half expects to be bitten or scratched. But to his surprise the creature stays completely docile, one tiny claw wrapped around the human's finger almost as though they were holding hands. It doesn't let go even when they board the train and Jungkook sits down, though its head does poke out of the pocket to survey the surroundings before promptly diving back in. It's another layer of strangeness added to the top of an already extremely bizarre night, so it doesn't surprise Jungkook as much as it probably should.
He spends the rest of the trip home in a swirl of conflicting thoughts-excitement from meeting Seokjin, disappointment in how that meeting ended so abruptly, confusion about the older man's disappearance, and above all conflict over what to do with the hamster that has unexpectedly come into his possession. Should he take it to an animal shelter? A vet? Does it have an owner? Do they microchip hamsters like they do with dogs?
Jungkook's brain is still too foggy from the booze to bother trying to look anything up. He decides that this is a problem for the (hopefully) sober Jungkook of tomorrow to deal with, and spends the rest of the train ride gently stroking the top of the hamster’s head with his finger, marveling at the softness of its smooth fur. And it seems to enjoy the ministrations if the way it nudges Jungkook’s hand when he stops is any indication.
Somehow getting off the train, out of the station, and back to his building with no issue, Jungkook wearily tramps up the three flights of stairs and makes it back to his apartment. He has just enough presence of mind to remove the tiny hamster from his pocket and place him on the bedside table before he collapses face first onto the covers, too tired to even bother taking off his clothes. Jungkook groans at the feel of the cool sheets against his flushed skin, ready to sink into unconsciousness, when a series of squeaks attracts his attention. He rolls onto his side to see that the hamster is now standing beside him on the pillow with what Jungkook can only describe as a judgmental look on its furry face.
"Wazzit?" he mumbles, so close to drifting off.
The hamster hops forward with a loud chitter, taking the edge of Jungkook's jacket in his teeth and tugging.
"Hey! Stop that!" Jungkook shakes the hamster off before removing the jacket. "No nibbling on my clothes."
But the hamster doesn't look chastised. In fact, it moves next to the human's jeans and chomps on them with equal enthusiasm. Jungkook grabs the gnawing rodent and pulls it off of him with some difficulty, setting it back on the far side of the bed.
"What's gotten into you?" he asks. The hamster merely chirps, scurrying across the covers back to the bedside table.
Slightly more awake now, Jungkook decides he might as well get properly undressed before he goes to sleep. By the time he's shucked off the rest of his outside clothes and tugged on his favorite sleepshirt, he turns to find the hamster digging around in the drawer of the bedside table. With a victorious squeak it pulls back, revealing a bottle of pain relievers. When the hamster turns to face Jungkook and points its teeny head toward the bottle, the human gapes.
“Is that for me?"
The hamster squeaks again, nudging the bottle closer with its pink nose, and Jungkook watches in stunned silence. How does a hamster know what hangover medication is, let alone that Jungkook should have some?
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were trying to take care of me," he tells the hamster, who chitters in response. "But that would be ridiculous, so I'm not."
Although, considering everything else that's happened so far...at this point, Jungkook is pretty confident he's either already dreaming or just straight up hallucinating from the alcohol.
After obediently swallowing two of the pills, Jungkook climbs under the covers and settles himself comfortably, only to sit back up yet again a moment later as a thought occurs to him. Where is his unexpected houseguest going to sleep? He doesn't have to wonder for long, because when he looks to the bedside table he sees that his tiny companion has tugged one of his discarded hoodies (the super-soft fleece that Jungkook wears practically every day) and finagled it into a sort of improvised nest. Jungkook watches in fascination as the hamster circles in it several times, whiskers twitching, before it settles itself down in a furry ball, eyes fluttering shut.
"Well...goodnight, I guess," Jungkook mutters, closing his own. In the morning everything will make sense.
Probably.
Jungkook wakes the next day with a dry mouth and throbbing head, but overall much better than after other nights of revelry. Blinking away the grit from his eyes, he reaches gratefully for the glass of water that's been placed on his bedside table, gulping half of it down before he comes to a sudden realization:
He definitely didn't put that there.
Like a tidal wave, everything from the last twelve hours returns to him in startling clarity-meeting Seokjin, talking with him, dancing with him, the kiss, the-
Jungkook whips his head around, searching for the grey hamster. But the hoodie it had burrowed itself to sleep in is empty, and there's no sign of it anywhere else in the room. Even more confusing, Seokjin's clothes are missing from where Jungkook had tossed them onto the floor.
Mind reeling with the combination of a hangover and a swirling mass of questions, it takes Jungkook far longer than he should to notice the smell of cooking oil wafting through the door or the sounds of something sizzling.
Holy shit, has someone broken into his apartment?
Still clad in just his boxers and a sleep shirt, Jungkook bursts out of the bedroom and into the kitchen only to halt in his tracks at the sight of Seokjin standing at the stove with mussed hair, dressed in last night's slightly rumpled clothes with one of Jungkook's aprons on top. He's stirring the contents of a pan, one hand reaching over to grab a jar of seasoning from the cabinet, and looking completely comfortable-as though this is his home, not Jungkook's.
Upon seeing the younger man, Seokjin gives him a wry smile. "Morning. You still look pretty rough, despite my best efforts last night. Hope you don't mind me taking the liberty of using your kitchen."
Jungkook says nothing, still frozen. Seokjin gestures to the table and the younger slowly sinks down onto a chair, watching in a daze as he finishes plating two servings of food.
"It's probably better if you have this first- everything's worse on an empty stomach." Seokjin sets one of the plates in front of Jungkook, who stares blankly at it. He has to admit that it looks delicious- fluffy rice, perfectly rolled eggs, and glistening veggies.
"Eat now, and then afterward we'll talk. I'm sure you've got a lot of questions."