Chapter Text
The ringing in Jungkook’s ears was only just beginning to fade, replaced by the hum of the hotel room's air conditioner and the quiet clatter of plastic takeout containers on the small table.
He sat on the edge of the unmade bed, still wearing his oversized concert merch hoodie, his damp hair clinging to his forehead. Across from him, Jimin was cross-legged on the floor, softly humming a fragmented line of their closing song while lazily picking at a container of tteokbokki.
The heavy adrenaline of the stadium was completely gone, leaving Jungkook in that familiar, heavy space of post-show exhaustion where everything felt magnified—especially the quiet, steady warmth of Jimin just being there.
He loved the sound of Jimin's voice; he was always reminded of an angel every time Jimin opened his mouth. Jungkook shifted on the bed to face toward Jimin, who was still happily humming, oblivious to his favorite person's attention. Jungkook looked down at him with soft eyes and a sweet, very content smile.
'How does he do it?' Jungkook wondered.
He wasn't just referring to Jimin's calming, angelic voice. He meant how whenever Jimin sang or spoke, Jungkook would always calm down. Suddenly, the world would disappear and Jimin was the only thing that mattered.
As if feeling the intensity of that heavy stare, Jimin’s humming trailed off. He tilted his head back, his bangs falling away from his forehead as he looked up from the floor to meet Jungkook's eyes.
A small, knowing smile tugged at the corner of Jimin's lips, his eyes crinkling into those familiar, soft crescents.
"What are you staring at, kookie?" he asked, his voice a little raspy from hitting the high notes all night. He reached up, playfully nudging Jungkook’s knee with his hand. "Is there something on my face, or are you just spaced out?"
"I'm not staring!" Jungkook shrieked. "I'm just looking at the TV."
To which he immediately realized had been on the waiting screen, completely black for the past thirty minutes. Jimin planted a knowing smile upon his face.
"Okay, Kookie," Jimin said, deeply amused.
Jungkook nervously bit the inside of his cheek, a nervous habit he had acquired all the way back in his first year of being a trainee.
Jimin chuckled softly, shaking his head as he set his food container down. He crawled up onto the edge of the mattress, abandoning the floor to sit right next to Jungkook, their shoulders brushing.
The playful smirk softened into something incredibly gentle. "You're a terrible liar, you know that?" Jimin murmured, leaning in just a fraction closer. "Your face is completely red. Now, are you going to tell me what's actually on your mind, or do I have to guess?"
Panicking under the warmth of Jimin’s intense gaze, Jungkook’s fight-or-flight instincts kicked in.
He scrambled backward, trying to create some distance before his racing heart betrayed him completely. But in his rush, his foot caught in the heavy twist of the hotel duvet. His balance vanished.
With a wide-eyed gasp, Jungkook went tumbling off the opposite side of the mattress.
Reflexively, his hand shot out and grabbed the first thing he could reach—the sleeve of Jimin’s oversized sweater.
With a sudden yell and a flurry of tangled blankets, both of them crashed onto the carpeted floor.
Jungkook took the brunt of the fall, landing flat on his back with a breathless 'oof!' A second later, Jimin landed right on top of him. Because of the way they fell, Jimin was draped partly across Jungkook's chest and side, his face buried right against Jungkook's shoulder.
For a breathless, stunned second, the room was completely silent. Then, a muffled giggle vibrated against Jungkook’s collarbone.
Jimin lifted his head, his hair a beautiful, chaotic mess, and burst into a bright, breathless laugh.
Jungkook couldn't help it—the sheer absurdity of the moment broke through his nerves, and his own deep, boxy laugh echoed through the room. Instead of scrambling away or apologizing, Jimin just let out a contented sigh and melted right back down. He didn't move an inch.
Instead, he wrapped one arm securely around Jungkook's waist, hugging his side tightly and using Jungkook's chest as a pillow.
"Yeah, kookie," Jimin chuckled, his voice warm and rumbling against Jungkook's ribs. "You're definitely keeping a secret if you're willing to throw us off a bed to hide it."
Jungkook's ears went bright red. Jimin's arms were around his waist, hugging his side, and Jungkook honestly felt like he was dreaming. If only Jimin knew how much his actions actually affected him.
He looked down at Jimin, who felt small and warm, almost like a teddy bear 🐻. Suddenly, a large, loud yawn escaped Jungkook's throat as a wave of sheer exhaustion and fatigue washed over him.
He could hear Jimin giggling softly against his shoulder at the sound.
"You tired?" Jungkook asked. "I'm going to bed till dinner's done. You can have the blanket, I'm staying on the floor."
Jimin nodded in response, and then a tiny, whistle-like yawn emitted from Jimin himself.
'Oh come on, he even sounds elegant while yawning!' Jungkook complained thoughtfully to himself, though he would never dare to say it out loud.
Jimin nuzzled his head even further into Jungkook’s chest, as if he wasn't already as close as close could get, and smiled.
"I think that's a good idea," he murmured, proceeding to loop his other arm completely around Jungkook's torso.
"But if you're not leaving, neither am I."
Jungkook felt a sudden warmth blooming in his heart that couldn't just be explained by Jimin's physical body heat.
"Hey, I'm not complaining," Jungkook whispered. He reached out and grabbed the traitorous blanket that had taken them down—though he now felt a newfound fondness for it—and flung it over both of them. He took one last, soft look at Jimin, closing his eyes just as he felt Jimin's steady breathing finally slow down into sleep.
The quiet hum of the hotel room was suddenly broken by the soft beep-click of the electronic door lock. The door swung open slowly, and Hoseok peeked his head in, holding a bag of snacks he'd raided from the lounge.
"Hey, are you guys awake—" He stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening as he looked past the bed and down at the floor.
A massive, mischievous grin instantly spread across his face. There they were: Jungkook and Jimin, completely dead to the world, tangled up like two puppies in a giant duvet on the carpet.
Hoseok immediately fumbled in his pocket, pulling out his phone and switching it to the camera app.
He bent down, holding his breath to keep from laughing, and snapped three rapid-fire photos, the loud click-click-click of the camera shutter echoing sharply in the silent room.
The sharp click of the phone camera pierced right through Jungkook’s heavy sleep. His eyelids felt like lead, but his protective instincts kicked in first.
He blinked open his eyes, instantly squinting against the dim light, only to see Hoseok hovering over them with a massive, dimpled grin and a glowing phone screen.
Jungkook’s heart did a sudden flip.
Panic flashed through him, not because he was embarrassed, but because he didn't want Hoseok's chaotic energy to wake the sleeping angel tucked against his side.
Moving as quietly as his panicked muscles would allow, Jungkook blindly reached out, grabbed the nearest corner of the fallen duvet, and yanked it completely over Jimin’s head, shielding him from the camera.
At the same time, Jungkook glared up at Hoseok, letting out a low, sleepy whine.
"Hoba, shh," Jungkook hissed under his breath, his voice incredibly raspy from sleep. "Delete those right now or I'm taking your phone."
Hoseok put a hand over his mouth, shoulder-shaking giggles escaping him anyway. "No way, Jungkookie! Look at you two! You fell off the bed? This is going straight into the group chat. Namjoon is going to lose his mind."
Underneath the blanket, the sudden movement finally stirred the heavy sleeper. Jimin let out a soft, confused grumble, nuzzling deeper into Jungkook’s chest as his ears twitched at the sound of the voices.
Slowly, a pair of sleepy eyes peeked out from beneath the edge of the duvet, his cheeks flushed pink and his lips pouting automatically from being disturbed.
"What's happening...?" Jimin mumbled, his tiny voice muffled against Jungkook's hoodie. He didn't even try to sit up; instead, his arms tightened their grip around Jungkook’s waist, completely unwilling to let go of his human pillow.
Hoseok cooed loudly, melting at the sheer cuteness of it.
"Nothing, Jiminie! Go back to sleep. I was just coming to tell you guys that the food is downstairs, but I think you're both already well-fed on cuddles."
Jungkook felt his ears burning a furious bright red under Hoseok’s teasing gaze. He reached around Jimin's protective form, grabbed a stray pillow that had fallen off the bed during their tumble, and flung it with perfect accuracy straight at Hoseok's face.
Hoseok squealed, catching the pillow just in time, and took that as his cue to exit.
"Okay, okay, I'm leaving! Lock your door next time, lovebirds!" he whispered loudly, throwing them one last chaotic wink before slipping out of the room and clicking the door shut behind him.
The room fell completely silent again, save for the hum of the AC. Jungkook let out a long, defeated sigh, his head falling back against the carpet. He looked down, only to find Jimin staring up at him with a sleepy, incredibly soft smile, entirely unbothered by Hoseok catching them.
"Your heart is beating really fast, Kook-ah," Jimin whispered teasingly, tracing a small circle on Jungkook's chest with his thumb.
Jungkook swallowed hard, the warmth in his chest expanding until it felt like it might burst. He finally gave up trying to fight it.
He wrapped both of his arms securely around Jimin, pulling him so close there wasn't a single inch of space left between them.
"Shut up and go back to sleep, hyung," Jungkook murmured softly, burying his face in Jimin's messy hair. And this time, he didn't care about the black TV screen, or the floor, or whatever photos Hoseok was texting the group chat. He just cared about this.
For about two minutes, it actually felt like they might fall back asleep.
The room was perfectly warm under the blanket, and Jimin’s breathing had slowed back down into a steady, comforting rhythm against Jungkook’s collarbone.
Jungkook relaxed, letting his eyes slip shut, thinking they had successfully escaped Hobi's chaos.
Then, the bedside table started buzzing.
It wasn't just a single buzz. It was a rapid-fire, violent buzz-buzz-buzz-buzz that sounded like a swarm of angry hornets.
Both of their phones were vibrating against the wood at the exact same time, lighting up the dark ceiling with bright, aggressive flashes of blue light.
Jimin let out a dramatic, muffled groan into Jungkook’s chest.
"If that is Hoseok-hyung, I am going to delete his favorite bucket hat," he muttered, his voice thick with sleep.
Jungkook chuckled, the vibration rumbling in his chest. He reached an arm up, blindly smacking his hand around the top of the nightstand until his fingers wrapped around his phone.
He pulled it under the safety of the blanket, squinting hard at the blinding screen.
It was the BTS Group Chat. And it was absolute chaos.
Hobi [12:34 AM]: [Image Attached]
Hobi [12:34 AM]: LOOK AT OUR BABIES. THEY FELL OFF THE BED. 😂😂😂😭
Taehyung [12:35 AM]: Omg wait why are they on the floor??? Are they okay??
Taehyung [12:35 AM]: Wait jungkook is holding him like a teddy bear architecture i'm crying 🥺
Jin [12:36 AM]: Yah! If you two are sleeping on the floor, who is going to eat all this chicken I ordered? I am not letting food go to waste. Come downstairs before I eat your portions.
Yoongi [12:36 AM]: Let them sleep. Loudest concert of the year and you guys are screaming in the chat like it’s 2 PM. My eyes hurt.
Namjoon [12:37 AM]: Cute. But seriously, Jungkook, Jimin, please sleep on the actual bed. We have soundcheck at 11 AM tomorrow and your backs will be destroyed.
Jungkook’s face flushed red all over again.
He looked down at his phone, then over at Jimin, who had slid closer to peek over Jungkook’s shoulder at the screen.
Jimin read the texts, his eyes expanding into wide little saucers before he burst into a fit of breathless, silent giggles, covering his mouth with his small hand.
"Wow," Jimin whispered, his eyes crinkling up. "Hobi-hyung really didn't waste any time, did he?"
"I'm going to change the passcode to my room," Jungkook mumbled, staring at the photo Hobi had taken.
In the picture, Jungkook looked completely startled and sleepy, his arm thrown protectively over a half-hidden Jimin who looked incredibly tiny under the massive duvet.
Despite his embarrassment, a small, secret part of Jungkook’s heart wanted to save the photo to his private gallery.
Jimin shifted, his body sliding completely off Jungkook’s chest so he was lying flat on his back next to him, staring up at the ceiling. The sudden loss of warmth made Jungkook instantly miss him.
"Jin-hyung is right, though," Jimin said softly, his stomach letting out a perfectly timed, loud rumble. He laughed, rubbing his tummy. "I’m starving. Do you want to go downstairs to the lounge, or should we just text them to bring some food up here?"
Jungkook turned his head on the carpet, looking at Jimin’s profile in the dim light. Going downstairs meant facing five teasing older brothers who would definitely make kissy faces at them across the dinner table. But staying up here meant... well, it meant being alone together.
Jungkook turned his head on the carpet, looking at Jimin’s profile in the dim light.
Going downstairs meant facing five teasing older brothers who would definitely make kissy faces at them across the dinner table. But staying up here meant... well, it meant being alone together.
Jungkook didn't want to face his brothers, but he knew he couldn't keep Jimin away from them just for his own sake. It wouldn't be fair. But there was also the distinct, thrilling possibility that Jimin actually wanted to stay up here with him, too.
"Hyung, what do you wanna do? I don't mind either," Jungkook sighed, completely content on the floor, though a small part of him was still a little nervous.
Jimin hummed softly and sat right up. His hair was a messy, fluffy nest, and his cheek was still tinted a soft pink from where it had been pressed tightly against Jungkook’s shoulder.
He gazed down at Jungkook, completely fine with making his fondness obvious, and nodded his head. It wasn't a nod to Jungkook, but rather to himself—like he had just made a definitive decision.
"I don't wanna get tormented by the hyungs,"(just pretend that Taehyung is older than jimin in thus fic.) Jimin declared. He stood up, using Jungkook’s strong forearm for balance, and pulled the fallen duvet back up onto the mattress to tidy it.
"Besides, I like it here." He pointed a small, teasing finger directly at Jungkook, smiling warmly.
Jungkook felt his heart do another violent flip against his ribs, a breathless grin breaking across his face. He scrambled up off the floor, suddenly full of energy, and grabbed his phone to text the group chat before the hyungs could eat all of Jin's ordered chicken.
Jungkook [12:40 AM]: We're staying in. Bring the chicken up or we're stealing Yoongi-hyung's pillows tomorrow.
Jimin burst into his signature breathless, shoulder-shaking laugh when he read the text over Jungkook's shoulder.
Within seconds, a furious typing bubble appeared from Jin, but Jungkook didn't even wait to read the scolding. He tossed his phone face-down on the nightstand, completely shutting the rest of the world out.
He turned back to Jimin, the heavy, post-concert exhaustion suddenly feeling light and comforting.
"Well, if we're staying," Jungkook murmured, his voice dropping into a softer, braver register as he took a step closer into Jimin's personal space, "you're going to have to help me finish it all."
After finally finishing their late-night meal and throwing the empty containers into the trash, the quiet weight of the room settled back over them.
Jimin was already tucked under the fresh hotel sheets, propped up against the pillows and tracing mindless patterns on the fabric.
Jungkook stood awkwardly at the edge of the mattress, suddenly feeling a wave of shyness wash over him now that they were transitioning to the actual bed.
Jimin looked up, a soft smile tugging at his lips as he patted the empty space right beside him.
"Are you just going to stand there all night, Kook-ah? Get in before the sheets get cold."
Jungkook swallowed hard, nodding as he climbed under the heavy duvet.
The mattress dipped, and he froze for a second as Jimin immediately slid closer, their shoulders and knees brushing beneath the blanket. The closeness was dizzying, but the sheer physical exhaustion from the tour quickly anchored them back to reality.
"We have to be up early tomorrow," Jimin murmured, staring up at the ceiling as the reality of their schedule crept back in.
"Namjoon-hyung said soundcheck is at eleven, which means hair and makeup will probably be knocking on our doors by nine."
Jungkook turned his head on the pillow to look at Jimin's profile.
"Yeah. And the setlist tomorrow has ON right at the beginning. My thighs are already burning just thinking about the choreography."
Jimin let out a soft, sympathetic chuckle, finally turning his head to look back at Jungkook.
"Mine too. But we'll get through it. We always do." He shifted closer, shifting his weight until his forearm rested securely over Jungkook's chest, his fingers lightly gripping the fabric of Jungkook's hoodie. "But right now, you need to stop worrying about tomorrow and actually sleep."