Chapter Text
Jungkook slugs his backpack over his shoulder and steps into the light rain that had begun to fall.
Good. It matches his mood. Nothing worse than feeling melancholy in pleasant weather.
The tiny droplets soothe tiny spots on his head where the day’s heavy concentration has taken it’s toll. Too much exam stress. But that’s not it really…. it’s not the actual reason for feeling like this…. He heads out of the main quadrangle of the university and across the oval. The soccer players have churned it into mud.
His melancholy turns into something a lot gloomier when the rain intensifies and begins to soak through his shoes. Rain can be quite acceptable until your socks get wet. He kicks a clod of muck flying as he trudges past the oval and towards the intersection. Pulling his hoodie up and popping in his earbuds, he lets his anxiety meld with the sulky music.
A car screeches in front of him.
“Fucking moron, look where you’re going!”
Jungkook breathes a deep sigh, too defeated to even have much of a reaction, and crosses the tracks to the train stop. Five days. It’s really only been five days. Could be a month already it feels that long. Fuck. Was he like this before? He was pretty normal before, wasn’t he? Not moody, grumpy and anxious. And cold…. he puts his hands into his pockets and shivers. Now it’s always like he is needing something. Desperately...
His roommate of last year had left for a few days and it was wonderful, having the place to himself, spreading out… He certainly wasn’t counting off every single day. Winding himself into knots…
The shift lasts too long. Stacking the shelves allows far too much time for introspection. Too much time for what?… Fuck, is it really yearning? It’s homesickness or something like it except it’s not from lack of home… lack of what then? Lack of him? Is this yearning?? His forehead connects to the crate of boxes. Definitely need a different job. One that actually takes up the brain space, not creates voids for it to be filled with fucking yearning…
Darkness is falling when he finally reaches the dorms, and he has a hunger related stomach ache.
A warm light glows from under the door of number 720. So he’s back. At last. He finally lets out the breath that he has been holding for the last five days. Drops his keys twice in his haste to get into the room.
The door opens and Jimin’s beaming face looks out. “It is you! Just in time I made ramen.”
Jungkook drops his bag and just stares at him in delight. Thank fuck. A warm heat thaws his insides from his cold soggy toes all the way up his spine.
“Are you coming in?” Jimin asks, tugging him forward and shutting the door.
Jungkook blinks and an uncontrollable smile stretches widely across his face. He lets out a long breath. “It's good to see you.”
Yummy smells greet him as he enters, filling their small dorm and making everything cozy and wonderful again. Jungkook takes his coat off and hangs it on the rack. “When did you get back?”
For the last five days the dorm had seemed so small and chilly. Once again Jimin has changed it into a home.
Jimin had only moved in a month ago but his presence was like an old fashioned gas heater in their room and Jungkook hadn’t realised that he had been basking in front of it until he had gone away.
“About an hour ago - hey, you’re soaked!” Jimin tuts, reaching out and gently removing his coat. He disappears into the kitchen and returns with a tea towel and starts ruffling his hair with it.
The tea towel hasn’t been washed in a while, but it’s Jimin and he is so glad to have him back he lets him rub the kitchen grot right into his hair. Aaahh who cares, wash it later… silly puppy…
Jungkook leans back into Jimin’s hands and something that feels like contentment settles around him. “I’m really glad you’re back.”
“Me too. I was supposed to come back tomorrow but I just got restless. Guess I must have missed the ramen!!”
“They do have ramen in Meolli…”
“Not this one,” and he disappears into the kitchen again.
Jungkook smiles. How long is it since he last smiled? 5 days…..? He strips off his wet clothes and puts on his old trackie and fluffy socks. “Aaahh.”
Jimin returns with two steaming bowls on a tray and puts them on their small coffee table. “Aaaahh,” Jungkook says again.
The delicious broth revives him and he leans back against the cushion as Jimin chats on about the train trip and the old lady passenger reading the same book he loved when he was a kid and a song that had a cowbell sound in it and the colour of the sky before it started to rain. Listening to him talk soothes the creases of his rumpled spirit. The warmth is coming back. Finally Jimin pauses breath. “So…. did you miss me?”
Jungkook looks at him and smiles. Such a short amount of time for someone to grow on you like this. A tiny blush of pink forms on his cheeks and looks down at his lap. “Yeah I did.”
So much….
Sitting at the cafe sipping his tea, Jungkook unlocks his phone and re-reads the message again. His finger traces over the message.
Jimin: Going to cook you something delicious so come home after classes okay? <3
He is still smiling when Hoseok and Namjoon arrive. Hoseok snatches the phone out of his hands. “Who's got you smiling?” His eyes skim the message, “Oooh! Secret boyfriends!!”
Namjoon grabs the phone and gives it back, smacking Hoseok’s hand. “So nosy!”
“Who is Jimin? He signed his name with a heart! Go on, you have to tell me…..” Hoseok leans right in. “You don’t have to tell Joonie, you can just whisper it to me… come on, whisper!”
Namjoon rolls his eyes.
“It’s not a boyfriend, its just my roommate,” Jungkook says, still smiling, his blushy cheeks betraying him.
“Oh just your roommate… the handsome one? The one you can’t stop talking about?” Hoseok hovers over him, poking him in his tickle spots.
Jungkook covers his mouth but can’t contain the glee that spills over the sides. “You’re so annoying!”
An affectionate smile spreads across Namjoon’s face. He leans in towards him. “Gah, look at you crushing! You’re so cute when you like someone.”
“Oh man you’ve got it bad…..”
“I don’t! Stop it!” Jungkook squeaks. Some people at the next table raise their eyebrows at them. “Shhh!!” He goes so completely red that even the tips of his ears are pink.
Hoseok sits down and folds his hands under his chin and leans forward. “He’s making you dinner…. Sounds very romantic.”
Jungkook attempts to twist his mouth out of a smile. He is utterly failing to look normal. “We make each other dinner all the time.”
“Then why are you smiling so much?”
“Aaargh! Alright! I like him. Satisfied?” Jungkook says, covering his face with his hands.
“No! I want details. Come on, spill ‘em!”
Namjoon rolls his eyes again.
“There are no details. What can I tell you?”
“Well… how far have you gone?”
Namjoon folds his hands behind his head. “I think the question is actually how far gone are you?”
“We haven’t done anything! Geez I just live with him. We honestly haven’t done a thing, I just think he’s…. he’s a little bit wonderful that’s all,” Jungkook says, peeking out from between his fingers.
“Gah! How cute!! Look at how red he is,” Hoseok reaches forward and tries to ruffle Jungkook’s hair and he ducks down and knocks into Namjoon.
Namjoon catches him and whispers into his ear. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Gone. I’m far gone,” whispers Jungkook back to him.
“Evidently….”