Archive of Our Own ^beta

Jungkook sighed as he parked the cab next to the curb. It was still raining heavily, and he had no desire to step back onto the street with only his leather jacket to protect him from the elements. Unfortunately for him, the customer he had been driving from the airport, had luggage in the trunk of the car. 

The lady in the backseat echoed his sigh. “I was hoping the weather would calm down along the way,” she said regretfully.

Jungkook let out a polite chuckle. “So did I.”

The app the taxi company was using already had each and every customer's credit card information registered before they even stepped foot into the car, so Jungkook didn’t have to bother with the lady’s payment. He simply unlocked both the doors and the trunk, unbuckling himself and taking a deep breath in anticipation.

The rain was still warm even though fall was quickly settling upon the city and Jungkook counted his small blessing. He quickly made his way around the back of the car and unloaded the lady’s suitcase. She smiled at him as he rolled it over to where she stood on the sidewalk, her purse held over her head to try and salvage her hair. It was close to one in the morning by now, and the street lamps seemed to aggravate the dark circles and shadows cast onto her face.

“Thank you,” she said. “Have a nice night.”

“You too!”

As soon as he sat back down into the driver’s seat, Jungkook shook his hair to try and get rid of the quickly cooling water. It only served to make a mess around him, and he huffed. A loud and insisting part of his brain was urging him to lean back against the headrest and get a few moments of shut-eye, but he knew better than to slack off on the job. Besides, it wasn’t even that bad. Jungkook was in the middle of his shift, and Tuesday nights weren’t exactly the busiest shifts for a taxi driver.

With one last heavy sigh, he turned the key in the ignition and shifted back into drive. Jungkook made his way back towards downtown, the streets nearly empty and traffic non-existent. He was allowed almost a full fifteen minutes of peace before the screen on his dashboard pinged with a new location for him to drive to, and he took the opportunity to turn on the radio.

One of the biggest downsides of chauffeuring for this company was that he wasn’t allowed to plug his own phone into the Bluetooth system. It had been a bit of a downer at first, but Jungkook was nothing if not adaptable. He had always been a sucker for the top 40 anyways, so listening to the radio wasn’t an inconceivable option in the first place. However, that was before he had first stumbled onto the 102.5 frequency.

The 102.5 was the city’s rock station. It played various subgenres of rock during the day, varying from classic rock to the more modern alternative subgenres. The station wasn’t one of the biggest in their area, not by any means, but Jungkook rather liked how friendly and warm the host sounded. He didn’t consider himself to be a connoisseur of the rock genre, but he happened to be a casual fan. While Jungkook much preferred the classics to the more obscure recommendations the station would also play, the music wasn’t really what was keeping him coming back for more. 

The late night radio show was hosted by one Park Jimin. Curiously enough, the guy seemed to have a schedule similar to Jungkook’s, as he was always the one speaking soothingly into the microphone whenever Jungkook was at work.

Jimin didn’t do requests often since that wasn’t really his type of show, but he would open the station’s line once in a while when he was in a particularly good mood, or so it seemed. Jungkook wouldn’t normally care about audience requests, but Jimin always took time to chat a little with the person on the other end of the line. It was usually nothing more than polite curiosity about the choice of the song, but Jimin’s voice and demeanour were warm enough for Jungkook to believe in the host’s genuine interest. 

It seemed as if tonight was a good night for Jimin, as he had opened the requests by the time Jungkook turned on his radio.

The choice to call the station was taken from him when the publicity break ended and Jimin’s voice came back to him through the cab’s speakers.

“Alright, we have someone with a very special request. Tell me, what was the song you wanted?”

The voice that responded was a little scratchier, less smooth than Jimin’s. “I was hoping you could play Creep by Radiohead”

The screen on the dashboard pinged again, and Jungkook tuned out the sound of the radio to enter the new address into his gps. As he pulled back into the street, he turned off the sound of the radio. He didn’t really like Creep anyways.

____

The sun was slowly rising above the towering skyscrapers when Jungkook finally parked his own car into his spot at the back of his building. He took a moment to press the heels of his hands against the back of his eyes, a heavy groan caught in the back of his throat. The neighbourhood was thankfully still quiet in the early hours of the morning, but Jungkook knew this wouldn’t last nearly long enough for him to properly bask in its peacefulness. He wanted nothing more than to collapse into his bed, but he still had plenty of stuff to do before he could allow himself to do just that.

After a couple more minutes, Jungkook grabbed his shoulder bag as he exited the car and made his way towards the back entrance of his building. As he fiddled with his keyset, he internally debated whether ordering takeout for the third day in a row for lunch would be too pathetic. These days, it was hard for him to find the energy to cook for himself. Him being exhausted was quickly turning into his default state.

His apartment was quite small, with only his bedroom and a tiny bathroom to go with his open spaced living room and kitchen combo. He didn’t even own a couch and his television was crammed into a corner of his bedroom, but that was enough for him. He didn’t really have the budget nor the need for anything more as a sleep deprived student working too many hours.

As soon as he had toed off his boots, Jungkook made a beeline for the fridge. He took out a small bottle of banana milk and crossed the room to reach his desk. His eyes were struggling to stay open, but he still had to look at his emails to make sure there wasn’t anything important he had missed the previous day. After all, he had fallen back asleep in the middle of the afternoon after a class and had gotten up just in time to get dressed for work in the evening. It seemed to happen more and more as the semester went on. 

He didn’t know what had changed. Maybe it was the boredom of his neverending routine. Maybe there was just something wrong with him. Jungkook couldn’t tell for sure, but it was beginning to weigh on him. 

The glare of his monitor was way too bright for his tired eyes, and Jungkook had to squint as he mechanically typed in the password to his computer. In less than six hours, he would have to be once again seated on this very chair to suffer through yet another three-hour class. Then, after a quick coffee break and maybe a meal if he had time to spare, he would have to sit down yet again, this time to work on a paper he was less than interested in. Jungkook couldn’t even remember the last time he had the energy and the spare time to go out for a run, much less to go to the gym. He was seriously considering cancelling his gym membership, at this point.

He just needed to pull through as he usually did. Soon enough, the semester would be over and winter break would come. Soon enough, his last semester in university would be right around the corner. Maybe he would even land the internship at this company he had had his eyes on ever since he started his degree.

He just needed to pull through.

_____

“You just heard Suite Madame Blue by Styx. In a little while, you’ll get to hear my special Thursday mix, but for now, I have a very special guest with me in the studio that I’m sure you’ll be more than happy to hear. Ladies and gents, please welcome Taehyung Kim, the bassist of Boohwal. ” 

A deep laugh echoed through the car’s speakers. “No need to be this formal, Jimin. How many times have I been here before?”

“Enough times for me to wonder just how the station can afford to have you over.”

“I’m not even getting paid, Jiminie. Don’t act like you don’t know I’m here to do you a favor.”

Jimin huffed, and Junkook smiled at the sound. “You always ask me if you can come. Don’t pretend I’m the one dragging you here-”

Jungkook lowered the volume as he reached his destination, where two teenagers were waiting in front of a convenience store. One of them was leaning heavily against the other, and Jungkook didn’t even need to smell them to know both of their clothes reeked of alcohol. He winced as he unlocked the doors.

“Your friend better not throw up in my car,” he threatened jokingly as the taller teen, the one who seemed to be the most sober of the two, was trying to maneuver the both of them into the backseat. In reality, Jungkook didn’t care much about the carseats. He wouldn’t be the one cleaning it if one of them really ended up getting sick, but he knew the cleaning lady would be less than thrilled about it. 

To his credit, the teenager didn’t seem too annoyed by Jungkook’s comment. “Don’t worry, man. I’ll give you a nice tip.”

Jungkook laughed as he shifted the car to drive. “I’ll hold you to that.”

The teens ended up not being as much trouble as Jungkook had expected them to be. Soon enough, he pulled up in a quiet suburban street in front of a nice little bungalow. The living room light was still on, and Jungkook could see how the taller one visibly shuddered at the sight. 

“Good luck with that, buddy,” he said as the teenager dragged his friend out of the taxi. He nodded in thanks, and Jungkook watched them disappear with an amused smile on his face. He couldn’t really relate to this specific type of walk of shame as he had always preferred getting drunk in his own bedroom off of clumsily sneaked-in alcohol when he was a teenager himself. Still, he wasn’t totally a stranger to an angry and disappointed parental figure waiting up for him at night. It left him with a bittersweet taste in his mouth, and he chose to not dwell on it too much.

Returning to the more frequented streets didn’t take him too much time, and Jungkook soon found himself once again parked on the curb, tuning into the 102.5 frequency. Taehyung Kim seemed to have disappeared from the studio, but Jimin was currently taking special requests. It seemed as if the host was on a streak this week. Was this a sign? Jungkook hesitated for a second, his eyes falling onto the clock in the middle of the car console. 2:27 am. Not a lot of traffic at this hour.

Before he could even register it, Jungkook’s phone was in his hand, the number to the station already dialed. He didn’t really know just when his brain had memorized the right phone number, but he figured that weeks of mindlessly listening to the station had to be worth something, in the end.

Jungkook looked out of the window as the phone rang, suddenly very much nervous. He had no idea why he was even calling in the first place, it wasn’t as if he had an idea of what to-

“You have reached 102.5 FM. How can I help you?”

It wasn’t Jimin’s voice. Not that Jungkook expected him to act as a secretary as he could currently hear him speak on the speakers, but the voice shook him from his stupor. He quickly lowered the volume of the radio and scrambled for an answer.

“Yes, huh, I would like to make a special request?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Jungkook cursed himself for the uncertainty in his tone. Luckily for him, the screener on the other side of the line seemed to take it in stride. Her voice was cordial and smooth as she replied in a rehearsed tone.

“Alright! You just have to make sure your request is in our catalog. I’ll pass you over to our host as soon as the next advertising break comes on so he can have a little chat with you. How does that sound?”

Jungkook had to take a moment to register her words. “Yes. Sounds good to me.”

“Great. It’ll only take a moment.”

Jungkook let out a breath as soon as the nondescript sound of on-hold music rang through the line. He closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against the headrest.

“Great,” he muttered. Truthfully, Jungkook didn’t have a clue as to what song he even wanted to hear. He knew that most of the station’s catalog consisted of classics, and one could never go wrong with one of those, but a part of him wanted to make a good impression. He didn’t want to go with a choice that would be too obvious, too classic and generic. It was idiotic of him to expect even an ounce of acknowledgment on Jimin’s part, but somehow, he found himself wanting it regardless. 

Too soon, Jimin’s voice disappeared from the radio, making way for a wave of advertisements of the station’s various sponsors. Jungkook immediately tensed up as he heard the sound of his call being picked up yet again.

“Hello, this is Jimin speaking! I heard you had a request?”

“Hi,” he answers. “Yes, I do have a request.” He still didn’t, but that was beside the point.

“Great!” Jimin’s voice sounded as cheerful as it always did on the radio. Jungkook wondered how he even managed to make that happen this late into the night. “First, can you please tell me your name?”

“Jungkook,” he said. “Nice to meet you, Jimin.”

Jimin chuckled. “Nice to meet you too. So what was your request, Jungkook?”

A brief flash of panic quickly made its way into Jungkook’s mind, before an obvious answer jumped at the forefront of his thoughts. He bit his lip as he tried to contain his own laughter. “ Hold the Line. Toto. Is that okay?”

Jimin’s response came quickly. “Of course. Good choice. I’m gonna play it as soon as the commercial break ends. Did you want to stay here and announce it with me?”

Jungkook knew how this worked. Jimin would announce that he had a special request, and then would make him repeat the title while they were on air. 

He tss-ked. “I think I’ll pass, but thank you.”

“That’s okay. Next time, then.” There was a brief pause, and then- “Thank you for calling, Jungkook. And thank you for listening to our station. Have a nice end of the night!”

Just like that, the call disconnected. Jungkook was left alone with his thoughts and a feeling of want he could not put a name to.

“Next time,” he muttered to himself. “Sure.”

In the end, he wasn’t even able to enjoy the song he had requested, not that he especially wanted to listen to it in the first place. His screen pinged with a new location to go to, and he turned off the radio as he turned the engine back on.

_____

“Can you say Jungkook?”

“Jungkook, he’s six months old. He can’t talk yet.”

“But he’s your son, isn’t he? Aren’t you supposed to be a genius or something?”

“It doesn’t quite work like that.”

“He’s adopted, Jungkook. Sorry to break it to you.”

Jungkook pouted as Seokjin entered the room. His pout disappeared soon enough as his friend handed him a can of iced tea before sitting down on the couch beside Namjoon. 

Jungkook remembered a time when the three of them would hang out together over a can of beer and greasy snacks. Nowadays, it looked a bit more like family friendly drinks and carrot sticks. Hyungjoon wasn’t even old enough to eat anything that hadn’t been puréed beyond recognition, but Jungkook didn’t dare point it out to Seokjin.

So carrot sticks and iced tea it was.

He put down his drink on the coffee table, his eyes never leaving Hyungjoon’s squirming form on the carpet in front of him. Jungkook didn’t know much about babies, but he had heard Namjoon mention the term tummy time before, and he knew the gists of it. There wasn’t much to watch out for with an infant that could barely roll over on his own, but Jungkook always found himself fascinated by his friends’ son. Hyungjoon wasn’t fuzzy at all, always smiling and babbling with surprising enthusiasm. He guessed the baby got that from Seokjin, adopted or not.

“So when are your midterms, Jungkook?” Namjoon asked. Jungkook didn’t have to look up to know his friend probably had his nose buried in a bunch of homework he had to grade. Being a high school teacher definitely seemed to suck, and Jungkook was glad he had never entertained the thought of becoming one. Namjoon always seemed to be working, even on weekends when he was supposed to ‘take some time off’ by Seokjin’s orders. 

“Next week,” he answered. “But it’s not that bad, really. I have a couple of papers to finish so that’s always nice. I always do better on those than on exams.”

“Did you manage to at least take the week off?”

Jungkook shook his head. “Not even. And no one wants to trade the night shift, either.”

“You can’t possibly stay up all night and then do your exams, Kook.”

“I’ll have to make it work.”

“Jungkook, that’s not healthy. Besides, you can’t expect to be at your best when you’re sleep-deprived-”

“Namjoon,” Jungkook cut him off. “I already tried everything. I’ll have to make it work,” he repeated. “Besides, I’m already sleep-deprived every single day. I’m used to it at this point.”

When he tore his eyes away from Hyungjoon, who thankfully hadn’t been disturbed by his outburst, Jungkook was met with Namjoon’s disapproving stare, the one where his eyes were sternly looking from above his glasses. Frankly, it made him look every ounce of the teacher he was. Jungkook did his best to hold it.

“Is that supposed to reassure me?” Namjoon said in disbelief.

Jungkook frowned. “It’s only for a week. I’ll rest during winter break.”

This time, it was Seokjin’s turn to huff. “That’s only if you manage to not completely keel over before December.”

“I think I’ll survive, thanks for your concern.” Jungkook didn’t really mean for his voice to sound as cold as it did but he was growing steadily more irritated by his friends’ nagging. Truthfully, he was aware of just how much his schedule was taking out of him, but it wasn’t as if he could actually do anything about it. It was just  disconcerting to be on the receiving end of both of their irritated concerns.

From the corner of his eyes, Jungkook could see Namjoon and Seokjin exchange a glance. He pretended as if he didn’t notice it, picking up a toy that was lying on the carpet, waving in front of Hyungjoon’s face. The baby was looking more and more tired as the conversation went on, and Jungkook wondered if it would be wise of him to take his leave as soon as either of the dads would put him back in his crib for a nap. 

“We’re sorry,” Seokjin said at last. “We know you’re trying, and it’s not fair of us to corner you like this.”

It took Jungkook a little while to answer. “It’s fine,” he shrugged. “I know where you’re coming from. It’s just that it doesn’t really change anything, so why bother getting worked up over this?” 

He was well aware that they disagreed with that statement, but to their credit, both of them stayed silent. 

Hyungjoon yawned cutely, and Jungkook sighed. It looked as if he would be leaving soon, after all.

_____

His paper really seemed to be going nowhere, and Jungkook was very close to calling it quits. It was one of his rare nights off from his job and he had spent every free hour he had on this paper, slaving at it rather than catching up on much-needed sleep. Still, it felt as if none of the words he came up with were good enough. He had just erased the entirety of what he had written in the last hour, and he was about to rip his hair out in frustration.

Muffling a scream into his elbow, Jungkook let his head drop on the desk. He didn’t care about the keyboard smash he was creating from his weight on the keyboard. He didn’t care about the pen painfully poking into the skin of his arm. It was taking all he had to not just give up and go burrow himself in the comfort of his bed. The silence of his apartment did nothing to quell his rising anxiety, and he suddenly found himself missing the coziness of his regular taxi cab. A thought suddenly crossed his mind, and Jungkook quickly shot up from his computer chair.

Finding his phone amidst the mess that was his apartment took more time than actually finding the website streaming the radio station, but it was worth it. It wasn’t immediate, but hearing the soothing sound of Jimin’s voice through his phone did help release a bit of the tension that had steadily built up in him ever since he had first sat down in front of his desk. 

“-chance to explore so many different feelings through the lens of music,” Jimin was saying. “I know just how cheesy it sounds, but it’s true! I’m not the best musician out there, but I just know I wouldn’t be who I am today if it wasn’t for music.”

Jungkook made his way towards the kitchen, set on getting a much needed dose of caffeine despite the late hour. He was waiting for the water in his Keurig to warm up when Jimin invited people to do special requests or something. It didn't take him too long to make his decision. Within a minute, he had the radio station’s number dialed.

The screener was once again very cheerful and welcoming, and Jungkook chatted with her for a bit as he put the creamer in his coffee. This time, he wasn’t put on hold. The lady sent him directly to Jimin’s line as soon as she finished talking to him.

“Hello, this is Jimin speaking! I heard you had a request?”

Jungkook’s smile was quick to come, even if it was a small one. “Yes, I do have one.”

“Great. What’s your name and the name of the song you would like to hear?”

“Jungkook. I’d like to hear A Horse with No Name , please.”

“Hi, Jungkook! A fan of seventies’ rock, I see.”

Jungkook rested his hip against the counter. The coffee mug was a little too hot in his hands, but the sting of it was grounding. He needed to distract himself for a little longer, and he had a long night ahead of him.

“I guess so,” he said. “What makes you say that?”

Jimin took a moment to reply. “Well, your requests speak for themselves, don’t they?”

Could it be that- “You remember that? That I called before?” Jungkook asked incredulously. 

Jimin’s laugh sounded a bit fried over the phone. Jungkook wished the reception was a bit better in his apartment. “I do. So, did you want to stay to announce the song this time around?”

Jungkook looked across the room where his computer screen shone bright with the empty page he had just erased entirely in his frustration. His stomach churned anxiously. “I think I’ll pass, but thank you.”

“ Of course, ” Jimin said. “ Well, I hope you have a nice night, Jungkook. I hope to hear from you again. ”

Jungkook licked his lips, nodding to himself. “Yeah, I hope too.” 

He hung up with a last goodbye and this time, he waited until the entire song had played before he shut his phone. When he sat back down at his computer, Jungkook felt a little bit more in control, a little less of a nervous wreck. It seemed as if the distraction did work, after all.

____

The next time Jimin asked for special requests over the radio, Jungkook automatically fished his phone out of his pocket. The first few times, he hadn’t known what impulse had driven him to actually call the station. Now, it felt almost familiar, as if this was a new type of routine he was settling into.

He had been driving an old man halfway across the city, and the gentleman had been quite good company. The small stories he had to share had been enough to distract Jungkook from the tiring ache in his lower back and the heaviness of his eyelid. Unfortunately, he had left the old man at his daughter’s house about half an hour ago, and his mind had quickly gone right back to wandering aimlessly. He had made a quick stop at a nearby convenience store to get a coffee, but he had now been waiting on the curb for a little too long. Turning up the radio had been the easiest thing to do, and Jungkook had lowered his seat to relieve his back pain and enjoy the time off he had left before the taxi service would undoubtedly dispatch him somewhere else.

“Hello, this is Jimin speaking! I heard you have a request?”

“Hi, this is Jungkook. I’d like to hear Best of You by the Foo Fighters , please.”

“Hi Jungkook! I see you’re switching it up today.” Jungkook didn’t even know what Jimin looked like, but he could easily picture the smile that came with the cheerful voice. It was a little hard to conceal his own smile, but allowed it. He was all alone in the car, after all.

Jungkook hummed. “Yeah, I felt like I was getting a little too predictable here.”

“You’re calling a rock radio station. Half of the people that do call request things like Metallica or ACDC. Being predictable is not a big deal.”

Jungkook didn’t know if Jimin bantered with everyone like this, but he liked it nonetheless. The genuine quality in Jimin’s voice never failed to make him feel a little better. Besides, the attention wasn’t so bad in and of itself. “I mean, those are some nice choices. But don’t you get tired of always hearing the same songs?”

There was a pause on the other side of the line. Jungkook wondered if he was acting a little too familiar. Luckily for him, Jimin didn’t seem to mind. “I... I don’t listen to rock anymore when I’m not working, so I guess this counts for something".” He let out a small huff. “But the fun part is that I don’t actually have to listen to the songs when they play. I can turn down the music and stretch my legs during breaks, so that’s nice.”

Jungkook sighed. “Stretching my legs. I wish I could do that.”

“You can’t? Oh, I guess I wouldn’t know why you aren’t sleeping at this hour, right. If that’s not too intrusive to ask, why are you up this late? Are you at work?”

Jungkook’s smile widened, and he let his head drop against the headrest, looking up at the ceiling of the cab. “Yeah, actually. I’m a taxi driver.”

“Hence why you listen to our station.” Jimin hummed in realization. “Well, I sadly have to go, since the commercial break is almost over. But it was nice chatting with you! I hope you call again soon.”

There was no way Jungkook wasn’t imagining the hint of disappointment he could hear in Jimin’s voice. The lack of sleep truly was getting to him. He really needed to get a grip on himself. “Yeah, you too.”

Just like that, the call disconnected. Jungkook dropped his phone in the seat next to his, turning up the volume of the radio in the same movement. It wasn’t long before he could hear Jimin announcing the song he had requested. It was only then that Jungkook realized Jimin hadn’t asked him to stay. He probably already knew the answer would have been no.

Maybe he was getting predictable, after all.

Jungkook didn’t look back at his phone for what was left of his shift. He only picked it up as he switched from the company’s car to his. It was then that he saw he had received a text message from an unknown number. He unlocked his phone as he leaned against the hood of his car. The weather wasn’t quite cold enough for him to shiver underneath his jacket, and he still had energy left in him from the leftover caffeine. Besides, he was too curious to wait until he got home.

‘Hello, this is Jimin’

Jungkook’s brows immediately shot up. Jimin? From the radio station? His eyes widened even more when he realized that this was only the first message. What he saw lower made more sense, if only a little.

“ I got your number from the station’s records. I hope this doesn’t weird you out.’

It didn’t, at least not yet. Jungkook still wasn’t sure the realization of Jimin Park having his number had settled in yet. But why would he even ask for it in the first place?

He bit his lip as he tried to come up with an answer, one that didn’t sound too cold or overeager. It took him a few minutes, but he finally settled on something simple.

‘It’s not weird haha, but why did you do it?’

For a moment, he debated sending an emoji afterwards, but a smile would have been too… default, and a wink, too familiar and strange at the same time. He really wasn’t good at texting, much less with new people.

Much less with people he wanted to impress, despite how stupid that goal was. But was it that crazy, when an established radio host went all the way as to quite unethically acquire his phone number? Sure, Jimin wasn’t famous by any means. He wasn’t working for a big station, nor was he the star host of it. Besides, it wasn’t as if the night shift had a spectacularly large audience. Still, the thought of actually talking to Jimin outside of his show’s special requests was indeed strange. Strange, but still exciting. 

Jungkook pocketed his phone with a weary sigh. There was no need to get this worked up about a simple text message, right? He was a grown man, and he needed to keep himself in check. So what if he had been listening to what Jimin had to say for the past few months? It didn’t mean anything. It was literally what a radio host expected, what they did every day.

Jimin answered as he was driving home, but it was only as Jungkook was settling into bed that he took the time to look at his reply.

‘You seem like a nice guy to talk to’ Then, right underneath, ‘I swear I don’t do this with everyone that calls, I’m sorry if I’m making you uncomfortable. I just thought this was more convenient than waiting for you to call.”

Jungkook frowned. His thumbs were hovering over his keyboard, his mind not sure of what to reply to that. Jimin did seem like a nice guy, and it had been ages since he had made a new friend. Besides, Jimin could be someone fun to talk music with. Aside from Namjoon, none of his friends were really into music beyond being casual listeners of pop acts. Perhaps Jimin could become a good friend. He just didn’t want to get his hopes up too much. The way in which Jimin had found his number didn’t bother him too much, either. He found it oddly flattering.

In the end, Jungkook decided to let his impulses drive him.

‘I could get behind that’

Jungkook closed the message app and opened up Twitter, ready to scroll until his eyes would be too tired to keep up. To his surprise, a text from Jimin popped up less than a few minutes later.

‘Great! I’d love to get to know you better.’

The text was followed by a cute emoticon. Jungkook couldn’t help smiling. 

He didn’t write anything else that night, instead choosing to sleep on it and trying to think of something smart and friendly to say in the morning. He was a pretty awkward guy after all, and he didn’t want to sound too enthusiastic either. Besides, he was getting a bit too tired for his heart to keep up with that much excitement. 

Sleep didn’t come easy to him, but Jungkook didn’t mind much, for once. This time, there was a good reason for his heart to keep racing even as he tried his best to doze off.

____

Jungkook didn’t have to worry too much about awkwardness, after all, as Jimin refused to let it be a thing between them. He jumped right into talking to Jungkook as if they weren’t two complete strangers. Soon enough, Jungkook was up to date with every basic thing he needed to know about Jimin beyond what he had already known of him as a radio host.

Jimin had been working for the station ever since his second year of college. He had a bachelors degree in communications and was quite satisfied with the job he had ended up with, despite his less than conventional schedule. He was a couple years older than Jungkook, and he was quite close to his family. Jungkook had been a bit more shy in giving so much information about himself in so little time, but Jimin had been easy to open up to, even if he couldn’t quite be as present through a phone screen. Jungkook didn’t have to worry about that part for too long, though. 

He had been surprised the first time Jimin had called him instead of texting him. Jungkook wasn’t much of a call guy, but he hadn’t hesitated to pick up the phone. He hadn’t regretted it; he had started to miss hearing Jimin’s voice, after all. It didn’t hurt that he made Jungkook extremely comfortable for a reason he had yet to determine. 

Calling Jimin quickly became a daily occurrence for him. In fact, talking to him was quickly becoming his favorite way to wind down between classes. Jimin was also proving himself to be great company when Jungkook had to work on his various school projects, even if he was a bit distracting.

“So, did you finally get to go to that place I told you about?”

Jungkook’s finger paused as he finished typing his sentence. “That restaurant?”

Jimin hummed and Jungkook shook his head despite knowing he wasn’t able to see him. “No, I didn’t really have the time to.”

“Still busy with that project?”

Jungkook glared at the screen in front of him. It was getting close to dinner time, and he knew that he would have to hang up pretty soon if he actually wanted to get any serious work done before leaving for work. “Yeah. I have another minor assignment to hand out for the end of the week too, but I’m nearly done with it.”

“Are you pretty busy next week, then?”

Jungkook sighed as he minimized the tab he was working on. He grabbed his phone in one hand and rolled away from his desk. “Kinda. They gave me another shift at work since someone just quit. It’s a day shift, this time, so I’ll have to work my class schedule around that. Why?”

Jimin’s answer came a second too late. “Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if you were gonna catch a break anytime soon.”

But Jungkook had come to learn about Jimin over the last few weeks. He felt like there was something his friend wasn’t telling him. “Jimin-”

“Was there any song in particular you wanted to hear tonight?” he cut him off. 

Jungkook still called the station for special requests once in a while. Despite having Jimin’s personal phone number, it felt weird to call him on that line while they were both at work. Besides, Jimin found the whole formality of it quite funny, and he never failed to say that to him every time Jungkook called. More often than not, though, Jimin would ask him in advance. Jungkook never knew around what time his request would play. Sometimes he missed it, other times he was able to tune it to listen. It didn’t matter much to him. The thought of Jimin taking the time to ask him personally was what mattered most.

“ Killer Queen ,” he said after a short pause. “If you have it at the station. Or any Queen song, if you don’t. I’m not picky.”

“Still the seventies, I see,” Jimin teased. “For all that talk about not being predictable, you sure are coming to be just that.”

Jungkook shrugged, spinning his computer chair in lazy half turns to entertain himself. “That’s the best era of rock, what can I say?”

Jimin hummed as if he really was thinking it over. “See, I can’t really argue with that. What’s your favorite band then? ”

“I would say it would be Rush. Or maybe Supertramp. That’s a hard question to answer, Jimin.”

“ Rush and Supertramp, ” Jimin mused. “ I didn’t expect that. ”

“Oh, what did you expect, then?” Jungkook asked playfully.

“ To be honest, I expected you to go with a safe bet. Like the Stones, or even Queen, maybe. ”

“Well, I don’t hate them either. They’re classics.”

“ What is your favorite album from them, then? ”

“Rush or Supertramp?”

“ Either one. Both. ”

Jungkook laughed, and Jimin’s giggle echoed him on the other end of the line. He quieted down as he thought of an answer that would feel right. “I would say 2112 for Rush. I just really love concept albums. I actually have a vinyl of that one album.”

“ Really? I didn’t know you collected vinyls. ”

“I don’t. I got it from my dad. He bought it back in the days.”

“ Your dad was into music? ”

Jungkook hummed. “That’s kinda where I got my love for it, actually.”

“ That’s so nice, ” Jimin commented, his voice soft enough to have Jungkook shivering.

He brushed it off. “So what’s your favorite band, then?”

Jimin took a moment to answer, as if he really had to think about it. “ I’m more of a R&B guy, actually. I really like Usher, old 2000s nostalgia music, really.”

“Really?”

“Really. Don’t get me wrong, though. I really do love this job. And the music is pretty good too.”

Jungkook laughed. “Yeah, well you’ve got pretty good taste, so of course it is.”

As Jungkook looked up at his computer screen, he wondered just how he had managed to get so lucky. Jimin was quickly becoming the highlight of his day in a way that should have been embarrassing, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Not when he felt so comfortable with him, not when Jimin never failed to make him smile. 

There were worse things in life than falling too soon, after all.

___

Jungkook gradually received the results to his midterms over the course of the week, and the whole thing felt a bit anticlimactic. He did rather well on most of them, a little worse on one, but nothing too dramatic nor too amazing. He did call Jimin after receiving each grade, though. He would have usually told Namjoon first, but he didn’t feel the need to this time. Jungkook did feel like there was something there that he should have paid attention to. There must have been a reason why he felt so comfortable with Jimin so soon, but he let it go, if only for now.

Jimin congratulated him heavily, and his words of praise had Jungkook blushing a little too much for his own good. Perhaps it was due to him having such a high opinion of Jimin. Perhaps it was him getting caught up in the excitement of having a new friend that connected so easily with him. Perhaps it was something more - although Jungkook really didn’t think it was that last one.

So he shoved it down. Everytime Jimin’s words brought a silly smile to his face, everytime he would grow a little too excited at seeing Jimin’s name flash up on his phone screen, Jungkook would take a deep breath and attempt to talk himself down. He hadn’t even gotten the chance to meet Jimin face to face. He really needed to stop acting like such a fool. 

It was only as he caught himself staying awake late on his nights off to listen to Jimin’s voice over the radio that he realized just how deep in he was. There was no logical explanation to any of this, no excuse he could come up with anymore. 

As Jungkook laid awake in bed, listening to Jimin talk about an alternative rock band touring in their area, he allowed himself a small moment of panic. What was he doing? He couldn’t allow himself to fall like this. He didn’t have the time nor the energy to. Besides, he had nothing to offer to Jimin. And it wasn’t as if he actually had a chance at this. Jimin may have sought him out first, but it was as a friend. It was because Jungkook was someone to talk music to, nothing more.

He had half a mind to call Seokjin in panic, but he managed to restrain himself. He would see both Seokjin and Namjoon in a couple days anyways. Seokjin had insisted on inviting him out to celebrate his success during his midterms, and Jungkook was always down to eat out with them. Seokjin had great taste in food, and it was always nice to see his friends. He didn’t have nearly enough time for them in his packed schedule.

Still, it was hard to keep his newfound realization to himself when all Jungkook wanted to do was talk to someone about it. While he was still a bit (a lot) terrified because of his budding feelings, the happiness and giddiness that never failed to accompany a new crush were tricky to swallow down. So, he couldn’t be blamed for blurting it out almost as soon as he had sat down at the table with his friends.

This time, Seokjin had chosen a nice Korean BBQ place. It wasn’t the first time Jungkook had been there, but the restaurant never lost its charm. The food reminded him of what his dad used to cook him when he was younger, and that was always a bonus. 

Namjoon and Seokjin had hired a babysitter for Hyungjoon, and it was apparently a source of stress for them. At least for Namjoon. He kept fidgeting and looking down at his phone as if he could receive an emergency text at any moment. It was the first time they had let a stranger take care of their baby, after all. Jungkook guessed he could sympathize with that anxiety, even if he didn’t have a child of his own.

Seokjin had barely finished ordering the meat for the table when Jungkook spoke. “So, do you guys remember that radio show host I have been talking to?”

Seokjin raised an eyebrow at him while Namjoon shook his head confusedly. “No?” the latter said, the word more akin to a question than anything else. “You’ve been talking to a radio host?”

Jungkook’s mouth hung open for a second before he caught himself and closed it. Had he really forgotten to tell his best friends?

“Hmm,” was all he could respond.

Apparently, it was far from enough from the way Seokjin’s eyes narrowed. “Spill,” he said, and his tone didn’t leave space for any protest.

“Uh, you know how sometimes it gets boring on the job and I can’t really take a nap while waiting for the company to call me?” Jungkook kept his eyes trailed on the bottle of soy sauce placed at the end of the table. For some reason, he felt a bit embarrassed by his story. Maybe it was because of the unconventional way he had met Jimin, or the way he had quickly managed to develop feelings for someone he had yet to see face to face. “Well, I’ve been calling this radio station for special requests because, why not? And after a couple times, the radio host found my number on the register or something, I’m not that sure and well. We’ve been talking ever since?”

There was a moment of silence. And then-

“Don’t you think it’s a little weird that he actually searched for your number?”

“Seokjin!” Namjoon exclaimed. He elbowed him in the ribs. It only served to make Seokjin complain loudly. 

“What? I’m just saying! What if he’s a creep?”

“I thought it was a little… unconventional at first,” Jungkook admitted. He bit his lip, looking back at his friends. He couldn’t really blame Seokjin for his reaction, honestly. He knew Jimin now, but it had made him rather confused at first. “But he’s really sweet. We’ve been talking for a few months now.”

“And when are we going to meet him?” Namjoon asked. 

“That’s the thing. I haven’t met him yet.”

“Are you sure he’s not some creepy old guy?”

“ Hyung, ” Jungkook whined. He didn’t use honorifics that often with them, but Seokjin’s nagging has it slip out of his mouth. “I’ve seen him before. You might be too old to know that, but video calls exist. He’s just a couple years older than me.”

“So what’s his name, then?”

“Jimin,” Jungkook answered, looking back at Namjoon. While Seokjin had seemed dubious ever since the beginning of the conversation, Namjoon only looked curious. Jungkook appreciated his calm attitude. He was already anxious enough as it was.

“Jimin. He’s Korean too.”

“I see. And why did you feel the need to tell us now, though? You had something to say about him, didn’t you?”

Jungkook laughed nervously. He hoped the waiter would come back with their order and save him the embarrassment of telling his friends about his feelings for Jimin, but he never came. There was no way for him to avoid it any longer. Wasn’t he the one who brought up the topic in the first place? So why did he suddenly feel as if this was far from his best idea?

“So, uhm, I think I might be developing feelings for him. Maybe.”

The silence that stretched between the three of them was a bit uncomfortable, and Jungkook felt the itch to fill it. He knew himself, though, and he wasn’t so keen on blurting out something that would be even more embarrassing than his admission. He was becoming rather rusty when it came to social interactions, even with his friends. Maybe choosing online classes had been a mistake, after all.

Finally, Namjoon spoke up. “Maybe? Why are you saying maybe?”

“I don’t know,” Jungkook shrugged. “I can’t really tell, you know? I think I would need to actually meet him to know for sure. It could be just a stupid meaningless crush. I mean, he’s the only guy who has given me attention lately. Only guy aside from you too,” he added, his gaze flickering between the both of them. “But you guys don’t really count.”

“That makes sense,” Namjoon nodded.

“It does?” Jungkook answered automatically. He bit his lip and watched as Seokjin playfully rolled his eyes.

“Yeah. I think you should try to meet up with him. Is there a reason why you haven’t yet?”

“Well, I don’t really know? I just…” He shook his head, looking away. “I guess it never got brought up.”

Namjoon hummed, but Jungkook knew he wasn’t satisfied with that answer. He didn’t press for it, though, and Jungkook appreciated that. Seokjin still looked as if he had more to say.

“Just make sure to meet him sooner or later if that’s how you feel like,” he finally said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I think it’s nice that you have someone else in your life. If you can get yourself a boyfriend out of it, then that’s great too. We’ll support you no matter what. Just… be safe.”

Jungkook positively melted from his friend’s words. He hadn’t realized just how much their approval and reassurance would mean to him. “Of course. Don’t worry about that.”

Seokjin huffed. His voice came out a little softer, and he looked away from Jungkook. “I always worry about you.”

His smile widened. “I’ll be fine.” He would be. He simply needed to gather up the courage to finally ask Jimin out. Then, hopefully, everything would be fine. 

Jungkook wasn’t a fool. He knew that possibly confessing to Jimin wouldn’t solve all of his problems, but it would be one less weight on his shoulders. He could livre with that.

__

When Jungkook pulled up beside a big apartment building down in midtown, he didn’t expect Kim Taehyung to open the taxi’s door to fold himself in the backseat. He stayed frozen for a moment too long, watching from the rearview mirror as the singer made himself comfortable. He only shook himself out of it once he felt Taehyung’s eyes on him.

“Good evening,” Jungkook said with his polite professional voice. “Where can I take you?”

Taehyung’s smile was a little too sweet as he answered. “Downton, at the 102,5 radio building.”

Jungkook nodded as he entered the address in the car’s GPS system. This all felt a little too coincidental, but he didn’t comment on it. He didn’t even know Taehyung beyond what he knew of him as a singer and Jimin’s best friend, and there was no reason for Taehyung to know who he was. “Alright.”

Jungkook wasn’t the type of driver who purposefully sought out to make conversation with the people sitting in the back of his taxi, but the silence stretching between him and Taehyung felt a little too heavy for comfort. He could feel Taehyung’s eyes burning into the back of his head, making him wonder if there was something wrong with his appearance.

“I already got your name from the app, but you are Jungkook Jeon, right?” Taehyung asked soon enough. “There wasn’t a mistake with the driver’s name?”

Jungkook’s grip tightened on the steering wheel as alarm bells rang in his head. He swallowed heavily. “Yes,” he answered, trying to keep his shock from bleeding out into his voice. “Why is that important?”

Taehyung sighed heavily. “Wow. It’s kind of a miracle that I got it on the first try, actually. Hello, Jungkook.”

Jungkook’s eyes flickered to the mirror. There was a proud smile on Taehyung’s face and dark bags under his eyes, but nothing that suggested just what he meant by ‘the first try’. Then, the realization set in. “Did Jimin talk about me?”

Taehyung raised a brow, his expression enigmatic. Jungkook’s eyes went back to the road in front of him. “He might have,” he admitted.

Despite how strange the situation still was, Jungkook allowed himself to relax his grip on the wheel, relieved. He could never be too careful with strangers, especially at that time of night. It wasn’t the first time someone made strange comments as he drove them, and it wouldn’t be the last.

“I really wanted to meet the guy who’s been taking over my best friend’s free time,” Taehyung continued, oblivious to Jungkook’s inner turmoil. 

Jungkook snorted. “So what? You called for a random taxi hoping that I would be the one picking you up?”

“Pretty much,” Taehyung answered nonchalantly. “There’s also the fact that there’s only a couple companies in town who’s services work at all times, and I kinda figured out your regular schedule from talking to Jimin.”

Jungkook shook his head. “Wow. That’s a bit creepy, actually. But impressive at the same time? Why would you go through such lengths?”

“I wanted to meet you,” Taehyung repeated. 

Jungkook debated whether or not he could tease Taehyung a bit. He didn’t know much about him as a person, and he didn’t want to cross any boundaries. Of course, he had seen his face on social media once in a while. He was the lead singer of a quickly rising band, after all. But he had never bothered to keep up with interviews and such. He only had Jimin’s words to go by.

“And what do you think of me, then?” he settled on. 

Taehyung hummed. “I’m not disappointed at all.” Jungkook choked, but the singer went on. “Besides, now I have an advantage over Jimin.”

“Hmm?”

“I met you first. In real life. He’s going to be jealous, I know it”

“I-” Jungkook sputtered, his eyes growing wide. “What?”

Taehyung’s laugh was deep and genuine. “You’re cute, and a pretty nice catch if I do say so myself. I’ll make sure to tell Jimin just that.”

Jungkook hoped he wasn’t sporting a furious blush, but he doubted his luck. “Why would you need to tell him that?”

“Duh. To rub it in his face that I got to see you. And maybe also so he can maybe feel motivated to make a move?”

“Make a move?”

“Oh look!” Taehyung exclaimed suddenly, his voice dripping with fake enthusiasm. “Looks like my stop is coming. This is so unfortunate.”

Sure enough, they were now only a few buildings away from the radio station. Jungkook frowned. As if he would let that deter him. “Mr. Kim-” he started.

“I’ve already said too much, chap. I think I’ll let you think that over for a while. And call me Taehyung, pleaseé”

“Mr K-Taehyung, please explain yourself.”

“No can do.”

Jungkook stopped the car in front of the radio station building. From what he could see, the station took over only the first few floors of it. The rest seemed to be offices, but he couldn’t say for sure with all the lights being shut. He didn’t let the sight distract him for too long, though. Jungkook quickly killed the engine and locked the door, turning in his seat to face Taehyung. “Tell me,” he demanded.

Taehyung pouted, his hand already on the door handle. He uselessly tried to tug on it. “Your customer service could be improved a little.”

Jungkook’s eyes narrowed. “You said Jimin had to make a move.”

“That’s not what I said.”

He groaned. “Why are you doing this?”

“I’m not doing anything,” Taehyung said innocently. He held Jungkook’s eyes, his face unwavering. After a little while, Jungkook turned back around with a sigh. 

“Fine,” he said. “Have it your way. I don’t care.” He unlocked the doors but didn’t turn around as Taehyung made his way out of the car with a final goodbye that sounded way too cheerful.  

Jungkook stayed parked on the curb for a bit too long, watching as Taehyung made his way around the cab and crossed the sidewalk to get inside the building. It felt strange to know Jimin was just a few steps away, closer to him than he had ever been before. A part of him desperately wanted to grab his keys and follow after Taehyung, but his rational (and scared) side won in the end.

This time, it was with a twinge of sadness that he listened to Jimin’s voice over the radio, wishing yet again to hear it under different circumstances.

___

Jungkook was on his weekly trip to the grocery store when Jimin finally asked to meet him.

He had been in the middle of choosing between two brands of tomato sauce, internally debating which one would be a better match for the pasta sauce he was planning to make the same night. His phone was in the pocket of his pants but he could still hear Jimin’s voice through his earbuds. 

“So did you want to come hang out with me?”

Jungkook nearly dropped the can of sauce but managed to catch himself at the last second. He forced out an embarrassed smile to the old lady that had turned around to look at him from a few meters away from him. “What?”

“ In the studio, I mean. Did you want to come and hang out?”

He took a little too long to answer, the invitation still not being properly processed into his mind. Jimin continued on, his voice a little less certain. “ I mean, I know your shifts are long, but if you’re too tired to come, that’s fine too! I was just-”

“You want me to come in during one of your shows?” Jungkook asked, a little dubious. He put the can of sauce in his basket and walked towards an emptier part of the supermarket, where he wouldn’t bother other shoppers with his clumsy self.

“ Yeah,” Jimin answered. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not asking you to be one of my guests! I just thought it would be nice to, you know, see each other. I know you’re busy during the week, and I thought you would have maybe liked to see what the studio looks like. ”

Jungkook swallowed down the fluttering feeling rising from deep in his belly. He wasn’t sure if it was simply from the nerves or if something else was involved. “I think that would be nice,” he said, his voice a little too soft. “I would like to come.”

He could tell Jimin was smiling at the other end of the line with the way his voice simply seemed to light up. “ That’s great! When, huh, when do you think you could come by?”

Jungkook raised his eyes to the ceiling, trying to visualize his schedule. Truthfully, he was a little too busy and a little too exhausted to be sacrificing his much needed sleep to go spend the night in a radio studio. Still, he didn’t really care. The excitement he was feeling at the prospect of finally meeting Jimin face to face was too much for him to decline.

“You have a shift tomorrow, right? How about I stop by then? I’m usually done by three, so…”

Jimin giggled and Jungkook’s heart clenched. “ That’s perfect. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Jungkook’s voice was a little too soft, a little too open as he answered. “I’ll be there.”

Jungkook’s heart was still racing in his chest when he hung up. He took a moment to gather himself and hoped he didn’t look as silly as he felt, fanning himself all alone in the pet aisle of the store. The realization that he would finally meet Jimin wasn’t sinking in yet, but he knew the worst had yet to come.The waiting game had only just begun.

And truthfully, the next day passed by painfully slow. As much as Jungkook always felt as if he was running out of time, scrambling to cling onto every little bit of free time, this day did feel like it was taking forever to end. He managed to restlessly sleep through the night and caught up on his schoolwork during the daytime, but he saw every hour pass by on the clock, thrumming with nervous energy the entire way through. 

There were many reasons as to why he was this agitated, and they didn’t all have to do with Jimin. Sure, that played a big part into it, but Jungkook just wasn’t feeling that comfortable about going to the radio station. He knew he was bound to feel a little out of place, but he hadn't been able to decline Jimin’s offer. After all, what was a little discomfort in the face of finally meeting the man that had completely taken over his mind for the last few months?

Jungkook powered through his shift in a daze of sorts, barely remembering to respond to the small talk some of the passengers were attempting to make with him. His body was driving on autopilot, his mind travelling far away from the suburbs and losing itself downtown where he had left Taehyung a few weeks ago. Jungkook couldn’t even bring himself to turn on the radio. For once, he knew Jimin’s voice would only serve to agitate him even further. 

When he finally parked his own car in an empty spot beside the radio station building a few hours later, Jungkook had to stay seated for a couple minutes more, his mind a little too wired up for him to properly function. His hands were clammy where they were gripping the steering wheel, and he closed his eyes as he took a deep breath.

“It’s okay,” he breathed out. “It’s just Jimin.”

But the words felt a little too dull. Just Jimin. The Jimin he was steadily falling for, despite his best efforts. The Jimin that was sometimes the only thing bringing a smile to his face in the mornings. The Jimin that he had yet to meet, but had quickly become an important part of his life.

But Jungkook thought of Taehyung’s voice as he bragged about meeting him first, as he joked about teasing Jimin, and he suddenly felt a small flicker of hope. Could Jimin feel the same about him too?

With a last sigh, Jungkook stuffed his car keys inside his pockets and made his way towards the entrance of the building.

The main doors led to a rather spacious entrance hall with a pair of elevators on the back wall and two glass walls on both sides. Behind the right wall was what seemed to be a café, but it was hard to tell with the way all the lights were turned off. Jungkook turned towards the left side, the one that was still lit up despite the hour. He nodded to himself as he spotted the radio station’s logo stamped onto the double glass doors, and tried to will down his nerves as he opened it.

Jimin had only told him to tell the receptionist his name and that she would call for someone to come and get him, so Jungkook quickly walked to the front desk. The woman sitting behind it smiled at him as soon as he walked through the doors. She crossed her arms on the surface of the desk and leaned forward.

“Heya! What can I do for you?” 

“I’m supposed to meet with Jimin Park. My name is Jungkook Jeon,” he added as an afterthought.

If possible, her smile widened even more. “Of course! Just wait here, it won’t take too long.”

She stood up and disappeared behind a door a few feet away from the desk. Jungkook took the opportunity to take a look around the lobby. It didn’t look especially fancy, but Jungkook liked how warm the place felt. There was a sitting area a little way to the right with a couple of couches made of a beige fabric, and a few potted plants were strategically scattered around the room. It felt a little out of place for a rock radio station but then again, Jungkook didn’t really know what he had expected.

His head whipped around as he heard the sound of a pair of footsteps coming from behind the door where the secretary had disappeared. Jungkook quickly wiped his clammy hands on his jeans, taking a deep breath and rolling back his shoulders.

He had expected an assistant to come and lead him towards Jimin’s studio. He had expected to have a couple more minutes in order to compose himself and find the words to say to Jimin. He hadn’t expected Jimin himself to emerge from the door, a confident smile brightening his face. It took everything in him for Jungkook to not openly gape at the sight.

Jimin’s hair was gently tousled as if he had been running his hands in it. He was wearing a black sweater and a dark pair of jeans, looking casual but stylish at the same time. His hand was extended in front of him in a clear invitation, and Jungkook hoped his wasn’t too sweaty.

“Nice to finally meet you, Jungkook.” Jimin’s voice was much softer than he had ever heard it be. Phones and radios did not do him justice. He sounded sweet, warmed up by a gentleness that had Jungkook shivering.

Jungkook managed to smile. He could only hope his face wasn’t betraying just how dazed he felt at that moment, and he finally let go of Jimin’s hand. Jimin didn’t comment on how their handshake had maybe lasted a little too long. He hadn’t even seemed to notice. “Nice to meet you too,” Jungkook said.

Jimin gestured towards the back of the room, his smile never leaving his face. “How about I show you around? We have a little less than ten minutes until I have to get back in the studio. You won’t have to leave, you can just hang out in the next room between my breaks,” Jimin reassured him. He must have noticed the clear disappointment on Jungkook’s face as he had mentioned him having to go back.

“I’m right behind you,” Jungkook said with a nod. 

As they left the entrance room, Jungkook looked back at the secretary. She was watching the both of them go with a strange smile on her face, one that had Jungkook warm in the face. When their eyes met, the woman simply waved at him and walked back towards her desk. He only looked back towards Jimin once he started talking.

“The station as a whole is not really big,” he said in an apologetic tone. “But really, we don’t actually need more space than this. We’re not really a big mainstream station and our activities are pretty much limited to what you hear on air, no extra.”

Jimin opened the door where he had previously come from and held it open for Jungkook to walk through. He thanked him in a quiet voice, his mind still registering what Jimin was saying. 

“It’s more than fine,” Jungkook answered. “Really, I’m already pretty impressed and I just came in,” he joked. 

Jimin didn’t answer, but the smile he threw over his shoulder was enough to make Jungkook’s breath hitch.

Jimin showed him around the various premises of the station, his explanations brief but his voice warm all the while. To be fair, Jungkook wasn’t really able to focus on whatever his friend was saying. There was a nervous thrum ringing in his ears, and all of his concentration went towards him trying to keep his cool. He was well aware of how anxious this meeting would make him feel, but he had never thought that he would have been such a mess. But Jimin was a sight to see, and he hadn’t been prepared for that.

Finally, Jimin stopped in front of a single closed door at one end of the hallway. He gestured towards it. “So, this right here is my studio. I mean, it’s not really mine per say, but that’s where I always record my broadcasts.” He looked away for a moment, his eyebrows furrowed. For an instant, Jungkook wondered if Jimin felt nervous too.

“Did you want to come in?” Jimin asked as he looked back at him.

Jungkook nodded. He licked his lips in a nervous reflex. “Sure.”

Jimin opened the door and motioned for him to walk in first. Jungkook muttered a thanks as he passed by him.

The room had a couch nestled in one corner and a small desk in the other. The back wall was made entirely out of glass, and Jungkook could see the actual recording booth behind it. This place seemed like a break room of sorts, the dim lights helping with the cozy look of it. Jungkook spotted a throw blanket hanging from the back of the couch, and he wondered if this was maybe where Jimin was hanging out when calling him in the middle of the night.

“I actually have to go back,” Jimin said as he closed the door behind him, his tone apologetic. “You can stay here while I’m on air. I’ll be quick, I promise.”

“It’s fine,” Jungkook reassured. “Don’t rush yourself for me, I’m the one bothering you in the middle of your shift.”

“You’re not bothering me,” Jimin responded quickly. “I invited you, you’re more than welcome. Trust me.” 

It seemed as if he had more to say, but a glance back towards the booth made him change his mind. He shook his head. “I’ll be quick,” Jimin repeated before disappearing behind the glass door.

As Jungkook sat down on the worn leather couch, he spotted the ‘on air’ sign on the wall in front of him lighting up. He threw a look at the glass wall and watched as Jimin settled down and put his headphones over his ears.

Jungkook could have opened his phone to pass time, but he found himself unable to look away. Watching Jimin work while not being able to actually hear him was quite interesting. There was an intense expression on his face, and he seemed to genuinely be enjoying himself despite the late hour. 

True to his words, it didn’t take long for Jimin to put down his headphones and walk away from his microphone. Jungkook immediately sat up straighter in his seat, smoothing down his shirt in the same movement.

“Hey,” Jimin said as walked out of the booth. “We have about twenty minutes right now.”

“That long?” Jungkook asked incredulously. He straightened up from his slouch and yawned, blinking his eyes rapidly to try and get rid of the sleepy haze he had fallen into as Jimin was manning the radio. 

“Yeah,” Jimin said as he sat down on the couch beside him. Jungkook couldn’t help but notice how Jimin had chosen the seat right beside him, their thighs nearly touching. “I put on another mix. I’ll just have to go back in about fifteen minutes to put on a longer radio break.”

Jungkook nodded. He felt a bit guilty as he knew from experience that Jimin rather liked to chat throughout his shifts, but a selfish part of him couldn’t help but rejoice in the fact that he clearly wanted to spend as much time as possible with him.

For a little while, none of them said anything, too busy with staring at the other. It was a bit strange, but Jungkook couldn't feel any awkwardness from it. They had barely met in reality, had barely exchanged more than a few sentences since Jungkook had first arrived at the station nearly an hour ago, but Jimin had a way of making him comfortable. It wasn’t much different than it had been while they were both hanging out via phone calls. 

The only real difference was in how distracting Jimin himself was.

Jungkook couldn’t help it. It was hard to take his eyes off of Jimin. The other man was so much prettier than he had expected, his eyes shining with open happiness, his posture inviting and confident. It made him want to take risks, to get closer to him in any way possible. Jimin was quickly becoming a danger to his heart, but Jungkook couldn’t find it in himself to complain about it.

In the end, it was Jimin who broke the silence. “I’m glad you could come by,” he said softly. “I’ve been trying to gather the courage to ask you to meet up for a while now.”

“Really?” Jungkook said. 

“Yeah. That time I told you about the restaurant…” he drifted off.

It took a moment for him to remember, but Jungkook shook his head as a previous conversation of theirs flashed into his mind. “You wanted to go with me?”

Jimin smiled sheepishly. “I wanted to, yes.”

“You can always take me there another time. I would love to go with you.” 

It wasn’t very hard to believe that Jungkook would have missed the hint while they were talking. He was more than a little dense at times. What was even more unbelievable is that Jimin truly had wanted to meet him, even before this. That he was sitting right there beside him, a little too close for it to be simply friendly. Jimin was leaning against the back of the couch, his entire body turned to face Jungkook, his knee now propped up on the couch and touching Jungkook’s thigh. He was hyper aware of that last part, and he couldn’t help but hold his breath in anticipation.

There clearly was something there; it couldn’t all be a product of his imagination. The air between the both of them was filled with tension unlike anything he had ever felt before for anyone, and Jungook wanted nothing more but to finally close that last remaining distance between Jimin and him. “I’m glad you happened to have such good music taste,” Jimin joked. Jungkook could see right through his attempt at diffusing the tension, but he still pretended as if he didn’t see the way Jimin’s eyes trailed down to his lips.

“I’m glad you looked for me,” Jungkook breathed out. There was a moment of silence, one that felt as if Jungkook was standing on the edge of a cliff. 

They had been carefully toeing around one another for weeks now, months even. Jungkook would have been a fool to deny it now. Everything in Jimin’s body language said that he wasn’t delusional, from the openness of his eyes to the way the other’s hand was inches away from crawling onto Jungkook’s thigh. The only thing left for him to think about was whether or not he was ready to take that leap. 

Jimin’s eyes flickered down to his lips once more and Jungkook’s decision was made before he could even realize it.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” he said quietly. “If that’s okay.”

Jimin’s breath hitched, but he did not give him an answer. Instead, he breached the last remaining distance between the two of them.

Jimin’s lips felt soft against his, the pressure of the kiss tentative and light. Jungkook could understand the hesitancy, but he did not let it linger for too long. Before Jimin could lean back, he settled a hand on his waist and kissed him a little harder, a little more certain. Jimin let out a surprised sound, and Jungkook tried his best to keep his smile at bay.

Jimin’s shirt had ridden up a little under his fingertips, and his skin felt scalding to the touch. A part of Jungkook wanted to tug him closer, to settle the other man to a more comfortable position on his lap, but he restrained himself. The push and pull they had going on was nice enough, their kiss a little playful without being too intense. 

Jimin’s tongue was trailing over his cupid’s bow in a teasing touch, leaving Jungkook wanting much more than what they could do in their situation, when an alarm clock suddenly rang, making the both of them startled. 

“That would be my phone,” Jimin explained breathlessly. “My cue to go back in there.” Still, he made no move to get up and trailed his lips down Jungkook’s jawline. 

Jungkook groaned as he tilted his head back. “Then why aren’t you going?” He didn’t mean for his voice to sound as whiny as it did, and he pretended he didn’t see the smug look on Jimin’s face as he finally teared himself away from his neck. 

“I don’t know,” Jimin said, humming. “I got a little distracted.”

“I’ll still be there when you come back.” Jungkook pressed a small peck against his lips for good measure.

“I know.”

Another kiss. “You wouldn’t want to get fired.”

Jimin huffed. “As if my boss would notice me going back in late. We’re in the middle of the night.”

Jungkook gasped in feigned shock. His hand reached up to push a streak of Jimin’s bangs out of his eyes. “I didn’t know you were such a rebel,” he teased. “What am I getting myself into?”

The teasing glint lingering inside Jimin’s eyes melted into something a little more serious, and Jungkook found himself unable to look away. “Stick around a little longer, and maybe you’ll find out.” 

Jungkook didn’t get a chance to respond. As quickly as it had appeared, the playful look on Jimin’s face melted away and he stood up. He silenced his phone with a quick swipe and walked back towards the booth. “I have about half an hour left in there, then my shift is done. Try not to miss me too much.”

Just like that, Jungkook was left alone to try and gather his composure back. He watched in disbelief as Jimin sat back down behind his microphone with a neutral look on his face, as if nothing had even happened. The only thing that gave him away was the way his lips were a little swollen and his shirt a little ruffled. Not that it really mattered. No one was going to see him anyway. 

Jungkook let out a long breath as he leaned back against the couch. He couldn’t quite believe what had just happened. It felt as if he had skipped a step while walking down the stairs, ending up at the bottom a little too fast with his heartbeat a little too loud in his ears. 

This time, he wasn’t able to bite back a smile. He closed his eyes, replaying the kiss inside of his head. This definitely wasn’t what he had expected when he had agreed to come by the station, but Jungkook wasn’t complaining. 

Jungkook spent the last of Jimin’s shift alternating between playing a mindless mobile game and watching Jimin through the glass wall. His eyes were beginning to grow heavy from tiredness, but he didn’t really want to take a nap. Besides, while he was exhausted and could feel the aches from the lack of sleep settle into his bones, his body felt too wired for sleep.

When Jimin finally slipped out of the booth about half an hour later, Jungkook stood up from the couch with a yawn. “Isn’t someone going to come and pick up where you left off?” he asked from behind his hand.

Jimin shook his head. “Nah. The next host is getting ready in the other studio. We have three, remember?”

The tour Jimin had given him when he had first stepped into the station felt so far away now. Truly, it felt entirely like a different night.

Jimin went to pick up his coat from a hook in a corner of the room. Jungkook watched him go, slipping his hands inside his pockets and rocking on his heels. “So,” he asked. “What happens now?”

Jimin looked back at him as he slipped his arms into the sleeves of his coat. For the first time since the beginning of the night, what seemed like uncertainty flashed across his face. “It’s a little late to really do anything right now,” he said regretfully. “You have a class tomorrow.”

“It’s okay,” Jungkook said. “We can do something another time.”

Jungkook’s reassurance didn’t help to lift the disappointed frown on Jimin’s face . “I had hoped… It feels a little cheap,” he admitted. “To ask you to come here, to… to kiss you, and then to just go.”

It was Jungkook’s turn to frown. He took a step closer. “It isn’t cheap,” he assured. “I’m happy I came.”

Jimin took him by surprise as he wrapped his arms around him in a hug, resting his head on Jungkook’s shoulder. He instinctually tightened his arms around Jimin’s waist, resting his chin on his head.

“I had a plan,” Jimin said against the fabric of Jungkook’s coat. “I wanted to take you on a date to a nice restaurant, do this the proper way.”

“There’s no proper way to do this, Jimin.” Then, something clicked in his mind. He smiled into Jimin’s hair. “The restaurant you talked to me about.”

Jimin groaned. Much to Jungkook’s regret, he disentangled himself from their embrace. “Yes, I wanted to take you there, if that’s what you’re going to ask.”

“You’ve been trying to ask me on a date for this long? You could have just said so.”

“It’s not that easy,” Jimin protested. “And you can be pretty clueless, too.”

“Me, clueless?” Jungkook laughed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Jimin giggled once more, and Jungkook felt his heart melt inside his chest. He kissed Jimin’s nose, unable to stop himself. “Let’s make it a proper date next time, then.”

Jimin nodded. “Yes,” he answered in a low voice. “I would love to.”

_____

The next time Jungkook saw Jimin was in his very own driveway. 

“What are you doing here?” Jungkook asked as he got out of his car. Jimin was sitting on the steps leading up to his apartment, his chin on his hand and his hair swiped away from his forehead. He was wearing a long olive green coat and his ears glittered with a pair of delicate earrings. He looked even more handsome than back at the radio station less than a week ago, and Jungkook wondered if he had dressed up just to see him.

“I wanted to see you,” Jimin said, standing up. “Is that so surprising?”

“Couldn’t wait until Monday?” Jungkook teased. They had scheduled a date at Jimin’s favorite restaurant on a day they both happened to not be working. Jungkook had been extremely nervous about seeing Jimin again, but his nerves seemed to have completely disappeared now that he was in front of him.

“I couldn’t,” Jimin agreed without any embarrassment. “I hope I’m not coming here at the wrong time.”

“Not at all!” Jungkook reassured him. “I was just out grocery shopping. Sorry if you had to wait outside for a long time.”

Jimin followed him as he walked around his car to open the door to the backseat. He took out a few plastic bags and Jimin reached over. “Let me help you,” he said. “And no, I got here not even half an hour ago.”

Jungkook frowned but gave him a couple bags to carry back inside. “It’s cold outside. You should have waited in the car.”

“I didn’t mind.”

Jimin hummed appreciatively as they walked inside and Jungkook turned on the lights. 

“It’s a bit small,” Jungkook said sheepishly. “But I’m alone, so it’s more than enough.”

“I like it. Looks cozy.” Jimin looked back at him with a warm smile, and Jungkook blushed a little. He knew the praise was generous, but he appreciated it nonetheless.

“Thanks.”

Jungkook led them to the kitchen table where they dropped off the plastic bags. As Jimin sat down at the table, Jungkook started to unpack his groceries. “Do you want something to drink?” Jungkook asked as he opened the fridge. 

“Just water, thank you.”

“I’ll be right back.”

Jimin quietly let him finish organizing his groceries as he finished his glass, looking around the apartment while humming to himself. Jungkook didn’t recognize the song, but he was more focused on Jimin’s beautiful voice and the way it made his chest squeeze than on the song itself. He felt content and comfortable in the moment despite them not doing anything.

When he was done unpacking, Jungkook made himself a cup of coffee and sat down in front of Jimin. The other man had shed his coat to reveal a cream turtleneck that niceley hugged his chest. Jungkook had to make a conscious effort to look away from the defined muscle. He settled on Jimin’s eyes instead, not missing the knowing glint in them. 

Jungkook cleared his throat. “So, uhm, what did you want to do?”

Jimin reached over and took his hand that wasn’t wrapped around his mug. “I don’t mind anything,” he said as he squeezed his fingers. “I just wanted to spend time with you before I have to leave for work.”

Jimin’s eyes seemed to be calling him, and Jungkook couldn’t find the strength in himself to look away. “I don’t have anything to do this afternoon. We can… we can watch a movie, if you want.”

Jimin’s smile widened. “I would love that.”

They settled on the couch, a generic comedy movie playing as they sat entirely too close. Truthfully, the movie was soon forgotten as Jimin sat in Jungkook’s lap to kiss him senseless, but he didn’t really mind. Jimin’s mouth on his was much more interesting than whatever the television was playing.

_____

Jimin picked him up a bit before dinnertime on Monday. Jungkook had offered to drive them both to the restaurant, but Jimin had insisted. 

“ You’re always behind the wheel ,” he had said over the phone. “ Let me do this one thing for you. ”

So Jungkook had accepted with a warm feeling in his belly, happy that Jimin was being thoughtful. 

Getting ready for the date had been a stressful affair. He ended up video calling Seokjin for advice on clothes to wear. His friend had picked out a nice black button down shirt and a pair of classy patterned pants, and Jungkook had completed the look with a pair of black boots. It felt a bit of an overkill, but he felt nice and that was what mattered most.

“Hey,” Jungkook greeted as he slid into his seat.

“Good evening.” Jimin took a few seconds to look him up and down. He hummed in appreciation. “Would it be inappropriate if I told you you looked very hot?” 

For a moment, Jungkook gaped at him in shock. Then, he laughed as he caught Jimin’s wink. “It wouldn’t be,” he said slyly. “Besides, you don’t look so bad yourself.”

Jimin’s olive green long coat had made a reappearance. He had left it open to show his flowy black shirt that had a few buttons undone.

“Thank you,” Jimin said, smiling. “You’re ready, then?”

“Wait, I need to do something.”

Jungkook leaned down to press a chaste kiss against Jimin’s lips. He grinned as he pulled away. “Now I’m ready.”

Jimin snorted, but he still wordlessly pulled the car back into the street. “You’re lucky you’re cute,” he muttered after a short while.

Jungkook’s grin never left his face as he reached over and squeezed Jimin’s thigh. “But you’re cuter.”

Jungkook didn’t expect Jimin to protest, but he still laughed when he agreed. “That I am.”