"I'm gonna have a blast this summer" Taehyung said will all certainty.

"How's that summer job hunt?" Yoongi muttered.

"You just love ruining people's moods huh" Hoseok asked, a soda in his hand.

"Mainly the people I like" Yoongi chuckled.

"Really? I hate my life every time I'm around you, you must be in love with me then" he taunted smirking.

On the other end of the store were Namjoon and Jin, picking out new video games. Jin wasn't really a war game fan, he was more of a Mario and LittleBigPlanet type of guy, but it was hard choosing games to share when Joon swore by Call of Duty and titles he couldn't care less about.

"Let's each pick what we like then"

"But the point is to share during the summer"

"Hmm... We're probably not the best match for this" Namjoon sighed. 

"Uncharted?"

"Sonic?"

"Deal" they finally agreed. 

A little further at the animal section was Jungkook, looking for a new leash for Taco and any new toys the dog could play with. He picked out a couple and tapped Jimin's shoulder to ask his opinion.

"I think you're a warm colors type of guy" Jimin replied as he looked at the blue and green items.

"What?"

"Oh these are not for you?" he acted surprised, making Jungkook throw one of the leashes at him. 

"Funny" he deadpanned.

"I mean, you did wear harnesses back when we met, a collar doesn't sound like a reach" he joked.

"I'm past that" Jungkook informed.

"Are you?" he repeated with raised eyebrows.

"Actually yeah, haven't worn one of those things in a while" he nodded thoughtfully, "You still have yours?" he asked.

"Maybe, in the bottom of some drawer, I don't know" Jimin shrugged, acting nonchalant.

"So which one" Jungkook said after a chuckle, shaking the leash in his hand.

"Blue, Taco is a blue kind of boy" 

Friday nights hadn't actually felt so nice all year, and Jimin only realized it now. He didn't know how much he missed this since they were all busy with their own lives, but having everyone in one room like old days brought back some of his most prized memories. 

"Guys! I've always wanted to try the whisper challenge" Hoseok announced and Taehyung beamed.

"Let's do it" he said. 

"What's that?" Jin asked, "What do you think about this one" he muttered, showing Jimin his screen. He was trying to choose a picture to post on instagram.

"Basically someone thinks of a word and whispers it to the first person who can't hear anything, and it's passed around like a chain" Namjoon explained.

"Why is it fun?" Yoongi raised an eyebrow.

"Because the last person has to guess what it was, and by the time we get there, the word will probably have mutated in between" Taehyung replied. 

"You all have your headphones? I don't" Jungkook said. 

"Got mine" Jimin answered, pulling them out of his bag. 

"Nope" Jin responded.

"Me neither, wasn't planing for this" Taehyung shrugged.

"Well we can share, but we can't all play at once, let's rotate our 4 headphones every round" Namjoon suggested. 

The game hasn't even started and they got a couple laughs already because of everyone dancing differently to the songs they were playing. Namjoon, Taehyung and Jin decided to sit the first round out.

"Focus Hobi" Yoongi said.

"Ouu I'm blinded by the lights" he sung out loud.

"You better guess right" he warned.

"Don't worry I'll be looking at your lips the whole time" the older promised, making his eyebrows twitch.

"Why did you have to make it weird like that" Yoongi complained but the other was already tuned in to his music. "Here it goes" he muttered to himself, "Flappy bird"

"Flat...?" he tried.

"Fla-ppy-bird"

"Flappy bird!" he excitedly guessed and turned to Jimin.

"Fat people?" the latter guessed, watching him nod his head.

"Um, alright" he muttered and turned to the older. That is so random, he wondered and shrugged, then looked up at Jungkook who was staring at him patiently.

"Fat people" he meekly said, unsure of himself and looking up at the boy with hesitance all over his features, watching a mixture of intrigue and shock appear on his face in return. It was an unpredictable choice from Yoongi after all.

"Woah woah, what's going on over there Yoongs" he called out to the first link, the young man in question listening to his music without a care.

Jungkook saw the other three seem confused by what he just said, so it must not be what he was thinking. He looked at Jimin again and dropped his gaze down to his full flush lips, silently asking him to repeat and watching them form the words. For the second time, although he knew that wasn't it, his mind insisted for it to be.

"Fuck me more..." Jungkook quietly answered and the three non-players snorted, chuckling at the absurdity of his guess surely and making blood rush to his ears in embarrassment.

"Did we get it right?" Yoongi asked as he took his headphones off. "Fuck me more? How even." he deadpanned when they briefed him.

"You're confused? I'm fucking confused bro. I was like why don't they just get a room" Jungkook joked, pointing at Yoongi and Hoseok in an attempt to lift the awkwardness.

"Ew...?" Hoseok said, side eyeing the freshman.

"Yeah ew" he did the same.

"Your mind is so deep in the gutter I'm afraid it's clinical Jeon" he commented.

"Like it isn't your fault?" Jungkook scoffed, secretly referring to more than just the game.

"Absolutely not, this one's on you" he shrugged.

They played a couple more rounds before the game became boring, leading to them sitting on their phones with music in the background. 

"Soo... Should we talk or should we drag it out some more" Taehyung said after a while.

"Talk about what?" Yoongi sighed.

"Let's not ruin the mood" Hoseok scrunched his nose. 

"What's going on?" Jimin asked, looking up from his phone to find out. 

"Another day guys" Jungkook sighed and Jimin was somehow even more interested now. 

"What is it Kook?" he asked curiously, sharing the confused look with Yoongi.

"It's not just about Jungkook I mean" Taehyung added, "Are we gonna talk about your plans after the summer or..." he asked again, looking at the college graduates.

"Ah" Jimin nodded in acknowledgement. 

"It's expected that we're gonna be a bit busier with what's to come, so we should just enjoy the present as it is" Hoseok insisted on changing topics.

"Hobi applied for Master's programs" Jin announced, earning a glare from the boy in question. "What, you were taking so long" the older shrugged.

"I wasn't gonna talk about it until I got accepted" 

"You're gonna get accepted somewhere" Jin rolled his eyes, "Matter of fact, so will I" he nodded.

"Really? Didn't think Jin would apply for grad school" Yoongi scoffed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" the other squinted his eyes.

"Well Joon didn't go for that option, and you're not as much the school type of person he is, so I assumed you wouldn't" he nonchalantly explained. 

"Honestly I'm just buying time before having to get a job" Jin chuckled. 

"Speaking of jobs" Namjoon started, looking over at his best friend. 

"Man I'm kinda hungry" Jungkook suddenly announced. 

"Tell them JK" Namjoon insisted, earning a glare from the boy in question.

"What's with all these secrets all of a sudden" Jimin scoffed.

"Not today man" he denied.

"He landed a job, in the big city" Namjoon announced despite being told not to. He knows Jungkook was just stalling and might never tell the others about it until he moves away, and he judges it would be unfair to keep them in the dark from something like this. 

"Really? That's great Kook!" Yoongi exclaimed.

"Already? And you didn't think to tell us?" Taehyung shrieked.

"Wow... Congratulations Jeon" Jimin said, trying to make his smile look as genuine as possible while he ignored the quick flutter in his stomach.

"When are you starting? I have to hang out with you everyday in this case, fuck a summer gig" Tae said, jumping to sit by his cousin on the couch.

"You're gonna need that money kid" Jungkook chuckled, ruffling his hair fondly.

"Mmm yeah" the boy agreed, pursing his lips into a line. 

"So what job is it?" Yoongi asked, locking his phone and throwing it away. 

"You're showing more interest in his job than you own brother's" Namjoon huffed. 

"You've been interning in that place for years, I already know everything" Yoongi rolled his eyes. 

"That's it. Okay. I don't matter" the older brother sighed dejectedly. 

"It's related to the company I did a project with actually, I managed to get a referral for the parent group and ended up being hired" Jungkook explained.

"Why all the way in the city?" the boy asked again.

"Cause that's where the opening was" he replied.

"When do you leave" Jimin asked, interrupting the conversation and noticing the obvious fiddle of Jungkook's fingers.

"Uh... End of August. Gotta find a place, settle myself in" he listed, hearing a hum in return.

"Can't believe we're so grown" Hoseok sighed, "I remember when I met you in move-in days, just a bunch of babies" he chuckled.

"Don't make it all sad and stuff Hobi" Yoongi groaned. 

"My bad, my bad" he raised his hands apologetically. 

"Okay now that everything is out in the open, how about we go get some dinner?" Namjoon suggested and the rest nodded. 

"Can you guys grab something for me? I don't feel like moving" Jungkook said and sunk deeper in the sofa. 

"Sure" Jin nodded. 

The boys stood and each pocketed their wallets or phones before heading out, meanwhile, Jungkook closed his eyes and laid back, getting lost in the scenarios of how the others could've reacted to the news. Namely Jimin.

He imagined a few versions; one where he gave him the same smile as earlier--and don't get him wrong, Jungkook was glad he was happy for him, but deep down he knew he wished the younger was less okay with it. 

So he imagined a few other versions where Jimin was sad, upset even, where they argued about the decision, but that was a bit too dramatic for the current status of their relationship. Jimin seemed to have moved on from him, and he should've known that a year was way too long to hold onto something that never was. 

In hindsight, he didn't regret his choice to step back from what they had last summer, but he was sad he could never get it back.

A few minutes after the front door clicked closed, Jungkook sighed and stood to get some fresh air at the balcony. He walked to the source of the slow breeze and halted when a familiar silhouette traced itself before him. 

"Heyyy..." he announced himself, unsure that Jimin was really even there, "I thought you left with the others" he said, making the boy turn to look at him.

"Not very hungry actually, the snacks did the job" Jimin answered.

"Right" he nodded, standing besides him with two hands in the pockets of his shorts. "What are you thinking about?" he asked, looking down to find him holding an almost finished drink.

"Try to guess" Jimin said, looking at him with a smile. The sudden challenge making the taller take a deep breath and look for his answers in the dark sky.

"Is it a thing?" he asked for hints.

"No" Jimin shook his head, seeming amused. 

"Is it a person?" 

"Sort of" he scrunched his nose.

"What do you mean" Jungkook scoffed.

"I'm thinking about a memory, but it's related to a person I guess" he replied.

"Was I in this memory?" he asked.

"Yes"

The possibilities were endless, there were so many moments he shared with Jimin that he could list right away. It was all still vivid in his mind, but he should be careful not to bring back things meant to stay in the past. 

"Your birthday at the beach" he chose to stay safe with a group memory.

"No, I'll help you out" Jimin shook his head, "Secret spot" he said.

"Ah" Jungkook nodded, "Are you thinking about your dad?" Jungkook asked, his mind going back to the time he found out about him. 

"Very close, I was thinking about Usher" Jimin chuckled, making him roll his eyes. 

"Here I thought your were in your feelings" he huffed.

"I am though, Usher is very close to my heart you know" the shorter joked, "Remember when we sang that bit?"

"Yeah" he nodded.

"The snapchat memory popped up one day when I was studying for midterms" he stated, "Do you still go there?"

"I haven't gone in a few months actually"

"It's way too boring without me" Jimin confidently agreed. 

"Nah I was just too busy" he denied playfully.

"Sure, mister I-have-a-job-now" he taunted.

"There's still a couple months until that's true"

"Doesn't matter, you're gonna go to the city and start your dream career. That's amazing you know, I'm proud of you Jeon" Jimin smiled.

"Thanks" he said and pursed his lips to contain his own.

"Yeah, you worked really hard for it" the younger added, but he didn't know if it was for Jungkook or for himself, because although he shouldn't be thinking about it too deeply, his stubborn emotions were still fighting his rationality.

Jungkook was going to leave for good, he wasn't going to be in the next town over,  he wasn't going to visit home twice a month, who knew if he could even make it on the holidays. It smacked him in the face like a stack of bricks but he can't say he didn't expect it somewhere in the back of his mind. 

"Not that hard"

"Don't do that" Jimin clicked his tongue, "I know you gave it your all"

"How the tables have turned, I used to tell you this while you took your exams" Jungkook reminisced. 

"I guess we're similar that way" Jimin smiled.

And many other ways, Jungkook thought. "Was freshman year fun for you?" he asked.

"Honestly yeah, a lot of fun. I did make a couple of enemies though" Jimin chuckled.

"What? Why?" Jungkook said in amusement. 

"I blame Ryujin, she gets me into these messes with her girlfriends all the time" 

"Ah of course, sounds like Ryu... I thought you were having problems of your own" 

"Why? Were you gonna solve them for me?" Jimin wiggled his eyebrows. 

"I mean, I'll totally smack a bitch" he joked, making the shorter laugh. 

"Shut up" he said between giggles. "I'm pretty chill with the guys at uni actually, haven't met anyone that got on my nerves, not like you did at the beginning" he accused.

"I've been telling you all, I'm just that special, what can I do" Jungkook sighed dramatically. 

"You know what I thought?"

"Hmm?"

"I thought Seojoon was gonna end up being like you, but he's the total opposite" Jimin assessed.

"That was kinda obvious if you ask me" Jungkook asserted.

"How would you know, you barely met him once" 

"I can just tell" the taller shrugged, "... The... How did the dates go?" Jungkook finally asked although he's been wondering for weeks.

"The dates" the younger repeated.

"Mhm"

"They went fine, they were nice" he curtly replied.

"Good" 

"Yeah" Jimin said before they fell in a rather awkward silence.

"Are you two..?"

"No. I'd say I learned my lesson with seniors" he bashfully explained.

"I see" Jungkook hummed. So it was true, Jimin did move on from him for good. 

"The sky is-"

"Seojoon said-"

They fatefully spoke at the same time, clearly trying to break the silence somehow, but the dumbfounded look on Jimin's face really made Jungkook realize how bad his attempt was.

"The sky ?" the shorter asked teasingly.

"Just say what you were gonna say" Jungkook muttered, looking away.

"Okay" he chuckled, "Seojoon said you added him on snapchat" he pointed out.

"Did I? I don't know maybe... I don't recall us texting though" Jungkook acted dumb, because in reality he added him as soon as he heard about his dates with Jimin. He needed to know how things were going between them but it didn't help that Seojoon barely posted anything on there.

"Yeah, I know" Jimin muttered, thinking back at the night he rejected the Alford senior after that kiss. 

"Do you wanna like... talk about it?"

"God no" Jimin quickly denied, "Not with you" he shook his head in horror.

"Of course I was just- I was just being polite" he cleared up, making Jimin scrunch his nose in second hand embarrassment. 

"Since when are you so awkward" he painfully giggled. 

"Shut up" he rolled his eyes, "How's Jen?"

"She made a lot of friends while I was away, she must have been bored" Jimin smiled, "Now she has all these vacations planned I'm kinda jealous" he chuckled.

"At least you'll have the place to yourself" Jungkook shrugged.

"To do what" he deadpanned.

"Well for starters we can have a cookout without the neighbors and all the extras" Jungkook suggested. 

"Oh no, I still smell that smoke in my nose sometimes" Jimin cringed, "I think I would've died asphyxiated if you hadn't stepped in" he forcefully shook his head.

"I'm so kind aren't I, I stood in that heat even while wearing a long sleeve shirt" he puffed his chest. "I remember the shampoo I used at your house, do you still have it?" Jungkook wondered out loud, suddenly remembering his favorite activity and reaching with his hands towards the light brown hair.

"No~ don't touch me~" Jimin warned, raising his own hands up to stop Jungkook's movements, though not fast enough because soon Jungkook was ruffling his hair in all direction as he usually did. 

"Stop it, stop it I said" Jimin complained while giggling, doing the same to Jungkook's hair as retaliation until they both slowed down. 

When the older let go, Jimin slid his hands from the sides of Jungkook's head, gently hooking his arms around his neck to rest his head on his shoulder, unknowingly setting the taller's heart on fire while he returned the hug.

"I missed you Jeon" he said.

"Missed you too" the taller replied, closing his eyes and taking a whiff of his scent, "Yup, same shampoo" he contently muttered.

Suddenly, Jungkook's phone started vibrating in his pocket making them break apart, taking the extra space to fix their appearance again, before he picked up the call.

"Yeah?" he answered, "A double cheese is fine, fries also... No he says he's not hungry" he added into the mic, looking at Jimin again and whispering 'Are you sure?' to which the shorter nodded. 

"Yeah nothing for Chim... Okay see you, thanks" he last spoke and hung up.

"I'll go get a refill" Jimin said, shaking his empty cup in hand. 

---

Jeon009
I don't care?

Me
It's the final 3 episodes
Let me watch in peace

Jeon009
You'll catch up when we get back

Me
Why today??

Jeon009
Idk I just felt like it and I don't wanna go alone

Me
Hmmm what do I get in return

Jeon009
So now I have to bribe you?
Do you hate being around me that much??

Me
Yes

Jeon009
Take that back

Me
Or else what?

Jeon009
You're insufferable

Me
... Still waiting on that bribe

Jeon009
I'll buy you wings on our way back

Me
Perfect I'll be snacking on them while finishing the show
Now we're talking Jeon

Jeon009
Yeah whatever
I'll pick you up in 10

10 minutes later, Jimin heard the familiar engine stop in front of his house and stood to wear his sneakers, quickly having a glass of water before grabbing his keys and hopping down the porch to the silver mustang. 

"Hey" Jungkook smiled.

"Hi" Jimin responded, sitting in the passenger seat and buckling his seat belt.

"Ready?"

"Yeah" the younger nodded. 

He put his phone in the cup holder and made himself comfortable. He hasn't been in this car in maybe a year now, it was nostalgic, but not more than their destination. 

"You got the chairs?"

"Yup, I brought some sodas as well" Jungkook replied, shifting gears as they drove on the empty straight road.

"The sky is nice and clear today too, there's probably gonna be a nice sunset" he pointed out, looking at Jungkook's side profile while he drove. The piercings were gone, his hair was freshly cut, his tattoos hidden under a light green flannel, and he smelled like lemon and mint. So different from that first time they met two years ago.  

"You're staring" Jungkook pointed out, briefly looking his way.

"You clean up alright" Jimin complimented, taking him aback.

"Are you flirting with me shorty?" the other chuckled, forcing himself to take it as a joke although he would appreciate it if Jimin stopped giving him mixed signals. 

"I should've planned a light jacket too, it might get cooler later" Jimin instead said.

"We'll figure it out" Jungkook replied, slowing down to pull over to the familiar dirt path. 

Jimin picked up the bag of soda cans and the other took care of the chairs. He sighed, taking a deep breath of the summer breeze, then rested his eyes in the golden horizon lighting up the outlines of trees while the bird flocks flew atop.

"I could stay watching this scenery for hours, I just need some good music and a good meal" Jungkook said as he sat down.

"Speaking of meals, I'm excited for my wings later"

"Did you even eat today? You're looking thinner every time I see you"

"Honestly I just snacked, I was too lazy to cook and mom's not home" he shrugged.

"Now I wanna get you more than just wings" he shook his head disapproving.

"You can, I'm absolutely not complaining" Jimin smiled excitedly as his eyes turned into thin slits.

"Opportunist" Jungkook chuckled, suddenly aware of them slowly falling into silence again. "Let's play a game while we watch the sun set" he suggested.

"What game, I'm not doing any physical activity, just saying" he disclaimed.

"No no, let's do two truths and one lie" he said, making Jimin look at him in confusion.

"You wanna play an ice-breaking game? I know everything about you already" he scoffed.

"Not everything trust me" he disagreed, noticing the slight twitch of Jimin's eyebrow, probably wanting to prove him wrong.

"Alright then, I start" he nodded. "Uh... I'm a Libra. Christmas is my favorite holiday. I filled two extra hours on Tae's new shift schedule without him knowing because I had to go on a date with Ryujin"

"The last one is specific so I'm gonna say that's true, dick move may I add. I know you love Christmas, the issue is that I don't know zodiac signs" he narrowed his eyes.

"Seriously?"

"I know the names but not when each is" Jungkook shrugged.

"Do you know yours?"

"Virgo?" Jungkook hesitantly replied.

"It's pronounced virgin" Jimin joked, making his expression fall flat. "Anyway, what's my lie then?" Jimin urged.

"I don't know, you're not a Libra" he said.

"No Jeon, I'd never do that to Tae without asking" he clicked his tongue. 

"That was a curveball" he defended.

"That was me giving you an easy win, and you still didn't take it" 

"Alright me now" Jungkook dismissed, "I've been in 4 fist fights in my life. I have no favorites in our friend group. I was almost expelled in senior year of high school" he said, giving Jimin a few seconds to think until heard a scoff.

"Okay you could've made that a little tougher. You obviously have a favorite in the group and it's me" Jimin replied, a smug smirk on his face. 

"The lie was that I've been in more fights than I can remember" Jungkook corrected.

"What? So you're gonna sit there and tell me that whole bestie thing never happened?" Jimin inquired.

"I like all my friends equally" Jungkook pleasantly nodded, creating an incredulous expression on the younger's face.

"Right, you say that but at the end of the day I'm the one you text to watch the sunset" the shorter replied sounding satisfied, but deep down, he wondered if Jungkook really saw him the same as the others now, if his special spot was gone since last summer.

"The others weren't available" Jungkook lied. He wouldn't want to be with anyone else, not in this moment, not in this place, not even in general.

"Did you bring someone else here over the past year?" the younger asked, watching him knit his brows in concentration.

"Good question actually... I'm not even sure they know about it at all-- I mean-- for a while it was a secret spot to get away from them" he admitted and pursed his lips guiltily.

"Is it still?"

"No not really, I kinda learned to just honestly turn down a hang-out if I'm not feeling it"

"Did you finally realize that the others won't suffer of heartbreak if you don't show up" Jimin chuckled. 

"Of course they would, in fact they did every time, can't imagine what's gonna happen in a few months" Jungkook dramatically clicked his tongue.

"Again with the self-assurance, is this some sort of coping mechanism?" Jimin wondered playfully.

"Coping mechanism for what" the older huffed.

"I don't know.. Maybe you're afraid they're all gonna forget you when you leave" Jimin tried, feeling as though he hit the bullseye when Jungkook chuckled awkwardly.

"They can't if they wanted to" he shook his head.

"You're doing it again"

"Not doing anything in particular, I've always made these jokes"

"Actually, you used to let the others make these jokes for you" he pointed out, "You always let them praise you instead"

"I know you've never praised me" Jungkook stated and he rolled his eyes.

"I'd rather die"

"See? Somebody's gotta do it" The taller shrugged.

"Kook..." Jimin called, "I think I know you enough to make that statement" he sighed.

"It's just some summer blues Jimin, I'll be fine"

"Nobody's gonna forget you, everyone cares about you too much, you don't have to remind them at every opportunity" he reassured, noticing the conflicted expression on his face.

"Am I making the right decision?" He asked, standing up to lean on the railing with his extended arms, his fingers fiddling with the cuffs of his flannel.

"Going to the city?"

"Yeah" 

"Of course" Jimin readily replied, maybe a bit faster than he wished.

"I don't feel like I am though" Jungkook shook his head.

"Why not?" he asked, joining the other and standing by his side.

"First of all it's overwhelming. I'll be starting from scratch, entering the professional world, I'll be alone over there" he listed.

"You're not the first Jungkook, many people have gone through that and are doing amazing now, it's all a matter of time before you settle down and maybe you'll love it there" Jimin replied, a soft smile stretching his lips as he tried to comfort his friend.

"I have an insane feeling of missing out on you guys, you're gonna be more or less close to each other, and me hours away. I just don't want to give up on something I might never find again" Jungkook said, but in his words lied more truth than he admitted. He wasn't too worried about the entire group but mostly about the boy there with him.

"I know what you mean, I felt the same before Alford, not on the same scale of course" he started, pondering on whether to speak out his following thoughts or keep them to himself. "But you know what? I learned that many things don't really change even after a long time" he caved.

"We both know that's not true" Jungkook muttered despite himself, they both knew what he meant, but within Jimin's mind rose the internal debate of whether to correct him or not. 

One option was to tell him the truth, that nothing changed as he said, that he still hasn't moved on and most likely won't ever be able to, at least not in the foreseeable future. The other was to keep quiet, let him believe that everything was over when he drove away that summer evening, leaving him crying in his bed. 

The best case scenario was that Jungkook still felt something for him, but that sounded a bit optimistic when he didn't know what he felt before in the first place, and if it wasn't true, every other scenario ended with them going back to non-speaking terms. Jimin wasn't sure he could go through that again. 

"You can't even deny it" Jungkook sighed, pursing his lips into a sad smile.

"Kook..."

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have mentioned it" he said turning to him, "And yes maybe I did lie and I do have a favorite in the group" he said, trying to switch topics and go back to the playful tome of the conversation. 

"You can't just..." the younger muttered quietly, but loud enough for him to hear.

"Hide your joy a little" Jungkook said sarcastically, wondering why Jimin wasn't taking the cue if he indirectly admitted that things changed between them.

No, more importantly, why is he looking into his eyes like he did all those months ago. Jungkook's heart shuddered in his chest when Jimin's hand found its way to his face, to his cheek, to his ear, all while the distance between them diminished slowly. 

He gulped, not able to register what was happening even when he watched Jimin flutter his eyes closed, even when he felt those soft plump lips against his own after months of longing. The realization only hitting when a rush of warmth suddenly surged all over his body, triggering a forgotten reflex that made him rest his hands on the shorter's waist, where they belong-- he'd say.

The kiss didn't last long, surely not as long as Jungkook would like, but the regret in Jimin's eyes cancelled almost all of the euphoria he felt. The younger was beginning to move away but Jungkook couldn't let go, he dreamed about this moment.

"I uh... I'm sorry" Jimin said, "I'm so sorry I can't believe I did it again" he muttered. 

"You kissed me" Jungkook stated, making sure it really happened. 

"I shouldn't have" he replied.

"Why not?" the taller asked, his eyes full of innocent curiosity.

"Because we can't, and-- and you're leaving" he stammered.

"You knew that but you still kissed me" Jungkook repeated, "Wait, what do you mean again?"

"I made a mistake" Jimin whispered, conflict showing all over his face as he looked elsewhere. 

"Why does it have to be a mistake?" the other countered, "I don't want it to be" 

"You know why Jungkook, please tell me I didn't ruin anything" he replied, holding his face in his palms.

"If it's our friendship you're talking about, I'll be glad to have it ruined" Jungkook stated as if it was the most obvious thing. 

"Don't say that" Jimin said, shooting his a quick glare. 

"It's the truth, there hasn't been a day where I wanted to be just friends with you this entire year" he replied, moving one of his hands from Jimin's hip to his cheek, searching for his gaze and holding it intently. 

"Not one day Jimin. At first I stayed away until I dealt with my issues, then after a while I realized I had to stay away because you made it look like you were doing better without me" he started, "I watched you move on with your life and thought it may be best to let you go, but there wasn't a moment where I wanted that myself" he assured. 

"I was doing better, I forgot about you altogether" Jimin always surprised himself with his ability to lie through his teeth when it came to the older.

"Yeah?" Jungkook nodded, running his thumb over his cheekbone, "Then why did you kiss me?" 

"I told you, it wa-"

"Come on Cupcake" he interrupted, the much missed nickname delivering the final blow.

"Why does it matter Jungkook, nothing is gonna happen" he complained. 

"You don't know that, I will literally stay if you want me to" he said.

"To do what, have a shitty job in this small town to see me on the weekends for the next three years? No" Jimin was quick to deny, "Promise me you won't do that" 

"But I want to be with you" he insisted, all the words he yearned to say queued at the tip of his tongue and taking the younger completely off-guard. 

Jimin brought his own hand to wrap around the bigger one on his cheek, running his thumb over the back of it as he stared at the taller's brown eyes, a ray of the golden sunset bringing out the warmth in them.

"Not like that" he shook his head, "We both know you wouldn't let me do it if the roles were reversed"

"Then how? I can't act like this didn't happen Jimin" Jungkook knit his brows. 

Last time Jungkook didn't remember anything, so it was much easier to pretend from Jimin's side, but this time he didn't even want to. Now that he knew the other still liked him, he wanted to live out all the dreams he thought were lost. 

"Then don't" he simply replied.

"I also don't want you to act like it didn't happen" he insisted.

"I won't" Jimin said, "We have a whole summer don't we?" 

"Why does that make me feel worse" Jungkook chuckled humorlessly before resting his forehead against the shorter's, staying that way in a few second of silence before Jimin chose to hold his body in a proper hug. He wrapped his arms around the taller's torso and closed his eyes as he felt him engulf him with his own. 

"It's a start" Jimin replied against his neck, letting his mind wander in its own thoughts until he heard words he'd given up on, words he'd allowed himself to trust were true with no proof.

"I love you Cupcake" Jungkook confessed into his ear, making his heart jump and eyes burn. His arms tightened in response while he buried his face deeper into the older's neck, his happiness unmeasurable.

"I love you too" he whispered, his voice clearly unstable, full of emotion. For the first time, he was the one saying it back. 

Jimin tilted his head up, missing the mesmerizing details in those kind eyes already, though unable to see because of the welling tears in his own. He sniffed, smiling up at his lover, if he could finally call him so. 

"You made me wait so long" he said.

"I don't know why I doubted it for even a second" Jungkook smiled back, curling his arms tighter around his middle and pulling him even closer. "Can I..." he asked, his eyes trailing to the lips that were on his moments ago, wanting to feel it all once more and waiting for a shy nod before fulfilling his wish.

What will he do once the summer is over, he already knew he couldn't imagine his days without Jimin's body against his, without his heart beating against his own, it almost sounded insane.

And so he kissed him, over and over while the dying sun shined its last rays on their faces, until finally leaving them with the warmth of each other alone. He told him he loved him repeatedly so he'd never forget, then he held him close to make up for all the time lost.

"Earlier, what did you mean by I did it again?" Jungkook asked, standing behind the younger with his arms curled around his upper half, shielding him from the cool summer night breeze.

"That I kissed you again"

"We've never kissed before though, I would know" Jungkook chuckled breathily.

"We did" Jimin admitted, feeling the other crank his neck to look at him. "Remember the party before Alford?"

"Yeah, I mean, I remember it happening I guess"

"You didn't just show up and get hammered. You found me, we danced together for a while, I kissed you and you told me you loved me, then you left" Jimin replied, still feeling the sting from that night after so long.

"What?" Jungkook muttered, "Why didn't you tell-"

"Because you couldn't even remember any of it. Back then I wasn't sure if you meant those words, and I didn't want you to actually tell me you didn't" Jimin shrugged his shoulders.

"I had a feeling something was even more wrong back then, I just couldn't figure it out" he said.

"It was kinda hard for me to be around you after that, but thankfully classes started and distracted me from it all" 

"I'm so sorry baby" he apologized, pressing a kiss on his shoulder and scolding himself internally, unaware of the small smile on Jimin's face at the new pet name, "I hurt you too many times" he acknowledged.

"You know what you can do to make it better?" Jimin asked, making him hum curiously. "Those wings you promised to buy" he mentioned, witnessing that rare bright smile light up the taller's face.

"I'll buy you the stars if you ask" Jungkook said, lifting Jimin off his feet and spinning him a couple times before putting him back down, while his sweet giggled filled his ears.

"Alright Jeon, maybe get a couple pay checks first" he joked. 

That night, Jimin was sitting on the sofa facing the TV with a bucket of food in his lap, munching on it while leaning back on something a bit different than the pillows he was used to. 

"And who's he?" Jungkook asked, clueless as usual, and frankly testing Jimin's patience with his 23rd question now. 

"It's the last episode, I promise you don't need to know at this point" he rolled his eyes, "Chicken?" he offered.

"Thank you" Jungkook took a bite of the drumstick while Jimin held a hand under his mouth to scoop any crumbs.

A few minutes later, instead of asking another random question to get Jimin's attention, Jungkook put his chin on the top of his head and said "I love you more than he loves her", referring to the main-looking characters in the show. 

"That's not impressive you know? They're not a couple" Jimin chose to tease, even if the action stirred a swarm of butterflies in his chest.

"This is what happens when you don't tell me who's who" Jungkook huffed, almost pouting at his failed attempt to be cute.

"I'm kidding" he giggled, pushing the food aside and turning his body around. "I love you more" he whispered before pecking his lips a few times.

Maybe having the house for himself will come in very handy now.

---

Hi everyone! Long time no see. How are we feeling about this new chapter? 

I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know your thoughts about anything in this story, I love to read them. See you next time!

-Aida-