We kept a similar routine for the rest of the week, and though I started to feel like a regular at the coffee bar and got more comfortable in the office, there was something about the couple of hours between work and dinner that left me feeling inadequate. Despite Jungkook and Taehyung's efforts to always include me in conversation with their friends from the city who we met walking down the street or over dinner, I didn't feel like a part of it all.

By my second week in Milan I started to ditch passeggiata under the guise of needing to work. It wasn't technically a lie since I felt better having a head start on my tasks, but I spent a lot of the time on calls with Faye, Hobi, or my dad, making them tell me all about their lives so that I felt a little closer to home.

I picked up on more Italian during meetings at work and studied in my spare time, Jungkook and Taehyung scolding me over dinner on the nights we all ate in, whining that I worked too much.

The closer we got to the due date for the next edition of Vogue, the more Margo's stress rubbed off on me. She was an amazing photographer but terrible at compartmentalizing life circumstances so that they didn't impact her work, leading to a few days of photoshoots that didn't meet her creative standards.

At the end of the third week she became so irate that she sent everyone home early, leaving me scrambling to rearrange our calendars to pick things up after the weekend. I hadn't expected anyone to be home, the music that sounded from the other side of the door an unwelcome surprise as I'd been on the verge of tears since entering the apartment building.

Jungkook didn't look up when I entered, the music that played from one of the speakers he had placed around the apartment so loud that it masked the sound of the door.

I took off my shoes and hung my bag, wiggling my toes after being free of the pointed heels I wore. Jungkook's back was turned to me, leaning over a bowl of meat that he coated with marinade, his gloved hands buried in the food.

He turned around, using an elbow to turn on the sink and yelling over the music. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting you home this early." He nodded toward the speaker that lit up on the island so I would turn the volume down while he washed his hands.

I pressed at the button until Miguel's voice faded to a low tone in the background, plopping onto a barstool with a groan and laying my head on the chilly marble. "Margo sent everyone home early."

Jungkook chuckled, his slightly damp hand reaching over to brush away the wispy tresses of hair that fell in front of my eyes. "Take it as an opportunity to relax more this weekend." He suggested.

"I wish but I need to go through the photos from today and see if there's anything that has even a hint of the creative direction Margo was going for so I can give her a little hope that it wasn't a complete disaster on Monday. I have to finalize invitations for the end of spring event so they can be sent out. I have to–" I rambled, the sound of my voice covered as Jungkook held a finger to the speaker to turn up the volume, the opening music to "Pineapple Skies" drowning me out.

I rolled my eyes at him until he snapped into a pose at the beat drop, lip syncing the first lines and spinning around the island into a two-step that made me giggle. He danced around my chair, exaggerating every move and pulling me up to whirl around the kitchen.

He moved through the entire song, letting me go so that I leaned against the counter and pulling off a few solo steps that made me squeal with laughter before tugging me back against him. When the music slowed we were so close that I could feel the firmness of his shoulders through the thin t-shirt he wore.

"You interrupted me." I snarked, the smile not yet fading from my lips.

"You needed to stop thinking." He replied, his head snapping to the counter when his phone blared out a jazzy tone that Taehyung had assigned himself. The combined sound of the ringing with the music made created an annoying tone in our ears that had him scrambling to answer the call and turn the speaker off at the same time.

I'd become used to our apartment being a constant mix of Italian, English, and Korean spoken depending on who talked, picking up on none of their conversation since I knew even less Korean than the basic Italian I'd learned. They spoke on the phone for less than a minute, Jungkook continuing his statement from before the interruption after he hung up.

"I think you should take a break from work this weekend." He held up a finger before I could finish the breath I was taking to cut him off. He moved to the refrigerator, putting in the bowl of meat and sifting through vegetables to go along with dinner as he talked. "You should take a break to relax and have fun. That's a part of the problem. You're all about work all the time and you haven't taken the time to get to know the city the way you want."

My lips smacked in response to how well he read me. "I've been out in the city."

He replied quickly. "Yeah, doing the things Taehyung and I do." He reached into the cabinet, measuring out rice to wash. "What would you be doing for fun if you had the weekend free back in Chicago?" His pronunciation of the city was adorable.

"Faye and I would spend the day together. We'd go shopping, I'd drag her through whatever art exhibit was showing, and we'd probably find somewhere to party at night." I answered.

He stuffed his mouth with a cucumber slice, the crunch making him wait to respond. "And to relax?" He muttered.

"I don't know. Maybe watch a movie." I shrugged.

The apartment door creaked open again, Taehyung's head poking in before his body as if he were checking if anyone was home. He held two more shopping bags behind his back, slipping inside like a kid trying to hide the piece of gum they stole. Jungkook had been on his case about hardly being able to find his clothes in their closet among Taehyung's the day before.

Taehyung smiled cheekily as Jungkook scoffed and I giggled. "There was a sale. Plus, I got something for you too." He proclaimed, racing down the hall to hide the evidence in their bedroom.

He was back in a flash, Jungkook pointing a finger at him. "For every item you put in the closet another has to come out. Also, I have to finish painting tomorrow and Seline wants to watch a movie before we go out."

"Fine to the closet thing and awesome to watching a movie with Sel. Where are we going out?" Taehyung responded, reaching into the wine cooler to select which would pair best with the short ribs Jungkook had in the oven.

"I signed up to do body paint for a couple of hours at this rave tomorrow night." Jungkook responded, Taehyung mimicking a house beat that matched my heart rate with his addition. "We'll show her some fun."
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Author's Note: A little note for my people who are interested in the music within chapters. I reference "Pineapple Skies" by Miguel in this one and listen to his music a lot when writing the Taehyung and Jungkook chapters in this story. Anywho, hope you enjoy!