Jungkook walked back inside Hoseok's apartment with a vicious grin on his lips. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had such a good day. Jimin was blushing next to him and Jungkook felt a rush when Jimin's fingers trailed down his arm, finding his palm, and interlacing their hands.

Most of their friends were gaping, Hoseok the most shocked out of them all. He looked confused, glancing between Jimin and Jungkook. His focus lingered on Jimin and something like hurt flashed across his usually sunny expression.

Yoongi just lifted his beer, nodding at them like he was the wise old woman at the end of a superhero movie who knew everything all along. Taehyung kicked him in response.

"You had nothing to do with that." Taehyung said.

"I had everything to do with that." Yoongi scoffed.

"What the fuck are you talking about, old man."

Seokjin squealed and shook Namjoon's shoulder next to him. "NAMJOON-AH. THEY'RE SO CUTE."

Namjoon patted Seokjin's hand. He looked up at Jimin and Jungkook apologetically, taking Seokjin's marg away from him and placing it on the table. "I'm sorry, he's drunk."

Seokjin shook his head, waving his hand in front of his face and started crying like he was in a soap opera. "They just fought so hard." He explained when Yoongi and Hoseok were gaping at him. Taehyung awkwardly handed Seokjin his napkin to wipe the tears away. Seokjin gave Taehyung and air kiss in thanks and then waved Yoongi and Hoseok off. "How dare you two judge me, I'm your senior. All this work I put in for you kids and no respect in return."

Namjoon patted his thigh. "Alright, I think I got to take him home. Yoongi, Jungkook, do you guys need a ride?" He asked, glancing between the boys.

"Wow. Never felt so excluded before in my life." Taehyung whined. Namjoon blinked at him.

"Taehyung. Do you need a ride home?"

"No thank you, I'm staying the night but it was kind of you to ask." Taehyung replied, batting his lashes. Namjoon sighed, running a hand down his face. He followed that with a lighthearted swear, ruffling Taehyung's hair which Taehyung instantly tried to bat away.

"You can't even imagine how long it took to style this." Taehyung hissed, swatting. Namjoon gave the most dad-like grin, trying even harder to mess Taehyung's hair up. "Buzz-cut-ass-old-man." Taehyung mumbled when Namjoon finally got him and made his perfectly-messy hair now just 'messy.' Taehyung pouted pathetically and looked to Hoseok for help who only raised his brows in response.

"Jungkook?" Namjoon asked, getting up from his spot on the couch. "Ride?"

Jungkook blushed. Jimin's hand was so warm in his. It felt so gentle and molded perfectly. They'd held hands before, but then it had been just as friends. This was different. It was like electricity was attacking Jungkook's spine. "Um. I'll uber home. In a bit." He said and blushed harder when Seokjin coo-ed at him, pinching his cheek.

"Unless wait, my car is still at Yoongi's studio. Would you mind dropping us off?" Jungkook asked, stepping after Namjoon. A couple of their friends groaned at the use of us, but Jimin grinned in response. Jungkook turned to Jimin who raised his brow "I can give you a ride back home from there?"

"Hmmm. What about Taehyung?" Jimin asked. "He's just refusing the offer to be polite. So sad and lonely and selfless."

"Uh. No. No thank you. Absolutely not third wheeling." Taehyung said. "Jimin, my soulmate and best friend, I love you but I love myself more."

Jimin snorted, poking Taehyung in the side.

Jungkook smiled, feeling how close Jimin was standing to him while they teased their friends. Jimin's shoulder was gently touching Jungkook's, his arm the lightest pressure against Jungkook's own. It was intimate in its subtlety, and it caused Jungkook to grin so wide that it hurt. Jimin wasn't looking at Jungkook, but Jungkook could see how his cheeks flushed. Jimin moved his thumb lightly over Jungkook's own, creating the smallest circles and it was all Jungkook could do not to melt at the touch.

Jungkook wondered if he could beg Jimin to do that thing where couples scratch the other's back. Would that be weird to ask? He didn't know. Maybe. But he wanted to chill on the floor wearing a hoodie and nap while Jimin scrolled on his phone and mindlessly dragged his nails up and down Jungkook. Every couple-y thing Jungkook could imagine, he wanted to experience with Jimin. That's what they were now, right? As of five minutes ago. A couple.

"Hyung? You coming too?" Namjoon asked Yoongi as Jungkook and Jimin headed toward the door to put their shoes on. Bent down with their backs to their friends, the boys shared a secret smile with each other, laughing nervously as Jungkook attempted to get his foot into his fucking chunky-ass combat boots without falling over. Jimin giggled, making a show of putting on his own combat boots with perfect ease.

Yoongi looked at Hoseok who was standing frozen at the kitchen counter. He looked lost(!) more than anything else, staring at his patio door like there were ghosts outside of it. "I'll stay back and help Hoseok clean up." Yoongi replied, worried. "Good luck with Seokjin."

Seokjin, at the sound of his name, perked up. He frowned, rolling his wide shoulders back and lifting his chin in the air. "He doesn't need luck, he's got precision and aim and skill and can last a couple second longer than the average-"

"OKAY. Leaving! Now!" Namjoon boomed and Seokjin elbowed him for cutting him off.

Namjoon tilted his head to signal Jungkook and Jimin to head out the door. Jimin turned so that his back was lightly against Jungkook's chest as they said their goodbyes - and Jungkook felt very normal about that, thank you very much. He obviously felt normal about the fact that he could see over the top of Jimin's head, too, and even more normal about the idea of wrapping his arms around Jimin's waist and resting his chin on top of his fluffy hair.

Jimin was smirking when they stepped out the door and Jungkook blinked - motherfucker was thinking the same thing.

Namjoon gave Hoseok a nod as they left, his arm holding Seokjin by the waist who gave everyone a violent air kiss goodbye, taking a bow at the door before following Jimin and Jungkook out.

"Yoongi's studio, right?" Namjoon asked and Jungkook nodded. Namjoon got Seokjin into the passenger seat and then strapped in his seat belt. Seokjin gave him a giddy laugh and Namjoon leaned his hands against Seokjin's seat, hanging his head and letting out a long sigh. After a second, he closed Seokjin's door and then got into the driver's seat. Namjoon wasn't a huge fan of driving, in fact he rarely drove at all, refusing to get his driver's license until recently. Mainly because Seokjin often wanted to drink, and Namjoon always wanted to be the one to take care of him.

Jungkook and Jimin climbed in the back seats, feeling like teenagers again. Jungkook spread his legs wide so that his knee hit Jimin's. Jimin looked at him and gave him a look, a playful smile on his lips as he rolled his eyes. He pushed his own thigh closer to Jungkook's, so Jungkook didn't need to reach so far. Jungkook bit back a laugh as Namjoon started to drive.

"So. My babies." Seokjin said, turning in his seat and drilling his eyes into the pair. He wiggled his fingers between them. "What is going on here exactly. I mean - I love - but also what? AND - THE DRAMA?? LOVE. LIVING. I mean - the pining, the silence, the 'can I talk to you?' at the door?" Seokjin squealed. "Then you two sneak off and all we see is you guys suddenly kissing outside. My jaw? Dropped. Gagged, if you will. Well, I hope this one can gag me later tonight if you know what I'm saying but -"

"For the love of God." Namjoon sighs. He puts a hand on Seokjin's thigh, squeezing it. "Love, please, mercy. I'm on my knees."

Seokjin stared at him, and Namjoon deflated, hearing exactly what he said but it was too late to take it back. Seokjin couldn't help it. "Well, I sure hope so."

Jimin and Seokjin shared a stupid look like two kids saying the same one word over and over again as peak comedy.

Namjoon shook his head, glancing at Jimin and Jungkook in the rearview mirror and tried to steer the conversation in a less chaotic direction. "I'm proud of you two, for what it's worth. It couldn't have been easy to be open up. But Seokjin's right, it's a bit of a shock considering everything"

"We're the shock?" Jimin asked, rolling his eyes and Jungkook burst into a shit-eating grin as Seokjin pursed his lips and Namjoon paled.

"Oh hush. Joonie and I have been very subtle." Seokjin waved off then cursed when Namjoon flicked him behind the ear.

"We were planning on telling everyone tonight." Namjoon explained, getting onto the highway. He let the windows down slightly and the night breeze filtered into the car.

Jimin's eyes shone at the city lights and the breeze picked up his hair. He winked when he caught Jungkook staring. 'I look hot, right?' Jimin mouthed, posing slightly against the window.

Jungkook smirked. 'Always.'

"Seokjin and I hadn't meant to keep our relationship hidden from you all, but with my album deadline it was hard to find a good time to say anything. But it seems like you all figured it out on your own, so I don't even know if there's anything to announce."

"We were waiting for you two to come back inside to say something about it, but then lo and behold you kids beat us to it." Seokjin smiled, but a line of worry creased his drunk brow. "I'll be honest, I don't fully understand the why or how about you two with everything that's happened, but it looks like you're happy?"

Jimin smiled at Jungkook and Jungkook's heart fluttered. "Yea." Jimin said, eyes shining on Jungkook. "We're figuring things out, but we're happy. Or, at least I am."

Jungkook laughed, moving his foot so that it touched Jimin's own. Jimin glanced down at it and smirked, knocking his shoe against Jungkook's. Jungkook raised a brow in challenge and Jimin shrugged as if to rise to it. They entirely forgot they were sharing a car and Jungkook actually jumped when Seokjin laughed. He had this old-man way of laughing, like the sound escaped his body instead of built up to it.

Namjoon looked at Seokjin fondly.

"Wow. Were we all blind?" Seokjin said, shaking his head. He turned back around in his seat, looking at Namjoon. With sudden sobriety, or maybe it was the lack thereof, he added: "we should check on Hoseok tomorrow, Namjoon-ah. I think he'll be the one most blind sighted by this."

Jimin paled and Jungkook blushed. The sentence was meant to be a private thought between Seokjin and Namjoon, but the air changed in the car. Jimin's eyes darkened in guilt, pulling back from Jungkook slightly. Jungkook understood why, Jimin must have confided in Hoseok when he thought Jungkook had used his feelings towards him as leverage to get Jimin to stay in Seoul.

"I'll talk to him." Jimin said to Jungkook as if answering his thoughts. "He was trying to protect the peace of the group. I'll talk to him, I promise."

Jungkook sighed, leaning his head back against the car's headrest. He reached for Jimin's hand and Jimin granted it, interlocking their fingers again. Jungkook put their hands in his lap, flipping it so Jimin's palm was open to him. He rubbed his thumb against it, trying to memorize every detail of it.

"It's okay, Jimin. Really. We're figuring it out, right?" He said. Jimin gave him a smile, but Jungkook could see the guilt still weighing it down. They spent the rest of the car ride quiet, soaking in each other's touch and presence as the Seoul Skyline blurred past them. Namjoon turned up his aux, an experimental album with hip hop-jazz hybrid playing as they drove.

Jungkook knew it would take time to fully untangle what the year had changed between them, what they'd gone through and by proxy their friends, but it was worth it. Looking down at how Jimin's hand felt so right in his own and seeing Jimin's secret smile looking out the window at the touch, he felt ready to move forward. This time, with Jimin at his side and each step more honest.

He couldn't remember the last time he felt so ready to tackle something: so used to stumbling towards a career or losing himself in comfortably hopeless relationships. He felt excited about music, about working more on the single with Yoongi and giving the whole singer thing a real shot. It felt purposeful in a way that the club never had. Like he was a part of something bigger than himself - like he might even have the talent his Hyungs always push him to see. Today was a true start with Jimin, too. There were complicated feelings in him still, of course there were, but Jungkook's relief and joy over the possibility of Jimin sharing his feelings was enough for tonight.

"Here we are." Namjoon said, pulling into Yoongi's parking in front of his studio. Jungkook's black car was one of many in the lot. Yoongi had a habit of employing night owls. "Get home safe, you two."

"And be safe. If you...you know..." Seokjin added before Namjoon flicked him on the ear again. Seokjin swore, swatting Namjoon on the back of his buzz-cut head.

Jungkook blushed, looking over at Jimin for support, only to see the most devilish smirk on the beautiful boy's face. He wiggled his brows and Jungkook rolled his eyes, blushing harder as they thanked their friends for the ride and watched them drive away. The air was warm, the breeze kind against them.

"So." Jimin said and Jungkook laughed nervously, suddenly left alone with Jimin. He wanted to grab him and kiss him, but wanted to also make kissing Jimin again more special than in an empty parking lot at four am. He should say something, Jungkook thought. Share a story so Jimin doesn't feel pressured to make a move. That way maybe Jungkook could just focus on Jimin's laugh and not on how god-damn badly he wanted to wrap him up in his arms and -

"For fuck's sake." Jimin laughed, closing the distance between them and shutting Jungkook's thoughts off entirely. Jimin reached for Jungkook's waist, pulling Jungkook to him. His other hand tilted Jungkook's chin, cupping the side of his face, before kissing him.

_________________

A/N:

I am honestly living for the friend group dynamics in this fic - they're just a bunch of idiots trying their best to support each other. That's what keeps drawing me back to PL. They all love each other, but they aren't "perfect" friends 😭

Ahaha I feel very normal about the BTS dynamic in this fic. Also sorry this one is a little shorter, but I didn't want to make you guys wait or force it!

ALSO RM's ALBUM? Crying. So Good.

If you haven't followed me on twitter yet, I post little writing updates there @straightlyvio. I'm still testing it out, so I don't know if I'll keep it or keep posting, but it's also an option for dm since WP deleted dms from the app 😩

Enjoy your week you guys <3

- Vio