It's around 10:30 in the morning when you finally knock on Namjoon's door. You would've woken up earlier but now that Jungkook is no longer living with you in your apartment, sleep came easier and you knocked out cold.

The last time you had this good of rest was before Jungkook showed up. So it's only been a week or so but still, it's felt like an eternity. Being alone in your apartment last night felt so nice. It sucks that Jungkook had to move out to do so. That sinking feeling you felt yesterday comes rushing back, though it's brief.

You're soon distracted by the door opening. Namjoon peers down at you and smiles. "G'morning."

"Morning," you greet in response. Returning the smile, your heart flips when you get a glimpse of your neighbor's dimples. His ashy hair is swept up and combed to one side, and he's dressed for a day out. At least, you think he is. Not only is he wearing a pair of dark jeans and a corduroy jacket, his lips are tinted in a neutral pink, eyes shaded in a brown just slightly darker than his jacket.

If you didn't know any better, you'd think he was going on a date, but who goes out for brunch with someone they're romantically interested in? Especially when you know now that Namjoon isn't just sexually attracted to you, he actually likes you.

As he invites you inside with a flick of his wrist, you brush past him into his apartment. "So, uh, do you have plans or something?"

"What makes you say that?" He asks, closing the door and following behind you.

You glance over your shoulder with one brow raised. "Um, the way you're dressed?"

Namjoon let's out a breathy laugh. "So I can't look nice unless I'm going out? You know, I could've done all of this for you."

At his words, you stop in your tracks, but Namjoon keeps walking. He gets closer to you with a single step and that smirk you know all to well tugs at a corner of his lips. Then he's standing right in front of you, your breath lodging in your throat. What feels like a minute of him staring down at you is only a second as he grazes your body with his just to get on the other side of you. Just like that, you're looking at his back, and he's heading into the living room.

You have no idea what to say and that's a first, because you're always ready to take Namjoon down a peg. Today feels different though, because after last night's fiasco, you know he's not just trying to get into your pants anymore. The whole time, he had been flirting with you with the intention of becoming something more than just a fling and that makes it hard for you to bite back.

Lucky for you, Namjoon continues to talk, and you let out the breath you'd been holding. "The truth is I have work, but you seeing me like this is a plus."

"Oh." Your cheeks warm. "What is it that you do?"

You enter the living room, seeing the inside of Namjoon's apartment for the first time. You're not surprised that he keeps his place tidied. He's hardly ever home. You had just assumed he was doing what all fuck boys do, but maybe you had been wrong.

"I, uh, I'm a music producer."

You turn to look at him with your mouth gaping, hoping he would elaborate, but he turns away and goes into the kitchen.

"Wow, really?!" You don't mean to sound so shocked but this is Namjoon you're talking to. "Have I heard any of your music before? Like on the radio or Spotify?"

"I've been trying to get your attention for months, and all I had to do was mention my job and now you want to talk to me?" Namjoon sighs, and you can just imagine the hurt expression he's feigning. "Hey, do you want something to eat?"

"No, I'm good." You're quick to respond, and Namjoon comes out of the kitchen with two bottles of water. He hands one to you, though you didn't ask, and sits on the arm of the couch.

"So?" You nudge him with a finger.

He twists the cap off of his bottle. "What?"

"Have I heard some of your work before?"

Namjoon doesn't answer as he takes a swig of water, but his gaze doesn't leave yours. It's only then that you realize he's almost at eye-level, except he's the one looking up at you.

Just like that, like someone had snapped their fingers, the air surrounding you two feels awfully thick. Your eyes trail down his face to his neck where you fixate on his Adam's apple, which moves ever so slightly every time he swallows. You linger there, for some reason, dreading when Namjoon will finish the water.

How does he look so hot when all he's doing is drinking?

Wait... No. What are you thinking? This is Namjoon, who sleeps around. Well, you thought he did.

Now, even him drinking and looking at you like your like the last meal makes you weak-kneed.

Your gaze flutters back to his. He's still staring at you. You're not sure if he even looked away. If he didn't, then he knows you've been ogling him. Shit.

"Oh, you're here?" Jungkook walks into the living room with one towel wrapped around his waist and another ruffling his damp hair, drying it. "Give me a minute while I get dressed and then we can go." He shoots you his signature bunny smile before turning back around to go into the guest bedroom.

All you do is stand there, frozen in place, unable to break your gaze from Jungkook as he walks away. One second, you're gawking at Namjoon and the next you're appreciating the firm ass on your drawing. You could probably bounce a quarter off of it.

"Speaking of going, I gotta leave." Namjoon screws the cap back on his water bottle and places it on the console table behind his couch. You notice it's still three-fourths of the way full.

You could've sworn by the way he was drinking that it would be almost gone. Whether you imagined it or not, one thing is for sure. Namjoon had taunted you on purpose. You just know it, but you don't have the chance to prove it because your neighbor pats you on the head with a soft smile and says, "I'll see you later." Then he's out the door, and you're left waiting in the living room alone.

You sit on the couch until Jungkook comes back, pulling a black T-shirt over his head. You catch another glimpse of his taunt skin, at the muscles that ripple over his stomach before it's covered with the dark fabric.

"Alright, I'm ready."

You nod in affirmation and stand. "Okay, let's go."

Grocery shopping isn't all that different than the time you went with Jungkook to the thrift store. By the time you've picked out all the essentials, you've been in the store for over two hours. Time seems to fly by when you're actually enjoying the company. You even get in line to checkout without a rush.

"Are you sure it's okay that we get all this stuff?" Jungkook glances at the full cart and then at you.

"Yeah, it's fine." You push the cart forward as the line for self-checkout moves. "Besides you eat like horse so I don't think it'll last if we don't stock up."

Jungkook laughs softly before you both ease into silence. It's not exactly uncomfortable but you feel as though Jungkook wants to say something but he doesn't. You're about to ask him what's wrong when he speaks up.

"Hey, um," he looks down at his fingers nervously, "This is probably weird of me to say. I mean we've only known each other for a week or so and that's not including your dreams, but I..." Jungkook trails off and you notice how flushed his face has become.

"It's just that," he continues to fumble over his words but you wait patiently for him to get whatever he needs to say off his chest. You can tell it's not easy so you don't want to interrupt.

Jungkook sighs, squeezing his eyes shut before he snaps them open to look at you with newfound confidence. "Namjoon and I watched a movie last night before we went to bed, and in it, this guy realizes that what's he's been feeling for this person isn't exactly friendly. But he never got the chance to tell this person how he felt, and they end up with someone else.

"And I... I don't want for that to happen to me again."

Confused, you pry Jungkook for clarification. "What do you mean again?"

Jungkook's eyes widen when he's realized what he said. "I, uh, I-I mean that I've had plenty of opportunities to say this, and so I want to say it now."

"Okay?" You take another step as the line moves. Jungkook follows.

Was he going to confess to you? Your heart thrums at the thought. You'd be lying if you hadn't thought about him in that way. You've thought about him in plenty of ways but none of it was actually real. You've decided dreams shouldn't count.

Another breath, and what he says takes you by surprise. "I really love... N-namjoon!"

The declaration has you stumped. That isn't exactly the kind of confession you were hoping for. Not that you were hoping for anything in particular. It's not at all what you were expecting either.

Namjoon has better game than you give him credit for, considering that at least you kissed Jungkook, in your dreams but still, he hasn't done anything. Well, that you know of.

Damn, it's only been one night and Jungkook is fawning all over him. Just what did Namjoon do? Show him more of his thighs?

"Oh, hey!" A voice responds to Jungkook, and you turn over your shoulder to see who it is. Speak of the devil. There's Namjoon in all of his handsome glory.

It suddenly clicks that Jungkook hadn't meant he loved Namjoon. He said your neighbor's name because he saw him in the store. You don't know why but you let out a breath of relief.

Namjoon walks up to you in the line and points to your cart with a judgemental look. "Wow, um, that's a lot of food."

You scoff. "Yeah, well the giant likes to eat. You should do the same. He is living with you now."

"Or," Namjoon counters. "You could just give me half of yours."

"Sure, if you pay for half of it."

"Okay," your neighbor readily agrees.

You roll your eyes. "What are you even doing here? I thought you had work."

"I'm on a lunch break so I decided to pick something up." He lifts the salad and an energy drink in his hands.

Right, makes sense. You've been in the store for longer than you thought you'd be, but now that Namjoon is here, you'll never know what Jungkook had really planned on saying.

You exhale sharply, acting as if you don't want to accept the offer, but you might as well make him pay for it for interrupting Jungkook. "Fine. You can pay for half of it."

Jungkook looks between you and Namjoon and frowns. "I want to help too."

You and Namjoon glance in his direction, neither know what to say. It takes a second before you respond. "Thank you for being so sweet, Kook, but I can't make you do that."

"Why not?"

You don't want to answer, afraid to hurt his feelings. You guess Namjoon can sense your hesitation because he speaks for you. "Tell you what. You can help by carrying all the bags for us." Namjoon holds the energy drink in with his forearm to grip Jungkook's biceps. "You definitely have the muscle for it." He squeezes Jungkook's arm lightly with a lopsided grin.

"O-okay," Jungkook stutters, sounded defeated.

At the checkout counter, you also have Jungkook help you scan and bag all the items, making sure not to miss a single one. Then you're lugging behind Namjoon and Jungkook, eyeing them warily as they converse with each other in quiet voices.

note: i know i've been gone too long, especially when i had hoped to have this book finished and posted all last month. and okay but like, i couldn't stop laughing while writing this whole chapter lol. i hope you enjoyed it as much as i did writing it. we all know jk is secretly crushing on namjoon ;)