[Thursday, October 31 - Halloween]

Jungkook walked down the sidewalk, focusing on the chill in the air. The branches dancing in the wind. The leaves crunching underfoot.

Anything but what he was actually doing, which was going to Jimin's place for a movie night set up by Taehyung. And Tae was probably, let's face it, helped by Yoongi and Hoseok as well.

The thought made Jungkook feel good at first, that his hyungs thought he had a chance. Because, truthfully, since meeting the blond by the pool that night at the party, he could think of nothing else but ways to pull the older boy out of his sadness. To rescue him and make him laugh. The idea sounded dumb, even silently rattling around in his own mind, but that's how he felt.

Jungkook had never really been one to have a 'type', but from the moment he met Jimin he was sure that he was it.

The problem was that Jungkook was literally speechless around Jimin. Dumbfounded. Mute.

He could never think of anything clever enough. Nothing sweet enough. Nothing memorable.

Jimin would never give him more than a passing glance.

So he was grateful for the chance he was given just to spend time with Jimin, even though he knew it would be a shit-show.

He knew this because of three things:

1: Taehyung used the word date. 2: Jimin balked and stated that it was indeed not a date. And 3: Jungkook sealed his fate by agreeing with Jimin.

They could never be anything more.

Still, here he was, with drinks, a bag of Halloween candy and his trademark shook expression.

Jungkook rang the buzzer under Jimin's name.

"Hello?"

"Hey Jimin. I'm downstairs!"

Obviously.

"Okay. C'mon up!"

Once Jungkook reached Jimin's floor, he saw the blond waiting in the hallway for him.

"Hey, Kookie! So... I didn't order any food yet... I didn't know what you wanted to eat. Lemme take that." The older boy gestured to the bag of candy.

They walked into Jimin's apartment. It was not very big, as the apartments in this part of Seoul were more expensive and space was a luxury. But Jimin's decoration and use of the space more than accounted for in warmth and character what it lacked in square footage.

Jungkook took off his shoes at the door and was directed into the kitchen. While the older boy poured the candy into a bowl, he put the alcohol in the refrigerator - both a small case of beer and a bottle of cabernet, as he had no idea about Jimin's preferences.

They walked into the living room and sank down into the soft cushions of Jimin's couch. The blond sat with his legs criss-crossed and leaned toward Jungkook so he could see his laptop. He'd opened up some online menus from local restaurants and after browsing for a few minutes, they finally decided on pizza.

Jimin leaned forward, closing his laptop before putting it on the coffee table.

"I have a limit of one scary movie tonight. Do you have any in mind?" Jimin inquired, picking through the candy in the bowl before selecting a peanut butter cup.

"Ghost-y or murder-y?," Jungkook smiled.

Jimin unwrapped his candy and handed the younger boy the remote. "Ugh. I immediately regret this decision," he groaned as he watched the other boy scroll through the options.

Jungkook clicked on Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum.

"I hate you... And pause, I'm gonna need a drink."

"Me too, please!" Jungkook called after the blond who'd gotten up to go to the kitchen to open the first bottle of wine.

- - -

It was nice to forget about Yoongi for a while.

Sure, it was because Jimin's terrified mind was occupied thinking about all the places he needed to check for ghosts before he went to bed that night, but still.

Jimin spent a little more than an hour without Yoongi ever crossing his mind. Thanks to Jungkook.

He glanced over at the younger boy who was smiling his bunny smile as he ate a pizza slice, eyes fixed on the screen where a shaky camera followed the characters as they ran through a dark wooded area outside the abandoned hospital.

"Do you see the camera angles?? How the project director is subtly inching down the screen as he begins to feel more and more powerless against the mind games played by the ghosts? This  camera work!"

Jungkook turned to look at Jimin for his response and the younger boy's eyes darted away again at the unexpected eye contact.

Jimin saw the pink rising to his cheeks.

He knew that Jungkook liked him. It was honestly kind of flattering, but it was never going to happen.

He still wanted--

Shit.

There he was, thinking of Yoongi again.

He reached for his wine glass and downed its contents before pouring more. Now they'd finished the bottle.

Forget Yoongi for a second... What if Yoongi was not in the equation? Besides, if Jimin was fucking honest with himself - which he'd never let himself be - Yoongi had Hoseok. He was never fucking in the equation.

He peered over at Jungkook again.

There was nothing wrong with him, right? He said some pretty dumb things at times, but so does everyone. He was really attractive - in both the adorable and sexy implications of the word. And he got along with Jimin's friends.

But Jimin wasn't drawn to him in the same way as...

Jimin looked down into his wine glass at the dark liquid, watching the way it rolled around within the glass in a counter-clockwise motion.

"Are you okay?"

The calm voice of Jungkook broke him out of his focus. He looked up to see genuine concern in soft brown eyes.

"Yeah. I just... I think I need a change of pace with the movie, you know?"

"Sure. You almost got through the whole thing. I'm proud of you!" Jungkook held a hand to his chest as though he were truly touched that Jimin had nearly watched the whole movie with him.

And who knows. Maybe he was.

"I'm going to have nightmares, I know it. I could never fucking go to one of those places. I'd be the first character death."

"I'd be there to help you."

"Then you'd probably die too, let's be real."

"I'd die for you." Jungkook replied, perhaps a little to quickly.

Jimin couldn't tell if he was being playful or genuine. He rolled his eyes and reached over to shove the younger boy, who, of course, barely moved as he was built like a brick wall.

"Kookie, an hour ago you said you'd die for the last mini-bag of M&Ms, so that's not much of a comfort."

"That's a fair point. So... is The Nightmare Before Christmas still too scary a transition?"

"I think I'll be okay with that one, jerk." Jimin smiled.