It's the small victories that really count, Jungkook believes.

Such as getting back at your roommate for dragging you away from a perfectly entertaining event, just because she was salty.

And oh he definitely managed to successfully get on her nerves in return.

It was all just fun and games, until he realized that his idiotic move had actually made her nervous - now, he'd love to believe that she was just nervous because she'd been into it (which would be amazing too), but there was always the possibility that she was nervous because he scared her. And dear god, did he not want that.

It was just really hard to know what exactly her shaking hands had meant in that moment in front of the entrance door, and Jungkook did not have the balls to bring it up.

"And you're sure that it'll be fine with all the heavy rain?" A worried voice currently chimed through the phone, referring to the plans they had made for Jee.

Something about taking him to the Aquarium, because apparently the poor boy had no friends.

"We won't be outside for any longer than necessary." Jungkook assured. He was getting a little tired of it, since he'd said the exact same things to Jee's mother before already, not that fond of repeating himself.

"But he's a kid! He's more fragile than you, Jungkook!" His eyes travelled over to Y/N, who'd just entered the kitchen, tiredly rubbing her eyes while putting the ten cups she'd stored inside her room throughout the past weeks into the dish washer.

"It's gonna be fine Miri-ssi, I promise." The man rolled his eyes, glad that the woman couldn't see him. His roommate froze on her spot.

"Look, Y/N just got up, do you want to talk to- no?- okay, sheesh, I get you don't." Said girl slowly turned her head to increasingly nervous Jungkook, "...Yeah, uhm, okay. Yeah. Buh-bye then-" His roommate's mother hung up on him, leaving him in the deafening silence of Y/N just staring at him.

"What the fuck is your business with my mom?" She looked at him incredulous, eyeing the phone in his hand skeptically, as if it's just been used for a plot against the government.

"Chill out Bambi, we weren't talking about you." Jungkook lifted his hands defensively.

"THEN WHY THE FUCK WERE YOU TALKING TO MY MOTHER?!"

"You calm down, I was telling her about our weekend plans, prick." 

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?" 

In retrospect, it was a little weird that he was having casual phone calls with his roommate's mom.

"Hey, hey," Jungkook wrung his head for a less embarrassing explanation than the simple fact that he'd gotten along pretty well with Miri (and may or may not feel safe around this person that had shown herself to be more of a mother figure than his own has ever been), "I was just... worried about the trip? You know, because of your anxiety around people and shit..." Damn he was getting good at these things.

Her face softened, gently surprise hidden behind her eyes, as her shoulders slumped down slightly, "About that... I asked Hoseok if he wanted to join us?" She sounded equally embarrassed as how Jungkook felt after having lied to her like that.

"Oh. Sure." He cleared his throat, "Makes sense." He remembered Hoseok telling him about how he'd been the one to support her after what happened to her in High School. He'd just kind of really looked forward to spending time alone with Jee and her.

"So you're fine with it?"

"Why wouldn't I? It's not like I could change your mind even if I wanted to."

She laughed, "That's fair."

___

"Still can't believe that Jugkook and your mother are friends." Hoseok cackled, making me regret ever inviting him to our trip.

But what should I say? He's like an emotional support anchor and the Aquarium was stuffed to the brim, with a bunch of squealing, snotty kids running around our feet.

Jungkook was a few meters ahead, carrying Jee on his shoulders like a god damn dad, making him laugh delightedly while pointing at fish above our heads.

Still couldn't believe that this was the same guy who violated my pride like that some days ago, in front of our entrance door as if it was fucking funny.

Altlast Jee was mannered and not one of these little fuckers who just punched against the glass walls and left stains with their greasy little hands.

"I wouldn't call them friends." I corrected him, "More like 'partners in crime'."

"Ah yes, like Bonny and Clyde." Hoseok said in a slimy, swarming voice, batting his eye lashes dreamily.

I punched him, "Don't ship Jungkook with my mom!"

I might've said it a little too loud, because Jungkook threw me an alarmed look, fortunately being stopped by Jee who was pointing at a manta ray swimming towards us, hopping up and down on Jungkook's shoulders who promptly tightened his grip around the boy's legs with a huff, "Careful!"

"Look Noona, look! Look how large she is!"

"She?" I echoed with an arched brow, joining the two in front of the glass. If only it weren't so full in here, I would've loved to just sit I front of the water and sketch the hundreds of animals dancing around for hours.

"Yeah." Jee nodded enthusiastically, "She. Reminds me of you, Noona." That made Hoseok wheeze out loud behind us.

"So I remind you of a giant, flat fish?" I said dryly, "Thanks."

Jungkook nudged my side with a soft smile, "No, hear him out."

"She's so big and she moves so prettily and I think when I look at her she looks as if she's been alive since forever and has seen everything." Jee gestured heftily, slapping the sides of Jungkook's head multiple times while talking, "How'd you call it Hyung?"

"Wise." Jungkook provided helpfully, grin stretched over his face while clearly not bothered by the hands constantly in his face.

"Yeah. She looks wise, Noona. And peaceful. She's the most beautiful fish I've ever seen." Jee finished decidedly, ending with crossing his arms in front of his chest stubbornly.

"Oh." I made, surprised at how poetic this little shit can be, "Thank you." I was genuinely taken aback by his words, suddenly not hating the thought of babysitting him every second day that much anymore, "You little slime, you." I added to not get to of character, pinching his side.

He giggled, jerking away from my hands with a high shriek, "I'm being honest Noona!"

"Sure, sure." Hoseok stepped next to me, fond look in his eyes that I almost missed in my little bickering.

"I knew you could to it," He said, uncharacteristically soft.

"Huh?" I turned away from Jungkook and Jee.

"You always complain about these two, but you're like... a family?"

"Oh stop it you, I hate them."

Hoseok snickered quietly, "You say that about everyone, but do you really mean it?"

I quickly looked to the side, seeing Jungkook, who had taken the hint for once, distracting Jee while Hoseok and I were talking, "I hate them but that doesn't mean I don't like them around me." I pouted, earning a nudge from Hoseok.

"That's as much honesty as I can get from you, huh?" He laughed, walking past me to help Jee get off of Jungkook.

I eyed my roommate quietly, brain plunging through the past months, thinking about when my 'I hate you' stopped being honest.

My eyes roamed over him, over his tattooed arms that flexed while he was slowly putting Jee down, the big sparkling eyes that never even once, during all our endless arguing and cussing-at-each-other, had used their gentle glow and that fond smile that I would've probably never gotten to see without Jee.

It took me some while to notice that I was standing there almost alone, the other three having moved further ahead already. 

Oh?

Hoseok gave me a knowing look across the room. He'd do that sometimes- leaving me alone in crowded places, just to see how I'd cope with it. Today I didn't even notice it, knowing that him and Jungkook and Jee were in fact only a few meters away.

"Like a... family?"

A grossly warm feeling spread through my insides when I followed them eventually.

If I was being really, really fucking honest with myself I didn't only not hate them. I loved all of them in a different special way, as much as I'd never admit that out loud. And this is what a family is, right?

Jungkook saw me joining them, answering my smile with an equally happy one, though he didn't seem to be so sure about what had me so happy.

___

this was an awfully cute chapter

xx