God I Just Shouldnt Be Surprised By Things Anymore When It Comes To Him. Hes Just Absolutely Gorgeous

God 🤦‍♀️ I just shouldn’t be surprised by things anymore when it comes to him. He’s just absolutely gorgeous so every little thing he does or wears or says or whatever has me totally shook.

he knows exactly what he’s doing to us

I have some fic ideas…

Something like the movie The Holiday with two girls switching houses for the holidays. I thought it could be two separate stories from the perspective of each girl. One with JK as the love interest and one with Jimin as the love interest. Just have to decide which guy fits better with which storyline.

And another idea where JK is long time friends with OC and she is a recent new single mom and struggling with her post baby body and in an attempt to make her feel better he ends up accidentally confessing his feelings 🤭

Too much?

Oh man. 🤭

The drama continues! Love this story! Definitely team JK, sorry not sorry. I really really love reading this and love the level headed nature of the protagonist, even if she totally screwed up at the end of this chapter. At least she’s not swept up in the fantasy. Like, she actually is considering what is best for her-the scorching romance or the dependable, stable relationship. Makes it more relatable. JK’s pull is undeniable tho and I would be in the same state - forgetting everything else exists when in JKs presence (except In addition, I would have had no problem saying “peace ✌️” to Jin and jumping on JK at my earliest convenience).

Also, Um… the whole-he can’t touch you like I can-thing was 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

That was probably more than my already tortured brain can handle after the concert last night lol. But I’m a glutton for punishment so…🤷‍♀️

Paradise | JJK - Four

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Genre: smut, neighbors to lovers (not quite friends but not quite strangers), slow burn, Stripper!AU

Rating: M (18+)

Warnings: brief mention of alcohol-induced sickness, swearing, kissing, fingering, orgasms

Word Count: 6.8K

Disclaimer: NSFW, obviously I don’t own BTS - they just inspire me

Summary: That sexy man on stage - the one currently giving your friend the lap dance of her LIFE - is your super shy neighbor, Jeon Jungkook?!

A/N: Still overwhelmed by the love y'all have given me for this story. The slow burn has been simmering for a while, hasn't it? Let's just crank that heat up a bit. 🔥

Unbeta'd as usual. Taglist is always open, as is my inbox - I'd love to hear what you think! 💕

Previous Chapter ♦︎ Masterlist

Pain. That was what Saturday brought you. So much pain.

You woke in mid-afternoon, head pounding, mouth dry, stomach roiling. Lying in bed, you tried to recall how you'd ended up in such a state. But you could only remember slivers of your night, flickering by in brief vignettes.

Cocktails. Jungkook smiling at you. More cocktails. Jin making you laugh. Wine. Jungkook whispering in your ear. More wine. Jin saying good night. And then... music? And a cherry blossom tree?

Gingerly, you sat up, glancing at the clock on your nightstand, and noticed that a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin sat there. As you reached for both, the memory suddenly hit you.

Holy shit. Had you really stormed into Jungkook's apartment and yelled at him?

God, you were such an asshole.

You groaned as your stomach lurched violently and dashed to your bathroom just in time to avoid making a mess. Fuck. You hadn't gotten sick from drinking in years. Why on earth did you have so much wine last night? You didn’t even like it!

Cheek pressed against the cold tiles of your bathroom floor, you attempted to reassemble the memories of your evening. Like putting together a puzzle, but the pieces were blurry, and the edges frayed. You remembered having a great time with Jin. And before that, Jungkook. And Taehyung? Yes, he'd been there too, at the bar, while you were waiting. Looking like a dream, from what you could picture in your mind. All of them had, honestly. You seemed to be drowning in gorgeous men lately.

There was an odd feeling in the pit of your stomach, not related to the illness you felt from too much alcohol. It had to do with something Jungkook had said to you.

But what was it?

After several minutes, you gave up, clambering off the floor and dragging yourself into the kitchen. Spotting a lone electrolyte water in the fridge, you thanked whatever deity was listening and shuffled to the living room, intending to spend the afternoon recuperating by laying on the couch like a sloth and watching tv.

As you crossed your apartment, something white caught your eye. A piece of paper, lying in front of your door. You flipped it over.

Your own face stared back at you, etched in shades of gray and black. Mouth slightly open, with one hand raised, finger pointing off the page, you appeared to be in mid-sentence, like you were admonishing the viewer. Yet your eyes seemed soft, peering at you with an expression of almost wonder.

You'd never seen yourself like this before. You couldn't believe that anyone did.

In the corner of the page was a note:

Hope you're feeling ok. I wanted to apologize for last night. I had too much to drink at Dionysus and said some things I shouldn't have. I'm sorry if I crossed a line.

P.S. See? I wasn't lying, you're cute when you're mad.

- Jungkook

Jungkook. The cherry blossom tree. Right, he was an artist. You’d learned this about him last night, when you'd given him an earful. Of, uh... fuck, what did you say to him?

No more wine for you.

Slumping onto your couch, you studied every line of the drawing, every little detail, like the delicate way he’d inked the curl of your lashes, or how he’d captured the loose strands of your hair that framed your face. This had to have taken him hours. Had he stayed up all night, working on this?

And his note. The bit about saying things he shouldn't have said. What was he talking about? Snippets of your conversation at the bar replayed in your head. He'd called you beautiful, you remembered that clearly, face warming even just in memory, but what else could he be referring to?

You closed your eyes, sighing.

"...definitely couldn't make you cum."

Ah, right.

Your eyes snapped open as it came back to you. The way he'd held you as he'd laughed and mocked Jin. You reread the note. Of course. Jungkook had been drunk. He'd been teasing you again, and the things he’d said had just been the result of too much to drink. He’d taken it too far, and he felt bad.

Obviously, Jisoo was wrong. Jungkook wasn’t attracted to you. He just liked to play with you. Rile you up. And why not? You were easy pickings. Never took much to get a rise out of you. Clearly he’d more than succeeded, if you’d been so wound up by his words that you’d actually yelled at him.

You sighed, wishing you knew what you’d said. All you could remember was being mad.

Should you apologize to him, for the way you'd barged in and berated him? You hated the thought of him thinking you were rude. That wasn’t how you usually acted, but you’d been so… keyed up last night. Not to mention Drunk with a capital D. Without knowing exactly what you'd said to Jungkook, though, you weren't sure. Besides, you weren't in the best condition at the moment.

Your head throbbed. No more thinking. You needed to rest and rehydrate. Stumbling to your bedroom for more aspirin, you carried the sketch with you, placing it on your nightstand. Would it be weird to frame it? Maybe. But you still might.

Minutes into a “Be Still My Heart” episode, you passed out on your couch.

When you woke hours later, your stomach was no longer rumbling and your head no longer ached, but you didn’t feel any more rested than when you’d awoken earlier that day. Still, it was an improvement, so you got up, showered, and threw on a pair of cozy pajama pants and a racerback tank top that read “Financial Analysts Do It With Models.” Nothing like starting the day at - you glanced at the clock - Jesus, at 7 pm.

No. More. Wine. EVER.

You ate some dry toast - your gut might have settled but you weren’t taking any chances - and curled up on the couch again, flipping aimlessly through your streaming queue.

The group text thread was blowing up your phone, all your friends wanting details about your dinner at Dionysus, but you didn’t have the emotional bandwidth to have that conversation at the moment - especially since you still couldn’t recall half the night. So you fired off a quick “too hungover to function” text with a promise to chat tomorrow, silenced your phone, and slid it into your pocket

A sweet tenor began serenading you through the wall.

Fine, maybe he wasn’t actually serenading you, but you were definitely enjoying the sound of Jungkook’s singing as it drifted across your apartment, his crystal-clear voice effortlessly traversing a tricky melody.

And it carried with it a memory, of you asking Jungkook what the fuck his deal was.

You sat up with a start as the last puzzle pieces shifted into place. Oh god, you’d marched right over to his apartment and asked him what his deal was and what he was playing at and…

And then you’d gotten completely distracted by how unbelievably hot he was and completely derailed yourself.

Flopping dramatically onto your back, you pressed a throw pillow into your face to muffle a pained groan. Well, it could’ve been worse, what you’d said to him. Mercifully, your inability to focus had kept you from making a total ass of yourself.

You’d just made an incomplete ass of yourself instead. Partial. Maybe half.

As you laid there, reliving the fragmented memories over and over, a sour feeling in the pit of your stomach nagged at you. Not from the gallons of alcohol you’d imbibed or the toast threatening to make a reappearance. It was guilt.

You couldn’t imagine what he must’ve thought of you after last night. To have someone just stomp into your apartment and start yelling? You’d immediately call them an asshole.

You didn’t want to be the asshole neighbor.

Fuck, your conscience really wasn’t going to let you rest until you made amends, was it?

Heaving yourself off of your couch with a weary sigh, you headed for your neighbor’s apartment to set things right.

The music cut off at the sound of your knocking, and you were hit with a sensation of déjà vu. It only amplified when Jungkook opened the door, clad in black sweats, looking contrite.

“Sorry, were you trying to sleep? I can turn the music down,” he apologized by way of greeting.

You shook your head. “No, the music’s fine. I just - can I come in?”

Jungkook nodded, stepping aside to let you enter, and again you felt like you were reliving the same moment. There was the sleek black furniture, the easel in the corner, the paint supplies strewn about - everything was the same as last night. Except for one thing - the cherry blossom tree was gone, replaced by a fresh, blank canvas.

Jungkook gestured to his couch, but you shook your head. You wanted to keep this short, eat crow as quickly as possible. You hovered near the door as he sat down.

“I’m a little surprised to see you up. Kinda thought you might sleep the day away,” he grinned, nose wrinkling slightly. His dark hair was tucked up into a little ponytail, looking exactly like you’d dreamed the night after you’d seen him dance at Paradise. Like your dream was a premonition.

(If only.)

You flushed, mindlessly fiddling with the drawstrings on your pants. “I just woke up a little while ago,” you admitted. You glanced back at the easel. “I’m not interrupting you, am I?”

“Oh, no. I always have that set up there,” he explained. “I’m not doing anything right now. I have to work tonight. No time to paint.”

“Ah. Well, I won’t take up too much of your time, anyway. I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” He cocked his head. “For?”

“For barreling in here last night and yelling at you. It was rude of me.”

He blinked. “You’re apologizing… to me?”

You nodded. “Well, yeah. I mean, I just pushed my way in here and started screaming at you. I feel awful about that. And I don’t want you to think less of me.”

He was silent for a moment, eyes scanning your face as if searching for something. “How much do you remember about last night?”

You pursed your lips. “Enough of it to know I acted like a jerk.”

“That’s not what I mean. Dionysus. How much do you remember from there?”

“Oh. I remember hanging out at the bar with you. And Taehyung.” You smiled. “I think he and I are best friends now, unless that was just a wine-induced hallucination.”

Jungkook grinned. “Nope, that is true. Lucky for him, not so sure about you.” His expression shifted, becoming serious again. “Is that all?”

“No.” You hesitated for a moment. “I know you made fun of Jin, my date. You said some pretty nasty things about him.”

“But you know exactly what I said?” Again, you felt like he was examining you, and you weren’t sure what he was looking for.

“Yes. I remember.”

“Then there’s nothing for you to apologize for,” he stated. “You were right to yell at me. You were on a date, and I was disrespectful. And I’m sorry.”

“Oh, no, Jungkook,” you objected, shaking your head. He shouldn’t be the one asking for forgiveness. “I got your note. Thank you, by the way.” Your face heated as you gave him a shy smile. “The sketch is amazing. I… well, I’m incredibly flattered by it, to be honest. I could tell you were talented from your painting last night, but to make me look like that takes real skill.”

Something flitted across Jungkook’s face too quickly for you to catch it.

“But you explained everything,” you continued without hesitation. “I know you enjoy teasing me. I admit I’m a fairly easy mark, the way I get worked up so quickly, as you saw the other day in my apartment, and again last night. I understand what happened. You were drunk at Dionysus, you didn’t mean the things you said. I appreciate you apologizing, but this is about me. I shouldn’t have invaded your space and shouted at you like that.”

A minute passed, and he said nothing, just observed you with those doe eyes. You felt a nervous need to say something, anything, to fill the silence, but before you could begin to babble, he finally spoke. “No.”

You frowned, brow furrowing. “No?” No, what?

“No.” He stood and took a step towards you. “No, you don’t understand. I did mean it.”

He kept walking towards you, and you backed up until you hit the door behind you. You were lost. “You meant what?”

“All of it.” He was standing a breath’s width away now, peering down at you with an intensity you vaguely recognized but couldn’t quite place. “I meant every word I said to you. Yes, I was drunk, but I wasn’t just rambling. I was trying to say what I was thinking.”

Those lips. Those perfectly pink lips. Déjà vu again. You couldn’t stop staring, even as you struggled to comprehend what he was telling you. His mouth was so distractingly close.

“What… you were thinking?” you echoed dumbly.

“Yeah.” He bit his lip, contemplating his next words, and you watched as he worried the plump flesh between his teeth. Jesus, you were practically hypnotized by the motion, and you forced yourself to look away, gazing into his eyes instead.

That seemed to give him whatever it was he needed to speak again.

“I was jealous. Of your date.” His eyes flickered to your lips and back, as he stammered. “But I - I couldn’t tell you that. So I mocked him instead. What I was trying to say… what I wanted to say was… was ....”

He trailed off, and you waited breathlessly, heart pounding, until you couldn’t take it anymore. “Was? Was what?”

“I wanted to say… he couldn’t touch you like I could.”

A hand, on your hip.

“He couldn’t make you scream, make you cum the way I could.”

Fingers, gripping.

“He wasn’t worthy of you. Because there was no way he could worship you like I could. Like I want to.” The timbre of his voice dropped, a low rumble that shot straight through you. “If you’ll let me.”

“Jungkook,” you protested feebly, head reeling, as his other hand tipped your face up, bringing your mouth so close to his.

So, so close.

The hand grasping your side was squeezing so hard, you were sure to bruise, but you didn’t care.

“Please let me,” he whispered, and you leapt across the space between you, crushing your lips against his.

Jungkook kissed you back fiercely, tongue plunging, teeth nipping, pushing you against the door as he slotted a leg between yours. You whimpered into his mouth, and that encouraged him to run his hand down your thigh and grip behind your knee, yanking your leg up to wrap around him.

A tiny voice inside your head declared that this was too much, too fast, begging you to slow down. But your body was fully in control, reacting instinctively to Jungkook’s caresses, and you weren’t stopping now.

Keening, you locked your arms around his neck, using his wide shoulders to anchor yourself while you balanced on one leg. His hair came loose, dark curls tumbling out of his ponytail, and your fingers tugged at the thick strands at his nape. Jungkook let out a needy whine, pressing himself against you, and you broke the kiss, moaning his name at the tantalizing sensation.

You’d never been kissed like this before. Every inch of you burned from Jungkook’s touch. Like a moth drawn to a flame, you yearned to let him engulf you until you turned to ash.

Jungkook’s fingers danced along your waist, dipping underneath the band of your pajama pants, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. “Can I?”

That little voice screamed now, shouting at you to stop, breathe, think for a moment, but you told it to shut the fuck up.

You kissed him again, nose bumping his as you nodded.

With your leg still raised, hooked around his thick thigh, you were open to him. He traced lightly over your folds, swirling the slickness there, letting out a debauched groan at feeling how ready for him you were, so quickly. You bucked against him slightly, urging him on, and he answered your silent entreaty, slipping one long finger inside.

You were so wet that he met no resistance, and you sighed happily as he crooked his digit, stroking you just right.

His mouth roamed, exhaling hot air against your ear before sliding his tongue along the ridge. As he did this, he also slid a second finger inside you.

“Fuck!” you gasped, surprised by the sudden addition. He began to pump his fingers in and out, fucking you fast, and your head dropped, resting on his shoulder, as you started to pant. “Jungkook!”

He simply grunted, licking along your neck, as he continued to thrust his fingers rapidly. The sound of his filthy ministrations filled the room, a lewd squelching joined by soft whispers as he nuzzled his nose into your ear and murmured quiet words of praise, like an invocation. His palm ground against your clit, and you jolted, overwhelmed, letting out a cry as you came.

Your orgasm hit you so unexpectedly, so powerfully, that you thrashed, twisting in Jungkook’s grip, and your leg fell from around his waist. Your phone was jostled from your pocket and hit the ground, landing face up. Jungkook removed his fingers, releasing you from his hold, and as you bent to retrieve your phone, you saw you had a missed message from earlier:

Seokjin (7:27): Feeling ok today? I have a surefire hangover cure if you need it

Jin, being sweet and checking up on you. Jin, the man you went on a date with last night. Jin, whom you’d invited up last night, who would maybe be knuckle deep inside you right now instead of Jungkook if you hadn’t been so drunk.

Fuck. Guilt came roaring back, driving your euphoric bliss away and settling in the pit of your stomach again.

What the fuck were you doing?

You hurriedly stuffed your phone back into your pocket as you straightened up.

Jungkook was breathing heavily, eyes darkened, that intense look on his face once again making you shiver. As you watched, he brought his tattooed hand to his lips and sucked his fingers into his mouth, tongue swirling to collect every drop.

“Hmm. As sweet as I imagined.”

Jesus Christ. You had to get out of there.

If you didn’t leave right now, you were definitely going to fuck him, and as amazing as you were sure that would be, it wouldn’t help your befuddled brain at all.

“Jungkook, I - “

“I just wish we had more time.” He glanced at his watch. “Shit. I’m later than I thought.”

There was your out.

“Oh, fuck, I’m sorry, I should leave,” you blurted, reaching for the door.

“Whoa!”

His fingers wrapped around your wrist, gently prying it off the doorknob, pulling you back to face him. He looked abashed. “I’m not trying to kick you out. You know that, right?”

He seemed genuinely worried that you thought he was trying to get rid of you. Goddamn it, why did he have to be so sweet?

“I know,” you nodded.

“Okay. We’ll just… have to finish this another time.”

There was that cute little bunny smile that you loved so much. The transformation was astounding. How the hell could he fingerfuck you like that and then turn into this shy guy again?

“Another time,” you chirped, trying desperately to escape. You needed space. You needed to think.

You needed to figure out what the hell you were doing.

“Promise?” he implored, hand grasping your chin gently so your gaze met his.

His wide eyes would be the death of you.

“Promise,” you breathed.

You weren’t sure if that was a lie or not.

Jungkook leaned in and brushed his mouth against yours. “See you around, neighbor,” he exhaled softly, a ghost of a smirk dancing across his lips.

It took all your strength to peel yourself off the door and leave.

**********

Collapsing onto your couch, you whipped out your phone.

(7:47): 🆘🆘🆘🆘🆘

(7:47): NEED HELP

Bestie 😇 (7:49): What’s going on???

You quickly sent her a video chat request.

Jennie’s face popped onto your screen, alarm etched onto her pretty features. “What is going on?” she squeaked. “You NEVER want to be on video!”

“Jennieeeeee,” you wailed, propping your phone on your table so she could see your face while you laid on your side, looking as pathetic as you felt. “I’m in pain, and I don’t know what to do!”

You quickly filled her in on your date at Dionysus, leaving nothing out. At least, nothing that you remembered - there were still some slight gaps left that all that booze had erased. But you felt sure that you recalled all the important moments now.

Jennie didn’t interrupt, but her face went on an incredible journey as she listened, from surprised at Jungkook’s appearance, to elated at Jin’s charm, to absolutely appalled at Jungkook’s comments, and ending with bubbly giggles at Jin’s goodbye.

“Okay, wow, no wonder you are hurting today!” Jennie cackled once you’d paused to take a breath. “You know wine is not your friend!”

“That’s not the source of my pain, and that’s not the end of my night, Jennie,” you informed her dryly.

“But you said Jin went home? It sounds to me like you had an amazing time, minus the vulgar interruption from your neighbor. I can’t believe he said those things to you!”

“Yeah, I couldn’t believe it either. That’s why I confronted him.”

Jennie’s eyebrows shot up. “You? Miss I Don’t Do Confrontation? Aren’t you the one who once hated their lazy lab partner so much that, rather than just call them on their refusal to help, you dropped the entire biology course?!”

You rolled your eyes. “There’s no need to rehash that incident again, but I would like to remind you that I changed my major right after that, so I didn’t even need that class after all.” This was the problem with a best friend who remembered everything: she remembered everything. “But look - I was incredibly drunk! Thanks to all that wine, my anger managed to override my natural instincts, including my tendency to avoid, um, everything.”

“Fine. So what happened?”

“I banged on Jungkook’s door and demanded that he let me in. I accused him of playing games and asked him what his deal was.” You winced. “I think I even called him Bambi to his face.”

“What did he say??”

“Well, he didn’t really respond, because I kept getting distracted. I mentioned I was super drunk, right?” You sighed. “He’s an artist, Jennie. He had this painting of a cherry blossom tree… it was so lovely. I wish I had a photo of it that I could send to you, because I can’t describe his talent with words.”

Jennie tipped her head, considering. “So you didn’t get any answers from him because you got distracted by a painting?”

You made a face. “Um, no, it wasn’t just the painting. It was also… his face. I got sidetracked by how handsome he is.”

“You what?”

“I got distracted by his gorgeous fucking face and he ended up walking me back to my apartment and put me to bed, because, once again, I cannot stress just how fucking drunk I was!”

Jennie cracked up so loudly that you heard a voice in the background drone, “What is so funny?” A handsome face appeared over her shoulder, cat-like eyes blinking languidly.

“Hey Yoongi,” you waved.

“Hey,” Yoongi replied. “Nice shirt.” Then he drifted away.

“Man of few words, as always,” you commented.

“Yeah, I’m a lucky gal,” Jennie grinned. “Anyway, let me see if I’m following this correctly. You went over to yell at Jungkook for being a jerk at Dionysus and ended up, what - swooning over his cute little doe eyes? And instead of him defending himself or fighting back, he took care of you? And now you’re upset about it?” The camera angle suddenly tilted as she mirrored your pose, lying on her bed. “Babe, I bet that’s guilt. Remember how you felt any time we fought? You were always the first to apologize.”

She knew you way too well.

“I did feel guilty when I woke up this morning. Or this evening, actually. I slept most of the day away because, again, drunk. But, uh, that’s not what has me freaking out right now.”

“Oh my god, you are killing me with this story. Then what is it??”

You inhaled deeply and closed your eyes, huffing the words out in one big whoosh. “I went over there a few minutes ago to apologize and Jungkook told me not to, because he was jealous of Jin and said he wanted me to worship me and then he kissed me and pushed me up against his door and fingerbanged me into the most intense orgasm I’ve had in months.”

Silence. You cracked an eye open. Jennie’s image was frozen.

“Oh shit, Jennie, I think you’re frozen. Let me call you ba- ”

“He WHAT?!”

Jennie’s mouth was a perfect O as she stared at you, and you covered your face with your hands.

“He fingerfucked me. Oh my god, Jennie, it was so good, he got me off so fast. Like embarrassingly fast, I went from dry to dripping in nanoseconds, and I nearly climbed him right then and there but he had to get to work. So I ran back here and called you, because while Jungkook was fingering me, Jin was texting me.”

“Oh my god, babe, your neighbor is a goddamn demon.” Jennie shrieked, dropping out of frame as she rolled with laughter. She reappeared after a few seconds, wiping her eyes. “You mean to tell me that not only did he not apologize for saying those vile things to you while you were on a date, not only did he reject your apology, but he then seduced you? Wow.”

“It’s not funny,” you insisted weakly.

“Sorry, but it kind of is. God, I wish Jisoo were here. She’d be dying, too.”

“Sure, let’s all laugh at my pain.”

Jennie ignored your melodramatic whining. “Honestly, after experiencing him in motion at Paradise, and then hearing your shower story, and now this, I’m convinced Bambi might be an incubus in disguise or something.”

You sighed. “Anyway, you’re not quite right. I mean, Jungkook did apologize - did I not mention that? Oh!” You jumped up, grabbed your phone, and ran to your bedroom. “I do have some of his art that I can show you.”

“Wait, why are we back to talking about art?”

“Hold on, just check this out.” You held the sketch up, giving her a few minutes to examine it.

“Oh, wow. He really captured you so well.” Jennie's voice softened as she studied the drawing.

“He took some artistic liberties.”

Jennie glared. “You’re beautiful, and I won’t hear otherwise. You have the proof right there!” She paused. “Not to mention you have two hot as fuck men fighting over you. Jungkook really said he was jealous?”

“Yeah.” You bit your lip, putting the sketch down and laid down on your bed. “So he apologized, and admitted jealousy, and… and I don’t know what to think now.”

“He said he wanted you, right?”

“To worship me,” you corrected her. “He wanted to worship me.”

“What the hell does that mean? Like, he wants to fuck you? How long does this “worship” last - one night?”

“I don’t know,” you repeated, shrugging. “I’m not sure if he’s just out to fuck me. He seemed pretty sweet after he got me off. Like, I tried to rush out of there, but he stopped me. He wanted me to promise we’d continue... whatever that was.”

“He made you promise?”

“Yeah.”

"Hmmm." Jennie frowned. “Why were you running out of there?”

“Uh, because I saw Jin’s text, and I needed to think. Being around Jungkook… it’s hard to think straight.” “Oh, I am aware. My brain is still a little scrambled from my lapdance!” Jennie smirked. “But what did Jin want? Was he asking you out again?”

“He was checking up on me. He wanted to know how I’m feeling today.”

“That’s because Jin is a total sweetheart! He’d be so good for you.”

“I know.”

“Look, I know I’m biased, but I really think Jin is the better man here. There’s no head games with him. He’s not swanning around half-naked to tease you, or whispering wild words in your ear. He’s honest and upfront. Safe. Everything you could want from a partner!”

Her words weren’t anything you hadn’t already considered. You knew that Jin was a dream come true for someone looking for the perfect partner.

Was that someone still you?

Because even if you were still a little hazy on bits of last night, you couldn’t recall Jin ever making your pulse race the way Jungkook did. And until Jungkook had touched you, had made you fall apart the way he did, you hadn’t let yourself think for one second that you could have him.

So what did you want - the perfect partner or the burning flame?

Your head was starting to ache again.

“Are you still with me, babe, or did you freeze?”

“Yeah,” you sighed. “I’m here. Just thinking.”

“Oh, that’s what that sound was. The gears turning.” “Ha,” you intoned lifelessly.

“I’m sorry. I’m not sure I’ve done much to help you here.”

“No, you have. Just talking it out helps.”

She hummed. “So, what are you going to do now?”

“I guess I should text Jin back, to start.”

"And what about Jungkook?"

You exhaled noisily. "I don’t know."

"I just don't want to see you get hurt."

You knew that. Jennie only wanted to see you happy.

Jungkook's face hung in your mind, the way he'd looked at you when you'd made your promise. Your gut told you he was being sincere in that moment.

But your gut had been wrong before. And your heart had paid the price.

"I know. I’ll figure it out.”

You must’ve sounded more confident than you felt, because Jennie believed you. After hanging up, you stared at the drawing on your nightstand until you drifted off to sleep.

**********

You dreamt of dark eyes and lithe fingers, and a voice whispering “Please let me.”

**********

Sunday morning, you were resolved.

You called Jin.

He answered by calling out your name in delight. “To what do I owe this early morning pleasure?”

You’d slept straight through the night and woken up early (for you) for once, around eight. After lying in bed for a while, again pouring over the events of the previous two evenings, obsessing over every word, every action, you came to a decision.

You needed to give Jin a fair shot.

Too much of your date was a drunken blur. And though last night, you’d believed that Jin couldn’t drive you wild the way Jungkook could, the truth was, he really hadn’t had the chance yet.

So who were you to deny a devastatingly handsome man the opportunity to knock your socks off?

(Only if he wanted to, of course. Sock knocking had to be consensual.)

“Hey, Jin. I wanted to know if you were free today?”

It turned out Jin had plans in your part of town (a dinner meeting - you idly wondered if there was ever day when he didn’t have a meeting scheduled), so he agreed to come over and watch a movie in the afternoon - with the caveat that you let him make you his famous peanut butter caramel popcorn in exchange for hosting the date. Like you were going to argue with a professional chef offering to cook for you.

That’s how you found yourself sitting at your dining table, watching with glee as Jin took over your kitchen. He bustled around the tiny space, tall frame stooping as he dug around for cookware and utensils, with a helpful point or two from you.

“This seems insanely complicated for popcorn,” you remarked, eyeing all of the ingredients as Jin pulled them out of his shopping bag. Given how your cabinets were typically barren, he’d had to pick up all the necessities on his way over.

“It’s not so bad,” he replied. “You just cook the popcorn on the stovetop, then prepare the caramel peanut butter sauce, then combine the two and bake for an hour. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.” “Couldn’t you use microwave popcorn and save yourself some time and effort?”

Jin looked affronted. “Microwave popcorn? Excuse me?”

You giggled. “Or what if you just got that caramel sauce they sell at stores - the stuff for ice cream sundaes - and poured that over the microwave popcorn? Instead of mixing all that - what is that, brown sugar and butter and whatever else you’ve got there?”

“One more terrible suggestion and I’m banishing you from the kitchen.”

“Sorry, chef.”

Jin took his eye off of the popping corn for a second to peer at you, eyebrow raised suggestively. “All right, you can stay if you keep calling me ‘chef.”

“Yes, chef. I’ll be good, chef,” you purred sweetly.

Noting the way his back straightened in response to your words, you filed that info away for later.

Jin appeared to be treating you to a private performance of his cooking series, telling stories, cracking jokes, and even giving you a brief explainer on the science behind caramelization. You were rapt, hanging on every word, mesmerized by how effortless he made it look. No wonder he was so in-demand - he put on a good show.

Your front row seat also allowed you to admire his beauty up close. Sure, he’d been just as handsome last night, but you were viewing him through a sober lens now, which meant you could appreciate him better. Wavy brown hair hung loosely in his face, skimming dark brows that moved animatedly when he spoke. His warm brown eyes sparkled when he glanced at you, crinkling merrily when he guffawed at his own jokes, and you kept catching yourself staring at his dazzling smile.

Jisoo was absolutely going to die of jealousy when you filled her in later.

Jin insisted on doing the dishes after the popcorn went into the oven, and again, you weren’t going to tell him ‘no.’

“So, is this how you got into cooking? Making elaborate snacks for your friends?”

“Nope. I started cooking solely to charm women.” He winked as he dried his hands, grabbing an oven mitt to check on the popcorn.

“Ah. And how is that going?”

He opened the oven door, waving his hand to waft the mouth-watering scent of salty sweet caramel towards you. “You tell me.” You were practically drooling. “So far, so good.”

The movie you’d chosen was a recent romcom Jennie had raved about. Jin had struck you as the type of guy to enjoy a silly romance flick. Your hunch was correct. His delightful honk of a laugh filled your apartment as the afternoon flew by.

Hanging out with Jin was so easy. You felt completely relaxed, sitting next to him on your couch, giggling at his reactions more than at the movie itself. He was an active spectator, cackling and gasping and shouting at the two leads as they blundered their way through an increasingly ridiculous series of obstacles meant to keep them apart until the final scene, when they declared their love.

“Ah, that was great!” Jin exclaimed as the credits rolled. He propped his elbow on the back of the couch, leaning his head on his hand as he looked at you. “You know, I was a little worried for a while there that they wouldn’t end up together.”

“Really?”

Jin snorted. “No, of course not! Films like this always end the same way, with a dramatic confession of love. They’re so predictable.”

You laughed, devouring a handful of popcorn. Jin’s hard work had paid off deliciously. “But that’s the beauty of these movies! You know exactly where they’re heading. There’s always a happy ending.” You sighed. “If only life were like that.”

Jin tossed some popcorn into the air, catching it in his mouth. “Would you really want your life to be like that? Predictable?” He chucked another piece and you giggled as it bounced off his nose.

“If it means I’ll end up living happily ever after?” You shrugged. “Doesn’t sound so bad to me.”

“I don’t know,” he mused. “Surprises can be nice. Chance encounters, unexpected pleasures - these are the things that make life worth living, to me. I get to travel because of what I do, and meet so many people, experience different cultures, discover new food - my life is an adventure and I never know where it will take me next.” He grinned. “I don’t know where I’ll end up all the time, but I’m still happy, because I enjoy the journey along the way.”

“Well, when you put it like that…” you trailed off as Jin laughed.

He made it sound so thrilling, living without knowing where the moment would take him. Your whole life was about knowing the next move, trying to plan everything out to reach the predicted outcome. The desired result.

Maybe you should try embracing the unknown. Pursue your own unanticipated delights.

Jungkook’s wicked smirk flashed through your mind. You pushed him aside.

“Tell me more about these unexpected pleasures,” you said, tucking your legs under you as you faced Jin on the couch. Time to make your move.

Jin’s eyebrow quirked as he regarded you, disappearing under his bangs. “I could tell you, or I could show you,” he suggested, his hand resting comfortably on your thigh.

You couldn’t help but burst into giggles.

Jin looked slightly shocked at your reaction. “What? Too much?”

“No, no, that was perfect,” you smiled. “You just sounded exactly like the guy from the movie for a minute.”

“Ah. It wasn’t the most original line, I admit.”

“You don’t need any lines,” you informed him, sliding closer. Cheesy romcom delivery or not, he was still cute, and you still wanted to know what those lips would feel like on yours.

“I don’t?” He thumb caressed your leg as he peered down at you.

You shook your head, tilting your face up. Jin took the hint, his other hand cupping the back of your head gently as he pulled you closer -

“PAY ME WHAT YOU OWE ME!”

Another giggle fit overtook you, and you laughed against Jin’s lips. He leaned away, fumbling in his pocket for his phone, trying desperately to silence his ringtone.

“I’m sorry, but was that ‘Bitch Better Have My Money?’'' you asked between giggles.

Jin nodded, face turning red. “Yeah. That’s my manager’s ringtone.” He glanced at his screen. “Damn, it’s almost 6. He’s probably calling to see if I’m on my way.”

The moment had passed, so you stood, stretching. “Thanks for cooking for me. Are you sure you don’t want to take any of the stuff you bought?”

“Nah, you can keep it. In case you want to try making the popcorn yourself.”

You doubted you’d put in the effort, but you thanked him anyway.

The two of you shuffled towards the door. Jin propped himself against the door frame and peered down at you. “Maybe next time, instead of a snack, I can cook you dinner? At my place?” He grinned. “It’s a lot more impressive if I make a whole meal.”

“You still think you need to impress me?”

He shrugged. “I’d like to try, anyway.”

“I guess I shouldn’t argue with that,” you remarked drolly, and Jin chuckled.

He towered over you, a warm smile on his lips. Here was your chance again. Surging up onto your toes, you tugged lightly at his shirt, yanking him down into a kiss.

No phone calls interrupted you this time. There was only you and Jin, his arms wrapping around your waist as your hands came to rest on his broad chest. His kiss was slow and sure, warmth spreading throughout you as his mouth gently caressed yours.

Not a blazing fire, but a smouldering flame.

Knowing that Jin needed to go, you pulled away, settling back on your heels as you smiled up at him.

A rattling to your left startled you. You and Jin weren’t alone.

Jungkook stood frozen at his door, keys dangling from the lock, as he watched the two of you with wide eyes.

A hush settled over the hallway.

There was that desperate urge again to fill the silence as Jungkook gazed at you, his expression unwavering. Rushing to speak, you stuttered a hello, but he quickly turned away, disappearing into his apartment, leaving you staring at the spot where he'd been.

© 2021 by sunshinerainbowsbts. Crossposted to AO3. Please do not copy or repost.

Taglist: @mwitsmejk @claricedelune @teresaisla @sadxaries @httpfandxms @lavienjin @lovelyfreshfestival @bts-junseagull @bangtannoonalvg @yoonchrisgull @misohime @btswithlov @dasexydevitt13 @nabiolive @travelleratheart101 @hannahbee12719ficrecs @reliablemitten @thataquariusreader @moonchild1 @helenazbmrskai @uselessmags @kissme-ornot @kirapaige @synnfulqt

Couldn't tag: @rumpucis @loosewindmill

Love this concept! Love the flow and characterization. Jin is sooo Jin. I really wanted to hear what JK was gonna say before Jimin butted in! Really enjoying this story so far!

The Crown

Summary: One night. One stupidly hot man, who just keeps appearing in every pub you go to. Six friends. Nine pubs. Nine drinks. Ten million stupid rules. Let the chaos begin.

Pairing: Jungkook x reader

Genre: Strangers to lovers; night out/pub crawl

Word count: 2k

Warnings: Heavy drinking, the drunkenness is starting to set in.

Authors Note: Five drinks in, I’d be interested to know if any of you have ever done pub golf before? I did it once in uni and I’ve got to say, it’s as stupid as it sounds.

Series Masterlist

Ok, you’re really feeling it now. Two pints, a martini, a gin and tonic, and now a shot. You started at 8 and it’s now approaching eleven. It isn’t normal to drink that amount of alcohol, especially so quickly.

“Ok, ok, so we have three pubs left before we reach the club,” Jin says.

“Please can we skip some of them,” Diana elongates the words, her tone begging.

“Nope,” Jin pops the p.

“What if everyone agrees?”

“Still no.”

“You can’t force us to go to these places. You can’t make us,” Diana points an accusing finger at Jin and if you hadn’t already gathered how drunk she is, that act alone would have let you know.

“You agreed to this. You didn’t have to come. If you’re not going to be any fun -”

“Listen, let’s just see how it goes,” you step in, hoping to appease the tension. “If some of us want to go straight to the club then fine, the rest of us will meet them there later.”

Keep reading

My unfinished, unpublished multi-chapter Jimin fic features this Jimin profoundly. Sigh. If I ever finish it 🙃

that heartthrob strand of hair ♡

Even before I was JK biased, this Dior shirt had me on my knees. And his flirty eyes and grin? Get outta here!!!

200826 stay gold ♡