(no subject)

[caughtinalie]

Jimin isn't honestly sure where his dad is. It's on a notepad somewhere, a hastily scribbled hotel and address, but he doesn't care enough to go looking. His mom's out, too. She'd texted him earlier in the evening, a quick, I'll be working late. There's sixty thousand won in the desk upstairs for dinner.

But it's not dinner Jimin's interested in.

He's known the location of the liquor cabinet for the past three years. He doesn't always take advantage, tries to pretend to be the good boy he's supposed to be, the one who only sometimes gets in trouble when he's not inside a hospital.

But sometimes...

There's a bottle of opened grapefruit soju that he finishes off first all by himself. His cheeks warm and flushed, he considers the C1 Blue before sending the text, waits a few minutes, then grins when he gets the replies. Minutes later, he's opening it and taking a quick swig, sinking back into his chair as he waits for his friends.

It's always more fun when he's not alone.

Comments

[lovestrippedbare]

There's a part of Jungkook that is firmly convinced that this is a bad idea. On multiple levels.

For one, he has class tomorrow, and the day has already been long and tiring — anything to compromise sleep may result in him nodding off during class, which isn't the wisest when his math teacher doesn't seem fond of him to begin with.

For another, he's planning to go Christmas shopping with Yoongi in the afternoon, and no matter how much he's sure that his hyung would forgive him if he doesn't show up at his best, Jungkook knows that the outing is one that he won't want to forget.

But perhaps most importantly of all: Jungkook has never been drunk before.

He's tasted alcohol, of course — a victim of those early parental whims to share a drop or two off of their chopsticks and watch their kids grimace, or the childish desire to drink anything that looks colorful and includes an umbrella. But Jungkook has never let down his guard enough to have a proper amount of alcohol, too afraid of the consequences and of disappointing his mother. There's always been one good excuse or another to refuse before now, but this is the first time that a party has been declared while he's already in the company of one of his hyungs, and when he sees the rest of them agree to join, one by one—

—well, he just. Won't drink. Much.

Of course, one sip leads to another, and thirty minutes later, Jungkook is draped out luxuriously over Jimin's couch, head hanging over the seat and the world swimming around his eyes. There's noise and color and movement everywhere, and it's way too fast for Jungkook to follow. So he whines, kicking his legs lightly and holding out his arms.

"Ah, hyung," he calls out, wiggling his shoulders petulantly, waiting for one of them to stop by.

[caughtinalie]

Jimin can't help but giggle when he sees Jungkook half hanging off the couch, arms out and his face puffy and flushed. He's pretty sure Jungkook's never been fully drunk, never taken anything more than a sip of soju here and there. Some part of him wants to feel guilty for having defiled him in this way, but honestly, he's not really sorry. Especially when Jungkook's being so sweet and soft and cute.

"Aww, Kookie," he says as he drops down onto the cushion next to him, reaches out to brush his fingers through Jungkook's soft hair, brushing it back off his forehead then tugging playfully. "Are you feeling okay? Did you have too much?"

He brushes a finger along Jungkook's cheek, wiping away an invisible bit of dirt before touching his hair again.

[lovestrippedbare]

Out of all of his hyungs, Jungkook finds that he lowers his guard around Jimin the most. There's a sweetness in Jimin that he finds himself drawn to, a gentle and open affection that Jungkook enjoys mirroring in kind. With the world spinning around him, Jungkook still does his best to raise his head a little into Jimin's touch before he throws the towel in and crawls practically atop of Jimin's lap and rests there. His chest is pressed on top of Jimin's thighs, broad and strong and definitely more than enough to support his weight.

"Jimin, you... got me drunk," Jungkook laughs, kicking his legs up gently behind him. "Does that mean that I've had too much? Or does that mean I've had just enough? Ah — don't stop petting my hair, it's nice."

While splayed over Jimin's lap, Jungkook attempts to focus on the various surroundings in the room. He's been in Jimin's apartment before, but deference towards Jimin's parents has always caused him to be a little more cautious while looking around. Now, with alcohol running through his veins, such inhibition has evaporated.

[caughtinalie]

Jimin giggles as Jungkook crawls half into his lap, bony shoulder digging into the meant of Jimin's thigh before he shifts a little and drops his hand into Jungkook's hair, still lightly combing through the strands. Jungkook's eyelids are half closed and the expression on his face is soft and relaxed, eyelids heavy as he blinks up at Jimin. He looks completely adorable and Jimin can't resist lightly tapping the scar on his cheek before smoothing at the skin.

He goes back to Jungkook's hair only when Jungkook asks for it.

"Hmm, should I feel guilty?" he asks, tucking a few stray hairs behind Jungkook's hair. "Because I don't. You're really cute like this."

Granted, Jungkook is cute pretty much all the time. He's getting less cute as the days go by, as his shoulders fill out and his chest expands. But he still has the bunny teeth and the big, doe eyes. So long as he stays cute, Jimin won't have to worry about anything.

[lovestrippedbare]

Jungkook's eyes blink open when Jimin taps the scar. As inebriated as he is, he's still able to recognize the intimacy in the action, responding with a broad smile. Not everyone would notice these little details. Sometimes Jungkook himself even forgets about the scar, can't even remember how he got it, only that it's been there as long as he can remember. But of course Jimin noticed.

He turns onto his back, head still resting on Jimin's lap, as he offers his cheekiest smile. Cute is a compliment that Jungkook can still easily receive, knowing he's the youngest, knowing that there's always a touch of nostalgia that comes from watching one's underclassmen.

"Don't feel guilty, hyung, this feels greeeat," Jungkook drawls, sighing in satisfaction. "I thought all alcohol tasted nasty, but the flavored sojus are pretty good! Especially peach."

When the song on the speakers changes, Jungkook starts to bob his head. "I wish I could dance like you, Jiminie. A party like this really calls for dancing."

[caughtinalie]

Jungkook shifts in his lap, easily getting more comfortable, gaze raised to the ceiling, but occasionally lowering to meet Jimin's. He looks warm and sweet and happy, looks just exactly how he deserves to be: carefree and comfortable. Jimin can't help but wish he could give this feeling to Kookie all the time, give it to all of them.

He laughs at the sly little compliment, feels something warm under his skin and blossom like a flower. "Are you sober enough to dance?" he asked, his voice teasing. "I'm afraid you might fall over instead."

And, maybe, he's a little afraid that Jungkook could upstage him. Because Jimin isn't really that good. Liking to dance, even loving to dance is not at all the same as being any good at it. He'll never be as good as Hyung or Noona no matter how much he tries.

[lovestrippedbare]

"I'd fall over even if I was sober," Jungkook says with a snort, even though there's a part of him that can't help but be curious, can't help but wonder if he'd be able to pick up on a little if he watched his hyungs closely enough. He doesn't think he would encroach on them like that, though. Dancing seems to be something between Hoseok and Jimin, in the same way that Namjoon and Taehyung are the only ones who run around spraying walls at night, in the same way that Jungkook cherishes the afternoons he spends playing the piano with Yoongi.

The song picks up in beat, and Jungkook bobs his head a few times before he decides — fuck it, when will he next get a chance to enjoy himself like this, dancing with the world spinning delightfully around him?

He kicks his legs over the side of the couch, staggering to his feet and reaching for both of Jimin's hands. "C'mon, hyung, let's dance! You show me how it's done."

Jungkook wiggles his arms through the air, stepping haphazardly across the floor, not quite matching the rhythm of the song.

[caughtinalie]

Jimin grunts as Jungkook clambers to his feet, a wayward elbow knocking into his chest, a hand crushing his thigh before Jungkook's finally swaying on his feet, lips stretched in that familiar goofy smile. His cheeks are still flushed red with alcohol, but his muscles are loose and his grin is nothing but infectious and Jimin can't help a giggle, reaching up to take Jungkook's hand and letting himself be pulled to his feet.

He's had more than a few drinks himself, but he doesn't stumble too much. When he does, it's not because of the booze in his blood, but instead from laughing.

"This is what you call dancing?" he asks with a high laugh, trying to match Jungkook's clumsy movements, swaying a bit in the process. "You haven't picked this up from me, have you?"

[likedriedflowerpetals]

How long Jungkook has been drinking before he arrives, Yoongi has no idea. For that matter, he's unsure how long passes before he says more than a quick hello to the younger boy. Knowing they have tomorrow together is all the more reason for him to circulate with the others first, laughing and chatting away, increasingly relaxed as he gets increasingly intoxicated.

And then there's that, of course, that it's clear at a glance that Jungkook is drunk or close to it, the first time Yoongi's ever seen him this way. Perhaps it's smarter if they're not both so uninhibited around each other. He's sober enough to be sure of that, at least, and tipsy enough to question it. The other boys play with Jungkook's hair and drape themselves all over each other and it means nothing. Why should he hesitate to do the same? And then Jungkook calls to him, and what is he supposed to do, refuse him? So he crosses the room before he can second-guess himself for the tenth time, flopping onto the floor so his head is near Jungkook's. "Are you okay?"

[lovestrippedbare]

It hasn't escaped Jungkook's notice that Yoongi has been wandering around the party since he arrived, playing with the other boys, laughing over shots and beer. Jungkook doesn't want to be possessive, and logic weighs out with a dozen reasons why Yoongi's spending more time with the others — he'll get plenty of time with Jungkook tomorrow anyway, just the two of them wandering the halls of the local mall. There's no reason for Jungkook to cling, and the night's too short as it is to devote proper attention to each one of his brothers.

Still, he can't help but sneak glances now and again, his guard lowered further with every gulp of alcohol until petulance finally shines through. Jungkook perks up for a second, all flush on his cheeks and pounding in his head when Yoongi approaches, only to be disappointed by his elder taking a seat an arm's length away.

"I'm okay!" he says brightly, a wide, cheesy smile on his lips. "More than okay. Feeling like... like I'm swimming on top of the world. But I- I'm going to stop drinking now, so that I don't get a hangover tomorrow. Come sit with me on the couch? The floor's too hard, hyung."

[likedriedflowerpetals]

Yoongi hesitates, some vaguely sober part of him still aware that he wants too much to be closer for it to be a good idea. Even like this, halfway hanging off the couch, his hair a mess, Jungkook looks good, soft color in his cheeks, his smile bright and sweet. He shouldn't even notice that, let alone sit next to him. But when Jungkook asks for something, Yoongi has too much trouble refusing for it to be worth the effort of doing so now. There may be a small, rational part of himself still questioning what he does, but it's quieter with every passing minute and every sip.

"Smart," he says with a soft laugh, gingerly pushing himself up off the floor to sit on the couch instead. "Drink lots of water, too." He's tried to do the same himself, balancing alcohol with water. As much as he wanted to be here tonight, he wants even more to make sure he's fine for tomorrow. A mall with a hangover would be a bad idea, and besides, he wants to enjoy their time together.

But he wants to enjoy this, too, he thinks, leaning his head back against the couch, tilted slightly so he can look at the younger boy, his throat exposed by the angle, blissfully languid. It's all Yoongi can do to keep his free hand in his pocket, the other curled around a bottle, so he doesn't reach out, itching just to touch him — his arm, his hand, whatever he can reach.

Stupid.

He takes another sip.

[lovestrippedbare]

Yoongi's quiet. He hasn't been, not for the entirety of the night — if anything, alcohol seems to spur them all to action even more than mere company does. Jungkook wonders briefly if he's done something wrong, if he's disappointed his hyung by drinking. It would be a hypocritical sentiment, but Jungkook can feel sometimes that his hyungs seem to want a different course for him than the rest of them. It's why they all check on him so often, why they keep encouraging him to make the stereotypically correct choices in life.

But if that path takes him somewhere apart from his hyungs, Jungkook wants none of it. The dizziness of the moment spurs him to action, raising himself from his spot to reach for Yoongi's drink. "What's hyung drinking?" he asks, not waiting for an answer before he reaches for Yoongi's bottle, kicking back a small sip.

The taste doesn't register, not with Yoongi so close. Jungkook hides his gaze behind the bottle, trying not to make a fool out of himself, new to drinking as he is. He bites down the spiciness, gently returning the drink to Yoongi's fingers, before slowly settling his head down on Yoongi's lap.

[likedriedflowerpetals]

Well, fuck.

Fingers brush against Yoongi's as the drink disappears and returns, and now that there's a head in his lap, it seems even stranger to stay so removed. Tentative, he pulls his hand from his pocket, fingers lightly running through Jungkook's hair. "Peach soju," he says, as if Jungkook hasn't already had some for himself. They've all shared drinks before, countless times, but it's hard to sip from the bottle and not think of Jungkook's mouth against the glass where his is now.

He's been running around tonight, excited to be free of his studies and surrounded by friends, but sitting here with Jungkook is different, quieter. He doesn't want to let that happen, to become introspective or sullen, but he likes the quiet, too. Likes gazing down at him, so cute with his bright expression. His fingers card gently through Jungkook's hair again, grazing against his neck for a moment simply because Yoongi wants to feel his skin, soft and warm against his fingertips. He smiles, loose and easy in spite of the second guessing. "I thought you were done drinking," he teases.

[lovestrippedbare]

The sensation of Yoongi's fingers running through his hair and tracing along his neck is enough to send a light tingling down Jungkook's spine, a sigh falling from his lips as he turns slightly towards one side to better face Yoongi. He doesn't often get to see Yoongi from this angle; it's hard to ignore the stretch of Yoongi's neck, smooth and pale, or the hint of a collarbone that peeks through the tug of his shirt. Jungkook pulls his lips between his teeth, tasting the lingering sweetness.

"Is one more sip enough to give me a hangover?" Jungkook asks, half in earnest. "Then maybe I shouldn't have. But I wanted to know what hyung was having."

Distantly, Jungkook is aware of the music roaring on, the bass vibrating and burrowing almost to his bones. It should be hard to find any calm in the chaos, but his eyes remain fixed on Yoongi, grazing over the slight curve of his lips.

"Was it wrong of me to come for drinks tonight, hyung?"

[likedriedflowerpetals]

When he was drinking with Jimin earlier, Yoongi muses, they shared the bottle, passing the whiskey back and forth without a thought for it. Now he lets the glass rest against his lips a moment too long before he sips, and somewhere deep in the back of his head, deep in the thrumming of his heart, he knows this is trouble.

Maybe if he drinks enough, he can forget that by tomorrow.

He runs his hand through Jungkook's hair, at once grateful for the distraction the question provides and perplexed by it. "No," he says, shaking his head before he thinks better of the movement. "Not wrong. I'm glad you're here." Too true, a voice warns, but it would be worse to backtrack or make something of it. Besides, it is true, and he doesn't want to lie to Jungkook any more than he needs to. "I just don't want you to get sick. We have plans tomorrow, remember."

Yoongi couldn't forget. He's been looking forward to it all week, a reprieve from the mess of his mind and his stacks of textbooks. It would be a shame if one or both of them showed up hungover.

Again and again, he runs his fingers through soft hair, slow and steady, trying to ignore his growing awareness of Jungkook's head on his thigh. It's good, he tells himself, better to have Jungkook's head there than anywhere close to his own, where he might more easily slip up, even here.

[venomambition]

"Kookie," Hoseok replies as he plops down beside Jungkook on the couch, careful not to sit on Jungkook's sprawling legs. He pats one of Jungkook's thighs fondly, then stops to squeeze.

"When'd you get so muscular?" he asks, turning his head to examine the bulging quadricep beneath his palm for a moment before he realizes he's been fondling the maknae's leg for an extended period of time.

"Are you having fun, Kookie?" he asks, licking his lips and tasting pear and alcohol, the bottle he's been drinking from still in his hand.

[lovestrippedbare]

Jungkook lifts his legs when he hears his name called, shifting so that Hoseok has more room on the couch to settle. He smiles — a wide, satisfied sort of grin — pleased with the evening's turn of events. As satisfied as he would have been to end the night with the quiet dinner at Hoseok's, it's also nice to seize on the opportunities they have to gather as a full group.

He's about to protest at Hoseok's description of his frame. If there's anyone in the group who has the right to call themselves muscular, it's Hoseok, with all the hours he pours into his craft at the studio. Jungkook would know. He watches all of his hyungs, capturing contours with his eyes and transferring them to sketchpads.

But any words on Jungkook's tongue are silenced with the gentle weight and pressure of Hoseok's fingers around his thigh, which is enough to make Jungkook blink in surprise, then flush as his stomach flips slightly. He's not used to being touched in such a way, one which feels slightly more intimate than the usual running hugs and tackles from his hyungs.

"Hyung calling me muscular is funny," Jungkook laughs, patting Hoseok's leg with his free hand. "Isn't hyung the most powerful of us? The only real exercise I get is at school."

[venomambition]

Hoseok laughs, shifting easily toward Jungkook on the couch, dropping his temple against the curve of Jungkook's shoulder.

"I'm skinny," he says, swinging his own legs back and forth a few times, seeing the way his boney knees protrude, easily visible beneath his jeans. "You're all..." he shakes his head, rocking it against Jungkook's deltoid as he puts his hand back on Jungkook's thigh, feeling the ridge of muscle there, his fingers sliding up a little higher than before, then gliding down past Jungkook's knee to squeeze Jungkook's calf.

"Muscly," Hoseok says, patting Jungkook's shin before moving back up to drape press his arm into the space between his own leg and Jungkook's. "You're getting so handsome too. Like a grownup." He sighs wistfully. "Who said you were allowed to grow up?"

[lovestrippedbare]

Were he sober, Jungkook might be able to better recognize the haze of self-doubt. It strikes all of them, even at the best of times — the little flaws and imperfections they all see in themselves, even if they're only the result of kinks in the mirror. But under the haze of alcohol, Jungkook can only stare at Hoseok with wide, incredulous eyes.

"Hoseokie hyung is tall, handsome, athletic — look at this jaw," Jungkook exclaims, reaching over to run his fingers over his hyung's chin, along the straight line. "Trust me, I sketch lots of faces, I know these things. And you are not skinny. Bet you can run a five kilo race with me on your back. Yah."

Jungkook reaches out for Hoseok's free hand, dropping it on Hoseok's quad, while letting the other remain on Jungkook's own. "Compare!" he insists. "You're twice my size. I'm the puny, bug-eyed kid over here."

[venomambition]

"Stop, stop!" Hoseok cries, though it's with a laugh, his ears going warm with the compliments. "I don't think I can do that, the race, and I'm not, I'm not handsome," he laments, covering his face with one palm.

He's tipsy (more than) and he seems to be happy and cuddly when he's drinking, so he doesn't think about it in a maudlin way, but he can still remember the taunts of his primary school classmates, the ones who compared his face to a horse and made of his teeth, who shoved him and teased him about his gangly limbs. He doesn't look in the mirror in the morning and see someone attractive. He just sees himself, nothing remarkable.

"You're not puny," Hoseok says, looking down at the way Jungkook's hand rests on his leg, his fingers long and graceful and strong. "Or bug-eyed. Your eyes are cute," he insists, blinking so he can look right into Jungkook's face. "You're all cute. Cute eyes and cute little nose and cute smile, with that cute little freckle, riiiight here," he adds, touching the freckle beneath Jungkook's lips with a gentle fingertip. "Cute and handsome and talented, that's Jungkookie."

[lovestrippedbare]

"No way, you can't deny your way out of this," Jungkook protests. Even though he may be catching up in height to his hyungs, there's so much about attractiveness that comes down to the proportions. Hoseok has some of the best, with his long legs and his broad shoulders, how everything still manages to look so slim. That's the word — slim, not skinny. Jungkook's brow furrows in concentration as he reaches out for Hoseok's face, squishing his cheeks just a little.

"Look, you've got these nice cheekbones here," he explains, patting them with the pads of his thumbs. "They're high, they look so good when you smile, hyung. And these little dimples that show up when you smile too." Jungkook finds them, tapping them successively until he can tease out more of a smile from Hoseok.

He blows up his own cheeks when Hoseok peppers him with compliments, his face growing hot. "Aish, this thing always made me think I didn't wash my face enough when I was a kid," he says, rubbing his hand instinctively against the freckle. "And I'm not the talented one; that's funny coming from you. You dance better than the people I watch on TV."

[violenceinme]

Taehyung pops into Jungkook's vision upside down, looking at him and raising his eyebrows playfully.

"Hi Kookie. Having fun?" He sticks his tongue out playfully, then throws himself down on the couch, slipping into what free space there is and doing his best to match the posture. There isn't much room, but that's part of what makes it fun.

When he finally settles, his legs are draped over one of the arms of the couch, his arm is thrown over Jungkook's chest, and he's upside down next to him, grinning. This is the first time they've ever really gotten Kook to really drink, he knows, and maybe he should encouraging some pacing, but honestly, he can tell he's too late for that, and he's curious what a drunk Jungkook looks like.

[lovestrippedbare]

There's an effortlessness in Taehyung's movement, and the simple sight of him makes Jungkook's heart soar. He laughs as the couch bounces underneath Taehyung's weight, sending Jungkook suspended in the air for what feels like an age — though he's sure in reality, without the tinge of alcohol, it's probably no longer than a moment or two. Jungkook feels at once like a child and suddenly grown, his hand reaching up to clasp the one resting on his chest, shaking Taehyung's hand with unbridled excitement.

So often, he hears from the others that he should enjoy being a kid. That adulthood is overrated. But adulthood is also freedom, and Jungkook savors every hint of it that comes from his hyung.

"Ah, hyung, I'm in trouble," he laughs, head throbbing gently from the pull of gravity. "I have class tomorrow, hyung. But I don't want to go to bed. I don't want to be the first one to go home."

[violenceinme]

"You're only in trouble if you get caught!" Taehyung takes advantage of the way that Jungkook shakes his hand, laughing a little at the contact and purposely tangling their fingers in an overly complicated game that he makes up as he goes. The blood rushing to his head, he leans over and noses at Jungkook's temple with a grin, then throws his arms over his head so that his knuckles graze the floor.

He's supposed to be a good influence, he knows, but it's easier to just be Jungkook's friend, most days, than a guiding force. And it eases his heart more to know that Jungkook is happy and healthy than to know that he's scoring well on his exams.

"You don't have to go home yet, you know. It hasn't been that long, and I know you, you were probably drowning in notes before you came out here, hm? So stay a little longer with us, and have Seokjin hyung take you back when you're tired. You can sleep in the car, too." He nods, considering that good enough advice. "What did you drink?"

[lovestrippedbare]

"I'm not skilled like hyung; I always get caught," Jungkook laughs, just the barest hint of a wry tone lingering beneath the words. He reaches for the hem of his shirt, reflexively yanking it down, making sure that it's covering his torso. Today, things aren't so bad. The marks of arguments past are relatively faint, nothing that he can't pass off as a bump against a dresser or slipping on the kitchen counter.

He wonders, faintly, if he'll get caught for coming out tonight. His parents think that he's at Hoseok's, it's a place he can usually stay without incurring too much of his parents' wrath — and he got permission from his mother to stay out later than usual. But if he comes home with alcohol on his breath…

With a small exhale, Jungkook presses his lips together.

"Ah, I don't care," he breathes, shaking his head and letting his arms hang again, mirroring Taehyung. "I'll sleep when I'm dead. Mmm, I had… soju? Mostly soju. All the flavored ones. I'm afraid to try the vodka because of the faces everyone makes when they drink it, but the soju's nice, it's like… spicy juice."