FALLING FOR YOU | KM [✓]°

16. A talk with Past

the dining table is alive with endless conversation and bursts of laughter that never quite die down. jimin, jin, and hoseok form the unstoppable trio of chaos — the funniest people in any room they enter. they trade jokes, silly stories, and dramatic reenactments without pause, keeping the atmosphere bright and noisy. jin exaggerates a story about slipping on a banana peel in the supermarket, complete with wild arm gestures and sound effects. hoseok counters with an even more ridiculous tale of accidentally sending a flirty text to his boss instead of namjoon. jimin, already giggling uncontrollably, adds his own twist — mimicking hoseok’s panicked face until tears of laughter gather in his crescent eyes.

jungkook can’t tear his gaze away from his husband. the way jimin speaks — soft voice rising with excitement, plump lips curving into that perfect smile — freezes him every time. the way he throws his head back when he laughs, cheeks rounding, small hands clapping together in delight… it all leaves jungkook staring with dreamy, unguarded eyes. yoongi, usually the quiet one, catches it immediately. he leans over with a smirk and murmurs something teasing under his breath about “someone being whipped.” jimin overhears, blushes instantly, and hides his red-tinted cheeks behind his hands while the table erupts in good-natured laughter.

hanuel watches it all from across the table, disbelief settling deeper with every passing minute. he has never seen jungkook like this. never. not once during their entire relationship did jungkook look at him with even a fraction of this softness, this open adoration. the way jungkook’s eyes follow jimin’s every movement, the gentle curve of his lips when jimin giggles, the quiet protectiveness in his posture — it screams that the man is madly, deeply in love. a small, burning sensation flares in hanuel’s chest. but then jin’s warm hand rests on his thigh under the table, a gentle squeeze that pulls him back. hanuel exhales quietly and pushes the feeling aside.

once dinner ends, the group lazily migrates to the living room. someone — probably taehyung — brings out beers and a bottle of whiskey, and excitement ripples through most of them immediately. bottles are opened with cheerful pops. glasses clink. the mood grows even looser.

jungkook watches jimin reach for a beer bottle. “are you going to drink, baby?” he asks softly, voice free of judgment. he isn’t the type to control or forbid — if jimin wants to drink, he’ll let him.

jimin nods with a bright grin. “yes, kookie. it’s been a while since i had any.” he brings the bottle to his plump lips and downs a generous amount in one long swallow, throat working smoothly.

jungkook decides right then that he won’t drink tonight. he wants to stay clear-headed, keep an eye on his husband, make sure nothing goes wrong. if he gets even a little tipsy, he knows he won’t be able to carry jimin back to their beach house later — he’ll just pass out somewhere. so he settles for water and watches the others slowly get drunker. he also notices hanuel hasn’t touched alcohol either.

hanuel keeps his eyes on the group, but his mind is clearly elsewhere. he’s waiting for a chance to speak to jungkook alone.

not long after, jimin — already flushed and tipsy — stumbles over to jungkook with a wobbly grin. “kookie… why are you so c-cute?” he slurs adorably, climbing straight into jungkook’s lap and straddling him without warning.

jungkook’s hands fly to jimin’s waist instantly, steadying him so he doesn’t topple sideways. “baby, careful,” he murmurs, though a small smile tugs at his lips.

in the corner, taehyung and yoongi are already making out shamelessly, too drunk to care who’s watching. hoseok and jin are fumbling with the speaker, arguing over why the music won’t play until hoseok finally finds the power button after several loud complaints.