ᴛʜɪʀsᴛ ☑

#32. Dinner

Jungkook was getting Jimin's call, and he'd never called him before. The teen felt his heart pattering with a rush. He picked it up quickly. "Hello."

"Jungkook, are you free tonight?" Jimin asked, he seemed chipper. 

"Yes, I am always free for you," Jungkook gushed and then closed his eyes, regretting saying it in that way. When Jimin didn't see him for two days straight over the weekend, he thought that perhaps the man was avoiding him because he had let his guard down and expressed his emotions to him, and Jimin obviously didn't sign up for it. Whatever they had going was purely sexual, and he understood if the older male wanted to create some distance or rethink. 

"I have news to share," Jimin raved, not seemingly minding Jungkook's words either. 

"Okay, what is it?"

"I'll pick you up in the evening. Let's do dinner tonight."

"Dinner?"

"Yes, be ready by seven."

Jungkook looked at the phone, confused. They hadn't had sex for two days, and now, the man wanted to do dinner, which never happened before. Nothing was making sense.

**

Jimin led Jungkook inside a restaurant. They took their table and the latter couldn't help but think of the date between them which was once supposed to be. "How was your weekend?" He asked, making Jimin suddenly resolute.

Jimin's head hung low for a moment and he started to feel dehydrated. Grabbing the packaged water bottle, he took a sip before meeting Jungkook's curious eyes. There was something that the boy was hiding behind them. Perhaps pain or a complaint. "I spent it out of town, with a few friends. They wanted to see me and it sort of happened urgently," it would have been easier to tell Jungkook the truth, but for some reason, Jimin couldn't get himself to do it. Jungkook nodded in understanding. "What about you? What did you do?" Jimin stopped over-explaining, feeling so much guilt that he felt his heart would drop to his stomach. 

"Nothing," Jungkook said, picking up the salt shaker to play with it. "Stayed home, watched some TV. Grandma made my favorite food, so that was the highlight of my days. Mostly. Enough about me. You said you had news? What is it?

"Let's order first," Jimin suggested, signing at the waiter to bring the menu.

Jimin waited, looking at the teen, unable to pry his eyes away as his heart raced while the other one darted at the menu. His eyes blinked and brows frowned, trying to choose the meal he wanted to have. "What do you want to have?" He asked softly, still half-confided behind the big, black menu.

"You choose first. And choose anything you want." Jimin intoned the last sentence. 

"Is this supposed to be a date?" Jungkook smiled now, a little shyly, but it was to tease Jimin as he looked up from the menu to glance at him. Jimin smiled awkwardly and looked away. Jungkook's eyes then averted back to the menu. "I'll have a steak then."

"Perfect," Jimin enthused again. "I'll have the same." He informed the waiter. 

"And please bring wine," Jimin suddenly made eye contact with Jungkook, who was looking at his face. "Because dates are incomplete without wine." The sentence was directed at Jungkook and was intended only for his ears.

The waiter moved and the two chuckled a little. The teen started touching his ears and nose, and Jimin could tell he was shy. But somewhere in his heart, there was weight. He wasn't sure if the dinner was a good idea anymore because of the reason behind it. "What's your favorite food?" Jimin had to ask to avoid the claw squeezing against his chest. 

Jungkook's brows suddenly did a little dance as he realized that Jimin has asked him a personal question for the first time, aside from all the sex-related interrogation. "I love Ramen. It's a classic for me. I enjoy meat too. I can eat beef and chicken a lot. But I hadn't started drinking until I turned nineteen. Tasting wine will be first though."

Jimin listened to him intently. Hearing Jungkook talking about the food so passionately, he breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that it wasn't such a bad idea to say a proper goodbye like this after all. "I am not a picky eater either. I love almost everything. And I can cook, which is what makes me want to experiment a lot. I eat Italian at least once a week. And sometimes Armenian food."

"Oh, I love Lebanese and Indian food too," Jungkook added. "I had tried them and didn't know which cuisine they belonged to. My Taehyung Hyung has traveled a lot so he knows about food...and he used to bring me to all these places."

"You miss your Hyung. Don't you?" Jimin asked, his throat going dry inwardly — as much as he was attempting to keep the semblance.

"A lot. He was the only one who hung out with me."

"What about your school? Don't you have many friends?"

"Not really," Jungkook shrugged. "I mean I had in middle school, but then I came out, and then we started our Queer community, so people have been kind of... Distant. Girls love me though. I sometimes used to borrow make-up from them. Thanks to you, I own my own make-up now."

Jungkook was speaking so honestly and it was hurting Jimin's heart. He didn't have to go through all that the teen had been. Irrespective of the relationship they had, Jimin still had emotions for Jungkook as a human being. He smiled at the young boy. "I want to buy you more later tonight. I am sure that wasn't enough. There's like a billion products." 

"Oh," Jungkook's face passed with concern suddenly. "You don't have to. I have enough. I use it occasionally... So. No need." He flashed a big smile at the end. But Jimin had made up his mind. This couldn't be it. A parting gift was fitting along with dinner. 

As they ate, Jimin kept his close watch on Jungkook so he wouldn't drink out of control. "About what I wanted to share," Jimin said in between. "I have been manifesting this for a long time. I had interviewed for the position of senior manager and I got the news this morning that I got it. The position is based out of Singapore. So... I'll be moving in two weeks," he gauged Jungkook's reaction, but other than stopping to chew the food only for a moment, Jungkook didn't show much, so Jimin continued. "I wanted to share my happiness with you before you know..." 

Jungkook nodded before chugging the glass of wine.

Once Jimin reckoned that Jungkook's eyes were intoxicated, he pulled away the glass from him. "I think that's enough for you." 

**

After paying for the meal, Jimin walked Jungkook to the bathroom for his business before they drove to the shopping mall. The man bought a rather very expensive wristwatch for Jungkook. The teen was still a bit tipsy, so he couldn't care to protest about the hefty amount Jimin had to pay. 

Jimin then drove Jungkook home and the tension between them grew thicker with Jungkook not saying anything and only humming some tunes loudly. As they reached and Jimin walked him upstairs, shushing him to be careful and not wake up his grandparents, Jungkook looked completely out of it.

He stopped outside the house door and turned to Jimin. "You are so sweet. Thank you for coming into my life, even if was for a few months." Jungkook looked at Jimin's lips, probably wanting to taste them at least once, but even drunk, he still remembered that Jimin was uncomfortable with it.

The older saw right through Jungkook when his brow started quivering. "Goodbye, Jimin," Jungkook kissed Jimin on the cheek and turned to put the passcode at the door. Jimin could only stand cold and watch.