CIGARETTES AND TULIPS // jikook

16 - that side

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the morning light filtered through the thin curtains of jimin's room, casting a soft glow on his face as he stirred awake. he blinked sleepily, stretching beneath the covers and rubbing his eyes. his body felt heavy, and his head still buzzed slightly from last night's drinking at the bar.

groaning, he sat up, catching sight of his reflection in the mirror across the room—his hair was a fluffy, wild mess, sticking up in all directions, and his face looked rounder than usual, puffy from sleep. he sighed, knowing he looked anything but presentable.

after a moment, he shuffled out of bed and padded over to the bathroom, brushing his teeth while trying to recall the hazy memories of the previous night. laughing with tae and jin after they had finally handed in their assignment, hobi teasing jungkook at the bar, namjoon and yoongi making quiet jokes. it had been fun, maybe too fun, considering the amount of alcohol involved. 

then he remembered—he'd promised jungkook he'd help clean the bar today. jimin's eyes widened as he spat out the toothpaste, realizing he was already running late.

throwing on the first clothes he could find—an oversized sweatshirt and a pair of gray sweatpants—he quickly grabbed his keys and rushed out the door, barely bothering to fix his bedhead. by the time he reached the bar, his hair was still a fluffy mess, but he hoped jungkook wouldn't care.

the bar was quiet when jimin arrived, the streets still calm in the early hours of the day. he knocked softly on the door, and after a minute, it opened to reveal yoongi, who looked as calm and collected as ever despite the chaos of last night. his sharp eyes flicked over jimin, taking in his disheveled appearance, and a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"morning," yoongi said, stepping aside to let him in. "you're here early."

"i promised jungkook i'd help clean," jimin mumbled, running a hand through his messy hair in embarrassment. "is he... up?"

yoongi chuckled softly and pointed toward the corner of the bar. "not exactly."

jimin followed his gaze, and there, lying on one of the benches with his long legs curled up awkwardly, was jungkook. he was still in the same clothes from last night, his dark hair a tangled mess, flopping over his face. his mouth was slightly open, and he was snoring softly, his face squished against the leather cushion of the bench.

jimin couldn't help but stare. jungkook looked so... peaceful, so innocent in his sleep. the usual energy and intensity that surrounded him when he was awake had melted away, leaving him looking almost vulnerable. his broad shoulders rose and fell with each steady breath, and jimin's heart fluttered in his chest. he looked so cute, all mussed up like this, completely oblivious to the world.

"he passed out as soon as we finished cleaning up last night," yoongi said, his voice breaking jimin's thoughts. "poor kid didn't even make it home."

jimin tore his eyes away from jungkook, feeling a little guilty for staring, and nodded. "yeah, he drank a lot."

"he works hard. sometimes too hard," yoongi replied, grabbing a mop from the corner and handing it to jimin. "come on, let's start. we don't want to wake sleeping beauty just yet."

jimin giggled softly and took the mop, starting to clean the floor near the bar. yoongi grabbed some bottles and started clearing the tables, and for a while, they worked in comfortable silence. the sound of clinking glass and the swish of the mop against the floor filled the space.