Anyone, But A Jock | Jikook (Mini)

Chapter Nine: The Chef

"Jimin-ah!" Jeon Jiyeon, Jungkook's mom, squealed as she pulled Jimin into a warm hug the second she entered the apartment. She carried a box of chocolate scones Jungkook's dad had baked that morning and a bag filled with brand-new towels. When she'd dropped by the week before, the state of Jungkook's bathroom had left her horrified. Jungkook insisted it was fine, but his towel looked more like sandpaper than fabric, and it had taken everything in the alpha not to bare her teeth and kick her son out of his own home.

"It's always so good to see you! Jungkook-ie mentioned you're painting all day, so I stopped by and got you some coffee, too. I wasn't sure if you like iced or hot, but I went with iced so it would last longer in case you get distracted while working." Jiyeon said warmly to Jimin as he perched on a stool at the kitchen island, keeping her company while Jungkook finished showering off the sweat from baseball practice.

"Oh," Jimin said, smiling. He really liked Jungkook's parents. "Thank you." Jimin's feet swung lazily beneath the stool as he reached for the sweet coffee Mrs. Jeon had brought him. His eyes fluttered shut in bliss the moment the caffeine hit his lips, causing her to grin in the same victorious way Jungkook often did. The Golden Duck logo seemed to smile back at him, and Jimin made a mental note to swing by Seokjin's café tomorrow to ease his guilty conscience about how much Golden Duck he'd been drinking lately.

It had been a long week for Jimin, packed with sketches he needed to finish for his apprenticeship. His assignment involved creating a series of backdrops for his class, which would later be swapped with other students to add subjects to. It was meant to be a small challenge, but Jimin couldn't shake his frustration with how his backdrops were turning out. He was more accustomed to working with negative space than filling a canvas without a central subject to focus on, so it was taking him forever to finish. A part of him wanted to give up and ask for an extension, but the last thing he needed was to give Yoona more ammo about being late with his work again.

Then again, their last conversation had been surprisingly neutral - maybe even pleasant, which was rare for him and Yoona. Seonghwa had started with a conversation about fashion icons at his place, inviting the fellows over to listen to his vintage vinyls and drink. Seonghwa's style leaned more toward gender-bending, while Yoona, in Jimin's opinion, had a distinctly feminine approach to fashion. Jimin himself enjoyed playing with gender norms, often wearing light makeup, pretty tops, or oversized sweaters that draped down to his knees. When he went out with friends, he liked looking sexy - not traditionally masculine, but in a way that highlighted his waist and hips, similar to how women's fashion often did.

Yoona's perspective on femininity fascinating, and she, in turn, had been incredibly respectful and even intrigued by both his and Seonghwa's views on why traditionally masculine clothes didn't fit them. It was the kind of peaceful discussion Jimin never would have imagined having with her before meeting Jungkook. The jock's "it's not that deep" mentality seemed to have rubbed off on him - even though he and Yoona did eventually bicker and dive into their usual verbal sparring later.

"Can I get you anything? Tea or water?" Jimin asked, blushing when he realized he hadn't asked yet. Jiyeon laughed, saying thank you, but she had a coffee right before coming over and was okay. Jimin nodded, selfishly giddy that he didn't have to get up, relishing in the rest. With two more backdrops to finish, he was determined to make progress before heading to Hoseok's apartment with Jungkook for a wine-and-presentation night later. It was still early, giving him plenty of time, but he appreciated Jungkook's mom stopping by because it gave him a reason to step away from his studio and procrastinate.

It was the first time in ages Jimin had spent a whole day painting without inviting Taehyung to join him - and it felt so fucking weird. Jimin couldn't quite figure out why he'd hesitated to text the usual open invite, but he felt complicated about what Seokjin had shared with him last week. He wasn't sure if he really believed the omega's claim that Taehyung, Kim Taehyung, his platonic soulmate who had never once made a move on him in their lifetime of knowing each other, might have feelings for him. Beyond that, Jimin wasn't sure what his own feelings were on another alpha in his life, and it felt like too much of a mess for him to sort out with one week of Seokjin confronting him on it. So, maybe some space was the way to go.