Skype | Jinkook

twenty-one

Seokjin wrinkles his nose, slightly put-off. "Is that always how you eat your cupcakes?"

Jungkook looks up, wide eyed and confused. "Yes?"

"Oh."

The teenager looks back at his treat. He had known that licking the frosting off first and then eating the cake wasn't a very orthodox way of eating cupcakes, but he'd never stopped to consider that it would go as far as to disgust others. And that got him wondering if he should stop eating cupcakes the way he does, especially if Seokjin didn't like it. "Um," Jungkook stammers, gaining the attention of Seokjin, "I don't a-always eat cupcakes like this, actually. Just... sometimes." He swallows. "So I guess— I mean, if it bothers you, I'll— Um— I won't eat them like this around you."

Seokjin blinks a few times before shaking his head. "It's fine if you eat them like that. It's just that... It's not how I would eat cupcakes."

"Right," Jungkook mumbles, making sure to bite into his cupcake in front of Seokjin. He immediately furrows his brows, disgusted by how the contrasting flavors and textures mix in his mouth. After managing to choke it down, he glances back up and is startled to see Seokjin watching him intently. A nervous grin creeps across his face as he asks, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Seokjin exhales softly, resting his chin in his hand. "Jungkook, seriously," he reassures, "it's totally okay if you lick the frosting off first. I won't mind."

"No, no," Jungkook says hastily, biting into his cupcake again. "I don't mind eating like this, really. Don't worry."

"You're so stupid," Seokjin murmurs, gently pinching the younger boy's cheek. "Don't change yourself for others, okay? Even if I was absolutely horrified by how you ate your cupcakes and stopped talking to you, you shouldn't change how you eat them just for me. Okay?"

"Okay."

The elder extends his pinky. "Promise me that you'll never change for anyone."

"Hyung—"

"Jungkook."

"Fine." Jungkook links pinkies with Seokjin. "I promise."

Seokjin smiles fondly at their intertwined fingers. "Don't ever change yourself for others, Jungkook," he says, so quietly that Jungkook has to lean in to catch it. "Because if you do, you'll end up not knowing who you are anymore." The smile slowly fades from Seokjin's face as he pulls his hand back into his lap, eyes glazed over as he seems lost in thought.

"Hyung?" Jungkook's voice is hesitant, almost meek, but it's enough to snap Seokjin out of his trance-like state. "Are you okay?"

Seokjin shrugs. "I'm okay now, I guess," he muses. Jungkook stares at him expectantly, thinking that he's going to follow up that comment with something else, but there is nothing. It's only when Jungkook prompts him with a tentative hyung? that Seokjin snaps back to attention. "Oh, right," he chortles, eyes lacking any form of humor. "I guess you want an explanation for me being all moody? Sorry for this sudden mood change, by the way," he adds dully.

"No, it's okay," Jungkook assures with a shake of his head. "And yeah, I... Could you explain?"

Seokjin nods, eyes downcast. "It started in college," he begins. "I dated this one guy first, who insisted that I stop wearing collared shirts because they made my shoulders look too wide. So I did." He snorts. "It's pretty insignificant, I know, but the next person I dated, this girl who was actually a sweetheart, she told me that it was gay for me to enjoy cooking as much as I did. Which, actually, was a pretty stupid thing to say because I was— am bi." Seokjin shakes his head. "So as time went on and I dated different people, I kept changing different things about myself for the person I was dating at the time. And after about two years and several partners, I just— I couldn't take it." Seokjin's voice starts to tremble, and, without even thinking, Jungkook leans over and places his hand over the elder's, interlacing their fingers. "I had this massive anxiety attack and didn't date anyone for two— almost three years," Seokjin continues shakily. "Continuously changing myself for others had sort of taken a toll on my mental state. And I haven't dated anyone since then." He sniffs. "I don't know. That's kind of what happened. T-Thanks for listening, I guess."

"Hyung," Jungkook says, extremely worried to see tears leaking out of Seokjin's eyes, "hyung, please don't cry." With trembling fingers, he wipes the tears away before they reach Seokjin's chin. "Please, hyung. Don't cry."

Seokjin presses the heels of his palms against his eyes. "I'm sorry about this," he chokes out, and Jungkook gently pries his hands away from his face.

"Don't be sorry, hyung," he says consolingly. "I get it."

It takes a few more minutes until Seokjin returns to a completely calm state, after which he glances out the large window and mutters angrily, "Crap, it's raining again."

"I think it's going to be raining until tomorrow morning," Jungkook comments. "So we can't wait it out."

Seokjin groans. "We just have to run?"

"Yup."

Seokjin's annoyance is gone a couple of minutes later as he runs side by side in the pouring rain with Jungkook. The younger boy's giggles would uplift anyone's mood. "Jungkookie," he calls out, feet splashing though puddles.

Jungkook glances back at him. "Yeah?"

"You're really cute!"

Jungkook looks embarrassed as he turns his face back to the front. "Is now really the time?"

"Yes!" Seokjin shouts. "You look really adorable when you're giggling like that!"

Jungkook pretends to ignore Seokjin's comment, the cold raindrops pelting his reddening cheeks. They are fast approaching the spot where they have to split paths, and Seokjin pats Jungkook's shoulder with a yell of something mentioning inviting him over sometime. Jungkook just yells back a yeah. He can text Seokjin about it later.

Both Jungkook and Seokjin arrive at their houses several minutes later, their rain drenched clothes clinging to their bodies, but they could care less, heading to take a nice, hot shower to end their otherwise great day.

。。。

A/N: idk what the end was lmao
also I should be sleeping bc school tomorrow but eh ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
pls comment/ vote, thank you!