been you | mt+ijb ✓

09

The next year, Youngjae introduces the four of them to two boys who are barely seventeen. One of them is loud and obnoxious and the other is too shy to even speak to them until almost two weeks into their friendship, but Jaebum figures these kids will grow on them too, and he's right.

Kunpimook – whose name they try profusely to correctly pronounce before they all give up and give in to the easier solution of calling him Bambam, as everyone else does – is another foreigner. That means that Jackson and Mark immediately adopt him as their child, and Jaebum finds himself attached the younger boy.

Yugyeom, Bambam's best friend, is an impressive dancer who turns out to be hilarious when he grows comfortable enough around them and, all things considered, is still a kid. Jaebum isn't too surprised to learn that Bambam and Yugyeom are longtime boyfriends, given the way they're practically attached at the hip.

The group expands again, and this time, Jaebum has a feeling it's met its quota.

This year, Jinyoung and Jackson are also in college, which somehow makes things more hectic than they already were. Jaebum and Mark are dormmates – Namjoon's proposed to Seokjin over the summer and has subsequently refused (albeit relatively politely) to let his fiancé stay with Mark – and the former is incredibly displeased to see the stress of the sophomore year of college on his best friend and how hard he works.

Mark, who's quiet and subtle and never complains about school, is always reading one of his heavy textbooks or researching or writing some paper that he refuses to put off. For the first time, Jaebum is the one begging him to slow down and just breathe.

Jaebum ends up eventually dragging all of the boys to a nearby bar, although he doesn't admit that it's mostly so that Mark won't spend yet another Friday night frying his brain. Although they're not all old enough to drink yet, Bambam manages to get himself, Youngjae, and Yugyeom fake IDs that the bouncer barely even looks at, and soon Jaebum is too drunk to do much more than laugh about it.

He's not a lightweight, by any means, but he's stressed too and drinking is a nice release. He likes surrendering his control to the alcohol, even if it's just for one night.

(Mark, on the other hand, is definitely a lightweight, and by his second drink he's giggling uncontrollably and stumbling over his feet. He's dressed casually but looks incredible under the dim lighting, and through a drunken haze Jaebum thinks that he's too precious for such an ugly world.)

It's nearing two in the morning when Jaebum catches himself with his lips pressed against Youngjae's and his fingers tangled in the younger boy's hair. The pace is set almost too fast for both of them, but all it means is that there's no time to regret what they're doing.

He's vaguely aware of Jackson pressing Jinyoung up against a wall, kissing him senseless, and of Yugyeom dancing to the booming music as Bambam watches appreciatively. Mark is slumped over in a seat, cheek squished against the hand that's holding his face up from the table, asleep.

Jaebum retracts his tongue from down Youngjae's throat, breathing hard, and presses his hands against the younger boy's chest in a silent request to stop.

He isn't quite sure why, but this doesn't feel right.

"Jaebum-hyung," Youngjae borderline whines, evidently much more drunk than Jaebum is, and Jaebum has a feeling that the poor boy isn't going to remember anything the next morning.

"You're drunk," Jaebum says, as if it's an explanation, and adds, for good measure, "and so am I, so we, uh, shouldn't do that."

Youngjae starts to protest, but he's distracted as Bambam drags Yugyeom toward them. The latter of the two is visibly exhausted, and Jaebum thanks whatever god is listening for the diversion.

"I think it's time to go home," the Thai boy says. He pointedly glances at Yugyeom, who's sleepily swaying on his feet, and sends Jaebum a pleading look. "He's had a lot to drink."

"Okay," Jaebum agrees easily, ignoring Youngjae's pout. "I'll get the others."

Jinyoung and Jackson make a brief fuss over having to cut their makeout session short, but they don't put up much of a fight, evidently tired too. Jinyoung offers to drive Youngjae home, since he lives closest to him and Jackson's staying at his place for the night, and Jaebum's eternally grateful.

He scoops Mark into his arms, careful not to wake him, and leaves with a quick farewell to his friends, whose responses are halfhearted. Bambam is already dragging Yugyeom out the door and Youngjae and Jackson are cackling at Jinyoung, who's glaring darkly at a new stain on his shirt.

Jaebum sets his best friend in the passenger seat of his car. He takes a minute to admire the way Mark's lips are parted and the shadow of his lashes against his cheekbones, and is painfully reminded of just how gay he is.