autumn leaves [jikook]

9

"So, wait... you're gay?"

Jungkook gulped at Yoongi's question, his answer quiet as the confirming word danced on his lips.

"Yes," His head hung down, almost out of shame. "Yes I am."

The older looked at him for a moment, wearing a confused expression as he studied Jungkook to see where he'd gone wrong with his initial judgement. Yoongi could usually read people like a god damn book, but for some reason he didn't pick up on one of the most obvious things that he could see so plainly in sight now that he was almost literally kicking himself for not noticing before.

He had met Jungkook a few months ago through Jimin, who'd known the younger since they were little bubs. His first impression of Jungkook screamed three main points to Yoongi: strong, silent, straight.

However, as time went on, he learned that he was very wrong.

As him and Jungkook grew closer as friends, he came to realise how goofy and extroverted the younger could be, so he tweaked his internal descriptions of the initially strong, silent type to drift a bit towards the more loud and proud kind of personality.

Now he was seeing the very not straight side of Jungkook, and began to doubt his person-reading abilities, which made him rather annoyed.

Nonetheless, he kept it to himself, like everything else, and snapped back to reality, his eyes refocusing on the teary Jungkook in front of him.

"And you have a thing for Jimin, but you fucked it up because you forgot how to speak for a few seconds?" Yoongi had to stop himself from cackling.

"You make it sound like I'm a dumbass, but yeah, pretty much." Jungkook murmured, averting his eyes from his hyung's bemused stare as a blush coloured his swollen cheeks.

"You really should talk to him, you know."

"I don't think he wants to talk to me, Hyung," Jungkook wiped his face after taking a swig of beer, his nose still runny from crying earlier. "I'm also really confused. I seriously didn't realise I liked him until a few days ago."

"What do you mean?" Yoongi asked while slapping some cheese between two slices of whole grain bread. "Also, are you sure this is the only bread you have? It's all... seedy."

"There might be some rye in the bottom cupboard, behind the pasta," the younger laughed, although it sounded tired and dry. "But Hyung, before he left for uni I didn't even second guess our relationship. Then when he wasn't at school anymore I kinda started missing him, and what came with being around him — walking home from school together, sleeping at his house every weekend, staying up late texting..." His voice was shaky, he took another gulp of his drink before continuing.

"I began to question whether he was just my best friend, or whether I wanted to be with him like, romantically. I was really weirded out by that at first, but I grew to accept it after a while, and I've pondered over it ever since. My dumb ass never made anything of it though, I just dismissed it, thinking it was my brain being all weird because I was bored. Now I really see that I've had a fat crush on him ever since I was in tenth grade."

Yoongi set a plate down in front of Jungkook before plonking himself on a stool and biting into his own grilled cheese sandwich.

"JK, this is some deep shit you're putting down. Eat your grilled cheese while I give you advice, otherwise you'll make it all soggy and cold with your snot."

Jungkook laughed before sniffing dramatically to annoy Yoongi further, getting nothing but an eye roll in response.

"Now, are you in need of Yoongles' Famous Genius?" The younger nodded, trying not to chortle at his hyung calling himself Yoongles.

"Game plan: I think you should show up to his apartment with flowers, chocolates, whatever he likes, and say you're damn sorry. Ask to start over, say everything he wants to hear and what you know is true. Don't lie to him, share your feelings honestly, and make sure he gets the message that you're into him. You are into him, yes?"

Jungkook took a bite out of his sandwich, answering with a mouthful. "No shit man, I really like him."

"Okay, well, let's go! It's still break for another week, right? Get your ass over to the store and get Jimin the good kush!"

"Is that a stale ass vine reference I smell?" The younger said through a smile, grabbing his coat and wallet.

"Shut up, it's a good one!" Yoongi yelled, genuinely offended but following Jungkook out the door anyway.

Jungkook had strolled around the store for about half an hour, Yoongi trailing behind and advising him on what to buy, although Jungkook already knew what he needed to get.

"Hazelnut chocolate, birthday cake ice cream, paper daisies." Jungkook mumbled this to himself over and over again, remembering that Jimin had told him he liked all of these things at some point over the many years of their friendship.

He smiled with confidence as he passed the checkout, and the grin stayed on his face as he walked to Jimin's apartment building, Yoongi by his side.

"So, what are you gonna say, tough guy?" Yoongi asked, hyping the younger up.

"I think I'll just tell him what I told you, except hopefully in much less words. I'm kinda nervous, though." Jungkook let out a heavy sigh, heart beating fast as they turned onto Jimin's street.

"Don't be, okay? Jimin came out to me when he was a first year, and I know he loves this sappy shit when it comes to romance."
Yoongi buzzed himself in and they entered the elevator, and Jungkook was starting to freak out a bit.

Yoongi could sense his panic, so he tried to calm Jungkook down.
"Dude, it's fine. Even if you can't be homo, you can always be bromo."

"What does that even mean?" Jungkook squeaked.

Yoongi pushed the younger out of the elevator and yelled at him through the closing doors. "You'll be fine I'll just be here go get your mans—"

Jungkook gulped as he stared at Jimin's door. Number 93.

Here we go, get my mans.
He tapped three times on the wood of the door, heart about to beat out of his chest as he heard two voices talking.

Shit, I forgot Yoongi said he had someone over...
Jungkook's breath hitched as the door opened, but it wasn't Jimin.
There stood Hoseok, with bed hair and a fresh hickey standing out against the tanned skin of his neck. Jungkook felt his eye twitch.

"Hey, JK! What's all this—"
Completely shocked, he dropped the gifts for Jimin at Hoseok's feet and slowly backed away before turning and running as fast as he could towards the stairs.

"What, did I say something?" Hobi called out to the younger, but he'd already disappeared down the steps.

"Who is it, Hyung?" Jimin emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel.
"I couldn't hear, everything all good?"

Hobi turned to the younger, a confused expression painted on his face.
"It was Jungkook, and he left all this... what looks like flowers, ice cream, and chocolate... what?"

Jimin froze, his eyes wide with surprise.
"Oh my god, he came here to say sorry, why would he—" Jimin's shoulders sagged as he realised what had scared Jungkook away.

"Hyung, your hickey. He thought I gave it to you."
"Why would that..." Hobi trailed off, thinking for a moment before connecting the dots in his head.

"OH MY GOD, IS JK THE GUY YOU WERE CRYING OVER?"

Jimin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yes, he was, and now I'm Boo Boo the Fool."