Peculiar You •• Namjin AU

39 : A Plan

"Jeon Jungkook!"

Jungkook startles, sitting up straight in fright. Not many people scream his name like that. Actually, nobody does at all, because everybody's too scared of him.

Except...

Curious, he turns back to see Jimin waving frantically amongst a sea of tall people. He looks more like a freshman than Jungkook ever could be.

Beside him, Yugyeom snickers.

"Didn't know you're into younger guys now." He teases, nudging him forward and out of his seat. Jungkook frowns at him in annoyance. "Go on. Talk to your boyfriend."

He'll leave the boyfriend comment alone for now, Jimin's about to drown from all of the tall people pushing him around.

"He's older." Jungkook simply replies, standing up from his seat and leaving Yugyeom dumbfounded.

"He is?" Yugyeom mutters, staring at the empty seat Jungkook left. "Wait, you're not denying it?"

Jungkook ignores him in favor of leading Jimin to a place where he wont get smothered with his height.

Once they're in the clear, Jimin sighs a quiet thank you and leans on the wall, exhausted.

"What are you doing here?" Jungkook asks. Usually it'd be him visiting Jimin on their side of the school.

Jimin grins up at him apologetically, "I, um, wanted to see you?"

He wilts at the glare Jungkook gives him.

"Well, um, a little birdie told me that Namjoon and Jin are going to the zoo on sunday." Jimin says, fidgeting under his gaze.

Jungkook hums. So it's about Namjoon again. "Yoongi's a bird?"

"Yes, Yoongi." Jimin confirms impatiently. Jungkook watches his cheeks puff up and represses the urhe to pinch them. "The point is--Jungkook we're moving bird watching to sunday."

So they're stalking, Jungkook thinks. Jimin's still not over it, it seems.

He sighs and scratches his head, feeling a headache already incoming.

"You just want to spy on them." Jimin winces at this, caught red-handed. "And I already treated you cake so you'd get over it."

"I am over it and it was delicious!" Jimin looks at him pleadingly, but Jungkook stands his ground. "But I just wanna...you know!"

Jungkook frowns.

"I don't."

Jimin tugs at his sleeves when he moves to walk away, whining. "Come on, please!" When Jungkook gives an exasperated look, he continues to persuade him. "I'm just curious. Hoseok said this is the first date they're going on!"

Oh the astronaut guy, Jungkook muses. "Didn't they go on a bunch of dates already?"

"Those were unofficial."

What makes a date official? Jungkook wants to ask, but bites his tongue instead and sighs.

"Jimin." He starts, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him a gentle push. "I don't want to spend my sunday stalking two people."

This only makes Jimin beg harder. "Please!" He takes the oppurtunity to cling to Jungkook's arm tightly, hiding his face unto his sleeve.

They keep the awkward pose for a while until the people passing by start giving them weird looks. Jungkook clears his throat, embarrassed and defeated.

"Okay, you know what." He mutters, massaging his temple firmly. "Let's make a deal."

Jimin perks up at this, looking up with sparkling eyes.

Jungkook falters, words caught up in his throat at the sight, but pushes on.

"If I go, will you promise to stop meddling?"

"Definitely!"

--

"The zoo? Really?" Hoseok parrots back at Namjoon, suprised. "When we had our field trip back in elementary you refused to step down the bus because you hated the place."

Namjoon scowls. Leave it to Hoseok to dig up weird stories of him as a kid.

"People can change." He mutters, sinking down on his seat at the memory of him pouting inside the bus. "Plus, the zoo we went to was garbage. Smelled like it too."

Hoseok snorts, "Animals live there, you don't exactly expect it to smell like lavenders and peaches."

Namjoon promptly kicks Hoseok in the shin.

"Whatever." He mutters as Hoseok chuckles at him, rubbing the sore spot where he kicked. "We're going to the zoo because it's the only place we haven't been to." Namjoon reasons, leaving out the fact that the tickets were on sale so he bought them out of instinct.

Namjoon just really likes saving money.

Hoseok nods, ignoring him. "I'm glad you're facing your childhood fear."

Namjoon glares.

Hoseok holds his hands up in defense.

"Hey man I'm just kidding." He says with a grin. "I'm sure if you bring a facemask, you'll be fine."

--

"Childhood trauma, huh?" Jin remarks. He's giving Namjoon such a genuine worried look that it makes him want to turn back and give Hoseok a good punch. "You know we can just go to the park or something. I don't mind."

"It's not trauma--" Namjoon shuts himself up, fully knowing that starting the conversation this way wont end. "I've already reserved tickets. They were having a promo. Buy one take one." Is what he says instead.

Jin's eyes light up, impressed. "Ohoh, so you've researched." He sighs and swoons, closing his eyes with a smile. "What an attentive man."

Namjoon coughs, hoping it would ease the blush on his cheeks. "Going on spontaneous dates are too reckless." At these words, he gives Jin a look. "If you're going on a trip, it should be planned."

"Ouch." Jin says, not in any pain at all. "But if you're talking like that, then does that mean you have the whole day scheduled?" He asks curiously.

Namjoon straightens up, as if waiting for Jin to ask that question. "Yes." He says, "As a matter of fact, I do."

Jin blinks when Namjoon produces a piece of paper from his bag proudly, handing it to him with a smirk. He accepts it cautiously, looking it over with a nervous grin.

"Wow." He starts, humoured. "This is such...a Namjoon thing to do, Joonie."

Namjoon scoffs.

Jin chuckles and moves his chair closer to Namjoon's. "I don't mind, though. It'll be fun with you leading me around this time." He leans his head on his shoulder, amused by the way Namjoon jolts in surprise as he does. "I wonder what you've got in store for us?"

Namjoon rolls his eyes. "Read the timeline."

"Shh. I'm trying to pretend I don't know." Jin mutters, closing his eyes and putting the paper down on the table. "Surprise factor and all."

"You've seen the first page."

Jin sighs, defeated. So much for acting naive. "The first thing we do is eat lunch? Outside?" He asks, tapping the paper curiously.

"Naturally. I don't want to eat anything inside that place." Namjoon shivers at the thought. He can't stand eating anything within the breathing space of animals.

Jin takes notice of this and laughs, "Why did you pick the zoo anyway? You seem to have an intense hate for it." Jin looks up at him, chin still on his shoulder.

Namjoon looks away from his gaze.

"Like I said, they had a promo." He mutters, exasperated from all the explaining. "Plus, maybe it's not so bad as before. Maybe I was overreacting as a kid."

Jin shrugs and adjusts himself to lay more comfortably on Namjoon's shoulder. "We'll see. Together."

Namjoon leans back, unknowingly helping Jin rest better.

"...sure."