ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʟᴀss ᴡɪɴᴅᴏᴡ ☑

Busan

When Jungkook woke up, he had no recognition of the kiss that he shared with Jimin, or the tears he cried for Jin, but his heart knew. He felt lighter and at peace, knowing that the process had begun, that he had taken a baby step towards self-preservation. 

Showering and changing into clothes that weren't stiff with the result of his supposedly wet dreams, he walked out of his room to the fragrance of French toast. "Morning, Hyung."

Jimin turned, his brows edged and he slowly responded, gauging the 20-year-old to understand if he was anyhow awkward about last night, or if he remembered at all. "Morning, Jungkook. How are you feeling?"

"Like there is a hole in my stomach and it needs to be filled," Jungkook shook his head, now stepping towards Jimin with long strides. "Can I help?"

Jimin gulped again, certain color on his face as he admired Jungkook's pretty mouth that was between his lips last night. His core was on fire and he didn't know how was he going to be around Jungkook and not repeat last night. Clearing his throat, he averted his gaze on the pan where the younger was looking with twinkling eyes. "I told you to eat last night. You should always have something while drinking, Jungkook."

"Ugh!" Jungkook now held his head. "Tell me about it. I can't remember anything except that-" his brows came together. 

Jimin's heart started banging against his chest. "That?"

"I totally threw up in your car." He declared in a recollecting voice.

"Yes. That." Jimin laughed pointedly.  

Jungkook's palms flew to cover his face and he groaned again. "I am so embarrassed." 

"You should be. There was a pool of vomit on the back seat."

"Really?" Jungkook's red face and wide eyes stared at Jimin, pulling his hand away and seeing him burst out laughing. 

"No. The car's all good. You threw up outside but you need to eat."

Jungkook's face was somber when Jimin was done laughing. "I am sorry for the trouble last night. I feel bad. I am so sorry, Hyung. I know it mustn't have been easy to handle me."

"Hey," Jimin's hands moved to grab Jungkook's face, but he set them on his shoulders after thinking about something. "Don't be. We all have our drunk moments and it was your night. I really wanted you to have some fun. And you did. Nothing to feel sorry for."

Jungkook nodded unconvincingly.

"Now," Jimin turned and plated the toast for the boy. "Take this and go eat. I am right behind you."

Jungkook grabbed the plate and walked to the couch to settle there, seeing Jimin following in a short while. He hadn't touched his toast until Jimin sat beside him. "What's your drunk moment?" He asked.

"Too many to even count." Jimin chuckled, indicating Jungkook to start eating. 

The boy picked his toast and took a bite, his eyes widening and he took another while he still had the first one bunched up in his mouth. Jimin smiled, knowing he liked it. 

"I once slept with someone I don't even remember seeing before. When I woke up the next morning, I wasn't sure if anything had happened. I left them and never heard from them. To this date, I still don't know."

"I guess alcohol does that to everyone." Jungkook was only half-focused as he started enjoying food.

"Yeah, and one time, Taehyung took off his pants in the middle of the club. We are banned from there to date."

Jungkook chortled, imagining the whole situation.

"So you...don't even begin to think you did anything which was embarrassing. You were a cutie."

Jungkook's cheeks gained color and he looked between his thighs, hanging his head low, thinking Jimin was admirable too. "Hyung," he spoke slowly. "I saw your note on the fridge the other day. You said someone came to meet me two days ago. Who was that?"

"Oh," Jimin's brows furrowed. "I totally don't remember now. I'll let you know once it comes to me."

"No issue," Jungkook nodded. 

Jimin reached for the remote and turned on the TV.

Jungkook breathed, now that the attention and focus weren't on him. For some reason, he started feeling nervous around Jimin, because his heart acted differently, it raced, it acknowledged the beauty, and it pushed him to keep staring at the kind man in a way he wasn't supposed to. 

"Almost forgot." Jimin stood up, putting his plate down at the table, and walked to the fridge.

He brought an envelope he had pinned there with a magnet. "I know you will be going home for the exams," he handed it to Jungkook. "So I thought we should make a trip out of it. It's been quite some time since I visited my sister who lives a few miles from Busan. The place is near the mountain and if you are interested, Tae and I have decided to go camping there and we can pick you up on our way too. We can all go."

Jungkook instantly wanted to say no, feeling that it will have been too much if he hung around with them. He didn't want to be a bother on a fun trip between friends, and more than that, he couldn't entirely trust his heart around Jimin. "When are you planning?" He asked in a small voice, opening the envelope to see a printed and hand-marked itinerary. 

"Well, when are your finals ending?"

"It's just one exam. It will be finished in a day," Jungkook looked up from the paper. "But you guys shouldn't wait for me. It would be six months in a few weeks since I haven't gone back to Busan. I think I'll stay at home with my parents."

"No need to decide now, Jungkook. We will start from here on the same day as your exam. If you aren't up for it, no worries. Tae and I will go anyway. If you want to join, then you can. Simple. Dammit!" Jimin chided suddenly. "Sana came over that day asking for you." He said in a recalling tone.

"Sana?"

"Yeah, she lives in D wing in the society."

"But I don't know anyone in this society except you," Jungkook's brows furrowed. 

"Maybe you guys met at a Christmas party?" Jimin suggested, taking Jungkook's empty plate to walk into the kitchen and bring him back one more toast.  

Jungkook focused, something about the name was familiar, but he wasn't sure, and then it hit him. "I know!" He gushed. "I was her secret Santa."

Jimin returned, handing Jungkook the warm and syrupy toast, which the boy accepted without protest. "Maybe she wants to say thanks to you for the present."

"Maybe."