3

“I come bearing gifts,” Jungkook announces after throwing open the doors to the lab, holding up the bag of takeout and beer he had purchased on the way back from meeting Taehyung.

Just the thought of said boy makes Jungkook's insides tingle in a way they have never done before, and he forcibly pushes the feeling away. Eunwoo has yet to respond to his multiple texts. 

“You’re late,” Yoongi mutters in reply, not even bothering to look at him, “an hour and a half late, to be exact.”

“Sue me for thinking about your health, hyung. You’ve been working hard lately, you deserve a break and some delicious food.”

Yoongi walks past him with a tray of tubes in hand, carefully, so he doesn’t spill anything. Jungkook watches with a wide grin on his face, eyebrows arched in hope. 

“So, you in the mood for some juicy burgers?” 

“You know the rules, Jeon. No food in the lab.”

Yoongi is busy sorting the samples on the counter along the wall, back turned to Jungkook, but the younger boy knows his words hold no sincerity.

His hyung can’t resist these burgers even if he tried. 

“They’re double patties,” Jungkook says, pursing his lips as he moves on the balls of his feet.

Yoongi stops scribbling down test results on the post-it notes attached to each sample tube, and Jungkook bites back a snort. Yeah, his hyung really cannot resist meat.

Still, Yoongi tries his utmost best to fight back, although his hand seems to be moving much faster now. "It's too early to be eating greasy burgers."

Jungkook holds up the takeout bag and shakes it a little. “Brought us beers to dilute it.”

“Consuming food in the lab is strictly forbidden due to contamination issues,” Yoongi snaps, despite already pulling off his rubber gloves, “you might ingest chemical residue from the test samples and possibly poison yourself and-” 

“It’s lamb.”

Yoongi comes to a halt in front of Jungkook and stares up at him. “With barbecue sauce?”

“With barbecue sauce.” Jungkook grins, and then laughs when Yoongi snatches the bag from him.

“We still have to solve this case, can’t really afford untimely death now can we?” 

Yoongi leaves the lab and Jungkook rolls his eyes but follows him down the hallway towards the emergency exit leading to a small smoking area. They sit down on the bench placed there and dig in after Yoongi unwraps the food. 

“Did Jimin hyung stop by today?” Jungkook asks, moving his burger to his lips. “He said he would to check up on the results.”

“He did, but the results weren’t ready then.”

Jungkook arches an eyebrow, “did he at least stay for a bit?”

“No, I told him there was no point, plus he had reports to go through.” Yoongi shrugs but his shoulders seem stiff. 

Jungkook purses his lip in discontent but doesn’t comment on his hyung’s lack of finesse in the department of flirting.

Jungkook had easily noticed the tension between his two hyungs during Jimin’s second week in their unit, more specifically during the get-to-know-each-other party Namjoon had thrown at his place. 

Everyone had been a little tipsy after ingesting Hoseok’s colourful and fruity cocktails containing god knows what, but Jungkook has always been careful with his alcohol and he had stayed sober enough to notice the way Jimin and Yoongi had been looking at each other all night. 

Jimin had even tried keeping up a whole conversation with Yoongi, even when the older male began babbling about neuroscience and all kinds of scientific bull Jimin clearly didn’t want to hear about, and yet he hadn’t budged, a small but flirty smile on his face. 

Yeah, despite the pHD he holds to his name, Min Yoongi can be one oblivious er. 

A few moments of silence pass, the two boys quietly munching on their burgers and sipping their drinks before Yoongi sighs, placing his beer down next to him. 

“Let me ask you a question,” he begins, “hypothetically. None of this is fact and I expect you to reply like a professional.”

“Shoot.” 

“Let’s say I, like, uh, feel an attraction to someone.” Yoongi purses his lips and narrows his eyes as he tries to find the right words, and Jungkook watches in amusement. 

“Like, you wanna move in and have their babies?”

“No! What? No, not-” Yoongi gives him a bewildered look as he runs a hand through his hair, “Jesus, not like that, I mean, like-”

“Like you wanna bone?” 

Yoongi snaps his mouth shut and stares at Jungkook for a moment. Jungkook’s lips are stretched into an evil grin, and Yoongi reaches over and pushes a hand against the younger boy’s face, looking away in embarrassment when Jungkook starts chuckling. 

“So you wanna bone Jimin, what’s the issue?”

Yoongi chokes on air and Jungkook pats his back, patiently waiting for an answer.

“When did I say Jim- are you stup-”

“Practically everyone but you know about it," Jungkook deadpans.

“You wanna get hit so bad, Jungkook,” Yoongi snaps, and Jungkook jumps to his feet before the older boy can reach him.

“It’s about damn time you admit it, hyung. I've got four bets placed on your heads, so you better deliver.”

"You have what now?"

Jungkook merely offers him a grin and drops his half-eaten burger in its haphazardly discarded wrapping paper. He then pulls his phone out while Yoongi stares up at him as if he has grown another head. Jungkook doesn’t say it, but he takes a quick pic of him before moving on to his contacts list.

“Here, I’ll lend you a helping hand and make things easier for-”

“Wait, what are you doing?” Jungkook has never seen Yoongi move that fast before, and he yelps when he reaches for his phone. “Don’t you dare tell him or I will feed your eyeballs to the mice-”

“Relax, I’m not telling him anything!” Yoongi stops clawing at his arm and Jungkook releases a huff of frustration. “I’m merely checking if he’s available today, you know, to go through the results with you.”

Yoongi narrows his eyes but yields, taking a step backwards, and Jungkook quickly sends Jimin a text before putting his phone back in his jeans pocket. 

“The samples I put away earlier are from her belongings from the gym wardrobe, though,” Yoongi mutters, “the entire collection of the results won’t be ready until at least friday.”

Jungkook shrugs. “He’ll still come by today, won’t he? And do me a favour, hyung, don’t throw him out, okay? He’s gonna join Namjoon on some field work tomorrow and on thursday, you won’t see his pretty face for a bit.”

Yoongi looks a little surprised, an eyebrow arching at the sudden news, but he doesn’t say anything and nods, looking away to hide the blush that claims his pale cheeks. 

Despite coming off as cold and grumpy, Yoongi owns a very delicate heart that has been broken only once before, but that was one time too many if you ask Jungkook. He has no intentions of letting anyone mess with his hyung’s feelings unless he knows for sure there can be more to the relationship than simply boning.

And Jimin seems like the perfect type for him.

Both of them try not to get too attached to others, making sure to keep their profession as a priority when in fact they’re yearning to find the perfect balance. 

Yoongi doesn’t say anything, but Jungkook can practically feel the gratitude radiating from him, and he snorts, reaching over to playfully pat his hyung’s head. Yoongi gives him a deadpan look but his ears are red and Jungkook loves that he’s probably the only one in the whole wide world who can do this without having his nose punched in. 

His hand suddenly comes to a stop, however, and he blinks. 

“Wait, did you say mice? You guys keep mice around?”