Seokjin really hadn’t expected being his brother's best man to be so complicated, and he desperately needed to find a way to convince his future sister-in-law that there was no reason to set her up with one of her bridesmaids as his wedding date. He thought that telling her he was gay would be enough, but that only brought on a round of “Oh, then you should meet (insert every gay man she’s ever met)” and if Seokjin thought it was difficult to turn down the pretty girls Dawon kept throwing at him, it was even harder when it was emotionally sensitive young men who were probably thrilled to death to be meeting one of the other ten gay men in the city.

The thing is, Seokjin isn’t actually gay. He might be bi… he thinks… maybe, but he’s only ever dated girls, and he’s not sure being marginally attracted to handsome actors in movies even counts towards one’s uality. Those guys are just ridiculously beautiful in an unrealistic way. Any strictly straight man would probably agree.

Seokjin isn’t actually gay, but a few of his friends are. Jimin and Taehyung have been together (but not together, if you ask them) for years, and Yoongi and Hoseok have both dated women… and also each other. So when Seokjin brings up his brother’s upcoming wedding over dinner with his friends and maybe mentions that if he doesn’t find a date soon, Dawon is going to force him to spend the entire event on a blind date with someone she met twice when they were in high school (but they’re friends on Facebook so they keep in touch), the last thing he expects is for Jungkook to chime in with a cheery, “I’ll be your date, hyung.”

The entire table goes quiet. Seokjin’s mouth hangs open as he stares at Jungkook, trying to process the offer. Hoseok and Namjoon eye Jungkook curiously. Taehyung pulls out his wallet and hands over a wad of bills to Jimin, apparently having lost a bet over Jungkook’s ual preferences, and Yoongi… has no filter.

“What the , kid? I thought you were aual.”

Jungkook glares at Yoongi. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m panual. And I wasn’t offering to Jin hyung anyway. I’m just offering to let him take me as his date so his family will shut up. Honestly, I didn’t even think I’d be the first to offer. Namjoon’s had a crush on him forever.”

Namjoon chokes on nothing, pushing his chair back from the table as he coughs and gasps for air. Hoseok pats Namjoon’s back, and Jimin passes the money back to Taehyung.

“I do not have a crush,” Namjoon sputters, but his reaction makes it obvious he’s not being entirely truthful.

“Oh, you so do,” Taehyung cackles.

Jimin nods, and Yoongi leans back in his seat, staring at the ceiling and shaking his head, muttering, “Children. My friends are all children.”

Seokjin hasn’t said a word since being interrupted by Jungkook. He stares at Jungkook until his attention shifts away from Namjoon, an amused grin exposing his bunny teeth.

“So, hyung? Want me to be your date?” Seokjin thinks it over. It would be nice to have Dawon off his back about the wedding date, and Jungkook is a good kid. He’d probably be a ton of fun, whispering silly things about Seokjin’s distant relatives during the reception, dancing like a total goofball and making Seokjin look a little less like he has two left feet.

“Yeah, okay,” he agrees. “That shouldn’t be too difficult.”

Oh, how wrong he is.

“Oh, oppa!” Dawon exclaims, dropping the paper flower she’d been fluffing in her excitement. “I forgot to mention, my friend’s college roommate is coming to the wedding and he’s single.” She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively, and Seokjin has to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

“Actually, about that… I kind of already have a date.” The look on Dawon’s face is not what Seokjin had expected. He had assumed she’d pout, all disappointed that she couldn’t play matchmaker anymore. Instead, she lights up like the sun when the clouds finally clear on a rainy day.

“Oh! How exciting! Who is he?”

Seokjin barely stops himself before the words ‘just a friend’ can slip out. “He’s just… someone I’ve known for awhile. We’ve been dancing around each other and he finally asked me out,” he lies, though not easily. It makes his stomach squeeze in a weird, uncomfortable way.

“Awww, that’s really sweet. No wonder you haven’t been interested in any of the guys I know. You’ve been waiting for him, haven’t you?”

Deciding that nodding is better than outright lying, Seokjin bobs his head, his gaze concentrated on his fingers as he separates the thin layers of colorful tissue paper into individual petals. They work in silence for a few minutes before Dawon’s curiosity gets the better of her.

“So what’s he like? Are you into rugged guys like you, or is he more soft like… well I guess you fit into both of those categories, don’t you?”

Seokjin has never thought about this. He’s never put brain power into classifying his friends. If forced to choose, he thinks he’d probably go with someone like himself, and Jungkook certainly fits. Both of them are on the taller side, like to work out, and can sometimes be a bit childish even though they had been forced to grow up rather quickly. Seokjin had practically raised his little brother, and Jungkook had been accepted to a prestigious boarding school on a scholarship at the young age of fourteen.

They both have big, soft hearts and caring personalities and lots of love to spread around to all of their friends. Actually, Seokjin thinks of all his friends, Jungkook is probably the one he’d choose to date, if they were actually dating. If not him, then maybe Namjoon, but Namjoon would have to dial back the thinking. He’s well known for getting stuck in his own head, and Seokjin isn’t sure he’d have the patience to pull Namjoon out of his thoughts.

He must have been contemplating this for too long because Dawon’s hand is suddenly waving in his face. “Yoohoo~ Oppa, are you in there?”

“Sorry, what was the question?”

“What’s your date like?” she asks again with a knowing look on her face. Seokjin doesn’t even want to know what she’s thinking. It’s most likely something about how Seokjin loses his train of thought and drifts off dreamily when he thinks of Jungkook, and that’s not even what happened.

He’s doing it again, though. He really needs to learn to focus better.

“He’s… tall. Kinda like me, I guess. He has dark hair and big doe eyes, and he’s just… I don’t know.”

“Is he older or younger?”

Seokjin frowns at this. It’s a question he doesn’t want to answer. He knows Dawon had trouble in a past relationship with an older man who was controlling, using the excuse that he knew better because he was older. Seokjin doesn’t want Dawon to assume the age difference between himself and Jungkook will be a problem.

“He’s younger,” Seokjin mumbles. Dawon gives him a questioning hum and tilts an ear closer to him. “He’s younger. By five years.”

“Oh.” Dawon seems thrown for a second, but she shakes it off and says, “I’m sure you’ll take really good care of him then. I know what a good hyung you are, always taking care of your brother, and it feels like a good role for you to take in a relationship.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Just that you’re… you’re a nurturer. You’re really thoughtful and helpful. It would surprise me a lot if those qualities didn’t carry over to your romantic relationships.” She shrugs and clicks her tongue as she inspects the flowers that Seokjin hadn’t even noticed they had finished fluffing. “I’m gonna go get some wire and tape and we can turn these into bouquets.” Seokjin nods absently, lost in his own mind, wondering if what Dawon says about him is true, and if it is, why is he still single? Isn’t that something men… er, women like in a man?

Seokjin shakes his head, trying to erase the thoughts like a drawing on an etch-a-sketch. Dawon returns with wire and tape and starts explaining how to assemble the bouquets, and Seokjin makes an effort to focus on his crafting skills for the time being.

This is all Yoongi’s idea. “You should go on a test date before the wedding,” he suggested, “just to make sure you’re not gonna screw anything up in front of Jin’s family.” The thing is, it’s not a bad idea. It’s actually pretty smart. It’s just that Seokjin doesn’t know how to behave when Jungkook shows up at his apartment dressed in dark skinny jeans and a silk button down with a bouquet of flowers.

Seokjin had only had a mild breakdown on the phone with Taehyung when he was trying to decide what to wear, and he’s not surprised at all that they’re dressed similarly. Taehyung probably already knew what Jungkook was wearing. “I’ll just… go put these in some water and then we can go,” Seokjin laughs, and if he sounds a bit manic, he’s sorry. He can’t seem to control his nerves.

Jungkook nods and follows him into the kitchen, watching him from the doorway as he grabs a vase from the cabinet under the sink and fills it with water. Placing the tulips in the vase, he turns to Jungkook and pastes a nervous smile on his face.

“Thanks, for the flowers.”

“Well, you know,” Jungkook shrugs. “If we’re going on a proper date, might as well do it right, right?” Jungkook seems nervous too, and that makes Seokjin feel a tiny bit better. “I hope Taehyung didn’t give away my secret plans for tonight.”

“Why? Are you trying to woo me, Jungkook?” Seokjin pretends to swoon. “You know we’re going to the wedding together whether this date goes well or not.”

“No!” Jungkook waves his hands in front of himself in denial, and the reaction startles Seokjin, making him jump. “No, but it’s our first date. If someone asks about our first date, I want you to be able to tell them it was something nice, something fun. Without lying about it. You’re going to be doing enough fudging of the truth already.”

It’s sweet. Jungkook is so unbelievably sweet, but Dawon’s words are swirling around in Seokjin’s head.  ‘I’m sure you’ll take really good care of him then. I know what a good hyung you are…’ and she’s right. He’s the hyung. He should be the one planning their first date, but here Jungkook is, standing in front of Seokjin, wiping his palms on his thighs and shyly looking up at Seokjin through his fringe with wide eyes and a timid smile on his lips.

“Should we get going then?” Jungkook offers Seokjin his hand, and Seokjin takes it, leaning forward to kiss Jungkook’s forehead in thanks.

“You’re a good kid, Kookie.”

Seokjin doesn’t miss the slight grimace on Jungkook’s face, but before he can ask what’s wrong, Jungkook is lacing their fingers together and leading him out the door, babbling about chicken and how much fun he’s gonna make Seokjin have, his words. Seokjin just smiles and lets himself be dragged into the stairwell. He’s sure he’ll enjoy whatever Jungkook has planned because it’s Jungkook.

Seokjin finds that the whole date is not so much like a date at all but more like two friends hanging out one on one. Jungkook promised chicken, and there’s chicken, lots of it, with all kinds of different dipping sauces and seasonings. Everything tastes amazing. The chicken is greasy and crispy. There’s beer to wash it down and delicious fried sweet potatoes with some kind of spice mixture that reminds Seokjin of the roast pork he’d eaten in Morocco the summer after he graduated.

Jungkook never lets the conversation falter, asking questions about the wedding and Dawon whenever he isn’t chewing, and Seokjin… he talks through his food, tucking bites into his cheeks like a hamster so he can work his tongue without having to swallow. They cover everything they can think of concerning their relationship and what Dawon will expect of them, and then they just talk about themselves, Jungkook’s studies -- he’s graduating in December and already has a job lined up at the school where he’s been interning, teaching jazz theory -- and Seokjin’s work. He’s surprised to hear that Jungkook had no idea what his job actually was, and a bit embarrassed by the way Jungkook gushes praise when Seokjin explains that he helps find jobs and housing for homeless veterans.

“That’s so cool, hyung. You’re doing something that makes such a huge difference for them. I should have known you’d have a job like that. You’re so…”

“Caring? So I’ve heard,” Seokjin chuckles, and Jungkook gives him a wide, goofy grin accompanied by a nod. “I don’t know. It doesn’t feel like anything amazing to me. I just saw a need and I wanted to help, ya know?”

“But that’s what makes it so cool. See, most people would see that and think someone should help, but you… you just jump right in.”

It seems everyone Seokjin knows is making him re-examine his life lately. It throws him off balance and makes him feel like he doesn’t know himself, but it also makes him want to get to know himself better.

When the food is reduced to crumbs and greasy napkins on the table, Jungkook pays the check and links their arms together, dragging Seokjin down the street to the laser tag arena. It’s crowded with teenagers and kids, and Jungkook says this is the most fun way to play.

“It’s great when you can get a group of friends to come together and battle each other, but this is the best. You have all these strangers who aren’t afraid to be ruthless. Sometimes they sneak up on you and blast you when you’re least expecting it. And a lot of these kids spend most of their free time here so they’re really good. I learn something from them every time I play with them.”

“Don’t you have an advantage, being older and smarter than them?” Seokjin doesn’t want to shoot lasers at a bunch of kids. He’s afraid they’ll get upset and start crying, but Jungkook assures him it’s no big deal.

“I’m telling you, these kids are mostly really good. Plus, they’re small and fast and sneaky. If you get a shot in on them, you’re either lucky or you’re probably already a pro. If it bothers you though, you can just pretend it’s all against one. You’ll need luck and skill to get me.” Jungkook winks. He winks. He ing WINKS , and that’s all Seokjin needs to see to decide that Jungkook is going down.

Then they’re being ushered into a room and told to put on a vest and grab their laser gun. An employee walks them through the rules in a voice that tells Seokjin she’s worked here far too long, but Seokjin doesn’t really listen. He’s more interested in talking a group of teens into forming a sort of team so they can gang up against Jungkook. By the time the employee is opening the door to the arena and telling them to have fun and be safe, he’s convinced six kids to join his team.

Jungkook takes off up the stairs the second he goes through the door, disappearing so fast Seokjin would have missed it if one of his teammates hadn’t pointed him out.

“There’s a sniper nest up there,” the kid tells him, his teeth glowing under the blacklight. “That’s probably where he’s headed. You can’t shoot much on the top floor from that nest. It’s mostly to get the stragglers running across the open space in the middle. There’s another staircase on the other end of the arena. If we go around the outside,” he points to his left, “and up the stairs, we can split up and come at him from both sides. He’ll be cornered.”

“I’ll follow you,” Seokjin agrees, and the kid motions orders to the rest of the team.

There’s a loud siren, signalling that the game is starting, and the whole team is racing for the stairs, Seokjin somewhere near the middle of the pack, grinning like a madman. He feels someone tug on his shirt and slows to find a short girl in pigtails gesturing for him to shut his mouth. He remembers the blacklights and covers his teeth with his lips, and she nods and pushes him up the stairs.

They split up at the top, as planned. Their leader takes Seokjin to the right, the long way around, pointing across the balcony at a stack of crates covered in burlap. “That’s where he’ll be. The others will get there first. If he tries to get away, he’ll run right into us.”

He crouches close to the floor, and Seokjin mimics him, only now realising how out of shape he is. His knees pop and creak as he moves, and he’s a little short of breath from running up the stairs, but they’re moving slower now. It’s not too difficult; he’ll make it.

Just as they round the first corner of the balcony, Seokjin looks up to see how far away they are, and Jungkook’s gun peeks out from an opening in the crates to shoot down a bunch of younger kids scrambling for cover in the middle of the first floor. Seokjin can hear Jungkook’s manic laughter that turns into screams of, “Hey, no fair!” when the other half of the team corners him.

Just like the leader predicted, Jungkook darts out of his hiding place and sprints around the balcony in their direction. The leader pulls Seokjin by his vest behind a column and counts down on his fingers three… two… one! He points, and they both jump out, guns raised, Seokjin firing randomly at the moving body hurtling toward them while the rest of his team actually takes the time to aim. Jungkook’s vest lights up, blinking red and green and blue as he’s hit repeatedly in the shoulders and chest. Jungkook turns to run back the way he came. Seokjin hears kids screaming and notices the rest of his team catching up from the other side.

As the siren sounds again to indicate the end of the game, Jungkook drops to his knees with his hands up in surrender. “What did you do to get them all on your side?” he whines.

“I promised them you’d buy them ice cream after,” Seokjin grins, pulling Jungkook back to his feet and wrapping an arm around his waist to lead him back down the stairs and out of the arena.

Seokjin’s team sits out the next game, gathering around a party table in the concession area. He doesn’t make Jungkook pay, but they all get their ice cream. The little girl with the pigtails holds her printout of their game, reading off the list of hits and her ranking of first place. Apparently she had been the first to shoot Jungkook, and continued firing until the end of the game, racking up a total of 19 hits.

To make it even more adorable, she repeatedly tells Jungkook that, “Kookie oppa is the best loser ever,” and bats her eyelashes at him until Jungkook is blushing and stuttering to Seokjin under his breath that one game was enough for today.

Seokjin agrees, his knees screaming at him that he’s too old for this game, but as Jungkook walks him home, he admits that it’s the best, most fun date he’s been on in years and promises to go with Jungkook to laser tag next time he’s invited. When they reach Seokjin’s door, he’s hesitant to let go. Jungkook smiles softly. He steps closer, and just when Seokjin thinks Jungkook is going to lean in for a kiss, he drops his forehead to Seokjin’s shoulder. His arms slide around Seokjin’s middle, hugging him tightly, and then he’s gone, backing away toward the stairwell and waving.

“Text me when you get home,” Seokjin murmurs, and he knows he sounds a little breathless, but Jungkook is kind of walking away with his air at the moment.

Jungkook nods and smiles his bunny-toothed smile. “Night, hyung,” he says before he disappears down the stairs.

Seokjin closes his apartment door and sinks to the floor with a whimper. Okay, he thinks, maybe I’m not as straight as I thought.

With only a week remaining before the wedding, Seokjin is somehow roped into accompanying Dawon to her final dress fitting. He’s sitting on the plush couch outside the fitting room when she emerges, and she looks like an absolute angel. The bodice is lace, off the shoulder, with layers upon layers of fluffy tulle studded with sparkling beads, and she’s even wearing her shiny silver heels. The seamstress guides Dawon up on a pedestal and arranges the train behind her.

“Well? What do you think?” Dawon asks, but Seokjin can’t answer. He just stares, speechless. “That good, huh?” she teases, and he nods.

The seamstress checks the fit and snaps the train up into a bustle, making sure it won’t drag the ground when Dawon dances at the reception. She’s finished before Seokjin is capable of forming words, and Dawon disappears back into the fitting room to change.

“She looks beautiful, doesn’t she?” The seamstress is tucking pins back into a cushion around her wrist.

“She does. My brother is a lucky guy.” The seamstress giggles.

“Is he flirting with you? Shame on you, oppa.” She hands over the dress. “You’re taken,” she scolds, and the seamstress walks away to wrap the dress in a garment bag, still laughing. “Let’s go. You can treat me to lunch.”

Seokjin and Dawon talk about last minute preparations as they walk hand in hand to a sandwich shop a few blocks away.

“The flowers will arrive the evening before the ceremony, so I’ll need your help placing them after the rehearsal dinner. The caterers should be there around ten in the morning, and the bakery is delivering the cake at eleven. If you wouldn’t mind making sure all the electric candles are before the guests start to arrive, I’d really appreciate it. Oh! I forgot to ask if your date is coming to the rehearsal dinner.”

Seokjin shrugs. “I hadn’t asked. I didn’t assume he was invited, but if you’d like, I can see if he’s free.”

“Oh please do! I want to meet him, and I’m afraid I’ll be too busy the day of the wedding to spend any time with him. My friend told me when she got married, she didn’t even get to eat at the reception. Everyone kept crowding around them to offer congratulations, and then there was the dancing and they had to catch a plane for their honeymoon. She said the limo driver took them to McDonald’s on the way to the airport. Instead of filet and shrimp, they had Big Macs and chocolate shakes.”

“Doesn’t sound so bad to me,” Seokjin comments, and Dawon dissolves into a fit of laughter that calls the attention of nearly everyone in the sandwich shop where they’re waiting in line to order. “What? It doesn’t. Fancy food is great, but sometimes, especially when you’re really hungry, McDonald’s can be just as good.”

“You’re right, you’re right. It’s just the thought of paying for all that food and then not getting to eat it.”

“Yeah,” Seokjin answers, but he’s distracted because sometime in the middle of Dawon’s outburst, Seokjin scanned the shop to see how many people were staring at them. There, in the far corner of the shop, crammed into the tiniest table in the whole place, is Jungkook, and he’s not alone. The boy he’s with is also tall and rail thin with dark hair, and they’ve moved the chairs so that they’re sitting side by side instead of across from each other.

“Oppa? Something wrong?” Seokjin shakes his head, as much in response to Dawon’s question as to remove the image of Jungkook and the boy who is obviously his date from his mind.

“No, nothing wrong. I’m suddenly not in the mood for sandwiches. How about Italian?”

Dawon nods and allows Seokjin to lead her out of the shop and away from Jungkook. She seems confused, but thankfully she doesn’t question Seokjin. He doesn’t feel like talking about the wedding anymore, afraid it will lead to more talk of his date, so he changes the subject.

“Have I ever told you about the time I tried to sneak up on my brother to scare him?” She gasps and shakes her head. “Well… It was after school. He was seven and I was ten, and he was in the kitchen getting a snack before going to his room to work on homework. I thought it would be really funny if I hid in his closet and jumped out at him.

“So I’m standing in the closet with the door just barely cracked open enough to see the bedroom door and the desk beside it. I see him come in and sit down at his desk, and I’m waiting, just waiting for him to get really comfortable so I can scare him real good. I must’ve made some kind of noise, because I see his shoulders tense up and his head tilt to the side like he’s listening for something. In this really shaky voice he says, ‘Eomma?’ and I can tell he’s trying so hard to be calm and not alert whatever it is that’s hiding in his room that he knows it’s there and he’s scared of it. I hear Eomma coming down the hall, and in that moment, I realise that if I jump out and startle him, he’s gonna scream bloody murder and I’ll get in trouble. But it’s worse than that even, because if Eomma comes in and checks the closet like he’s probably gonna ask her to, she’s gonna find me. I can’t get away. I can’t jump out without scaring the out of him and I can’t stay put because Eomma’s on her way to check on her baby. There’s literally nothing I can do!

“So I decide the best choice would be to come out apologising, maybe trying to make some excuse that I was looking for something in the closet even though I’ve been in there sneaking around way too long for it to be believable. I push the door open, saying, ‘Hey, have you seen my-’ and next thing I know I’m flat on the floor.”

“Oh my God!” Dawon squeaks. “What happened?”

“Apparently he pulled together all his courage and decided to fight the monster in the closet. The second I pushed on the door he just… decked me. I had a black eye for almost a month.”

Dawon laughs when Seokjin tells her he’d had to change his Halloween costume to cover the black eye, and then she tells the story of their first date and how absolutely everything went wrong, including having to make a trip to the emergency room when the server at dinner failed to tell them there was cumin in the dish she ordered. The distraction works, and Seokjin almost forgets about Jungkook until he drops Dawon off at home.

He wants to text Jungkook, to ask if he’s dating that guy, but that feels too… jealous? What would Seokjin have to be jealous about? They’re not really dating, he and Jungkook. If Jungkook wants to date someone else, there’s nothing wrong with it. Seokjin is confused and a little hurt, which makes everything more confusing.

He opens and closes his the messenger on his phone at least a dozen times before finally putting the device on the bedside table and curling up in bed. It’s only 8:45 when he falls into a fitful sleep full of dreams where he and Jungkook end up ruining the wedding with their made-up relationship.

Seokjin is avoiding Jungkook. It’s two days before the wedding, and it’s been almost a week since Jungkook has heard from Seokjin. Jungkook knows it’s more than just stress or exhaustion… more than simply being too busy. He hasn’t been answering calls or messages, and it’s so uncharacteristic of Seokjin. Jungkook doesn’t know what he’s done to upset him, but at this point, he really needs to talk to Seokjin. He needs to know what time he’s supposed to be where, exactly what’s expected of him, and most importantly, he needs to know if Seokjin still wants to go through with the whole thing.

Jungkook has tried sending extremely specific messages asking for information. He’s tried just asking how Seokjin is, casually wondering what he’s doing, where he’s been. He even talked Jimin into calling Seokjin. While he didn’t answer the call, he immediately texted back, saying he was busy and asking if Jimin needed something urgent or if it could wait, and for the love of all that’s holy Jungkook is the one who needs something urgent.Call me back, hyung. Answer me!

When he finally loses his patience, Jungkook tracks Seokjin down at work and corners him.

“Hyung!” he greets Seokjin, forcing himself to sound happy, excited to see Seokjin. “Do you have time to take a quick break? I’ve missed you.” Jungkook pouts for good measure, knowing that if he pushes his lower lip out and furrows his eyebrows he looks irresistibly cute.

Seokjin makes a show of shifting stacks of paperwork on his desk and ruffling his hair like he’s just covered up with work and stressed to the max while also avoiding looking at Jungkook’s face. He sighs loudly and bites his lip, and Jungkook pulls out his secret weapon. If pouting and puppy eyes won’t work, he’ll beg.

“Please, hyung? Pretty, pretty please?”

This time, Seokjin looks at the clock, glances around the office as if checking to see if anyone would either rescue him or scold him for leaving, and then he groans, “Ugh, fine. Buy me coffee.”

Once they’re sitting at one of the outdoor patio tables at a cafe across the street from Seokjin’s office, Seokjin nursing some abomination of a sugary, chocolatey milkshake with extra whipped cream and absolutely zero coffee, Jungkook confronts him.

“Alright, hyung, what gives? Why have you been avoiding me?”

“Avoiding you? I haven’t been avoiding you. I’ve been super busy, Jungkook. I have work and Dawon breathing down my neck and last minute wedding arrangements and my brother is getting married on Saturday . I’ve just been busy, that’s all. No avoiding, just busy. Busy.”

Jungkook stares at him. It’s easily the most Seokjin has ever spoken in such a short space of time, and it’s clearly a lie. Jungkook really thought Seokjin would admit his mistake, apologise, explain what was going on if he were confronted, but obviously his assumption had been incorrect.

Seokjin is boring holes into the table with his eyes as Jungkook just sits and blinks at him, the silence between them interrupted only by the whirring of gears in Jungkook’s brain and the chirping of a bird who’s landed near their table to peck around in the leaves for crumbs.

“You’re… Hyung, you’re kidding, right? I know you’ve been busy, but you haven’t answered any of my calls or texts. And you texted Jimin back within minutes. Just tell me what I did wrong so I can fix it.”

“Nothing, Kookie. I’m not upset. I haven’t been avoiding you. I’ve just been-”

“Busy, right. Busy, busy, busy.” Jungkook drops his forehead to the table. This is not going well. He’s pretty sure he did something wrong, but if Seokjin wants to ignore it, Jungkook will let him. “So I had some questions, I guess. First of all, are we still doing this? Am I still your date for the wedding or did you want to take someone else?”

“Kook, the wedding is in two days. It’s you or no one.” Seokjin says it like he thinks no one might be the better option, and it makes Jungkook feel… what? Rejected?

“I don’t have to go if you don’t want me to. You can go by yourself, but it isn’t the only option. I know Namjoon is free this weekend. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind, even last minute.”

Seokjin sighs, exasperated, and gives Jungkook the most forced smile he’s ever seen. It’s just a tense curl of the edges of his lips that tightens his cheeks instead of scrunching the corners of his eyes. Jungkook was expecting anger, but this feels more like sadness.

“No,” he finally says. “No, that… that wouldn’t work, and I don’t want to upset Dawon by showing up without you, not on her wedding day. She’s excited to meet you.”

“Okay. Okay, then I need a schedule or something. Tell me where to be and when and I’ll make sure to be there. One less thing to… busy you.” Jungkook tries to keep the irritation out of his voice, but the last words still come out as a growl.

“Wedding is at 2:00 on Saturday. Be there by 1:00 just in case I need last minute help with something. Wear your suit, the good one you wore to Yoongi’s graduation, and… there’s one more favor I need to ask.”

“Anything, hyung.” Jungkook means it. He would walk across hot coals for Seokjin. “What is it?”

“If you’re free tomorrow evening, you’ve been invited to the rehearsal dinner.”

“Of course,” Jungkook agrees immediately. He has a vague memory of promising Taehyung a Super Smash Bros. rematch, but Taehyung will just call Jimin over if Jungkook cancels.

“Alright. Just pick me up at my apartment tomorrow night at 6:00 and we can go together. You’ll have to sit through the rehearsal too, but it shouldn’t take more than half an hour.”

“No problem.”

Seokjin on his straw, making a slurping sound as his ‘coffee’ is almost gone. “I should probably get back to work now,” he mumbles.

“Sure, yeah, but hyung? Are we… are we okay?”

“We’re fine. We’re fine, I’m just tired and stressed and-”

“Busy,” Jungkook whispers.

“Busy. Be good, Jungkook,” Seokjin says, standing to leave. “I’ll see you tomorrow evening.”

Jungkook nods, but he’s not sure Seokjin even sees it. He’s already walking away.

“No, no, no!” Dawon is yelling when Seokjin and Jungkook enter the church. “The banners were purple when we were here before. Where are the purple banners?”

“I’m sorry, Miss. We change them every season. They’re yellow now.”

“I can see that. I don’t want yellow. I want purple. You’ll have to put the others back,” she insists.

“I’ll have to call someone in to do that.” The poor woman looks completely flustered. If Jungkook had to guess, he’d say she is just a volunteer, a member of the church who offered to help set everything up for the wedding. “I don’t even know where we keep the purple banners.”

“Well you better do it right now! I don’t want those ugly yellow things anywhere near my wedding.”

“Yes, of course. I’ll call someone right away.” The woman scurries off, but Dawon has already turned her attention to something else.

“Oppa!” she calls when she sees them. “Oppa, the flowers are supposed to go here at the ends of the aisles, but they’ve put these… these things in the way, and do you see those yellow banners?”

“Yes, Dawon. I see them. They don’t match your color scheme. They’re hardly ugly, but I’m sure the church won’t mind switching them out before tomorrow. As for the tables here, they’re small and light. Jungkook and I can move them out of the way before we start the rehearsal if you like.”

“Jung-who?” Dawon pauses to look around and spots Jungkook lingering behind Seokjin. “Oh! You must be Seokjin’s… his-”

“Date, Dawon. He’s my date. Dawon, Jungkook. Jungkook, Dawon noona .” Jungkook doesn’t think the reminder is necessary, but since he does tend to slip up with the honorifics, he appreciates it.

“Nice to meet you, noona. Can I clear the tables away to make room for your flowers?”

“Oh, oppa,” she says to Seokjin. “He’s a keeper. Don’t let him go.”

Dawon is about to say something else when the maid of honor catches her attention. She excuses herself, mouthing ‘I like him’ to Seokjin with two thumbs up.

“Sorry about that. She’s stressed.”

“It’s okay, hyung. She seems nice.” Jungkook’s face scrunched up with a smile, already fond of Dawon.

“Well,” Seokjin sighs, “she likes you, so I guess that makes our job easier.”

“Sure. As long as you can play nice everything will be fine.”

Seokjin gives him a look, one that says he doesn’t think he’s doing anything wrong and Jungkook needs to remember his place. “Let’s move these tables before Dawon has a meltdown,” he grumbles.

“I’m following you.”

They move the tables, and then someone from the church shows up with the purple banners. Jungkook climbs a ladder to help him hang them while the wedding party goes through the motions of the ceremony with the pastor. There’s a delivery from the tux shop in the middle of the rehearsal, and Jungkook fumbles his way to the choir room where the groom and his groomsmen will be getting ready the next day.

Dawon objects to the pastor’s use of his podium so Jungkook helps move it out of the way, hiding it in the same storage room where they’d stashed the tables, but then she decides she wants it back and sends Jungkook to retrieve it. By the time the rehearsal is over, Jungkook is exhausted. He just wants to go home and crash, but he can’t because there’s still a dinner to attend… in his now dirty, sweaty clothes that he’s been wearing since he left for work this morning.

Jungkook ends up nearly in the center of a long table, sitting between Seokjin and Dawon and across from Dawon’s parents. He feels so out of place. He doesn’t know anyone except Seokjin, and Dawon keeps asking him questions… so many questions! She asks about things he thinks she has no business even wanting to know about him. It’s beyond the normal getting-to-know-you interrogation.

“How long have you known Seokjin?” she begins, and Jungkook thinks, this is fine. I can answer this. But a few glasses of wine later it takes a turn for,  “Have you ever dated women?” and when he (mistakenly) answers yes to that, “How many women have you slept with?” and, “So are you biual? Or were you just curious?” which is just, as far as Jungkook is concerned, downright inappropriate.

Throughout the meal Jungkook casts pleading glances at Seokjin, his eyes begging for Seokjin to rescue him. Despite clearly making eye contact with Seokjin, repeatedly, his hyung continues whatever conversation he’s started with one of the bridesmaids on his other side, only once raising his eyebrows questioningly as if to ask what Jungkook expects him to do about it.

So Jungkook answers Dawon as best he can without rudely refusing or accidentally spilling all of his secrets to her. He suffers through two thirds of the groomsmen and all of the bridesmaids getting totally sloshed, the maid of honor becoming increasingly touchy and clingy the more she drinks, practically hanging off of his date by the time dessert is being served. After saying goodnight and see you tomorrow to the bride and groom, Seokjin leads him out of the building with an elbow hooked around Jungkook’s limp arm, and when they’re finally on the street, around the corner, out of sight of the wedding party, Jungkook just ing loses it.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” he spits, jerking his arm away from Seokjin so roughly that he jumps back like he’s been burned.

“I was just trying to make it look real,” Seookjin mutters.

“Real? Real? If by real you mean looking like you’re more interested in the maid of honor than your supposed date, then you did one hell of a job!”

“I-I don’t… I was…” He flounders, stuttering more and more the longer Jungkook glares at him, big doe eyes narrowed sharply. “I was being nice!” Seokjin finally shouts. He looks around the street, checking to make sure he didn’t accidentally call attention to them. “She was drunk. She won’t even remember it tomorrow. You’re acting like some kind of jealous boyfriend, and if you’ll remember, you and I are not actually dating, Jungkook. If this is how you’re planning on behaving tomorrow, then you can just stay home. I’ll tell them you stood me up.”

Jungkook opens his mouth to berate Seokjin, to tell him that he’s the one being a jerk, that he’s the one who insisted nothing was wrong and he wasn’t avoiding Jungkook when they both knew it was a damn lie, but then he snaps his teeth together and growls through them, “You’re on your own.”

He crosses the street, ignoring Seokjin sputtering, “Fine! I never asked you to be my date anyway! I don’t even need a date, and I certainly don’t need you!”

When he gets home, Jungkook stuffs his suit, the good one he wore to Yoongi’s graduation, back in the closet without even hanging it. He silences his phone, and he goes to bed.

*Ring, ring, ring*

Again, the call goes to voicemail, and Seokjin growls, stabbing end call and then dialing again, and again, and again. Voicemail, every time.

“Where are you?” he hisses. After the fifteenth, twentieth, or maybe it’s the fiftieth call, Seokjin finally throws the phone. Thankfully, it hits the cushions of the small sofa in the choir room and doesn’t shatter into a million pieces. He snatches it up again, opening his chat with Jungkook and rapidly types out a message, heavy with angry typos.

To: Kookie Wookie

Whert arr uou? Wedddingg is n n hour. Calk me now!

Seokjin goes about straightening everyone’s ties and taming his brother’s hair as he waits for a response. The phone remains silent, the screen flashing with the reflection of the ceiling fan in a way that makes it feel like it’s mocking him.

He knew Jungkook was angry after the rehearsal dinner, that they’d both said some rather unkind things to each other (more on Seokjin’s end than Jungkook’s), but he honestly thought Jungkook would show up anyway. Jungkook isn’t the type of person to just blow him off like this.

Someone knocks -- pounds -- on the door, and then Dawon is yelling through the wood, “Oppa! Seokjin oppa!” She sounds close to tears, and Seokjin rushes to the door, stepping into the hall and closing it behind him before the bride and groom can see each other.

“Dawon, honey, calm down. Don’t cry, your makeup will run.”

“The caterers,” she gasps. “They dropped off the food and left. There’s no one to serve, and the flowers still haven’t been put out. My wedding is ruined!” She’s full on wailing now, tears threatening to drag tracks of mascara through her foundation.

“Shhh, it’s okay. I’ll take care of it. You go have someone help you touch up your face. I’ll make sure nothing ruins your day, okay?”

Dawon sniffles and nods, lets Seokjin lead her back to the church office and hand her off to one of the bridesmaids.

“Fix her face,” Seokjin instructs the bridesmaids. “Get her in her dress. Everything will be fine.”

He shoots a quick message to his group chat with Taehyung, Jimin, and Hoseok, asking them if they’re free to help with the catering, and almost immediately his phone dings, repeatedly, as the three of them reply.

Minnie Mouse:

Of course. We’ll be there in half an hour.

Taepuppy:

Does this mean I have to wear a suit?

Hobeast:

Don’t be dumb tae. Suit up!

Relief washes over Seokjin. He really has the best friends, but speaking of friends, Jungkook still hasn’t responded. Seokjin sighs and gently presses his fingers to his temples. He tries to push Jungkook out of his mind. If he’s not coming, he’s not coming, and it’s nothing that will be helped by Seokjin worrying himself into a headache.

He knocks on the office door, and when one of the bridesmaids calls out that they’re not decent, he says, “Just tell Dawon the catering is taken care of. I’m going to go deal with the flowers now.” He stalks off toward the sanctuary to see about the flower situation.

Jungkook rolls over, still wrapped in his soft, warm sheets. He groans as he stretches out the kinks in his muscles. The room is already bathed in sunlight, a bird pecking at something on his window ledge and chirping happily.

The clock tells him he’s running behind, but only by about fifteen minutes. He’s still angry with Seokjin, but despite what he’d said after the rehearsal dinner, he really wouldn’t leave his hyung hanging like that.

When he pulls his suit out of the closet, it looks completely crumpled. The pants and jacket are too wrinkled to be worn the way they are, but Jungkook doesn’t even own an iron so he hangs it in the bathroom and runs the shower, hoping the steam will help smooth things out.

He showers quickly, leaving the water running while he dries off and styles his hair, and by the time he’s ready to wear the suit, it’s mostly presentable. It’s not until he’s locking the apartment behind him that he checks his phone and finds over two dozen missed calls from Seokjin. Jungkook figures he can wait until he gets to the church to talk to Seokjin, but there are also messages from Taehyung and Jimin. They say that they’ll be at the wedding filling in for the caterers and that with only the three of them, they might need Jungkook’s help.

And then there’s the messages from Hoseok.

Hobeast:

Hey, idk what happened w/u n Jin but he’s freakin da out!

Get here soon… if you’re coming.

If he’s coming. If he’s coming? Of course he’s coming!

He stomps along the sidewalk, barely avoiding some other pedestrians and unintentionally shoulder checking others. His anger had melted away overnight, but between the multitude of phone calls, none of which included a voicemail or an apology, and Hoseok insinuating that Jungkook might break his promise to Seokjin, the anger has returned full force and then some.

The second he walks through the doors and into the sanctuary, Jimin is on him.

“We didn’t think you were coming. Jin hyung said you fought and that you weren’t answering his calls, but you’re here. He’ll be so happy to see you.” Jungkook grunts in response, but Jimin ignores the sound. “I’m a caterer,” he says with a wide grin. “Tell me I look handsome, Kookie.”

“Very pretty, hyung.”

“Not pretty,” Jimin pouts, “handsome. I’m handsome.”

“Sure, hyung,” Kookie sighs, reaching out to ruffle Jimin’s hair. He ducks away from Jungkook’s hand just in time and sticks his tongue out as he flits down the aisle to join Taehyung and Hoseok in the kitchen.

Jungkook moves to follow Jimin, but is blocked by a wide eyed, crazed looking Seokjin entering the sanctuary with an enormous bundle of calla lilies tucked under each arm.

“Oh! I’m…” he cuts off his apology, a look of relief easing the wrinkles in his brow. “Oh my God, Jungkook! You’re here!”

“Of course I’m here. I’m not a , hyung. I’m sorry for what I said last night. I’m here for you, and you look like you need help.” It takes every bit of Jungkook’s self-restraint to keep a handle on his irritation and try to be amiable, but he manages it and is rewarded with a bundle of flowers being shoved at his chest.

“Thank God! Help me with these, will ya?”

Jungkook bites back a growl and follows Seokjin around, filling vases with flowers and moving yet more furniture. Jungkook does whatever Seokjin asks him to do to help finish the decorations for the ceremony, and it’s not too long before guests begin to arrive. Seokjin tells him to take a seat on the groom’s side and rushes back to the choir room to join his brother and the other groomsmen.

As he slides into a pew, once again sweaty and uncomfortable only this time in his good suit, Jungkook wonders how he’s going to make it through this without strangling Seokjin.

Weddings are boring. It doesn’t matter if you’re merely attending or if you’re actually part of the wedding; they’re boring, and Seokjin isn’t sure why anyone would actually enjoy one.

The ceremony drags on and on with scripture and poetry readings from the bridesmaids and groomsmen, some kind of sand pouring ritual that Seokjin doesn’t understand the point of, and never ending vows written by the bride and groom. Being forced to stand beside his brother with everyone watching him makes things even worse.

Seokjin’s feet hurt, his head hurts, he’s tired, and concentrating is just not something he’s capable of. It takes a moment for him to notice when the pastor asks for the rings. He fumbles to get them out of his pocket and nearly drops them as he hands them over. The only thing managing to keep his attention during the entire ceremony is Jungkook.

He’s folded into the corner of the back pew with Hoseok, Taehyung, and Jimin, looking at least as tired as Seokjin feels. Jungkook’s expression is… he’s glaring. He’s glaring at Seokjin like he’s the cause of every problem in Jungkook’s life.

If Seokjin had expected things to be better during the reception, he was wrong. With Hoseok in the kitchen plating food, Jimin and Taehyung have their hands full trying to serve. Jungkook offers to help, leaving an empty seat beside Seokjin which, of course, Dawon’s maid of honor decides to fill.

Now that he’s paying attention, Seokjin can see what Jungkook was complaining about the night before. The girl keeps downing glasses of champagne like shots, and the more she drinks, the more she touches Seokjin. It starts with just a hand on his shoulder as she tells him some stupid story about her last boyfriend hating when she wore purple. By the time Jungkook serves them their main course, her fingers are creeping up Seokjin’s thigh, and the look Jungkook gives him is murderous. He tries to pry her fingers away, but it only results in her slumping over against him, resting her head on his shoulder and nosing at his neck.

After the newlyweds’ first dance, other guests slowly make their way to the dancefloor, and Seokjin excuses himself as politely as possible. The food has all been served. His friends being free from their responsibilities are now enjoying the party, but Seokjin doesn’t see Jungkook anywhere.

He makes his way through the church, checking empty Sunday School rooms and offices until he finds his date. Jungkook sniffles and wipes his eyes when Seokjin pushes the door open. He’s sitting on top of a table in a children’s classroom with his back to Seokjin and his feet propped up on a tiny wooden chair.

“Why are you crying?” Seokjin asks though he knows he’s the reason. They may have agreed to this pretend date, but it’s obvious to Seokjin now that they’ve both developed some kind of feelings for each other beyond friendship.

“I’m not crying, hyung. There’s something in my eye.” He sniffs again and turns his face away.

“Kookie, come on. We both know that’s not true.” Seokjin touches Jungkook’s back, but Jungkook jerks away from him like his fingers burn. “Kook… Jungkookie. Hey, talk to me. What’s going on?”

“Hyung, please just go back to your date.”

“My date? My date is right here.”

“Don’t pick on me, please. We both know you’re not gay.”

“Jungkook, do you… do you like me?”

Jungkook lets out a strangled sounding sob and buries his face in his hands. “I tried not to, hyung. I really tried, but after our practice date… I couldn’t help it. I thought it would be a good thing, that it would make the wedding easier. Then last night you just ignored me while that girl was all over you. But it’s more than that.

“You’ve been treating me like an employee, making me move furniture and set up the decorations, and it’s not just me. You asked the others to help with the catering. I wouldn’t even have minded if you paid a little more attention to me, but you just gave me tasks to complete and then went off on your own to enjoy the wedding. Maybe it’s silly, but I thought this would be a chance to spend some time with you. I… I miss you.”

“Oh.” Seokjin sits on the table, leaving a bit of space between them in case Jungkook doesn’t want him too close. “I didn’t realise. I’m sorry. I needed the help and you seemed willing.”

“I was willing. At least I was until I noticed it was just me doing all the work.”

“Oh, Kookie. I’m so sorry.” Seokjin tentatively rests a hand on Jungkook’s shoulder, and when he doesn't pull away, Seokjin slides his arm around Jungkook. “You’re wrong, by the way. When you said I’m not gay… Well, maybe I’m not gay. I still find women attractive, but you too. You’re attractive as well, and you’re fun and sweet and I… I can imagine what being with you would be like. I think… I think I’d like it, being with you.”

“Hyung, please don’t joke like that. It’s not funny.” Jungkook looks like he might cry again, and that’s not what Seokjin wants at all. He’s being sincere, and he needs to make Jungkook understand that somehow. He leans a bit closer, close enough for his lips to brush against Jungkook’s neck when he tilts his head.

“No joke,” he whispers, his breath on Jungkook’s skin causing him to shiver. “Please, Kookie. Just give me a chance.”

“I will, on one condition.” Jungkook gives Seokjin his most serious, I'm-really-not-kidding face.

“Of course. Anything. Name it.”

“You have to tell me why you were mad. You wouldn’t tell me when I bought you coffee. Tell me and I’ll give you a chance.”

After the hell that was the rehearsal dinner, Seokjin had completely forgotten why he'd been upset before, but now that he's been reminded, the hurt creeps back in.

“Oh, that.”

“Yes that,” Jungkook mutters.

“Well… You know the sandwich shop by my office?” Jungkook nods but doesn’t seem to remember anything happening there that would have upset Seokjin. “Yeah, well I took Dawon there last week around lunchtime and-”

“ Oh. Oh no,” Jungkook cuts him off, finally understanding what happened. “That… I know what that probably looked like, hyung, but he’s just a friend. I’ve known him forever. We’re just… we’re really close. Kinda like Jimin and Taehyung but without the .”

“Are you sure? Because you two looked really cozy. I don’t want to be the other man, Jungkook. I don’t want to come between you and someone else, and I don’t want to share.”

Jungkook scrunches his nose and snorts, his cute bunny teeth showing through his smile. “There’s no one else, hyung. You have me all to yourself.”

“Good, because there’s still a party going on in the reception hall, and I thought maybe you’d like to dance with me.”

“You mean make you look bad?” Jungkook cackles, and Seokjin swats his shoulder.

“Hey! I’m not that bad. Besides, I like to dance. Who cares what I look like? I enjoy it.” Jungkook is grinning, his eyes crinkled at the corners. He tips forward and touches his lips to Seokjin’s forehead.

“What was that for?”

“You’re cute,” Jungkook shrugs, “and you had this wrinkle right here,” his fingers glide across the spot he’d just kissed, “but I kissed it away. You look much younger now.”

“Mmm… I think there are some wrinkles right here,” Seokjin taps a finger against his lips. “Maybe you could kiss them away too.” Jungkook’s smile widens. His hand comes up to cup Seokjin’s jaw, his thumb Seokjin’s cheekbone, and Seokjin’s eyes flutter closed as Jungkook scoots closer on the table. Jungkook’s warm, soft lips startle Seokjin, and he flinches weakly before tilting his head and leaning into the kiss. It’s brief and sweet, and Seokjin whines when Jungkook backs away.

“Don’t be greedy, hyung. We have plenty of time.” He runs his thumb along Seokjin’s plump lips. “You look younger than me now,” Jungkook teases.

Seokjin shakes his head. “Alright, alright.” He stands and offers his hands to Jungkook to pull him to his feet, and Jungkook tucks himself under Seokjin’s arm as they make their way back to the party.

“Let’s go, brat. Come make me look bad.”