Zero


Grocery shopping had become their weekend routine, one that, despite the ordinary aspect of it, they had come to like it a lot.

It always began with Jimin waking up early. He was the typical person that liked to enjoy the day from the beginning of the morning, regardless of how hard he had worked the previous day. He would sneak out of their bed, shivering a bit from the change of temperature, and careful to not be too brusque and risk waking Jungkook up.

Jimin wouldn't leave the room without being sure his lover was well wrapped in the blankets and still sound asleep.

If they asked Jimin, observing Jungkook sleeping soundly was one of his favorite activities even after all those years, or maybe exactly because of that. Having the proof of durability, when the odds said it wasn't supposed to last, felt wonderful . Jimin thought he would probably never get tired of doing so.

After allowing himself to watch Jungkook for some moments, Jimin would tiptoe out of the room and would carefully close the door of their bedroom to stop the light from peaking inside. As he slowly walked with the fresh clothes he had silently retrieved from their closet, he made his way towards the bathroom to shower and let himself relax under the stream of warm water, always gingerly humming Jungkook's latest work.

He would step out of the foggy bathroom sometime later, all cleaned up and dressed in comfy clothes. Some old jeans he saved from his college days and a sweater that was too big to be his, but that he still wore because he could (It was Jungkook's).

He would then move to the kitchen, switching his phone on to briefly check if there was some urgent mail and also to turn on his playlist at the lowest volume, but enough to have background music to keep him company while he cooked breakfast.

Jungkook would, without fail, stumble into the kitchen exactly when the breakfast was ready, eyes half open and brows furrowed. His nose was still able to detect the smell of pancakes and coffee.

If they asked Jungkook, having Jimin making breakfast for him in the morning was one of his favorite things. Because having someone taking care of him after years of firmly believing he was alone, was still something he would always feel thankful for.

Being the busy adults that they were, they often didn't manage to eat together and were mostly able to meet at night — sometimes so late they barely had the energy to exchange more than some trivial words before collapsing on their shared bed. Yet even then, they would never fail to cuddle close. The warmness of their bodies flushed together felt nicer than the fluffiest blanket.

With time, as they evolved together in their relationship, they had come to realize that it wasn’t always about big gestures, but about the mundane and ordinary life. Love, after all, was built on small details and concessions. Having breakfast on weekend and going out to do grocery shopping together, as ordinary as it appeared, was their little heaven of normalcy — their meaning of home.

“Did you run out of clothes to wear? If I remember well, you did laundry two days ago.” Jungkook would every single time as he admired his sweater stretching along Jimin’s frame while he struggled to reach the top shelf on his tiptoes. Jungkook was just tall enough to easily take the jar of cookies Jimin was trying to get. However, the latter liked to think height was a questionable detail and Jungkook liked seeing the other stubbornly struggle before finally giving up and asking for his help. It was childish from both their part but Jungkook loved their little antics nonetheless.

Jimin was older by almost four years and for a long time, during Jungkook’s early career stage, he had been the one to financially take care of the both of them and that was why Jungkook particularly enjoyed doing things for him.

Jimin was a proud person and didn't like to depend upon the others and Jungkook had never judged him for that, understanding the need of feeling self-sufficient all too well. They had come a long way though, and neither of them was afraid anymore to let themselves rely on someone else, even when it came to something as simple as cookies and high shelves.

“Stop teasing. I wear your sweaters every Sunday. Besides, you like this more than me. Now make yourself useful and get me the cookies. You enjoyed this show for too long,” Jimin replied glancing at him and making Jungkook smirk. Jungkook felt a light kick on the back of his shin when he easily reached out the shelve as he heard the older complain about what they had put in the foreign food for Jungkook to have grown so tall, causing the younger to giggle.

Jungkook still remembered the look of awe Jimin had when they first met after Jungkook had come back home from abroad. Jungkook himself hadn't realized how much he had grown until he later noticed how perfectly Jimin's head rested in the crook of his neck. Jungkook had then thought that they were two pieces that fit and he had found it such a cheesy thing to think that it made him choke up internally.

Even now, whenever he returned with his mind to that particular memory.

They would then devour their breakfast — Jungkook wolfing down almost two plates full of food and making Jimin smile widely. They would then argue about who had the privilege to wash the dishes, Jungkook insisting it was upon him and ushering Jimin outside the kitchen.

After Jungkook was done with the chores he would have a quick shower while Jimin waited for him in the living room, splayed on the couch watching the TV. After that, they would be ready to go out shopping, Jimin still wearing Jungkook's clothes.

Shopping was always a battle between the two, Jimin wanting to stick to their food list while Jungkook would sneak snacks into the cart behind his back. It felt cozy. Something that, a very long time ago, Jungkook had never thought he would be able to relate to.

When he was young, Jungkook hadn't hated a place more than the supermarket. It was supposed to be an uninteresting place yet, it was where all the differences began for him.

Even now their cart was full not only because of Jungkook insatiable appetite but mostly because the latter refused to buy family-sized foods, that would have saved space, out of principle. Jimin had been puzzled at first, but after some time he had seemed to sense the underlying meaning. Maybe because it had been familiar to him too, that sensation of feeling lost in front of a shelf full of products and noticing like not even one of those were useful for you.

Their Sunday mornings, anyway, weren't really anything extraordinary, except for the fact that it was theirs. And that particular Sunday morning, like any other Sunday morning, was no exception adding to its predictable pattern another layer of safeness to their life. Or so they both had thought.

Jungkook was pushing the cart towards the cashier, so loaded it almost looked like it could collapse at any moment, and Jimin was wondering if they really got everything they needed under that pile of unnecessary things.

Jungkook was just smiling in amusement as they queued behind a mother with her kid, who was at the moment balancing himself precariously on the cart, until the small kid fixed his gaze on Jungkook, big curious eyes wide open.

Jungkook saw Jimin smile at him when the kid looked unimpressed and waved his hand in an attempt to get his attention.

Back then Jungkook had thought that Jimin’s decision to lead a community center had been merely to satisfy his need to pursue a career close to the artistic field without having to be under the spotlight. But throughout the years Jungkook, had to readjust his point of view as he realized the older not only enjoyed teaching, but also genuinely like taking care of kids.

The kid kept looking at Jungkook with big contemplative eyes before slapping his mouth like he was hit by a sudden realization. His lips stretched into a toothless smile before exclaiming.

“I know you. You are famous! Mum, he's the zero dancer!” the kid shouted tugging his mother by the cuffs of her cardigan.

Jungkook suddenly felt the eyes of a lot of people landing on them and saw Jimin squirm uncomfortably next to him and, like that, in just mere seconds and by the hand of an innocent kid, he witnessed his normal Sunday morning slip through his fingers.

Yet Jungkook knew, and he was sure Jimin agreed with him, that the time where they let their moments being robbed from them by the circumstances of their world had long ceased to exist.

“Yes, that's me,” he said smiling widely at the same time he felt Jimin fingers interlace with his.


                     A world of us


Several years down the lane — five to be exact — Jungkook had to admit that most things had stayed the same in their little corner of imperfect world. Some, however, had luckily changed.

Though, Jungkook believed they were actually the ones who changed the most.

But let's start from the things that had stayed the same, seemingly frozen in time and unmoving, even though the acute observer could certainly notice some scraps here and there and not so well hidden.

Their world, world two, was still ruled by the same questionable standards and perceptions, which meant they were still unequally divided in number twos and zeroes.

Namjoon once said that sadly they needed more than just one won battle to win the whole war — to which Jungkook had asked what the point was if anything continued to be like it used to be. Newborn children were still labeled with the same sickening tag that made some good and the rest not good enough to be considered a part of the society, being called zeroes as if they were some kind of damaged good.

“Well, we changed. For the people who still can see and judge by themselves, even a small victory matters. It lets us feel less lonely and more understood. It gave us hope,” Namjoon had replied, a dimple showing on his right cheek as his lips stretched into a lazy smile.

So yes, their world in his obsession with perfection, was still imperfect. There was still conflict and misunderstandings and hatred like only the privilege based on discrimination could generate. They were still divided into people who fulfilled the standards, the people who had a soulmate and hence called number twos, and people who instead failed to complete the requirements, the number zeroes who could not be paired with anyone else. The first ones: the rightful kind of human being, while the second ones: the dust hidden under the carpet.

Jungkook belonged to the last group. He was a number zero. A leftover person.

He didn't need to concentrate hard to remember the bitter feeling he felt in knowing he had to accept the imposed condition, accept the weight of solitude that crushed his shoulders. He didn't need to concentrate hard to remember how violent his  rage was knowing how much of a capable human he was, yet he was coaxed into a grey existence, just because someone decided he didn't have the right to be happy. Just because someone decided there was only one way to be happy.

He also recollected well his stubbornness in trying to prove the system wrong but above all else, the desperation that kept his body functioning and that he had wrongly believed a strength.

But that was the Jungkook of five years before and he could spiraled further down the pit of darkness if it hadn't happened an event that had changed him forever. Contrary to the majority of zeroes though, the failure of the referendum wasn't the turning point he was referring to, even though that fact had helped a bit.

Five years before, the referendum that had asked to seclude number zeroes in one area and restrict their rights was rejected. Even when it hadn't shaken the world from its roots, it did help to raise awareness and ultimately had allowed Jungkook to pursue his dream of a career in the art and entertainment sector, something never heard of before him.

Number zeroes were strongly discouraged from pursuing any form of art since the latter was the natural expression of a society and for that reason, it was feared to easily turn into the crucible of protest and opposition.

That event though had given some number zeroes the courage to exit the anonymous status and be more open with their dreams. However, without that thing that had happened to Jungkook, he wouldn't have even started to hope–wouldn't have even started anything at all.

What happened to him was a thing that would have been considered to be an experience all human beings were supposed to have in a less wicked world. Something the government system had converted into a privilege only some could enjoy, belittling anything that hadn't their approval.

Jungkook had met another person and had fallen in love.

Five years ago, Jungkook had met Jimin.

They were twenty-three and almost twenty-seven years old respectively and they were both number zeroes, hence people excluded from the general happiness.

It had been a long journey, some days of their travels spent together had been hard. Sometimes he had feared to have hurt the other unfairly and sometimes he felt like he had been hurt unfairly, almost fearing love couldn't possibly be enough to beat the odds.

Yet they had never given up on each other.

Despite Jungkook's demanding job and Jimin's responsibilities and despite the insecurity that would creep under their skin when things turned tense and difficult, they stayed together. Two number zeroes finding each other and bringing each other happiness, whereas the world kept repeating it wasn't something they deserved or they had to expect from life.

Five years later from that fated day in which their families had forced them together for a combined marriage, that Jungkook had so vehemently refused, Jungkook found himself unable to think about a present or a future without Jimin.

He was living the dream that not even his boy self had ever allowed himself to wish for. He was happy. He was a number zero and happy —  a flower allowed to bloom in the darkness.

Almost too surreal to be true.

“What are you doing with your nose glued to the window? We are going to be late,” came the overly excited voice of his partner from some point behind him.

Jungkook, who had spent the last half an hour trying to distract himself as he waited for the other, almost snorted at that but when he actually turned to protest, he found himself unable to do it and felt a bit irritated with himself for no reason. He knew by now he was completely whipped for Jimin.

“It wasn’t me who changed clothes three times,” Jungkook said, deciding to tease his partner to mask his embarrassment. Jimin glanced at him unimpressed and wiggled his eyebrows knowing well the effect he had on Jungkook.

Time had been nothing but generous with him, Jungkook thought, as he had witnessed how each passing year had added charms to his older partner and had ultimately screwed Jungkook over.

The Jimin he met years before had looked youthful and fragile in his baby face appearance, this last feeling enhanced by a sad gaze and an air of finality that had hung around the older almost like a second skin. The Jimin that he had met years before though, despite every detail he had just mentioned being right, had been also the bravest person he had ever encountered, his determination coming from a love for life he had never once abandoned despite his personal pain.

It had bloomed beautifully along the years spent together and had turned him into a charming thirty one year old adult, whose youthful face and bright air were able to melt Jungkook's heart.

“There's always a lot of very famous and important people at Namjoon and Seokjin's parties and I'm a director of an academy. I can't give off a wrong vibe,” Jimin commented stressing his fingers in his hands.

One thing about Jimin that hadn't changed though, even though Jungkook almost wished it did, was the shyness that came from a deep distaste for attention.

Some scars, even after many years, were hard to forget and Jimin had never really liked to be under the spotlight, fearing the reflectors like a plague and feeling more comfortable by working and moving behind the scenes.

It was the reason why most of the PR work for their cultural association, which had grown considerably along the years, was completely taken care by Seokjin, whose adolescence spent training for a role of command he never took, had somehow ended up being useful.

Sometimes Jungkook's heart hurt when he thought that that trait hadn't been something with which Jimin was born with, considering that when he was a teenager the older used to love to dance in front of hundreds of people with a confident smile on his face. But the fear that had been carved into him during his last year of high school, when all the attention given to him was only given to hurt him, had never really faded completely.

“No famous people will come to impose their presence. You heard Seokjin, after the epic fail of last year he said he would close the door in the face of whoever would dare to crash at their house, so it’ll be only Namjoon's family and us,” Jungkook said trying to reassure his partner.

One year ago for that same occasion, some people wrongly thought it would be a good idea to invite themselves to the birthday party of the twins with the excuse of bringing presents to the children while instead, they had the clear intent to try and to fall into the grace of the top music producer Kim Namjoon. Seokjin had been furious, and furious Seokjin meant a furious Namjoon by default and Jungkook knew that people had regretted that decision soon after.

So for that time around it was decided that the location would be their own house and security was hired for the event since Seokjin wanted for the party to be celebrated among family and the closest of friends, Jungkook and Jimin being considered part of the first group.

Jimin then stared at his own elegant white shirt with a poundering gaze but Jungkook closed their distance and after having taken him by the hand proceeded into leading them out of the living room and ultimately out of their house.

“Don't you even think to change now. If your white shirt gets stained by the kids' crayons serves you right for being narcissistic, now let's go. Like you said we’re going to be late,” Jungkook scolded him even though his tone was far from being annoyed. Quite the contrary considering how well that shirt suited his lover.

Jimin tried to protest but he ultimately let the younger lead him out. Jungkook had always been neat and precise and his job as a performer had only served to cement that trait further. Jimin secretly found this obsession rather cute, even though sometimes he could act a bit too nitpicky.

“You do realize we left the presents and our wallets inside the house?” a quite amused Jimin asked Jungkook once they were inside the car with their seatbelts fastened. Jungkook cursed under his breath as he hurried inside the house to get them, causing Jimin to laugh at the scene.

Jungkook ran inside to grab everything and scowled when met the sight of Jimin still doubled in two in laughter. His irritation was destined to disappear as quickly as it came because there was nothing he liked more than Jimin's laugh.

It was a high pitched and a downright ridiculous sound, yet it was also contagious and since he felt like he hadn't heard it enough times lately, he smiled mesmerized, slowing down his movements. He suddenly didn't feel like rushing anymore as he opened the car door and carefully organized the presents in the backseat, went back to the driver’s seat almost lazily, and maintained a calm pace even when he started to drive.

Namjoon and Seokjin's house was situated a bit out of the way, the two having decided to raise their kids in a greener and more nature-friendly environment rather than in the heart of the city.

It wasn't like Jungkook and Jimin lived in the middle of the congestion either, their own little house situated in the residence zone for families, but certainly they didn't dispose of the spacious land Seokjin and Namjoon used as a garden.  

Jungkook knew that disposing of that privilege meant that Namjoon had to drive one hour everyday to reach his workplace and another hour to get back. He also knew the latter didn't mind at all since for him his family's happiness and overall well-being was far more important.

Jungkook was pretty sure he would settle for living inside an igloo if Seokjin happened to want that, the extent of his devotion to his number one was so profound.

After having known the entire story that had brought those two together, Jungkook thought it couldn't have gone any other way considering how much it had cost them to land their own happy ending. If there was someone who deserved every fancy thing they could have in life, it was them. They surely had worked hard to deserve that.

Less than an hour later, thanks to minimal traffic, Jimin and Jungkook finally arrived to their destination. The Kim household was a big but cozy villa immersed in the green. Trees surrounded the perimeter to give the house some shade from the sun, as well as some privacy for the family. Though, their safety was certainly more guaranteed by the cctv installed and their high fences.

There had been never a contingent necessity to provide such a high security, but with Namjoon being a famous producer and with Seokjin’s recent and sudden rise in popularity, they had decided to upgrade the security just in case.

It couldn't be considered a suffocating solution considering how discreetly everything was handled. Yet, sometimes Jungkook had caught Seokjin looking at those cameras with an unreadable look.

As they easily found a parking spot for their car, Jungkook couldn't help but notice that the cars of the other guests were all there, making them, by default, the last ones to arrive.

“Stop pouting. I know you are only annoyed because you probably had just lost some dumb bet you made with Taehyung,” Jimin said mischievously as he sweetly tickled his chin with his fingers as if he were a small kid.

Jungkook decided it was better to not reply because the older was one hundred percent right.

They knew each other so well they were able to predict each other’s actions and thoughts with precision, even though in this case, it was far too easy of an outcome to guess. He had met with Taehyung a couple of days before, and it was common knowledge that his intellectual capacity dramatically decreased whenever his childhood friend was added to the equation (much to their lovers' amusement).

They got out of the car, this time Jimin helped Jungkook carry the presents for the twins as they walked towards the main gate that opened right after Jimin had rung the bell. The camera over the intercom warned the ones inside of their arrival.

“You’re late!” were the words of welcome Seokjin had given them as soon as he opened the door. He looked a bit winded, but his scowl was too ridiculous to even be considered real. Yet Jungkook didn't lose the chance to throw Jimin under the bus.

“Not my fault,” Jungkook said stepping forward as Seokjin moved aside to let them in. He could almost see Jimin's eyes roll, however, his teasing maneuvers were interrupted by an excited scream of joy and even more excited hurried steps. Jungkook didn't even have to think it twice, he launched the present into Seokjin hands and squatted down opening his arms to embrace the small body of his newly acquired nephew.

“You’re late,” the kid said as his words came out in such a comedic imitation of his father’s more serious tone. He probably had heard him say those words to Namjoon many times before. That had Jungkook bursting into laughter as he threw an amused glance towards Seokjin who was now scowli