“No. No. Ew, God no!” Tae sighs dramatically and falls on Chae’s lap “this is hopeless. I quit.”

“Come on, you’re the one who asked for my help!”

“I know! But I didn’t think it would be so hard.” He whines with a pout and Chae can only pat him in the head in comfort.

Apparently, seeing Jimin and Yoongi all lovey-dovey that night made Tae crave for love. It didn’t help either that Chae and Jungkook lowkey have a thing for each other (But highkey don’t know about it, oblivious babies.). And so, Taehyung thought it would be smart to look for a blind date through tinder. He was so wrong.

“We just have to look a bit more, I’m sure you’ll find a perfect match.” Chae’s words sparkle a bit of hope in him and he lifts himself up with a renewed determination.

“Alright, let’s get it!”. They continue to swipe through potential candidates until one catches Chaeyoung’s eyes.

“Oh, this one looks nice. Park Bogum, 25, and he’s a history professor. Could be fun, right?” She eyes Taehyung with a hopeful look but he purses his lips and hums disapprovingly.

“Pass. History professors are boring. He’s got the looks though; I’ll give him that.”

“Okay, how about this one? Kim Jisoo, 24, she likes trolling people online, she’s a professional gamer and she’s cute as hell oh come on! she’s a perfect match.”

“hmm, you’re right, she’s cute. But I’d rather be her friend than anything else.”

“God, you’re hard to please.” she swipes to the next one and almost drops the phone. “Damn! She’s hot.” She squeals and Taehyung’s eyes widen comically.

“, you’re right. This Jennie girl sure is something.”

“Honestly, if you don’t snatch her, I will. I’ll let her take me to bone city anytime if you know what I mean.” Chaeyoung wiggles her eyebrows suggestively and he simply shakes his head.

“Keep it in your pants, Christian girl.” Chaeyoung snorts at his reply.

“Anyway, yay or nay?”

“I’ll have to say no. She’s hot, but looks very dominant and I’m not into that.” Chae nods in understanding and is about to swipe left when a tinder message pops up on his phone.

“Uhm, Tae? Who is Hoseok and why does he miss you?” Tae immediately snatches the phone from her and hides it under his . Definitely a terrible hiding place.

“He’s a bot.” he says quickly, hoping to convince her but judging from her pointed look, she isn’t.

“Tae.”

“Alright fine.” he hugs his legs and rests his head on her shoulder. “We’ve been messaging each other for months now and I kind of like him.”

“So why don’t you invite him on a date?” why go through the trouble of finding somebody else when you’re already interested in him?” she gently brushes his bangs off his face, staring at his troubled face.

“I’m scared.” He confesses. “I don’t want to be disappointed you know. What if we meet up and he’s not who I think he is? I don’t want this image I have of him to be ruined.” He curls up even closer to Chae, feeling like a little child.

“Oh, Tae.” She hugs him close. “I get it. I once went on a tinder date with a guy who turned out to be a major and was being sweet to me just so he can get into my pants. Worst experience of my life.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better.” He mutters, playing with the strings of her hoodie.

“I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Tinder dates tend to be awful 95% of the time, but you will never know if you don’t put yourself out there, Tae. If you want someone to be in love with then you have to make yourself reachable.” she runs her hand through his hair as he hums in understanding. “Besides, he could be really interested in you too.”

“I doubt that.”

“Can I read your conversations with him?”

“Go ahead.” He hands her the phone and she scrolls through his messages with Hoseok, her lips quirking up in a pleasant smile.

“He’s daddy af and he’s definitely into you.” He lifts his head from her shoulder, an eager look in his eyes.

“You think so?”

“He literally watched Haikyuu -all three seasons AND the stage play- because you said it’s your favorite anime! If that’s not real love I don’t know what is.” Chaeyoung hands the phone back to a beaming Taehyung, his eyes glinting with joy. “He seems genuinely into you, Tae. I say go for it.”

“Okay, I will!”

“Good, because I sent him a message to meet up tomorrow night and he agreed.” Chaeyoung smirks at Taehyung’s stunned face.

“You did not..” he says, frantically searching his phone for his convo with Hoseok and mewling when he sees the message Chae sent him.

“Oh, but I did. Thank me later, buddy.” She pinches his pouty lips as Taehyung whines.

Just then, Jungkook comes out of his room, looking like a mess. He wakes up at odd hours and Chaeyoung’s learnt to get used to it, though it does bother her that he doesn’t get enough sleep. She runs up to him until she’s right in front of him and tiptoes to smooth his disheveled hair. She may be considered tall for a girl but Jungkook’s gigantic compared to her; Albeit, their height difference doesn’t make her feel overpowered. He might be a giant mass of muscles, but he’s a fluff ball of cuteness and Chaeyoung likes that about him. He rests his hands on her hips to steady her as she continues to straighten his hair, his mind still in a daze from sleep.

“All done!” she chirps and falls back on her heels. Jungkook nods, slowly adjusting his eyes to his surroundings and only then does he notice his hands on her hips. He stiffens, his eyes widening in fear that he might’ve overstepped his boundaries. Chaeyoung senses his dread and flicks his forehead.

“Stop overthinking, you big baby.” She smiles reassuringly at him and he visibly relaxes, a faint blush coloring his cheeks. She grabs both his hands and guides him to the kitchen. “let’s get you something to eat.”

Taehyung follows his friends with his gaze and grins in satisfaction. The attraction is so evident it’s painful to watch them dance around each other completely oblivious. It’s not so obvious with Chaeyoung since she’s free-spirited and open with everyone, but there are small moments where it’s clear as day light that she sees Jungkook as something more. It’s the way she cares about his opinions more than anybody else’s, the way she lights up when Jungkook joins them and takes a seat right next to her, it’s the way she looks at him like he’s the only one that matters. Jungkook however, is an open book. At first, it was hard to tell since Chaeyoung was the first girl he ever was comfortable around, but his eyes told everything.

As they say, the eyes never lie.

He jumps in surprise at the sound of a notification and now he’s back to panicking over tomorrow’s date. Damn you, Park Chaeyoung!

***************

“Is this okay? Oh my god am I too overdressed? Or worse, am I too underdressed?” Tae is pacing the apartment like a maniac despite Chaeyoung’s attempts to calm him down.

“Tae, you look amazing. Now get the hell out, you’re already late!”

“Alright, alright.” He takes a deep breath, grabbing the door handle. “But, just to make sure. On a scale of one to Ryan Gosling, how good do I look?”

“Very Chris Evans, now go!” he finally leaves and a comfortable silence falls over the flat. Now, Chaeyoung was planning to literally Netflix and chill alone tonight. She didn’t want to bother Jungkook since he’s got assignments to work on and she’d only distract him, so when she turns around towards the living room, the last thing she expected to find was Jungkook, setting snacks on the table and adjusting the cushions.

“What are you doing?” Jungkook jerks his head and looks at her innocently.

“It’s movie night.”

“Yeah, but Tae’s not here.”

“His loss.” He shrugs.

“What about you? Aren’t you busy? I thought you had assignments due soon.” He flops on the couch and stretches his legs.

“One night of fun won’t hurt.” He beckons her to sit next to him and she does. “Besides, I-I didn’t want you to feel lonely and I like spending time with you, so.” he whispers the last part, head hanging low in embarrassment. Chaeyoung could make out the faint flush on his cheeks and she smiles tenderly, her heart warm with an inexplicable feeling.

“You’re so sweet, how are you real?” she clings to his arm and rests her head on his shoulder. “Thank you.” She leans even closer, feeling safe and fuzzy all over. Jungkook relaxes under her touch, his stomach fluttering uncontrollably. With a final glance at Chaeyoung, he grabs the remote and presses play.

Halfway through the movie, Chaeyoung’s managed to change her position and is now resting her head on Jungkook’s lap, the latter absentmindedly playing with her hair. She’s lost interest in the movie a long time ago and decided to watch Jungkook instead, who’s trying hard to ignore her stare but is failing miserably.

“Want to play 20 questions?” she asks out of the blue, garnering his attention.

“Isn’t that for people who know nothing about each other?”

“Think you know me?” Chaeyoung levels him with a daring look that leaves him a little breathless. This is not the time to admire her beautiful face Jungkook, focus!

“Alright, you ask first.” He says and she hums in thought.

“Okay, what was your first impression of me?”

“Oh man,” he chuckles as he remembers the way he shut the door at Chae’s face the first time they met. “I thought you were overwhelming, in a good way. I was a little agitated by your abrasive nature and it took some time to get used to.”

“You don’t think I’m too much?” Jungkook notices a tinge of hurt in her voice and thinks that the question runs deeper than it may seem. He holds her hand in his and squeezes it, avoiding her piercing gaze.

“You’re you and I think that’s the greatest thing about you. Anyone who thinks otherwise is clearly wrong.” Jungkook notices Chaeyoung’s eyes getting watery but doesn’t say anything. Instead, he basks in her loving gaze, her hand clutching his tightly.

“You’re unreal. Okay, my turn.”

“you already asked a question.”

“That one obviously doesn’t count!” she pouts and he knows he’s already lost.

“Alright, shoot.”

“Have you ever fallen in love?” Jungkook doesn’t need to think hard to answer.

“Obviously not. I’ve spent all my life avoiding girls, I didn’t have time for that.” She giggles at his reply.

“Not even a tiny crush?” He tries to remember anything remotely close to liking someone in the past, and could only think of one person.

“Well, when I was in high school, I had a huge crush on IU. Does that count?” Now Chaeyoung’s full on laughing hard.

“Oh my god, you’re so cute it’s unbelievable!”

“How about you? Ever been in love?” the room goes quiet then.

“Once.” Chaeyoung breaks the silence. “It was in high school back in Australia. He was my classmate for three years and I liked him so much. Contrary to now, I was really shy and reserved, so I didn’t know how to flirt or how to get his attention. Then, one day, I decided to just go for it. So, I confessed.” She stops, a solemn look on her face. “He told me he doesn’t date Asians and that my eyes are ugly.” She chuckles bitterly at the memory. “I cried for days and begged mom not to let me go to school. I was too embarrassed and too hurt to see him again.” He caresses her hair with his free hand, hoping it gives her a sense of comfort. She leans into his touch, thankful for it. “Luckily, I had my friends and family by my side, but the damage was done. I couldn’t look at the mirror anymore. Everyday was a reminder that what I am is not enough and will never be.”

“And now? How do you feel now?”

“A lot better, but the insecurities are still there.” She smiles upon seeing Jungkook’s worried look. “I’m okay now, I promise.” She reassures him, tapping his cheek lightly.

“You didn’t deserve to go through that.” He comments and she shrugs.

“That’s life. You live, you suffer, you learn. I’m much more comfortable with who I am now and sort of glad I fell in love with that douchebag.”

“How so?”

“Because it taught me to love and value myself more.” She brings their locked hands up to her chest. “And to never let anyone determine my worth.”

“I’m glad then.” Jungkook’s eyes fixate on hers as they share a long look. None of them say anything for a while, their eyes doing all the talking.

“Enough heavy questions, let’s ask something fun!”

And so, they spent the rest of the night asking each other silly questions that filled the room with laughter until Chaeyoung’s eyelids started getting heavy and she dozed off on his lap. (Not that Jungkook minds). Sure, he’ll wake up with sore thigh muscles and neck pain, and he will definitely complain about it to Tae, but it’s worth it.

Everything with her is worth it.

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A.N: let's play a game called 'how many of my fav ships can I cram into this fanfic?'.