Namjoon would like to think that he’s a very introspective man. Most of his best ideas come from those moments when he can sit with himself and enjoy the silence, taking the time to contemplate his world and context without barrier.

Namjoon likes silence. He’s not the kind of person that has to fill every space with a noise – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing either. It’s just not him.

And yet, here he sits, contemplating whether a fall from a third storey window would injure him enough to take Jungkook’s attention without risking death. Namjoon’s been in this exact situation before, with this exact same cursed song – and does he learn? Of course not.

“Hyung, that’s incredible,” Jungkook breathes out, settling back in the chair. It creaks under his weight, and Namjoon swallows loudly. “This is for-”

“Yep!” Namjoon cuts him off loudly. “Just a song, nothing special.”

Namjoon had realised it last night, listening to how soft Seokjin was. If the song is supposed to be for Seokjin – in a totally cool, platonic best buds way – it needed to be just as soft in a way that Namjoon doesn’t believe his voice could ever achieve. Jungkook, however...

“You have to show him this,” Jungkook says, swinging on his chair. Namjoon had been a little nervous to invite him over, at first – they’d all met over the internet, in one way or another, but Namjoon hadn’t exactly had any one-on-one bonding moments with Jungkook that would make him confident that spending time together wouldn’t be a total flop. As it turns out, Namjoon had nothing to worry about. They have a surprising number of things in common, and Namjoon regrets not making the effort earlier.

“Maybe,” Namjoon answers ambiguously; they both know very well that Namjoon will be doing no such thing. “Besides, it’s not like the lyrics are for him or anything, I just made a pop song really.”

Jungkook hums, pouting a little. His disbelief shines through but Namjoon doesn’t bother calling him out on it.

Namjoon had explained to Jungkook what he hopes to achieve before he’d played the song – he’d made a little list of notes on a writing pad this morning, and had added anything Jungkook had mentioned while the song played through. Most of the song is still a rap – he’d written and produced a lot of it before they’d made their cover together; the thought of singing hadn’t even crossed his mind. He had revamped the bridge of this song, though, to match a little closer to what they’d achieved with Fools, and he’s pretty happy with it as far as these things go.

“So, I’ll just play it through the chorus and you can mess around with what you think sounds good, yeah?” Namjoon leads, pushing his notes towards Jungkook and leaning forward to drag the slider back through the song. “If there’s anything a bit tough for you, don’t worry and just leave it out.”

Namjoon had spent a bit of time earlier preparing the lyrics for Jungkook. He’d only be singing a backing track, repeating mostly the same lyrics as Namjoon anyway, so it hadn’t taken long to organise.

Jungkook, of course, nails it first try.

Namjoon’s a little surprised at how agreeable Jungkook had been about the whole thing – he’d been fully prepared for Jungkook to turn him down when he asked him if he could sing for Namjoon’s track, and Namjoon wasn’t going to push it. Any help, even just a friendly ear to listen, would’ve been fantastic.

But Jungkook had not only agreed, he’s here he giving his heart and soul into those basic lyrics Namjoon had handed over to him. He’d only heard the song once, so it was fair that there were a few uncoordinated notes and such, but overall – wow.

Namjoon’s almost a little sorry that no one will ever hear this song besides their little trio. He softens the blow by reminding himself that this is only the beginning – if Jungkook really did enjoy singing, then there was no way Yoongi and Namjoon were going to be able to leave that talent and spirit undiscovered. It could fill that empty space that neither Namjoon nor Yoongi had ever been able to touch – and as an added bonus, Jungkook seems like he’d fit right in with their ery anyway.

“Well,” Namjoon says slowly, no words to describe the way he feels without scaring Jungkook off. “I guess we can just record that straight away almost, that was kind of...perfect?”

Jungkook ducks his head. At first, Namjoon thinks he might just be flustered, but quickly realises it’s something more when Jungkook finally speaks.

“You’re just going to copy it across all the choruses, right?” Jungkook asks. The words are simple, but Namjoon’s certain there’s a hidden message that has gone straight over his head.

“Yeah?” Namjoon answers truthfully. “It’s cool if you don’t want to, this song is just for a bit of fun anyway.”

Jungkook shakes his head quickly, tipping his head back. “No, no, I mean – I think I have an idea?”

Namjoon shrugs, open to suggestions. “Shoot.”

“Well, most pop songs and stuff have a different chorus at the end of the song, right? Like, even yours,” he starts, gesturing vaguely towards the computer. “You doubled up voices at the end and the music is stronger and stuff.”

“Yeah?” Namjoon’s not quite following. “Are you saying you can add more?”

“Ah,” Jungkook says, mouth twisting. “I haven’t done it, like, officially in a while, but sometimes Tae and I try and outdo each other with how much we can...manipulate a note? It’s a game we play when we’re cleaning and all that.”

“Manipulate? How so?”

Jungkook shrugs guiltily. “I don’t know the name for it, but I can show you?”

Namjoon wheels his chair back, giving Jungkook space to move in and do what he needs to do. He has no idea what Jungkook’s trying to describe – but if Taehyung is involved, then it really could be anything. “By all means, be my guest,” he offers, waving at the PC.

~*~

Namjoon can’t wait to show Yoongi what they’ve done today. Fully recorded, spliced in, rough around the edges but the idea is there. Namjoon could kiss Jungkook, he’s so grateful – he has to stop himself from going back over other songs just to see what else Jungkook could add to.

Jungkook’s idea hadn’t been something simple like changing the lyrics or harmonising with Namjoon or anything else in the broader spectrum of possible and expected of a novice singer – no, Jungkook had whipped out a full set of riffs and runs to work into the background of Namjoon’s melody, somehow managing to give the song that exact jazz touch Namjoon didn’t know he’d needed until now.

Namjoon had slammed his hands on the desk, probably scaring Jungkook into thinking that it was terrible, but there were no words Namjoon had in his vocabulary to express his thoughts in that moment. Amazement? Anger that he’d had this right at his fingertips all along? Confusion, because no one is just that good.

Jungkook scrapes the bottom of the takeout box, speaking as his chopsticks scratch at the thin cardboard and wrangle the loose noodles into a pile. “I don’t think there’s much else,” he says, not looking up.

Namjoon settles back in the chair, mouth twisted. The song is complete, Jungkook is right – there’s still a few corners to round out, but the essence of it is there; and yet, he can’t bring himself to put it down. Calling it finished means making a decision, forces Namjoon to ask the difficult questions where he otherwise used to hide behind the label work-in-progress.

He settles on sighing, a noncommittal response that Jungkook somehow sees right through anyway. Fortunately, he’s saved from whatever new attack Jungkook is about to unknowingly launch on Namjoon’s psyche when Yoongi peeks in through the open office door. Namjoon is a little surprised to not find Jimin trailing behind, which in turn surprises Namjoon with how easily Jimin had assimilated himself into their two-man fort.

“Cannot believe you ordered food without me,” Yoongi grumbles, but there’s no bite behind his words. Namjoon slides his own meal a little closer to himself as Yoongi approaches – he’s enjoying his food way too much to just let Yoongi waltz in and steal it like he always does.

“Figured you’d eat while you were out,” Namjoon responds easily. “Where have you been, anyway?”

“Kihyun’s working on something,” Yoongi explains. “Said I’d drop by and help out.”

Namjoon glances at his empty wrist like he’s checking the time. “Drop by...for six hours?”

Yoongi just gives him the finger, moving to lean against the side of the desk. “What’s our infamous Jungkook done today?”

“Miracles,” Namjoon answers at the same time that Jungkook says, “nothing big.” Namjoon throws him a look, but Jungkook shrugs it off. Yoongi laughs.

“Well, show us then,” he urges, waving his hand as he inches a little closer to Namjoon’s noodles.

Namjoon stares him in the eye. No.

Yoongi doesn’t back down, a challenge. Namjoon knows exactly how this is going to end, but he’ll fight for his freedom anyway. If Yoongi wanted to eat, he should’ve thought about that before he came home – Namjoon is not going to share.

Jungkook pushes out from the desk, rising to his feet and checking the time on an actual watch that he’s wearing on his wrist. “I should really get going,” he announces, ignoring the ongoing battle between Yoongi and Namjoon. “I promised Tae that I’d bring him home something sweet, and the café will be closed soon.”

Namjoon turns away from Yoongi to grin up at Jungkook. “Thanks for all your help today,” he says cheerily. “Couldn’t have done it without you.”

Jungkook shrugs off the praise. “You would’ve figured it out,” he says mildly. He grabs his phone from the desk and shoves it into his pocket, before surprising Namjoon by clapping a hand on his shoulder and fixing him with a look that screams way too much wisdom and maturity. “You should think about sending it to him, hyung. You obviously care a lot about him, and I don’t think he’d say no.”

He wouldn’t say no.

Namjoon slumps in his chair as Jungkook says his farewells to Yoongi and disappears out the door. He ing knows, Namjoon thinks wearily. God damn Jungkook.

Yoongi, of course, preys on Namjoon’s momentary weakness to swoop in and steal Namjoon’s leftovers with a noise of glee – because Yoongi never loses. Namjoon can’t even find it in himself to do anything about it.

He wouldn’t say no.

~*~