Chapter Text
If he was honest, something about Jimin coming home felt oddly anticlimactic to Jungkook, though he didn’t know exactly why. Maybe he was just ready for them to move forward, start a real life together, and the idea of being back in the same town, following the same routines, walking the same sidewalks again and again, felt sort of dull.
For all that, Jungkook was excited, on tenterhooks, really, from the moment he talked to Jimin on the phone. It was beyond easy to push down any misgivings when he imagined the coming reality of Jimin holding him fast in his arms again. No reason to ever let him go again.
He hardly thought about the details, at least at first. Where Jimin would live, for example, or how him being in town would affect Jungkook’s newfound focus in school. Those things didn’t seem important, not in the short term or even the long term. His soulmate, his lover, his life was coming back to him, and Jungkook knew that with this much love, they could accomplish anything at all.
♡
Jimin got back in late October. It was a chilly day with drizzly rain that felt almost icy, and his plane landed in the morning while Jungkook was still at school. He took an airport shuttle into town and then a taxi to his father’s house. His stepmother, a history professor, was home, unfortunately, working on an academic paper of some kind, and she gave him a judgmental once-over as she let him into the big house he’d grown up in.
He took his stuff to his old room, which had been cleared out and now held nothing but a twin bed, a treadmill, and a few boxes of books. He just sat for a while on the bed, unsure of what to do next. He wanted a cigarette and he wanted a drink. He really wanted to see Jungkook.
He knew what was expected of him and that he wouldn’t be given much leeway or time to get oriented. A job. A place to stay that wasn’t under his father’s roof. Some kind of plan for the future. He felt very tired all of a sudden.
He lay back on the hard mattress and slept for a few hours in his clothes. By the time he woke, it was almost three o’clock. He’d planned to pick Jungkook up at 3:30, so he quickly grabbed his leather motorcycle jacket from the closet, one of the few of his things that had been kept when he’d left for Florida. Its weight was reassuring and he somehow felt more like his old self when he shrugged it on.
He headed out into the gray streets and lit a cigarette, walking the mile or so to the high school.
When he arrived, he was a bit overwhelmed. It wasn’t that he’d forgotten how big and bustling the school was, how many people came and went from the front doors and the parking lot, but he’d gotten used to a much quieter landscape overall. He had to take a moment to get his bearings before he felt comfortable enough to walk up to the front doors and look for Jungkook.
He felt vaguely creepy being the older guy picking up his high school boyfriend, but he reminded himself that Jungkook was seventeen now and that there wasn’t even two years between them. He squared his shoulders and ran a hand through his hair, looking over the press of teenagers suddenly emerging from the big brick building.
He felt nervous and a bit on edge, but it was a good kind of anxiety, like the way you feel before you get a test back that you know you did well on, or the ache of a little child’s Christmas Eve.
And then, there in the middle of a group of kids, all in black like him, dripping in lace and chains and makeup, was Jungkook. Jimin stood watching, waiting to be seen and just taking it all in. Jungkook looked a bit taller, thin and pretty,and he was talking animatedly to a short girl in a ruffled dress. After a minute he stopped walking, glanced around and finally caught Jimin’s eyes. The world stopped, just for a second, but Jimin knew it paused, absolutely stopped spinning on its axis, just for them.
Jungkook pushed away from his friends and hurried through the crowd. Jimin stood waiting and then suddenly, magically, perfectly, they were face to face, body to body, soul to soul. Jungkook jumped into his arms and Jimin grabbed him and held him close. Jungkook kissed him on the mouth in front of everybody, and Jimin kissed him back.
For once they simply ignored the pejorative, homophobic shouts of a group of preppy guys dressed in pastel Abercrombie & Fitch polo shirts. Nothing was important but the way their lips met, the solid, skinny warmth of their bodies, and the way Jimin’s unzipped jacket engulfed Jungkook’s narrow frame.
They pulled back from each other after a short eternity and laughed together.
“Hi,” said Jungkook softly.
“Hi,” said Jimin, matching his tone.
The sky was gray and cold, but fire burned hot between them, and as they walked off hand in hand, it was with every intention of conquering the world with their love.
♡
The next couple of weeks were pretty amazing as they built new routines and a kind of life together. They belatedly celebrated Jungkook’s birthday with pink cupcakes and a single candle. They loitered in the indie comic book store in the afternoons and walked in chilly parks, smoking weed and talking for hours. They’d stay up all night in the retro diner near Jungkook’s house, snorting speed in the bathroom, Jimin writing love notes in Jungkook’s journal while Jungkook suffered through geometry problems and American lit essays.
They’d walk back to Jungkook’s empty house in the cold almost-dawn and fall into bed together for the few hours before Jungkook’s first class, too wired and high to sleep or even manage anything more intense than simply cuddling, so they just clung to each other, sharing the same breath.
They went to a few college parties and got drunk on foamy, cheap keg beer but otherwise didn’t touch liquor at first. Jungkook was painfully aware of what Jimin had been going through in Florida and he didn’t want that demon alcohol following him back here. He promised himself that he’d be the responsible one if he had to be.
Meanwhile, Jimin needed a place to stay, and fast. Luckily, one of their friends told them about a room about to open up in a kind of shitty punk house downtown. It wasn’t anything special, but it was cheap, the location was perfect, and they already knew, and mostly liked, the people living there.
Jimin moved in almost exactly two weeks after he got back, narrowly avoiding getting kicked out by his dad yet again. Jungkook helped him organize his books and CDs, set up his speakers, and even haul an armchair they’d found on the curb up the narrow flight of stairs to his room. The place came furnished with a cheap desk, a questionable queen-sized bed, and a few hard-backed chairs. They hung up some posters for ambiance, Kraftwerk and Christian Death. The kitchen and bathroom were shared, but everyone seemed to pitch in with the chores, and they stayed clean enough. It was actually pretty nice.
Jungkook also started encouraging Jimin to get a job; he thought that too much free time might be bad for him, too much space to think himself into trouble. They walked around downtown picking up applications and talking to managers, and after a week or so Jimin was working at a fancy deli selling bagels and baguettes in a little alcove the other employees called the Bread Box. The deli was known to treat its workers well, and there was even lots of room for advancement.
Jimin’s parents seemed to approve, but whenever he spoke to them they just wouldn’t let up about him needing to enroll in some kind of college in the spring. That worried Jungkook, who knew Jimin needed to feel like he was doing well as he was, without a hypothetical future full of pressure and expectations to weigh him down. He urged Jimin to focus on the day-to-day instead and not worry about outside validation.
School was still going pretty well and Jungkook was trying hard to keep up the momentum. They both got new boots from a brand called New Rock, black leather with silver embellishments and spikes, slight platform soles that made them look even taller.
One day, Jungkook heard from his friend Kitty that you only had to be sixteen to get piercings in Canada, so he and Jimin convinced her to give them a ride one Sunday when Jungkook was off work. They went with her and two other kids , weird twins named Daniel and Dylan who were the same age as Jungkook and hung around with their group sometimes. They had blonde hair and tan skin offset by bright blue eyes, and while Jungkook wasn’t sure they were truly identical, he was sure they were both really, really hot.
He sat in the middle of the backseat with them on the drive while Kitty drove and Jimin rode shotgun. Jungkook tried hard not to stare too much or fall laughing into either of their laps, especially when he noticed Jimin looking at him nervously in the rearview mirror. Eventually they reached the bridge to the Canadian side, showed the border officers their IDs and birth certificates, and drove over into a whole different country. It wasn’t any of their first times in Canada, of course, but it was still exciting to be young and free. Kitty and the twins had told their parents they were going to the movies at the mall, and no one knew exactly where they were. It was intoxicating. They turned up the radio and craned their necks to take in everything they could through the car windows.
♡
Jimin helped Kitty look over the directions they’d printed before leaving. Their destination was a tattoo shop called Miami Moon, just a few miles from the bridge. He was a good navigator, and soon they were pulling into the small gray parking lot. The sky was an unbroken azure above them, the wind sharp and cold as they stepped out of the car. Stretching felt incredible after the long drive, and Jimin lifted his arms over his head, groaning with pleasure.
Jungkook came up behind him and tickled his sides, and they both giggled hysterically as Jimin grabbed his wrists and held him still. The simple exchange sent a warm, buoyant rush through Jimin, stronger than he wanted to admit. He hated how possessive he’d felt in the car, watching Jungkook clearly appreciating Daniel and Dylan in the back seat, enjoying their attention. The heat in Jimin’s blood had surprised him, his defenses had risen high and he’d felt petty and embarrassed somehow, like someone was laughing at him but he wasn’t sure who it was.
He’d gotten used to imagining Jungkook alone, writing him love letters, waiting for him. But as he’d found out quite clearly since he’d been back, while Jimin had been isolated in Florida, Jungkook’s social life had remained pretty full and active. And, as it always had, their friends’ world thrummed with sexual tension and shameless flirting and was tinged with a kind of effortless, casual lust that seemed woven into every interaction. Jimin told himself he’d have to get used to it again, be cool for fuck’s sake.
But, he had to admit that the moment Jungkook turned his attention straight back to him, it had felt fantastic, like a hit of a powerful drug. Euphoric, even.
The pink neon crescent moon and palm tree shaped sign glowed like a beacon as they gathered purses, backpacks, and paperwork before heading inside with only a vague idea of what they were going to ask for.
The shop was small and friendly with a lobby full of flash and a smiling counter girl who greeted them cheerfully. She had long red hair and a classic Canadian accent that made Jimin chuckle under his breath. He wasn’t planning to get anything done, so he hung back and flipped through a thick binder of designs while the others explained what they wanted.
Jungkook went first, practically bouncing, he’d wanted a labret piercing forever. The girl nodded encouragingly and turned to Kitty, who, ever cautious because of her conservative family, asked for a simple cartilage piercing in her left ear. The twins were last. Leaning hard into the glam-rock, baby-doll style they’d been obsessed with lately, they both asked for belly-button piercings. Jimin rolled his eyes so hard he was surprised they didn’t fall out and skitter across the floor.
The others started filling out paperwork while the employee photocopied their birth certificates and went into the back to alert the piercer.
As Jimin flipped another page in the binder, something caught his eye. It was a medium-sized tattoo, a folded banner over a borderless red square, the words CAN YOU LIVE FOREVER IN HAPPINESS ON EARTH? written in thick, black capital letters. Jimin froze. The design felt retro and clean, like a perfect 1950s screen print, and he couldn’t look away.
Still holding the binder open, he drifted toward the counter. Jungkook shot him a curious look, and Jimin muttered that he just wanted to ask about a tattoo, nothing crazy.
Once everything was photocopied, filled out, filed, and paid for, there were a few quiet minutes while the piercer set up for Jungkook, who would be first. Jimin seized the moment.
He asked the red-haired girl if the artist who drew the piece he liked was in today, and he knew it was unlikely, but was he free? She brightened immediately. Roland was the artist, she said, and he actually didn’t have anything booked until later. Was Jimin interested?
“Yeah, I mean, yes. I am,” Jimin replied quickly, trying to sound like a confident adult.
“Great! Just fill this out. And what were you thinking for placement?”
He hesitated. He hadn’t gotten that far, he’d just fallen in love with the image. After a moment he gestured to his right forearm. She nodded and jotted it down.
“Okay, ID please. I’ll go chat with Roland. Have a seat and I’ll call you soon.”
Jimin sat beside Jungkook, who’d been staring at him with keen interest.
“Whoa, Jimin! I guess tattoos really are addictive. It’s gonna be so badass!” He paused and then continued in a slightly smaller voice. “Do you think my labret will hurt? I’m scared. Will you hold my hand?”
“Of course, baby,” Jimin said softly, still in shock at his own impulsiveness, but buzzing with excitement at the same time.
Jungkook got called back a moment later, and Jimin followed him into the small studio behind the counter. The piercer was an older woman with a bleached-blonde bob and so many tattoos she reminded Jimin of the illustrated ladies from old sideshow posters. She was kind and gentle, carefully explaining every step of the process. Jimin found himself wishing his own mother were more like her, patient and nurturing, and while he was at it, he wished Jungkook’s mother was, too.
She had Jungkook sit on the edge of a padded table and marked a spot centered beneath his lower lip, right next to the cute mole Jimin had always loved kissing. Then she pulled his lip down with a pair of metal clamps and asked if he was ready. Jungkook nodded.
Jimin held his hand tightly, and on the count of three she pushed a thick needle smoothly through his skin, following it immediately with a stainless-steel stud. It was over in seconds, but Jungkook squeezed the blood out of Jimin’s hand, and his face went a little ashen. The piercer looked concerned, but Jungkook took a couple of deep breaths and looked much better, especially when she handed him a mirror. Jimin saw the satisfied smile spread over his face and felt a warm spark of pride.
Just as they thanked her one last time, a big man with a dark, bushy beard ducked in and told Jimin it was his turn. A flush of nerves ran through him, and Jungkook squeezed his hand again before they were led into a different, equally tiny studio.
Less than an hour later it was done, and Jimin loved it. Roland turned out to be very cool, and he explained that the design had been inspired by vintage religious tracts, which Jimin thought was both super interesting and a bit mysterious.
When they all piled back into the car, everyone was hyped up on adrenaline and not ready for the outing to end. They decided to look for somewhere to eat in the downtown area they’d passed on the way in. Jimin slid into the backseat with the twins, who continuously fussed with their seatbelts, trying not to irritate their new piercings.
♡
They spotted a welcoming-looking Polish place on the main street and parked a few blocks away. The area was busy and Christmas decorations had already gone up on the lampposts and in some of the shop windows. They passed a Loonie Shop and browsed the various things you could buy for one Canadian dollar, a neat gold coin featuring a loon. Jungkook loved how everything was in both French and English, it all felt so much more sophisticated than things back in the United States.
When they reached the restaurant, they got a table for five in the smoking section lit Kitty’s fancy Nat Sherman mint cigarettes while they looked over the menu. They ended up ordering pierogis, borscht, and latkes to share, along with a kind of sausage none of them could pronounce and simply pointed out to the waitress. The food was delicious, and they had fun chatting and looking out the big picture window by their table. Jungkook managed to eat, but his lip was sore, and he took it slow.
It looked like people were gathering for something outside, and they decided to check it out once they finished. Jimin had the most Canadian currency left, so he paid the bill, and the rest of them tossed him a few American dollars to cover their shares.
Jungkook was the first to jump up from the table and head outside, the others trailing behind. He felt free and happy. He loved his new piercing, thought Jimin’s tattoo was amazing, and felt a warm fondness toward Kitty and the twins. He was so ready for more freedom than his stifling home town provided, and this little adventure proved it. Just the sight of something unfamiliar, new streets and new faces, opened him up somehow and made his heart and soul feel expansive.
Outside, families with children and groups of people were lined up along the street. Some wore Christmas hats and festive sweaters and some shook jingle bells. Jungkook, feeling bold, asked a group of young women what was happening.
“It’s the Santa Claus Parade!” one of them said enthusiastically.
He thanked her, nodding.
They decided to stay and watch, partially ironically because it was kitschy and old-fashioned, but also because they were only a few years out of childhood themselves, and the idea of Christmas and Santa Claus and a parade still brought a spark of joy and wonder to their hearts, whether they admitted it or not. Jungkook felt excited and kept stepping off the curb to peer down the street. The twins acted like the whole scene wasn’t nearly up to their newly glamorous standards, but they didn’t seem to want to leave. Kitty and Jimin were just happy to be hanging out with their friends on a fine, chilly November evening.
The parade had big horses with ribbons braided into their manes, three high school marching bands, a giant Canadian flag, clowns on rollerblades, Twelve Days of Christmas–themed floats, and actual Mounties, like Dudley Do-Right, the character from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, a television program Jungkook had loved to watch with his dad when he was little.
The drive home was uneventful, and Kitty dropped them off at Jimin’s new place. Jungkook waved goodbye to her and to the pretty brothers, then turned to Jimin, exhausted and, for once, drowsy and ready for sleep.
♡