Work Text:
Just 2 more hours Jungkook. C'mon, you've worked longer shifts than this before, you can do this. 2 hours is nothing. It's 2 times 1 hour, 4 times half an hour. That's such a small amount of time. If you were watching a series on netflix with hour long episodes, you'd be out of here before netflix could ask you if you're still watching.
“Jeon, take out the trash.”
“Yes, sir.” It's said below his breath, but it's not like his manager cares for a response to begin with. He just wants it done. Jungkook rolls his eyes as soon as his back is turned to him.
He grabs the 2 heavy bags of garbage left behind the counter and slowly makes his way to the backstore, hoping to waste as much time as possible. He has to maneuver around a few boxes of merchandise shipments in the back before he can reach the door leading outside, and doesn't spare a look toward his boss’ office as he goes. He props the door open with the bent metal stick they keep for that specific purpose and steps foot outside.
It's winter and the sun has already started setting, despite it only being 4 o'clock. The chill seeps through his uniform almost immediately, and he curses himself for not having slipped on his jacket on his way out. Luckily for him, it's only about 20 steps to the bins, 20 more steps to get back. He has to hit the bin cover a few times to get it open; it gets frozen shut every single day, and every day some unlucky bastard has to fight it open.
The whole affair can't have taken more than 2 minutes, yet when he steps back into the store, it's chaos. He hears yelling, and watches through the open door separating the backstore from the main store area as a little gray thing zooms past, clients scattering to get as far away from it as possible. He hastens his pace and rounds the corner of an aisle to see it better.
There, cowering at the base of a shelving unit, is a kitten. It's a little gray thing, covered in dirt, and it can't be more than 2 months old. It’s shaking so hard he figures it's been outside in the cold for a while. Pity bubbles up in his chest, and Jungkook takes a few cautious steps towards it.
“Stop looking stupid and get rid of the filthy thing, Jeon.” His manager barks from the other end of the aisle and Jungkook almost yells when he sees the broom the man is wielding in the direction of the cat. He raises his hands in what he hopes is a placating move.
“I've got it, there’s no need for that, sir.”
For every step Jungkook takes toward the cat, it scrambles further from him and closer to his manager. He feels anxiousness start to tighten his chest.
How do you get an animal to trust you? If it goes closer to him he'll hit it. I have to get it to come to me.
In a bid to make himself look less predatory, Jungkook gets down on his knees and tries to make himself seem as small as possible. He reaches a hand out and taps his fingers gently against the flooring, hoping to encourage the cat to come closer and inspect.
“Come on sweetheart,” he says in the softest voice he can, “I'm not going to hurt you.”
The cat doesn't move any closer, but it doesn't cower back any further when he slowly shuffles closer to it. He keeps an eye on his manager, watches as the harried man also creeps closer and closer to the poor thing. He feels like his heart is about to beat out of his chest, just a little.
“Stop twiddling your thumbs and get rid of it!”
“I'm trying, just give me a minute and put the damn broom down.” He doesn't dare raise his voice, so it falls a bit flat. His manager ignores him. He shuffles even closer to the kitten.
“C'mon baby, we have to get you somewhere safer. Please come here.” There's only about 4 feet between him and the cat now, but his manager is covering ground faster than he is, and he's starting to panic a little. He shuffles a little faster but stops as soon as the cat cowers more.
He sees his manager raise the broom in his peripheral vision and his body reacts before he can even think about it. He extends his arms and propels himself with his legs, the action so sudden that the cat doesn't have the time to react before his arms are around it. He lies there for a few seconds, his breathing much too labored for the lack of effort it took him to do that. He springs back into action when he feels the claws dig into his bare forearm.
It's struggling to get out of his arms but he holds on tight as he runs to the backstore, mumbling reassurances as he goes in hopes it'll appease the panicked kitten. He somehow manages to shrug his jacket onto his shoulders before barging through the back door and into the employee parking lot. He holds the cat to his chest, hoping that his warmth will protect it at least somewhat from the cold winter wind.
“You can't just leave, Jeon! What the hell are you doing?” He hears his manager call out from behind him, but he doesn't bother to answer as he wrestles his car keys free from his jacket pocket and unlocks his car. He pulls the driver's door open and reaches in to stick the keys into the ignition to turn it on, the cat still held against his chest and clawing at whichever part of him it can reach.
“I'm gonna take it home.”
“If you leave right now, you're fired!”
He has to actually pause at this. Sure, he hates his job, but. But he needs the money. He really needs the money. Rent is coming up and he's waiting for his next paycheck to come up with the last of it, and he's going to need groceries soon. He curses to himself.
“Fine, give me a second.”
And he knows it's not okay, knows it's probably considered animal cruelty even if he has the heat on, but he drops the cat in his passenger seat and closes the door. He only has about an hour and a half left of work, and he can't lock his car now that his key is inside of it, so it could get stolen easily, but he hopes everything will be okay when he gets out at 6.
It's gotta be better than leaving it outside, right?
✨
The second the clock strikes 6, he makes a mad dash for the back door, almost forgetting to grab his jacket on the way. He barely registers the snowfall as he spots his car, still running and very much still in its parking space. He heaves a heavy sigh of relief and peaks in through the window, trying to spot the cat in the darkness before opening the door so it won't dash out when he tries to get in. With the help of a nearby streetlight, he can just about make out its form, curled up in the backseat. He takes a breath and quietly pulls the door open, quickly shuffling inside and then shutting it behind him. A meow greets him from the backseat, and he turns to look at the comfortable kitten.
“Sorry,” he says to it, “did I take too long? I promise I'll be better to you now.”
Another meow answers him, and he turns back to the steering wheel, buckling his seatbelt and turning on his lights before putting his car into reverse.
✨
As soon as the cat's feet touch the floor of his apartment, it takes off. He doesn't bother to go looking for it, he just flips on his lights and goes to the kitchen. On his counter, right next to the microwave he rarely uses, are three cookie jars of varying sizes that he painted in different shades of green over a year ago, going from lightest to darkest, smallest to biggest.
He takes the lid off of the middle one and reaches inside, pulling out a bundle of crumpled won bills. He sifts through it quickly and pockets 10 000 won before putting the rest back in the jar and placing the lid back on. He takes a quick look around his apartment as he makes his way back to the door, and when he sees that the cat is nowhere near it, he leaves.
It's a 5 minute walk to the closest market, but he shoulders through the cold, thinking about how much gas he already wasted letting his car idle for an hour and a half earlier. He buys a small bag of cat food and a disposable litter box, collects his change, and heads back.
Once he's back in his apartment, there's still no sign of the cat. He takes off his shoes and jacket, steps into his slippers, and goes about putting his change back into the jar and setting up the litter box in the corner of the living room. Once that's done and he's put out a bowl of food and a bowl of water, he gets started on his own meal.
He reheats leftovers from the night before and makes himself a bowl of rice to go along with it and sits in silence at his tiny kitchen table to eat. He's halfway through his meal when he thinks better of it and turns on the tv so that the cat hears talking and hopefully feels more welcome that way.
He thinks the best way to make the cat comfortable is to leave it to its own devices until it feels more sociable, so he goes about his usual business. He finishes his meal, washes the dishes, watches an episode of whatever's on tv and then goes into the bathroom to get a bit of cleaning done while he has the chance.
It's as he's bent over the lip of the tub, scrubbing at a bit of soap scum, that he finally gets wind of the cat. He feels something brush against his bare ankle and has to remind himself he has a companion now before his heart can push itself into a sprint. He turns his head to spy the cat watching him scrub away curiously, its nose twitching and its ears swiveling to capture any and all sounds around it. He smiles at it, even though he understands that technically it probably doesn't get facial cues and feels no reassurance from the action.
“Hey,” he greets in his normal speaking voice, testing the waters. When it doesn't immediately run off, he smiles wider. “I set up some stuff for you in the living room. It's not much, but I don't exactly have the means to spoil you right now. You understand, right?”
The cat, of course, doesn't understand what he's saying, but he feels better talking to it like it can. He hopes that it'll get used to his voice if he keeps talking, and that it'll get comfortable around him faster this way. He gets back to scrubbing.
“I'd love to give you a bath soon, you're pretty dirty. I'm sure you could take care of it yourself, but I feel like it could be a bonding experience.” He pauses to look at the scratches on his arms that have already scabbed up. “Actually, maybe that's not the best idea. I should disinfect these, huh?”
So he does, when he's done cleaning the tub. The cat watches him spread antiseptic on all the claw marks on his arms and still doesn't budge when he pulls off his shirt to see what kind of damage was done to his chest. There's a couple puncture wounds, but he quickly dabs a bit of antiseptic on them too and then puts his supplies away. When he walks out of the bathroom, the cat trails after him.
“You're feeling less shy now, I take it. That's good. Maybe we can be friends by the end of the night.”
He settles on the couch and pretends to watch tv while the cat goes around and sniffs at everything. It finds the litter box but walks right by it after a cautious sniff, then finds the food and water bowl. He watches it eagerly lap at the water and then go for the food. A satisfied smile curls onto his lips and he turns his attention to the tv for real now. Hopefully this marks the start of a good companionship.
✨
“You can't get on the bed.” He tells the cat when it tries to follow him up. He has to get some sleep because he has work in the morning, but the cat is still unclean.
“You're dirty,” he insists when it meows at him, and barely manages to intercept it when it tries to jump up again. “If you'd bathed like I told you to earlier, we wouldn't be at an impasse now.”
He ends up letting it climb up, because it starts meowing up a storm and it's late and his neighbours are going to kill him if he doesn't shut it up. He settles in with a grumble.
“I'll have to do laundry tomorrow because of you. I hope you reflect on this. This behaviour is unacceptable.” The cat merely curls up by his neck and falls asleep.
✨
When he wakes up to his alarm, he finds that his bedroom curtain has been attacked. The bottom of it is all scratched up, and the very edge of it has been reduced to strings and shredded material. He looks around for the cat to scold it, but doesn't see it in his room. He finds it in his kitchen, curled up underneath one of the chairs.
“You're an asshole. I bring you home, I buy you food with my meager earnings, and you ruin my curtain. We're gonna have a talk about this when I get back from my run, bitch.”
He eats a banana and has a glass of tap water before he changes into his jogging pants and puts on his running shoes. It snowed a little the day before, but it's only the beginning of december and it hasn't quite stuck, so he can still run outside. He slips on a long sleeved shirt despite the cold, figuring he'll warm up in no time, and heads out.
On his way down the stairs, he crosses paths with Yoongi, his neighbor from across the hall. The man is heading up, buried underneath a thick beanie and a big scarf, only the reddened tip of his nose, his sleepy eyes and a few strands of his wind ruffled blond hair visible. They greet each other quietly, like they always do, and then Jungkook keeps walking.
He runs around the block twice, and it's not too early but the sun has barely started to rise, along with the shop owners who are getting ready to open up for the day. He waves to a few of them as he goes, and stops just once to help an older lady get a few boxes up the couple of steps to her store. She reassures him she's fine to take them in by herself once they're up the stairs, so he bids her a good day and picks up his pace once again.
Back home, he takes a quick shower and adds the clothes he went running in to his laundry basket. He remembers the cat sleeping in his bed and adds his sheets, blanket and pillowcases to the pile. After looking at the time, he finds he still has a few hours left before work, so he takes his laundry basket and goes down to the building's basement to make use of the residents’ laundromat.
Yoongi's roommate, Jimin, is already there doing his own laundry, so he chats with him while they wait. They spend a good half an hour discussing Jimin's course load for his college semester, and Jungkook almost doesn't feel jealous this time. Almost doesn't think about the devastation of his failing grades, of his scholarship dropping him, of having to drop out and get a job to keep living in Seoul. Almost. But he doesn't let it sour his mood or his conversation with Jimin.
It's as Jimin is leaving with his freshly cleaned clothes that he gets the question, “by the way, did I hear meowing last night from your apartment?” And Jungkook wants to say no, because he's about 2 noise complaints away from getting kicked out, but he can't help wanting to talk about the kitten.
“Yeah, sorry, I took in a stray yesterday. It's just a baby though, so it might make noise every now and then. I hope you don't mind…”
“Oh no, of course not!” Jimin's face lights up, a grin so wide taking over his face that his cheeks bunch up and his eyes nearly disappear. “I’d love to come by and meet it sometime!”
“Sure, hyung, you can come by after work tonight if you want. Bring Yoongi too if he wants, I know he'd like it!”
With that, Jimin takes his leave and Jungkook transfers his clothes from the washer to the dryer. He kills the remaining time by browsing social media and getting updates on his favourite artists. The last thing he sees before the dryer buzzes is the music charts, and he's happy to note that RM got a PAK with his latest release.
He's barely stepped foot into his apartment, his clothes still warm in the basket, when his feet get attacked. He closes the door and stumbles further into the apartment with a chorus of giggles and 'ow's to set his basket down on his coffee table before bending down to pet the little rascal.
“Are you bored? I bet you are. I can't afford toys right now, but I'm sure we can figure something out.”
He leaves for work 40 minutes later, a shoelace tied to one of the kitchen chairs so it hangs down and an old balled up sock left in his wake to serve as toys. He also left the tv on for background noise and is already dreading the electricity bill from letting it run all day.
The cat is going to suck him dry.
✨
Jimin and Yoongi do come over that evening, and the three of them somehow manage to wrestle the cat into the tub with an inch of water in it and give it the bath it desperately needs, even if the cat ignores them for the next hour. They disinfect their scratches huddled around the bathroom sink and celebrate their victory with a couple beers Jimin brought along, but only after they've wiped up the mess of water the cat left in its wake when it took off like the devil was at its heels.
The cat finally comes back to socialise an hour later, and Yoongi decides for all of them that it needs a name.
“You can't just keep calling it 'the cat’, you know,” he tells Jungkook. Jungkook goes for something gender neutral, because he doesn't want to get scratched again trying to get a look at its privates.
He calls the cat Pebble, and they start employing gender neutral pronouns when talking about them. They're surprisingly outgoing, now that the initial shyness has passed. If that means they chew up the corner of his couch while he sleeps that night, well, Jungkook guesses his couch was shitty anyway, and they just did him a favour by giving him a reason to start saving up for a new one.
✨
Days go by, and Pebble gets more and more affectionate. They start sleeping on Jungkook's chest at night, they sit with him when he gets home from work and watches tv, they even greet him at the door with a few meows until he bends down to pet them. He's happy to have a companion, even if that means whatever money he has tucked in his middle jar is slowly dwindling away.
Jungkook starts kissing Pebble on the nose, once in the morning as a goodbye, and once in the evening as an 'I'm home’. He thinks Pebble likes this the most out of everything he does, because they purr the loudest when he kisses them. He kisses their nose one final time, at night when he's settling down to sleep, then Pebble curls up on his chest and they both knock out.
It's routine, and it's nice to have something to look forward to for Jungkook, especially because he has to spend nearly all the daylight hours at a job he hates. Unfortunately for him, having Pebble means he has to pick up a few extra hours to cover the costs that come with a pet.
Yoongi and Jimin start dropping by more often, and Jimin confides in Jungkook one evening that Yoongi has been coming home earlier from the studio lately so he can see Pebble before Jungkook goes to bed. Jimin really does look happy when he explains that this means Yoongi gets more sleep now. In short, Pebble is one of the best things that has ever happened to them all, even if Jungkook's furniture has been getting slowly ripped up by claws and fangs.
Jungkook is happy. Tired, but happy, even if he's working instead of going to school, even if he's far from home and only has a few friends. Things are good.
✨
Things get hectic at the store around holiday season, and Jungkook hates his job more than ever. Hates it so much, in fact, that he starts taking his resume in to any place that has a help wanted sign in hopes of getting hired anywhere else so he can quit. His manager is running him into the ground, jacking up his hours and making him take on more responsibilities than he already had. He even starts scolding him for seemingly no reason, the busy schedule taking a toll on everyone's patience.
It’s after one of those days, when Jungkook has just worked a 10 hour shift, when he's exhausted down to his bones and all he wants to do is go home and pet Pebble and sleep, that Jungkook gets the shock of his lifetime. He enters his apartment, kicks off his boots (because the snow stays now), and pauses. Pebble doesn't greet him at the door.
They're taking a nap, he tells himself, no big deal. But even as he pulls on his slippers and announces himself, Pebble doesn't show themself. He walks further into the apartment, keeping an eye out so he can spot them, wherever they may be, but they're nowhere in sight. It's only when he reaches his room at the end of the hall and finds it empty that it dawns on him.
Why is the bathroom door closed?
He walks over to it as quietly as he can, even though he called out earlier and if someone is in there they probably heard him already, and sticks his ear to the door to listen. There's no sound at all, but there's light spilling from the crack underneath it. There's nothing, until…
Splash. An aborted sound, like a giggle that's barely been caught. Another quieter splashing sound.
“What the…” Jungkook whispers to himself, backing away from the door. He quietly tiptoes his way to the kitchen and grabs the frying pan from where it's been left to dry in the dish rack during the day, and makes his way back to the bathroom door.
He slowly sets his hand on the doorknob, making sure not to rattle it, and takes a few deep breaths. He closes his eyes and begs his heart not to slam its way out of his ribcage, and readies his weapon of choice. Another deep breath. He turns the doorknob and pushes the door open.
Nothing in the world could have prepared him for the sight that greets him. There are clothes, his clothes, strewn about on the bathroom floor. The tub is filled with water, a thick layer of bubbles on the surface. And there, in all of his glory, a man sitting amongst the bubbles, only his bare shoulders and head poking out.
Maybe Jungkook should freak out more. There is a random, naked man in his bathtub, and he can't find his cat. But he takes a moment and really looks at the man. Looks at his startled green eyes and his pushed back silver hair, looks at the pink of his mouth for maybe a second too long. The man is possibly the most beautiful person Jungkook has ever seen, and he's met Jimin and Yoongi, and he's a big fan of RM, Jin and J-Hope, so that's saying quite a lot.
And it can't be possible. There's no way the conclusion he jumps to is real, but he's read fanfiction. He's read about his favourite idol picking up a cat or a dog or a fucking bunny and having it turn into a pretty human so many times. Has read that cliché trope so often, and the love story it turns into. Except that's all fiction. There is no fucking way Pebble turned into a person. But…
But he sees it. Sees Pebble in his eyes, in his mouth, in his hair. Sees Pebble in the beauty spot at the tip of his nose, where Pebble had a black spot, the only place on them that wasn't gray or green or pink . He looks at this man and knows he's looking at Pebble.
He's had a terribly long day. He woke up earlier than usual, had to go for his morning run at the gym (because the snow sticks now), he left for work with nothing but a bowl of rice in his stomach because he's waiting on his paycheck, he kissed Pebble goodbye. He ran all day, fulfilling the whims of any and all clients that came into the store. He cried on his lunch break because his manager yelled at him about doing his job better, even though he's doing the best he can. He spent all afternoon daydreaming about quitting on the spot and walking out, consequences be damned. And finally, finally, he gets home, only to see that his cat is gone.
Except they're not gone, because they're him. They’re the man in the bathtub. Jungkook needs to sit down.
✨
“I can explain.” Those are the first words Human Pebble says to him. His voice is surprisingly deep, and Jungkook has to remind himself that the high pitched meow he's used to only existed because Pebble was a kitten, and of course no human has that tone of voice.
Jungkook sits on the floor right outside the bathroom, but doesn't turn his back to the man, privacy be damned. He watches him carefully, and he wishes the man would get out of the tub and put clothes on for this conversation, but it seems that won't happen. So he stares and waits.
“Have you ever drank a potion that you made, and it was supposed to do something specific, but it turned you into a cat instead?”
“A...potion?”
“Yes. A potion, that you brewed yourself, that was supposed to do something, but it did something else instead.”
“I…” Jungkook has to breathe out from his nose here, hopes it will keep him serene, because losing his shit just will not do. “No. No, I can't say that I've ever done that.”
“Fair enough,” the man sighs, “it's true that I haven't seen you brew a single potion in the 3 weeks I've been here.”
“Don't witches brew potions?” Jungkook asks, but he knows this, because he's read the first Harry Potter book, and he's read many witch AUs. Witches brew potions. But witches aren't real. But then again, cats don't turn into people, so.
“Yes!” Jungkook watches the man's lips stretch into a wide smile, his cheeks bunching up in a way that makes him look almost childlike. “Witches brew potions. And I brewed one, that was supposed to do something else, but when I drank it, I turned into a cat.”
“So you're a witch who turned himself into a cat?”
“Accidentally!”
“What's your name?” Jungkook asks, because he needs to know how to address this man, needs to know who just took one of his only joys away by turning human again. Turning human again? This is so fucked.
“I'm Kim Taehyung, 23 years old, and I run a potions shop. Which, I've been away from it for a month, my finances must be doing terribly.” He doesn't look too worried about it, considering.
“Well, Taehyung, what exactly was the potion supposed to do? And why were you outside?”
“It, uh…” Colour slowly turns his face red, his ears even redder. Jungkook's interest is piqued. Neither of them say anything for a moment. “I was outside because I drank it outside. It was quite the chore hiding my clothes, my wallet, and my keys without anyone seeing after I transformed. Not to boast or anything, but I'm quite proud of myself.”
“What was it supposed to do?” Jungkook hopes that maybe if he keeps repeating the question he'll get a straight answer. What could honestly be so bad that the witch in his bathtub (the witch in his bathtub ) won't answer?
“I know I could have left as soon as I transformed back instead of taking a bath like a total creep, but I didn't want you to think someone came in and stole your cat. Or that it ran away or something.”
“What was it supposed to do?”
“Also, sorry about the mess of clothes, I was trying to find something that fit and looked good, but you don't have much that fits my usual style.”
“What was it supposed to do, Taehyung?”
“Oh for the love of-” He takes a breath, and Jungkook smirks. “It was supposed to make me stronger, for a short period of time.”
“And why would you need to be stronger?”
“I was trying to impress a boy.”
“That's so fucking gay,” the brunet can't help but laugh. “You turned yourself into a cat while trying to become your best gay self that's hilarious.”
“Don't laugh at me!” Taehyung slashes in outrage, but from the colour that has risen to the parts of him exposed from the water, Jungkook thinks it's more embarrassment than anything else. “He wasn't even worth it! I went up to him meowing and he ignored me! What kind of bitch doesn't pay attention to a cute cat?”
Jungkook laughs harder, he can't help it. He's so tired, and this whole situation is a mess. He wants to go to sleep.
“Maybe he hates cats?” He offers up once he's gotten his giggles under control. Taehyung glares at him from the safety of his tub.
“This isn't funny, I wasted a whole month of my life over a boy that wouldn't know a good thing if it smacked him in the face.” Taehyung is pouting now, and Jungkook inexplicably wants to give him the world and all 18 000 won he has left in his middle jar.
“Did I or did I not make your time as a cat worth it? I didn't even scold you when you broke all of my stuff!”
The flush that had left Taehyung's complexion comes back, and Jungkook feels ridiculously fond. He feels like the protagonist in a fanfiction he's read before. He feels like he's lost his mind a little.
“You're ok, I guess.” It's nothing more than a mumble, but Jungkook smiles to himself anyway. As much as he dreads to think about it, he knows Taehyung, kind of. And he knows that Taehyung has spent the last 2 weeks letting him kiss his nose and sleeping on his chest and letting him pet his head. He's so fond, already.
“You're not so bad either.”
✨
There's no way Jungkook can explain the sadness that roots itself into his chest when he sees Taehyung out. He watches him leave wearing his clothes, and it's like a pit of loneliness he didn't know resided in his heart opens up again. Like the only thing keeping it shut was Pebble, and then Taehyung, and now they're both gone.
It gets even worse when Jimin and Yoongi show up at his door an hour later, and the litter box and the bowls are gone. And he can't even begin to explain what happened to Pebble, because Taehyung made him promise not to tell anyone because he's embarrassed. He almost cries when he lies and tells them he found Pebble a better home.
“They'll be happier with someone who's home more often.” He tells them. It almost surprises him when Yoongi is the one that tears up.
“I'm gonna miss them.”
They leave soon after, because Jungkook has to go to bed and wake up early to go back to his terrible job and have absolutely nothing to look forward to all day. It scares him a little, the thought of coming back to an empty apartment. He briefly entertains the thought of going out and adopting a real cat, but he shuts that down almost immediately. He loved Pebble.
So he goes back to his Pre-Pebble Routine, except it's worse now because he's even more aware of the loneliness and sadness festering in his chest, eating away at all the good parts of him and leaving behind only the bad. He finds himself spiralling.
It starts small. He runs every other day instead of every day, he sleeps less, he puts less effort into cooking. Then he takes up more hours at the store, because he hates the place but at least he's not home alone, and he gets bigger paychecks. On his days off, even though he'd rather be anywhere but home, he lies in bed for hours and does nothing. He feels stuck, and even though he knows he's the only one to blame, he feels hopeless.
He only really feels that he's become a problem a few weeks later, when the holidays are over and his manager forces his hours down because the store is getting less traffic. He doesn't know what to do with himself, and the only thing the torment he put himself through gave him is a bit of extra cash in his middle jar. He finds himself not answering the door when Jimin or Yoongi knock, even if it would keep his mind busy for a bit. He tells himself it's okay, until he gets a strongly worded text message from Jimin.
“idk what the fuck is wrong with u but i thot we were friends?? i know ur sad abt ur cat, we all are, but that's no reason to shut us out dickface. maybe stop being a selfish bitch sometime soon, we just wanna help”
He thinks maybe the point of it is to knock some sense into him, because he knows Jimin could never think badly of him. It still takes him another week to kick himself in the ass, the message still left unanswered. He finds himself on Naver at 3 A.M., even though he has work at 8, because he can't seem to slow his brain down enough to fall asleep early anymore.
He feels stupid as he types in “potion shops in seoul”, but he hits search anyway. Only two different results pop up, the rest seems to only be people asking about the same thing. There's ‘Brewed To Perfection’ and 'Magic Shop’. He cringes at the first option and taps on the link to the second one.
The website has a space theme, the background being little doodles of potion bottles filled with what he thinks is supposed to be stardust, littered about over a recreation of the milky way. There are only 4 options he can tap on the page: Q&A, Horoscopes, Appointments, and Products. At the bottom of the page is the shop's contact information and schedule.
He feels trepidation as he notes down the address and opening hours, but he thinks that's a better feeling than the emptiness that's been crawling along his spine for the past few weeks. And if he's wrong, and that's not Taehyung's shop, then he'll try the one with the corny name. And if that isn't the one either, he'll consider getting help. But help isn’t cheap, so he really hopes one of them is right.
✨
For the next 2 days, the shop is closed by the time he finishes work. On his next day off, it's Sunday, and the shop isn't open on Sundays. He finally gets the chance to go by on the following Wednesday, and almost turns the car around 5 times before he finally reaches it. Then almost goes back to his car another 3 times once he's started walking up to the storefront. Then he walks in, and a little bell rings above his head when he makes it through the doorway.
The shop is not what he expects it to be. He had this image of a dark, cluttered place with maybe a cauldron in the center of the floor and bottles with weirdly coloured liquids strewn about the place. He doesn't expect a nice, open space with a lot of natural light streaming in, or organised shelves with cutely labeled bottles, or all of the plants placed here and there, or even the pretty crystals perched on the counter. He doesn't expect to feel welcome, and yet.
And yet he feels so warm in a place he never knew existed, like the place itself is healing him. Like the owner made this place with the specific intention of healing. He steps further in, his eyes roaming over everything they can see as he slowly walks up to the counter. The books (spell books?) lined up on the very top of the potion shelves, the cabinet of ingredients behind the counter, the chairs in the corner he thinks might be a waiting area of sorts. The whole place looks modern, looks cared for, looks alive.
It's only a few minutes before someone finally comes strutting in from the doorway he assumes leads to the backstore, and he barely curbs his disappointment when that person isn't Taehyung. He hopes his polite smile doesn't seem too forced.
“Hi, what can I help you with?” The young man greets him. His name tag reads 'Yeonjun’, and he's wearing a clean black apron at his waist over his everyday clothes. He stands with his hands in his apron pockets, and Jungkook likes the casual vibe he gets from him.
“Sorry, I was just wondering if someone named Taehyung works here?” Maybe it's weird to come into a store to inquire about a person instead of a product, but now that he's there Jungkook feels like there's a fire burning in his chest. And he feels vaguely like a creep, but he's willing to ignore that one.
“Uh,” the boy stammers, casting a glance toward the doorway he came from. He turns back to Jungkook with a curious stare. “Hyung is busy right now. Do you want to leave a message?”
Jungkook wants to say no, wants to tell Yeonjun to fetch him, or force his way into the backstore himself. He doesn't do any of that, of course, because he doesn't want to be a bother. Instead, he casts his eyes back around the store once more before responding.
“Yeah, actually. Can you tell him Jungkook stopped by? I'm not going to leave my number or anything but just let him know that if he wants to see me he can come by my place whenever, he knows when I'll be home anyway.”
He watches the boy note it down on a post-it note in clean script and then wishes him a good day before leaving. By the time he's back in his car, it starts to sink in. He knows where Taehyung is. Taehyung was just a few feet away from him, and yet he's leaving without seeing him. He's leaving it all up to Taehyung.
He hopes, against all odds, that Taehyung wants to see him too.
✨
He gets a call from a place he brought his resume to in the first week of February, and gets asked to come in for an interview. There's still no sign of Taehyung, but he hopes this is a good omen. He's in such a good mood after the call that he finally messages in the group chat he's in with Jimin and Yoongi, even though it's been dead since the week after Pebble turned into Taehyung and walked out of his life.
“i got a call back from one of the jobs i applied to”
It's a far cry from what he really wants to say, but it's been so long and he feels like just jumping into it wouldn't be right. It barely takes a minute for him to get a response, which makes him feel like shit for how long it took him to even think about sending them anything.
“so now u want to talk to us?” He can't fault Jimin for the dry tone, he has been a shit friend, but it still kind of hurts.
“i just. i'm sorry, i'm really sorry. i was in a horrible place, still kind of am, and i didn't know what to say. i still don't. i don't think there's anything i /can/ say to make up for ignoring u guys”
“just fucking talk to us man, we just wanted to check up on u”
“i'm so sorry”
“shut up and come over here before i drag u out of there by ur ears u ungrateful bastard child”
“Jimin, for fuck's sake, don't make him think we hate him.”
“srry luv u kookoo pls come over i promise i wont touch ur ears”
“omw”
✨
There's probably a law against this. If not, there should be. If Jungkook went to law school, he thinks that when he'd open up his Book Of Laws, or whatever they have in law school, one of the laws should be about this. He pictures it in his mind; Law #46: The Witch Boy You Miss Cannot Show Up At Your Door On Valentine's Day With A Cute Little Bunny Plushie Holding A Heart That Says 'I Like You A Bun-ch’. It's a very specific law, but it should be there.
He hears 3 knocks at his door sometime in the evening, when he's two episodes into a new netflix series. When he opens it, the breath is punched right out of him. Because there, at his door, finally, is Taehyung. Taehyung with his silver hair and his beautiful green eyes and the beauty mark at the tip of his nose. Taehyung with his pink lips fixed into an uncertain grin, wearing clothes that actually belong to him. Taehyung wearing a beret and a striped sweater and loose fitting pants. Taehyung with dangly earrings and rings on the fingers he has wrapped around the stuffed bunny. Taehyung looking like he's just come face to face with his favourite thing in the world and he doesn't know if he can have it yet. Taehyung .
“Taehyung?” It's more breath than actual voice, but Jungkook feels like he's just jumped off of a bridge 10 meters high only to land in freezing cold water, except it's a scorching summer day so it actually feels refreshing. He's painstakingly aware he probably looks like he just got out of bed for the first time in three days, and he struggles to remind himself that while in cat form, Taehyung has seen him in all of his states, so he has nothing to worry about. This, however, is the first time Jungkook sees Taehyung in all of his glory.
“This is, like, probably a questionable move, but I had to build up the courage so please bare with me.” Taehyung says, and Jungkook steps back in invitation. Except Taehyung doesn't budge. He rocks on his heels like he wants to, but he stays on the other side of the door. Jungkook steps closer.
“Continue.” Jungkook prompts, hope flaring in his gut. He feels it crawl up into his chest like vines, clinging onto every part of him it can to help itself climb higher.
“I like you. A bunch, as the plushie states. In fact, the whole reason I didn't come back after the whole reveal was because I like you so much and you just know me as your cat that isn't a cat anymore. And it's stupid, and I'm just rambling, but those weeks I spent with you just made me see how fucking amazing you are. So I've been sitting at home thinking about you kissing my nose and thinking about how you probably don't want to see me.” He takes a breath here, and Jungkook is shocked to see that his hands are actually shaking a little where they hold the bunny. He doesn't think about it when he reaches out his own hand and sets it where Taehyung's wrist meets his hand. He hopes the action is at least a little reassuring.
“When Yeonjun gave me your message, I wanted nothing more than to rush over here and beg you to go on a date with me. I would have, I think, if I was any less of a coward. So I'm here, now, holding this stuffed bunny because it reminded me of you, and I'm going to apologize for making you wait, but I have to ask you something first.”
“Yes, I will go on a date with you.” Jungkook rushes to say, stepping just that much closer to Taehyung.
“I'm really sorry for making you wait.”
A moment of silence, a shared breath. Jungkook reaches up with his hand and curls it behind Taehyung's neck, his other hand leaving his wrist to fist in the material of his shirt, right below his shoulder. He moves closer still.
“Will you kiss me?”
Taehyung's eyes go wide, but it's only a second later when he lets the bunny hang at his side and his left hand finds a home on Jungkook's waist.
“Yes,” he breathes.
And then they're kissing. It's soft, a little a lot shy, and Jungkook's knees go weak from it. He leans his body even closer in, and Taehyung's other hand comes up to his cheek, his thumb stroking along where he knows he has a scar. He doesn't spare a thought for the bunny plushie. They pull back, but only a second goes by before Jungkook is pulling him in again, kissing him harder and dragging him inside his apartment, so he can close the door and continue to kiss him against it. And when they make it to the couch, he kisses him again there.
He only sees the message hours later. It's from Jimin, and it reads quite simply 'fuckn get it koo’. Later, Yoongi will tell him that Jimin eavesdropped on the whole encounter, and that he cried a little. But for now, Jungkook wraps an arm around Taehyung's waist and falls asleep with his ear pressed up to his heart.
✨
“I think it's funny that you like to fall asleep to the sound of my heartbeat.”
“How come?”
“Why do you think I used to fall asleep on your chest when I was a cat?”
“Hold that thought. Say no more. I'm serious, sto-”
“It’s where I felt safest. Your heartbeat was like a lullaby to me.”
“Shut up and kiss me.”