Work Text:
Home.
A concept that seemed to evade you all your life. Was it the place you were was born in? Was it the countries that you grew up in? Was it the place you’re staying in now? Or maybe, you should just be calling the place her family hailed from as “home”? But it never really felt right.
This feeling of displacement, of living on the fringes – the feeling of not quite a local but not exactly a foreigner either – was something you learned to live with.
“Eh? That’s interesting. Somehow… I am envious!” People would often say that whenever you would answer the tedious question of “Where are you from?” You’d often wonder how genuine people are when they’d say that. In a way, it makes you feel like a pitiful, poor thing with no place or culture to call your own.
But it wasn’t as if growing up this way did not come with its own perks.
Confidence (or at least, what resembles it) became a requirement. You even learned to pick up a few languages, fancying yourself a linguaphile. So that no matter who you’ll face, you would be equipped to welcome them and converse with them even for a tiny bit.
So why was it that when you met him, the only words you managed to say (in broken Korean, no less) after spotting his Super Mario wallpaper was “Ah—ah, Mario! Close your eyes and listen.”
‘Like what the fuck, who would say that to someone they had JUST met?’ You would berate herself and scrunched up her face whenever you’d think back to that moment and slap your forehead the morning after. Just how much did you have to drink?!
But Jin did it anyway, willing to humor you. The next thing he heard was that familiar sound effect when Mario jumps in the game… except this time it’s closer and… it’s coming from you?
He opened his eyes to see you jumping (totally unnecessary since it doesn’t really do anything for the sound to come through) with your fingers on your nose as you kept on creating the sound over and over. As Mario would when jumping or punching up a box to gain all its coins.
“Cool! Teach me how!” He manages to say in between his laughter and his clapping.
Oh thank God, he recognized it! That would have been really embarrassing and awkward if he hadn’t.
Ever so brave in the face of stupidity, you taught him of course! It led to both of you jumping around, creating the darn noise like fools, and annoying the other members (although Taehyung and Hoseok did join in, too, much to the dismay of Yoongi) and everyone else all throughout the small party.
Somewhere in the corner of the room, a different pair was watching and judging them from a far.
“I told you they’d get along well,” said the female. Her fears of her dear friend, you, being too starstrucked to even communicate with the idols gone. Namjoon can only nod his head in agreement, amused at the silly antics.
“Hajima!” Jimin finally calls an end to it.
In the midst of a busy work day, a familiar ding got you in a panic. A notification that reads @bts_twts followed you. You immediately dropped what you’re doing and fumbled to send him a text message.
Don’t follow me on Twitter!
Why not? You liked and retweeted all my tweets. ;)
Not everything!
Yeah, but especially the ones with my face?
Oops, you were hoping it would be drowned in the sea of notifications the boys get every second. You tapped her fingers on the desk, unsure of what to do next.
You also accidentally retweeted one instead of sending it to your friend. I believe it said something about “Hi baby of mine”? But Google Translate wasn’t too accurate.
‘Well, fuck.’ You caved.
I guess I’m just going to turn my account into a BTS fan account now.
Why?
Your fans will kill me! I’m super nugu. Why would their faves be following someone like me?!
You’re funny!
You don’t even understand half of what I tweet.
I don’t have to understand it completely to know you’re funny.
What do you know about humor? You only know dad jokes and puns, anyway!
I’ll make it up to you, if you want. Come over to our place after cheer practice. I’ll cook for you.
…I’ll be there. I like japchae, so make it plenty.
Aye, aye ma’am!
You sighed and felt a certain giddiness as you set your phone aside. Was this… excitement? No, but the boy just means trouble. Well you have just been posting nothing but self-deprecating tweets, your cats, and… wait, was the mis-retweet even real?! You scrambled for your phone to check to send a message to your flatmate, the one who miraculously linked you and the boys together.
Yo, it seems like I won’t be having dinner at our place tonight.
Oooh! Got plans?
Not much. Just have to meet some dork up for some noodles. :p
Alright. Seems like I have to meet another dork later, too. Haha!
Maybe home isn’t necessarily a place. Maybe it can be found in a person…
‘Oh the things I do for free food. God, I’m so broke.’ You rationalized in your head on the way to the boys’ apartelle, not too convinced yourself. You can only imagine how your friend would react if you tell her this. “Just for food, hmm? Suuure.”
But it’s true—you had only started working in Hong Kong a month ago and you have yet to make enough money to buy proper food for yourself… ish. Kind of.
So elated with the free homecooked meal, you can’t help but make happy noises when you took a bite of his cooking.
Jin laughed. “Good?” he gave you a thumbs up and you nodded, scarfing the big serving down happily.
Then, there was… silence.
You didn’t mind it one bit until you caught him staring at you. “What?” you managed to ask in between mouthfuls.
“Are you this silent when you eat?”
“I like to focus on my food. As part of my respects to the chef,” you winked and clasped her hands together and bowed.
He laughed and let you eat in peace.
Oh yeah, “Eat!” you commanded (well isn’t that a running theme?) and you offered your plate to him. “You must be so hungry after your dance practice.”
He waved it away and pushed it back. “No thanks, I already ate before you got here. I don’t think I would have been able to cook The Best Jap Chae for you if I hadn’t. Have to be in top condition, you see.”
Jin flexed his arm and gave his biceps a pat. A move that only earned him a stare of disbelief from the person across him.
You eventually shrugged it off and continued eating. Your friend did say that Jin in reality can be… quite cheesy and corny when he finally gets comfortable around people. Good thing he’s a good cook, so good you involuntarily danced a little wiggle in her seat when you resumed eating.
Which of course he notices and chuckles at. You would be feeling self-conscious by now but hunger is winning you over.
“You know, you can be a mukbang star. Then, you wouldn’t be so nugu.”
Taking it in playful offense, you were ready to argue with him when his phone rang with a call from his manager. He gave you an apologetic look as he answers.
From what you can tell, there were changes in the boys’ schedule for tomorrow and they have to regroup at an earlier call time. “Don’t worry hyung, I’ll make sure I won’t be going out or staying up too late tonight.”
He turned his head to look back at you, eyes questioning, as if you wouldn’t mind if you cut your time together short or if you mind just staying in. Eitherway, it sounds good to you so with a shrug, you gave him a nod, mouth stuffed with glass noodles.
Jin smiled and wiped a stray piece of noodle on your cheek with his thumb as he ended his phone call.
‘Crap. Is this alright?’ You thought.
There was a charged moment in the air. No doubt from what he had just done. You kept your head down and your eyes trained to your plate. Who knows what could happen if you were to meet his eyes?
Your gaze trailed to his phone where you were his latest contact open.
“What the—why is that my contact image?” You can’t help but react at the photo of a round and pink Kirby from his beloved Super Mario series.
“Because Kirby is cute! And pink, like you are right now.”
“Oh so you want to play it that way, ha!” You take out your own phone in an effort to change his own contact details to a... uhh, what exactly?
“You’ll be Goomba on my phone!”
You went to search for a photo of the brown mushroom looking thing and set it down on the table for the image to load.
He takes it swiftly, wondering out loud “What do you have me saved as in your phone?”
Alarmed by the possibility that he might see his contact detail as ❤ THAT DORK JIN ❤ (God, why must you be soo cheesy, too?) you bolted from your seat and came closer in an attempt to reclaim your phone.
But of course, he was too tall and his limbs too long and he was no match no matter how much you tried. You kept jumping up in an effort to reach his hand, not noticing that you two have already backed yourselves up to the kitchen counter and were... so close…
So close that you can feel his breath on your forehead when he laughs at your antics. So close that you can feel the planes of his chest, and if you wanted to, use his wide shoulder to hoist yourself up to give him a peck on the lips. A thought that kept you rooted in your spot.
“Aah, I see… Heart That Dork Jin heart huh?”
‘He’s enjoying this.’
Jin looks away from your phone to gaze down at you. ‘He is so close.’ But he didn’t mind it one bit. He took his other arm and placed it behind your back, pulling you closer and leaned in.
Maybe… home is the warmth and tenderness you felt then when their lips touched yours the first time?
“Hmm, my jap chae does taste good,” he said softly when you finally separated.
Flushed and in disbelief of what just happened – and that is what he has got to say, really?! – you slapped his chest and hid your head in-between his arms.
“I can’t like you,” your voice came out muffled from his chest.
“Why not?” He humoured you.
“You…you’re prettier than me!” You finally looked up and pouted. ‘It just wasn’t fair!’
He laughed heartily, arms coming around to envelope you in an embrace.
Both content to just stay in that position for a while.
And they did.
Until he broke the silent with a whisper.
“You smell like jap chae.”
“So do you, you idiot!”
You gave him a playful shove to break away from the embrace. ‘Way to ruin the moment, Kim Seokjin!’
But he grabs your arm, ready to pull you back in.
When another voice rang into the apartelle.
“OH JIN HYUNG, WHAT’S COOKING?!”
The two broke away in panic as Hoseok and Jungkook enter the kitchen.
“So Super Mario, right?” You managed to speak out, back turned away from the intruders.
It took a while, but these days, you believe that home isn’t an address but it’s when you are around another person.
Home is the man with broad shoulders playing a silly tune on his guitar in hopes of making you sing even if you told him many times before. You can’t sing in Korean!
Home is the look of absolute joy in his face when you finally understood his puns – and heck, start making them punny jokes yourself, too.
He may always be away, on his extensive world tours, and you may always be busy with your own work and career ahead of you. But you two will always find your way home, back in each other’s arms where you belong.
Finally, you found your home.