By: @islandbreeze

"What is the purpose of chihuahuas? Like, why do they even exist?" Seokjin asks, draining the rest of his gin and tonic with a long swallow. "What is the point?"

Jungkook laughs, his cheeks a little rosy from the few beers he's had. They're nearly shouting to be heard over the loud din of the crowd in the packed bar. "Some people love them, okay? I know they're not for everybody, but believe it or not, I've met some sweet ones. They can definitely be, um... yippy, though."

Seokjin scoffs. "I'm sure they're tolerable once you've knocked them out for surgery or something. No wonder you think they're fine. I bet they're perfectly pleasant once they're unconscious."

"That's a little harsh, Jinnie," Namjoon says, choking back a laugh. Yoongi and Hoseok glance at each other with twinkling eyes and exchange a knowing look: Here comes drunk Seokjin and his uncanny ability to offend everyone in 3, 2, 1...

"I just don't understand tiny dogs in general," Seokjin says flatly. "Why haven't they gone extinct? What is their value? Why are we intervening to keep them alive?"

That captures Taehyung's attention from across the booth, and he cuts himself away from his conversation with Jimin to stare at Seokjin with his mouth hanging open. "How dare you speak that way about my precious baby—"

Seokjin throws up his hands. "I'm not talking about Yeontan. He's gained quite a bit of weight recently, if you haven't noticed. Calling him a tiny dog would be a stretch."

Taehyung reaches over and flicks Seokjin's forehead with his thumb and index finger, earning a surprised yelp.

"You're lucky I love you," he tells Seokjin, letting out a dramatic sigh before turning back to Jimin with a look on his face that clearly communicates: What the hell are we going to do with him?

Jimin just shakes his head and laughs, taking another sip of his red wine and running a hand through his hair in faux exasperation.

It's either his third or fourth glass—by this point, he can't really remember. It's rare that all seven of them have the opportunity to get together like this, and when they do, they have a tendency to let loose completely, just like old times. And letting loose—well, that's exactly what they're doing.

Seokjin completely loses his brain-to-mouth filter when he's tipsy, and after a few drinks, he'll thoughtlessly blurt out whatever string of words comes to mind. This has gotten him into more than a little bit of trouble over the years.

Each of them has a trademark quirk or habit that creeps out after they've been drinking, actually, and those are all coming out in full force this evening. Jimin gets so flirty that his friends have to supervise him carefully, and he'll always scoff and insist he's not flirting!—even as his jacket slips down to expose a bare shoulder and he's batting his eyelashes at everyone who passes by.

Taehyung becomes quiet and stoic, happy to sit and silently observe everyone else as they have a good time. Jungkook, who's usually pretty introverted, transforms into a giggly, outspoken, smiling ray of sunshine who laughs too loudly at every joke. Namjoon somehow gets even more cerebral, eager to start a debate over whatever ridiculously obscure concept he's been obsessed with that particular week. His debate partners are only sometimes willing.

As for Yoongi and Hoseok, they stick together like glue when they're drinking, tag-teaming in their efforts to ignore everyone else's unhinged, drunken shenanigans, doing their best to carry on a normal conversation.

"It's nice to have everyone here," Tae says quietly to Jimin, leaning his mouth towards Jimin's ear. It's difficult to hear him over the loud and musical sound of Jungkook cackling over something Namjoon's just said. "How long has it been? A month? Two?"

"Something like that," Jimin agrees with a nod, crossing his legs under the table as he scoots in closer to Tae in order to hear him better. "It always feels like I just saw you guys yesterday, though."

All seven of them attended the same university, and they were inseparable during their overlapping time in school. Although their careers took them down wildly different paths in life, they all ultimately ended up staying in Seoul, which really was quite a miracle, as far as the odds of maintaining adult friendships were concerned. Namjoon had temporarily left for a few years while he was still working as a reporter, but now he's writing books instead, and he's settled back down in the city.

Between the seven bodies squished together in this tiny booth, there's enough intelligence and drive to overthrow an entire government, probably. Taehyung's a free-spirited artist, quite famous in Korea, often referred to as a national treasure. Seokjin and Jimin are both university professors—Seokjin teaches history, and Jimin teaches marketing. Namjoon recently published his first novel to critical acclaim. Hoseok is a professional dancer, and Yoongi is a renowned music producer. Jungkook is a veterinarian at a local animal clinic.

With work keeping them all busy and schedules that often conflict, it can be difficult to find a mutually agreeable time that works for all seven of them to hang out. Seokjin frequently teaches night classes, and Namjoon prefers to write at night, which can make evenings difficult to coordinate. But Jimin cherishes whatever time they're able to spend together, and despite all the years that have passed since they were in school and saw each other every day, catching up like this always feels effortless.

There wasn't any particular occasion for them to hang out tonight. Usually they'd try extra-hard to make it work if it was somebody's birthday, or if one of them was celebrating something—a promotion, a new gig, a big show. But this evening was a rare and miraculous occasion: they'd made the effort, simply because it was important to them.

The bar is packed and hazy and full of rowdy, drunken groups of friends. It's not necessarily the place Jimin would have picked, had he been the one to choose. He prefers to actually be able to hear his friends during these rare opportunities to catch up, rather than being forced to shout over the drone of everyone's intoxicated yelling. But once everyone gets a few drinks in them, no one seems to mind—the volume of their conversation increases gradually, the way it tends to do, with no one really noticing as it happens.

"I saw a cat with no ears today," Jungkook announces loudly to no one in particular.

Everyone turns to gawk at him. "What?"

He nods, licking beer foam off his bottom lip. "He lost them both when he was a kitten, apparently. It's pretty typical for me to see cats with part of their ear missing, or maybe even one whole ear missing. But both gone... that is, um, a sight."

"Do you have a picture? Please tell me you have a picture," Yoongi says.

Jungkook shakes his head. "No, but just imagine, like, if an otter and a cat had a baby. An otter-cat. Honestly, it's much cuter than you would think."

"Wait. Have you seen the otter and cat on YouTube? The ones who're best friends?" Namjoon asks from across the booth, setting down his martini.

Jimin practically squeaks. "What?"

"I'd expect you, of all people, to know what I'm talking about. You don't know Sakura the otter?" Namjoon asks, a hint of disbelief in his voice. He looks around the table, and everyone just stares back at him silently. "None of you know Sakura the otter?"

Seokjin raises an eyebrow at him. "Since when do you watch cute animal videos on YouTube?"

Namjoon doesn't answer, taking a gulp of his drink. Jimin thinks he might even be blushing a bit, but it's probably just the alcohol taking its toll.

"We all have our vices," Namjoon mumbles, crossing his arms.

"I'd love it if my vices were as innocent and harmless as that one," Yoongi says, reaching over to ruffle Namjoon's hair. "I swear, you are the most adorable person I've ever met."

"I'm not adorable!"

"You are very adorable," Taehyung pipes up from across the table, a hiccup tacked on the end.

"Most adorable out of all of us, probably," Hoseok agrees with a noncommittal shrug.

"What? Stop!" Namjoon's eyes go wide. He looks horrified.

Jimin dissolves into a fit of laughter, head falling onto Tae's shoulder for a moment. He loves these silly people so, so much.

Each one of them is special to Jimin for vastly different reasons. They've formed an inseparable group, sure, but Jimin values his individual bond with each of them more than anything.

Namjoon and Seokjin have both filled a similar role in Jimin's life: doting older brothers who are way too eager to dish out life advice, always willing to listen to Jimin vent about anything at all, no matter how insignificant.

Hoseok is the sparkling ray of sunshine who never fails to cheer Jimin up if he's going through a tough time, a supportive and optimistic friend who has helped carry Jimin through some of the most difficult parts of his life.

Yoongi acts like Jimin's stern uncle, but he's not-so-secretly soft for him, bending over backwards to help him over the years whenever he's been afforded the chance. Jimin even crashed on his couch for a few weeks once, many years ago, when he had nowhere else to go.

Taehyung and Jimin are the same age, and they instantly felt an unwavering connection from the very first day they met, sitting down next to each other in a film class by sheer coincidence. Taehyung has always joked that they can communicate without speaking, but it's not really a joke. They're practically telepathic at this point.

And that leaves Jungkook.

Jimin steals a glance at him, grinning widely over his mostly-empty glass of beer.

Jungkook is Jimin's best friend in the entire world. His most important, irreplaceable person.

They've been attached at the hip for the past eight years, their friendship a lifeline through every phase of adulthood: university, navigating the world young and scared after graduation, juggling a million responsibilities while Jungkook was in vet school and Jimin was getting his MBA while working full-time.

Their circumstances have changed over and over, but their friendship has not. In the chaos of life, the unpredictability of the world, no matter how scary or uncertain things become, there is one thing Jimin has always been able to rely on: Jungkook is there for him. No matter what.

He's a constant. He's Jimin's strength, Jimin's safe place.

However, there is one tiny, slightly problematic detail about their friendship that Jungkook isn't exactly aware of—which is that Jimin is hopelessly and desperately in love with him.

Yeah. Yikes.

This isn't a new development or anything. Jimin has felt this way for as long as he can remember—six years? Seven years? He's not sure. By the time Jimin fully realized how he felt, Jungkook was already a permanent fixture in his life, the most valuable friend he had.

Jungkook was so young, then, and he never showed any indication that he might feel the same way, so Jimin pushed it aside from the beginning. It quickly became clear to Jimin just how important it was for him to keep Jungkook around—vital, really, in a way he couldn't even fully explain to himself—so the thought of potentially making things awkward and losing his friendship entirely was a risk that Jimin wasn't willing to take.

As they got older, Jimin's feelings shifted and morphed in a way he didn't expect. It really started out as a harmless crush and nothing more—one that consumed his brain, sure, but it was light and fluffy, and he could brush it aside if he really tried hard enough.

But as the years passed by, that crush matured into something bigger, something overpowering. It transformed into an all-consuming love that took up all the space in Jimin's heart.

That was a lot more difficult for him to ignore.

But for the sake of keeping Jungkook around—combined with the paralyzing fear of losing him altogether—Jimin has spent all this time loving him in silence, a weight so heavy that sometimes it feels like it'll crush his chest.

But in the end, he still has Jungkook by his side, so it's fine.

It has to be.

Jimin glances over at Jungkook again, who's sitting next to Namjoon on the other side of the booth. He's talking to Seokjin, hands waving animatedly. It seems the conversation has somehow backpedalled to Seokjin's chihuahua rant, and Jungkook is now trying to explain the importance of all dogs to human society.

He'd come straight from work, so he's still wearing his scrubs. They're navy blue and tightly fitted across his chest and arms, straining against his muscles as his arms flail around. Seokjin makes a comment under his breath that Jimin can't quite catch, and Jungkook bursts into another fit of laughter. The sound is musical and contagious and one of Jimin's favorite things in the entire world.

"Hey, listen up," Taehyung announces loudly, meaningfully raising his voice and tapping on his glass to get everyone's attention. "I know this is super last-minute notice, but I found out I'm actually being included in that gallery opening tomorrow night—the one I thought was gonna fall through. Can any of you come? Please? I need someone to shoot the shit with. You know how much I hate these things."

"Ah, Taehyungie, I would never desert you in your time of need," Seokjin says, a little louder than is probably appropriate, waving his cocktail glass around perilously. "Also, since when do I ever have plans on Friday night? I have no social life whatsoever. You already know this."

Taehyung smiles, reaching over and gently pushing Seokjin's hand (and glass) back down towards the table.

"I can probably make it, too," Namjoon says, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I have a lot of writing I need to get done tomorrow, but as long as I can manage to finish it on time, I'll be there."

"I'm sorry," Jungkook chimes in quietly. A lock of long blonde hair falls down onto his forehead as he turns to look at Taehyung. "I thought it wasn't happening anymore, so I made other plans. I can cancel, though, if it's really important—"

"What? No!" Taehyung cuts him off, raising a hand. "You don't need to cancel your plans. Are you hanging out with Jimin?" He glances over at Jimin, and Jimin just shakes his head.

"No. I actually... um." Jungkook pauses for a second. He looks kind of nervous. Taehyung raises an eyebrow suspiciously.

There's a moment of confusing silence.

"Are you finally going to get your mysterious rash checked out?" Yoongi deadpans.

That breaks the tension. Seokjin is thoroughly amused, slapping the table and wheezing out his windshield-wiper laugh.

"I hate you," Jungkook says sweetly. "No. I'm... going on a date, actually."

Jimin chokes on his wine mid-sip, coughing loudly. Taehyung glances over, alarmed, and slaps him on the back.

"You're what?" Jimin asks weakly, uncomfortably aware of the way everyone is staring at him, including Jungkook.

"Yeah. Sorry, I wasn't trying to keep it a secret or anything. I just didn't want to say anything about it, because I didn't want to... jinx it, I guess? But I've started going out with this guy. We've gone on two dates already."

"Watch out, world! Jungkookie has officially entered the market," Seokjin announces loudly, whooping and waving his glass around again. A little bit of his drink sloshes onto the table.

Jimin barely registers the words. His hearing has gone fuzzy. He thinks he might be sick, actually.

"That's great, Kook," Hoseok says. "It's been a long time. I'm glad you're putting yourself out there. Good for you. Who's this guy?"

"His name is Seojoon," Jungkook says. "He's a lawyer. A few years older than me."

"A lawyer!" Taehyung whistles. "Wow, Kookie. Please don't cancel your date with Mr. Lawyer Man on my behalf. I don't think I would ever recover from the guilt."

"Okay. So, obviously, he's rich. But is he hot?" Seokjin asks, resting his chin on his hands like an excited child.

Jungkook laughs, quiet and shy. He runs a hand through his hair. "I mean... yeah?"

"That's not important," Namjoon insists, gently shoving Seokjin's shoulder. "Is he treating you well? Does he pay when he takes you out? Do you feel safe around him?" Namjoon sounds like an overbearing dad.

Jungkook nods, smiling a little. "Yeah. I really like him."

"Jimin's being awfully quiet," Seokjin announces loudly from across the table. Taehyung shoots him a wordless glare, quick enough that Jimin could have easily missed it—and he prays that everyone else actually did miss it.

"Oh, I'm not—" Jimin stumbles over the words, clearing his throat. It feels like his heart is being tightly squeezed by a fist. "I'm not trying to be. That's great, Jungkook. I'm—I'm happy for you."

Jungkook smiles and lets out a little puff of air, but he seems to be having difficulty meeting Jimin's eye. Jimin would typically wonder why, but he's too busy being actively consumed by the desire to hurl himself off a cliff.

He should have known that this would happen. Eventually.

But now that it's here, he isn't ready for it at all.

Despite how long he and Jungkook have been friends, Jungkook has never actually been in a serious relationship. This... whatever this is, Jimin has never been forced to deal with it. Sure, there have been hookups here and there, a few casual flings that Jimin desperately tried to avoid hearing details about, but never a boyfriend.

Jungkook always took his academics very seriously, and during vet school, he said he didn't have time to date. Which was true—he barely had time for anything. Once he graduated and started working as a vet, he threw himself and his whole heart into his career, and he never really seemed to care about putting himself out there. He'd never even downloaded a dating app—at least not to Jimin's knowledge.

So this is new. This dating thing. And Jimin knows that he should be happy for him, that he should want him to be happy...

But right now it just feels like he's been knifed in the gut.

"Gotta pee," Jimin mumbles, nudging Taehyung to slide out of the booth and let him out. Taehyung eyes him warily for a brief moment, then slips out of his seat so Jimin can get up.

Jimin barely feels his legs under him as he makes his way to the restroom, taking a few deep breaths as he squeezes through the crowd of people in the middle of the bar. When he pushes open the door and it swings closed behind him, the sudden silence is deafening. All he can hear is Jungkook's voice, replaying in his mind, over and over:

I'm... going on a date, actually.

Jimin stares at himself in the mirror. Despite the alcohol coursing through his veins, which would usually leave him looking a little flushed, he looks pale. He runs both hands through his blonde hair, pushing it off his face, meeting his own gaze in the reflection and letting out a deep sigh.

Overall, he thinks he looks relatively composed, which is a relief. The last thing he wants to do is tip Jungkook off about his feelings. Especially not now.

The bathroom door swings open and Jimin jumps a little, startled by the sound. It's Taehyung.

"Hey," he says. "I came to check on you."

"Thanks," Jimin mumbles. He feels a little embarrassed, even though he knows there's no reason to be. He just doesn't like it when people pity him.