Archive of Our Own ^beta

"Welcome to Jadehaven — Where Your Roots Run Deep."

The last thing Jungkook expected after making the decision to return home after years, was for the welcome sign to punch him in the gut. As he drove past lanes that have never changed, he felt the anxiety that was once calm in his mind, slowly awakened.  

Shifting his car into park just outside his childhood home, the engine ticked as it cooled. The house looked smaller than he remembered. Paint peeling on the porch, his mother's flower beds overrun with weeds. Time hadn't been kind to it. Or to her. 

Jungkook stepped out, boots crunching on the gravel as he walked the path up to his home. The summer heat clung to him like a second skin, and the silence of the town pressed on thick and heavy. It was too quiet—too... familiar.

The front door opened before he could knock. 

His mother stood in the doorway, leaning heavily on a cane. Her face aged, and thinned out. But her eyes were still sharp.

"You look tired," her eyes trailed him from head to toe.

"You look...alive," he muttered, immediately regretting the words as it left his mouth. So much for a fresh start.

They shared a long, awkward stare before she stepped aside. 

"Come in, Jungkook."

The inside was exactly how he remembered it—and that was the problem. Same beige walls. Same faint smell of cigarette smoke embedded in the wallpaper. Same dining table he used to flip during his fights with his father. He swallowed the hard lump in his throat. 

His mother didn't hug him. He didn't expect her to. They weren't that kind of family. 

"I made up your old room," she said. "The cat's been living in it, though. A stray I started feeding."

He raised a brow. "You? Letting an animal stay inside?"

She shrugged. "It gets cold at night."

That night, as Jungkook laid on his childhood bed, listening to the distant chirp of crickets and the hum of memories, he wasn't sure what was worse—being here, or how much it felt like he never left.

The next morning, the cat scratched him. Hard.

"You little shit," Jungkook hissed, holding his bleeding hand. "That's it, you're going to the vet."

Grabbing the cat by its scruff, Jungkook swiftly grabbed a towel off the hook and bundled it. Setting the bundled cat on his pillow, Jungkook stared at it for a moment, and he was reminded of his younger self that once felt trapped and helpless like it was, and the only escape was aggression. 

With a soft sigh, Jungkook freshened up in record time, keeping an eye on the cat to make sure it didn't try to escape, but it seemed to have calmed down enough to just glare at Jungkook with its beady eyes.

Carrying the bundled cat downstairs, he was greeted by a stack of toast and pot of coffee on the dining table and his mother nibbling on a crust, magazine in hand. 

“Morning,” Jungkook greeted. Settling the bundled cat on the table. 

Eyeing the cat, Jungkook’s mother raised a brow. “Good morning.”

“It scratched me, gonna take it to the vet. Get a jab or something.” Jungkook told her. Snagging a toast and stuffing it in its mouth before picking the cat up again. 

As he left the house, he half expected his mother to stop him or say something, but she remained silent and Jungkook chose to ignore the emptiness. 

The vet clinic hadn't changed either—white walls, cheerful posters, a bell that jingled too loud when the door opened. Jungkook steps in, cradling a very pissed-off tabby in a towel.

And there he was.

Park Jimin. 

Hair a little longer, then brown now blonde. Bright eyes that narrowed slightly in recognition. Dressed in blue scrubs, a stethoscope around his neck, crouched beside a golden retriever. 

Jungkook felt like the floor tilted beneath him.

"Well. Look who the cat dragged in." Jimin nodded in greeting.

Jungkook opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.

The cat hissed again, reminding Jungkook of its presence causing Jungkook to wince.

Jimin sighed and stood up. "Let me guess. Unneutered male, bad attitude, lashes out when cornered."

Jungkook blinked. "You mean the cat, right?"

Jimin gave him a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Sure."

Jungkook sat awkwardly in the waiting room while Jimin took the cat into the back. The walls were plastered with animal photos, adoption flyers, and a picture of Jimin smiling with a German Shepherd. If Jungkook stared at that one longer than he should have, nobody needed to know.

Ten minutes later, Jimin returned, wiping his hands on a towel.

"He'll be fine," he said. "It's nothing some antibiotics and a warning label can't fix."

Jungkook stood. "Thanks. For not...throwing me out."

Jimin arched his brow. "Why would I do that?"

Scratching his neck, "High school. You know. The whole...me being a dick thing." Jungkook awkwardly muttered.

Jimin was quiet for a beat. "That was a long time ago."

"Doesn't mean it didn't matter."

Jimin didn't answer. Instead, brushing past Jungkook to the front desk. "You can pay up here."

Outside, Jungkook stood by his car, cradling the cat carrier. His heart felt like a cracked jar of marbles—noisy, messy, and liable to break further. 

He had a lot of work to do if he wanted to make amends and start over. And it started with more than just saying sorry. It also didn't help that he felt like a hormonal teenager all over again after meeting Jimin. 

Back at home, he was greeted by yet another sight that seemed unusual for his mother. She was on a rocking chair by the window knitting what looked like a sweater for the cat. The mother he remembered would've never had the patience to do something like knitting, let alone for a cat. 

"Thought you would return home without the cat." His mother said as soon as he walked through the door.

Setting the carrier down, he released the cat that instantly jumped out and dashed onto the cat tower placed beside his mother's chair. 

"I wouldn't dare," Jungkook chuckled, discovering more cat paraphernalia strewn about the living room. "It seemed to have been keeping you company when I wasn't around."

His mother hummed, reaching a hand to pat the cat. "I named him Brute, he reminded me of you when I found him. Angry and skittish."

Jungkook sat on the couch opposite her, watching as the cat, Brute, rubs his head all over his mother's hand. 

"You could say I was rather shocked and surprised when you called to say you wanted to come home."

"I could tell," Jungkook scoffed, "you were rather...reluctant? At least it sounded like that."

His mother shook her head. "I wasn't reluctant, but after your father left, then you, I was alone and had a lot of time on my hands to come to terms with how our family just...fell apart."

"I'm sorry." Jungkook felt like that was the only thing he could say. 

"It's not your fault. If anything, I should be the one apologising for failing you." His mother leaned forward, reaching for his hand. "I'm glad that you're home. I hope you give me the chance to start over and be a mother, a mother who will support you, defend you and always have your back."

Sniffling, Jungkook held his mother's hand tight. "I'm sorry too, for being a bad son. For not staying when it mattered the most. I too hope you give me a chance to be a better son."

"Silly boy, you were never a bad son. You were a product of your environment. But you're home now and that's all that matters."

Jungkook couldn't hold back the wet chuckle that left him. "I love you, mom." He reached over and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

"And I, you."

Brute, feeling like none of the attention was on him, meowed loudly before jumping onto Jungkook's lap and made himself comfortable.

Jungkook's mother laughed, "Guess Brute likes you too."

Though the exterior of the animal shelter looked like it hadn't seen a renovation in decades, the inside was full of life. Barking dogs, mewling kittens, and a few volunteers bustling about, but what caught Jungkook's attention was Jimin, crouched next to a puppy with a cast, cooing. 

Jungkook had heard through a grapevine (his mother) that the shelter was always looking for extra hands. Jungkook on the other hand, needed to prove to himself that he could do something good here. Stepping in after a moment of hesitation, Jungkook cleared his throat to get Jimin's attention. "Need help?"

Jimin looked up, a fleeting look of surprise passing his face before it schooled to an impassive mask. "You're volunteering?"

Jungkook nodded. "Unless there's an application process and a background check for jerks."

A pause. Then a tiny quirk. "Come on, you can start with the litter boxes," Jimin directed, ignoring the snickers from the other volunteers.

The hours passed in quiet cooperation between him, Jimin and the other volunteers. Jimin kept his distance, but occasionally offered tips when he noticed Jungkook struggling with the more tedious stuff the other volunteers had enlisted to Jungkook as the newbie. 

"Jungkook, before you leave, do you mind going to the store room to get a new bag of dry food for both the cats and dogs?" Hajoon, one of the long-term volunteers, asked.

Setting down the dog crates he was tasked to clean, "Sure thing, hyung." Jungkook smiled, suppressing a tired sigh.

"You're a darling, Jungkook. Jimin's already there, he just needs a hand since it's pretty unorganised. That adds another task on the to-do list." Hajoon informed, as he carried the crates Jungkook cleaned to a corner. 

Jungkook sighed as stared at Hajoon's back. It doesn't come as a surprise that most of the 'kids' he grew up with had already left, wanting to start anew in the city while some, like Jimin, had chosen to stay behind with their families. But there were none like him who willingly chose to return home. In the six hours of volunteering, Jungkook learned the names of the other two volunteers and what they did when they weren't volunteering. 

Hajoon moved to Jadehaven seeking a change of environment after working in a private hospital for 14 years and never looked back. Macy, the joy of the group and a real spitfire, was Jimin's assistant in the veterinary clinic. She came to Jadehaven to look after an ailing grandfather but stayed even after he passed. Both Hajoon and Macy were the nicest to him. Probably because they didn't know of his history here. 

Unlike Jimin, who only spoke to him when necessary.

Navigating his way to the storeroom, Jungkook sees Jimin standing by the door, hands on his hips with an unimpressed look on his face. 

"What took you so long?" Jimin asked.

"Sorry." 

"Whatever, you're here now." Jimin waved a hand, then moved aside pointing to a box on the top shelf in the room, "Do you think you can get that down without a step stool?"

Jungkook looked around and saw a bunch of random stuff scattered around, leaving a mess in the storeroom with barely any space to move. Checking the shelves, it didn't seem that high up and maybe with a gentle tug on the corner of the box and tippy toes, he should be able to get it down.

Shuffling around till he got his footing, Jungkook reached up and tugged. The last thing he expected was for the box to be light, falling right off the shelf and toppling him backwards.

"Jungkook!" Jimin yelped, reaching forward to try and help him.

Crashing to the floor on top of all the scattered mess, Jungkook groaned. 

Taking the box of dried kibble from Jungkook's hands, Jimin reached out a hand to help Jungkook up. "Hey, are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"

"I'm fine." Jungkook grunted, taking Jimin's offered hand. "I didn't damage anything, did I, when I fell?"

Looking at him incredulously, "What? No, I don't know. Are you crazy?" Jimin spluttered. 

Jungkook shruged, looking at the mess around him. "Uhm, I think I'll stay back to clean up the mess." 

Scoffing, Jimin just stared at him in disbelief. Shaking his head. "Sure, I mean, we do need it cleaned up. But you can also do it tomorrow."

"I'll do it tonight." Jungkook asserted.

"Suit yourself. Don't forget to close up the shelter like I briefed you earlier once you're done." Picking up the box he set down earlier to help Jungkook, Jimin gave him a parting nod as he turned to leave, "Have a good night Jungkook."

"You too, Jimin." Jungkook replied, watching as Jimin turned a corner and disappeared from his sight. With a sigh, he turned back to the mess of a storeroom and rolled up his sleeves. It was going to be a long night. 

That night, a thunderstorm rolled in quick and loud, lightning streaking across the sky like cracked glass.

Jungkook had been locking up the animal shelter after checking up on the animals for the last time when the power started to flicker.

"I saw the lights flickering from the clinic, thought you might need some help." Jimin appeared beside him, soaked from the rain. 

Jungkook blinked. "You're drenched."

"Yeah, well...the weather didn't RSVP." Jimin shrugged. 

Outside, a flash of light lit up the night sky and a resounding boom followed right after. A soft crack as the power went out, emergency lights buzzing on.

"Looks like we're stuck here for a while," Jungkook sighed, as he unlocked the door to retreat back inside the animal shelter to hide from the rain. "You coming?"

Jimin seemed to consider his options for a moment before he ultimately chose to step inside. 

As the storm howled outside, they sat in the small break room, Jimin wrapped himself in blankets he pulled out from the storage closet that smelled like mothballs, shielding himself from the cold after getting caught in the rain.

They had an old flashlight and a few candles on the desk between them illuminating the small space.

Jungkook stared at the flickering shadows on the wall, and something compelled him to reveal his deepest darkest secret into the quiet space blanketing them.

"I love it when it storms. They used to drown out the yelling."

From the corner of his eye, Jungkook noticed Jimin turn to look at him but he resolutely kept his eyes on the flickering shadows.

"I never hated you. I was angry at myself. I hated how I could never stand up for myself with my father, how I always had to just stand there and accept whatever torment he chose for my mother and I. Then there you were, so unapologetically kind and always willing to help. You were relentless in trying to help me. I never wanted to hurt you, but you never gave up." Jungkook scoffed, shaking his head. 

"I thought if I told you to get lost, you would, but you didn't."

"So you bullied me to scare me away." Jimin whispered, coming to a realisation. 

Jungkook nodded. "I'm sorry."

"You were cruel." Jimin tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

"I'm sorry," Jungkook hung his head, closing his eyes. "There's nothing I can say that will take away what I did to you, but I want you to know that I'm sorry. You didn't deserve the way I treated you. Or anyone else for that matter."

Jimin shook his head. "No, I did not. But thank you for being honest and sincere."

"I'm getting therapy. Once a week. Doesn't make me a saint, but I'm trying to be better." Jungkook sighed.

A beat.

Then Jimin reached over, took the flashlight off the table and pointed it straight at Jungkook's face.

"Still ugly."

Jungkook laughed. It cracked open something deep.

Jimin set the flashlight back down, softer now. "I believe you're trying, doesn't mean I know what to do with that yet."

"I don't need you to forgive me tonight, I just wanted you to know that I regret my actions and know that I'm trying to change." Jungkook paused. "And I wanted to take up your friendship offer from high school... if you'd let me."

Jimin studied him, eyes full of undecipherable emotion. "Do you want to know why I never stopped trying despite everything?"

Jungkook nodded, unsure of what Jimin would reveal. 

"I liked you," Jimin confessed. "I liked you so much that I didn't care that the only attention you gave me was in the form of something that brought me so much pain. I told myself that I was being stupid, that I should hate you, and never forgive you if you came back." 

"But now that you're back, I—," laughing incredulously, Jimin shook his head. "I feel stupid that I still like you."

Jungkook hung his head, waiting for Jimin to continue.

"I need some time." Jimin told him, "I need time to think about everything. I feel like I should let you suffer with the uncertainty, even just a little while."

"Truce?" Jimin puts out a hand.

Taking Jimin's hand in his, Jungkook gave it a firm shake. "Truce. But know that I won't stop trying. If there's anything you should know about me, it's that I'm very stubborn."

Jimin chuckled wetly, squeezing Jungkook's hand. "Of course you are. Like mother and son right? Your mother refused my parent's help after you and your dad left, stubborn as a mule."

Outside, the storm was still raging, but inside the silence settled, gentler this time.

The morning after the storm, the town was damp and quiet, puddles glinting in the sunlight. They had left the shelter as soon as the rain simmered, seeking the warmth of their home before the rain started back up. 

After Jungkook revealed to his mother his whereabouts last night, he was ushered out the house with two flasks of coffee in hand. When he arrived at the animal shelter, a tentative hope curled in his chest.

Jimin was already there, drying towels. Their eyes met. Not awkward or scared this time. Just...different.

"Hi," Jungkook offered.

"Hey," Jimin replied softly.

Jungkook held out a coffee flask. "Peace offering or bribery, depending on your mood. Hot coffee."

Jimin took the flask with a surprise smile. "I'll let you know after the first sip."

They stood there for a moment, sipping in silence.

"I was thinking about last night," Jungkook started, rubbing the back of his neck. "I would like to be your friend, the right way, no matter how long it takes. Even if it starts with towel duty and litter boxes."

Jimin huffed a laugh, looking down at his coffee. "You're really bad at this."

"Devastatingly bad," Jungkook agreed. "But I'm learning."

Jimin looked up at him, his gaze steady. "Let's start with towels."

There were no grand gestures. No big confessions. Just the ease of a shared space. Something fragile, but growing. 

Volunteering with Jimin became routine. Jungkook learned names—of animals, of people, of Jimin's favourite snacks. He helped organise crates, repaired broken fences and leaking roofs, and listened when Jimin talked about future plans for the clinic. 

"Did you always know you wanted to be a vet?" Jungkook asked as they stacked dog food in the storeroom.

Jimin glanced up from his clipboard. "Not always. I just knew I wanted to help those that couldn't help themselves. Animals made more sense than people."

Jungkook chuckled. "Makes sense. I probably would've been less of a jerk in high school if I had a dog instead of unresolved rage."

"Still carrying that guilt around, huh?" Jimin smirked.

"It keeps me humble." 

They laughed more. Teased, sometimes. But beneath it all was something unspoken and steady. 

Jungkook was no longer just another face from the past. He felt like he was now becoming someone worthy to be in Jimin's life. 

A couple days later, an opportunity came up that would move Jungkook a step further in his plan to become Jimin's friend. 

"Jungkook!" Macy waved him over to the vet counter.

Jungkook nodded to her and Jimin as a greeting, "What's up?"

Macy nudged Jimin, urging him to speak, but Jimin remained tight-lipped, causing Macy to groan dramatically.

"Jimin needs someone to accompany him this weekend to a vet conference held a town over, but I can't go because I need to look after the clinic, Hajoon, the shelter and Jihyun, Jimin's younger brother has class. Leaving you our only option, and Jimin is too shy to ask." Macy spewed. 

"I am not shy." Jimin growled, crossing his arms. A pout visible. 

Jungkook let out a soft laugh under his breath, "My only obligation is volunteering at the shelter and checking in with my mother. So if Jimin doesn't mind, then I don't either."

Jimin met Jungkook's eyes, and it felt like time stopped for a moment. If Jimin was searching for something, he probably found it.

"Thank you. Sorry if it's really abrupt." Jimin muttered.

Jungkook cocked his head, noting that Jimin seemed anxious. "Why won't you go alone, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It's a one-day thing, but it gets really hectic. A lot of paperwork and panels, but I'm only one man, so I need help," Jimin told him.

Jungkook nodded, "Got it, so I assume I'll be helping with the paperwork?"

"Yep. We'll leave the day after tomorrow, bright and early. We'll be back the same day after the conference, only a night's stay at the provided hotel." Jimin nodded.

"Sounds fun to me," Jungkook grinned, excited to spend the weekend with Jimin. 

That night after arriving home, Jungkook couldn't wait to tell his mother of the news.

"Mom, guess where I'm going?"

Jungkook's mother raised her head from her knitting, "Where, son?"

Plopping onto the couch opposite her, Jungkook smiled widely. "I'm going to the neighbouring town the day after tomorrow. With Jimin."

Setting down her knitting project, Jungkook's mother raised a brow. Eyeing him in unbridled curiosity.

"He needed someone to accompany him to the vet conference." Jungkook offered, knowing his mother was possibly dying to know. 

Scoffing, Jungkook's mother picked her knitting back up and continued as if Jungkook hadn't disrupted her. "You were just like your father when we were courting," She told him, a slight melancholy in her voice.

Leaning forward, "Was he a good man?" Jungkook asked.

Jungkook's mother paused, "He was. I wouldn't have married him otherwise. But alcohol and gambling changed him in ways I could never have imagined." She confessed. 

Jungkook fiddled with his fingers, "Can I ask, why didn't you leave? Why did we stay?" 

"I prayed everyday that things would get better. But sometimes, we can't have too much hope. There were good days, but unfortunately, it never trumped the bad." She told him. "I was waiting for the day he would leave when I stopped caring and he did, but only after destroying our family."

Tilting his head back and closing his eyes, "Do you know where he is now?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't and I don't want to know either. Some things are better left in the past."

Jungkook nodded in agreement. "Yeah, thanks for telling me, mom."

"You deserve to know." Jungkook's mother smiled warmly.

Sighing, Jungkook stood up. "I'm gonna get ready for bed now."

She nodded, "Have a good night, Jungkook."

"You too, mom. I love you." Jungkook replied.

"I love you too, son."

Soon, the day Jungkook had been excitedly counting down had arrived. Jungkook had gotten up early to make a quick run to a florist and bakery before he headed over to the vet to pick Jimin up.

"Morning, hyung." Jungkook greeted with a bright smile as he stepped into the veterinary.

Jimin looked up from his files and noticed the bouquet of sunflowers in Jungkook's arms and a bag from his favourite bakery in town.

It only took him another second to notice another thing. "Did you just call me hyung?" Jimin asked him, surprise coloured his tone.

Jungkook just stared back at him, wide-eyed. "Uhm, is that okay?"

Desperate to take the attention off himself, Jungkook thrust the bouquet of flowers and bag of baked goods into Jimin's arms. "I got these for you." Jungkook chuckled nervously, clearing his throat. 

"How did you know I liked sunflowers?" Jimin asked him suspiciously, setting down the bouquet and peering into the bag of baked goods. "And croissants?" 

"Uhm," Jungkook cleared his throat again, "Coincidence?"

Jimin narrowed his eyes in suspicion and maybe he decided to not give Jungkook a hard time, he let it go. Choosing to take a bite out of the croissant instead and humming in delight.

"So, is it uhm, good?" Jungkook asked nervously. 

Jimin shrugged, feigning indifference. "I mean, our town's baker never misses."

Huffing, Jungkook shook his head. "Well, when you're ready, we can start our drive. I'll wait for you in the car."

Turning his back to Jimin, Jungkook missed the fleeting glance of longing that Jimin sent his way. 

It seemed like the universe was looking out for Jungkook. Though the drive to their neighbouring town was uneventful with Jimin sleeping most of the way, there was a mix up in the hotel reservations when they arrived that weekend. 

One room.

One bed. 

Jimin stared at the hotel clerk in disbelief. "You're sure there's no other rooms?"

"We're fully booked for the conference. Sorry for the inconvenience. You will be refunded for the extra room." The clerk bowed apologetically.

"It's fine. We've spent the night together before, remember the night when we waited out the storm?" Jungkook winked, amused.

Jimin rolled his eyes, cheeks pink. "That was different, it was an emergency."

Jungkook grinned cheekily, "Guess this is a different kind of emergency. Don't stress too much about it, there's a lot of space on a queen sized bed."

That night as Jungkook was setting up his little corner on the floor, Jimin came out of the washroom and gave him a confused look.

"Why are you sleeping on the floor?"

Jungkook shrugged, fluffing his pillows. "Thought you'd want your space, you should also get better rest before the conference so no, you sleep on the bed. Don't fight me for the floor."

There was a moment of silence, only the sound of ruffling sheets and pillows could be heard. Before Jungkook could settle into his little corner, Jimin cleared his throat and patted the empty side of the bed.
"You were the one that said a queen sized bed had a lot of space."

Jungkook raised a brow. "You sure?"

Jimin nodded, wiggling himself under the blankets, averting his gaze from Jungkook.

Jungkook didn't want to wait for Jimin to change his mind and quickly crawled into the empty space next to him. 

That night, as they laid back-to-back, tension filled the space between them. But sometime in the middle of the night, they woke up tangled together.

Jimin stayed still, his breath warm against Jungkook's collarbone.

"You okay?" Jungkook whispered sleepily.

Jimin nodded. "Yeah."

The next morning came with a silent understanding to not bring up what happened during the night and the rest of the day passed without any other unexpected changes. If something had shifted between them, neither acknowledged it, choosing to be present in the moment instead.  

Soon it was time for the annual fundraiser. The town square burst into colours: banners, booths, apple pies, cider, laughter. Jungkook and Jimin were running a stall together for the shelter's animal adoption.

"You're good with kids," Jimin pointed out, handing a pamphlet of available adoptions to a curious couple when Jungkook crouched to tie a child's shoelace that had come undone.

Jungkook shrugged. "I was a disaster growing up. Though maybe I'd never be good with anything. Turns out kids are drawn to me. Go figure."

Mrs. Lee, one of Jimin's old neighbours, stopped by their booth. "Jimin, darling! And look at you, Jungkook—back from the dead, huh?"

Jungkook chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah. Trying to be less of a ghost these days."

"Well, people are watching," she winked. "We don't forget easily, but we notice when people change."

Jimin handed her a brochure to change the topic, noticing Jungkook's discomfort. "We've already had six adoptions today."

Mrs. Lee beamed. "That's amazing! You too make a surprisingly good team. Keep up the good work."

Jungkook sneaked a glance at Jimin. "Yeah, I guess we kind of do."

After Mrs. Lee left, kids continued to flock to their booth, drawn to the puppies and kittens. So did other nosy townspeople, but this time, neither Jungkook nor Jimin paid them any heed.

Later, as the sun started to set and the lanterns flickered on, Jungkook handed Jimin a cup of warm cider. 

"Thanks for letting me share this with you."

Jimin took a sip, eyes soft. "Thanks for showing up."

In the golden glow of festival lights, something quiet and certain settled between them.

As the fundraiser wrapped up, the shelter also met its goal. Even Jungkook's mom showed up for a while.

"Jeon Jungkook?" A boisterous voice called out. "Are my eyes deceiving me?"

Jungkook turned towards the voice and saw a familiar face, "Uncle Jeffery."

"Haha! My boy! You're back, finally! I thought you were never returning home, come come, you must give a speech!" Jeffery, their townhead, pulled a reluctant Jungkook towards the center stage away from the shelter's booth as Jungkook tried to send Jimin a silent message to save him. 

But the sight of Jimin laughing seemed to make it all worth it. Jungkook just wished he had his phone on him to snap a picture and commit the image to memory. 

"Everyone! Meet, Jeon Jungkook, one of our own has returned home and let us hear a little from him, yea?" Jeffery chuckled merrily, handing Jungkook the mic.

Clearing his throat, Jungkook awkwardly took the mic. "Uhm, hi, I'm Jeon Jungkook, uhm, Jeon Junghwa's son." Jungkook's eyes searched the crowd, seeking a familiar face to lose his nerves. "Most of you might know me from before I left, I was reckless, rebellious and overall, a pain in the ass to be around." 

Around him, he could hear the laughter but everything quieted down when Jungkook's eyes met his mother's. "Our Jeon household has always caused issues to Uncle Jeffery but he never left our side and continuously supported us. So I, personally, am forever grateful for him. Especially after my father and I left, leaving my mother behind, he continued to look after her."

Jungkook's mother smiled brightly, nodding in agreement. "Well, I'm back now to clean up the mess I left behind after leaving abruptly. I would like to thank all who have welcomed me home and hope everyone has a good night." Jungkook finished his speech.

Jeffery gave Jungkook a brief hug, taking the mic from him. "It's good to have you back, son. Do come by sometime with your mother for tea, yea?"

Jungkook nodded. "We will."

Jimin stood near the refreshment table, nursing another warm cider when Jungkook approached him, hands shoved in his pockets.

"Hey," he said.

Jimin smiled. "Hey."

A pause. The kind that felt alive. 

"You did great tonight," Jimin added. "People really listened to you. That speech...it meant something."

Jungkook looked down. "I meant every word. I'm still a mess. But I'm going to be better. For me. And maybe, if I'm lucky...for you."

Jimin's breath caught. "Jungkook." 

He stepped closer. "I get it if you're still unsure. But I'd like to kiss you now. If you'll let me."

Jimin didn't say anything—he just reached up, fingers curling into Jungkook's collar. 

The kiss was slow, careful, and burning.

Jungkook tasted like cider and apologies. Jimin tasted like forgiveness.

And for the first time in years, Jungkook felt like he was exactly where he was meant to be.

That night, Jimin found himself staring at the old yearbook photo of Jungkook. Angry eyes, forced smirk. A world away from the man he'd kissed under the fairy lights.

He still remembers crying behind the gym once. Jungkook's mocking tone. The shame. The humiliation.

And yet now...

Now he saw a man trying. Fumbling, yes. But honest.

The memory shifted—Jungkook at the shelter laughing as a puppy climbed over him. Jungkook fixing the fence with dirt-smudged cheeks. Jungkook showed up again and again.

Jimin didn't trust easily. But maybe, just maybe, he was learning to.