It's been a long time since the four of them have been together. Hobi has been crazy busy with the baby and Tae has been completely infatuated with his new girlfriend, Caroline, so it's just short of a miracle that they're all able to meet up, unattached, for drinks and food at a local bar downtown.
Jimin gets there first, shocking himself even, followed by Tae a few minutes later. They take a seat together at the first vacant table they see, saving seats for both Jungkook and Hobi, and order a round of drinks for the group. The waitress is setting their glasses down in front of them when Jungkook and Hobi walk in together.
" How did Park get here before us?" Hobi asks, sitting down next to Jimin.
" How did you manage to get here without any baby spit on you?" Jimin examines Hobi's shoulder a bit more closely. " Oh. Never mind. You didn't manage to."
" Perfect," he says, rolling his shoulder, as if that'll make the baby spit up disappear.
" Okay, we all love Emma, but disgusting," Tae says, making a face.
" Actually, that reminds me of a funny story, Caroline told me..."
" No, we are not talking about Caroline all night." Jimin scolds.
" But..."
" No. For that, you can go up and order me a burger. Medium rare, please."
He sighs, but actually does it.
It's a good night, overall. They go through three pitches of beer, four baskets of wings - plus Jimin's burger, and Tae brings up Caroline another five times until even Jungkook can't take it anymore.
" Seriously, we get it, you love her, she's hot, it's enough, Tae," he shrieks, hands up in the air.
His reaction makes Jimin spit his beer out, spraying all over the table, and Jungkook looks way too satisfied that he was the one that caused it.
Hobi pulls out his phone around eleven, swearing he isn't calling Sarah to check on the baby even though they all know that's a total lie, and Tae and Jungkook head to the bar, ordering one final round. Jimin watches as a guy around his age approaches Jungkook, leaning in close to talk. He's brunette, has light eyes from what Jimin can tell, and his ass almost rivals Jimin's. Jungkook smiles, and brushes his hair out of his face. Jimin rolls his eyes. Typical.
" Min."
Jimin turns to Hobi. " Emma okay?"
His smile is outrageous. " Look at this picture of her that Sarah just sent me. Look. She's sleeping."
Jimin decides he can either slam his head against the table until he goes unconscious, or he can just look at the damn picture. He does the latter. Christ, she's really cute, Hobi." It isn't a lie.
" I know." He looks down and swipes through more pictures, eyes lightening up. " Didn't know I could love someone so much until she was born."
He could make fun of Hobi for it, he really could, but he doesn't want to.
" Show me another picture."
Hobi happily obliges, scrolling through an abundance of pictures that all look essentially identical, Jimin thinks, but clearly aren't based on Hobi's commentary.
He's staring at yet another picture of Emma in the bathtub when Jungkook and Tae come back. Jimin looks up as Jungkook is pocketing his phone, smirking, and Tae slaps him in the back.
It's nice, Jimin thinks, that he has these people that are solid, even though so many changes have happened in the past few years - months even.
Hobi goes silent, then, still sliding his finger across the glass screen of his phone, and Tae answers his ringing phone, saying " Hi, baby, I'm leaving here soon." Jimin looks across the table at Jungkook, who has since reached into his pocket to yank out his phone. He's biting on his bottom lip as he types what appears to be a text.
It's nice. Yes. Jimin drums his fingers on the tabletop mindlessly.
But of all the people he would ever care to talk to are sitting right here with him, all completely preoccupied with their own people.
He sighs. " Hey, Jungkook?"
Jungkook looks up, thumbs pausing.
" Yeah?"
" Wanna go to that bar you and Tyler and I used to go to?"
He looks confused. " When? Right now?"
Jimin shakes his head. " Nah, like next weekend, maybe. It'll be fun. And these two idiots can get back to their women," he says, pointing at Tae and Hobi.
Jungkook smirks. " Yeah, we can do that next weekend. Saturday?"
" Works for me."
Tae stops talking on the phone. " Jungkook, don't you have plans for next weekend..." His tone makes it clear that he's hiding something.
Jimin makes a face. " What are you talking about?"
Jungkook puts his hands up before Tae can keep going. " Nothing. He's talking about nothing. I'm free next weekend."
" Okay, then."
Tae gives Jungkook another look, but Jungkook ignores it, so Jimin does to.
~~~
The following weekend, Jungkook picks Jimin up to head to their favourite bar. It's gross - what bar isn't? - but it's comfortable and Jimin likes it there, risk of stepping on broken glass and all.
They walk into the bar together, the music from the live band somehow impossibly louder once they make their way completely inside. It's loud, but not too crowded. The air is stale and smoke swirls around them, the scent of tobacco present and strong, and Jimin coughs. He quit smoking when Tyler was diagnosed, and ever since, the smell had made him nauseous. Jungkook must be able to notice right away that Jimin is uncomfortable, because he places his hand on the small of Jimin's back and punches lightly. Jimin turns.
" Min? Wanna leave? Go somewhere that's nonsmoking?"
Jimin shakes his head. " Nah. I'm okay. Go grab a couple of drinks and I'll go save us a spot over there, okay?" he says gesturing towards the mostly empty corner of the bar.
Jungkook smiles. " Okay, I can do that."
They separate and Jimin threads through a small group of people, making his way towards the only unoccupied pub table in the room. He rests his elbows on it, surveying the room, it's a standard, typical dive bar for Philadelphia. There are several TV's on mute with subtitles, all broadcasting different sports games, and a blinking " Bud Lite" sign hanging crookedly on the wall near the bathroom doors. A few couples are lingering near the bar, and Jimin watches as a guy around his own age shamelessly flirts with a gorgeous girl with tanned skin, who is blatantly not interested.
Jungkook approaches a minute later, carrying two beers in each hand, and places them down on the table in front of Jimin. The condensation from the bottles immediately begins to drip downward and sweat onto the coasters. Jimin mindlessly peels at the label, humming along to the song that the band picks up. It's a cover, something by The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, he thinks.
He downs the first beer fairly quickly, both he and Jungkook quiet, just happy to observe and be in each other's company. Jimin looks up and sees that Jungkook is already looking back, his smile a little lopsided, and Jimin grins too.
" Want me to grab us some shots?" he asks.