Work Text:
☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ
Another typical night. Jeongguk is sitting in front of the TV, watching a random sci-fi action movie that is apparently one of the top new movies out right now. He’s not much of a sci-fi person, but when the title card appeared on the TV screen as soon as he opened up his streaming service, he clicked on it without thinking twice. He has nothing better to do tonight anyway. It’s raining, so he can’t find the energy to drag himself out of the house to do something active, and he has no one to text or call at this hour. Or at any hour, to be honest.
So it’s just himself, curled up on the couch with a full glass of wine in his hand. At least it used to be full. Jeongguk thought he’d just been taking sips here and there, considering it was his third glass, but it’s so light now that he’s definitely been downing it too quickly. He sighs and puts the glass down on the coffee table, trying to just focus on the movie in front of him. He hasn’t been following the plot at all though, so soon enough, his eyes start drooping.
He’s having a pleasant dream, something about running through soft fluffy clouds with someone, when he’s woken up by the sound of a huge crash outside. At first, he thinks that he just imagined it, or that it was part of the dream. He tries going back to sleep, laying back down comfortably on the couch, when he sees a dark figure zoom past his window. Surely, that wasn’t part of his imagination too? He shuts off the TV so he can closely listen if there are any more sounds coming from outside.
Jeongguk doesn’t hear anything, so he grudgingly crawls off the couch and pads over to the kitchen, where he’ll have a good view of his backyard through the glass sliding door. Upon first look, he doesn’t see anything unusual. His view is obscured by the heavy rain, but all seems well. He turns around, thinking of going to the bathroom – he could use a shower – when he suddenly hears a knock on the glass behind him.
Oh god, is this how I die?
He slowly turns around, partly in fear and partly because he doesn't want to alarm whoever or whatever is on the other side with any sudden movements. He takes a deep breath, preparing to run or fight if he has to.
And then he locks eyes with… What the hell is that? It looks like a human, but at second glance, it’s most definitely not. It stands on two legs like a human, with similar body proportions and whatnot, and it’s wearing clothes like a human. Its face looks mostly human too. But there are some things off about it, like its glowing green eyes for starters and the fact that it has no hair. And the… ears? That stick straight up from its head like antennae.
Whatever it is, though, it seems peaceful enough. It’s looking at Jeongguk intensely but not maliciously. It looks like it wants to be let in. Before he can have second thoughts, Jeongguk reaches out to slide the door open. In the back of his mind, he hopes he won’t regret this.
“Um, hello?” He can’t help the shaking in his voice when he speaks out to the creature. It doesn’t reply, just stares back.
You idiot , Jeongguk admonishes himself in his head. Why would it even be able to understand Korean?
But suddenly, the green of the creature’s eyes turn piercing blue for a second, and then back to normal. Or, Jeongguk just assumes that the green is normal.
Its mouth parts open to speak. “Hello there. I’m sorry, I hope I didn’t disturb you too much,” it says in perfect Korean.
Jeongguk’s jaw drops. “O-Oh… You… You speak Korean?”
“There are many languages I know. I just need to program my brain to think and speak in a certain language after hearing a few words of it,” it answers matter-of-factly.
“Oh,” he lets out an awkward laugh. “Awesome. Yeah, cool. Um... What are you?” he blurts out.
“There’s no word for my kind in your language. But to better explain, I’m not from here.”
“Here, as in…”
“As in, this planet.”
Oh, I definitely had too much to drink , Jeongguk thinks. Maybe this is still part of my dream? Maybe I’m dreaming about what I saw in that sci-fi movie? There were aliens in it, right?
But he knows that he’s wide awake, staring at what’s confirmed to be an alien. He nearly passes out right there and then.
Given Jeongguk’s lack of reply, the alien continues on. “I’m from planet XJ-13, and I was traveling for work when my ship crash landed onto this planet.”
“Traveling… In space? Crash landed… On Earth? In my backyard?” Jeongguk can’t even process what he’s hearing, only able to repeat the bits and pieces that stand out.
“Yes, I landed here on LM-90, otherwise known as Earth. My ship is completely wrecked, so I was wondering… Can I stay here until I figure out what to do and how to get off this planet?”
Jeongguk should probably say no. It would be stupid to not say no. But then he looks around at the pouring rain and the lack of light in other houses on the street. He lives in the suburbs, far from the city center. Who else could the alien go to for help? It would be stupid to say yes, but it would be cruel to say no.
“Okay,” he says. Maybe it’s easier to agree because of how human-like the thing looks.
Upon hearing the reply, the alien’s expression lightens up. “Thank you, thank you so much. I promise I won’t be in your hair for long.”
Jeongguk opens the door wider to let it in. The creature steps in, seemingly aware that it needs to take off its boots before walking further into the house. It looks around curiously, but doesn’t go far.
“So, what’s your name? I’m Jeongguk,” he begins. Introducing himself seems like a normal thing to do, even in this abnormal situation.
“My name? Well, back home they call me Jimin. At least, that would be the closest version of it in your language.”
“Oh, okay. The closest ver– Nevermind.” He’s too tired to ask further. “Nice to meet you then, Jimin.”
“Likewise, Jeongguk. And thank you for letting me in. I know this must be difficult for you to understand.”
“Difficult is an understatement. Maybe it’ll be better after I go to sleep and wake up. Yeah, I’m gonna go do that. You’re fine sleeping here on the couch, right?”
“My kind does not need much sleep like humans do, but yes I can rest here. Thank you.”
Jeongguk nods and does an awkward salute before promptly turning around and speed-walking down the hallway towards the bedroom. He thinks he’ll skip the shower tonight.
☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ
Jeongguk doesn’t sleep well, knowing that there had been a stranger in his living room all night. Not even a typical stranger, but a literal alien stranger from another planet that he didn’t even know existed. He wakes up before his alarm goes off and lays in bed thinking about the situation he’s in. The one good thing was that it seemed like Jimin was nice. The alien wasn’t aggressive at all towards him, and its mannerisms were polite. Even though he really has no choice, Jeongguk doesn’t think he minds taking care of Jimin for the time being. And it’d be nice to have a friend for once. If he could even become friends with an alien.
After tossing and turning some more, he finally decides that he needs to get up. He climbs out of bed, still wearing the crumpled home clothes he had on last night, having never changed out of them after last night’s shocking turn of events. While wandering to the living room, he half expects to not see anyone there. Perhaps it really was a dream after all.
But as soon as the couch enters his vision, he spots Jimin too. He’s not sure if Jimin slept at all during the night, but right now the alien is just sitting upright, staring into the distance. He looks deep in thought.
“Hey,” Jeongguk says softly. He doesn’t want to interrupt but he also doesn’t want to creepily sneak up on Jimin.
The alien seems to snap out of whatever he was thinking about. “Good morning,” he replies.
Jeongguk just stands there for a while, thinking about how he got himself into this situation. How is there a random alien in his living room, sitting on his nice sofa, in front of the TV he was watching last night? It was all so surreal. At least Jimin seems happier today. He’s not even sure if the thing experiences emotions, but with the way they were communicating last night, he thinks it does.
At some point, the silence gets way too awkward, so he asks, “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, I slept for an hour or so,” Jimin says. “Like I said, my species does not need as much sleep as yours. Your couch is very comfortable though. I’m much more refreshed now.”
“Oh… Perfect.” This is so insane.
Jeongguk knows that he needs to get ready to go to work. Does Jimin know what work is? Does he know what jobs are? He remembers the alien mentioning something about crashing when he was working last night, so he thinks so.
“I have to go to work,” he starts. “You can come with, but I’m not so sure if that’d be a good idea with you looking… Like that…” His words drift off, not wanting to sound offensive.
“I can change my features to look like your species, if you’d like?” Jimin suggests.
Jeongguk’s eyebrows raise to his hairline. “You can shapeshift? Okay, wow, sure then.” He’s not sure what to expect, but Jimin’s face actually starts transforming. His antennae-like ears sink into the top of his head, while human ears grow out the side. Without the ears sticking up, Jeongguk notices that Jimin is shorter than him. Then, Jimin’s cheekbones lower and smoothen out, until he’s left with a round face. His glowing eyes darken and turn dark brown, like Jeongguk’s. His lips thicken into a slight pout, and dark hair sprouts from his head.
Jeongguk thought last night that the alien’s face seemed human enough, now he realizes how much more normal the alien looks after the changes. He looks like a man now. A very pretty man.
“Wow, um… Wow, that was great. You look… great.” Jeongguk stumbles on his words, genuinely not knowing what to say. “That was really weird,” he mumbles to himself, a little too loudly.
“It’s okay, you can at least pretend that I’m just a human now. I can come with you to your work then, right?” Jimin asks eagerly. “Since I’m stuck here, I might as well explore the planet and see what it’s like.”
“Yeah, sure. It should be fine.”
Jeongguk takes a quick shower, brushes his teeth, and changes into actual clothes while Jimin waits. He also brings out a change of clothes for Jimin, that would look more normal in public. They’re a little big, but it works well enough. When they’re both finally ready, they head out together. Jeongguk usually walks to work, since his workplace is not too far and he could use the exercise too. He hopes Jimin doesn’t mind. The air is clear and fresh today, thanks to the rain last night.
“So… What do you do for work?” Jimin asks.
“I work at a bookstore,” Jeongguk says.
“Ooooh!” Jimin exclaims in delight. Jeongguk thinks that’s the most excitement anyone has ever shown towards his job. “I love books,” the alien continues.
“You guys have books on your planet too?” Jeongguk asks.
“Yes, of course we do. Although, they’re different. I heard Earth books are printed onto paper and bound together.”
“They are. We have books online too, like you can read them on your phone or laptop or Kindle.” Jeongguk sighs. “You probably don’t know what a Kindle is. Anyways, are yours not made of paper? What are they made out of, then?”
Jimin purses his lips. “I dunno. Not paper. You guys don't have the material we use here, so I wouldn’t know how to explain it.”
Jeongguk accepts the answer. He finds himself very curious about the difference between Jimin’s planet and Earth. He doesn’t consider himself much of a science guy, but anyone would want to learn more about an alien planet, especially when he has someone here who could give him firsthand knowledge.
They pass by a small cafe, and Jeongguk decides to head in, since they haven’t had anything to eat yet. He frequents this spot quite often too, with it being so close to his house. The smell of fresh roast coffee overwhelms his senses as he opens the door for Jimin and steps into the shop behind him.
Jeongguk already knows what he wants, but he figures he should get something for Jimin too. Would Jimin like the flavor of coffee? He’s not sure if they would have coffee on his planet or if he’s tried it before, so he decides to go with something safe, a vanilla bean frappe. As he orders, Jimin peers through the glass display of the different pastries and cakes the cafe sells.
“What are these?” he asks, eyes open in wonder.
“It’s food. They’re mostly sweets.”
“Can you get me one?” Jimin pleads.
Jeongguk was going to buy him one anyway, so he lets Jimin choose the pastry he wants. He picks out a mixed fruit tart, saying, “We have fruits on my planet but nothing like this.” Jeongguk hopes no one overheard, or that they thought Jimin was just joking if they did hear. He gets a breakfast sandwich and an iced Americano for himself.
They have time to sit and eat, since Jeongguk rushed to get ready earlier. Once their food and drinks are ready, Jeongguk guides Jimin to a table and tells him to sit down. He chooses a spot in the corner. Given that it’s peak hours for the cafe, he doesn’t want anyone to eavesdrop on their conversation.
“So… You said you crash landed here while working. What exactly happened?” Jeongguk asks.
“Oh. I’m not so sure either, to be honest. I think my ship malfunctioned and I had to make an emergency landing, but I didn’t have enough time to guarantee a safe touchdown. So I crashed and, well, my ship broke down.”
“Are the people… Not people, but you know what I mean. Are those back home worried about you?”
He sighs. “Probably. I mean, my coworkers probably are. But my parents are gone, and I don’t really have any friends aside from my coworkers, so at least I’m not causing trouble for too many.”
Jeongguk feels kind of bad for Jimin after hearing that. He’s glad he didn’t turn Jimin away last night. It would’ve been hard for the alien.
“Do you know how you’ll get back?” he asks.
“Well, there’s tracking on my ship, so my company can hopefully find where I am and send people to rescue me. I don’t think there’s anything else I can do, since my ship can’t fly anymore.”
“I see,” Jeongguk replies. He feels guilty for bringing up such a depressing topic, so he tries to turn it around.
“Eat!” he says to Jimin, gesturing at his untouched tart on the table. “You were so excited to try it.”
Jimin agrees and brings the pastry up to his mouth to take a bite. His eyes light up when he finally gets a taste.
“Mmmm!” He nods in excitement. “It’s good!” Jeongguk smiles at the innocent reaction. “The fruits here taste different. They’re very juicy and less savory than ours,” he continues.
Savory? Jeongguk thinks. But aloud, he asks, “How’s the drink? Is that good too?”
“Mm, yes, I like it. It’s very sweet though.”
“I’ll bring you back so you can try all the others, okay?” he promises to Jimin. Jimin grins and nods again, finishing off the tart in a few more bites and taking some more sips of his drink.
Jeongguk quickly polishes off his sandwich too, and he tells Jimin that they can bring the drinks with them when they leave. Jimin seems surprised at that fact, but he patiently watches Jeongguk throw away their trash and they head back out, drinks in hand. There’s only a few more minutes of walking until they get to the bookstore.
“How old are you by the way? You look around the same age as me, but I’m not sure how age actually works for you guys.” Jeongguk wonders.
Jimin hums. “Our galaxies have very similar suns and our planets are close in shape, so a year on your Earth would be almost a year on XJ-13. We don’t really keep track of age on our planet, but I would guess that I was born a little less than three decades ago.”
“I see,” Jeongguk mutters. “That makes us about the same age then. I’m younger by a couple years, though.”
“Seems like it,” Jimin replies naturally. Jeongguk doesn’t know what that is supposed to mean, but he doesn’t ask the other to elaborate.
They soon arrive at the bookstore. It’s a pretty big chain store, with vast sections of any and all genres people could want. Jeongguk works as a cashier, but depending on the day, he helps out with restocking or customer service on the sales floor if needed.
His shift hasn’t quite started yet, so he brings Jimin to a corner where there are small sofas that customers can sit on while they read.
“You can find whatever books that interest you and come back here to read them,” he tells Jimin. “Actually, can you read Korean? If you can’t, I guess you can look through the picture books or comic books. Or you can just wander around and explore. I’ll find you here when I’m done, okay? Try not to talk to anyone. I don’t want anyone finding out about what you are and getting you in trouble.”
Jimin nods and agrees to all the directions, assuring Jeongguk that he’ll be alright. Jeongguk is hesitant to leave him alone, but he has no choice. He goes to the staff room to clock in. He finds out that luckily, he gets to work on the floor for the beginning of his shift, since there are many new shipments to restock onto the shelves. He’s glad because this way, he can watch Jimin in the corner of his eye and make sure that he’s not up to any trouble.
But his fears were unwarranted. All throughout Jeongguk’s shift, he sees Jimin intently reading in the corner where he dropped him off. He started off with the picture books, like Jeongguk said. He reads books that teach Hangul to children, seemingly learning how to read in the span of an hour. He then moves on to reading young adult fiction, historical non-fiction, poetry, and even cookbooks.
Jeongguk visits Jimin during his lunch break, bringing him a bottle of water in case he’s thirsty. “I don’t need that. I don’t need water to live, like you do,” Jimin offhandedly says, gaze never leaving the novel he’s reading so intently. Jeongguk finds Jimin’s complete lack of regard for him amusing. The way he directs all his attention to the task at hand is endearing, so Jeongguk just leaves him be.
When Jeongguk’s shift ends, he almost has to physically drag Jimin out. Jimin only agrees to leave when Jeongguk swears to him that they’ll be back tomorrow when he has to come to work again. The walk back home is refreshing. Jeongguk asks the other about all the books he read today, and Jimin excitedly recounts them in detail.
Jeongguk calls today a successful day. Given the fact that Jimin had just arrived less than 24 hours ago, he wasn’t so sure how the alien would act in public. Hell, he wasn’t even sure how he and Jimin would get along. Luckily, it seemed that it was a good thing that Jimin landed in his backyard and not anyone else’s. Who knows how anyone else would’ve treated Jimin, and Jeongguk notes that it’s actually been quite nice to have Jimin alongside him all day.
When they arrive back home, Jeongguk tells Jimin that he’s going to cook dinner for the two of them.
“Cook?” Jimin questions.
“Yeah, cook. Like, make food? Like, meat and soup and rice and stuff?” Jeongguk tries to explain.
Jimin still looks slightly lost, but he asks, “Can I help?”
Jeongguk doesn’t have the heart to say no. “Of course you can. Here, you can help me chop these up. I’m going to use them later when I start cooking the meat, okay?”
Jimin happily agrees. He makes a bit of a mess, and Jeongguk has to teach him the proper way to cut green onions, but he thinks it’s kind of fun. Jimin’s childlike curiosity is something rare in this world, and Jeongguk finds it rewarding to be able to help him learn everything he wants about Earth.
When the food is finally all ready, they sit down to eat with smiles on their faces. The rice is a little soggy because Jimin insisted on cooking it, and the meat that he seasoned is a bit over-salted, but Jeongguk thinks it’s all delicious anyway, thanks to the company.
He’s soon exhausted by the day’s events, but when it’s time to go to sleep, he feels bad about making Jimin sleep on the couch again.
“I told you, my kind doesn’t need much sleep at all. Don’t worry about it, Jeongguk,” Jimin simply replies.
Hearing Jimin’s words of reassurance, Jeongguk reluctantly heads to bed after saying a quick “Good night” to the other. He sleeps peacefully through the night, unlike the evening before.
The next handful of days follow similarly. Jeongguk either cooks breakfast or they visit a new restaurant close by so that Jimin can try more of Earth’s food. He learns that Jimin prefers sweets for breakfast and that after trying coffee, he doesn’t like the flavor of it after all. Then, they walk to the bookstore and Jeongguk works while Jimin reads. After just a few days, Jeongguk thinks Jimin’s nearly finished their entire catalog. Jeongguk has never been more certain that he chose the right job.
Then, when they go home each day, they cook together or Jeongguk orders delivery on days when they’re extra tired. He’ll never forget Jimin’s shocked face when he tried his first bite of pizza, hot and freshly delivered from the place a few blocks down. Jeongguk takes Jimin shopping too, on the third day, in need of clothes that will fit him better. Jimin seems to have his own sense of style, so Jeongguk lets him choose out the pieces he wants.
Jeongguk is in disbelief that everything has been going so well. He’s actually been enjoying his new companionship with Jimin, and it’s miles better than spending every night alone like he used to. At least, now he has a friend, someone to keep him company and make him laugh way more than he used to. Someone to take care of, so he doesn’t feel like he’s wasting his life away, going through the motions of what’s expected of him.
He finds himself really glad that Jimin came and broke up the monotony of life, and reminded him about youthfulness and having fun.
☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ
On the weekend, Jeongguk plans to visit an animal shelter. He has been wanting to adopt a dog for a while now, and he also thinks it’d be funny to see Jimin’s reaction to all the animals. Turns out, he’s right.
When they step into the shelter, Jimin’s jaw drops, stunned by all the strange creatures he’s never seen before. Jeongguk had already told him that there would be nothing to be scared about. He warned Jimin that it would be quite noisy but the animals wouldn’t be able to hurt him. Still, Jimin can’t help the slight fear creeping up when some of the dogs relentlessly bark at the visitors, scratching at their enclosures.
Jeongguk wraps his hand around Jimin’s to try to calm him down. “Don’t worry. Remember I said they won’t hurt you. And most of them are friendly, they’re just barking because they’re excited.”
His touch and his words seem to help. Jimin relaxes slightly, and when Jeongguk takes his first step towards the animals, he follows. He looks in amazement at the dogs that are waiting to find their new owners. Some are old, and some are still puppies.
“What are these creatures?” he asks.
“Dogs,” Jeongguk says simply.
“They’re all dogs? The same animal? Why do they all look so different?”
“Well,” Jeongguk wonders if there’s an easy way to explain this. “There are different breeds of dogs. Some were bred to help with jobs for humans, and some were just meant to look unique. At least, to the best of my knowledge.”
“Humans are so interesting,” Jimin remarks. Jeongguk hums in agreement.
They walk down the rows of the shelter, gazing at the dogs that look up at them with desperate eyes.
“So, you want to own one of these? And then it’s going to do jobs for you? Like a servant?” Jimin questions. Jeongguk bursts into laughter.
“No, not as a servant. I want one as… As a friend.”
Jimin’s eyebrows raise in confusion. “A friend? But they can’t even talk to you. They just…” He gestures at a barking dog. “Do that.”
Jeongguk smiles at Jimin’s lack of knowledge about this world. He doesn’t find it annoying to have to explain everything to him, since he knows Jimin asks out of pure curiosity.
“Yes, they don’t talk,” he confirms. “But they can keep you company, and you can go out together on walks, and you can take care of them and play with them and love them. It’s like having a kid, but… Better.”
Jimin nods wisely, like he’s learning about multivariate calculus, not something as simple as what the purpose of a pet is.
He doesn’t ask any more questions, though, as they keep looking through the dogs available in the shelter. Jeongguk isn’t quite sure what breed he’s looking for. He’s always thought of himself as more of a big dog person, but he’s sure that he could easily change his mind if he saw what felt like the “right” one.
He asks Jimin for his opinions too.
“What do you think about that one?”
“It has so much hair.”
“We call it fur,” he laughs. “But yeah, you’re right. How about that one?”
“It’s kind of fat.”
Jeongguk snorts at Jimin’s matter-of-fact tone. “Okay, sounds like you have some high standards. Or maybe you’re just not a dog person. Do you wanna go walk around and see if you find any you like?”
Jimin nods eagerly, excited that Jeongguk is letting him go off on his own. He heads off to a different corner of the building. He’s been exposed to the outside world enough that Jeongguk knows he doesn't have to worry too much about him now.
He keeps looking at all the dogs. He knows he wants a puppy, would love to raise it and watch it grow up by his side. At the same time, he feels bad for the older dogs, some of them have perhaps been here for their whole lives.
All his indecision melts away, though, when he spots a small Doberman puppy in one of the cages. It looks shy, or scared, not barking like the other dogs but just curled up in a corner. Its big, round eyes look up at Jeongguk and he instantly falls in love.
The adorable little thing gets up and pads over to the front of the cage to look at Jeongguk more closely. Jeongguk crouches and reaches a hand out slowly to pet the puppy through the gaps of metal. It doesn’t back away and lets Jeongguk touch its small paws and floppy ears. It doesn’t look scared of him at all, and Jeongguk just knows this is the one.
He smiles at it and stands back up. He wants to show Jimin. He looks around the shelter and doesn’t spot him at first glance, so he walks in the direction he saw Jimin going earlier.
He spots Jimin in the cat area.
Jimin seems to be studying a multicolored cat. He looks unsure about whether he's allowed to touch it, so he just stares. Jeongguk joins his side.
“You like this one?” he asks Jimin.
“Yes,” Jimin replies. “It’s a curry. Look, it says here.” He points at a small card at the corner of its cage.
Jeongguk giggles. “Its name is Curry. The animal itself is a calico cat,” he explains. He traces his finger along the smaller words under the cat’s name that read out its breed.
“Oh. It’s very beautiful,” Jimin remarks. Jeongguk agrees. The cat looks soft, but elegant. Its tri-colored fur creates a pretty pattern on its back.
“You can pet it, you know,” Jeongguk says. “Like this.” He holds out his hand to the cat through the bars of the cage and uses two fingers to softly pet its leg.
Jimin just watches. Jeongguk doesn’t force him to touch the cat. It’s a brand new creature to Jimin, and he might be scared. So when he takes his hand back out, they just watch the cat together.
“I want this one, Jeongguk,” Jimin says. Jeongguk doesn’t agree right away.
He’s never considered adopting a cat. Plus, he’s not sure how much longer Jimin will remain on Earth. But when he thinks about it, he wouldn’t mind having this cat after Jimin leaves. At the very least, it’d be a good reminder of his alien friend. He has the space in his house for it, too, and he has the time and money to care for two pets. Also, if they were to adopt it, it wouldn’t come home with them right away. There was lots of paperwork to be done first. So he has the time to research about how to take care of cats and how to be a good owner to both a dog and a cat.
“Okay,” he finally says. He immediately knows it’s worth it, just seeing the radiant smile on Jimin’s face when he hears the answer. Jeongguk wants to make sure that Jimin has a good time here on Earth, even if that means making a few small sacrifices for himself.
He explains to Jimin that they wouldn’t be able to have the cat immediately, but the workers will save it for them until everything is in order and they can bring it home. He also brings Jimin to the puppy he saw earlier. Jimin expresses his delighted approval.
“Okay, that one is cute. Cuter than all the others,” he says. Jeongguk is glad he agrees.
They go to the shelter workers, informing them of their desire to adopt the two pets. The workers happily agree and thank them, and one hands Jeongguk forms that need to be filled out and brought back.
When they walk out of the shelter, Jimin grabs Jeongguk’s hand, swinging it around in excitement as they walk. Or in Jimin’s case, he skips down the road, unable to hide his elation. Jeongguk is always glad to see Jimin’s smile, and it’s no different now. Nothing makes him happier than making Jimin happy, he realizes.
☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ
Over time, Jimin gets really good at acting human. When Jeongguk brings him back to the cafe near his house to follow up with the promise that he made, Jimin is able to order all on his own. He goes a little overboard, ordering more than ten items from the menu, but Jeongguk gives in because he did say that he’d let Jimin try everything one day.
When the worker hands them two trays full of drinks, cakes, breads, and pastries, Jimin lets out a diabolical giggle. Jeongguk doesn’t even have it in him to feel exasperated. He just finds it adorable.
Together, they taste test everything, starting from the flaky pastries and buttery rolls of bread. Jimin takes big bites of everything, savoring each and every flavor. Jeongguk tells him not to eat so much, or else he’ll get full too quickly.
“My stomach isn’t built the same as you humans,” he says. So Jeongguk decides to stop worrying about the insane amounts Jimin is stuffing in his mouth.
They take sips of the various drinks Jimin chose in between bites. Jimin discovers that he likes the tart, fruity drinks, especially the strawberry lemonade.
“I want to taste every fruit you have on this planet,” he declares.
“Wait until you try banana milk,” Jeongguk replies.
Jimin then has a bite of a soft and pillowy garlic bread, filled with cream cheese. He chews for a few seconds before swallowing and saying, “This reminds me the most of home.”
“Hm, interesting.” It makes sense, though. If Jeongguk were to guess what foods on Earth are the most similar to alien food, then cream cheese garlic bread would be high on the list. “What is the food on your planet like?”
“Oh, it’s so delicious,” Jimin says at once. “Eating physical food isn’t necessary for our survival, so if we are to eat, we make sure that it’s the best tasting food we can get.”
“I see. What kind of food here can compare?”
“Hmm.” Jimin taps a finger against his chin as he thinks, something he’s learned from watching TV. “I guess noodles are kind of similar to a dish we have? But they’re not made of wheat or rice or starch like the ones here. So I guess you could describe them as chewier than the noodles here. And we eat them with different types of sauce too, but it’s usually sweet. The ones here are mostly salty, I think.”
Jeongguk tries to imagine a more chewy, sweet noodle dish, but he can’t. It’s simply too different from the food he’s used to on Earth.
“If you only eat delicious food on your planet, it must be incredibly different to be stuck eating the average food on Earth,” Jeongguk says.
“No, all the food here is yummy too.”
“Even my cooking?” Jeongguk teases.
Jimin plays along. “Hm, you’re right. Maybe not that. Your food makes me want to go back home.”
Jeongguk pretends to be mad and throws a crumpled up napkin at Jimin’s head. He misses and it hits his left shoulder, and the two of them burst into giggles.
“Do you mean it though?” Jeongguk asks, seriously. “Do you want to go back home?”
“Yes, I do. I mean,” he smiles but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “I miss it. I love Earth and being here with you, but I miss home.”
Jeongguk nods in understanding. “I would too, I think. Even though I don’t have that many people I care about or who care about me here, I would still miss my life if I had to leave.”
Jimin nods, and they chew quietly for a few moments. This time, it’s Jimin who tries to lift the somber mood. “I haven’t tried these yet. What are they called again?” he asks, motioning towards the last food items still left on the tray.
“They’re cakes. And they’re different flavors too. This one is chocolate and this one is matcha and this one is black sesame and this one is… Lemon? I think it’s lemon,” he explains, pointing out the variety that Jimin picked out.
Jimin uses his fork to grab some of the matcha flavored cake first. “Mmm!” His eyes widen in delight. “Not too sweet,” he comments.
Jeongguk notices that there’s some cream stuck on the corner of Jimin’s mouth. “You have something right…” Without thinking, he reaches out his hand to wipe it off with his thumb, “Here.”
“Thanks,” Jimin says, the corners of his eyes creasing as he smiles up at Jeongguk. The younger man’s face warms up a bit when he realizes his own bold move.
In embarrassment, he quickly picks up a bite of chocolate cake on one of the forks, holding it out towards Jimin. “Here, try this one.”
He opens his mouth and Jeongguk cooperatively feeds him the bite-sized piece. Jimin’s actions are shameless, but he probably doesn’t even realize it, not yet aware of the intricate societal rules and boundaries humans have to follow. Jeongguk likes that about him.
“That one’s good too!” he declares.
“Really?” Jeongguk likes chocolate flavored anything, so he gets a piece for himself using the same fork in his hand. After chewing and swallowing, he smiles and nods at Jimin in agreement. “That’s good chocolate. Not too sweet, too.”
They try the other two flavors. Despite his love for Earth fruits, Jimin doesn’t seem to like the lemon cake as much, scrunching up his face in confusion at the uniquely sour flavor. When he eats the black sesame cake, he notes that it also has a similar flavor to a dessert they have back on his planet.
Jeongguk is stuffed, so he lets Jimin finish the rest on his own. Jimin happily indulges himself, scooping up the last bits of every cake, except for the lemon one which he refuses to touch again. He eats so much that an outsider might think that he’s a competitive eater or professional mukbanger. Jeongguk watches with a twinkle in his eyes and a smile dancing on his lips.
Everything Jimin does endears him. His cheeks get sore from all the laughing he does around him.
Is it love? He wonders. People feel endlessly full of joy when they’re with the one they love, right? They joke around with them, want to learn about them, and want to take care of them.
That’s how I feel with Jimin , Jeongguk thinks.
☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ
Yet another typical night. But “typical” for him has changed. It doesn’t mean being home alone anymore. Now, he always has Jimin by his side on the couch. Today, they’ve put on a popular romance drama that recently came out, Jeongguk knowing that Jimin prefers that genre. Somewhere during episode four, they end up lying down facing the TV, Jeongguk’s arms wrapped around the other.
Physical touch wasn’t uncommon for the two of them. It came naturally to Jeongguk, and Jimin never objected. In fact, he was very receptive. Perhaps, he thought it’s just something humans do normally. But Jeongguk knows that he would never hold any other person in his arms like this.
During the lull in between episodes five and six, Jimin doesn’t click “Next episode” and instead quietly speaks up.
“I really want to go home, Jeongguk,” he mumbles. “There’s not much waiting for me back there, but I miss it. Earth is beautiful and all, I love the food and the people and the views, but I miss my home planet.”
His words come from out of nowhere, and Jeongguk doesn’t know what to say to that. Of course, he can’t relate to what Jimin is going through. He’ll never experience anything similar to Jimin’s situation of being stuck in a totally new world. Jimin has only shown cheerfulness during his time with Jeongguk, but Jeongguk knew he was bound to feel the burning longing to go home sooner or later. The best he can do is offer his comfort to Jimin.
“I’m sorry,” he starts off, while pulling Jimin even closer to his chest. “I’m not sorry that you ended up here and that I got to meet you and have some of the best weeks I can remember. But I’m sorry that you don’t know when or if you’ll ever get back. It makes me happy that you like it here, but I know that nothing can compare to home. And I’m sorry that I can’t help you at all.”
Jimin doesn’t reply immediately. He silently turns around so that his face is now tucked into Jeongguk’s chest. Jeongguk hopes he doesn’t feel the fluttering of his heart as Jimin’s arms wrap around his waist.
He sniffles before finally replying, words muffled from speaking into Jeongguk’s shirt. “You don’t have to be sorry for anything, Jeongguk. If anything, I should be sorry to you for complaining like this even though you’ve been treating me so well.”
“No, baby.” The term of endearment naturally slips out of Jeongguk’s lips, but he doesn’t think Jimin knows the connotation of it anyway. “You’re not even complaining right now. You’re just expressing your sadness and loneliness. And that’s completely understandable.”
Jimin pulls back a bit so he can tilt his head up to look Jeongguk in the eyes. “No, I’m not lonely. Not with you,” he says. “I’m just homesick." There’s a slight pout on his lips, and Jeongguk wants to kiss it away. He settles with pressing a kiss against the top of Jimin’s head.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” he asks.
Jimin sighs. “No, you’ve already done so much already. And don’t you dare deny it, you know it’s true.”
Jeongguk chuckles, but not out of happiness. “It was all worth it, Jimin,” he whispers.
“Thank you,” Jimin whispers back. “It’s just hard because… I don’t know when or if I’ll ever get to go back. It’s not that I want to leave Earth, I just want some certainty. I didn’t know I’d get stuck here, so it’s like… I never got to say goodbye to my life back there.”
“I get it,” Jeongguk says sympathetically. And he does, even if he could never relate. “I’m not saying that I want you to stay here forever, but, look on the bright side. You built a new life here. You got to explore and learn so much about Earth. And we got to meet and have so much fun together. And you can have cake here, and read all the books you want. And we’re gonna have a cat. Your cat.”
The reasons he lists out sound so stupid to him as he names them out loud, but it seems to help Jimin.
“I know,” he replies. He tucks the side of his head next to Jeongguk’s chest, Jeongguk’s chin resting against the top of his head, so they can be close but he can still speak. “And I know you’re trying to make me feel better, so thanks for that too. You’re a great human, Jeongguk. As much as I miss home, I’m also scared about having to leave you someday. You’ve been so good to me.”
In that moment, Jeongguk resolutely decides that he won’t be fearful anymore of the day Jimin might have to leave him. He won’t let that idea stand in his way of expressing his feelings, or hold him back from doing everything he wants to do to Jimin. The moment he loses Jimin, if it ever happens, will be hard. But he won’t let that thought make him have regrets in the future.
With all the emotions built up inside him, instead of replying through words, Jeongguk leans forward to properly kiss Jimin. Jimin doesn’t move at first, likely shocked by the move. He knows what kissing is, and what it means to humans, thanks to all the romance shows he watched, but it must still be a surprise to him. But soon enough, his lips start moving against Jeongguk’s, hesitant and obviously inexperienced, but sweet. Jeongguk’s tense body sags in relief as he leans in even more to capture Jimin’s lips better.
When they part, Jimin seems shy. He hides his face and nuzzles against Jeongguk’s neck.
They aren’t looking at each other when Jeongguk says, “Jimin, I know it’s not something you can help, but I wish that you didn’t have to worry anymore. At least know that as long as you’re here, I promise that I’ll take care of you and protect you and teach you, so that living on Earth doesn’t feel so hard anymore. You know that I keep my promises, right?” Jimin nods, his hair tickling Jeongguk’s cheek.
“Good," he continues. "You’ve made my life better too, I hope you know that. So don’t be scared of the day you might have to go. Just think, we have all the time in the world. Let's use it to create good memories together. I won’t let me being scared of you leaving hold me back anymore, so you don’t fret about it either, okay?"
Jimin nods again. He doesn't speak, but instead presses his lips against Jeongguk's skin, behind his ear. Jeongguk think it's meant to be a kiss. His chest fills with warmth at the gesture.
"I love you, Jimin.”
Perhaps it’s easier to say those three words because Jimin doesn’t understand the weight the short and simple phrase holds for humans, and the courage it takes to say the words out loud to the one you love. But even if Jimin doesn’t fully recognize it through mere words, Jeongguk makes a promise to himself that he’ll show his love to him through gestures and actions that can’t be misunderstood.
Jeongguk swears that for as long as he has Jimin, he’ll cherish the precious time they have together, show Jimin how much he truly adores him, and teach Jimin what it feels like to be loved by a human on Earth.
☾⋆｡° ♡