Chapter Text
There were so many things that Jungkook loved about love.
The adoration trapped within someone's eyes that could only be found for that one special someone. The calm of knowing your heart can beat slower because it has another to support it. Even the emotional recklessness that can grow within passion - the impulsivity of being in love.
Jungkook loved it all.
And Jungkook loved that he was the cause of it.
That second beat of a heart when you look at someone you know will change your life for the first time, the shortness of breath when your hand meets theirs, the blush on your cheeks when they say your name - all of that was because of Jungkook.
Cupid.
One of them anyway.
On some days, when Jungkook's particularly proud of his work, he even likes to think of himself as the best cupid.
"You dropped this." Jungkook smiled, picking up a flower from the ground and passing it to a girl in jeans and a white crop top.
She looked at Jungkook in question, tilting her head and staring down at the pink primrose. Jungkook watched as her eyes steadily became sure again, recognition flickering through them with a small nod of her head. Fixing her own smile, she reached out and took the flower, like it had been her's all along and Jungkook hadn't only just picked it and spelled it.
This was one of those days.
"Oh, thanks!"
She walked away, leaving Jungkook to stroll down the large path on the university grounds. Whistling, he passed a coffee cart that had a line of people waiting to be served and subtly touched the third cup ready to be used.
Never stopping his pace, Jungkook walked a few more meters before he was elegantly falling onto a bench that lined the wide path. Backpack shrugged off of his shoulders and forgotten at his feet, Jungkook pulled on the sleeves of his white, oversized sweater and simply waited.
"Tinkering again?"
Jungkook didn't even need to look to know who it was. With an endeared smile and a roll of his eyes, Jungkook watched as the girl with a pink flower in her hair walked by and stood a foot away from him.
"It's what I do best."
Namjoon slid onto the bench next to him, pulling on his cap before his arms spread across the back of the seat. Looking at Jungkook, he argued, "You have to stop putting so much effort into these things."
"Not effort, Hyung." Jungkook spared the older a glance for dramatic purpose before returning his gaze to the coffee cart on their right, watching as a guy politely accepted his drink. "Passion."
Now it was Namjoon's turn to roll his eyes in endearment. With all the charm in the world, Namjoon threw Jungkook a dimple engraved smile and lifted one hand in front of his face, holding a position that was all too familiar.
"Be like me and simply click your fingers." The word matched a simultaneous snap of his fingers, triggering a gust of wind to blow past them, drawing both of their attention to the flow of the wind.
They watched as it hit the bench directly opposite them, where two guys sat at either end - one calmly reading a book whilst the other juggled his laptop and multiple sheets of paper, chaotically trying to keep them all contained.
However, thanks to Namjoon, the wind had become his worst enemy, carrying the pieces of paper along the breeze and across the bench, directly colliding with the peaceful man on the other end.
"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" The one that looked a million times more exhausted called out, laptop slipping onto the bench as he practically crawled on top of the other man to collect his work.
"No, no. It's..." The peaceful one gave up, a smile pulling into his lips and a laugh slipping past them.
Just as Jungkook was about to fall into their story, smiling along like every emotion was his own, he caught sight of the polite guy holding his drink.
With a small gasp escaping his excited smile, Jungkook pulled all of his attention together and focused on the new guy. Just as he was passing by, he accidentally tripped on the backpack at Jungkook's feet, making him stumble a few steps before he was tumbling into another person.
Not any person, but the girl with the pink flower in her hair.
As Jungkook watched the pair fall to the ground, a pile of limbs and shocked expressions on the grass, he couldn't help but smile. They may not know this, but this would be the start of the happiest moments in their lives. This was the beginning of a story Jungkook could see written in the stars.
"I will totally pay for your shirt to be cleaned!" The guy panicked, eyes wide as he lay on top of the girl, who looked equally as shocked as she belatedly nodded.
"Maybe, uhh... You could pay for the medical bill after my lungs are crushed too?"
There was amusement in her eyes as she watched the guy's eyes grow even wider, a blush rising on his cheeks before he reevaluated their positions and hastily stood up. In seconds he was pulling her to her feet too, both sheepish as they looked for something to say.
His eyes caught something on the ground and a timid smile pulled into his lips before retrieving the pink primrose.
"I think you dropped this."
Jungkook watched as her eyes softened and her smile grew, a simple thank you falling past her lips that would shape her entire future. Then, with a feeling like no other, Jungkook watched as the primrose was pushed behind her ear, knowing that one day those flowers would decorate their wedding.
"Your way has emotional impact, I'll give you that." Namjoon's voice broke through Jungkook's pairing, making the latter smile and look towards him triumphantly.
"I do like the weather aspect of yours." Jungkook complimented, tilting his head as he thought, "Perhaps I could incorporate that somehow with Haru and Hayoon."
"Please, you'll end up causing a lightning storm that cuts power to the entire university for two weeks just so they'll spend thirty seconds together when one of them goes searching for a candle."
"That was one time!" Jungkook argued with a pout, recalling that very needed situation in his opinion.
A small chuckle left Namjoon's lips as he asked, "How's it going with Haru and Hayoon anyway?"
"I'm still plotting." Jungkook sighed, falling back into the bench and sinking into the seat. "I really need this one to be special."
"I still don't understand why you don't make it up as you go like me. That way it's more natural. It's worked so far." With a lazy wave of his hand, Jungkook was met with the sight of the two guys on the bench, now laughing and talking as the peaceful one attempted to hold the other's papers for him.
And of course Jungkook thought that was beautiful. Jungkook thought all love was beautiful.
It was just...
"I like knowing that one day they'll sit their grandchildren down and tell them the tale of how they," Sparing a glance to his own pairing, Jungkook smiled, "Literally fell for each other."
"What's important is that they find each other."
"I know, I know but..." Jungkook turned his whole body towards Namjoon, enthusiasm running through his veins as he declared, "It's Haru's first love! And I really want it to be special... She's waited so long for this. It took her so long to understand her sexuality and she finally found someone that makes her heart skip a beat without wondering why and I.... I just want this to be perfect."
"And Hayoon?" Jungkook continued with wide eyes and a tone that could only be described as distressed. "They've had so many failed relationships that they're beginning to hate love." Tone serious now, almost like it was a threat, Jungkook finalised, "There is no way I can let that happen."
"And there's no way I can persuade you to simply wave your hand and let the love birds fly their nest?"
"Not a chance." Jungkook replied with determination.
As long as Jungkook had anything to say about love, and he always would, it was never going to be a simple affair.
▪︎♡▪︎
"Haru's favourite place is the library..." Jungkook began, sitting at the desk in his dorm and tapping his pen in thought. "And... Hayoon has never been before." He finished with a defeated sigh, lips pursing in thought once more.
If it took him all year to decipher the perfect plan, Jungkook would do it. He'd recall every little fact about them and run through a hundred scenarios until one felt right. Not just right, but perfect.
Though Jungkook couldn't identify every pairing in the world, his fellow cupids thankfully helped out with that, he did have his own special pairings that he just knew were meant for each other.
It was like seeing two stars shining brighter than the rest in the night sky. It was knowing those stars could never dull as long as they basked in the light of the other.
Jungkook saw love written in the stars, and he could read his pairings like they were constellations.
He could see what made their hearts beat faster and what dulled the sparkle in their eye and then he used all of that to ensure that they fit perfectly with someone else.
And Jungkook is going to let Haru and Hayoon fit together perfectly as well.
"The bake sale!" Jungkook gasped, jumping up in his chair, eyes widening and smile growing.
Hayoon was hosting a bake sale next week - a charity event to raise money for a local children's hospital. She was often taking part in charity events, having an enormous passion for helping others.
It would be held in one of the University atriums. If only he could get the location moved to the library, then they would both be in the same place, doing the things they loved whilst they met the one they would love.
Luckily for Jungkook, being cupid came with an unmatched charm and convincing smile.
▪︎♡▪︎
On a general basis, Jungkook didn't like to fraternize with his pairings. Always worried that if he was too involved in the match they would notice something. Therefore, he liked to elegantly intervene from a distance.
However, Hayoon shared a similar passion of his - helping others - and so they had met on numerous occasions. This allowed him to stroll right up to the girl, who was currently handing out flyers outside that promoted an upcoming march for Transgender rights.
"Oh, Jungkook, hi!" She beamed, eyes growing wide as she spotted him, pushing a strand of pinky orange hair behind her ear.
She looked at the flyers in her hands before asking brightly, "You wanna help?"
"Sure!" Jungkook said instantly, happily taking a few of the brightly coloured posters and starting to hand them out next to her. "Have you handed out a lot?"
"I'm very persistent." She smiled before shouting out, encouraging more people over and causing Jungkook to chuckle.
His mind naturally drifted to Haru, who would rather die than have someone hear her talk. She'd prefer to struggle through facial expressions to communicate. The difference within them always entertained him.
"I actually wanted to talk to you about the bake sale next week."
"You want to help with that too?" Hayoon asked with hope, waving at someone behind Jungkook before finishing, "There's always room for more."
"I'm always happy to help." With a smile, he added, "And eat everything we don't manage to move."
Hayoon laughed as she passed out another poster, then twirling back around so that her sundress fanned out around her.
"Where should I meet you?"
"Oh it's in the atrium near the social sciences building."
"Wait, really?" Jungkook looked confused, pulling out his best acting as he tilted his head and said, "I thought the swim team was having a fundraiser there?"
It had taken an entire day of meddling to ensure the swim team's fundraiser had taken over the venue but it was worth it for love. Besides, the library was a better option.
"You're lying." She deadpanned, panic filling her eyes.
"I'm pretty sure it's taken... Maybe they'll move it but I think it's been planned for weeks." Jungkook sighed heavily, feigning sadness as he echoed Hayoon's panic.
"Oh no." She began to breathe a little heavier. "I can't make them move it if it's been planned for so long, but the bake sale, we..." She looked down at the floor, defeated but persistent as she searched for another answer. "Do you think we could hold it somewhere else on short notice? Or maybe move it to the next day or-"
"You know, I could be wrong but I think the library is free on the same day." Shrugging, his brows furrowed in false thought.
"Really?" Hayoon gasped, hope starting to glaze over her eyes. Before Jungkook could respond, she thrusted the rest of the flyers into his hands. Voice a little faster, Hayoon ranted, "I have to go and book the library before someone else does! Can you hand out the rest of these?"
Jungkook opened his mouth to assure her he would but she was already running off, waving back and shouting, "Thank you!"
A satisfied smile pulled into the cupid's lips as he self praised, "Mission accomplished."
▪︎♡▪︎
"Three, two, one..."
Haru walked into the library with her head down, books clutched to her chest. An oversized black hoodie grazed her mid thigh and the hem of her shorts, white blonde hair pulled into a messy bun. She walked like she always did, like she hoped nobody would see her.
Haru's favourite table in the library was in the back corner, next to tall windows that overlooked a large park. If Hayoon frequented the library more often, Jungkook suspects it would be her favourite spot too.
As of now, however, the particular path through bookshelves K-L that Haru takes to find her favourite spot is blocked by a long table full of baked goods.
Jungkook can see the exact moment Haru realises.
Her head pulls up, a hand pushing up the frame of her circular glasses and her eyes fill with panic a moment before they widen with something else.
Hayoon, in her light blue dress with balloon sleeves, looking elegant as ever, is currently handing a cupcake over to a customer. Therefore, she misses the shy girl currently falling for her all over again. Haru had been smitten ever since noticing Hayoon handing out flyers months ago.
Jungkook, however, does not miss it.
The cupcake on the table between Jungkook and Hayoon is covered in white icing, little pink hearts sprinkled on top. The wrapper is even pinker, and Jungkook can't think of a better mark for love. All it takes is a simple touch of his fingers.
Then, with a few quick steps, Jungkook is standing at Haru's side with a calm smile that completely opposes his internal screeching.
"Can I offer you a flyer?"
"Oh." Haru's eyes reluctantly drag from Hayoon to find Jungkook. With a belated nod, she smiles, "Um, sure."
If Haru knew that Jungkook could read her love life like a fortune teller reads someone's palm she'd likely not meet his eyes. Love had always been complicated for Haru. Between her family telling her to find the right man and her heart begging for the girl next door, Haru had turned a blind eye to it all, left confused and loveless. Not on Jungkook's watch. Not anymore.
With the flyer in his hands and a boost of confidence, Jungkook would direct her to the whirlwind of a human standing behind an enchanted cupcake.
"We're raising money for a local children's hospital." He informed, handing Haru the piece of paper with more information. She thanked him quietly. Jungkook pointed over his shoulder to where Hayoon was serving someone else. "All organised by the wonderful Hayoon over there."
Haru's eyes fell on Hayoon once again, breath shaky as she nodded, "S-she's- She's uhm..."
"Incredible." Jungkook finished for her with a knowing smile, Haru's cheeks dusting pink. Saving her before they set aflame, Jungkook gasped, "Oh, and very interested in graphic design!" Of course Jungkook already knew what Haru was studying, but he made a show of noticing one of her books on the topic. "If you wanted to contribute I'm sure she'll talk your ear off about it."
Hesitance flickered over Haru's features before excitement clawed its way through. She leant a little closer, hugging her books to her chest. "Really? You think so?"
With a glimmer in his eyes, Jungkook smiled, "I know so."
Wandering back over to his spot behind the table, Jungkook watched as Haru gave herself a little pep talk. Hayoon had finished serving somebody, leaving her blissfully unaware of her fate unfolding. Haru took a deep breath, muttering something in encouragement, looked up and then-
"How much is this one, cupcake?"
That wasn't Haru.
But that was her cupcake in someone else's hand.
Impossible.
"What?" Jungkook gasped, heart increasing with panic as his head tilted to the side, trying to get eyes on Haru.
"I'm very interested in you and your cupcakes." The guy Jungkook was currently trying to see around continued on, but he was too busy watching Haru. Her eyes met the guy's back, currently blocking her path, and she shook her head with a resolute sigh. Jungkook thinks the guy says something else but he's too focused on everything falling apart to notice.
Haru walked away, much to Jungkook's despair. Almost manically, Jungkook's head whipped to the guy, finally taking in his appearance.
Black hair, soft and fluffy on his head, but eyes that cut into Jungkook they were so sharp, plump lips, that curved into the most mesmerising of smiles. Admittedly, the mortal was beautiful in a way others weren't. Where Jungkook normally overlooked appearances, this man made him pause. All together obscenely ethereal, and no aura. Jungkook couldn't get a read on him at all. Couldn't see his future like watching a movie or read his love life like a book.
"How did you do that?" Jungkook asked breathlessly, eyes hopelessly switching between his eyes and the cupcake in his hands because there was absolutely no way on earth, heaven, or hell that that man interrupted his pairing.
When Jungkook put all of his chess pieces in place, nobody could call checkmate except for him.
"Pick up a cupcake?" The evil man who ruined love asked in confusion, waving the cake slightly. "I mean, it's not very heavy."
"What?" Jungkook said again because none of this made any sense.
"You're cute." The evil, terrible man laughed, teeth pressing into his bottom lip as it pulled into a smile.
"What?" Jungkook repeated higher, realising that this evil, terrible, shameless man was flirting with him of all things.
Impossible.
Sure people can think Jungkook's attractive, maybe even have the most fleeting of fantasies, but they aren't supposed to be interested in him.
Jungkook's a cupid. His star is solitary, it doesn't line up with any mortal beings. Or immortal for that matter. All humans have their match, and Jungkook is supposed to be cosmically invisible to their hearts.
"Do I have to beg for the price of this, cupcake?" The man asked with a head tilt, adding, "I'm not opposed to it," With a smirk.
Oh no, Jungkook thought, eyes growing wide. Then, because this was an absolute mess, he breathed out loud, "Oh, no."
The spelled cupcake.
"Is my flirting that bad?"
Somehow, this mortal must have intercepted his pairing, touching the cupcake, and without any other partner to match with, fallen for the cupid that spelled the object instead. Jungkook. It wasn't true feelings behind his flirting, it was simply magic.
"3100 Won."
The guy looked confused for a moment before he was nodding in understanding, looking less confident and cocky than he had thus far. "O-oh, sure, right."
When he passed over the money and their fingers touched, Jungkook's heart jumped.
Impossible.
It must be the flirting getting in his head, and the failed pairing getting to his heart.
"So..." He drawled when Jungkook made no move to speak again. "If my horrible flirting was any indication I'm, umm..." Looking around, he eventually landed on, "Terrible at this. But I'd really like to take you on a date if you're free."
"O-oh-" Jungkook stuttered out, breath caught in his throat. Except for the obvious problem regarding the man not really having feelings for him, the thing was - Jungkook has never actually been asked out on a date before.
He'd witnessed hundreds, facilitated even more. Jungkook crafted love in his bare hands. Love ran through his veins. It turns out, however, that love didn't roll off of his tongue.
"I'm busy that day."
The man's eyes narrowed slightly before he said, "I didn't say what day."
If it was possible, Jungkook's eyes grew wider. His serene heart fell into disrepair and he blurted, "I'm busy all of the days. Y-yeah, you know, other bake sales and classes and-" Okay, Jungkook wasn't busy at all and it was really hard to find excuses and why was the guy staring and why did it make him feel like that? "So busy."
The next few seconds were strange to say the least. Jungkook watched as emotion after emotion flickered over the guy's face. Eventually, he landed on something that looked a lot like determination.
Oh no.
"Then I'll see you at the next bake sale, cupcake." He added a wink for good measure and waltzed away like he hadn't just flirted with cupid. The confidence of a spell.
If the second skip of Jungkook's heart was anything to go by, ruining a pairing was going to be a lot harder than making one.
▪︎♡▪︎
As Jimin waltzed away with a confusing mixture of success and failure, a hand darted out and grabbed the extra fabric of his hoodie, yanking him into the dark depths of the nonfiction shelves.
It was Taehyung, obviously. He was the only person that lurked in the dark around here. Except for him, obviously.
"So how'd it go?" Tae asked with a little shake to Jimin's shoulders, hands heavy and pointy where they poked into his shoulder blades.
"Oww!" Jimin whined, curling out of Tae's hold.
"Oh, sorry." Pulling away his hands, Tae observed the midnight black claws at the end of his fingers and shook them until they transformed into something more human appropriate. "I was making Yoongi think he was hallucinating again."
Jimin crossed his arms in the face of Taehyung's nonchalance, frowning when he threw him a look of further indifference.
"You have to leave the poor library staff alone." He finally scolded, but it was no use. No matter how many times Jimin scolded his chaos demon of a best friend, Tae never listened.
"They like it, it brightens their day." He waved off, refocusing his attention onto more important things with a second shake of Jimin. "Now tell me how it went with lover boy over there."
Jimin bent down a little so he could get just the right angle to peer through the shelves and rows of books to catch a glimpse of Jungkook's hair. A tattooed hand brushed the hair away softly and Jimin was blessed with a sparkly eye for one whole second.
Taehyung's cheek pressed into his own, both of them staring longingly as they always did. More accurately, Jimin was staring longingly and Tae was growing more and more impatient waiting for Jimin to build the confidence to talk to the boy he had been silently crushing on for a whole year now.
It all started one long, boring night thirteen months ago when Jimin had been dragged along to a club near campus. Sitting at the bar and perusing people like a lion stalking prey, Jimin had somewhat excitedly landed on a guy with glasses and a black blazer. At the time he'd been getting increasingly bored with the endless one night stands and predictable lust filled gazes. But he was a lust demon and he'd always crave heated touches afterall. Downing one more shot, he headed straight for the stranger.
All it took was a graze of Jimin's fingers over his arm to enlighten any small flicker within the individual, a lingering smile and-
"Ah, sorry."
Sorry? Jimin echoed in his head, frozen in place as he watched the man walk straight forward and into another man.
Impossible.
People didn't walk past Jimin. They stared and admired and devoted their hands to his body. They waited in line and begged to be touched.
They certainly did not choose someone else over him.
This time the guy stilled, drink spilling onto both of them with shocked laughter. Their eyes met and it was like love at first sight, like magic, like-
Oh.
Jimin's eyes scanned the club of dancing bodies and drunk students until he found a certain someone watching the pair. Not dancing, not drunk, but smiling nonetheless.
The someone happened to be the most beautiful person Jimin had ever seen. Large doe eyes that shined even in the low light of the club. Pretty, pink hair was tucked behind his ears so temptingly Jimin's fingers were itching to do the same. Pink lips begging to be kissed. It wasn't even a question, Jimin was changing his target before he had time to blink.
He put a little extra sway into his hips, brushed a hand through his hair, touched the back of the pretty boy's arm in a way that should have his knees giving out and-
"Sorry." The man Jimin now knew to be Jungkook uttered with a smile like he'd accidentally bumped into Jimin and wondered off with all the happiness of someone that invented love.
A cupid, Jimin had initially cursed. Those love obsessives were always so confusing to Jimin, someone that lived on lust.
But then, when Jimin spotted Jungkook in the library stealing someone's book and putting it in someone else's bag, and then inside of a cafe changing the names on two cups with a stifled smile, and then at the park with three umbrellas as two strangers huddled under a newspaper in the pouring rain, Jimin had rolled his eyes with a smile, thinking, cupid. And his curse of cupid had turned into an admiration and then endearment and before Jimin knew it he was crushing on cupid.
"Debatably..." Jimin said shakily, thinking of tense shoulders and the limited words Jungkook had pieced together in his presence. "Good."
"Debatably?"
"So he turned me down," Jimin broke the news quickly, putting more effort into his next point with a blinding smile, "But there was a vibe."
"A vibe?"
"A vibe." Jimin confirmed with a nod that told Taehyung everything was under control. Tae looked at him in a way that said he was an idiot. "I think he likes me." Jimin declared. "I mean, he said he was busy every single day in existence but he didn't say no so..."
Tae's 'you're an idiot' stare turned into a 'hang in there buddy stare' as he asked, "And he had no problem with you being a lust demon?"
Jimin thought back to their short conversation. Jungkook had been a little shy, nervous almost with his stuttered responses and rigid posture. Likely because Jimin was a lust demon. Demons of any kind tended to unsettle the more pure of creatures, but lust demons especially had a bad reputation for seducing the good side. All rumours and heresy of course. The only immortal being of light that Jimin had pursued in the past was an angel, and Hoseok had suggested bondage himself so it wasn't really Jimin's doing. The other toys, however, were on Jimin.
Apart from Jungkook's apprehension, nothing else had been amiss.
"He didn't say anything about that, and I imagine he would have if it were a problem."
Tae nodded in understanding, letting the silence settle between them. He glanced at Jungkook through the shelves and then back at Jimin and then Jungkook again and then Jimin and- "Maybe you should give up... He is a cupid. They're always so... perfect."
"And who would want perfect?" Jimin scoffed with sarcasm, leading Tae to deadpan his point.
"Perfect is a synonym for boring."
Gasping with offence, having developed quite the soft spot for cupids and one in particular, Jimin defended, "Jungkook is a synonym for precious, adorable, bunny, who scrunches his nose as he smiles when he makes a successful pairing and puts his whole heart into everyone else's love story and deserves all of the attention and affection he earns for other people."
Jimin's simple defence had turned into a rant about Jungkook but most of his sentences did these days.
Tae's nose screwed up in distaste. "A lust demon should not have these words in his vocabulary." He physically stepped back like he could catch whatever was making Jimin's eyes so shiny and his heart so enthusiastic.
Jimin wasn't all heart eyes and daydreams of pretty cupids, however. At his core he was still undeniably a lust demon. With a devilish smirk, he thought, "You're too innocent for the other words in my vocabulary that I'd use for Jungkook."
That had Taehyung edging closer again.
"So, if step one was stalk him for months and step two was get turned down," Tae thought, ignoring Jimin's scowl, "What's step three?"
"Step three is simple." Jimin shrugged, despite not believing his own confidence. If cupid was his desire, then Jimin had only one course of action for winning his heart. "Wooing."
"Wooing?" Tae's exponential confusion turned into understanding as he nodded, smiling and raising his eyebrows suggestively. "Like seducing." He clarified.
Jimin set him with a look that could kill, and it had done so in the past.
"No like wooing." Jimin repeated, much to Taehyung's disapproval, and went right back to his favourite pastime of crushing on cupid.