Top or bottom?
Title: Top or bottom?
Pairing: JB/Youngjae
Rating: PG
WC: 1143
Summary: [college!AU] Jaebum hates incompetence. This time, he actually doesn’t mind it (much).
Alternatively, how they became roommates.
AO3 || AFF
*masterpost*
“...But I’m a senior...?”
Jaebum wants to sympathize with the apologetic look the young woman in administration throws him, but really, he wasn’t the one to screw up. She probably wasn’t, either, but someone in the office did assign him to the sophomore dormitories when he spent almost four years of his life slaving on books for a damned degree, so he wants his spacious, senior dorm room, for fuck’s sake. Housing prices are over the roof (incorrect pun not intended) and even co-renting is out of his budget, otherwise he would’ve been out of there in a heartbeat.
Seeing how all the rooms have been assigned and most people have already moved in these past few days preceding the new school year, Jaebum doesn’t put up much of a fight (the anger management therapy he went through in high school is paying off), resigned to return to the slightly larger than freshmen’s but still pretty cramped sophomore rooms. He would’ve been okay with the junior dorms, if all else failed; at least they could fit in twin beds, desks and wardrobes and still be left with more than enough space to move, as well as being able to invite people over without having to step on each other.
After fetching his belongings and dragging them in the opposite direction of the senior dormitories, grumbling to his friends through texts the whole way, Jaebum is now standing a meter from his new room, feverishly moving his gaze between the piece of paper with his room number and security codes, and the slightly ajar door.
His roommate already moved in and Jaebum is not ready to face him, goddammit.
Taking a calming breath while counting back from five like he was taught to, and convincing himself to act like the adult he is (according to his ID), Jaebum gives a brief knock on the door before peeking his head in.
He’s welcomed by the sight of a startled brunet boy, caught in the act of cutting one of his boxes open. The surprise is quickly replaced by a grin so easygoing and welcoming, Jaebum takes an instinctive step back, that leads him to almost make a fool of himself by tripping in his own luggage; he vents his embarrassment by kicking the traitorous suitcase before fully opening the door and greet his new roommate properly.
“Sorry about that.” He wants to run away. He wonders if Jinyoung will let him camp in his room. “Hi, I’m Im Jaebum.”
If possible, the other boy’s smile turns even brighter in front of the proffered hand, which he shakes.
“I’m Choi Youngjae, hi!”
Jaebum decides he can’t channel his dissatisfaction for the rooming controversy by hating Youngjae: first of all, it’s not the sophomore’s fault, and second point, about as important as the first, look at that smile! So sunny, so genuine, so infectious! It puts you in a good mood even when all you want to do is either crawl in a hole or smash anything within reach, as is Jaebum’s case.
“Good thing we’re moving in on the same day, so we can decide who gets to top or bottom.”
Jaebum doesn’t have the time to appreciate the younger’s consideration--how the sophomore waited for his roommate before picking a bed or a favorite side of the room--that he has to do a double take. Youngjae’s expression doesn’t show neither embarrassment at the realization of the double entendre, nor the mischievousness of someone who knows exactly what he said: the senior doesn’t know what to make of it.
“Come again?”
Youngjae looks at him confused and probably questioning what’s up with his roommate, the tiniest bit concerned for having to share living spaces with someone acting so oddly upon first meeting.
“Uh, top or bottom bed?” he specifies, pointedly waving a hand at the bunk beds pushed in a corner of the room, by the window.
‘I know that, but the way you phrased it sounded wrong.’
“Ah…” Jaebum utters eloquently. It’s his turn to blush, suddenly interested in the room’s layout as if he didn’t already live in an identical one two years before.
“I’ll...pick the bottom bunk, otherwise I’d constantly bang my head against the ceiling,” he finally decides. Jaebum glances at Youngjae from the corner of the eye, biting back a chuckle at the younger’s unimpressed but playful glare.
“You aren’t much taller than me, come on now…” the sophomore huffs before resuming unpacking, a smile still lingering on his lips as he dives shoulder deep in the box he was opening before Jaebum’s arrival.
“Do you mind if I choose the desk and wardrobe on this side of the room?” Youngjae asks, pointing a thumb at the furniture behind himself, pushed against the same wall as the bathroom door and parallel to the beds.
“Oh, no problem at all,” Jaebum confirms while pushing his stuff inside. “Ah, for the record, I’m a senior,” he eventually adds, feeling a weight lifting off his chest. His friend Jackson would roll his eyes at how hung up on ‘age bullshit’ Jaebum is.
Their college doesn’t have mixed grades or sex dormitories. Youngjae widens his eyes in surprise and puzzlement, about to ask, “How…” but Jaebum is quick to reply (he was dying to, to be honest, more than happy to have another pair of ears to vent to).
“Someone messed up in administration and all the senior rooms have been assigned,” he grumbles, “so here I am.”
The doubt in Youngjae’s eyes is evident: sure that rooming mishap is annoying, but he still doesn’t know how to interpret Jaebum’s tone. Everything was going well before the cat was let out of the bag, while now he can’t help but wonder if Jaebum is one of those who hate dealing with people younger than him.
With a start, the senior notices a change of demeanor in the brunette. Feeling guilty for it and not wanting to be the cause of an awkward relationship between roommates starting from their very first meeting, he scrambles to clear things up, but Youngjae precedes him with an endearingly determined look in his eyes.
“I hope we can get along regardless.”
The serious tone is broken after a beat by Youngjae’s hearty laugh and warm smile, that Jaebum finds himself reciprocating with a faint knot in his stomach and a skipped heartbeat.
They resume unpacking in relative silence--they have all the time to know each other better. The first thing the elder retrieves is the tool belt his grandpa gifted him for freshman year, and presents it to Youngjae.
“If you need them I have some tools to fix anything broken,” he explains, showing the overflowing tan pockets to his roommate.
The thankful grin Jaebum receives makes him believe Youngjae’s smiles will be able to fix him.
* ha, you thought! ;) but the summary didn’t lead that way so you definitely saw the title was a trick (☞ﾟ∀ﾟ)☞
* I already started writing this chapter when I saw this incorrect quote and I had to insert it somehow
*pukes at the cheese of that ending*
Pairing: JB/Youngjae
Rating: PG
WC: 1143
Summary: [college!AU] Jaebum hates incompetence. This time, he actually doesn’t mind it (much).
Alternatively, how they became roommates.
AO3 || AFF
*masterpost*
“...But I’m a senior...?”
Jaebum wants to sympathize with the apologetic look the young woman in administration throws him, but really, he wasn’t the one to screw up. She probably wasn’t, either, but someone in the office did assign him to the sophomore dormitories when he spent almost four years of his life slaving on books for a damned degree, so he wants his spacious, senior dorm room, for fuck’s sake. Housing prices are over the roof (incorrect pun not intended) and even co-renting is out of his budget, otherwise he would’ve been out of there in a heartbeat.
Seeing how all the rooms have been assigned and most people have already moved in these past few days preceding the new school year, Jaebum doesn’t put up much of a fight (the anger management therapy he went through in high school is paying off), resigned to return to the slightly larger than freshmen’s but still pretty cramped sophomore rooms. He would’ve been okay with the junior dorms, if all else failed; at least they could fit in twin beds, desks and wardrobes and still be left with more than enough space to move, as well as being able to invite people over without having to step on each other.
After fetching his belongings and dragging them in the opposite direction of the senior dormitories, grumbling to his friends through texts the whole way, Jaebum is now standing a meter from his new room, feverishly moving his gaze between the piece of paper with his room number and security codes, and the slightly ajar door.
His roommate already moved in and Jaebum is not ready to face him, goddammit.
Taking a calming breath while counting back from five like he was taught to, and convincing himself to act like the adult he is (according to his ID), Jaebum gives a brief knock on the door before peeking his head in.
He’s welcomed by the sight of a startled brunet boy, caught in the act of cutting one of his boxes open. The surprise is quickly replaced by a grin so easygoing and welcoming, Jaebum takes an instinctive step back, that leads him to almost make a fool of himself by tripping in his own luggage; he vents his embarrassment by kicking the traitorous suitcase before fully opening the door and greet his new roommate properly.
“Sorry about that.” He wants to run away. He wonders if Jinyoung will let him camp in his room. “Hi, I’m Im Jaebum.”
If possible, the other boy’s smile turns even brighter in front of the proffered hand, which he shakes.
“I’m Choi Youngjae, hi!”
Jaebum decides he can’t channel his dissatisfaction for the rooming controversy by hating Youngjae: first of all, it’s not the sophomore’s fault, and second point, about as important as the first, look at that smile! So sunny, so genuine, so infectious! It puts you in a good mood even when all you want to do is either crawl in a hole or smash anything within reach, as is Jaebum’s case.
“Good thing we’re moving in on the same day, so we can decide who gets to top or bottom.”
Jaebum doesn’t have the time to appreciate the younger’s consideration--how the sophomore waited for his roommate before picking a bed or a favorite side of the room--that he has to do a double take. Youngjae’s expression doesn’t show neither embarrassment at the realization of the double entendre, nor the mischievousness of someone who knows exactly what he said: the senior doesn’t know what to make of it.
“Come again?”
Youngjae looks at him confused and probably questioning what’s up with his roommate, the tiniest bit concerned for having to share living spaces with someone acting so oddly upon first meeting.
“Uh, top or bottom bed?” he specifies, pointedly waving a hand at the bunk beds pushed in a corner of the room, by the window.
‘I know that, but the way you phrased it sounded wrong.’
“Ah…” Jaebum utters eloquently. It’s his turn to blush, suddenly interested in the room’s layout as if he didn’t already live in an identical one two years before.
“I’ll...pick the bottom bunk, otherwise I’d constantly bang my head against the ceiling,” he finally decides. Jaebum glances at Youngjae from the corner of the eye, biting back a chuckle at the younger’s unimpressed but playful glare.
“You aren’t much taller than me, come on now…” the sophomore huffs before resuming unpacking, a smile still lingering on his lips as he dives shoulder deep in the box he was opening before Jaebum’s arrival.
“Do you mind if I choose the desk and wardrobe on this side of the room?” Youngjae asks, pointing a thumb at the furniture behind himself, pushed against the same wall as the bathroom door and parallel to the beds.
“Oh, no problem at all,” Jaebum confirms while pushing his stuff inside. “Ah, for the record, I’m a senior,” he eventually adds, feeling a weight lifting off his chest. His friend Jackson would roll his eyes at how hung up on ‘age bullshit’ Jaebum is.
Their college doesn’t have mixed grades or sex dormitories. Youngjae widens his eyes in surprise and puzzlement, about to ask, “How…” but Jaebum is quick to reply (he was dying to, to be honest, more than happy to have another pair of ears to vent to).
“Someone messed up in administration and all the senior rooms have been assigned,” he grumbles, “so here I am.”
The doubt in Youngjae’s eyes is evident: sure that rooming mishap is annoying, but he still doesn’t know how to interpret Jaebum’s tone. Everything was going well before the cat was let out of the bag, while now he can’t help but wonder if Jaebum is one of those who hate dealing with people younger than him.
With a start, the senior notices a change of demeanor in the brunette. Feeling guilty for it and not wanting to be the cause of an awkward relationship between roommates starting from their very first meeting, he scrambles to clear things up, but Youngjae precedes him with an endearingly determined look in his eyes.
“I hope we can get along regardless.”
The serious tone is broken after a beat by Youngjae’s hearty laugh and warm smile, that Jaebum finds himself reciprocating with a faint knot in his stomach and a skipped heartbeat.
They resume unpacking in relative silence--they have all the time to know each other better. The first thing the elder retrieves is the tool belt his grandpa gifted him for freshman year, and presents it to Youngjae.
“If you need them I have some tools to fix anything broken,” he explains, showing the overflowing tan pockets to his roommate.
The thankful grin Jaebum receives makes him believe Youngjae’s smiles will be able to fix him.
* ha, you thought! ;) but the summary didn’t lead that way so you definitely saw the title was a trick (☞ﾟ∀ﾟ)☞
* I already started writing this chapter when I saw this incorrect quote and I had to insert it somehow
*pukes at the cheese of that ending*