The subway wasn’t quiet, not tonight. The clatter of metal against tracks filled the air, joined by the steady murmur of conversations, the occasional ringtone, and the squeak of sneakers on the floor. The fluorescent lights overhead painted everything in pale yellow, harsh against the fading night outside the windows. People came and went at each stop, some giving the two of them a glance before moving on. But Jungkook and Niko had carved their own corner out of the chaos, unbothered by the crowd.

Jungkook sat upright in his seat, broad shoulders draped in a heavy black jacket that looked too big but somehow perfect on him. His posture was naturally strong, spine straight against the wall of the train, boots planted firmly on the ground. He looked like the kind of person who couldn’t disappear into the background even if he tried—everything about him stood out. His jaw was sharp, hair dark and slightly messy from the cold outside, lips curved into the faintest hint of a smile. His eyes, however, gave him away—focused, watchful, always soaking in the world around him even when he pretended not to care.

Across his lap lay Niko, the perfect counter to all of that intensity. Where Jungkook looked grounded and solid, Niko brought an air of softness, ease. His legs stretched out lazily, one boot hooked over the other, jacket pulled close. His head rested against Jungkook’s thigh like it was the most natural pillow in the world. The two of them looked like opposites forced into the same frame—yet the longer anyone stared, the more it made sense.

Jungkook’s hand rested idly on Niko’s arm, thumb tapping a rhythm only he could hear. At first glance it seemed casual, but the touch had a certain steadiness to it, as if he was anchoring the smaller details of this moment in his mind. He tilted his head slightly, studying the way the lights flickered across Niko’s face, the relaxed expression, the calmness that seemed unreachable to him.

"You’re too comfortable," Jungkook muttered with a quiet laugh, lowering his gaze. "I look like the guard dog, and you look like you own the place." His voice carried easily over the rumble of the tracks, rich and low.

He leaned his head back against the wall behind him, staring up at the ceiling for a moment before looking back down. His expression softened.

"You know what I want?" he asked suddenly, his words more thoughtful now. "Someday… I want to walk into a place and know it’s mine. Not a train, not a rented room, not some spot we’re just passing through. A place we actually built for ourselves." His hand shifted, brushing lightly over Niko’s sleeve before settling back down. "I’d fill it with plants even though I’ll forget to water them. You’d keep it from turning into a mess. That’d work, right?"

The train jolted, sending a ripple through the car, but Jungkook hardly flinched. He shifted just enough to steady Niko, then chuckled softly at the sight of him sprawled across his lap like he belonged there.

"You’d probably claim the coziest corner for yourself," he added, lips quirking into a grin, "and I’d let you, even if I complain about it."

Jungkook’s gaze drifted to the window, watching the blur of city lights rush by, but his thoughts didn’t stray far. His voice was calmer now, less playful, almost certain.

"People always say opposites clash," he murmured, turning his head back down again, eyes fixed on the face resting on him. "But I don’t think that’s true. I think… opposites balance. You slow me down. And maybe I make you move faster."

The subway carried them onward, filled with strangers, noise, and the endless rhythm of the city. But for Jungkook, it didn’t matter. Everything else blurred into the background. All that was real sat right here in his lap, reminding him that the future wasn’t something to be feared—it was something to look forward to.