Work Text:
“Hyung!” Jungkook whines, probably for the fourth time in the past twenty three minutes, watching Taehyung snatch yet another cupcake, licking a patch of icing off it. “You can’t keep eating all the product without paying for it! This is a bake sale to raise money, dickhead. It’s not Yoongi hyung’s kitchen when you're high. Pay me for it.”
Taehyung rolls his eyes slightly, much more focused on enjoying the strawberry icing Jungkook had so brilliantly picked to put on top of this mundane cupcake. “I’ll pay you when we’re done.” Taehyung shrugs, not caring so much for Jungkook’s incessant complaints. “Now stop whining. You’re turning customers off.”
This time, it’s Jungkook’s turn to roll his eyes, sitting back in his chair with a sigh, all while doing his best to still at least try and attract business.
“Don’t you have a class to be at right now? Or like, I don't know, someone’s dick to suck? Stop bothering me.”
Taehyung snickers, taking a bite of his cupcake, unphased by his best friend's request. Taehyung knows Jungkook doesn’t really mean it; that’s just the way their relationship is. Two years of beautiful friendship built on insults and name calling. But at the end of the day, Taehyung would do anything for Jungkook and Jungkook knows he would.
“Wouldn't you like to know?”
“Actually, I wouldn’t. I don’t wanna hear about your dick endeavors anymore. Not since you told me about you and that senior at the merchandising club Christmas party.”
“I will never look at a candy cane the same.” Taehyung sighs dreamily, mostly just to torture Jungkook, but also because he really can’t look at the Christmas candy the same way he once did. He’s probably going to hell or something. Details.
“Gross.”
“Anyway,” Taehyung clears his throat, “Don’t worry about it, Kook. I’m good for a few dollars to help the cause. I would love to donate to the dance team to get them to stop doing that Twice song at every football game.”
“You know this is for competition uniforms.” Jungkook reminds him, adding, “Besides, ‘Likey’ is still a goddamn hit.”
“Duh.” Taehyung scoffs, rolling his eyes, “But you guys aren’t doing the dance break any justice.”
Jungkook rolls his eyes again, frowning slightly as he mumbles, “Whatever.”
Taehyung watches as a professor walks by, glancing at the table full of stale cupcakes and Jungkook desperately smiling at them, before continuing on their way to the elevator, leaving Jungkook’s frown to deepen.
“I can’t stand you pouting anymore. When are you done here?” Taehyung groans, licking another bit of the pink colored frosting. “We can ditch our afternoon class and go to Yoongi and Joon hyung’s and use their Apple TV and eat their leftover takeout.”
“No.” Jungkook answers quickly, “You remember what happened after last time we did that?”
“Yeah,” Taehyung responds casually, “Yoongi hyung didn’t answer my Snapchats for a week. We broke our 400 day streak. But it was all Namjoon hyung’s fault, anyway. He shouldn’t have given us the spare key to their place in the first place.”
“He gave it to us to pet-sit that huge ass goldfish that he also insists on not being a baby shark. You abused the key privileges every time after that and dragged me with you.”
“What’s theirs is also mine.” Taehyung shrugs a matter of factly, “That's what friends are for.”
“Annoying.” Jungkook scowls, “We’re not going. I don’t want them to hate me again.”
“Right.” Taehyung grins wickedly, “Because you have a crush on Joon hyung.”
“I do not.”
“Don’t lie, Jungkookie.” Taehyung pauses before continuing, “Do I have to remind you that we live together? You have very vivid dreams.”
Taehyung snickers, watching his friend's face turn about two different shades of red.
“ Annoying.” Jungkook repeats, but doesn’t elaborate further. Taehyung doesn’t either; he knows one day Jungkook will come to terms with his gross, romantic-type-feelings for their handsome, older, much wiser friend.
“Speaking of annoying,” Taehyung starts, deciding to drop the whole cutting class suggestion entirely, “Yoongi hyung tried banning me from his little makeshift studio in their—“
“Jungkook!” A voice cuts off Taehyung’s spillage of super juicy Yoongi gossip, bringing both he and Jungkook’s gaze to where a boy was heading over, smiling, “Hey. I’m your relief for the next shift.”
Now Taehyung has never really believed in all that super-duper, TV drama, romance kind of shit. He was a fairly realistic guy, who understands that most times you meet someone, there aren’t any fireworks or angelic choirs in the background. It’s usually just an ordinary meeting between two ordinary people who may or may not have the mutual need to fuck each other or grab dinner or whatever.
But after seeing this guy, Taehyung is pretty sure he’s ready to throw all of that out the window. In fact, he’s already kissing Old Taehyung goodbye, sealing him in some kind of damage proof tube with a kiss and shipping him somewhere else in the world that’s anywhere but in front of this boy — no, this probable angel sent from above.
“Jimin hyung,” Jungkook smiles back and Taehyung can't believe his best friend is even able to keep his cool around a guy like this. He also can’t believe Jungkook knows this beautiful son of a bitch, yet never thought to introduce him to Taehyung. He makes a mental note to find an ant farm to dump into Jungkook’s bed later. “You’re early. Who wants to be early to sit here and do absolutely nothing?”
The beautiful, mysterious, angel faced boy laughs and Taehyung feels his entire body do something weird and nauseating.
“I got out early from my morning class and figured I’d do my good deed for the day and bail you out.” He pauses, before his eyes glance over at Taehyung. “But I see you brought company at least. Who’s your friend?”
If Taehyung wasn’t sick yet, he definitely was going to be now. The boy had the prettiest face Taehyung is sure he’s ever seen. Sculpted, yet full cheeks, with even fuller lips, ones that Taehyung couldn’t help but stare at. His frame was smaller, yet sturdy, and the way those jeans were hugging his legs definitely helped in letting everyone know he was on the dance team. His hair was blond, definitely dyed, but fit his complexion perfectly.
Taehyung decides that he's never seen a more breathtaking person. He wants him.
When Taehyung still hasn’t answered his obvious cue, Jungkook decides to answer for him, rolling his eyes only slightly. “This is Taehyung,” He says plainly. “My roommate.”
“Nice to meet you, Taehyung-ssi, Jungkook’s roommate. I’m Jimin.” The boy, Jimin, holds out a ring clad, delicate looking hand in the direction of Taehyung, smiling again.
Hesitantly, Taehyung takes it, but not before he wipes the accumulated sweat from his palms onto his jeans. “Jimin,” He repeats, treating the name like it was something sacred, “Nice to meet you, too.”
“So how’d Jungkookie rope you into sitting here?” Jimin asks, almost a little devilishly, sitting into his hip. “Because I know you’re definitely not on the dance team. I would remember a face like that.”
Taehyung has to physically remind himself to close his mouth, preventing any drool from slipping out of it. There’s no way this guy is real, right? Also no way that he just basically flirted with Taehyung, right ?
“He’s a pain in my ass and likes to insert himself into my business, that’s how.” Jungkook scoffs, answering yet again for Taehyung. Taehyung kicks him a little bit under the table.
“Lies.” He says quickly, “He’s always lying. It’s his worst habit, probably. Second to leaving his laptop open in the living room. You do not wanna see his browsing history.”
“Hyung!”
Taehyung ignores his protests in favor of trying to continue to woo Jimin, who is hiding a chuckle behind his small hand. “I actually am just a massive fan of the cause. Polyester is very important to me.”
“How noble of you.”
“I try.”
“I see strawberry frosting is also very important to you.” Jimin glances down at the cupcake sitting on a napkin in front of Taehyung, completely topless now. Taehyung turns a lot red and prays Jimin can’t tell.
“That was just a little extra incentive.” Taehyung reasons, “I like sweet things.”
Like you, Taehyung wants to add, but his game has always been a bit shit and he doesn’t want to embarrass himself anymore than he already had.
Jimin hums, smiling, “Understandable. I do too.”
There’s a minute of silence, maybe only a few seconds, but within that time frame, Taehyung swears there’s no one else there but him and Jimin, the dancing, bake sale angel with thighs sculpted by every god in the universe and the prettiest laugh that could most likely out chart any song on the radio right now. Taehyung notes that Jimin has pretty eyes, much like the rest of him, and particularly likes the way they seem to tell him a million things without using any words. They’re a deep, warm brown and Taehyung wants to get lost in them.
In fact, he does, until Jungkook clears his throat as if to remind him that they are not actually alone, despite how it might feel that way.
“Hyung,” Jungkook nudges him, Taehyung blinks before finally removing his gaze from Jimin, “We should go. Class, remember?”
“Oh.” Taehyung nods, “Right. Class. Being a responsible student and actual human being. Those things.”
“Those things.” Jungkook nods and although he doesn’t necessarily say anything, Taehyung knows he’s gonna make fun of Taehyung for that later.
“Well, hey,” Jungkook is speaking again, this time to Jimin, “Thanks again for coming earlier, hyung. I think I was about one second from flipping this table over. Apparently no one really wants baked goods unless they’re loaded with weed.”
“Who would’ve guessed that among college kids?” Jimin teases, slinging his bag off and dropping it in the seat Jungkook was just sitting in.
“I’ll see you later at practice, yeah?” Jungkook questions, to which Jimin nods.
“I’ll be there.” He smiles before looking past Jungkook, at Taehyung. Taehyung kind of wants to die. “I hope I see you around sometime, too.”
Yeah, now he’s definitely going to die.
“You will.” Taehyung answers, a little too quickly maybe, but Jimin laughs that million dollar laugh again, so Taehyung doesn’t entirely regret it.
Before Taehyung can embarrass himself further, Jungkook is tugging his arm away from the table, waving a final goodbye to Jimin, who waves back.
Once they’re safely around the corridor, out of earshot of Jimin, Taehyung lets out a giant breath he didn’t know he was holding, turning to Jungkook.
“Ok,” He starts, having collected himself, “When were you planning on telling me you were friends with the face of Vogue Korea? What the fuck, Jungkook? That motherfucker was beautiful.”
“Jimin-ssi?” Jungkook scoffs, “Gee, I had no idea you were so interested in him. I wish you had made it more obvious to all of us.”
“Fuck off.” Taehyung swears, shoving him lightly. “He’s the prettiest man I’ve ever seen. I want to hold his hand and have his babies.”
“Gross.”
“I could’ve said something a lot worse just then. Count your blessings.”
“Hyung!”
“Does he like men? Please tell me he likes men.” Taehyung practically begs, Jungkook rolling his eyes.
“You’re genuinely my least favorite person alive.” Jungkook replies, sourly, “I’m going to turn off Find My Friends so you can stop showing up wherever I am.”
“You not answering will only make this worse.”
“Fine,” Jungkook rolls his eyes harder this time, “Yes, he likes men.”
“Oh, fuck.” Is all Taehyung can manage, before he’s shaking his head, “Of course he likes men. He was flirting with me. Wasn’t he? I mean, does he always do that thing with his eyes?”
“What thing?”
“The thing where it looked like he wanted to take my clothes off before completely ruining me? That thing.”
“Oh, Jesus, I’m never letting you outside again.”
“Kook!”
“Fine,” Jungkook spats again, “No. I guess not? I don’t know, maybe he was being pretty flirty. Though, I don’t know why. He kind of—“
“ Fuck,” Taehyung swears again, earning a glare from a professor passing by, “I want him. He’s mine. In T-minus, I don't know, two months? I will have happily sucked his dick or something.”
“I’m begging you to stop speaking.”
“Jimin, you beautiful, dancing, angel with a laugh like honey—“ Taehyung speaks to particularly no one, “You’re mine.”
“Taehyung—“
“Save it.” Taehyung holds out a hand to silence him, “I’m making it happen.”
“But he—“
“Nope!” Taehyung turns on his heels, walking backwards in front of Jungkook, “I’ll see you at the hyungs’ later. Tell me then. I have a class to attend where I will not pay attention to the lesson but instead just think about the ranch style home Jimin and I will live in with five dogs.”
“You’re insufferable.” Jungkook grimaces, watching Taehyung swiftly turn on his heel towards his classroom, “And you still owe me six won for those cupcakes!”
—
Dinner at Yoongi and Namjoon’s apartment goes as expected. They order from their favorite takeout place, arguing over who gets the last bit of bulgogi, before diving into their days, sharing bits and pieces of the excitement they missed out on in each other’s.
It’s nice, Taehyung always thinks, especially because he doesn’t see Yoongi as much as he used to. Yoongi was the kind of friend who was always around; Taehyung hasn’t ever really known his life without him, which is a perk of being next door neighbors, as well as Taehyung being clingy and very much enthralled with Yoongi and how cool he was.
Growing up, everything Yoongi did, Taehyung had to do, too. Yoongi was good to Taehyung; he always was. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he loved Taehyung a lot more than he loved most other people.
Namjoon was someone Taehyung hadn’t met till later in life, in his freshman year of college, through Yoongi. Yoongi and Namjoon shared a few classes being that they were both majoring in music, specifically, production of music, and hit it off immediately. They lived together the first year Taehyung started college and had been staying that way ever since.
“Ok,” Taehyung sits up straighter at the table, finished poking around his plate, “Enough of this boring shit.”
“‘Boring shit?’” Namjoon scoffs, “Yoongi was talking about his senior thesis.”
“That’s exactly my point.” Taehyung shrugs, shaking his head, “Do you hear yourself right now?”
“Fuck you, Kim Taehyung.” Yoongi spats, but he’s smiling a little so Taehyung knows he doesn’t mean it. In fact, he knows Yoongi was only talking about his senior thesis to try and cover up the absurd eye contact Jungkook was trying to make with Namjoon from across the table. They were all uncomfortable, Yoongi was just doing them a service.
“Is that an invitation?” Taehyung wiggles his eyebrows, “I don't know if Hoseok hyung would like to hear his boyfriend is offering himself up like this.”
“Shut up.” Yoongi mumbles, blushing slightly.
He and Hoseok had only been dating for about a month now. It was still a pretty fresh topic which Taehyung took almost every chance to tease him about. Though regardless of all the jokes, he was happy for his hyung.
Hoseok was cool and really sweet to Yoongi. They met through Jungkook; Hoseok was also on the dance team and apparently Yoongi paid more attention to the members than Taehyung did. Read: Jimin also being on the dance team and Taehyung not having properly noticed him till now. He at least hoped he and Jimin could have the same success story as Yoongi and Hoseok.
“Hyung, if this is about this afternoon, then can you please listen to me?” Jungkook whines, sitting up in his seat to better glare at Taehyung.
“I will, I will!” Taehyung assures him, throwing a hand in dismissal, “Just let me announce this first. It’s more important.”
“Is it about the recreational reading you constantly email us about?” Namjoon sighs, “Because, yes, I do know there is now a sequel to that Harry Potter fanfiction you wanted us all to read. And no, I still don’t wanna read it.”
“ Harry Potter and The Half Blood Heartthrob ?” Taehyung raises an eyebrow, completely casual. “I had no idea you guys still opened that email chain. I had been sending you the updates for months thinking you were completely ignoring them. I sent them for my own conscience.”
“Something about Harry Potter falling for a rookie idol just seems unrealistic.” Yoongi shakes his head, face wearing an incredulous look.
“That’s why it’s fanfiction.” Taehyung reminds them, “That person is a fantastic writer, by the way. Support your local business.”
“I do.” Namjoon scoffs, “But not when it involves Harry Potter and someone who participated in synchronized dancing.”
“I participate in synchronized dancing.” Jungkook points out, voice a little weak. Probably for fear synchronized dancing is a big turn off for Namjoon or something.
“It’s different when you do it.” Namjoon assures him, a gentle smile showcasing his dimples. Jungkook lets out a sigh of relief.
“Ok Harry Potter aside,” Taehyung rolls his eyes, “No. This is about an actual boy I met today. He came and saved Jungkook from the bake sale and is also on the dance team. He’s beautiful and has the prettiest laugh ever and I’m going to wed him.”
“That’s a lot of talk for someone who hasn’t gotten laid in about six months.” Yoongi snickers, Taehyung just rolls his eyes.
“And how would you know that?”
“You’re actively keeping up with Harry Potter fanfiction. I think that’s pretty self explanatory.”
“Fuck you guys.” Taehyung pouts, sinking into his chair. “I like him.”
“Fine.” Namjoon shrugs, surrendering, “What’s his name?”
“Jimin.” Taehyung answers dreamily, right at the same time Jungkook does as well, though his tone is a bit harsher. Taehyung can tell he definitely rolled his eyes while he said it.
Yoongi laughs, “Wait a minute. Jimin like Park Jimin?”
“Yes.” Jungkook answers once Taehyung realizes that he doesn’t actually know his future husband's last name.
“Taehyung-ah,” Yoongi shakes his head, “Are you dumb?”
“What?” Taehyung’s brows furrow, pout back on his lips again. “Why do you say that?”
“Because Park Jimin has a boyfriend, hyung. What do you think I’ve been trying to tell you?” Jungkook groans and Taehyung feels like simultaneously laughing and crying. It’s like he’s on one of those practical joke shows except he isn’t going to meet any cool, famous people.
“He— He what?” Is Taehyung’s intelligent reply.
“Yeah.” Yoongi confirms, Taehyung’s gaze flicking quickly from Jungkook to his older friend. “Some guy in your year, I think. Minchul? Minjun? Maybe?”
“How do you know all this? How come everyone knows Park Jimin except for me?”
“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t know Park Jimin.” Namjoon pipes up, “I mean, there’s a Park Jimin in my intro to music class, but that Park Jimin’s a she. I don’t think you’re looking for her.”
“Park Jimin is Hoseok’s roommate.” Yoongi explains before Taehyung can yell at Namjoon in his fit of frustration. “They’re all on the dance team together. I don’t ever see him often because he’s usually out with his boyfriend or fuck buddy. Whatever the guy is.”
“That’s what I was trying to tell you, hyung. I didn’t want you to get your hopes up.” Jungkook’s words sound comforting but they only make Taehyung feel more stupid than he already does.
“So Park Jimin has a boyfriend and it’s not me.” Taehyung states slowly, almost as if he’s mentally processing the information.
“Yep.”
“There goes our three bedroom ranch style home with the farm out back in Daegu.”
—
It’s a long week; one that starts with Park Jimin being the love of Taehyung’s life before he immediately finds that he is actually not single, despite whatever his subtle flirting and bedroom eyes may have told Taehyung.
And that’s ok, Taehyung decides. Jimin doesn’t owe him anything. In fact, they’ve only met once. Sure, it may have been an out of body experience for Taehyung, but that doesn’t mean it was the same for Jimin. That’s ok .
But Taehyung was still going to go out to the nearest party in any attempt to temporarily forget the way Jimin had smiled at him and made him feel a little bit wanted. So when Namjoon had told them about a guy in his calculus class who knew a guy who had a girlfriend who was having a party, Taehyung took the opportunity.
He was sitting on a couch that was way too old, covered with way too many suspicious stains, feeling a little light from the smoke he had previously inhaled. Taehyung wasn’t big on drinking. He could never really hold his liquor right and while he did appreciate a good wine every now and then, he much preferred a casual joint more than anything else.
Next to him was Jungkook, who was talking Namjoon’s ear off about some book he had recently read in his anthropology class. It sounded interesting but Taehyung knew for sure he couldn’t really keep up; not now with the way his limbs suddenly felt like jelly.
“Hey,” Taehyung leans over, hooking his chin on Jungkook’s shoulder. Jungkook shifts a little in annoyance, most likely feeling Taehyung has ‘ruined the mood.’ If he’s thinking it, he doesn’t say it at least, which is a surprise because when Jungkook’s high he has no filter. Like one time he admitted to Taehyung he liked being called princess. It was hilarious. Taehyung still doesn’t let him live that one down.
“Hi.” Jungkook spats plainly, “What do you want?”
“Grouchy.” Taehyung huffs, wrapping his arms around Jungkook’s middle in a further attempt to annoy him. “Hyung, tell him he’s being mean.”
“You’re being mean, Kook.” Namjoon complies, “Happy?”
“Yeah.” Taehyung nods against Jungkook, who just shoves him off. “I wanted to ask if you guys know where Yoongi hyung went.”
“Yoongi hyung?” Namjoon repeats, pausing for a minute and eyes scanning the room. It comes up inclusive, “I don’t know, really. Probably with Hoseok-ah somewhere. Check the kitchen maybe? Drinks.”
“The kitchen.” Taehyung repeats, and while his first motive might’ve been locating his best friend to have him entertain the great idea he just thought of for pants that can hold textbooks to eliminate backpacks, he suddenly remembers the giant bowl of cheetos in there and it seems much more appealing.
“Ok.” Taehyung says happily, popping up from his seat on the couch. “See you guys later, I guess. Try not to do anything gross and embarrassing when I’m gone, Kook.”
Before Jungkook can scoff and claim he has no idea what Taehyung is talking about (his affection for Namjoon), Taehyung is gone, making a beeline to the kitchen.
He’s excited at the idea of possibly running into Yoongi, but even more excited at the idea of enjoying a nice bowl of artificial cheese covered snacks. He doesn’t even really pay mind to the mini groups of people he’s sloppily excusing himself through till he comes full on into another boy, one who lets out a quiet ‘oof’ upon impact.
That snaps Taehyung out of it immediately.
Park Jimin.
“Taehyung-ssi!” Oh god. His voice is just as pretty as Taehyung remembers.
Maybe it’s the haze he’s in, but Taehyung smiles, though all signs tell him not to, as even just sticking around and being nice might make his whole ‘crush on Jimin even though he’s taken thing’ a lot worse. He was here to forget Jimin. Not accidentally run into him and feel the sudden urge to just stay by him for the rest of the night.
“Jimin-ssi.” Taehyung returns, voice a bit giddy. Jimin just stares, smiles before he takes Taehyung’s hand for a moment, leading him out of the doorway they were blocking, seeing it's not the best place to stop for conversation.
They’re in the living room again, Namjoon and Jungkook somewhere over in the center but Taehyung doesn’t really care to find them again because he’s a bit more focused on the way Jimin’s hand feels in his. He likes it, despite everything in him telling him not to.
“When I said I’d see you soon I didn’t think it’d be this soon. What are you doing all alone, baby?”
Baby. It’s light the way Jimin uses it. Casual, even. But it still ignites something deep in Taehyung that he’d rather ignore. So he does.
“I was going to the kitchen. Wanted to find my hyung and tell him about these cool pants I came up with. Also wanted some cheetos.”
Jimin laughs, probably very much aware of the fact Taehyung’s slightly under the influence.
“Ah. Min Yoongi, right?” Taehyung nods. “He’s dating my roommate. I know him unfortunately a bit more well than I’d like to admit, if you know what I mean.” Jimin makes a face of feigned disgust and this time it’s Taehyung’s turn to laugh.
“Consider yourself special. I’ve known Yoongi hyung for a long time now and can’t say the same.”
“I’ll put it on my resume then.”
“Excellent choice.” Taehyung commends before continuing, “What are you doing all alone, too? Did you come with Hoseok and Yoongi hyung?”
“I did. Another friend of mine, too. You know Kim Seokjin?”
“Tall, dark, handsome?” Taehyung raises an eyebrow, “I know him.”
“Sounds a bit like yourself.” Jimin laughs and Taehyung ducks his head to hide the inevitable blush creeping across his cheeks.
“Yeah, well,” He swiftly changes the subject, “He runs the merchandising club on campus I sometimes help out in.”
Jimin hums, barely audible over the American song blasting from the bluetooth speaker. “I know him from my world literature class freshman year. He’s cool. He makes me go to a lot of parties I don’t really want to go to, but he’s cool.”
“World literature..” Taehyung repeats with a nod, “Literature major?”
“Nope. Pediatric nursing. World literature was just for fun.”
“Fun?” Taehyung gapes, “Your brain must be gigantic.”
“Maybe. I usually get that about other body parts, though.” The way Jimin is smirking is sinful and the slight wink he throws in Taehyung’s direction makes Taehyung feel like he’s a teenager blushing at his crush in the hallway again. Jimin seems pleased enough to continue, “You said merchandising, so I’m gonna assume you’re the same major as Jin hyung. Fashion merchandising?”
“That’s the one.” Taehyung confirms, “All very business oriented and not at all what the magazines make it out to be.”
“Always seems so glamorous.” Jimin points out, “Though the way Seokjin hyung is usually talking about it, it’s far from it.”
“Correct.” Taehyung confirms, shuttering at the mere thought of the homework he was assigned this weekend. He pushes the thought of Illustrator files out of his head in order to focus more on Jimin, “I can’t believe we’ve had all these common friends and never met until recently.”
“You're telling me.” Jimin laughs, “Not to mention we’re the same age. At least, that’s what Hoseok hyung told me.”
“Asking around about me, Park Jimin?” Taehyung teases, feeling a bit bolder than usual.
“Maybe.” Jimin shrugs, smirking devilishly, “Seems like you did the same. I never told you my last name.”
“Touché.”
“So you come to these kinds of parties often?” Jimin decides to go with next, maybe actually interested, but also maybe just wanting to keep the conversation going. Taehyung doesn’t mind either way.
He likes talking to Jimin. Giant, gay crush on the dude or not.
“I frequent enough of them. Jungkookie is still really gung ho about the whole ‘college experience,’ so he usually drags me out. My hyungs only come if it’s a really good one.” Taehyung explains.
“This is a really good one?” Jimin’s smiling again and Taehyung can’t help but do the same.
“Not impressed?”
“Just never really come out, that’s all. If I do it’s usually only a small group of people sort of thing. A bit boring.”
“Close knit friend group kind of guy.” Taehyung muses, “I respect that.”
Jimin laughs with his whole body, which Taehyung finds strange because it wasn’t even that funny, but Jimin grabs his shoulder to steady himself so he stops overthinking it. “Hardly. I feel like I’m the kind of guy who has almost too many different friend groups. Know what I mean?”
Maybe the conversation is too much for two people who just met. But something about Jimin comes naturally; it doesn’t feel like it’s too much at all. It feels like talking with an old friend.
“I know what you mean.” Taehyung nods, eyes scanning Jimin’s face. He’s beautiful, Taehyung thinks right before he adds on, stop looking at him like that, you idiot.
Jimin seems relieved to hear Taehyung’s answer. Like he’s had this conversation before yet hadn’t gotten through to anyone. “Yeah, like, there’s a bunch of different… Me’s sometimes, a bunch of different Jimin’s. I don’t think I hate it, necessarily. Just… hard to keep up with myself, I guess.”
“So which Jimin am I talking with?” Taehyung asks, voice gentle and a soft smile tugging at his lips. Jimin smiles back.
“Probably the Jimin who—“
“Jimin-ah.”
The voice makes Taehyung feel instantly on edge. Taehyung follows Jimin’s gaze to the figure approaching behind him, Jimin’s face shifting to a more unfamiliar smile. Maybe it’s genuine; maybe all the other smiles Jimin had given to Taehyung were the fake, polite ones. Taehyung doesn’t like the idea.
“Minjun.” Jimin greets the guy, who Taehyung has probably seen before, but he’s nothing special, so he doesn’t think twice about if he actually has. The guy is a bit shorter than Taehyung, dark hair styled in a way that kind of makes Taehyung mad, even though he doesn’t really have any reasoning as to why.
“Taehyung-ah,” Jimin smiles sheepishly, pulling Minjun over, “This is Minjun.”
Taehyung knows. Jungkook and Yoongi told him. He doesn’t let them know that, though. “Hi. Nice to meet you. I’m Taehyung.”
Minjun smiles, returning the greeting, “You too.” It’s silent for a beat before he’s talking again, to Jimin, “I was texting you looking for you.”
Jimin pulls his phone from his back pocket and pouts slightly. “Sorry. Were you here long?” There’s something sweet in Jimin’s tone which makes Taehyung feel like he’s intruding.
“No, not too long.” Minjun shakes his head, dropping his hand to hold Jimin’s, “Don’t worry about it.”
If Taehyung hated this guy’s stupid hair before, he really hates it now.
Jimin sighs lightly, nodding before nudging Taehyung timidly, “I’ll catch up with you, yeah?”
“Yeah, enjoy the party.” Taehyung nods and though the phrase is directed at Jimin, Minjun responds.
“You too, man.”
“Go and get those cheetos I kept you from.” Jimin laughs before he’s bidding his final goodbye to Taehyung, heading over to the next room.
Taehyung is no longer in the mood for his stupid cheetos.
—
Taehyung tries to forget him.
To forget the way Park Jimin smiled at him like Taehyung was the brightest star in the galaxy. To forget the way Jimin’s hand felt in his. To forget the way Jimin leaned in when he laughed, steadying himself by grabbing onto Taehyung’s shoulders.
Taehyung also tried to forget Minjun, the asshole who Park Jimin was apparently ‘dating.’ Dating, fucking, whatever it was, Taehyung hated it. And sure, he didn’t necessarily have reason to hate it and he knows he’s being irrational. Minjun most definitely wasn’t actually an asshole, either. Taehyung barely knew Jimin and definitely didn’t know him enough to feel this way about him, but there was something about talking and laughing with Jimin that just felt right.
Felt like home.
And if he’s being honest, Taehyung didn’t quite like the way Minjun spoke to Jimin. There was something in his voice that was a little bit demanding and impatient. A little bit rough around the edges. And the way he said Jimin’s name like it was a sour taste in his mouth made Taehyung all the more angry.
But there wasn’t anything he could actually do about it. So he tried to forget it. Taehyung tried to return to being a normal student with a normal life full of normal things, which even prompted him to go to the library, a place he rarely frequented.
But Taehyung had decided to focus on himself, better himself and all that. You know, not letting himself get hung up on a guy who would never like him back.
Forgetting Park Jimin: one. Park Jimin himself: zero.
Taehyung sighs, wishing he was literally anywhere else but here, in front of a line plan that he had absolutely no idea how to do. Perks of being a fashion merchandising student, he supposed.
He had been at this for about an hour now, having come straight after his microeconomics class and was in desperate need for a coffee. Or a nap. Or some kind of natural disaster that could destroy his homework and maybe even the merchandising building. Just non-violently sweep it away in a tornado or something. Yeah, that’d be nice.
But instead of a tornado or a comfortable pillow for him to crash on right now, he instead heard someone clear their throat, causing him to look up from the paper that was just becoming a blurred arrangement of lines and numbers.
And oh fuck. Taehyung probably looks like he had seen a ghost. Park Jimin.
“Hey,” Jimin smiles that usual, beautiful smile of his, glancing down at the empty seats around the table Taehyung was at, “Mind if I sit?”
No. Yes. Maybe.
“Go right ahead.” Taehyung shrugs, mentally scolding himself for not making up a lie about how he suddenly needed to flee the country.
“Working on anything good?” Jimin asks, gracefully taking a seat across from Taehyung. Taehyung actually silently thanks his professor for assigning him this god awful line plan. Anything to distract from how absolutely adorable Jimin looks right now. In fact, Taehyung suddenly loves line plans. He’ll probably end up marrying one.
“The best.” Taehyung jokes, allowing himself to look up from his page for just a minute. Jimin looks seriously heavenly and Taehyung immediately regrets his decision. “Line plans. Basically a bunch of overpriced retail numbers being multiplied and divided by each other.”
Jimin hums, leaning into his hand. “Impressive. Cute and good with numbers.”
Taehyung’s heart does a funny thing at that.
Cute.
“Yeah, well what are you working on?” Taehyung counters, deciding to ignore the compliment and the way it tugged with the beating piece in his chest.
“Biology. Very exciting stuff.” Jimin grimaces before giggling a bit, “Yoongi hyung was over when I got back from class and did not look too pleased to see me.”
“That’s just his face.”
Jimin giggles again, harder this time, “ No. I decided to be the better person and not cock block my roommate.”
“You’re a good man.”
“I know.” Jimin agrees, very humbly at that. “I don’t usually hang out here, though. Libraries smell weird.”
Taehyung laughs, shaking his head, “You’re absolutely right. It’s either all the ancient books or the ancient ladies working here.”
Jimin and Taehyung both glance over at the front desk, laughing in tandem when the woman behind the counter proves Taehyung’s point.
“I’m glad you’re here at least.” Jimin shrugs when they both turn back to their work, or at least pretend to.
Taehyung hums, willing the blush on his cheeks to disappear. “Well… well what about Minjun? Where’s he?”
Taehyung wishes he didn’t ask, but curiosity killed the cat or whatever. To put it honestly, it was nosey. He wanted to know what he and Jimin’s deal was. More importantly, why Jimin was as flirtatious as he was with Taehyung.
“What about him?” Jimin raises an eyebrow, shrugging, “He’s at class.”
It’s a noncommittal answer, but Taehyung doesn’t want to make it obvious that he’s prying, so he doesn’t say anything else. Instead, he goes back to his line plan, trying to focus more on the multiplication in front of him than Jimin, who seems to be enjoying biting the end of his pen while he scans his biology notes.
Taehyung wants to stare so badly. And ok, maybe he does a little, but that’s just because Jimin looks so goddamn sexy and Taehyung kind of hates him for it. I mean, who looks sexy under fluorescent library lighting wearing a university sweatshirt and hair going in all different directions from pulling at it in concentration?
Oh, that’s right. Park Jimin does.
“Taehyung?” Jimin looks up, eyes widening for a split second when he sees that Taehyung had already been looking at him.
Idiot, Taehyung mentally chides himself.
“Hmm?” Taehyung quickly looks down at his worksheet, like that would cover up the fact that he had been outwardly checking Jimin out.
“I just wanted to say I—“ Jimin pauses, hesitating. He bites his lip a little in thought and Taehyung is now going through his list of tragic, completely un-sexy things to try and get rid of the boner he feels coming on like some kind of hormonal teenage boy.
He’s never coming to the library ever again.
“I just wanted to say that I actually had a lot of fun talking with you the other night. Even if it only was for a bit.” Jimin finishes, seeming a little unsure of his confession. He looks down at his work again, but Taehyung can tell his eyes aren’t necessarily there. He looks a little shy and a whole lot cute.
“Oh.” Taehyung stupidly replies, before shaking his head, then nodding, “Yeah, me too. I had fun, too.”
It’s a lame agreement but Jimin seems to like it, because when he looks up again he’s smiling softly.
“You’re easy to talk to. It kind of feels like we’ve known each other for a while, I think. Like, talking with you just feels right.” Jimin adds, a little more confident than he previously was.
“Yeah,” Taehyung nods again, “Like a past life sort of thing. If you’re into that.”
Jimin laughs and Taehyung can't help but smile a little bigger. “Exactly like that.”
Taehyung laughs back, eyes meeting Jimin’s in something electric, powerful, even. Taehyung tells himself it's probably just that past life feeling he was bullshitting about. Definitely not the fact that Taehyung still has a very big crush on Jimin despite what he’s tried to teach himself in the past few days.
“I’m happy we met. I’m happy we’re friends.” Jimin tells him with one more smile, returning to his biology work in front of him.
“Me too.” Taehyung agrees, maybe a little too weakly, “I’m happy we’re friends, too.”
Taehyung means it, of course he means it, but there’s still that little voice in his head wishing it was more. Selfishly wishing. He tells that little voice to shut the fuck up.
“By the way,” Jimin makes one last comment on the topic, “I think you were talking to Real Jimin the other night. It’s been awhile since anyone really has.”
Taehyung smiles, cheeks feeling a little warm with glee, “Well, Real Jimin is nice to be around. I’m glad we had the privilege to chat.”
Jimin smiles back before turning back to his work, engrossing himself with the diagram in front of him. Even though he doesn’t say it now, Taehyung can tell this is the Real Jimin, too.
—
Being just friends with Jimin, however, comes surprisingly easy. Not like Taehyung doesn’t think the world of Jimin to begin with. Not like he isn’t kind and funny and overall, extremely pleasant to be around. But Taehyung realized he had been a bit of a baby as he learned to deal with the fact that he could not nor would not date Jimin.
And so he was content with being just friends. Really.
Because Park Jimin was in fact a phenomenal friend.
For one, Jimin sends him a lot of cute dog pictures throughout his week. They exchanged numbers after their little library meetup sometime last month and had been pretty much nonstop talking since then. (Not only about cute dogs, but just life in general, too.)
It’s nice, though — the cute dogs — especially on days where Taehyung feels like his brain is melting from all the spreadsheets he’s looked at and Jimin saves the day by sending Taehyung a photo of a corgi sitting in a little teacup. Or a greyhound wearing a bow tie. A pomeranian eating a croissant. It’s therapeutic somehow.
Two, Jimin is a very… expressive person when it comes to human contact. It was something Taehyung had taken immediate notice of, right when they met at the party and more than once was Jimin draping himself over Taehyung in a fit of giggles or fully grab hold of Taehyung’s hand just to move him out of the way of someone passing by.
Frankly, Taehyung liked it. Like earlier this week when they all went out for barbecue and Taehyung sat next to Jimin. Throughout most of the meal Jimin had his arm around the back of Taehyung’s chair or a subtle hand grabbing his thigh for a minute. It seemed like Jimin just had a need to be close to Taehyung, which Taehyung, being someone who always went into relationships — whether it be platonic or not — headon, really liked.
It was comforting to be near Jimin. If Taehyung was nervous about handing in a big project, Jimin was there to give his hand a squeeze as he walked him to class. If Jimin was feeling less than confident about a quiz he had taken earlier that morning, Taehyung had the big hug to make it better. They worked well like that.
Then three, it was just nice to talk to someone different. Don’t get him wrong, Taehyung loves Jungkook and his hyung’s — he would die for them, really — but talking to Jimin was just refreshing. They were the same age. They never really had to hold back in anything they said. They could both be ridiculous and stupid and irrational and still completely get each other.
Taehyung looked forward to talking to Jimin everyday. He looked forward to seeing him at lunch on Tuesdays and getting coffee with him in the mornings and seeing him at dance practice when Taehyung went to bother Jungkook. He liked hanging out with Jimin. And he wasn’t going to let a silly crush get in the way of it.
Besides, not much of it mattered anyway. Jimin was with Minjun, happy with Minjun, actually, and Taehyung and Jimin were happy as friends . Who was Taehyung to try and get involved?
Taehyung sighs, rubbing his tired eyes as he slumps further into the mound of pillows on his bed. It was Wednesday, which was essentially the worst because Wednesday’s always meant cramming for pop quizzes in his fashion forecasting class. He didn’t understand why the professor felt the need to give them weekly, especially when they barely covered any new material since then. But nonetheless, he had to learn the ins and outs of forecasting whether he liked it or not.
To his right, sitting at the desk with his blond hair sticking up in a few directions was Jimin, nose practically pressed in the flashcards he made on different common diseases. Something like that, anyway. Taehyung was not as skilled in pediatric nursing as Jimin was, believe it or not.
They did this a lot. Studying together, spending time together quietly, sometimes even staying the night together — as friends, of course.
“Jiminie.” Taehyung calls out, closing his laptop in front of him to stop the bright screen from stinging his eyes.
Jimin doesn’t bother looking over, just hums in response.
“Let’s go to bed.” Taehyung proposes, glancing at the time as he does so. 1:36 AM. They both had class starting at nine tomorrow morning.
“In a minute,” Jimin waves him off, turning over the flashcard in his hand, “I just want to finish this unit.”
Taehyung groans, rolling over exasperatedly, but not before moving his laptop off the bed. “ Jimin-ssi!”
“ Taehyung-ssi .” Jimin mimics, however still not turning a glance in Taehyung’s direction.
Taehyung silently hates him for it. Actually, he openly hates him for it.
“I hate you.”
“You do not, you big baby.”
“I do!”
“Stop whining.” Jimin huffs, finally looking over at Taehyung, cards subtling dropping from his hands. Taehyung uses it as an opportunity to make his eyes as big and sad looking as he can. Jimin sighs and Taehyung takes that as the start of his first win.
“I can’t.” Taehyung tells him, shaking his head, “I’m tired and very cold and definitely cannot sleep unless you’re here with me.”
“Asshole.” Jimin mutters, but he’s standing up and peeling off his sweatshirt so Taehyung knows he’s just saying it. “Scoot over or I’ll crush you.”
Taehyung laughs victoriously, rolling over further to make space for Jimin in his double bed. It’s a little ridiculous, the way they do this so often. Jungkook and Yoongi like to make fun of him for it. Namjoon thinks it’s sweet.
It started off as an accident. They were watching some anime they both had liked when they had fell asleep, shoulder to shoulder and woke up tangled up in each other. They didn’t acknowledge it verbally, but when it was another late night of Jimin hanging at Taehyung’s to avoid cock blocking Hoseok and Yoongi, it was decided that Jimin would just stay in Taehyung’s room with him.
Sometimes Taehyung wonders what Minjun would think, if Minjun even knows. Taehyung usually feels guilty for that. Whatever their exact relationship may be, Jimin still is Minjun’s in some way. Doesn’t he owe him something?
Most times Taehyung selfishly tries not to think of it.
“So how was studying?” Jimin asks, knowing full well that Taehyung spent half the time in front of his laptop rereading Slam Dunk.
There’s a bruise on the base of Jimin’s neck in the shape of a pair of lips that wasn’t there yesterday. Taehyung decides to ignore it and the sick feeling it wrongly brings in his stomach. Instead, he hums in response, throwing an arm over Jimin’s toned midsection and pushing closer. “It was great. Always goes great. I’m literally a genius, Jimin.”
Jimin laughs and Taehyung, pressed up against his friend's chest, can feel it perfectly. It makes him smile. Jimin always makes Taehyung smile.
“Oh, of course.” Jimin scoffs, one of his hands going up to play with Taehyung’s hair once he’s settled. “I was stupid for asking. Forgot you were the one with the brains in this duo.”
Jimin wraps a finger around one of Taehyung’s dark waves and pulls lightly, making Taehyung laugh a little. He does that a lot. Mostly just to hear Taehyung’s laugh, or so he’s admitted.
“How was your work?” Taehyung returns, Jimin’s hand moving down to Taehyung’s back instead, tracing delicate shapes there lightly. Taehyung thinks he could probably fall asleep like this, but he won’t. He wants to stay up and talk to Jimin a bit more. He always does.
“It was alright.” Jimin sighs, “I think if I have to see another possible pediatric disease I’ll cry, though.” Jimin laughs so Taehyung does, too. “Thanks for pulling me out of there.”
“Don’t have to thank me.” Taehyung tells him, giving his side a squeeze, “What are friends for?”
If Taehyung hadn’t known any better, he could’ve sworn Jimin got a little stiff then. Just for a minute, barely even a second, but stiff. He pushes the thought out of his head when Jimin’s talking again, changing the subject.
“You tired?” He can feel Jimin’s eyes elsewhere in the room, most likely falling on the wall across from Taehyung’s bed.
It’s filled with pictures, all taken by Taehyung, of places around Seoul that he’s been to or his little siblings or Jungkook and Yoongi at Namjoon’s birthday last year. More recently, photos of Jimin have started to take up some space.
Photos where he’s smiling with Hoseok or caught off guard in the street coming home from a late night at Seokjin’s. Taehyung likes them all the same. He thinks Jimin likes it too; the way he’s silently become one of Taehyung’s favorite things to photograph.
In a completely friendly way, though.
“Yeah.” Taehyung mumbles his answer into the fabric of Jimin’s tee shirt. It smells clean and a little bit like the cologne Jimin is always wearing. “It’s been a long day. I had to watch Jungkook hopelessly flirt with Joon hyung for an hour at lunch. That’s exhausting.”
“God, that is exhausting. Has hyung gotten any closer to figuring it out?”
“Nope. It’s disgusting to watch, seriously.”
Jimin laughs, his hand coming back up Taehyung’s hair again, most likely refocusing his attention on Taehyung rather than the photo wall. Taehyung decides that’s where he likes Jimin’s hand best.
“My poor baby.” Jimin coos, probably half kidding, but Jimin does also like to call Taehyung that a lot so he’s not entirely sure he’s joking.
Baby. It makes Taehyung think a little. Consequently, it makes Taehyung open his mouth.
“Jimin-ah?” He finds himself calling before he can stop himself.
Jimin just gives another tug at his hair. A silent answer. A silent yes, I’m listening.
“What do you call Minjun?”
Taehyung almost regrets the question as soon as it comes out. Frankly, he doesn’t really want to know the answer. More importantly, he doesn’t want to make Jimin uncomfortable or overstep any boundaries somehow.
“What do you mean?” Jimin’s voice is soft, not at all accusing and there’s still a gentle hand carding through the back of his hair. Taehyung feels bad; he thinks he doesn’t really deserve Jimin.
“I just meant, like, does he have any fun nicknames or... or pet names?” Taehyung doesn’t sound like himself. Actually, he sounds like someone who’s just put themself in a strange position and can’t back out now. He mentally scolds himself for asking in the first place.
“Oh.” Jimin nods slightly in understanding. Like when I call you baby, Taehyung can almost hear him say. But instead he says, “Not really. We haven’t known each other long enough for anything like that, I think.”
Taehyung thinks about how long he’s known Jimin. Definitely a shorter amount of time than Jimin’s known Minjun. Yet there've been countless early morning coffee runs and late nights together filled with baby.
It makes Taehyung feel a little warm inside, maybe a little special, even. Not like he has any reason to feel like that, though; they’re just friends.
“Hmm.” Taehyung ponders, nodding as best he can tucked under Jimin’s chin. “I was just curious.”
“You’re always curious.” Jimin laughs, before giving a final tug to Taehyung’s hair. He sits up slightly, reaching to turn off the small lamp on the nightstand, leaving just the moon to illuminate the room.
“Can’t help it. There's a lot out there to know, Jimin-ah.”
“Smartass.” Jimin laughs under his breath at Taehyung’s sarcastic reply, “Go to bed. I don’t wanna be awake till four with all your questions about the universe again.”
“Fine.” Taehyung huffs, smiling slightly, “I’ll save them for tomorrow. I know how much you love my American moon landing conspiracy at eight AM.”
“Taehyung-ah.”
“Goodnight, Jimin.” Taehyung snickers, voice sickly sweet.
Jimin sighs, shaking his head before he closes his eyes. “Goodnight, baby.”
—
Taehyung is perfectly capable of being away from Jimin. I mean, he had successfully made it this far in his life without him. He was tough. He could do it.
He still lived with Jungkook and played games on his switch with him until the sun rose. He still showed up at Yoongi and Namjoon’s looking to bombard them with useless facts about The Simpsons. He still was Taehyung.
But sometimes he missed Jimin.
Like right now.
It was a Friday night, which meant they had nowhere to be besides that party over at some broken down house on the edge of campus. Not very appealing.
They were at Hoseok’s — actually, Hoseok and Jimin’s apartment — stuffing their faces with a variety of takeout and basically yelling over things that didn’t actually matter for no reason. You know, just guy things.
But while Yoongi and Namjoon were so concentrated on excitedly sharing the progress they had made on the self produced project they had been working on, Taehyung was thinking about Jimin . With his soft smile and warm hands and how if he was here he’d probably be making Taehyung laugh at something ridiculous he said.
Taehyung chalks it up to it having been a long week and the fact that he’s at Jimin’s apartment without him. I mean, it’s just remnants of him everywhere. His dance bag by the door, a framed, silly photo of him holding up some goldfish he won at the college fair last year. He’s insufferably everywhere .
Taehyung doesn’t even notice that the conversation has died down and all eyes are on him until Namjoon shoves him from his seat next to Taehyung, raising an eyebrow, “You good, Tae?”
And oh god, everyone’s looking.
“Huh? Yeah, I’m good. Why? Do I look not good? Did Jungkook switch out my vitamins again for gummy bears? Is it a lack of glow or something?”
“That was one time.” Jungkook defends himself, but no one really hears him because Yoongi is speaking instead.
“You look like you wanna kind of cry. No, you look like you actually hate everyone. Yeah, that’s it. You hate everyone and would like to set this place on fire.”
Taehyung scoffs, rolling his eyes, “I do not. You all know you’re my favorite people. Even Seokjin hyung who refuses to give me his email so I can start forwarding him that Harry Potter fanfiction.”
“No chance in hell, you sick bastard.”
“Anyway,” Hoseok starts, patting Seokjin on the back to soothe him. “We know you love us. But we also know you love a certain someone who’s not here. Maybe that’s what’s got you down?”
Ah, leave it to Hoseok to gently remind Taehyung of his moderate co-dependency on Jimin. His kindness gives Taehyung the chance to pretend he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
“I don't know what you’re talking about.”
“He’s talking about Jimin-ssi, dickhead.”
“Jungkook!” Taehyung gasps, though he’s not sure exactly what part rendered the gasp. Taehyung know’s they’re all right.
“What?!” Jungkook raises his hands innocently, “I’m just stating the elephant in the room.”
“Well leave it alone, it’s shy.”
“Taehyungie,” Yoongi starts and he’s using that gentle voice that Taehyung knows, so he’s ready for Yoongi to lay it on thick, “Do you like Jimin?”
“Of course I like Jimin-ssi. We’re friends.”
“No,” Namjoon corrects, “Do you like Jimin? Like, wanna suck his dick. Like, how you wanted to about two months ago?”
“Hyung!”
“Enough with the ‘hyung!,’” Namjoon imitates him nearly perfectly, “Bullshit. We just want to know. As your friends.”
Taehyung sighs because they are his friends and he can’t really deny them this. “I did, but now I don’t. Not anymore. Seriously, he has a… he has Minjun and we're just friends.”
“We just don’t want you to get hurt.” Hoseok says quietly, giving him a sheepish smile.
“I appreciate your concerns, but I won’t. Friends . I promise.”
They don’t bother Taehyung after that. Instead, they make an awkward transition to talk about a new music video that had just come out and was pretty much everywhere. Taehyung does his best to contribute and seem engaged with the conversation in an attempt to further convince them.
But what was there to convince? Taehyung was telling the truth. He didn’t like Jimin. Not like that. Not anymore.
Right?
It’s later when Taehyung thinks Jungkook might bring it up again, the two of them walking home in the cool November air. They both have their hands shoved in their pockets and their stomachs full of a chocolate cake Seokjin had brought over.
It’s the perfect time to keep prodding, but Jungkook doesn't. Not when they see Jimin suddenly coming their way. Not with Minjun right beside him.
“Taehyungie?” Jimin seems surprised. Maybe he hadn’t known they were all headed to his apartment tonight, or maybe he thought it was too late to run into them. “Jungkook!” His second greeting is a little belated.
“Hi, Jimin hyung.” Jungkook greets, giving a cordial smile to Minjun.
“Hey.” Taehyung smiles stupidly before looking over to Minjun and forcing himself to grin and bear it. Literally. “Hi, Minjun-ssi.”
“Taehyung-ssi.” He returns, smiling politely back.
His hand is laced with Jimin and Taehyung feels a little sick for no reason. Maybe it’s his own selfishness again. He wants to hold Jimin’s hand. He was holding Jimin’s hand just this afternoon on the way to class.
“Have fun tonight?” Jimin asks, probably just to make conversation. It seems awkward for some reason, like Taehyung and Jimin aren’t the Taehyung and Jimin they have been for the past few months. Jungkook must sense it too because he hasn’t stopped stupidly smiling since they ran into each other.
“We did.” Jungkook helpfully confirms, “Though we did have to all pretend like Yoongi hyung and Hoseok hyung weren’t sucking face while we were watching Masked Singer.”
Jimin scrunches his face up and it makes Taehyung laugh. “I’m glad I wasn’t there then. I get enough of that on a normal day.”
“Did you two have fun?” Taehyung asks, putting on the most interested voice he can muster. It doesn’t really sound like himself, but maybe Jimin won’t notice.
“We—“
“We did.” Minjun immediately nods, interrupting whatever thoughts Jimin had. Maybe he didn’t do it on purpose but still, Taehyung thinks, fuck this guy.
“Nice.” Is all Taehyung really cares to say. “Well, Kook and I better get going. It’s not like Overwatch is gonna play itself.”
Minjun laughs and Taehyung wants to tell him the joke wasn't for him, but he doesn’t. Jimin laughs too, so it evens it out.
“We’ll see you guys around.” Jungkook nods in departure, waving as he and Taehyung step around Jimin and Minjun.
“See you guys.” Minjun waves over his shoulder, dragging Jimin off in the direction of his apartment.
Taehyung doesn’t turn around again but that doesn’t mean he can’t feel Jimin’s eyes piercing through the back of his head as Minjun leads the way home. Taehyung just wonders what it means.
—
Taehyung senses Jimin is in a mood before he admits it himself. It’s like a dark cloud came by and parked itself right over the bright, dazzling mind of Jimin, who had rays of sunshine coming from his fingers and a laugh the color of dandelions.
Because today he was different. Taehyung could tell just by the way he carried himself a little more heavily than usual this morning, and not just because of the chunky boots he was wearing. Something was up. Taehyung could hear it in the way he said his name and the way Jimin held him for a bit longer when Taehyung gave him a hug this morning.
Something was wrong. Taehyung was going to get to the bottom of it.
They were at Jimin’s for once, Hoseok and Yoongi out to see a movie and grab dinner on their own, leaving Jimin to have the comfort of his own home. Not like Taehyung and Jungkook’s place hadn’t become more of a home to Jimin than themselves. Jimin was there more often than not these days.
The two of them sat on the bright red Ikea couch that Hoseok was very much impressed with. It was a little ugly, if Taehyung was being honest, but Hoseok and Jimin were rather eccentric put together, so it fit the place perfectly.
There’s an episode of Itaewon Class playing on the TV in front of them, but Taehyung can tell Jimin’s not paying much attention. He’s much more focused on poking at the burger he and Taehyung had picked up from Shake Shack not too long ago, playing with the lettuce slightly.
Something’s up.
“Jimin-ah?”
“Hmm?” Jimin looks up for just a minute, giving Taehyung a soft smile. He can probably tell Taehyung is worrying.
“Is everything ok?” Taehyung’s voice is quiet, “You seem a little out of it today.”
“I’m fine.” Jimin answers, a little too quickly with a bit too much enthusiasm. “Nothings wrong.”
“Jimin-ah.” Taehyung tries again, “You can tell me, you know. You can always tell me.”
“I know that.” Jimin shakes his head, his smile fading. “I’m fine, really. I’ll be fine—“
“But?”
“But, but—“ Jimin stutters, sighing, “You’re really not gonna let me go on like this, are you?”
“No.” Taehyung replies with a shrug. “You’ll take me to the grave and I’ll still be asking. Then I’ll keep bothering you even when we’re ghosts. I know you don’t believe in ghosts, but I’ll make sure you do then and finally tell me.”
“Fuck you, you’re annoying.” Jimin mumbles, moving his cold burger to the coffee table and looking down at his now empty hands.
“The most annoying. So annoying because I care about you so much.”
“Fine.” Jimin rolls his eyes, looking up to Taehyung again. He looks tired. A little dull. Taehyung wants to take it all away from him immediately. “It’s... it’s not a big deal. It’s just... Minjun.”
“Minjun.” Taehyung repeats, a bit sharply. “What’d he say? What’d he do?” Taehyung wants to say I’ll beat him up, but he’s never been too good in a fight and he also doesn’t want to wrongly accuse someone. Maybe Jimin was in the wrong.
(Though that’s highly doubtful.)
“He didn’t necessarily do anything. We just got in a tiny fight last night.” Jimin begins to explain. “I was over his place and he wanted me to stay the night, but I didn’t want to. He got mad.”
“Jimin-ah…”
“Nothing horrible happened, we just,” Jimin pauses, “We had a disagreement that really set me off, that’s all.”
“Just a disagreement?” Taehyung asks cautiously. It’s not really his business and he doesn’t want to pry anymore than he already has, but Jimin seems way more bent up about it than he should. Jimin was normally tough. Not much bothered him.
“An important disagreement.” Jimin nods, “He was being irrational and stupid and he—“ He pauses, lowering his voice, “He brought you into it. It bothered me.”
“Oh.” So that’s what this was about.
“Yeah ‘ oh ,’” Jimin laughs, but it’s empty, not his usual, bubbly laugh. “He was being an asshole, that’s all. Said I spent too much time with you. That I would probably stay over your place in a heartbeat, but didn’t wanna stay over at his.”
“Oh.” Taehyung repeats again, snapping out of it to give an actual, useful response. “I’m sorry that it was my fault then. I don’t want you to be in trouble because of me, I should talk—“
“Taehyungie,” Jimin shakes his head, leaning forward on the couch to get closer to Taehyung, outstretching his hand to Taehyung’s knee, “It’s not your fault. You’re not holding me hostage or something. I choose to spend time with you. He doesn’t own me.”
“Yeah, but, but he’s still your… boyfriend?” Taehyung finds he’s asking a question. He never really did get a straight answer about Jimin and Minjun’s relationship and eventually, he just stopped asking. Ignorance is bliss.
“Maybe.” Jimin scoffs, “I don’t know. It’s complicated. It started as just fucking around but then we started hanging out more? But it’s still just— a lot of fucking.”
Gross, Taehyung immaturely thinks. Jimin deserved better. Better than Taehyung even, better than most humans on the planet. He deserved everything. Not Minjun.
Taehyung nods, but before he can verbally respond, Jimin speaks again.
“So it’s stupid. The fact that he thinks I’m all his or something. He can fuck off, he made me mad bringing you into it.”
Taehyung is silent. While, sure, maybe he didn’t entirely like Minjun — didn’t like the way he spoke to Jimin, acted around Jimin and frankly, just existed — he didn’t really mean for any of his stored, irrational hatred to be necessary. He never wanted to tell Jimin I told you so or break them apart. If Jimin was happy, then so be it. Jimin deserves to be happy, regardless if Taehyung thought Minjun was worthy of his friend or not.
“Well,” Taehyung is speaking again, voice still quiet, “You are his, kind of, right? I mean, you’re a great person to be around, Jimin-ah. He probably just misses you.”
“I’m no more his than I am yours, Taehyung.”
Taehyung hates the way the butterflies in his stomach still stir when Jimin says things like that.
“You’re my best friend.” Jimin confesses once Taehyung doesn’t say anything. “If he has a problem with you, he has a problem with me. He can deal with it himself and apologize.”
“Yeah,” Taehyung nods, “You’re right.”
“I’m always right, baby.” Jimin scoffs, rolling his eyes, “But I’m not above a pity hug. I could use one right now.”
Taehyung laughs lightly, relieved that Jimin’s joking and at least sounds like he means it. Much better than the monotonous tone he had used all day.
He opens his arms for Jimin to slot himself into, a warm invitation that Taehyung would offer to Jimin any day. Jimin fits his body against Taehyung’s, leaning his head up on his chest, right against his heartbeat.
“I’m sorry he was being an asshole.” Taehyung mumbles into Jimin’s blond hair, lips pressed gingerly against the crown of his head.
“Not your fault, Taehyung-ah.”
“I know.” Taehyung rubs a soothing hand up Jimin’s arm, “I still mean it. You don’t deserve it. You deserve the best.”
Jimin chuckles, sitting up slightly, but still allowing himself to be held by Taehyung. “You’re a sap.” Jimin tells him fondly.
“A very honest sap.”
“Whatever you say, baby.” Jimin stifles another laugh, settling back into Taehyung’s side. Taehyung smiles, much more content that while Jimin might not be entirely happy yet, at least it’s a start.
“For the record,” Jimin speaks up again, small hand playing with a loose thread on the pocket of Taehyung’s sweatshirt, “I meant it in the best way. You’re my favorite sap.”
Taehyung scoffs, shoving Jimin playfully, “Now who’s the sap?”
“Both of us, asshole.” Jimin laughs, “I guess that’s just why we work so well together.”
“Yeah,” Taehyung hums in agreement, “You are always right.”
—
Midterms suck, but finals suck harder and by the end of them all, they’re in desperate need of something uplifting before heading home for the holidays. Hoseok had come up with the brilliant idea to go to the Myeongdong Lights Festival, just to at least try and will their spirits back to something a bit more joyous. No one could really dispute his plan. They didn’t have the energy to.
Taehyung is especially excited because Minjun will not be there, despite him being invited. Apparently, Hoseok is genuinely polite and a beautiful soul and asked him. Tonight, however, Minjun had to pack up to head home for break. His train was tomorrow morning and Taehyung silently thanked every god out there for the pre-booked tickets he had.
Ever since that night a few weeks ago when Jimin had told Taehyung about Minjun’s — for lack of a better word — “jealousy,” towards Taehyung, something just wasn’t sitting right with him. More so than usual, too.
Minjun and Jimin had promptly made up after that night, though; if the two days Taehyung hadn’t seen Jimin and the amount of hickey’s that covered his neck when they finally hung out again meant anything. Taehyung expected it, but this time he just hoped nothing like that would happen again.
“ No,” Jungkook argues firmly, shaking his head, “You're lying. There’s no way you think Heart Attack is better than Hi High.”
Seokjin, who has grown tired of arguing over literal LOONA songs for the past twelve minutes, sighs. They were all enjoying their respective food they had picked up from different vendors, watching The War on Loona unfold right before their eyes.
“Fine,” Seokjin rolls his eyes, shrugging, “If I had known you were such an avid girl group fan, I wouldn’t have even mentioned it.”
“Jungkookie’s main personality trait is girl groups.” Taehyung points out, making the majority of the group laugh — besides Jungkook, who turns a bit red.
“It is not.”
“Yes, it is.” Taehyung laughs, stealing another one of the dumplings Jimin was enjoying. Jimin stopped pretending to care that Taehyung was eating half of them about ten minutes ago. “Don't hide it. We’ve all seen the Girls’ Generation poster in your room.”
“Fuck off.” Jungkook swears, pout tugging at the end of his lips.
“Come to think of it,” Jimin hums, “You do always seem way too excited for the Likey halftime show.”
“I hate all of you.” Jungkook tells them, though they know he doesn’t really mean it. “For Christmas I want new friends.”
“That’s cold, Jungkook.” Namjoon shakes his head in feigned offense, which makes Jungkook’s expression startle a little.
Taehyung laughs, “Don’t worry, hyung, I’m sure you’re not included in that.”
“What does that—“
“You know what?” Hoseok’s overly cheery voice interrupts Namjoon, most likely aware of Jungkook’s little crush on him, if not completely telling by the way Jungkook’s ears are turning red in embarrassment. “I still need Christmas gifts for people. Who wants to watch me last minute shop?”
There’s a subtle, collective groan that comes from the group, but they all agree, most enthusiastically Seokjin, who decides he wants to treat himself to the sale going on in the department store across the street.
The seven of them head for warmth inside the busy building as they make their way over, Taehyung only stopping when he feels Jimin’s hand slip into his, pulling him back gently.
“Taehyungie and I will be there in a minute, actually.” Jimin decides for them. He hadn’t informed Taehyung of whatever this plan was, but Taehyung has never doubted or fought Jimin on anything, so he goes along with it.
“Ok,” Hoseok shrugs, “See you both inside!”
Jimin smiles and lets their friends head in without another word, pulling Taehyung out of the busy flow of sidewalk traffic.
“Tired of Jungkook’s pining after Joon hyung?” Taehyung raises an eyebrow lightly as he laughs, allowing Jimin to tuck them against the outside wall of the department store. “Because I am too, but I’m also freezing my ass off a little bit.”
“Yes.” Jimin laughs, dropping his hand from Taehyung’s to reach inside his own jacket pocket. Taehyung instantly wants to reach out and hold onto Jimin again. “But, no. I wanted to give you this.”
From his pocket, Jimin pulls out a smaller box, wrapped in silver paper that glistens in the Christmas lights around them beautifully. When Taehyung looks up from the box, he decides Jimin’s smile is way prettier than any of the lights and window displays they’d seen tonight.
“Jimin-ah,” Taehyung starts, shaking his head, lightly, “I don’t have your gift on me, now I feel dumb.”
“Never dumb.” Jimin corrects him, absentmindedly.
Taehyung thinks it’s almost out of habit now. After having spent so many hours attempting to study or do homework together, Taehyung often feels a little helpless and brain fried at the end of those sessions. Jimin was always there to assure him he was one of the smartest people he knew when he started to feel a little less confident than usual.
“I wanted you to have it now, that’s all.” Jimin shrugs, holding the box out closer to Taehyung. “I think it’d be useful tonight. Pretty here.”
Taehyung hums, gently taking the box from Jimin, who somehow smiles even bigger. Taehyung forces himself to ignore the butterflies in his stomach the best he can.
He carefully unwraps the paper, unable to stop the smile spreading across his lips once he reveals what’s inside. “A camera.”
“For more pictures for that wall in your room.” Jimin explains, though Taehyung,of course, gets it. “It’s vintage, I think. At least that’s what the guy told me. But you said you wanted to branch out from just your usual camera, so I figured…” Jimin trails off, most likely over explaining to combat the nerves in his stomach. Jimin always got nervous when he gave someone something. Even with something as silly as a coffee for Yoongi, Jimin always worried it wouldn’t be good enough.
Taehyung always thought everything Jimin did was beyond good enough.
“I love it.” Taehyung shakes his head, looking up to meet Jimin’s gaze again. “It’s perfect.”
Jimin smiles, a little bit shy, but Taehyung knows him well enough now to know he’s positively beaming inside. Looking at him now, Taehyung can’t really help himself from thinking just how beautiful Jimin really is.
Friend or not.
“I’m gonna try it out on you.” Taehyung warns him, struggling to open the package a bit as Jimin laughs, shaking his head.
“I didn’t buy it so you could take more pictures of me, baby.” Jimin tells him, trapping Taehyung’s hands in his as he attempts to pull the camera out from the old box. Judging by the packaging, Taehyung can definitely tell it is vintage. That makes the gift all the better.
“You said it’s pretty here,” Taehyung laughs, tugging away to free his hands, “You were right.”
Jimin’s smart, way too smart for his own good sometimes, so Taehyung knows that he understands what Taehyung means when he says that. The twinkling lights and holiday spirit are nothing compared to Jimin’s beauty.
It’s another strange line in their relationship they’ve managed to blur. The way they talk about each other so heavenly, way more so than Taehyung has ever talked about another friend. It’s right next to the way Jimin so naturally calls Taehyung ‘baby.’ The way their hands always seem to find each other when they’re walking together.
Neither of them know what it exactly means, but they both can tell it’s not the norm. They tend to treat it almost like a secret kept just between the two of them.
“Fine.” Jimin surrenders quickly, always a sucker for the gigantic puppy eyes Taehyung guilts him with, “Take the picture and then we go inside. I’m fucking freezing out here.”
“You’re the one who wanted to give this to me outside.”
“I didn’t want Seokjin hyung to tease us,” Jimin explains, “He already knows you’re my favorite, I don’t wanna rub it in.”
Taehyung laughs at Jimin’s joke, though he knows it’s somewhat true. He is Jimin’s favorite. He’s his best friend. Jimin is his favorite, too.
The camera is surprisingly easy to figure out and Taehyung decides to not really overthink his first shot. He likes Jimin best when he’s just himself, which means no prompting ridiculous poses or making Jimin look purposely candid. Just Jimin under the string of lights above them, surrounded by a bunch of different people, yet still being the most ethereal of them all.
Jimin hears the camera click and pouts, looking away from where his gaze had previously been on a group of teenagers loudly talking about some movie they had just come from. “I wasn’t ready. I thought you were still trying to figure the thing out.”
“I’m a fast learner, Jiminie.” Taehyung gloats, “Besides, it was a good picture. You always take good pictures.” Taehyung tucks the polaroid photo into his pocket, hiding it from any light that could damage the photo.
“I wanna see.” Jimin whines slightly, tugging at Taehyung’s pocket.
“You’re so impatient.” Taehyung scoffs, rolling his eyes, “It’s not even developed yet.”
“What if it’s embarrassing?”
“More embarrassing than that one photo I have of you from Halloween?”
“Fuck off. You said you got rid of that.” Jimin shoves him, but Taehyung just laughs because he knows Jimin isn’t really offended.
“Would never.” Taehyung shakes his head, “You’re my muse.”
Jimin’s cheeks go a shade of pink, but Taehyung tells himself it’s from the cold when his friend is rolling his eyes, “You’re a fashion major. Not Andy Warhol or something.”
“Actually I’m fashion merchandising. That’s business.”
“Even worse.” Jimin jokes, “No creativity in spreadsheets.”
This time, it’s Taehyung’s turn to shove his friend, which he does, lightly, before catching Jimin’s hand and taking it in his own. “Let’s go inside. I bet you Yoongi and Hoseok hyung are already making everyone else uncomfortable with whatever weird couple things they seem to find enjoyable.”
Jimin laughs, heading into a story about how he found them both earlier this week naming hypothetical dogs they’re going to own one day. It’s ridiculous just as their friends are, but Taehyung especially loves the way Jimin’s eyes crinkle up with a smile when he gets to a name that’s particularly amusing to him.
And later, when they’re all shopped out and satisfied with all the street food they’ve consumed, on the subway home, Taehyung finally shows Jimin the polaroid, letting him examine the picture as thoroughly as he wants.
Jimin complains that he looks bitchy and goes on a comedic rant about how he already regrets buying Taehyung the camera, but Taehyung just laughs, already 100% sure this is his favorite picture of Jimin he’s ever taken.
Before they get off the train, he snaps two more pictures.
—
It’s after the holiday break when Taehyung finds himself at another house he doesn’t really know the owner of, on another couch that’s seen better days, with another joint, already feeling the effects of the high. He’s seated in between Seokjin and Yoongi, which essentially adds Hoseok to that list as well. He’s making very good use of Yoongi’s lap as his own seat.
The seven of them all came together, having missed each other a decent amount over the break, but Taehyung hadn’t seen Namjoon or Jungkook in a bit so he hopes that means Jungkook is finally making a move.
He had promised Taehyung he would soon; something that included a nine step plan or whatever ridiculous thing Jungkook could further stall confessing with.
He hadn’t seen Jimin since he met up with Minjun, who was unfortunately also invited because this was basically a public space and Taehyung had no actual jurisdiction over the guy. They disappeared down a hall together about an hour ago and Taehyung would much rather not think of all the things they could possibly be doing.
“Give me that.” Seokjin demands, without any authority at all, nodding his head towards the joint in between Taehyung’s fingers. He obliges, watching as Seokjin inhales, leaning back. Yoongi and Hoseok lock lips from the other side of Taehyung so he scoots closer to Seokjin, doing his best to ignore them.
“Where’s Jimin?” Seokjin asks, handing the joint back to Taehyung.
“Minjun.” Taehyung answers flatly and leaves it at that.
“Don't sound so thrilled, Taehyungie.” Seokjin teases him with a short laugh.
“You asked me a question so I answered.” Taehyung frowns, “He's my friend, I just miss him.”
“And I’m not your friend?” Seokjin challenges.
“You are.” Taehyung confirms, “You’re also right next to me. Why would I miss you?”
“Fine.” Seokjin shrugs, allowing Taehyung to inhale again before handing it to him. “You don't like Minjun-ssi, do you?”
“Why would you say that?”
Seokjin scoffs. “Because every time someone brings him up you act like they’ve just announced they despise puppies and happiness. You practically cringe.”
This time, Taehyung scoffs, “I do not.”
“You so do.” Seokjin laughs, “Your whole body literally just went stiff when he was brought up just now.”
“Whatever.” Taehyung pouts, “There's just… something about him I don’t trust.”
Seokjin holds his hands up, shrugging, “Hey, I don’t blame you. To keep it between us, I don’t like Minjun much either.”
“You don’t?!” Taehyung suddenly feels a bit more valid about hating him and his haircut for all these months.
“No.” Seokjin laughs loudly. He commandeered the joint completely, but Taehyung’s high enough to let him finish on his own. “I've known Jiminie for a pretty decent amount of time now. Before Minjun, anyway. He just used to be… brighter, or something.”
Taehyung finds himself hanging on Seokjin’s every word.
“Then he started sleeping with Minjun and I mean, it’s college, everyone does that. I wasn't going to stop him or comment on it.” Seokjin reasons, “But then he just changed. Like a switch flipped. He stopped coming out as often as he did, mostly to hang out with Minjun and his lowlife friends. It’s kind of like he forgot who he was?”
“Oh.” Taehyung says quietly. Seokjin takes that as his cue to continue.
“I don't know. He seems to have fun with you, though. He’s always happiest when you’re around or when he’s talking about you. Reminds me of the real Jimin-ah, so to speak.”
Taehyung thinks back to the first night they really spoke, at the party. Jimin told him sometimes he feels a little disconnected from his real self. Then, at the library a few days later, he revealed that the real Jimin was the one that Taehyung had actually met that night. Taehyung thinks about that a lot.
“Well, I—“ Taehyung starts, then stops. Thinks. “I’m just glad that he can be happier when he’s with me.”
“Me too.” Seokjin agrees, “I kind of hope that he wakes up and realizes—“
“Taehyungie?” It’s quiet, barely audible above the music blasting, but Taehyung hears it. It’s Jimin. He always finds Jimin somehow.
“Jimin-ah.” Taehyung smiles, watching his friend round the couch behind them. “I haven’t seen you in a minute. Having fun?”
Jimin smiles weakly and Taehyung knows he’s not having fun.
“Actually, I was just wondering—“ He glances at Seokjin, “Uhm, do you wanna… head home with me?”
“Home?” Taehyung repeats, sitting forward on the couch. He reaches out and brushes a hand to the side of Jimin’s thigh lightly.
“Everything ok?” Seokjin raises his eyebrow, frowning.
“Yeah, it’s ok, I’m just tired.” Jimin assures him with a half smile, before looking back at Taehyung, “Do you want to stay? I can go home alone.”
“Alone?” Taehyung shakes his head, practically outraged. “No way. Of course, I’ll come with you. Jin hyung was hogging the joint, anyway.”
It’s a joke, but Seokjin still whines a bit, which brings out a tiny chuckle from Jimin. Taehyung makes a mental note to apologize to Seokjin later, as well as thanking him for making Jimin laugh.
“Let’s get out of here, Jimin-ah.” Taehyung smiles softly when he stands, letting Jimin slip his hand loosely into his.
“Later, dickheads.” Seokjin bids them farewell, which they both accept as perfectly pleasant.
“Tell Jungkookie I left, yeah?” Taehyung asks Seokjin before looking over to where Yoongi is still very much making out with Hoseok. “Hyung too, if he ever stops sucking face.”
“You have my word.” Seokjin nods, “Call me if you need me, Jimin-ah.”
“Thanks, hyung.” Jimin smiles, before he tugs Taehyung away, back towards the front of the apartment. They don’t run into anyone they know on the way out, not even in the hall where there are still people staggering in much more than fashionably late.
They don’t run into Minjun either. Taehyung doesn’t ask about him this time.
Outside the air is cold and they both internally curse themselves for not wearing thicker coats. It’s basically February after all, yet they’re both college students who would much rather look ‘cool’ than god forbid wear a proper coat. Taehyung tugs his denim jacket close over his sweater before tugging Jimin even closer.
“Boring party?” Taehyung asks quietly. It’s the first thing they’ve said since they left and they’ve been walking about two minutes in the direction of the metro station since. It feels wrong to break the silence, even in the bustling nightlife of Seoul.
Jimin hums and Taehyung can feel it through his body by the way he’s holding Jimin against his side. “I wasn’t in the mood to party anymore.”
Taehyung hums back. “Any reason why?”
Jimin doesn't answer right away. Instead, he holds up he and Taehyung’s fingers still intertwined, looking at them for a minute before he gently presses a kiss to Taehyung’s knuckles. It’s the first time Jimin had purposely kissed him. There had been lingering lips across collar bones and foreheads before, but this time it was intentional.
It makes Taehyung feel a little bit like fire.
“I’m tired, Taehyung, I told you.” Jimin’s tone is firm, but he’s smiling softly.
“Tired.” Taehyung repeats with a nod as they near the metro, descending down the staircase to catch their train. It’s not spoken, but they somehow decide they’ll go to Taehyung’s tonight.
Tired, Taehyung thinks to himself. Tired of what? Tired of partying? Tired of being unhappy? Tired of him ? Minjun?
They're standing on the platform waiting for their train when Jimin speaks again. He has his back against Taehyung’s chest, Taehyung’s arms wrapped around his midsection. They’re still feeling the effects of the cold so staying close together seems optimal right now. That, and Taehyung really just wants to give Jimin a hug.
“Taehyung-ah? Baby?”
“Yeah?” Taehyung does his best to sound unphased. There’s just something about the way it feels so guileless for Jimin to call him that, though. It still drives Taehyung crazy.
Most days, he can remind himself that he no longer has a crush on Jimin. But other days he’s at a constant war with himself over it. Today was not like most days.
“Have you ever been in love?” Jimin, like all things he does, asks with such a relaxed tone, so simple. Like he was asking Taehyung what the special in the dining hall was today.
Taehyung kind of wants to be sick.
He wants to say yes, right now, with you. But he’s Jimin’s best friend. He can’t say that, so he doesn’t.
“I have.” Taehyung decides on, because he’s never been the best liar and Jimin knows that.
“What does it feel like?”
Taehyung laughs a little, but, of course, he answers him regardless, “I don’t think there’s just one set feeling of it. Sometimes it’s great, like as if it’s a sunny day and you get a good grade back on a test you thought you failed. It’s a giddy kind of feeling, like you’re invincible. The person you love is invincible.”
Jimin laughs in understanding and Taehyung keeps going, “Sometimes it’s kind of shitty, though. It can hurt. Sometimes you love someone so much, you want the world for them, even if it hurts you in the process.”
Like how I love you, Taehyung thinks.
“That's a bit unfair, I think.” Jimin declares after a moment of thought, “I don’t get why it has to hurt.”
“If it doesn’t hurt then it’s not real love, maybe. If you really want something, you have to work for it.”
“When did you get all wise, Nicholas Sparks?” Jimin jokes.
“Well, when’d you get all lovey?” Taehyung squeezes him slightly, ”What’s on your mind?”
“Just thinking about where my head is these days.”
“I see.” Taehyung nods, “Somewhere good, I hope.”
“Yeah, it's not too bad.” Jimin sighs, breaking away from Taehyung’s grasp so he can face him. “You’re my best friend, right, Taehyung-ah?”
“Of course.”
Jimin nods, lips pulled to a lazy smile as the train rolls in and he takes Taehyung’s hand in his again. “Let’s go.” Jimin sighs, tugging him towards the slowing train, “I’m tired.”
Taehyung’s tired, too. Tired of watching Jimin with someone else.
—
It’s Sunday night when Jimin finally explains what happened at the party. As far as Taehyung is concerned, he hadn’t spoken to Minjun all weekend, even going as far as avoiding his texts and calls. Taehyung and Jimin spent Saturday and Sunday together, watching whatever Netflix had to offer and avoiding doing any homework that might be looming over their heads. Two things they did best.
For the most part, Jimin was himself. Friday night he had allowed himself to wallow a little, still hung up on Minjun and the questions about love that plagued his mind. He forced Taehyung to be the big spoon that night, not like it took much convincing to do. Whatever Jimin wanted, Taehyung would always give him.
Now, they were sat in Taehyung’s living room, just having finished a pint of ice cream each, because they were still young and could pretty much do whatever they wanted in that sense. Jimin was wearing a sweatshirt that Taehyung was certain he had stolen from him, but he didn’t call him out on it because it looked much better on Jimin, anyways. Everything looked better on Jimin these days.
Yeah, that little school boy crush Taheyung had was definitely starting to rear its ugly head again.
“You never asked me what happened on Friday night.” Jimin points out, those being either of their first words in a while now.
They were watching some reality show that apparently was really big in America. Taehyung had given up on trying to read the subtitles about twenty minutes ago and was focused on the people instead. They were entertaining regardless of language.
“I figured you’d tell me when you wanted to tell me.” Taehyung sits up, shrugging. He reaches over to lower the volume and looks back to Jimin, “I didn’t want you to feel pressured. I know you know I’m here for you.”
“Yeah,” Jimin nods, smiling a little, “I know you are.” He leans up more and nods to himself, “Which is why I wanna tell you. It’s not necessarily bothering me, but I think I’ll just feel better if I talk about it. Clear my mind.”
“I’m all ears.” Taehyung promises him, turning to give his friend his undivided attention.
“Minjun.” Jimin says like Taehyung already knows, which he pretty much already did. He adds, “Again.”
Taehyung sighs, one that is probably too long than needed. “Jimin-ah…”
“I know, Tae.” Jimin holds his tiny hands up to hide his face in. For a minute, Taehyung thinks about how he wants to take Jimin’s hands away and kiss his face until he’s smiling. Until he forgets why he was sad in the first place. Taehyung promptly pushes the thought from his mind.
“It’s stupid stuff, really. It just keeps getting me. And I think that’s what’s making me mad. The way it’s on my nerves so badly.” Taehyung nods, letting Jimin continue. “And he’s not, like, an awful person. He’s never hurt me, we just… we clash, sometimes.”
“I know.” Taehyung nods softly, letting Jimin continue.
“He got mad at me again the other night.” Jimin behind to elaborate. “We were, you know, together — hooking up or whatever. Apparently I wasn’t into it enough. He just — he called me out and it pissed me off.”
Taehyung’s quiet for a minute. For one, he would much rather keep pretending like he doesn’t know that Jimin and Minjun fool around, but that’s besides the point right now. Jimin is upset and Taehyung wants to fix it.
“Well,” Taehyung starts slowly, “I mean, were you… into it?”
“I—“ Jimin starts, then stops, then starts again, “What does it really matter? He pissed me off.”
“I know, I think that’s valid, I just was wondering. I don’t know I’m trying to see where he was coming from.” Taehyung shrugs, voice quiet, because he’s pretty sure he’s just said the wrong thing. Now it looks like he’s taking Minjun’s side, when in reality, he just kind of wanted a better idea of the situation. Maybe a better idea about where Jimin and Minjun were standing these days.
“It doesn’t matter, Taehyung.” Jimin’s words are sharp. “He keeps making me feel shitty.”
“I’m sorry.” Taehyung apologizes, “I know it’s not really my business, but Jimin, if he keeps making you feel so bad, why do you keep seeing him?”
Jimin’s face startles for a minute before his brows knit together, something akin to anger forming on his face. “I still— I still like him? I mean, I don’t hate him.”
“You don't hate him, yet he’s constantly making you feel shitty. Why are you doing that to yourself?”
“What else am I supposed to do?” Jimin laughs, but it’s hollow. Not happy, not Jimin. Empty.
“Take some time for yourself? Find someone that you deserve.” Taehyung isn’t sure where Jimin’s sudden hostility is coming from, but he doesn’t like it. This isn’t Jimin, not his Jimin, anyway.
“Someone I deserve.” Jimin repeats, shaking his head, “What if someone like Minjun is what I deserve?
“Jimin-ah, don’t say that.”
“Why not?” Jimin challenges, “Everyone I've been with before has been the same way. They get bored of me. We fuck for long enough and then they move on. It’s life, Tae.”
“But it shouldn’t be.” Taehyung reminds him, shaking his head. His heart hurts. He doesn’t want Jimin to feel like he’s disposable. Jimin is special, he needs to know he’s special. “It doesn’t have to be.”
“Yes it does.” Jimin sighs, “Do you see anyone lining up around here? Minjun is it. I’m not getting anything better.”
Taehyung aches. He wants to reach out and hold Jimin and kiss him and tell him he’s completely wrong. That he, Taehyung, loves him and wants him to have everything he’s ever dreamed. But can he? Should he? Would Jimin want him to?
The cold, unfamiliar look in Jimin’s eyes point to no. Taehyung feels helpless.
“We’re still young.” Taehyung reminds him, trying to find the right words to say. He knows what his heart wants to say; three words that had been sitting on the tip of his tongue for the better part of two months now. “What you have now isn't forever.”
“What a relief.” Jimin scoffs, voice harsh with sarcasm. He shakes his head, eyes fixated on his lap before he looks up at Taehyung, “And what about you?”
“What— what about me?”
“Are you forever?” The sharp edge in Jimin’s voice has faded a bit, some warmth returning to the deep chestnut of his eyes. It’s almost devastating, the way he asks. It takes nearly everything within Taehyung’s power to hold his feelings towards his best friend in.
“If you want me to be.” Taehyung nods eagerly.
“Do you want to be?”
“Yes.” Taehyung nods again, “You’re my best friend, Jiminie.”
Jimin looks down at his lap again and nods. Sighs. “My best friend.” He repeats, nodding again, “Right.”
“I don’t like seeing you upset, Jimin. I didn’t mean to offend you or something, I want you to be—“
“It’s ok, Tae.” Jimin assures him, looking up again. “I think I should just head home. I’m tired and I got mad for no reason. I should go home.”
Taehyung’s face falls into a frown, “Are you sure? You can sleep here again, you know?”
“I know.” Jimin stands, “I just wanna be alone now, I think.”
“Oh.” Taehyung accepts quietly, “Ok.”
Jimin gathers his things in silence, one that seems stiff and stagnant, hanging above their heads. Silence is rare for the two of them. Awkward silences, anyway. This one was definitely awkward.
It’s not until they’re both at the front door when Jimin speaks again, “I’ll talk to you, ok?”
Taehyung nods, “Yeah. I hope you feel better. Rest or something.”
Jimin gives him a weak smile, turning out the door on his heel, making his way towards the elevator.
“Jimin-ah?” Taehyung calls after him, Jimin barely down the hallway. Jimin turns around expectantly raising an eyebrow, “I’m sorry if I upset you. I didn’t mean to.”
“I know, Taehyungie.” Jimin nods, “It’s me. I promise.”
Jimin gives him one last feeble smile, before completely turning his back to Taehyung, leaving him in the doorway.
That wasn’t his Jimin and Taehyung hates it.
—
There’s something different about their relationship after that night. Though Jimin swears Taehyung hadn’t done anything wrong, the way Jimin seems to begin to avoid him tells Taehyung differently.
It’s little things at first. Jimin starts spending more time with Minjun on the weekends than usual. Instead of meeting up during the week to attempt to study, Jimin goes to the dance studio instead. He goes to a coffee shop on the other side of campus instead of he and Taehyung’s normal spot, claiming it’s closer to he and Hoseok’s apartment. Taehyung knows it's a lie.
When Taehyung does see Jimin, he feels like Jimin is holding back. He doesn’t hold Taehyung’s hand as gently or often as he did and on the rare occasion Jimin finds himself calling Taehyung baby, it seems like an accident, like an old habit Jimin was trying to break.
Taehyung hates it.
Today was Wednesday, which brought Taehyung and Jungkook to a study room in the students center on campus. Jungkook had some paper he needed to work on in complete and utter silence, apparently, but Taehyung knew they only came here because Namjoon was peer tutoring here today and Jungkook was hoping to get him to join them afterwards for dinner. It was an elaborate plan, Taehyung thought, especially because they were all already friends, but Taehyung didn’t discourage it. It was some part of that nine step plan to woo Namjoon or whatever.
Taehyung thinks he’s somewhere around three and a half into said plan.
Taehyung also didn’t discourage it because by planning to meet up with Namjoon, Yoongi and Hoseok got involved, and with them involved, meant Seokjin and Jimin.
More importantly, Jimin. Well, more importantly to Taehyung, who missed his best friend deeply.
The six of them sat around a table, doing their best to keep their voices to a hushed whisper, especially after the two surrounding tables both scolded them for laughing a little too loudly after Seokjin had just come up with yet another cheesy joke.
Taehyung was in between Jungkook and Yoongi, with Jimin to his diagonal. Normally, they probably would’ve sat next to each other, so Jimin could easily dig his ring clad fingers into the tensed up muscles of Taehyung’s back once he had finished up the Photoshop project he was working on. Or he would’ve been directly across from Taehyung, giving him a clear shot at his shin to kick lightly when Taehyung made a joke about Jimin staying up too late the night before, binge watching some silly drama.
Instead, Jimin keeps his eyes mostly glued to his biology textbook in front of him, telling his friends he has to finish up this chapter summary before he heads to Minjun’s in a bit. He wouldn’t be joining them at dinner tonight. None of them are very surprised.
“Does anyone else wish they would get a room?” Seokjin spats, turning from where he was currently looking at Hoseok and Yoongi to face the youngest three. Seokjin might be sitting right next to Hoseok, but Hoseok doesn’t budge at the comment. He’s too focused on Yoongi telling him about his day to really care.
“They’re cute, hyung.” Jimin defends them, voice a little exhausted. Normally, Jimin would be just as excited as the rest of them to drag Hoseok and Yoongi’s obvious affection for each other. But not today. He seems drained. Kind of like he has seemed for the past two weeks.
“‘Cute,’” Jungkook repeats with a scoff, “I don’t blame Jin hyung for once. He’s sitting right next to Hoseok hyung. Those are the front lines.”
Jimin rolls his eyes and nods his head in the direction of Taehyung. It’s the first time he’s acknowledged Taehyung besides the quick hey Jimin gave him when he and Seokjin got here.
“Taehyung-ssi isn’t complaining. He’s next to Yoongi hyung.” Just as quick as Jimin glanced at him, he looks away and Taehyung hates every part of himself for feeling so empty. Even the way Jimin says his name felt different, felt wrong, felt empty.
“Ok,” Seokjin huffs before Taehyung has a chance to give his piece, “Switch seats with me then.”
“What?” Jimin looks up from his textbook again, eyes darting between Seokjin and Taehyung, “No.”
“Why not?” Seokjin scoffs, “If it’s not so bad —”
“No.” Jimin says again, careful not to let any animosity seep into his tone as he gently closes his textbook. “I’m leaving. Just take my seat instead.”
It’s quiet for a minute, besides Yoongi and Hoseok who are still animatedly sharing details of their days. Taehyung decides to innocently fill the silence, “Going already? Joon hyung’s not even done, you said you’d stay till then.”
Jimin zips up his backpack, shrugging, “I know, I just can’t really concentrate.” He doesn’t look up when he answers.
“Oh.” Taehyung nods, doing his best not to sound disappointed. He knows he does anyway, “Well, do you wanna get coffee tomorrow morning or something? I miss you.” The second part comes quietly, but given the fact the study room’s volume never rises above a low murmur (except when it’s their group laughing at a joke), he knows Jimin hears him.
“I know, I—” Jimin pauses, stopping himself short as he stands from the table. I miss you, too, Taehyung wants him to say. Instead he says, “I can’t tomorrow. Maybe sometime next week, Tae.”
“Ok, yeah,” Taehyung nods, forcing a half grin onto his face, “It’s fine. Tell Minjun-ssi I said hey.”
“Ok.” Jimin nods, returning the amicable smile Taehyung had given him. “Later, guys. Tell Namjoon hyung I’m sorry I missed him.”
He leaves without another word.
Seokjin scoots over to his seat, Hoseok and Yoongi go back to their conversation and Jungkook gives Taehyung the most apologetic look he’s ever seen.
He’ll be fine, he decides. Maybe he just got too attached.
—
It’s not until one more week of moping around that Taehyung is finally forced to talk about him and Jimin, despite him not really having any clue as to what’s going on between them.
He had barged into Yoongi and Namjoon’s apartment after his last class of the day, wanting nothing more than to be wrapped up in that one blanket Yoongi had had since middle school. It was too worn in and way beyond soft at this point, but something about it reminded Taehyung of home.
On days like this, when he felt a little less than stellar, he usually made himself comfortable on his friend’s couch, calling total custody of the blanket till he felt better. It didn’t happen often, but when it did, The Blanket was necessary.
“Are you gonna tell me what’s wrong?” Yoongi asks carefully, one of his hands playing with Taehyung’s hair in a way that makes him feel like a child again.
It was just the two of them here; Namjoon was heading to a night class and Hoseok was at dance practice for the next two hours. With that knowledge under his belt, Taehyung had forced Yoongi onto the couch as his own personal pillow once he had retrieved the blanket, and Yoongi, who knew what the severity of his blanket meant, didn’t dare protest it.
That, and he was a great friend. He could swear up and down he hated physical contact, but Taehyung always knew Yoongi would do anything to make him feel loved. That includes lending his thighs for Taehyung to plop his head for the next two hours.
“I don’t know what's wrong.” Taehyung admits, because in the grand scheme of things, he really doesn’t. He knows that Jimin isn’t treating him like he used to, but he has no idea why.
“Between you and Jimin-ah?” Yoongi pries, his hand stilling in Taehyung’s hair for a minute. When Taehyung starts to answer, it starts to move again.
“Yes, between me and Jimin. I don’t know what I did. He’s been acting like this since the last party. Minjun upset him and we talked about it and then—”
“Then?”
“Then I don’t know. He hasn’t been himself. He avoids me like the plague. It’s like he’s not mine anymore.”
“Mine.” Yoongi repeats, but doesn’t ask Taehyung what he means by that. “Did you say something to offend him, you think?”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out.” Taehyung explains, “I just told him I think he deserves someone better than Minjun. I don’t know, he was always complaining about him and, and I just think Jimin-ah is so special he deserves someone who wants to give him everything. Someone like—”
“Like you?” Yoongi cuts off Taehyung, the suggestion proposed so casually. Taehyung shakes his head the best he can in his friend’s lap.
“Not me, no, Jimin doesn’t… Jiminie doesn’t want me like that.”
“But you want him.” It’s not so much a question, but a statement. One that Taehyung can’t particularly deny.
“We’re friends, hyung.”
“I know.” Yoongi nods, “But you still want him. You always have, Taehyung-ah.”
Taehyung is silent for a minute because he knows that’s also true. As much as he tried to push away his romantic feelings for Jimin, he never really could. And that’s not to say everything about their relationship was a lie. Jimin really is Taehyung’s best friend. Maybe he just pretended to suppress all his feelings because he cared for Jimin’s companionship so much; he didn’t want to let anything get in the way, no matter how apparent to him it was.
“So what?” Taehyung finally speaks, quietly, “He doesn’t want me. I know that. Maybe time away is what we need. Maybe he knows that I’ve always liked him and finally had enough. Minjun probably knows, too.”
“Maybe.” Yoongi shrugs, “I don’t think you’ll know why he’s really avoiding you unless you talk to him, though. Maybe he thinks he did something.”
“Doubtful.” Taehyung sighs, “I’ve been trying to get him alone so we could talk for weeks now. He always has an excuse.”
Yoongi hums, thinking. He’s moved on to fidgeting with the earring Taehyung is wearing, which on a normal day would bother Taehyung, but today he’s too tired to object. After a minute or two of quiet, Yoongi speaks again.
“I’ve known you for almost your whole life, Tae.” Yoongi reminds him, which subconsciously makes Taehyung pull the blanket around him closer, “But you’ve never taken a liking to someone as quick as you did with Jimin-ssi. Relationships and feelings or not, you guys are good together. He’s a good friend to you and I know he feels the same way. It’d be a waste to stop talking forever.”
“I know.” Taehyung agrees, because he does know. He knows Jimin knows too. They had said it from the start, being friends just came easily.
“Talk to him.” Is Yoongi’s last bit of advice, before he switches on some ridiculous variety show most likely in an attempt to cheer Taehyung up.
It doesn’t really, but Taehyung appreciates the effort, doing his best to choke down the nervous feeling spreading throughout his stomach. He’ll talk to Jimin, he decides, no matter how terrified he might feel of facing what he thinks is the inevitable; Jimin doesn’t want him anymore.
—
Taehyung doesn’t wake up expecting to see Jimin the next day. In fact, he doesn’t wake up expecting to see anyone. He would much rather continue to wallow in self pity and a hole in his heart in the shape of Jimin.
Maybe he’s being dramatic, but Jimin is also his best friend. Was his best friend? Taehyung isn’t too sure these days.
And frankly, Taehyung is starting to wish he never promised Yoongi anything when it came to talking to Jimin. Because as much as he wants to, he can’t bring himself to face him. He’s scared Jimin will tell him to fuck off or that he never really liked him at all anyway or that he’s eloping with Minjun and never wants to see Taehyung again, period.
Ok, maybe he is being dramatic.
But Taehyung had always had a bad habit of looking at the worst case scenario first in situations that terrified him.
“That’s it,” Jungkook comes rushing through the door of Taehyung’s bedroom, with a mission. “You need to get up. Actually, you need to talk to Jimin hyung.”
Taehyung can feel his eyes comically widen as he slips further under his comforter. “No, I don’t think I will.” Taehyung replies with a bite in his voice, already throwing his guard up.
“Fuck you.” Jungkook swears, hands reaching the end of the blanket to tug it off Taehyung.
“Jungkook!”
“Hyung!” Jungkook returns with the same tone of voice. “I’m tired of seeing you so upset. Jimin is your best friend. You need to suck it up and talk to him.”
“It’s a two way street, you know.” Is all Taehyung can mumble as he wrestles with Jungkook to keep the blanket over himself.
“Yes,” Jungkook confirms with a nod, now planting his knees on the bed to get a firmer grasp on the deep blue material. “But Jimin is the one avoiding you. He’s not gonna come talking anytime soon.”
“Gee, thanks, Kook. I’m so glad I have a friend like you.”
“You know what I mean, Tae.” Jungkook sighs, finally getting hold of the blanket, yanking it off to leave Taehyung cold and bare. Kind of like his heart feels.
“I don’t wanna see you upset anymore.” Jungkook offers a bit more softer, voice sympathetic and eyes gentle. “You and Jimin are good together. I want you guys to be friends again.”
“I know.” Taehyung mumbles, his own eyes fixated straight ahead, staring at the wall of photos there. At this point, the majority had become Jimin, most of them taken with the camera Taehyung had gotten for Christmas from him.
It makes Taehyung smile. Then it makes him hurt. He really does miss Jimin.
“You have nothing to lose.” Jungkook reminds him, nudging him lightly with his knee to get his attention again. “Yoongi hyung said he and Hoseok were out — Jimin’s been home all day. It’s now or never, hyung.”
Now or never, Taehyung thinks, nice one, Jungkook . Not like he’s already not petrified or anything.
“Fine.” Taehyung reluctantly agrees, if not for the sake of getting home as soon as possible to feel bad for himself again, once more under the comfort of his blanket.
That’s what he tells himself, anyways. In reality, he knows why he’s really going; he does want Jimin. He wants his friend back.
After slipping on a tee shirt and attempting to straighten out his hair, Taehyung makes his way across campus to where Jimin is, followed by a number of words of wisdom from Jungkook.
Taehyung feels like he’s shaking, like he’s never been more nervous in his entire life to talk to someone. And somehow, the fifteen minute walk there turns to five and then he’s looking up at Jimin’s building with a lump in his throat. He can’t do this. There’s no way in hell he’s brave enough.
But then Taehyung thinks about the past two weeks — how empty it felt without Jimin. How boring his life was without his friend’s golden laughter and gentle touches. How he would much rather lose than to never try at all.
Taehyung stops in front of a door with 422 printed across it. He knocks. Waits. Sweats a little bit more than is probably necessary.
The door swings open, momentarily stopping Taehyung’s heartbeat and Jimin is on the other side. He’s wearing a sweatshirt with the university’s logo across it and his hair is a mess. Kind of like he’s been laying in bed all day, too. His eyes look tired. He looks different. Taehyung wants to hold him until he looks like actual Jimin again.
“Uhm,” Taehyung’s throat feels dry as he shifts uncomfortably on his feet, “Hi.”
“Hi.” Jimin returns, his eyes frantically scanning Taehyung’s face as if he’s looking for something. Maybe he just missed him. Taehyung wants to believe that.
“I hope I’m not… interrupting something, I just wanted to. Talk. I wanted to talk.”
“No, it’s ok,” Jimin shakes his head, opening the door a bit wider, “Not interrupting anything. It’s just me. We should— we should talk.”
Taehyung nods, unable to stop the massive sigh of relief that he lets out and steps inside. He looks around for a minute, having felt like it’s been a lifetime since he was last here, before Jimin nudges him carefully, silently asking Taehyung to follow.
Jimin leads them to the kitchen, a neutral place, probably. They stand on opposite sides of the room and although Jimin is right there, right in front of him, Taehyung still feels alone.
It’s funny, Taehyung thinks.
The boy in front of him looks like Jimin, moves like Jimin, tries to give the same, beautiful smile like Jimin, but Taehyung can tell he’s holding back. He’s not him; he’s not his, not Taehyung’s.
And he hasn’t been.
“I miss you, Jimin-ah.” Taehyung starts quietly. He’s not sure what else to say. To be honest, he wasn’t too confident in himself that he would get here so soon; he hadn’t rehearsed anything special.
“I’m right here.” Jimin’s voice has a hint of laughter, he sounds a bit incredulous.
“You know what I mean.” Taehyung shakes his head, shifting awkwardly at his feet. He wants to move closer, crossing the small island in the kitchen to be right next to where Jimin is leaning against the counter, but he doesn’t. He’s too scared.
“I’m…” Jimin starts, but trails off in thought. His eyebrows furrow for a minute as he looks at the ground, as if his answer will be there. “I don't know what you want me to say, Taehyung. I mean, I saw you like, three days ago.”
There’s a sharpness in his voice that Taehyung doesn’t like. If he hadn’t known any better he would’ve thought Jimin didn’t like it much either.
“Bullshit.” Taehyung whines, gaze falling to where Jimin’s previously was on the floor tiles. “You’ve been avoiding me like crazy. We were practically inseparable up until like, last month. Now you never wanna hang out with me. And when we do, it’s with the group. You barely even look at me.”
“That’s not true.” Jimin says quickly, “I’m— I always am looking at you.”
Taehyung doesn’t ask what he exactly means by that.
“No, you’re not. You never wanna see me.” Taehyung denies, “You switched coffee places, you stopped sleeping over, you always have an excuse to not eat lunch with me. Ever since the party when you got upset with Minjun again, you’ve been treating me differently. I just, I wanna know what I did.”
Jimin groans, bringing his head to his hands, before he’s looking up again, “What you did.” He repeats, “You didn’t do anything.”
“So why do you suddenly hate me?”
“I could never hate you, Taehyungie, you know that.”
“Well the way you’ve been acting lately shows otherwise.” Taehyung’s voice sounds desperate, but he’s not too sure he cares. He’s never cared around Jimin, he wasn’t going to start now. “I just wanna know what I did. What did I say? I didn’t mean to pry on you and Minjun’s relationship, I just wanted you to know you deserve someone better than him. He doesn’t treat you well.”
“That’s the problem, Tae!” Jimin sighs, his increase in volume taking Taehyung by surprise. “What if that someone better doesn’t want me back?” Jimin asks, titling his head to the side. His eyes look glassy and Taehyung is terrified he’s about to cry.
He never wants to see Jimin cry, ever. Taehyung decided that after that one particularly hard test Jimin had failed earlier in the year that broke him down to tears. Since then Taehyung had sworn to never let anyone or anything hurt Jimin like that again.
“That’s crazy.” Taehyung tells him, daring to step a foot closer. His mouth starts to feel a little dry, forcing the confession he had been sitting on for months back down his throat. He can’t throw his own feelings in the middle of this. He doesn’t want to make Jimin feel any worse than he might already. ”Anyone would be crazy if they didn’t like you back.”
“You say that now.” Jimin mumbles, shaking his head as the pout on his lips grows stronger. Jimin had always been the tougher one out of them two; seeing him like this right now is completing breaking Taehyung.
“What do you mean?” Taehyung asks carefully, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.
“I’m an idiot.” Jimin spats, “I’m an idiot because for months I forced myself to like Minjun and to pretend like I was happy with him. To pretend like when I was with him, I felt all the things that I felt with you .”
Taehyung is pretty sure the room starts spinning then.
Did he hear Jimin right?
“Jimin, you—“
“I've been avoiding you because I want you, Taehyung-ah. I've been wanting you since we first met.” Jimin sounds angry when he confesses, but Taehyung can’t tell if it’s at him or Jimin himself. He also isn’t too sure if the room has stopped spinning yet. “But I had Minjun. It was casual enough that I could break it off if you said you wanted me, too, but— but, Taehyungie, you didn't want me. You don't want me. You’re my best friend and you’re wonderful and so kind to me, but after last time—“ Jimin pauses and Taehyung can feel all the color draining from his face.
“After the last time, I decided I couldn’t do it anymore.” Jimin shakes his head, scoffing, “I was being pathetic. Silently hoping that you’d just get it. But you didn’t. And you won’t. And that’s ok, but it just… it hurt me too much to not have you like I wanted you. Not mine.”
Shit, Taehyung thinks, 100% positive that whatever semblance of courage or script he had quickly curated within the first few moments of him being here had completely disappeared.
There’s a million different thoughts and words running through his head right now, but somehow, Taehyung can’t bring himself to say one. After a few more seconds of the two of them just sitting there, Jimin decides to fill the void again.
“You didn’t do anything.” Jimin’s voice sounds exhausted, “See? You did nothing, it’s not you, Taehyungie. It’s never you. You’re so sweet and you take care of me so well and I was selfish and took my anger out on—“
Jimin doesn’t get to finish his sentence, not when Taehyung is suddenly crossing the kitchen to be in his space, cupping his hands to hold Jimin’s cheeks and close the distance between them, searing his lips with a kiss.
If Jimin is surprised, he doesn’t let Taehyung know, not with the way he immediately relaxes into it, his hands finding purchase at Taehyung’s waist. The kiss is messy and desperate, not really at all what Taehyung would’ve wanted for their first kiss when he saw Jimin seven months ago at the bake sale booth, but he doesn’t care much. He’s kissing Jimin, something he feels like he’s waited forever to do.
“No, Jimin.” Taehyung says once they pull away, but the time spent apart is brief, because Taehyung immediately pulls Jimin in for more. “I’m… the idiot.” Taehyung corrects him, words coming out against Jimin’s plush mouth.
Jimin only makes a noise in response, something between a whine and a content sigh, pushing forward on Taehyung’s hips to press him against the island in the middle of the kitchen instead.
“I’m the idiot, Jimin.” Taehyung tells him again and this time Jimin pulls away long enough to really look at his face. Their lips are already both redder than usual, glossy with spit. “I’ve wanted you since the first time I laid eyes on you. But I thought you didn’t want me. I was trying to respect you and Minjun, but the whole time I never stopped wanting you.”
Jimin groans and kisses him again, hard.
“You are an idiot.” He agrees, pressing a kiss to Taehyung’s cheek, “And so am I.” Another on the other side. “I hate you so much, Taehyung-ah. You have no idea how badly I wanted to do this every time we were together.”
Jimin kisses his lips again and Taehyung is on cloud nine.
“I’m sorry, I thought you didn’t like me like that, you were my— you’re my best friend.” The words are muffled, mostly spoken breathlessly as Jimin finds his way to Taehyung’s neck, pressing kisses down the column of his throat.
“You’re an idiot.” Jimin tells him again, pulling away to look him in the eye, “But you’re the best thing that ever came into my life, Taehyungie.”
“Jimin-ah, I—“
“I’m serious.” Jimin tells him sternly. “You make me feel like I’m way more than anyone other person I’ve ever been with makes me feel. You’re bright and optimistic and choose your words so carefully and look at me like I have gold shooting out of every limb—“
“You basically do.” Taehyung interrupts, watching Jimin speak with his eyes wide and in awe.
“See?” Jimin laughs, shoving Taehyung lightly. “You’re so good to me. You’re too good to me. I don’t deserve you, especially not after making you feel like shit, I was so mean, Tae, I’m so sorry, baby.”
Baby. Taehyung feels like he’s home.
“You deserve way more than I can ever try to give you.” Taehyung shakes his head, quickly pressing a kiss to Jimin’s forehead, “But I wanna try, Jimin-ah. Can we please try?”
“Tae, I was so awful to—“
“Are you still with him?” Taehyung asks, his hands slipping down to hold Jimin’s. He brings them up to his chest and Jimin can feel Taehyung’s heart pounding through the thin tee shirt he’s wearing.
Who him is, Jimin doesn’t need to ask. He knows.
“No, we— I told him we were done. He knew I was miserable. We called it off a few days ago.”
“You did?” Taehyung asks, because everything is going so perfectly he feels like something about all this has to be a dream.
“Yes,” Jimin nods, eagerly, “It’s just me. Well, it’s just me and it’s you. God, Taehyung, it’s always you.”
Taehyung smiles, mirroring the exact one Jimin seems to have on, moving in to close the distance between them again. Kissing Jimin has to be one of the most thrilling experiences of Taehyung’s life.
His lips are soft, yet he kisses with purpose, occasionally catching Taehyung’s bottom lip with his teeth. When he slips his tongue into Taehyung’s mouth, Taehyung all but melts into it completely, letting Jimin explore his mouth however he pleases. Jimin tastes exactly how Taehyung always dreamed he would; sweet and a little bit sinful, all very much just Jimin.
Jimin’s lips are on Taehyung’s neck again, kissing with the intent of leaving a pretty mark for everyone else to see tomorrow. Taehyung feels his entire body heating up at the thought.
They connect their lips again, unable to get enough of each other. Taehyung wants to know all of Jimin. His lips move from his lips to his cheek to his jaw to the collarbones peeking from his top. Taehyung’s hands are in his hair, at his sides, sliding down past his waist to place his hands there.
And it’s not until Jimin’s hands are the ones traveling down Taehyung’s entire body, stopping to squeeze his ass through his sweatpants before Jimin moves his hands around to where the material of Taehyung’s pants are already tending, that Taehyung realizes how hard he actually is.
“Fuck, Taehyung.” Jimin swears, biting at his neck before he pulls away, eyes dark with something Taehyung isn’t too familiar with. He’s pretty sure he could get used to it, though. “What do you want?”
The question serves a number of purposes, thick with possibilities. Taehyung knows Jimin means what’s their next move — are they really about to do this right now? He also knows Jimin wants to help him out somehow and Taehyung hasn’t checked himself, but something tells him Jimin is in the same boat.
“You.” Taehyung answers easily. “Want you so bad.”
“I know that, baby.” Jimin chuckles lightly, giving Taehyung’s swollen lips a chaste kiss. “Now? Are we going too fast?”
Jimin’s tone is more concerned now, his voice gentle and his hand coming up to brush a bit of Taehyung’s hair to the side. He tucks it behind Taehyung’s ear, which Taehyung has always kind of hated, but Jimin mumbles ‘cute,’ under his breath, so he decides he doesn’t mind it anymore.
Taehyung shakes his head, maybe a bit too quickly than he’d like to admit. “I've wanted you for too long now, Jimin-ah. Please. Fuck me.”
“ Fuck .” Jimin swears again, nodding feverishly as he presses another kiss to Taehyung’s lips, “My room.”
It’s somewhere between a suggestion and a command, but Taehyung doesn’t care; he would follow Jimin anywhere. The short walk to Jimin’s room somehow feels like an eternity, but the second they’re inside, Jimin picks up where they left off, pushing Taehyung up against his door to kiss him again.
It takes them only a minute to adjust to their new location before Jimin is pushing Taehyung towards his bed, letting him fall backwards on it as he swiftly removes his own sweatshirt. Taehyung doesn’t waste any time removing his shirt as well, wanting to be as close to Jimin as possible.
They spend the next couple of minutes learning the way they feel against each other, skin to skin, kisses trailing across newly exposed planes of unmarked territory. The way Jimin touches him feels dirty , yet graceful, like Jimin has never encountered anything more delicate than Taehyung in his entire life.
At this point Taehyung is pretty sure he’s never been this hard in his entire life, which should be embarrassing considering all he and Jimin have done is kiss, but Taehyung can’t find it in himself to care. They quickly rid themselves of their final layers, Taehyung’s hands desperately trying to know more of the beautiful boy in front of him.
Their lips pause, allowing them to catch their breath. Jimin looks down at Taehyung and swallows thickly, eyes hooded.
“What?” Taehyung asks after a minute, shifting on the bed under Jimin’s gaze.
“You’re beautiful.” Jimin tells him, like the answer is simple. “You’re actually fucking unreal.”
“Says you.” Taehyung mumbles, unable to stop the way his cheeks turn a bright red.
Jimin smiles as he leans in to kiss his cheeks, beyond fond. “My baby.” His voice is quiet, like it’s a secret between just them, his hands carefully tracing over every dip and curve in Taehyung’s body.
“Yours.” Taehyung finds himself promising, which must make something in Jimin just click because after that his lips are all over Taehyung again, eager to cover every part of his body possible.
When their lips meet again, Taehyung moves his hand between the two of them, reaching down to take Jimin in his hand, reveling in the gasp that comes from Jimin as he does so. It’s the slow but firm way that Taehyung moves his hand that brings Jimin to full hardness, Jimin spilling small whines into Taehyung’s mouth with every kiss they share.
“Baby,” Jimin rasps once he’s pretty sure he’ll come if Taehyung goes any longer. “I want you. Wanna open you up.”
Taehyung stops, nods and kisses Jimin once more before they pull away. Jimin leans over to the drawer next to his bed, pulling out the lube and condom, tossing them carelessly onto the bed.
Taehyung would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought of this before. If he hadn’t touched himself pretending it was Jimin, his fingers working in him with purpose. But nothing Taehyung could’ve ever imagined compared to the real thing. Every part of Jimin just got better .
One, two, three fingers later, but Taehyung still needs more — still needs Jimin.
“Jimin.” Taehyung whines, eyes still fixated on where the boy above him is, working him open slowly.
“‘m here, baby.” Jimin tells him, hitting a particularly sensitive spot for a repeated time in a row. “What do you need?”
Jimin’s voice is beautiful, low and deep, something that Taehyung has never had the privilege of hearing until now. He wants to hear it forever.
“You, need you.” Taehyung whines harder, “No more, I’m ready, I can take it.”
Jimin groans before pressing his lips to Taehyung’s again, slowly removing his fingers in a way that has Taehyung practically begging for more.
“Turn around.” Jimin instructs and Taehyung nods, turning his back to Jimin and settling on his forearms, completely vulnerable for Jimin’s viewing.
“Fuck, Taehyung.” Jimin swears, his hands roaming Taehyung’s backside. “You’re so perfect. I can't believe I get to see you like this.”
Taehyung looks over his shoulder, eyes coy and sparkling and it pulls Jimin in, enticing him for one more kiss that’s sloppy and all tongue.
“Ready?” Jimin asks against his lips, kissing Taehyung again.
“Yes.” Taehyung nods eagerly, “Been ready. Wanna feel you.”
That’s all Jimin needs to hear.
Like everything else Taehyung and Jimin do, being together, like this, seems to fall into place. It’s slow for a minute, slightly awkward for the first few thrusts after Jimin slips in. But Jimin has always been a fast learner — learning Taehyung’s body wasn’t really any different.
It was almost like they were made for each other. If you believed in all that. Lately, after everything he and Jimin had been through, Taehyung thought he was starting to believe in it, too.
“Fuck,” Jimin whines, pressing a kiss to the top of Taehyung’s spine, “You feel so good. Take me so well, baby.”
Taehyung’s preens at Jimin’s words, letting out a particularly loud moan after a particularly hard thrust.
“How do you feel?” Jimin’s voice is suddenly softer, lips trailing over Taehyung’s back as he attempts to press short kisses anywhere he can reach. “Is it ok? Do you need me to do anything?”
“It’s good.” Taehyung manages, nodding. “So good. You feel — fuck — you feel so good, Jimin-ah. Just want you.”
“I’m here.” Jimin assures him again, reaching up to kiss him softly once more, a much bigger contrast to the way his hips are slamming into Taehyung. “I got you.”
And it’s sweet, the way Jimin treats Taehyung like he's the most precious thing in the world, voice gentle and kisses soft, but he also moves with motive; like he wants everyone to know Taehyung is his. Like he wants Taehyung to know that he’s his. That he’ll do anything to make Taehyung feel special and wanted and cherished.
It’s a few minutes later that Taehyung can feel himself getting close, Jimin still relentlessly driving into him and the hand he had snaked around his own dick in an attempt to relieve more tension bringing him close to his high.
While they haven’t been in this situation together before, he can tell Jimin is close, too. His thrusts are getting sloppier and it seems like every other movement it’s accompanied with a string of strong profanities, falling from his lips with the help of Taehyung.
“Ji-Jimin.” Taehyung weakly tries, attempting to keep jerking himself off in rhythm with Jimin’s movements behind him. It was getting way harder for both of them now — literally and figuratively.
“Baby.” Jimin says breathlessly, his hands trying his hardest to keep a hold on Taehyung’s waist, holding him up.
“I’m so— I’m close. I’m so close, I need to come, Jimin-ah.” Taehyung whines, his own arm struggling under his body weight to keep himself up. ”I’m gonna come.”
Taehyung thinks Jimin is nodding, but when he realizes he can’t see him, he speaks instead, “Ok, it’s ok. Let go. I got you, baby.” And because he’s Jimin and has the ability to make anything sexy, it’s no surprise that Taehyung immediately loses control after Jimin’s last request, low in his ear and sensual, “Come for me, Taehyungie.”
So Taehyung does. Hard.
He’s sweating and a little bit dizzy, mind a haze of stars and just Jimin when he realizes that Jimin is no longer pounding into him, but trying to steady his breathing, firm hands still on Taehyung’s hips.
“You— you’re done? You came?” Taehyung asks dumbly, looking over his shoulder at Jimin.
Jimin looks breathtaking, way more so than usual, anyway. His hair is pushed back from his forehead revealing a layer of sweat on his brow that Taehyung thinks actually makes him look all the better. At the base of his neck, Taehyung can see two purple bruises already forming, and he smiles. He’s pleased.
“Yes, holy fuck.” Jimin nods, his voice hoarse and raw. His left hand slides down to where Taehyung’s ass is and he gives it a slight squeeze, just for good measure. “Do you have any idea how fucking hot you are?”
Taehyung can feel his face heat up, but he hopes it’s not noticeable in the moonlight room.
“Shut up.” Taehyung mumbles back, because Jimin still flusters him and he’s just been so thoroughly fucked he doesn’t really know how the formation of words work. He’s also suddenly hyper aware that Jimin is still inside him. “Your dick is still in my ass.” Taehyung intelligently reminds him, to which Jimin stifles a laugh.
“You have such a way with words, Taehyungie.” He tells him, rolling his eyes lightly. “I was also kinda waiting till you were ready for me to pull out. It’s called being a gentleman.”
“Hmm.” Taehyung hums, “Well, I’m ready. Can you please get over here? I need to kiss you immediately.”
“Bossy.” Jimin mutters under his breath fondly, before slowly pulling out, tieing up and tossing the condom into the trash by his desk.
They’re both disgusting, and although Taehyung is already pouting, Jimin manages to convince Taehyung to allow him to grab a towel quickly, returning to the room to attempt to clean them both up. Jimin makes Taehyung promise they’ll both shower in a bit.
“You’re clingy after sex.” Jimin tells Taehyung, allowing the taller boy to wrap his limbs around him as he pleases, burying his face into his neck.
Taehyung presses a light kiss there and Jimin smiles.
“Missed you.” Taehyung tells him, like the answer is simple, leaving another kiss on Jimin’s cheek before bringing their mouths to meet.
It’s soft and slow and Taehyung has to actively remind himself not to get too carried away. They still have things they probably need to discuss.
“We literally just fucked each other. How could you possibly miss me?” Jimin laughs, bringing one of his hands to brush Taehyung’s bangs from his eyes.
“Fuck off.” Taehyung swears and Jimin kisses him again till he’s smiling. “I mean I’ve been missing you. It’s been… I don't know. A while since I’ve really been with you. You know, as us.”
“Was that a good enough reunion?” Jimin raises an eyebrow, his hand finding its way to the back of Taehyung’s head, beginning to card through his hair gently. Taehyung missed that.
“I would say so.” Taehyung laughs lightly, allowing his head to rest across Jimin’s bare chest. He can hear Jimin’s heartbeat and he feels safe.
“You know I really am sorry, Tae.” Jimin says after a minute, never stilling the way his hands move through Taehyung’s loose waves.
“I know.” Taehyung tells him, because he does know. “I’m sorry, too, I think. I was dumb. I should’ve told you how I felt sooner.”
“You weren’t dumb. Never are.” Jimin corrects him. “I was with someone else. You weren’t gonna break that up. You’re so good, Taehyung-ah.”
Taehyung hums, just letting the two of them think for a minute. To think about the past two hours, to think about the past two weeks. Past two months. Past two months times three.
“We have each other now though, right?” Taehyung asks quietly, his hand mindlessly tracing over the black ink that decorates Jimin’s rib cage.
“Yes.” Jimin nods, tugging Taehyung’s head up slightly to connect their lips again. “I’m yours, baby. However you want.”
And Taehyung smiles, because that’s all he’s been waiting to hear for the past seven months.
His.
—
In a way, Jimin and Taehyung already had each other, Taehyung thinks.
Not much has really changed.
Taehyung and Jimin still spend nights together. If they had been studying hard or just simply wanted to be together, more often than not they find one another in each other’s beds, squeezed into the small space like there’s not a more comfortable place in the world.
Taehyung still likes to take as many pictures as he can of Jimin. There’s nothing in the world that compares to his beauty, or ever has. Taehyung loves Jimin’s smile and cheeks and sparkling eyes and soft looking hair and he wants to take pictures of him until he runs out of space on his photo wall and has to move onto a new wall entirely.
They grab coffee together again, they always somehow find each other after class, at parties, a seat next to the other when they go out to dinner with their friends. They still have each other, just like they always have.
Except now Jimin can kiss Taehyung whenever he wants. Taehyung doesn’t have to feel bad when he wants to hold Jimin a little bit longer than normally when they hug. Doesn’t have to feel weird or guilty when his eyes trail down to watch Jimin’s lips curve with every syllable as he tells a story.
Because they can do that now.
They can kiss and hold hands and touch each other all they want. And they do, because they’ve never once not felt the need to be close to each other.
Jungkook likes to tease them that they’re glued to each other. Hoseok always makes the much more poetic observation that they’re soulmates. Jimin and Taehyung don't really mind either way. I mean, if you believe in all that stuff, sure.
It’s nearly the last day of the semester, which means for two months, the seven of them will head home and have to deal without seeing each other everyday in class or at dance practice or if you’re Jimin and Taehyung, pretty much everywhere.
They went out to dinner tonight, kind of like the last hurrah. They drank way too much than they probably should’ve and ate way too much more than that, but they were happy. All of them.
They’re all making their way out of the restaurant, stepping out onto the crowded sidewalks of Seoul, into the warm June air. Jimin’s hand is loosely in Taehyung’s, his thumb rubbing softly over the back of Taehyung’s much larger hand. It makes Taehyung feel warm inside. Actually, everything Jimin does makes him feel like that.
On his right, Jungkook is somehow managing to invite himself to visit Namjoon this summer. Namjoon seems confused as to why Jungkook keeps stumbling over his words like he is — still completely oblivious to Jungkook’s crush — but he agrees nonetheless.
Taehyung makes a mental note to congratulate (read: tease) Jungkook about it later. Although, he was actually pretty proud of him. Jungkook still had that whole nine step plan going. He was probably getting to step seven now.
“You guys down to grab dessert?” Hoseok asks the group once they seem to settle in a circle, unsure of their next move. “There's that churro place around the block that’s crazy good. It’s like orgasm-level-good.”
“That’s a horrifying description for a dessert.” Namjoon informs him, eyebrows knitting together in mild disturbance.
“It’s actually pretty accurate, though.” Seokjin shrugs, “Have you ever had one of these churros?”
“No.” Namjoon admits slowly, almost like he’s afraid of these orgasm-level-good treats .
“Then it’s settled.” Jungkook throws an arm over Namjoon, “Let’s go grab a few!”
Taehyung glances at Jimin, a silent check to see if he’s in too, which Jimin seems to understand. He steps a little closer to Taehyung, small smile tugging the end of his lips.
“Taehyungie and I are gonna pass.”
Taehyung is disappointed for a minute, but judging by the way Jimin’s free hand is inching closer to his ass, he has a feeling he might be receiving like, an actual orgasm tonight. Which trumps metaphorical ones induced by churros.
“Gross.” Jungkook groans, “Can you at least text me when you’re done with whatever perverted things you wanna do with each other. I live there too, you know?”
“Perverted?” Taehyung scoffs, moderately offended. “We’re complete angels.”
“You are not.” Yoongi corrects, with a point of his finger. “You’re both nasty. You always have been.”
“Whatever!” Jimin is rolling his eyes, voice light with a little laughter, “We’ll text you, Kook.”
“Please don’t use the kitchen counter again.” Is Jungkook’s final plea as Jimin slowly starts to lead him and Taehyung away from the group.
“No promises.” Taehyung snickers, throwing a wave identical to Jimin’s at the rest of his friends. “See you guys!”
They don’t stay to hear the rest of the goodbyes, but walk towards the metro station instead, smile across their lips and hands still intertwined.
“We’re not really using the counter again, right?” Jimin asks with a laugh, smiling over even bigger at Taehyung as they round the corner to descend to the station.
“Nope.” Taehyung shakes his head, eyes mischievous. “But it’s always fun to watch him squirm a bit while he makes breakfast the next morning.”
“You’re such an ass.” Jimin shoves him lightly, before tugging him down each step, both of them careful not to bump into anyone passing by.
Taehyung just laughs in response because Jimin’s kidding and he knows it. When they reach the platform in the station, they curl up into each other again, Jimin pulling Taehyung against him by his waist, hooking his chin over his shoulder.
Taehyung leans into the touch slightly, feeling immediately relaxed, especially when Jimin presses the smallest of kisses to Taehyung’s cheek.
“Baby.” Jimin squeezes Taehyung’s waist to grab his attention.
“Angel.” Taehyung returns, voice just as soft as Jimin’s. He feels Jimin’s body startle a bit, then melt at the pet name.
Taehyung has started calling Jimin that a lot more than he ever thought he would call anyone. Actually, he started calling Jimin as many lovely things as he could. My love, beautiful, sweetheart. But the prettiest name Taehyung always came back to was just Jimin. There weren’t enough terms of endearment in the world that encompassed the same amount of love.
“I have to ask you something.” Jimin tells him, giggling to himself. Taehyung already knows what he’s going to say; he can sense it before Jimin even lets himself continue. But he indulges Jimin regardless, because even if he knows what’s coming, he never gets tired of hearing it.
“Hmm?” Taehyung hums, “What do you have to ask?”
“If you’d be mine.” Jimin says simply, plainly, and even though Taehyung knew it was coming he still smiles brighter than he did the last time. Next time he’ll probably smile even more brighter than right now.
Taehyung turns around, this time his hands coming to Jimin’s waist and he nods, a smile still playing across his lips.
“Of course I’ll be yours, Jimin-ah.”
“For how long?” Jimin smiles back, pushing up to kiss the mole on Taehyung’s nose.
“For as long as you want me.” Taehyung tells him easily, shrugging. “Forever.”
The train starts to roll in as Jimin presses another kiss to his boyfriend’s nose. “Good.” Jimin tells him, “I worked hard to get you here. I don’t wanna let you go that quick, baby.”
Taehyung can feel the red in his cheeks as he laughs. “Never.” He assures Jimin, “I’m all yours for as long as you want.”
They both know that Taehyung means it when he says forever.