Low Stress: Bite Me (Jikook)

Chapter Eleven: Contemporary Solutions

"Stop teasing the poor kid." Yoongi said with a lazy, but final tone. Hoseok put his hands up in defense, a teasing sunshine smile on his lips. Taehyung blushed when Yoongi gave him something between an apologetic and a contemplative look, dropping the subject.

"Are you free tonight? Want to come over?" Jungkook asked Jimin in a hushed voice while their friends were distracted.

"Our midterm is in an hour so Hoseok and I have to go, but I can definitely come by after. Is everything okay?" Jimin said as he started to pack up. Jimin slung his dance bag over his shoulder while Hoseok checked his phone for the time. Yoongi handed Jimin the water bottle he'd left on the table which Jimin grabbed before looking back at Jungkook.

Jungkook glanced at Yoongi, poking his cheek with his tongue.

"Yea, everything's fine. I'll see you then." He said, grabbing Taehyung to save his friend from any more teasing. They walked back to their table as Jimin's group parted, forcing himself to actually get some schoolwork done.

* * *

Jimin missed Taehyung leaving for his jazz show by half an hour. Jungkook loved Taehyung, but he was thankful Jimin texted Jungkook to come down and let him into his dorm building when his drama-loving roommate was gone.

As Jungkook scanned them into the elevators, he noticed there were slight bags under Jimin's eyes and his movements were weighed. When Jungkook asked about it, Jimin replied that the showcase ran late. He'd been practicing all week for it and the whole thing finally caught up with his system. He also added that it didn't help he'd fought with Yoongi before he'd headed over, but Jungkook didn't have time to push on the subject as they reached his dorm door.

Jungkook flushed as Jimin took in his room. Taehyung's side was all earth toned, cluttered with journals and jazz albums, where-as Jungkook's half was mostly dark colors. Black bedding with gray pillows and some fairy lights he'd stapled onto the wall his first week here. He'd also taped up photos of his old high school band, the first football game he'd gone to with Taehyung last semester, and his family dog Bam.

Jimin smiled slightly at the photos and it hit Jungkook that Jimin was just casually in his room. Not in their classroom or the library or some club. He wouldn't have believed it if someone told him that a month ago; then again, he'd have a hard time believing half the things he now knew about Jimin.

It's why the whole Yoongi thing bothered him so much. He felt like he was always two steps behind. First, Jimin was a human who knew about vampires. An alive, unbounded, with no interest in turning, one at that. Which, okay, might be an insanely rare thing but Jungkook could get over it. Except that it turned out he knew more about venom than Jungkook himself. So, alright, that was a stranger pill to swallow but it wasn't too big a deal. Expect that then Jimin's roommate is not only a vampire, but a fucking prince.

Jungkook's head spun. Especially after such a good night with Jimin after his match, feeling like they'd landed somewhere real. Finding out about Yoongi in such a round-about way felt like a confirmation that no matter how much Jungkook learned about Jimin, he'd always be behind.

A part of him understood he wasn't thinking completely rationally, but Jungkook just felt so worn. What was he to Jimin, really? Was he delusional in thinking they could be more than what they were? How long could he keep holding out hope? And what else was Jimin hiding - or was it because of their dynamic that there was only so much Jimin was willing to share?

"What did you want to talk about?" Jimin asked, standing awkwardly in the center of Jungkook's dorm. The hoodie he was wearing nearly swallowed him, his hair ruffled from a recent shower and his cheeks rosy from the cold. He looked so soft then, grounded in a way opposite the TA Jungkook met at the start.