BTS Fluff Party

Don't Laugh

Jungkook stood with his phone with one hand and the doorknob in the other, Taehyung still gabbing away on the other line.

In front of him, swaying back and forth on his doorstep with a face scrunched up in pain, teetered Jimin, looking absolutely miserable. His friend was clutching his right hand to his chest and from what Jungkook could see it seemed to be fairly roughed up.

"Jungkook? Jungkook, are you still there? Fine, I'm hanging up. If Jimin doesn't show up at my house in the next hour I'm assuming that you've taken good care of him and I'll meet my demise some other day. Bye."

The phone beeped the end tone of the call and Jungkook slowly let his hand fall from his ear. "That was Taehyung."

"Yeah," Jimin responded, the word sounding more like a grunt as he peered up at Jungkook. "I guessed."

"He uh, I mean, I gather that he did something stupid, but you..." Jungkook trailed off, still staring at Jimin's hand.

"Are you going to let me in or am I going stay out here forever?"

Jungkook jumped a little and moved backward into his house. "Yeah, yeah, of course. Sorry. Just uh, go into the kitchen."

Jimin hobbled forward and Jungkook wondered briefly if he was injured in some other place as well before realizing that the faint limp Jimin currently sported was merely a defense mechanism against pain. He shut the door and dashed off to the bathroom to get whatever supplies he thought he would need to treat an injured hand. Jungkook couldn't be sure how bad it was, though he supposed he could always drive them to the hospital if Jimin needed stitches.

"So, you're going to tell me what exactly happened, right?" Jungkook stated as he entered the kitchen to find Jimin with his arm outstretched and head on the table.

Jimin grunted again, not moving.

As he sat at the table and got a good look at Jimin's right hand, Jungkook whistled lowly. "Man, what did you do? This is not what hands look like after they punch people. People aren't that...spiky." He carefully lifted the hand and inspected the knuckles more closely. "This is like you fell off your bicycle. Except-"

"I hate bicycles." Jimin raised his head, expression slowly changing from hurting to embarrassment. "There was no falling involved."

"Okay." Jungkook didn't press it just that, instead choosing to hop up and get a wet towel to clean out the scrapes over Jimin's knuckles. "So."

Jimin sighed mightily, leaning his chin on his good hand. "It was Taehyung's fault."

"He bashed your hand into a brick wall?"

"No." Jimin frowned at the tablecloth. "He told Yoongi about my college plans."

"Ah," Jungkook said tactfully, understanding how sensitive Jimin was about the subject. He knew that Jimin and his brother had had many arguments on the subject, especially when it came to paying for tuition. Jimin had always been very adamant about paying his own way or else getting a scholarship, while Yoongi had always been adamant about paying for it himself, since he had the money for it.

Jimin sat there quietly while Jungkook smeared salve on his knuckles and taped them up. The only truly audible sound was the ticking of the old clock in the hallway, and then the dull bong of the hour turning over.

"I was so mad at him," Jimin said softly, breaking the quiet. "I know he did it because Yoongi deserves to know about the scholarship, but it should have been me. I should have told him. And Taehyung should have stayed out of it."

Jungkook nodded slowly. "Tae said he was worried about you guys breaking apart and he didn't want to see your relationship damaged."

"That's Taehyung," Jimin laughed mirthlessly. "He'd rather I hate him than Yoongi."

"Do you hate him?"

"No." Jimin said it decisively, like he'd always known it. "I could never. I was just mad. And I'm never mad enough to hit somebody, you know that."

Jungkook did know that. A truly angry Jimin was a rarity and no matter how mad or frustrated he was, Jimin never took out his anger on someone else. "So what happened?"

Jimin looked away. "I punched a tree."

And just like that, the clock's ticking was the only sound to be heard.

Until an odd sound forced its way out of Jungkook's mouth.

Jimin swung his head around, cheeks turning faintly pink. "Jungkook..."

Jungkook bit his lip as he met Jimin's eyes.

"I was angry, I punched a tree, and now my hand hurts, which is my just punishment for doing so, please don't laugh at me."

Jungkook swallowed, ended up choking on air and barked out a laugh that propelled his entire body forward.

"You," he whispered, holding a hand up to his mouth, "You punched a tree. You punched a tree!"

"I punched a tree!" Jimin yelled back, cheeks distinctly pinker than before. "Okay?!"

That was the last straw. Jungkook completely dissolved into giggles after that ridiculous declaration. "I can't believe it!"

"Really, it looks like you believe it just fine." Jimin deadpanned.

"You punched a tree; what did the poor tree ever do to you?"

"Jungkook-"

"No wonder Taehyung felt so guilty. He wouldn't have called if you'd punched him instead. But no, you punched a harmless inanimate object – not even a soft one – and you-" Jungkook couldn't find any more words with the amount of air he was getting into his lungs.

"Jungkook-," Jimin sounded quite weary at this point. "What do I tell Yoongi? He'll just get mad, either at me or Tae."

"Or me," Jungkook added, suddenly sober again. "He could blame me for not interceding."

"You weren't even there."

"That wouldn't stop Yoongi."

"No," Jimin said thoughtfully. "I guess not. But that wouldn't be fair. I wouldn't let him yell at you."

"I would."

Jimin looked at Jungkook in surprise. "What?"

Jungkook smiled at him, feeling very fond. "That's what best friends do, you know. They protect each other and stand up for each other. I'd let him yell at me if it would hurt you less."

"It would hurt me more."

"Alright, so I won't do that." Jungkook sat back in his chair. "What about Tae? Will you let him yell at Taehyung?"

"No, I won't." Jimin said it firmly. "I'll own up to my own stupidity."

"Good. Now that that's settled, how about I call Tae over and we have a movie night?"

Jimin blushed again, ever so faintly. "I kinda don't want to see him."

"He'll blame himself and be all dramatic and all awkwardness will be dealt with once you hug it out. I'm calling him."

"Yeah, okay." Jimin stood and flexed his bandaged hand. "I usually eat popcorn with my right hand."

"Nice try," Jungkook murmured, not looking up from his phone. "I'm not feeding you popcorn."

"Tae probably will," Jimin mused. "In penance."

"Yeah, probably." Jungkook rolled his eyes.

"Thanks for fixing me up, Jungkookie."

Jungkook paused and looked up, meeting his best friend's winning smile with his own. "You're welcome."