Blue Collar Cuffin' - Jikook

A Girl In Pigtails

"As you know, my dad used to gamble," Jungkook said, picking Jimin up off the floor by his waist. Jimin bit his lip, swinging his legs around Jungkook's hips as he settled into his lap. His hand linked behind Jungkook's neck as he focused on Jungkook's words. His body felt warm against Jimin, the dips and creases of it familiar: like picking up a well loved book.

Jungkook's fingers slid under Jimin's sweater as his thick lashes flicked downward at Jimin's lips. He breathed in slowly, a drunken exhaustion clouding the golden flakes of his eyes, causing the brown around them to deepen. Jimin furrowed his brows, concentrating on how his hands gently brushed against Jungkook's thick hair and how the small dark curls pushed against his skin like gentle waves.

"Kook-" Jimin breathed out as Jungkook began to slip the sweater off of his shoulder. "We shouldn't..."

Jungkook pulled away, but there was a hunger to him that caused Jimin to shiver. He looked lost; like a stray cat tossed to the side of the road. Jimin bit his lip nervously, realizing Jungkook probably never told anyone about Jieun, not the full story anyway. He looked so afraid. So fragile. So desperate.

Slowly, Jimin nodded, "okay," he said after a moment and took the sweater off. It slipped from his skin like water, hitting the floor silently, covering the shoe box with all his little love letters from view. Then, he cupped Jungkook's sturdy neck as he had the first time they met, feeling the rush of his pulse.

"Okay." He repeated and Jungkook almost whimpered in gratitude. He turned so that Jimin slid from his lap and laid with his back to the mattress. Jungkook placed one strong arm next to Jimin's shoulder, wrapping the other one around Jimin's pale wrist as he held it firmly down, using his index finger to draw little circles were the skin was most sensitive. Jungkook's thigh slowly made it's way between Jimin's legs, separating them, as he leaned down. His hair covered his sharp face like a curtain, his lashes dark against the slight heat in his cheeks.

Jimin's chest rose higher and fell slower to calm the nerves dancing in his body. Jungkook placed a soft kiss underneath Jimin's chin, brushing his lips like a whisper. He didn't look at Jimin as he spoke, focusing entirely on exploring him instead, viscerally needing the distraction. "My dad loved it, Jimin." He said, voice low but strong, but Jimin could feel how his pulse was starting to rage, "Edging himself between winning the world or losing it instead. Always chasing that high of victory. Always thinking about it, always talking about his next game. How he'd make us rich."

Jungkook's hand moved from Jimin's wrist, trailing from the ends of his hair down to his collarbone and chest, fingers shocking Jimin with their heat. Jungkook's lips turned hungry, the kisses slowly losing their gentle touch as he moved from Jimin's neck to his collarbone. He was breathing hard, like he'd been running for miles, running damn far away from the memories of his past. Jungkook's tongue swept across the skin and Jimin could feel his own spine arch underneath the pressure. Despite himself, Jimin moaned, but Jungkook's eyes were too dark and his features too shadowed for Jimin to tell if Jungkook had smirked at the sound.

"He was a good man, Jimin." Jungkook said after a moment, his nose just barely brushing against Jimin's collarbone. Jimin knew without having to look that Jungkook had his tongue poking into the side of his cheek before he took an uneven breath and so Jimin shifted his free hand to run once through Jungkook's soft hair. Jungkook seemed to calm to the touch, leaning slightly into it, though his eyes still wouldn't meet Jimin's.

Jungkook's rolled his muscular shoulders back as he moved his arm so that his calloused palm could slide down to Jimin's waist. He did it slowly, each finger trailing after the other as if trying to memorize every little muscle or curve, especially exploring the dip of his hip. "He was kind, never forgot birthdays, worked hard, liked Top Chef. A good dad, Jimin. He wasn't a bad person." Jungkook continued, his voice like a sharpened whisper.

Jimin shifted, propping himself up on his elbows. He lifted a hand to Jungkook's cheek, feeling their heat as he slowly used his thumb to go back and forth against the soft skin. "I believe you." Jimin said. Jungkook leaned into the touch hungrily, turning the palm outwards so he could press a long kiss into the middle of Jimin's palm, his eyes closed.

"He was sick, that's all. Addicted to it." Jungkook said, furrowing his brows as he stared off at something Jimin couldn't see; never would see. "And Jieun's mother was the same."

Jimin thought of Jieun: beautiful, frightful Jieun, with her long silver hair and grey eyes. He thought of her lips, stark red, as they pulled into a wicked and empty grin. He thought of how cold her palm was against his cheek and the way Jungkook hung his head in shame as she walked away. It was hard to think she might have been a regular kid, someone who dressed in pig tails or hid behind a mother's leg.

Jungkook's fingers moved to the waistband of Jimin's jeans and tugged, but Jimin slowly placed the hand away from his zipper and back onto chest instead. Not like this, he thought. Jungkook didn't try again. He nodded in understanding but Jimin could feel Jungkook's hands start to shake. His eyes seemed far away, his breathing off, like he was drowning and Jimin was the only life line in sight.

"Jungkook, you're safe here." Jimin said softly, trying to catch Jungkook's eye directly. "Your past can't hurt you." Jimin moved the tips of Jungkook's dark bangs from his eyes, "Not while I have tiny fists that can punch it away." He smiled softly when he saw some tension leave Jungkook's shoulders.

Jungkook took a breath, his lips gently pressed against Jimin's forehead as his hands looped in Jimin's jeans, drawing him closer to him, and then continued: "They needed to up the stakes when playing one night. They were both just sick, Jimin. Addicted to the game. They couldn't help it."

"Your dad and Jieun's mom?" Jimin asked. A warm breath left him as Jungkook's lips found a sensitive area where Jimin's chin met his ear. Jimin arched his back when Jungkook's teeth lightly brushed against it and a quiet moan escaped him. He bit his lip to keep the sound from spilling out again.

"They started by increasing the money amount. But two or three months in, simply winning or losing fortunes wasn't enough." Jungkook said, each word forming against Jimin's neck. "So they moved onto sentimental items - things like wedding rings or love letters. It was a better high - that fear of losing something of emotional value was incomparable. Then that got boring, so they upped the stakes again."

Jimin thought of the love letters safely hidden away in that black shoe box under his bed and shifted slightly. "How?" He asked.

"Us." Jungkook said curtly. "They gambled their kids."

_________
A/N:
😂😅

Also, so I watched the BTS movie and I full on started crying. Their music has just...it's just done so much for me and the boys themselves have done so much for all of us and the movie just...I can't even describe it. Just had a rough week and seeing the boys made me feel all safe

Violette