(this took me ages to make :D)
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The next morning, his eyes swollen and tinged with dark circles because he hadn't slept, he came downstairs to find Taehyung in the entryway, a wide, boxy smile on his face as he talked to Misses Yang who had probably ran to the door, thinking it was Jungkook.
He had too when he'd heard the bell ring.
And now seeing Taehyung, he didn't know how to feel.
Relieved? Disappointed? Worried?
And how much did the others know about what had happened last night? Did Jungkook tell them?
But the boy looked nothing but happy, still beaming when he turned to see Jimin descent the stairs.
"Hey there, Jimin-ah," he announced broadly and waved at him.
Misses Yang turned to him as well, and she was rivalling Taehyung's beam. And then a shadow flickered over her features when she took a closer look at him. At his reddened eyes, his tired expression and no doubt, the little red spot on his neck Jungkook had left there.
She caught herself quickly though, the smile slipping back once more like nothing had ever changed.
"Morning sunshine," she drooled and Jimin wanted to die right here and there, because the wicked glitter in her eyes promised nothing good.
"Look who was a gentlemen and thought to bring this old lady her morning latte."
She dangled the coffee cup in her hand in front of Jimin's face like she was accusing him for never thinking about it.
"Oh, it's nothing, Misses Yang. I was at the bakery anyway. And I heard so much wonderful things about you, I couldn't just come with empty hands."
Jimin looked at Taehyung with surprised eyes. How did he know about Misses Yang?
The beautiful boy saw his confusion and let out a little chuckle. "You talk a lot when you're drunk, Chimchim. And Jungkook told us about her too."
"Oh, my sweet, midnight Prince. How I miss him with every fiber of my being!" Misses Yang exclaimed and pretended to swoon like some princess in a medieval drama and still somehow managed to not spill her coffee. Jimin rolled his eyes at her.
"You're ridiculous."
"Am not!" She immediately backfired. Usually, Jimin would start bantering with her right about now, but he felt too tired. Too hollow on the inside after crying out HIS entire being.
Another small flicker of worry passed over the old ladies' face and then she pursed her lips at him. Oh shit...
"So Jimin, when are you going to introduce me to the rest of the four F-squat? Seeing this beautiful, kind boy here, I can see you weren't lying when you told me about them."
Oh my God, someone save him from this woman!
Taehyung had turned to Misses Yang with raised eyebrows and a tilted head. "Four F-squat?"
Jimin shot forward to possibly strangle the older woman, but Misses Yang slipped out of his reach like an ale and in a sang sung announced: "Oh, you know. Fabulous, famous, fun and friggin handsome. Jimin just loooves his abbreviations."
"I'm going to kill her," Jimin stated, like it was just another thing on his to-do list.
"You're really calling us that?" Taehyung asked and he even made looking surprised seem like he was posing for a photo.
"Maybe?" Jimin mumbled, not sure if there was a point in lying now.
"Awesome. So you fit right in with us!"
His mouth dropped open by how convinced he sounded, not a single shred of doubt. Misses Yang beamed and reached out to squeeze his cheeks. Something Jimin had told her a million times not to do because it made him feel like a child.
"I told him the exact same thing. See my little bird? You really are a swan."
"A Swan?" Came Taehyung's confused question and before Misses Yang could embarrassed him even more, he grabbed the startled boy by his arms and literally dragged him out.
"Bye Misses Yang. It was a pleasure to meet you!" Taehyung managed to shout before the door slammed shut.
The other boy walked him to the sleek Hyundai Genesis he drove and even opened the door for him. He was just the sweetest.
"She's awesome." Taehyung let out as he headed for the school.
"She's a pain in my ass." Jimin commented dryly to which the other boy chuckled.
"I hope you don't mean that literal, cause I think Jungkook would-"
His eyes flew wide like he just realized what he was saying, biting his lip. Meanwhile Jimin had turned a dark shade of red and turned away. Thank God Taehyung was driving and couldn't look at him for too long.
"Sorry," Taehyung let out quietly, the apology sincere but the guilt heavy. "I just... I sometimes forget you're still pretty shy and you and Jungkook... It's not really our place to interfere or meddle. I'm sorry I said that. It was thoughtless of me."
Jimin sighed, and despite his still blushing cheeks, he said: "Y-you don't have to walk on eggshells around me, Taehyung. I don't want my friends to behave any different because of me."
Taehyung snapped his head around real quick, his eyes wide and surprised for a second before his smile could have resurrected Jesus himself.
"What?" Did he say something weird?
"You just said we were your friends."
Oh.. he had, hadn't he?
He waited for the regret to come, but all he felt was relieve.
"Oh yeah!" Taehyung suddenly hooted, throwing one fist into the air while holding on to the steering wheel with the other. "The boys are gonna be so jealous I heard you say it first. Oh, and by the way," he turned once more to look at him, boxy smiles and all. "My friends call me Tae."
And then Jimin smiled too. "Okay, Tae," he said, trying out the word and loving the sound of it. Tae hooted again.
***
He didn't see Jungkook all day. Not in any hallways or outside on the Universities grounds where he knew the four F-squat liked to thang out during breaks. No... he shouldn't call them that anymore. He had started it because he'd been envious and jealous of what they had and more than once, he'd even felt resentful precisely because they were all of the Four F's and he wasn't. Jimin still found it hard to identify with any of it. Fabulous wasn't really a word he'd use describing himself. He supposed he could be fun sometimes when he wasn't a stuttering mute. Famous... well, that was something he still wasn't sure of. Just because Jungkook claimed people were talking about him and he had perhaps noticed a few looks here and there, he just couldn't imagine his name falling in any stranger's conversation.
And then there was the other thing.
Jungkook had called him beautiful. Was he?
'You're not even that pretty.'
He flinched at the memory accompanying the voice.
Things continued to suck and Jimin didn't even know why. He was making progress with his dance practice, getting a ton of compliments from the teachers and promises of the good grades he needed to keep his scholarship. He actually took the breaks and talked to either Hoseok or some of the others when they stopped by for a visit. All but Jungkook. He didn't show, not once, even missing out the Culture Café practice and Jimin was starting to seriously worry. When he build up the courage to ask the other's about him, they had looked tense, even as Namjoon assured him Jungkook was doing fine. Just kept busy by his upcoming photography collection he had to hand in.
Friday evening, he was picked up by the boys, waiting outside his door as Jimin walked out with his bike, Yoongi on the driver's seat. Again, no sign of Jungkook.
He swallowed hard as he locked up his bike once more and came towards them.
"Hey, ChimChim!" Taehyung called out with a massive wave an sparkling eyes, leaning out of the opened window door.
"We were hungry as hell, and then we realized: hey, our friend works in a diner and is in need of a ride anyway so Tadaaa! Here we are!"
Despite his worries, he smiled and couldn't even muster up the annoyance of having no car of his own.
He jumped in as someone opened the door for him from the inside and then found himself next to a smiling Hoseok.
"Ready to serve the best customers ever?"
Jimin chuckled and nodded as Yoongi started the car. As always when the boys were together, it was loud and a little chaotic but incredibly fun.
He sat there, perched at the car window, a massive smile on his face as he listened to them and sometimes even cracked a joke himself.
He couldn't believe how easy it suddenly was, now that he was no longer concerned with saying something wrong.
But nothing could wipe away the fact that one was missing. It was the same feeling as when they had been on the lake. He was happy... but incomplete.
"So..." he started his question when the atmosphere in the car had somewhat calmed, his heart beating heavily in his chest. "Jungkook is still busy?"
The mood shifted as quickly as a cloud passing over the sun, their smiles failing and their laughter and chuckles dying off.
Not even Namjoon, seated on the passenger seat, could cover up the clear worry throbbing through the air.
He sighed and turned to face Jimin.
"Look, we don't know what happened between you guys. Jungkook hasn't told us anything and we know it's not our place to interfere. This is between the two of you," he said, repeating the same thing Tae had told him yesterday.
Jimin swallowed hard, not sure how to feel about that. Of course he was glad they didn't know how completely out of hand his night with Jungkook had gotten, but he would have liked to know what Jungkook thought of him now.
"It's just... hard for us not to do anything," Namjoon went on and he saw the struggle in his voice mirrored in the other's faces.
"You're both our friends. And it doesn't matter that we only just met you, Jimin. We care about both of you."
Jimin had to look away, staring down at his fiddling hands. There was too much love in their gazes. He hadn't been prepared for that. At all.
"B-but... he's okay?"
A long silence followed until Jin interrupted it with a heavy sigh.
"We honestly don't know. He's locked himself in his apartment and has barely spoken to us. Jungkook might seem confident and strong most of the time, but he's not without his fears or insecurities, Jimin. He struggles too. And when he does, he always tries to solve it by himself, not letting anyone near to help him."
Another long silence settled.
"S..so, I should just wait?"
"Not sure that's gonna help," Yoongi murmured while pulling into the parking lot of the diner.
"Just be honest with him. I think honesty is super important in a relationship," Tae offered, reaching over Hoseok to pat his shoulder.
"Really?" Hoseok asked with raised eyebrows and a doubtful look on his face. "Relationship advice from you Tae? When's the last time you managed to have a girlfriend for longer than a few weeks?"
"Hey!" the other boy shot out in his defense. "It's just because I haven't found the right one yet. And if you don't look, you'll never find it."
Jimin wasn't so sure about that. He was the best example wasn't he? He'd been doing the opposite and still Jungkook had somehow found him.
He let out a small, helpless chuckle, laughing at his own thought. So he already thought Jungkook was the ONE? If that wasn't prove enough he hadn't changed one bit, so ready to give it all. But he couldn't. He knew the fear and memories of pain and betrayal wouldn't let him, even if the rest of him wanted to.
All of this was a mess.
They got out of the car and he told them to head in through the main entrance while he would get dressed and get their order in in a sec.
He hadn't taken one step inside through the back entrance when he saw Min-Woo waiting for him.
Oh boy...
His expression was tight, his foot tapping on the floor while his hands were interlocked in front of him. He eyed hid with raised eyebrows. He must have seen the others enter and had come running to intercept him here.
"Care to tell me why they are here again? And can I please throw them out again?"
Jimin sighed, pushing past him to the changing room.
"Please don't start a fight with them, Min-Woo." he begged as he heard the rainbow-boy follow on his heels.
"Me? Start a fight? Never!"
Jimin rolled his eyes as he slipped the terrible orange blouse over his head.
"Wow! Hold you're effin horses! Is that a hickey, Jimin?"
Heat shot into his head at the same time he reached to the top buttons of the shirt and quickly buttoned them up all the way.
"No," he let out, knowing he wasn't the least bit convincing.
"Seems like Jungkook really, really wanted to eat that mochi- literally this time."
Jimin choked but said nothing. What could he possibly even say to that? It's exactly what Jungkook had wanted to do. Exactly want Jimin had wanted him to do too.
"And from your expression right now I can tell there is a good reason the cookie hasn't shown with the rest of his gang today. Already trouble in paradise?"
Jimin growled at him, not looking up as he tied his shoes.
Min-Woo was quiet until he finished and Jimin stood to find a very concerned, almost angry look on his co-workers face.
"Did he do something? Because if he did, I swear to God I will-"
"He didn't do anything, Okay!" he yelled, not recognizing his own voice. So filled with anger and rage and hate for himself. And frustration- so much it made him shout with balled fists.
"Yes, we kissed. Yes we did other things too and then he left because I told him to! He left!" And at that last part his voice broke, tears shooting up into his eyes.
He wiped them away angrily while Min-Woo stared at him with worry.
"Oh. I'm sorry Jimin. Hey... hey, sweet little angle, don't cry."
He came over and tried to wipe the tears of his face, but Jimin slapped his hand away, taking a step back while sucking in a deep breath, trying to get a hold of his emotions.
Min-Woo's hands had fallen helplessly to the side as he continued to look at him with troubled eyes.
"Okay. I'll give you a few moments. Just please stop crying. I hate to see you that sad."
And then he quickly left, not seeing how his words only made it so much worse. It was so close to what Jungkook had said too.
He sat and buried his head in his hands while breathing in and out for a long time. He finally managed to make the tears and the angry tremble stop, but he still felt like everything in his life was spiraling out of control. He didn't understand himself. He didn't understand Jungkook. Why did he never come back? Why hadn't he come seeking him out? God's, he missed him. He missed him so much it was absolutely ridiculous and only proof more of how weak he was. How quickly he had become depended on having the other boy around.
Slowly he stood, shoving all his emotions into a box he locked deep, deep into his heart, right next to the one he could never fully close.
He tied the apron around his waist, almost able to do it twice because of his small frame and then headed out.
The moment he stepped through the double doors from the kitchen to the dining room behind, he came to an abrupt stop.
It wasn't the fact that it was surprisingly empty for a Friday night, only couple of seats taken.
It wasn't the sight of Jina who had finally decided playing sick got boring and was flirting with a dangerous looking biker behind the counter, her boobs almost on the surface from bending over so far, and the orange blouse opened to the last button before he bra would have showed. No. That was something he saw as often as the girl leaving her shift in the arms of a stranger.
No. His gaze was on the window-side table to his right where the boys had taken a seat and where laughing, drinks in front of them and eating fries. Also not something he was unused to seeing. But the thing that had him gawking was the fact that Min-Woo sat in their middle, his rainbow hair glowing in the low, evening sun. He also had a drink in front of him as he slapped a hand on Namjoon's shoulders in a friendly clap while talking to a grinning Hoseok. Whatever Hoseok told him next had Min-Woo throw his head back and laugh loud and clear.
He could barely believe his eyes.
Was this the same person who just threatened to throw them out not a few moments ago?
Min-Woo replied something with that cheeky grin of his and all five boys broke out in hilarious laughter. That's when Tae saw him gobbling his eyes out and waved him over.
"ChimChim! Come, come! We're just telling Min-Min about how you got Jungkook to finally do as he's told!"
Jimin's jaw dropped wider. Min-Min? They were already doing nick-names?
Had he time traveled to the future while he'd been in the changing room, trying to get his shit together? Because Min-Woo looked absolutely comfortable amongst them, also waving for him to join them.
"What are you doing there, gawking like fish, little angel? Are you going to just watch me entertain your friends the whole night?"
Jimin stared for a moment longer, then picked up his jaw from the floor and finally started moving towards them. He didn't even have time to say anything before Yoongi grabbed his wrist and pulled him down to the seat next to him, then shoved a drink in front of his face.
"Here. Don't worry, there's no alcohol in it, just juice. Min-Woo said he's gonna take over your tables today since there isn't much to do today and your boss is on some holiday again."
"So we can hang out all evening and have fun!" Hoseok exclaimed raising his drink into the air.
Jimin sat there flabbergasted.
"What?" Min-Woo asked, raising his eyebrows and throwing his arms wide to gesture at everyone. "You told me not to start a fight with them. And I haven't. See, I even got them their orders already."
"Seems like you did way more than that." Jimin pointed out.
"Well, you know me. I'm hard not to like. And they're pretty cool."
Jimin couldn't help to chuckle at his confidence. Then he looked around the table and grew quiet again as he realized something. He had what he always wanted to have. Friends. People to laugh with and hang out with on sunny days. Friends who cared for him and would listen to all his problem. Friends, he knew, that when he called them, they would come over immediately, dropping whatever they had been doing to be there for him.
Slowly, he smiled as the warmth spread in his heart.
He took the glass in front of him and raised it. Then he winked at them all and through his grin he let out: "Well, I only let the cool people be my friends."
Tae shot up into the sky so fast, he nearly knocked over his own glass. "Ha! Told you he said we were friends yesterday! You only got to hear it second!"
There was laughter and wide smiles at Tae's outburst, but he also felt their relieve and happiness. Like they really had been waiting for Jimin to say it. To realize it.
And maybe... Maybe this time would be different. Maybe if he had the boys and Min-Woo, yes, even Misses Yang by his side, maybe he could try and win against that deep-rooted fear. Because he was no longer alone.
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