CONTAINS FLUFF, ANGST, MINOR SEXUAL CONTENT, & STRONG LANGUAGE
_
Jimin stood quietly in the kitchen, leaning against the granite island. He looked out into the living room, the flickering light of the TV illuminating his three partners' faces. Taehyung sat in the far corner of the main couch, Yeontan clutched tightly against his chest. The brunet's eyes were glued to the screen, the horror show playing a huge distraction. His eyes never left the screen, gradually growing wider as he anxiously awaited the next jumpscare. Jimin smiled softly, his blinking leisurely as his gaze traveled over to the other two.
Jungkook and Yumin were curled up with each other on the fold-out couch, a large blanket wrapped around the young man's shoulder. He gently tugged at the blanket, cocooning Yumin against his chest. The smaller brunette peered up at Jungkook, her eyes wide, gaze tender as she laced her fingers with his. Yumin quickly flicked her gaze back to the TV as Jungkook glanced down at her, a coltish smile tugging at his lips.
You're letting her in, Koo, Jimin thought happily, running a hand through his silky hair. You trust her.
The movie ended after a few more minutes and Taehyung sighed with relief. Yumin wiggled her way out of Jungkook's embrace, wobbling over to the TV on her knees and grabbing the remote. "One more," she grinned, sitting back against her heels.
"No!" Taehyung cried, pushing himself down onto the floor. "No more!"
Yumin held the remote out at arm's length, pushing against Taehyung's chest to hold him back. The brunet groaned in protest before deciding to jump on Yumin and grab the remote. His weight forced the two of them to the ground in a bundle of limbs and matted hair. Yumin let out a deep chuckle, wrapping her legs around Taehyung's waist and stretching her arm up for the remote.
"Tae, give it back!"
"No more scary movies." Taehyung groaned, holding the remote out of her reach. Yumin pushed herself up on her forearms, legs still wrapped around the brunet's waist. She arched her back, finally grasping Taehyung's wrist and yanking his arm down, unbalancing them both. Taehyung released the remote and stumbled forward to grip the carpet, holding them both up. Yumin quickly snatched the remote and rolled out from under the brunet with a triumphant grin.
"One more!" she chanted.
Taehyung pushed himself to his knees, shaking out his hair with a huff. "At least let me watch one more episode of Kingdom first. I'm almost done with the season."
Yumin rolled her eyes, casting a glance in Jungkook's direction. The maknae chuckled as he shrugged his shoulders. "I could care less."
Yumin groaned playfully before chucking the remote back to Taehyung. The brunet caught it with a grin, pushing himself forward and pressing a kiss against her forehead. "Thanks, angel." Taehyung pushed himself to his feet and settled back in the corner of the couch, Yeontan hurriedly curling back up in his owner's lap. Yumin pushed herself off the floor with a sigh, arching her chest forward in a stretch.
"I'm gonna shower," she mumbled, dragging her hands across her face with a chuckle. Jungkook stared up at her with a frown, slowly dragging his tongue along his bottom lip.
"You don't wanna watch Kingdom with us?"
Yumin shook her head, padding out into the hallway. "That's your guys' show; you can enjoy it together." With that, she left the room, shutting her bedroom door behind her. Jimin stared down the hallway after her before walking up to Jungkook. He slid his hand over the brunet's shoulder, hooking his hand against his neck and tilting his head back.
"Hyung," Jungkook warned, looking up at Jimin. "You know what that does to me."
"I need to talk to you." Jimin glanced over at Taehyung. He was too busy messing with the buttons on the remote control to pay them any attention. "Alone."
"What's wrong, hyung?"
"Just come outside, Jungkook."
Jimin released his gentle hold on the maknae and shuffled quietly to the door, unlocking it and stepping out into the cool evening air. Jungkook stepped out onto the walkway shortly after, shutting the door and rubbing the goose flesh on his arms.
"Fucking freezing," Jungkook grumbled, turning to Jimin. "What's the matter?"
"I wanna talk to you about Yumin," Jimin sighed, walking over to the railing. He leaned forward against it, staring out at the traffic in front of their complex. The sky was turning a dark orange as the sun set behind the homes and businesses of Busan, casting long, dark shadows across the parking lot. Jungkook stepped up beside his hyung, mimicking his stance and staring down at the ground six stories below.
"What about her?"
"You two seem to be getting fonder of each other. Ever since we stayed the night at Yoongi's, I've noticed a bit of change in your attitude towards her."
Jungkook scoffed under his breath. "People can change if they want to, Jimin."
"Over a mere three weeks? I think this is a little different. You're starting to trust her more than you did...more than you want to."
"I'm not letting her in if that's what you want to know. She's nice and friendly and all, but beneath that, she could be just like Soojin."
Jimin sighed heavily, pushing his hips back until his head rested on the railing. "Jungkook, not every girl is going to end up treating you like Soojin did."
"You don't know that."
"I do know that. Not every girl is put on this earth simply to hurt you. Look at Yumin; what has she done that's put that idea in your head? What has she done to make you think she doesn't care about you?" Jungkook didn't answer. He continued staring out over the horizon, the wind whipping his bangs across his face. Jimin looked up at him, feeling his heartache for the young man. "Bin Soojin hurt you over six years ago, Jungkook. You can't live like this forever."
"I can't risk it, Jimin. You've never been hurt before; you don't know what it does to you. How it makes you feel. Soojin's betrayal felt like she came and tore my heart out, just to wave it in my face before stomping it to dust. I holed myself up for weeks thinking I wasn't enough for anybody. She made me feel worthless. I don't want to go through that again."
Jimin stared at Jungkook quietly, feeling his heart sink in his chest. Jungkook gripped the railing so tight that his knuckles began to drain of their milky tone, his hands beginning to shake.
"I don't wanna get hurt again, hyung."
Jimin pushed himself off the railing, folding Jungkook in his arms. The younger brunet pressed his face against Jimin's neck, slowly dampening the collar of his shirt as he cried quietly. "She took every ounce of trust I had back then," Jungkook went on, tightly gripping Jimin's waist. "Being with her made me so fucking happy. Soojin made me feel wanted. Made me feel like I was the strongest person in the world. I just wanted to give her everything I had; I wanted to protect her, be gentle with her, spoil her. And I did, all for her just to tell me I was worthless and toss me aside like I was a f-fucking piece of trash."
"I know, Koo," Jimin mumbled against Jungkook's shoulder, holding him tighter. "But, we wouldn't be out here right now if I thought Yumin would do that to you. After everything she went through with Yura, all the abuse, the lies, the mind-games...she wouldn't do that to someone else."
"I-I know," Jungkook mumbled. "Every time she talks about it, she tears up."
"Because it's a painful thing to relive. It's painful for both of you. But, I think if you just let her in a little bit...just a bit, you could end up trusting her. You could both end up trusting each other more than you already do."
"You think I trust her?"
"I know you trust her. And, she trusts you, too."
Jungkook nodded, pressing a few kisses against Jimin's neck. Jimin pulled back and gazed warmly at the teary-eyed brunet, gently wiping the tears from his pale face. He pressed a kiss against Jungkook's lips, gently running his thumbs across his cheeks. Jungkook wrapped his arms around Jimin's waist, pulling him closer.
"So, you gonna try and talk to Yumin?"
Jungkook nodded, burying his face further into the crook of Jimin's shoulder. "I'll t-talk to her later tonight."
"You don't have to talk about anything you don't want to, Kook. Just let her in."
"What happens if she hurts me, hyung?"
Jimin hesitated for a moment, revisiting every moment he could remember from the past two and a half months Yumin had been living with them. Not one moment made him think she would hurt the poor boy. Jimin placed his hand softly on the nape of Jungkook's neck.
"She won't. I promise."
_
I stood under the warm water for a few more moments before shutting the faucet off. Immediately, the cold air from the slot window above the shower engulfed my body, sending a violent shiver down my spine. I reached up and grabbed one of the towels hanging along the shower rod, wrapping it tightly around my body before stepping out onto the tiled floor. I quickly patted down and slipped into my sweats and a dark grey long sleeve, enjoying the warmth that comfortably flowed throughout my body.
A soft knock sounded at the bathroom door and I yelled out that I was still busy. Without warning the door flung open and Taehyung stepped inside, a brush clutched tightly in his hand. I squeaked in surprise, nearly tripping over the toilet.
"Tae!" I cried, righting myself shakily. "What the fuck!?"
Taehyung grinned, kicking the door shut and positioning himself in front of the mirror. "You were taking too long. Kingdom's over," he mumbled, gently brushing his hair.
I rolled my eyes, pushing him aside with my hips so I could brush the knots out of my hair. "What if I had been naked?"
Taehyung paused, glancing down at me out of the corner of his eye. I glared up at him, continuing to slowly brush my hair before fluffing it out and putting the brush on the counter.
"Then there would be no need for me to continue my stripper chant, now would there?"
I rolled my eyes, reaching in front of Taehyung for my toothbrush. Taehyung put his brush down, grabbing his own toothbrush and snatching the toothpaste from my hands. I glared at him irritably as he squeezed a generous portion of toothpaste on his brush and jammed it into his mouth, flicking his wrist to hand me the tube. I grabbed it from his grasp, helping myself before putting the tube away. I quickly scrubbed my teeth, leaning forward on the counter to inspect the corners of my lips.
"There's nothing on your face," Taehyung chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I'm just making sure I don't walk out of here with toothpaste on my face."
"Well, if you want something white on your face, it is just us."
I took a step away from Taehyung, grabbing my brush and holding it like a weapon. "Stay back," I growled, narrowing my eyes. Taehyung chuckled, taking a step forward and hooking his arms behind my back. He pulled me against him, taking the brush out of my hand and placing it back on the counter.
"C'mon, Yumin. Don't you wanna get to know me better?"
"Not like that," I grumbled, pushing against his stomach. "We should know each other as people first before getting physical."
Taehyung chuckled, leaning down and pressing his lips needily against mine. I groaned in protest, feeling his teeth sink into my upper lip before pulling away. "What are we?" he mumbled, pressing his forehead against mine. I remained quiet, staring up at him with my hands splayed gently against his abdomen.
"I-I don't know, Taehyung."
"You don't?"
"We never talked about it before. I just thought-"
"Friends?" Taehyung questioned quietly, pulling his face away from mine. "Friends with benefits?"
"No!"
"Are we even in a relationship, Yumin?"
I thought about it for a moment, Taehyung's question rolling around in my head like a pinball. Everything that we had done in the past two and a half months I'd lived with him had screamed more than friends, and yet we'd never discussed it. Never even mentioned it. Yoongi and Jimin had been the only ones to ask me if I wanted something more with them, to wait for my reply. To wait for something that indicated a real relationship with them.
"I think?" I murmured, staring up at Taehyung.
"We've kissed," he offered. "A lot."
"People kiss every day," I muttered, looking down at the floor. I could feel sweat build up on the back of my neck, the air still hot from my shower. "You don't have to be in a relationship to show affection."
Taehyung took a step forward, lacing his fingers with mine. My gaze slowly traveled up his tall form, hesitantly locking eyes with him. His steely gaze sent a chill down my spine. I felt pinned in my place, unable to move.
"I'll give you two options," he whispered and I nodded in understanding, letting him continue. "One, I walk out of here without another word, and we'll just stay friends. No inappropriate touching, no kissing, no sexual anything."
"What's the second option?" I murmured, too nervous to blink.
"Two, I kiss you...and that makes things official."
Taehyung took a few steps away, wrapping his hand around the doorknob. He continued to stare at me, his eyes wide and waiting. I pursed my lips, not sure if I could form a proper sentence. Awkwardly, I held up two fingers, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. Taehyung offered a sly grin, shaking his head and reaching out to pull me closer to him. He pressed his mouth softly against mine, his lips pulling up into a smile. I grinned sheepishly, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him back eagerly, feeling my head grow fuzzy. Taehyung turned us on the heel of his foot, pressing my back against the bathroom door. Slowly, his lips moved from my mouth to the space below my ear, gently sucking at the skin before moving down to my neck. I bit down hard on my bottom lip, my breathing heavy and ragged as my heartbeat loudly in my ears. I'd never been with anyone that could make my mind go blank with just a touch, but Yoongi, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook were different.
I gently ran my nails along Taehyung's neck, hooking a finger under his chin. I forced his head up so that he'd look at me, but he was more interested in the kiss than anything. He connected our lips again and I chuckled, sluggishly pushing against his chest. Taehyung looked down at me calmly, a smile tugging at his lips.
"What? You wanna go to my bedroom?"
"Tae," I groaned, rolling my eyes.
"C'mon. You can strip for me."
I smacked my hand against Taehyung's chest, eliciting a deep rumble from the brunet's throat. Taehyung wrapped his hand around my wrist, pressing it back against the door.
"No more stripper jokes; I'm not a whore," I tittered, patting his cheek. Taehyung gently pulled my hand away from his face, pinning both my wrists by my head.
"It'll happen eventually, sweetheart," he mumbled throatily, sending a tremor through my chest.
"Sure," I droned. "But, that won't happen for a long ass time."
"You think we'll last that long?"
I blinked up at Taehyung thoughtfully. "Maybe...We just have to let each other in."
"In where?" Taehyung smirked. I narrowed my eyes at him, earning one of his boxy grins as he leaned forward and kissed me softly. I kissed him back with just as much passion, feeling like that moment would swallow us whole.
"You know what I mean," I mumbled breathlessly as he pulled away. Taehyung released my wrists, planting his hands near my hips, against the door, and allowing me to drape my arms around his neck.
"Then let me in," he breathed, pressing his forehead against mine. I took a shaky breath, feeling sweat gather near my temples from the warmth of the room, Taehyung's breath hot against my face. I shut my eyes softly, threading my fingers through Taehyung's hair. I felt him sigh, his bangs tickling the end of my nose.
"Don't make me regret this, Tae."
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IMESSAGE CHAT
𝐊𝐨𝐨💓
JUNGKOOK
Yumin?
YUMIN
Jungkook?
YUMIN
What's wrong?
YUMIN
It's almost midnight
JUNGKOOK
I honestly didn't think you'd answer,
but now that you did...
YUMIN
Can you come out to the living room?
JUNGKOOK
I wanna talk to you
YUMIN
Kook, can't this wait until tomorrow?
YUMIN
I'm really tired
JUNGKOOK
Ik, Ik, I'm sorry
JUNGKOOK
But, I really need to talk to you
JUNGKOOK
It's important
JUNGKOOK
Please, angel🥺
YUMIN
Fine
YUMIN
I want cuddles though
JUNGKOOK
Promise🤞🏻
JUNGKOOK
Now, please, come out Yumin
Read
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Yumin stumbled groggily into the living room, her hair frizzy and sticking up at odd angles. She made her way into the living room, glaring irritably at Jungkook as she lowered herself onto his lap and nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. Hesitantly, Jungkook wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her closer against him.
What're you doing? Jungkook thought to himself, glancing down at the small brunette in his arms. What the fuck are you supposed to tell her? That you're scared to get involved with her because of something that happened when you were a kid? She'll probably think you're a bitch and just go back to sleep!
"Koo?" Yumin mumbled sleepily. "You okay?"
Jungkook hesitated before answering, his voice caught in his throat. She'll just leave. She doesn't care about you. Tears started cascading down Jungkook's round face before he could even register what he was feeling. His shoulders shook violently as he pressed his head against Yumin's shoulders, feeling the dull ache in his chest grow larger. Yumin pushed herself into a sitting position, staring down at Jungkook anxiously. Her hands reached up to grab his face shakily, gently raising it so she could look at him. Jungkook hid his face with his hand, letting his tears soak the sleeve of his sweatshirt. He didn't want Yumin to see him at his weakest, but everything he'd tried to bottle up for so long seemed to force its way out of him.
"J-Jungkook?" Yumin stuttered, her thumbs pressing against his cheeks. "Jungkook, what's wrong!?"
The brunet continued to cry, biting down on his lower lip to silence the painful sob lodged in the back of his throat. His breathing grew labored, a tremor wracking his whole body. Yumin continued to hold him, gently stroking his neck and shoulders as she'd done the night they were alone outside Yoongi's apartment. She didn't speak, only shut her eyes, quietly waiting for Jungkook to stop crying. After a few minutes, his sobs diminished, tears still trickling down his face. He lifted his head and looked up at Yumin, seeing tears gather in the corners of her eyes. She reached down and gently patted his face with the sleeves of her shirt, drying his tears until there were no more.
"Better?" she murmured, and Jungkook nodded, feeling his eyelids grow heavy. He nuzzled his head against her neck, exhaling shakily as he tightened his hold around her. He'd never felt more lost than at that moment, but Yumin being there seemed to make him feel better.
"Y-Yumin?" Jungkook mumbled. "You're not going to leave me, are you?"
"Why would I leave you?"
"Bec-cause I'm worthless and c-can't do anything right."
"What?" Yumin sat bolt upright, glaring down at Jungkook. He peered up at her nervously, feeling tears start to prick the corners of his eyes once more. Rather harshly, Yumin grabbed his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her.
"Jungkook, you're not worthless. Never, ever tell yourself that, okay? You're not worthless!" Tears began spilling over Yumin's cheeks, Jungkook's eyes widening in shock. Roughly, the brunette wiped the tears off her face, staring down at Jungkook with wide eyes.
"Why're you crying?" Jungkook muttered.
"Because I don't want to see anyone call themselves worthless. I know what it's like to be called worthless, and accepting it is one of the worst feelings I could've ever done to myself. I don't wanna hear you call yourself worthless because you're not!"
Jungkook stared teary-eyed up at Yumin, his whole body trembling. "I can't stop thinking that I'm not good enough," he whispered. "I've been telling myself I'm not good enough for six years. All because of Soojin-" Jungkook caught himself, eyes widening nervously. Yumin watched Jungkook carefully, blinking a few tears away.
"Who's Soojin?"
You're gonna get hurt again, Jungkook. Don't open your fucking mouth.
"Soojin was someone I cared about...a-a lot when I was younger. She-" Jungkook choked back a sob, feeling Yumin's hands slide down to lace behind his head. "She told me she loved me. That she was happy with me and I was everything she needed, but... I guess I wasn't. Taehyung found photos of her with someone else, and when I found out, I just...broke." He looked up at Yumin nervously, seeing a few tears trickle down her face. "I haven't been the same since. I let Jimin and the others into my life because I'd known them since I was young; I knew they wouldn't hurt me. But, I'm still scared of trusting someone again, especially-"
"Women." Yumin stared down at Jungkook blankly, her brows furrowed in thought. "You have trust issues with women because the one girl you dated hurt you, and now you're afraid of getting hurt again."
Jungkook nodded, feeling a small weight lift from his chest. "You're the first girl I've shown affection to in so fucking long, and I'm still scared. I don't want to get hurt again, but I don't want to let you go."
Yumin leaned forward, pressing her forehead against Jungkook's. He gripped her waist tightly, feeling her hold on his neck slacken until her hands fell onto his lap. "I'm scared too, Koo," she whispered, inhaling awkwardly as she forced a sob back down her throat. "I'm scared that I'll get abused, manipulated. That someone else is going to hurt me without any remorse. I don't want to go through any more bullshit; I don't want to have to fight to be happy."
"Then why are you growing attached to us if you're scared of getting hurt again? Why do you trust us?"
"Because, even though I'm scared, I still let people into my heart. No matter how many times someone hurts me, I'll always continue to trust because I know not everyone is out there to hurt me. I want to trust you because I've grown attached to you three; I want you in my life because you seem like good people, and I don't want good people slipping out of reach."
Jungkook felt an overwhelming sense of relief wash over him. The brunet's eyes shut tightly as he risked every bad thought in his head, forcing his lips against Yumin's. She released a quiet whimper, reaching up to thread her fingers through Jungkook's hair. He loosened his hold around her waist, bringing his hands up to cup her face tenderly. A pained smile seemed to tug at Jungkook's lips as he deepened the kiss, every other sound drowned out by his thundering heartbeat.
Jungkook pulled away slowly, Yumin's breath hot against his lips. "I want to trust you," he muttered, "I want you to help me trust again, Yumin."
"I...I wanna trust you too, Jungkook. I want you to trust me like you trust Jimin, or Tae, or Yoongi. I don't want us to hide away anymore."
"If I help you trust again, promise you'll help me too."
Yumin delicately pressed a kiss against Jungkook's lips. She nodded slowly, her eyes shut tight with weariness. "But, how?" A tremor ran down her spine, Jungkook quickly wrapping his arms protectively behind her back. "How do we help each other?"
Jimin's voice flashed briefly through Jungkook's mind and the brunet quickly told himself to tackle his hyung in a bear hug later on. "We just have to let each other in."
Yumin nodded, a soft smile playing on her lips. Her eyes fluttered open, large and soft in the dark living room. Jungkook felt his insides warm as his gaze met hers, all his negative thoughts scrambling to the back of his mind. He smiled back at her, feeling wearier the more he looked at her. Yumin took a shuddering breath, one final tear rolling down her cheek.
"Then let me in."
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Not me crying during the last section of this chapter. I'm loving the character development in this book. It's really fun to write, and I hope you guys are enjoying it. Also, thank you for 800+ readers, and thank you to the people in the UK who've somehow stumbled upon my book lol. :)