Jungkook's POV:
As a friend, Jungkook – in good conscience – could not allow Jimin to continue seeing Ryu Won. Which is why he used every tool in his arsenal to disrupt the pattern they had seemed to establish between themselves.
The two had gone out twice more after the night in the club and that was when Jungkook realized he couldn't just stand around and watch it happen. He couldn't stand around and watch his friend fall back into an unhealthy relationship with someone as unworthy as Ryu Won. Jungkook didn't really know Ryu Won but...he knew he was unworthy. He knew it for a fact, deep in his bones.
So, as a friend, he took the only logical step he could. He sabotaged.
“Ow!” Jungkook yelled as he stood up on his feet before he, just as quickly, slumped back down onto the couch backstage of the music festival that he had just stood up from.
He gripped his ankle while simultaneously risking a quick glance up to see that Jimin had, in fact, stopped talking to whoever he was talking to – a performer Jungkook didn't know – to look over towards him with a questioning expression on his face. Jungkook hurriedly looked away again and hissed in pain, hoping he wasn't being too obvious. He was satisfied that he wasn't when Jimin walked over to him and asked, “What's wrong?”
“I don't know,” Jungkook said, risking another quick glance up at Jimin. “I think I hurt my ankle.”
“You think you hurt your ankle?” Jimin asked, sitting down next to him. Concern laced his voice. “Where? Let me see.” He brushed Jungkook's hand aside and lifted his pants leg up before gently brushing his fingers against it. “It doesn't look swollen. Tell me if this hurts.” He carefully and slowly moved Jungkook's foot from side to side.
“Ow!” Jungkook yelped again when he felt the moment was right.
“That hurts?” Jimin asked, hurriedly sitting back so he wouldn't cause anymore damage. When Jungkook nodded in reply to his question, he stood up.
“Where are you going?” Jungkook asked.
“Going to get medical staff,” Jimin said. “To make sure it's nothing serious.”
Jungkook shook his head with wide eyes. He didn't need a professional to come look at his perfectly well ankle. That would not only waste their time but be a completely embarrassing blow to him. “No,” he said. “You don't have to get them. It's not serious. I can tell it's just sprained. It just hurts really bad right now. All I need is ice.”
Jimin studied him cautiously. “You sure?”
Jungkook nodded. “If you just make sure I stay off my feet, I'm sure I'll be fine by tomorrow.”
Jimin paused. Jungkook was sure he was trying to think of how to tell him he had to go out to meet Ryu Won soon but his good nature was battling with his previously made plans. He just needed a little more nudging in the right direction.
Jungkook tried to stand up again. “Ah!” He collapsed back onto the couch and Jimin rushed to his side.
“What'd you try to stand up for?!”
“Wanted to test it out again.”
“You idiot! Fine. I'll make sure you stay off of your feet. Just come back home with me and I'll take care of you.”
Jungkook smirked, victorious.
Jimin's POV:
Jimin hated how weak he was.
All Jungkook had to do was bat his large, expressive eyes and apparently he was putty in his hands.
He was currently sitting on his couch at home with his feet pulled into the other man's lap as he massaged them. Jimin tried not to focus too much on how good and firm the other man's touch felt against his aching feet – feet that were always aching on some level due to the nature of his career. But he found his eyes drifting over the pages of his open book to gaze at the way Jungkook's long fingers pressed into his skin, kneading the muscles there. Those hands were skilled and beautiful. He wondered how they would feel on his-
No.
Nope.
He couldn't go there.
He snapped his eyes back to his book. “I thought I was supposed to be taking care of you,” he said.
His words went ignored with Jungkook's response, the younger choosing to focus on a different topic of conversation. “Your toes are cute, hyung.”
Jimin's brow furrowed. That was a first. No one had ever complimented his toes before. “They are?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Jungkook responded. “They're little. Like the rest of you.”
Jimin rolled his eyes and pulled his feet back from Jungkook's lap and out of his grip. Being called little was a pet peeve of his. In fact, he was pretty sure it was a complex. “The rest of me isn't little,” he snapped back. “Not the part that matters anyway,” he teased with a lift of his eyebrows.
It was a tease that came naturally, without thinking, due to the perfect setup. Only after he said it did he realize he was falling back into dangerous territory. He shouldn't tease. Teasing led to flirting. Flirting led to touching. And touching led to kissing someone else's straight boyfriend. He cleared his throat, wondering how to prematurely dissipate the awkward atmosphere before it even had time to settle.
“Just kidding,” he ended up saying. “I'm average.”
Silence.
'What the fuck?' Jimin thought to himself. 'What the fuck did I just say?'
His eyes widened in slight mortification as he realized what had just come out of his mouth and the fact that he hadn't helped the situation at all; he had only worsened it.
He didn't dare to look up at Jungkook, wanting only to disappear into the couch but the sound of laughter caused him to abandon his plans. He looked up to see Jungkook's face brightened by a bout of mirth that had overtaken him, his mouth split into a wide grin and his eyes crinkled as he doubled over with laughter.
Jimin couldn't help but to feel a smile pulling at his own lips in spite of himself, but he fought it. “Don't laugh,” he said. When Jungkook ignored his demand and only laughed harder, Jimin found himself feeling indignant. “Don't laugh!” he demanded again. “How big is yours?”
'Goddamnit!' Jimin internally berated himself right after the words left his mouth. 'Stop it!' Sometimes he wished he could pull his own lips off.
The question seemed to sober Jungkook up a bit. But he only glanced at Jimin shyly once before a proud smirk came over his face. “Big enough,” he replied.
Jimin gulped. 'Abort topic! Abort topic!' His mind screamed at him.
Jimin narrowed his eyes. “Bang PD-nim threatened to throw both of our asses out on the street if you mess up again so be careful with how you act from now on,” Jimin threatened out of nowhere.
But it worked.
Jungkook's confident smile dropped and a repentant expression crossed his face. “I know, hyung. I'm sorry. I won't do it again.”
Jimin cleared his throat. “Good,” he said before standing up from the couch. “I'm gonna go to bed. You can either sleep here or in the guest bedroom. Which do you prefer?”
Jungkook frowned. “I'll sleep here, I guess.”
“Okay. Let me know if you need a glass of water or anything. Just yell. I'll hear you.”
“Okay.”
“Great. Good night.”
Jimin escaped to his bedroom.
* * *
Jungkook's POV:
Jungkook was proud of himself.
He had managed to monopolize all of Jimin's free time for an entire week, which meant no meetups with Ryu Won. Their schedule helped since it was already pretty full but everytime he could, Jungkook was asking Jimin for help with extra dance practices, drawing him into a heated discussion that caused the older man to lose track of time, or asking to be taken out to eat because he had missed a meal.
He was surprised that Jimin kept indulging him but what he found even more surprising was the fact that he never grew tired of the other man's presence. Instead, he grew more desirous of it – wanting to know more and more about Park Jimin everyday. He felt like an insatiable leech, continuously wanting to feed off of everything Jimin while never getting full.
And everything was going according to plan. Until today.
Jimin and Jungkook were leaving their event at one a.m. when Jimin received a text message from the driver to meet them in the parking garage next to them instead of out on the street. Jungkook thought it was weird until he realized why they had received such a request.
When they reached the parking garage, Jimin approached the black van and slid open the back door only to be greeted by a car full of flowers and a grinning Ryu Won.
Jungkook scowled.
Of course. Ryu Won had apparently managed to convince their driver to do him a favor somehow. The parking garage was more private than the street, so no fans or passersby would see the event he had planned.
Jungkook stepped up beside Jimin, pressing himself into his space, reminding him he was there.
“Oh? What's this?” Jimin asked, looking at all of the flowers with surprise etched on his face.
Jungkook examined the flowers. They weren't that pretty. He could make a better selection. If he wanted.
“Flowers,” Ryu Won said, that smile still on his face. “I know how much you like this kind of stuff.”
He did? Jungkook looked over to study Jimin's facial expression. He was just looking at the array of flowers in confusion; he didn't seem that excited. Jungkook felt pleased with that. “Where's he gonna put all of these?” he found himself asking, butting into the moment, before he could even stop himself.
Ryu Won looked over at him as if realizing someone else was there for the first time. “Hey,” he said, bowing his head slightly – Jungkook didn't return the gesture. “We haven't met each other formally. I'm Ryu Won, Jimin's boyfriend.” He held his hand out for Jungkook to shake.
Jungkook shook it briefly before taking his hand back. “Boyfriend?” he asked, still unable to keep his thoughts to himself. “I thought you two broke up.”
“We did,” Jimin said, before Ryu Won could say anything. “That's why I'm so surprised by the flowers.” He was speaking more to Ryu Won than Jungkook. “I never expected something like this from you.”
Ryu Won turned his attention back to Jimin as well. “Well...” He brushed the hairs at the back of his head.
'At least he has the decency to look ashamed,' Jungkook thought.
“I wanted to try something different this time around,” Ryu Won said.
“This time around?”
“This time around?”
Jimin and Jungkook asked the question at the same time. Jimin glanced over at Jungkook in confusion, probably wondering why he was neck deep in his business but Jungkook ignored him and stayed focused on Ryu Won. “What do you mean this time around?” he asked.
Ryu Won glanced at Jungkook questioningly. “Uhh...” he focused back in on Jimin. “Can we go somewhere to talk?”
Jungkook heard the underlying implication. 'Can we go somewhere to talk without this other man here?'
“Uhh...Sure,” Jimin said, turning back to Ryu Won.
A weight of displeasure settled in Jungkook's stomach. “How am I supposed to get back, hyung?” Jungkook asked quickly. The one transport van is all they had taken out for today, so it was a real concern. But it was also a good excuse for Jimin not to leave with Ryu Won.
But Ryu Won had a solution. Of course he did. Jungkook scowled as he spoke. “Jimin can come with me in my van,” he said. “I wouldn't leave you stranded like that, Jungkook-ssi. What kind of person do you think I am?”
Jungkook scrunched his nose, choosing not to answer that question.
But it was settled.
Ryu Won was taking Jimin wherever he was going to take him in the van he had arrived in while Jungkook was stuck heading back in the van full of flowers that were emanating such a sickly sweet smell that they were making Jungkook a little nauseous. So he stopped the driver somewhere along their way back to throw each one of the arrangements into a large, industrial sized trash can. When he got back inside, the smell of flowers was still there but much fainter.
Jungkook inhaled, satisfied. A little.
* * *
Jimin never asked about what happened to the flowers. And Jungkook never felt guilty about keeping the secret about what he had done. It was all water under the bridge.
Especially when Jungkook found out in the next couple of days that Jimin had ended things with Ryu Won. For good this time. He said it was because, “He tried to act like he was my boyfriend again. But I can never trust him to be that. Not anymore.”
Jungkook had tried to keep a silly grin off of his face for the rest of that day. He wasn't sure how well he succeeded.
* * *
Jimin's POV:
Jimin ran along the shore of one of Jeju's beautiful beaches with his arms outstretched and a grin on his face. With the beautiful weather the wind blowing through his hair and a handsome man chasing him, he felt like he was on vacation.
Too bad the handsome man was a straight man and the vacation was actually work, but...it was close enough.
A cameraman and photographer ran alongside him, capturing images for a photobook they would be providing fans with at their next fanmeeting.
He felt arms wrap around his middle and hoist him off of his feet, causing unhindered laughter to burst from his lips. When Jungkook sat him down, he didn't hesitate to engage in a game of water splashing – the objective being to cause one player to get wetter than the other but the result being that every game only resulted in two soaked losers.
Jimin laughed again and coughed salt water out of his mouth when Jungkook tackled him right as the waves were coming in.
“All right! That's good!” the photographer yelled. “You two can go dry off. We can meet back up later to review the photos.”
Jungkook got to his feet and pulled Jimin up along with him, both still smiling. Until the photographer cut them off, Jimin had almost forgot that this was all just work. He had been happy. Happier than he had been in a long while when working.
It was six months into his partnership with Jungkook and he was wondering why he had ever opposed the idea in the first place. It was much more fun to work closely with someone. With a friend. It was nice to share successes and even failures with someone. It wasn't as lonely.
Jimin and Jungkook went inside the oceanfront condo rented for them by BigHit to wash up and adorn themselves with dry clothing. When they were done, they went to a nearby restaurant to grab something to eat. They made sure to occupy a table on the outdoor patio provided by the establishment so they could take in the Jeju sun for as long as possible.
“It's pretty here,” Jungkook said with a huge smile after he ordered, setting his menu aside.
“Is it your first time here?” Jimin asked.
Jungkook nodded.
Jimin forgot sometimes that it hadn't been that long since Jungkook left his small hometown in Busan. He nodded, smiling as he watched Jungkook look around in awed happiness at all of his surroundings. When he found himself staring just a little too long, he quickly changed his focus. And his eyes caught a man on the beach rubbing sunscreen over himself; his eyes didn't waver when Jimin's met his and a smile lifted his lips before he finally broke the gaze and rejoined a conversation he was having with a woman who was laid out on a blanket at his feet.
“That guy is checking me out,” he said aloud, proud. He always got a rush of pleasure from gaining someone's attention. He rubbed his hand through his hair and ran his tongue over his lips.
“Who?” Jungkook asked, straining his neck to look around wildly.
“God, don't make it obvious!” Jimin said, kicking Jungkook in his shin underneath the table.
“Ow!” Jungkook protested, rubbing his shin as Jimin discreetly nodded over towards the man he was talking about. Jungkook followed his eyeline and then looked back at Jimin. He shook his head. “No way, hyung,” he said. “That guy is straight.”
Jimin lifted an eyebrow. “How do you know?”
“He's with his girlfriend!”
“One...” Jimin said, leaning forward. “You don't know if that's his girlfriend. Two...Even if it is, that doesn't mean anything. Plenty of gay men have girlfriends. It's a great cover.”
Both men turned back to see the girl stand up from her beach towel and lean in to give the man a kiss on his lips. Jungkook raised a victorious brow in Jimin's direction to which Jimin scoffed at. “Like I said...it doesn't mean anything. Watch this.”
Jimin leaned back in his seat and stared at the man with purpose. When the girl walked away, the man looked up to meet Jimin's eyes. Jimin pulled his mouth into an enticing smirk, pushed his hand through his hair, and then swiped his tongue across his plump lips. The message of interest was clear. Jungkook watched in surprise as the man – who had muscles for days – smiled like a shy schoolgirl and lifted his hand to Jimin as if to say 'hi'.
Jimin waved back before turning back to face Jungkook with a lift of his eyebrows. “See?”
“I bet he was just being friendly,” Jungkook said, refusing to give in. “He doesn't even know that you were hitting on him.”
“Oh yeah?” Jimin challenged. “I bet I get his number before we leave here.”
“You're on!” Jungkook shouted, his competitive spirit ignited. “Loser buys lunch.”
Jungkook wound up buying lunch when not even fifteen minutes later the man came over to start a “casual” conversation but not leaving until he had written his number down on Jimin's napkin. And Jimin wound up procuring glasses of water for Jungkook after he tore the piece of the napkin with the number on it and pushed it into his mouth, swallowing it and almost choking, before Jimin could even save the number into his phone. And they both wound up having a bit too much to drink that night and falling asleep in each other's arms.
* * *
The next morning – morning being more like noon – the two woke up, conferred on which photos they wanted in the photobook and then went back down to the beach before they would have to leave the island.
They sat in a small alcove on the edge of the beach formed by a wall of large rocks on three sides, the only opening being an opening in the front towards the ocean.
Jungkook took his camera out of the small camera case he had brought down to the beach with him and began to take photos of Jimin, who immediately began to pose for him almost like it was second nature.
“Are you not afraid sand will get into your camera?” Jimin asked while he indulged Jungkook's faux photographer whims.
“No,” Jungkook answered. “If any gets inside, I'll just clean it out. Take off your shirt.”
“What?” Jimin asked, scandalized. He crossed his arms over his chest. “What kind of pictures are you trying to take?”
Jimin was currently wearing a t-shirt and shorts, the slight chill of the weather prompting for more skin coverage than what the usual beach attire would entail.
Jungkook laughed at Jimin's reaction but didn't back down. He instead started a playful chant of, “Take it off! Take it off! Take it off!” When Jimin, with a growing smile, stood and grabbed the hem of his shirt, Jungkook let out a cheer.
Jimin laughed and shook his head at Jungkook's silly antics, but he finished hoisting the shirt over his head. “What am I doing?” he laughed, amazed at himself for indulging Jungkook's off-the-cuff behavior. But he found himself further following Jungkook's instructions when he told him to go stand against the large rock wall behind them. Jungkook was already readied with the camera pressed to his eye.
“What do you want me to do?” he asked Jungkook.
“Anything,” the younger man responded.
Jimin thought for a moment and then just spread his arms out against the rock wall behind him and tilted his head back with a seductive look in his eye. Skin stretched over lightly defined muscles as he moved.
“Wow, sexy!” Jungkook encouraged, quickly snapping photos.
Jimin couldn't keep laughter from bubbling from his lips. Partly because he felt a little silly but also because he couldn't deny that Jungkook's praise left him feeling a little giddy. He sobered up and stepped into another pose, exuding the same aura, which resulted in more compliments from Jungkook. “Sexy, hyung!” the younger man exclaimed. “You're a natural.”
Jimin continued to pose, egged on by the compliments that continued to rain from Jungkook's lips. Jimin honestly could have stayed their all day under Jungkook's gaze while flattering words were lavished on him. Each positive word kept him charged like a battery does electronics. It didn't help that somewhere along the line, Jungkook's words stopped holding a hint of playful exaggeration but instead became almost reverent. It made Jimin think that Jungkook believed everything he said about him.
* * *
Jungkook's POV:
There were things Jungkook grew to love.
He loved the way Jimin's eyes followed him around. He loved the way the older man praised him any time he could to anyone who would listen. And he loved the way all of his touches caused some kind of reaction in the other man, whether it was a shiver, a look of desire, or a tensing of muscles. He was always rewarded with a reaction.
He loved the way he could kiss Jimin if he wanted to.
But he didn't want to, of course.
Because he wasn't gay.
But he definitely enjoyed having the knowledge that Jimin wanted him. It was a certainty that he suspected and then grew more and more sure of as each day passed. Ever since the night of the kiss.
He leaned against the vanity Jimin was stationed in front of as the older man fussed with his hair for the thousandth time, giving it a mussed yet stylish look. Jungkook loved his hair. He loved how Jimin always sported bold colors in his strands. It wasn't something Jungkook was confident enough to try and pull off time and time again. He lifted his hand and pushed it gently through Jimin's locks. It was only when Jimin released a soft intake of breath that Jungkook realized he had actually acted on his impulse and that his hand was buried in the strands of Jimin's hair. He didn't pull back, rationalizing that he had already started so it would be strange to snatch his hand back at that moment.
“Can I come back to your place tonight?” he asked instead, continuing to stroke his hand through Jimin's hair.
“Why do you always want to come back to my place?” Jimin asked. But Jungkook knew he was just making a pointless fuss. He knew the older man was going to say yes. “I should start charging you rent at this point. You're practically my roommate.”
“Have you seen my place, hyung?” Jungkook asked. He began to intentionally try to mess up Jimin's hair. “Of course I want to stay with you.” Jimin allowed him to wreck any styling he had done previously. Strands of hair fell wildly against Jimin's eyelashes, making him look like a shaggy dog. Jungkook snickered.
“Haven't you earned enough to rent a new place by now?” Jimin asked. “Why are you staying in that shabby dorm?”
“So I can keep staying over at your place,” Jungkook answered.
Jimin laughed and hit Jungkook's chest. “You brat.”
* * *
Jimin's POV:
Jimin wasn't naive.
He knew this song and dance.
Flirtation with a self-proclaimed straight man. It never ended well. Jungkook running away in the middle of their promotions had been a prime example. But here Jimin was again, letting Jungkook cross lines that he should definitely be drawing. But Jimin just couldn't help it.
Jungkook was a cute mouse and Jimin just loved to play cat.
So after swearing it off for weeks now, he allowed himself to touch again. With such tempting bait placed in front of him, how could he not?
He looped each of his index fingers through the belt loops jutting out from Jungkook's jeans at either side of his hips. “You should take responsibility,” he said lowly, looking up through his eyelashes at Jungkook's steadily reddening face now that Jimin was turning the tables on him.
“F-for what?” Jungkook stuttered out.
“My love life,” Jimin answered, jerking Jungkook forward by the belt loops. “Ever since you latched onto me, I haven't been able to bring anybody home.”
Jungkook felt the world tilt beneath his feet. Or at least he thought he did. Jimin hadn't been this direct with him since the night of their disastrous kiss. Jungkook felt both a thrill of excitement and a jolt of panic shoot through his stomach. But he remained as casual as he could when he gripped Jimin's wrist gently and softly shook it, trying to get the other man to release his grip. Jimin's hold on him caused him to feel a little too...vulnerable. But Jimin didn't let go. He kept his fingers hooked around Jungkook's jeans and smiled innocently up at him.
“That's not my fault,” Jungkook said, finally managing to unhook one of Jimin's fingers. “But what kind of man do you want to date? I'll hook you up.” He held Jimin's hand to keep his fingers from straying again.
Jimin giggled at Jungkook's words. “Umm...” He tried to think past the sensation of Jungkook playing with his fingers. “My ideal man is...tall.”
“Mmhmm,” Jungkook acknowledged with a nod.
“Muscular.”
“Nice.”
“Interested in music like I am. Able to take care of me. But not afraid to be silly. Cute. But handsome when he wants to be. A little bit shy. Talented...”
“Hyung, no one is all of those things. You have impossible standards.”
Jimin chuckled softly. “Do I?”
“Yeah. I-”
“Park Jimin-ssi?”
Jungkook dropped Jimin's hand and hurriedly stepped away when a production assistant popped his head into the room to inform Jimin that they were ready for him on set. They were shooting their second music video.
“Okay,” Jimin said to him. “I'll be right there.” He turned back to Jungkook. “You can go ahead to my place and I'll meet you there. You still have the passcode right?” He had given Jungkook the code to his apartment a few weeks ago since Jungkook liked to come there so much.
But Jungkook shook his head to Jimin's suggestion. “No,” he said. “I'll wait for you.”
“I don't know how long I'll be,” Jimin warned.
“That's okay.”
“Okay. Thanks, Jungkookie.”
Jimin knew it was never smart to get entangled with a straight man...
When he came out of the studio, almost collapsing from weariness after his last couple of hours of filming alone, he stumbled to the van and slid the door open only to see Jungkook still there as he said he would be – seated next to the window with his head lolling against the seat, asleep.
Jimin stepped inside and closed the door behind him completely forgoing the other empty sitting spaces to make his way over to Jungkook and curl himself onto his lap. Jungkook, surprisingly, didn't wake up. He grabbed a nearby blanket and threw it over the both of them before lying against Jungkook's shoulder, placing his nose in the crook of his neck. It was comfortable – as if he was made to fit against Jungkook's body – and warm. He closed his eyes and almost immediately fell asleep.
...If it was for Jungkook, he was willing to be a little dumb.
Jimin was so tired that he hadn't noticed that they had a different driver than their normal driver. He didn't have time to greet him. Or notice that he was staring pointedly at the two men in the rear view mirror.
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