Sojourn ♣ JiKook|VMin

"Astray"

Chapter Three

"Astray"

•

"Where do I sleep?" Taehyung asked as he lightly scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. He looked uneasy at Jimin, who was staring at the bed in front of them.

"There are two rooms here, but the other one is full of boxes..."

"Don't you want to sleep here?" Jimin asked slowly. "I can—sleep on the floor." He suggested, smiling a little at the taller man. "I know you're uncomfortable with me at the moment, and that's okay."

Taehyung let out a soft sigh. "No, I'll take the floor."

"What?" Jimin asked. "You just got back from an accident. I don't want to make you feel cramped and uncomfortable."

"So, what are you suggesting? That we sleep in the same bed?" Taehyung asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jimin fidgeted with the hem of his shirt awkwardly. He really couldn't look the taller man in the eyes. This wasn't new to them—they didn't only share the same bed; they had gone further than just sleeping together.

"Taehyung... it's not a big deal, is it?" he asked carefully, eyeing the other and giving him a half-smile.

"What?" Taehyung's eyes widened.

"It doesn't mean we'll hug all night. We'll sleep facing away from each other. We don't have to touch—the bed is spacious enough for the both of us," Jimin explained calmly. He didn't understand why he suddenly felt embarrassed by his own words. Taehyung's ears were red, and that only made him more nervous.

Taehyung looked away and mumbled, "Fine."

Jimin went to bed later than the other. He lay down facing the ceiling. He missed the other way too much; there's no harm in looking at Taehyung, he thought. He decided to face him.

He was a bit taken aback when he caught the other already staring back at him.
"T-Tae?"

The taller looked at him intently. "How did you come to realize you love a guy? I mean, how did you know you loved me?"

Jimin was surprised by the sudden question. But since Taehyung was curious, it would be best to tell him everything.

"I already knew I was gay back in middle school, but I never opened up about my sexual orientation to anyone. I was afraid." Jimin stared at the ceiling for a second. "We met when we were sixteen."

"Was I gay already? Did I date guys or something—"

"You were straight," Jimin cut him off.

Taehyung quirked an eyebrow. "Ah. So how?"

Jimin looked back at him with a smile, recalling all their happy memories together. He felt genuinely happy back then.
"I'll tell you everything about us."

⸻

Five years earlier

"Hey, Jimin, did you hear? There's a transfer student!" Jihyo almost squealed as she wrapped her arm around his.

"Really? In the last year? Won't that be difficult? It won't be easy for him to make friends at this point," Jimin said, sounding saddened.

Jihyo blinked at him. "You know what? I love you."

Jimin laughed, and so did she. "I love you too—don't worry."

"But seriously, you're so kind!" she complimented. When they arrived at school, she quickly unwrapped her arm from Jimin. They've always been like that—the reason being they wanted to stay away from false rumors. Jimin and Jihyo were childhood friends; that's all they'll ever be. A boy and a girl can't be seen linking arms, or gossip might spark.
"And I heard he's quite popular. People say he's really attractive. He might be your type!" she whispered, nudging Jimin's side.