Precious Gems | JiKook

十三

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"Why did you become a thief?"

Jungkook's words were soft, but they were piercing. The room was dead silent, the only sound being heard between them being their own breaths. Jimin knew that telling Jungkook he could have one of his secrets would end interestingly.

"Ask a different question." Jimin answered, keeping his gaze off of the younger male as he picked at the fabric of his jeans. He could hear Jungkook scoff though, and smiled softly.

"You said I could ask anything." Jungkook frowned, his brows furrowed as he stared Jimin down. "I won't refuse any of your questions, so it's really only fair that you do the same." He brushed a few pieces of hair out of his eyes, watching as Jimin sighed heavily.

"I don't usually like to play fair." The older male replied shortly, picking up the TV remote in front of him. He shut the screen off - the blue light beginning to hurt his eyes. "You really just had to go straight to the point didn't you?"

Jungkook shrugged, his lips turning up into a smile. The bruises that Jimin had given him had finally started to fade, softening his overall appearance completely.

"You said it yourself - I don't sugarcoat anything." He spoke. Jimin finally looked back to him, locking his gaze onto Jungkook's. "I just ask what I want to know."

Jimin scanned Jungkook's expression, taking in everything about the male who sat in front of him. He was so young, but his mind seemed to be well past his years. Anybody else his age was probably still going through their schooling, wondering about their future - but Jungkook was here. Sat in front of him.

"Why were you at the bank that night?" He couldn't help but ask, watching with a frown as the smile slipped from Jungkook's face.

"Answer my question first." He was steadfast, eyes determined as he held eye contact with Jimin effortlessly. The older male gulped, folding his hands together and taking a deep breath.

"No, and you know that's not how this works." He answered, gesturing between the two of them with a shaky hand. He hoped that Jungkook couldn't tell how much his composure was cracking, not daring to fall into the trap the younger boy was trying to set for him. "I want to know why you were at the bank that night, I want to know why somebody as young as you could need that much money."

Jungkook looked away from him, Jimin noticing the guilty expression that washed over his face before he did. "You tell me that, and I'll tell you why I became a thief."

He watched as Jungkook picked at his fingernails, fidgeting with his fingers as he silently tried to contain his anxiety. It seemed the both of them were were wearing a mask of confidence.

"I could give you the long version, or I could give you the short version." Jungkook glanced over at Jimin, who hadn't stopped looking at him. "Depends how much you want to know about me."

"I want to know everything about you." Jimin didn't even mind when the words left his lips, because he knew that he wouldn't have been able to hold them back either way. He was just so fascinated with the boy who sat in front of him. Every time he looked at him, Jimin could think of more questions to ask.

They held each other's gaze for a moment, both of them learning that silence had become their new best friend.

"Then let me learn everything about you." Jungkook finally answered, Jimin swallowing thickly and taking a slow breath. "And maybe you will."

Jimin realized then that maybe it was a good thing they had met and become partners. If they didn't, they would probably be rivals.

"If you really want to know, I don't really know when I 'fell off the right track' as people like to put it." Jungkook spoke again, surprising Jimin. "If you want to go way back, my mom died when I was barely a toddler, and so having a single dad left me unsupervised pretty often."