Rogue Hearts | PJM ✅

Chp. 7: A Little Gasoline and a Match

Jimin's POV 💫

"Jimin, how is the album coming? I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" Namjoon asks as he sips an iced coffee while pressing the button on the elevator to take us up to the floor our studios are on at BH.

"It's coming. I'm working hard figuring out what it is I want to say," I smile while we rise up through the building, the digital display shows the number of each floor as we rise into the air.

"Ari wanted me to invite you to come out for drinks and appetizers tonight. It really has been far too long since we've visited, and we could all use a break from working so hard," Namjoon asks; his eyes are full of sincerity, and I can't deny him.

"Sure, I can do that. Ping me when it's time to go, and I can drive. Let Ari know we will come to pick her up," I agree.

Since we've started working on solo projects, we sometimes pass each other in the halls, but we've mostly been too busy to visit. He's probably right; we should make an effort to connect sometimes.

Namjoon grins, and when the elevator doors slide open, he gives me a pat on the shoulder, and we head in separate directions.

As the work day slides into the evening, Namjoon reaches out to me, and we head out to Rogue Records to pick Ari up from work. When we arrive, I go with Namjoon into the lobby to pick up Ari.

"Hi, Sweetheart!" Ari calls out.

"Hi!" I reply as I strike a pose, placing my hands on my hips while puffing up my chest, and Ari starts cracking up.

"Hi there, Jimin," she chuckles. "Thanks for offering to drive!"

"I believe that 'Sweetheart' was for me," Namjoon laughs gently and bends down, placing a soft kiss on Ari's cheek, and I marvel at how much these two adore each other.

As Ari packs up her things, I hear a door closing and a lock turning, the metal gears slotting into place, and Dallia appears as she heads towards the exit.

"Hi there, Dallia!" Ari calls out. "All done for the day?"

Dallia pauses for a moment. She looks a bit disheveled while trying to balance holding a large bag in her hands and a pile of songbooks while simultaneously tucking her keys away. Something about her perfectly imperfect presence is so appealing. It's like she is so secure with herself that she isn't trying to impress anybody with fancy clothes and tons of makeup, and even though I'm usually a stickler for my own appearance, I still find myself drawn to her presence.

Don't go there, Jimin. She has a girlfriend.

"I am! Closed for the weekend!" she smiles warmly.

I notice her eyes widen slightly when she recognizes Namjoon, but she quickly recovers and moves on from it, which I find both amusing and attractive. "Hey, Jimin! How'd the rest of your week go?"

"Good. What are you up to now?" I ask without thinking. I'm not even sure why I asked her, and I notice out of the corner of my eye a look pass between Namjoon and Ari, but I ignore them.

"Oh, nothing much. My plans fell through, so I'm thinking takeout and maybe see if there is something interesting to stream. I've been so busy getting my business up and running again that I don't know what is new for movies or shows anymore," she shrugs as she attempts to reorganize the items in her hands.

Of course, her plans fell through. Dae truly is the worst!

"We were just going to go get some dinner. Want to come with us?" I blurt out and then swing my head towards Namjoon and Ari with wide eyes, wondering if I shouldn't have just extended the invite.