The Rejects [YoonMin][NamJin]

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Yoongi quietly watched the pretty pink-haired boy with loving pride as he stood by Mrs Kim's side, helping her with all the extra breakfast plates that morning.

The family were more than used to catering for extra people since Namjoon stayed with them multiple nights a week, so cooking for six people was hardly a big deal for the woman, but Jimin felt the unshakeable urge to help.

Both his birth and foster parents raised him to be grateful and helpful, so the younger boy couldn't just sit around and wait.

At first, the blonde didn't realise, but it quickly became apparent that the youngest boy felt a little small and vulnerable.

To begin with, Yoongi panicked and thought his boyfriend's regression was because they had sex again the night before, despite knowing it could have been detrimental to his mental health. The trust the pink-haired boy placed in the elder was huge, and maybe he regretted it.

Jimin probably felt pressured into having sex, felt obliged or started struggling with dark memories again. Still, when the petite boy smiled brightly and dotted playful kisses all over the elder's face, Yoongi knew that wasn't true.

When the younger boy announced he would take a shower and disappeared into the bathroom for a while, Namjoon and Jin explained that minor, individual episodes of regression were not uncommon.

Jimin didn't slip very often anymore, not since starting regular therapy and learning to manage his feelings, but sometimes, it snuck through. But at the very least, they were not as significant as before.

The pink boy slipped the day he saw Yoongi in the cafeteria; he went home and cried in his mother's arms, becoming that frightened little boy who needed safety and protection. He couldn't comprehend everything he felt and needed to be small again to manage.

And today was no different, except the younger wasn't overwhelmed or disorientated; he felt exceptionally loved and needed to express it.

That came out in his adorable behaviour, showering the lazy older boy in kisses whilst giggling and teasing the blonde.

Yoongi happily accepted the playfulness, groaning in disdain when Jimin ran back to the bed after his shower, letting his wet hair drip in the elder's face and diving on him with a chuckle as he still lay in bed.

Namjoon and Jin had already headed downstairs, leaving them alone for a few moments.

The blonde struggled for years to find happiness and joy in his life, but he couldn't fight the warm laughter that bubbled up when the younger one poked and prodded at him, begging him to get up so they could eat.

Getting out of bed was easier said than done. Jimin was hungry but also clingy and playful, refusing to let his boyfriend go, which resulted in Yoongi battling to dress. It wasn't much of a fight, not really.

The pink-haired boy clung to his waist like a little kid, following the older boy around as he asked mindless questions. Nothing important came from the conversation except when the younger boy noticed the elder looking at him through the mirror.

Jimin had already seen how Yoongi avoided his reflection when he dyed his hair that afternoon. But this time, he wasn't hiding from it; he looked at their image together and smiled a little, brushing the younger male's arm with his hand before linking their fingers, preparing to leave.

Before he reached the door, though, the blonde-haired boy turned back, a rosy tint on his cheeks as he grabbed one of Jin's stuffed teddies, placing it in Jimin's empty hand just in case.

He didn't need it. Not while he was safe in the elder's arms, but the thought was appreciated.

That was how Yoongi ended up sitting at the kitchen table watching the boy he loved, the animal locked under his arm as he picked up plates and carried them to the table.