Yoonmin in Malta

10 - The first night (I)

Around midnight, the friends return tired to their accommodation and wordlessly go to their beds one after the other.

While Jimin is brushing his teeth, he thinks about the scene on the boat when they recorded the video for Taehyung – and Yoongi just couldn't say 'I love you' into the camera. Sure, Yoongi is rather closed most of the time and doesn't show much emotion, but 'I love you' is something Jimin has heard him say many times.

While Jimin is brooding and obviously takes too much time to brush his teeth, Yoongi is already lying on the right side of the bed he will soon share with Jimin. Yoongi also thinks about the situation on the boat when he couldn't get those simple words out of his mouth.

It wasn't long ago that the band made fun of telling one another that they loved each other whenever they had the chance and as often as they could bear. It started when Namjoon told them that there was a list of questions. If two people asked each other these questions, they would automatically become romantically close through the connection they would make just by talking. Hobi then told them about this 100 day challenge where people were supposed to tell each other that they loved them, once a day. Jimin was immediately intrigued by this and started doing it right away. He wanted to be loved by everyone.

The only one who had participated in his game for more than a few days was Yoongi. Contrary to what one would expect from him, those beautiful words 'Jimin-ah, I love you' came out of his mouth very easily. It was so strange and unusual for Yoongi that the others didn't take it seriously and thought it was just Yoongi's defense mechanism to keep Jimin satisfied. But it wasn't. Every time Yoongi said those words, he meant it. And Jimin loved it. Every time. And Yoongi loved the sight of Jimin feeling loved by his Hyung. But this loving ritual, which lasted much longer than 100 days, is a thing of the past since the Taipei incident.

Jimin finally puts on his light blue striped pajamas and leaves the bathroom. He is glad that he bought a set of pajamas with him to Malta, as no one knew that they would share beds.

On his way to bed, Jimin takes a look at Jin, who always spends his nights armed with a sleeping mask and earplugs so that no one can disturb his beauty sleep. But even without this equipment, Jin has always been a deep sleeper.

For half the night, Jimin lies on his side of the bed awake, staring at the ceiling, not getting a wink of sleep. Yoongi's scent lingers even stronger in his nose than in the car that morning, making him infinitely weak.

The memories of long past days spent with Yoongi flood Jimin's mind, causing his heart to race and his body to feel restless. He can't help but replay every moment they shared together, from their playful banter to the way Yoongi's hand casually brushed against his own. The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that he can't deny his feelings any longer. But the fear of uncertainty of what their friendship could become weighs heavily on his mind, keeping him up for hours on end. Jimin knows that one day he will have to talk to Yoongi again, but for now, all he can do is lie in bed and let his feelings consume him.

Eventually, Jimin hears Yoongi moving next to him and wonders if the elder is as troubled as he is. For a moment, Jimin considers taking the initiative to approach Yoongi, but then an unexplainable fear overcomes him again. Instead, Jimin turns away and tries to shift his thoughts to something else.

Suddenly, Jimin feels an arm wrapped around him and Yoongi gently pulls him close. Jimin feels a warm shiver running through his body. The sudden touch of Yoongi, who now has his arm wrapped tightly around his waist, makes him nervous. Jimin closes his eyes and tries to calm his breathing.

Would there be a repeat of that night in the studio a year ago? Yoongi's tight embrace reminds him of that one night in the studio when they recorded the vocals for Serendipity together.

They were so exhausted from working that they decided to take a break on the sofa bed. Jimin can't help but smile shyly at the memory because when he woke up in the morning, he found himself in the same tight embrace in the spoon position with Yoongi, as right now.

---

Their bodies were pressed tightly together, as if they wanted to avoid losing any body heat. Yoongi was so close to him that he could feel the elder's breath on his neck.

Jimin lay awake for a while and thought about what he should do. Should he pretend that this situation was nothing special and just the way overworked artists sleep on a sofa bed in a recording studio?

Knowing how Taehyung sleeps in a bed with his friends, it sounded quite plausible because Taehyung just literally embraces everything and everyone who shares a bed with him – no exceptions. But this situation felt different, this situation had a gravity and seriousness that Jimin couldn't ignore.

But what was the alternative? Confront Yoongi? Or put it all on the line and ....

But Jimin didn't do that. He finally decided to just lie there and let himself be lulled to sleep by Yoongi's steady breathing that he could feel on his neck.

He had no idea how much time had passed, but when he woke up again, Yoongi had moved and was no longer lying so close to him.

---

Jimin is brought back to the present when he suddenly feels Yoongi's breath on his neck again, just like a year ago in the studio. Goosebumps spread across his skin. His heart beats faster and he knows that he cannot hide from Yoongi anymore.

The elder whispers into his ear, "How are you?"