Me, Myself, and Jikook (Jikook Oneshots)

The Red Thread of Fate Part III

Jungkook watched as Jimin slurped down his noodles.  Never before had Jungkook felt envious of noodles before, but as he watched them slide over Jimin's plump lips into his mouth, he found himself jealous of the starchy threads.

This was one of the many times they'd gone to eat together since the night of Jungkook's Calvin Klein runway in Paris Fashion Week.  They had returned to Korea and despite Taehyung's insistence that Jungkook not make a move on Jimin, he'd stayed in touch and they'd spent time together on multiple occasions.

It's just friendship though.  He didn't say we couldn't be friends, right? Jungkook thought.

Jimin, on the other hand was already in too deep and was confused why Jungkook had yet to ask him out or kiss him or do anything that could be remotely considered outside the realm of friendship.  All this despite the fact that the tension between them was practically tangible. 

Is he straight and just doesn't know how to tell me? Jimin would question himself.  But then why does he look at me the way he does?  What happened in the elevator in Paris...if he's straight, what was that about?  And why does he seem to almost want to touch me sometimes, but then he stops?  Maybe he's not single?  But he said he is.  I just don't understand.

After dinner, they always had a hard time parting and wound up in karaoke bars or walking through the park or snuggled into one or the other's couch as they watched movies.  From the outside, anyone would agree that the pair were dating.  That was evident from the rumors sparked from photographs and speculative articles in media outlets and the fans who shipped them together.  'Jikook' apparently had a fanbase to rival the 'Taekook' fans.

Despite every burning desire in him and his own better judgement, Jungkook remained loyal to the promise he made his best friend.  Not once did he make a move on Jimin in all those weeks.

Jungkook realized he'd been staring at Jimin too long as his phone rang, snapping him out of his filthy thoughts and back to the blushing man in front of him.  He glanced down at his phone. 

Taehyung.

Shit, guess I'll have to take this.

"Hey, Tae!  What's up, buddy?" Jungkook tried to sound casual and nonchalant, but he even he could hear the edge to his voice.  Jimin leaned forward, tilting his head as if to ask why he was acting so weird.

"Saw you were out with Jimin again.  I thought you promised not to make a move on my soulmate."

Jungkook shook his head at how fast the media was.  Damn Dispatch.  "Calm down, Tae.  I'm not.  Am I not allowed to have friends now?"

"Not him, you're not."

"So now we can't even be friends?" Jungkook scoffed, Jimin looking more confused than ever.  "This is fucking pathetic.  I followed your rules and it still isn't good enough.  Why do you care so much?"

"Because he's my best fucking friend and you can't have him!"

"What, did you guys fuck before or something?  Are you secretly in love with him?  What the hell is going on?"

Jungkook heard a sigh on the other end of the phone.

"You're both going to leave me."

"No.  We're not.  And in case you haven't noticed, you're the one ditching us to spend time with Jin, not the other way around, asshole."

Jungkook hung up the phone and took in the mixed emotions written across Jimin's face.  "Jungkook...what's going on?"

He sighed and scrubbed his hands down his face.  "I'm sure you noticed that I haven't asked you out or anything even though I pretty clearly want to, yeah?"

Jimin blushed and smiled shyly.  "Well, I'd hoped..."

"Well, I can't.  And there's a reason I can't that has nothing to do with you.  Jimin, I like you.  A lot.  But I promised Taehyung I wouldn't do anything about it because he was so terrified of us dating that he practically threatened my death if we did.  He said that's why he hadn't introduced us in the whole seven years he and I have been friends."

Jimin's smile fell and was replaced by unfiltered anger.  "That fucking weasel!"

Jungkook sighed again.  "Jimin.  I don't want to know this, but I have to know this.  Did anything ever happen between you and Taehyung?  He seems weirdly protective over you and I have to know if it's because you were like his first love or first sexual experience or something."

"No!" Jimin squeaked out, seemingly appalled by the question.  "He's just...it's almost like he's my actual brother.  We both had such a hard time in school, especially me, that we just sort of...grew overly protective of each other.  I'm not as bad as he is, but then again, he didn't have it as bad as I did."

"Oh.  I'm sorry you had to go through bullying in school.  It sounds awful."

"It was," Jimin agreed.

Neither of them realized how close they'd gotten.  How far over the table they had leaned.  How their breaths mingled together and made a soft heat between them.  How their lips were mere centimeters away before both suddenly noticed at the same time.

They nearly toppled the table in their haste to back away from each other.  Jungkook's eyes bore into Jimin and Jimin was unable to even meet Jungkook's gaze.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep fighting this," Jungkook admitted, slightly breathless.

"Does that mean you don't want to see me anymore?  That we can't be friends?"

Jungkook chuckled.  "Well, according to Taehyung, we're not allowed to be friends anyway."

"Fuck Taehyung," Jimin shouted fiercely and loudly before getting embarrassed and lowering his head.

"Is that all you want?  For us to be friends?  You never actually said whether or not you liked me back.  Have I been reading too much into things?"

Jimin swiftly met Jungkook's stare and shook his head.  "No, not at all!  I-I do want more than friendship with you.  You haven't read too much into it at all.  I-I like you too, Jungkook.  A lot," he mirrored back his previous confession with a sly smirk.

Without any further consideration, throwing all caution to the wind, they both leaned forward over the table one more time.  This time they didn't hesitate when their lips were too close and instead let them crash into each other like waves to the shore.

It was the kind of kiss that felt powerful without having to do much at all and, though it didn't last long, it said everything that needed to be said. 

"Don't worry about Taehyung.  I'll take care of Taehyung," Jimin whispered against Jungkook's lips.  "Just ask me out already."

"Jimin, I was attracted to you from the moment I met you, but I have had a massive crush on you since the moment I followed that red yarn from your sweater into that elevator.  Will you be my boyfriend?"

Jimin giggled just like he did when they were first introduced.  "Jungkook, I have had a massive crush on you since the moment you told me your name and that day in the elevator made me certain that there is nothing I'd like more than to be your boyfriend."

Jungkook pulled Jimin into his chest and kissed the top of his head.  "Thank god for that red sweater."

***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***

(1200 words)

A/N: @umarai89 I have finished it!  I did it all in one day too, which is pretty impressive.  I feel like I've been pretty productive today, overall.

Thank you for the sweet and adorable idea for this story.  I hope it was everything you wanted and more.

Until next time, Lovely ARMY's!