--
Jimin would be lying if he said that he wasn't worried when Jungkook showed up twenty minutes late to class.
He was nearly late himself however, due to his soulmate acting up again.
It had become common in the last few weeks for Jungkook to be late or not show up completely. The few weeks before they really started talking were the worst for it, Jungkook missing three days in a row without explanation. The part that had worried Jimin was that as he was leaving his apartment in the morning he heard a lot of yelling coming from the younger's room.
It wasn't Taehyung's voice either, it was unmistakably Jungkook's voice, firing words at Taehyung loud enough for Jimin to hear as he walked past their room. Despite not knowing him for an extensive amount of time, Jimin knew Jungkook to always be fairly quiet about things. Soft spoken, always brushing things away instead of letting people know that it affected him. He definitely didn't seem like the type to explode at someone out of anger.
However, Jungkook is human too, and everyone gets angry once in awhile. Maybe Taehyung did or said something that crossed over a few boundaries.
Jimin didn't bother trying to decipher what the conversation was about, little snippets of it such as 'You can't force me to' and 'I don't need your fucking pity' telling Jimin that it was something serious, and personal that he probably shouldn't intrude on.
That didn't, however, mean that he wasn't worried. There was one phrase that Taehyung had yelled, one that Jimin just barely heard as he was walking away, that chilled him to the bone. One simple sentence that just didn't sit well in his mind, and was dwelling in his thoughts as he swiped his pencil lazily across a piece of paper.
'You're hurting yourself!'
Taehyung said something after that as well, but it was muffled as Jimin walked down the stairs. It wasn't technically his business anyway, so he didn't bother trying to decipher the words. But those words... They could mean a lot. Was it mentally? Or... Physical? Unbeknownst, or intentionally?
Jimin didn't like thinking about it.
Instead, he decided to think about the offer Jungkook had given him yesterday. Originally he had been given the impression the Jungkook wanted to be nothing but physical; that is how all of his relationships ended up turning into, anyway. He wasn't ashamed of it, that's just the way things always seemed to play out.
"Park Jimin? Don't even try. He doesn't do commitment." Common misconception. Jimin would love to try for a long term relationship, but because of a simple lie that everyone believed, things didn't play out that way. It was partially his fault too however, because he always ended up taking things too fast on accident.
Jungkook was a prime example. The younger had asked him to take things slower, and what did he do just a few days after that? He turned things physical again. Because if the physical aspect of himself was what everyone believed was his best asset, that's what he should put forth, right?
If his body was the only part of him that everyone seemed to desire, that's what he should give right?
Jungkook however, seemed to look past that. The fact that the younger had turned down having sex with him because he was drunk still dwelled in his mind. No one else cared enough to think about him. All they cared about was unbuttoning his shirt and biting at his lips.
Jungkook was different, and it made his heart swell.
When the younger finally walked into class, however, Jimin's stomach dropped. He had been crying, it was evident by the blotchiness of his skin and the redness of his eyes. The hair that was peeking out from under his beanie looked unruly, and he just looked overall drained. He barely even responded when their professor scolded him about his tardiness.
He made eye contact with Jimin as he walked towards we he sat, and the older knew that Jungkook would be able to see just how concerned he was due to his expression. Jungkook held eye contact with him until he reached his seat, but his lips were still pulled into a frown. It had to do with whatever happened with Taehyung didn't it?
"Jungkook." Jimin voice was hushed; loud enough for the younger to hear, but quiet enough to not disturb the students around them.
"Yes, Hyung?" The younger's voice sounded raw even when it was just a whisper, sending another wave of worry throughout Jimin's veins. He wasn't sure why he cared so much for this person that he hardly knew. All he knew was his age, name, and where he's lived in the past; and yet he didn't want any harm to come to him whatsoever. He felt this overwhelming urge to comfort and console him. Wanted him to be close by, despite the short amount of time they've known each other.
"Meet me outside of the classroom." Jimin responded softly, before standing up and walking to the door at the front of the classroom. Their professor wasn't giving a lecture today, giving them time to finish some of the expected pieces in their sketchbooks. Jimin bit his lip softly as he stood outside the classroom door, careful to make sure that his professor didn't see him waiting outside.
"Hyung? What is it?" Jungkook's voice was still low as he walked through the door, taking a few steps towards Jimin.
Jimin didn't say anything, merely taking enough steps to close the gap between them, before wrapping his arms around the younger.
"You look like you've had an extremely rough day today." Jimin commented, swaying softly as he felt Jungkook begin to relax in his hold. "I'm not going to ask what happened, because frankly that's none of my business. But I will say that I hope that you'll get through it. Life always throws shit at us that we don't want, but we can get through it if we try hard enough."
Jungkook finally caved, wrapping his arms around Jimin's shoulder's; fingers gripping at his shirt fabric gently as he tucked his head into the crook of the older's neck.
"I just have a lot going on right now." Jungkook sighed, taking time to appreciate how much he loved Jimin's warmth. "Everything seems to be changing, and I don't know if I'm happy about that or not."
"I haven't known you for that long, Jungkook." Jimin sighed, running hit fingers through Jungkook's soft hair gently. "But I hope that the change is for the better - I really do like you. I'm sorry for moving so quickly."
"Don't worry." Jungkook sighed, loving the feeling of Jimin's fingernails scratching his scalp oh so softly. "Thank you, for this. You're so caring." Jimin swore that he heard the younger's voice crack, but wasn't one hundred percent sure as Jungkook finally pulled away moments later. "I'd still like to take you out today, though. Talking to you... It really helps me take my mind off of things."
There is was again. Jimin felt his heart swell, a smile spreading across his face that he couldn't've hidden if he tried.
"I'd still like to go out with you as well." He grinned, pushing a few strands of hair out of his face. "I like being around you. You're... Different."
"Different in a good way?" Jungkook asked, the fact that Jimin was still holding onto him causing him to smile. He hadn't thought it was possible to smile that day after what had occurred in the morning; although his heart still ached and he dreaded seeing Taehyung again in fear of what he might say, Jimin made things feel alright. Even if it was just for a few moments.
The older nodded, smiling softly.
"Different in the best way."
--
