vingt-quatre.

33.1K 2.4K 1.1K
                                    

--
"When I was younger, I thought that the whole 'soulmate' thing was a lie." Jungkook confessed, heart still heavy from what had happened with Taehyung. "I thought that it was the kind of thing that your parents say so that you have hope. Like, 'don't worry about it, somebody is destined to love you.'"

Jimin watched Jungkook intently, observing him as he spoke, and the way that his fingers always seemed to be twitchy. The way that he always needed something to hold in his hands and fiddle around with, the way his words flowed together so, so smoothly. Jimin wasn't even sure how they got on to this conversation topic either, but he did want to lift Jungkook's spirits. If this is what would do that, then Jimin would go along. "I think that I only truly believed it when I watched it firsthand." He paused for a moment. "My mom broke a glass once, and cut her hand on it. My dad was right beside her, and I watched the cut appear on his own hand out of thin air."

Jungkook sighed softly, meeting gazes with Jimin. "Got any idea who yours is?" He asked cautiously, the older sighing softly and shaking his head.

"I haven't a clue." He frowned. "But you know, I think I'd be fine without a soulmate to be honest. Is 'fate' really going to dictate who I fall in love with?"

Jungkook hummed in response, stirring his drink absentmindedly. "What about you, Jungkook?"

"I don't think my soulmate will like me." He hid the painful truth beneath bubbling laughter, knowing he had succeeded when Jimin chuckled in response.

"Don't talk like that." He smiled softly. "Your soulmate would be insane not to. You're sweet." Jimin spoke, Jungkook feeling his face heat up in response.

"Hyung..." He mumbled in protest, knowing that Jimin didn't know exactly who he was defending. He didn't know the other half of him. The half of him that he didn't want anybody to know about. The half that Taehyung had crashed into.

"You're caring." Jimin continued, laying his hand on top of Jungkook's when the younger shook his head. "How about, cute? ...Or would beautiful suit you better?"

"Jimin-Hyung." Jungkook was sure that his face was fully pink by then, his fingers twitching beneath Jimin's. "Stop it."

"All I'm saying is that your soulmate is going to love you." The older smiled sweetly, "I'm almost a bit jealous of them." He chuckled softly to himself before leaning back in his seat. Jungkook noted how Jimin's hand stayed put, warmth from it transferring onto his own fingers. "You still look like you have a lot on your mind." Jimin commented, Jungkook sighing and nodding before looking down.

"I don't want to go back to my dorm." He said softly. "Taehyung and I... We had a disagreement. I know he's going to bring it up when I get home and I don't think I'll be able to deal with that."

"It must've been quite the disagreement." Jimin frowned, rubbing slow circles against Jungkook's hand with his thumb. It calmed Jungkook down much more than he thought it would.

"I said some things I wish I didn't, he brought up some things I don't like to touch upon." Jungkook spoke vaguely, Jimin noticing how his eyes became teary as his the topic was brought up. "I just know when I walk through the door I'm going to want to walk right back out. I appreciate him I do, but I've already had more than I can handle today."

"Why don't you come stay at my place?" Jimin asked, expression sad as he stared into Jungkook's watery eyes. He had clasped Jungkook's hand between two of his hands now, holding it as an attempt to let Jungkook know that he genuinely cared. "You can talk to me, if you'd like. I've done my fair share of shit as well, I would never judge."

Jungkook looked up.

"Would you really let me come over?" He asked, getting his answer back with a goofy smile.

"Would I? Of course." Jimin brought one of his hands up to caress Jungkook's face softly. "I do really like you. You really listen to me, and you really care. I wish I knew more people like you."

Jungkook bit his bottom lip, tears pricking at his eyes as he forced himself to look away from Jimin's warm gaze. Jimin didn't know what he did to himself, or how much self-hatred harboured itself within Jungkook's body. Jimin didn't know the scars that lay beneath Jungkook's clothing, or even the emotional ones that lay beneath his skin.

Jimin didn't know anything except for the best version of himself that Jungkook forced himself to put forward. He didn't know, and yet here he was accepting everything about him. Even the things that he didn't know were present, he still insinuated that he would accept those too.

That was the true reason that Jungkook's started to get teary eyed.

Breathtaking, wonderful, Park Jimin. Radiant on the inside and out. Beautiful heart, mind, and body. He was here accepting Jungkook for who he was, telling him how beautiful he was, and how much his soulmate was going to love him. Jimin was a gem. He was like the diamond you hit after mining miles of coal.

"Hyung, thank you." Jungkook finally smiled, tears building up in his tear ducts as he attempted to blink them away. "I don't think that you know how much all of this really means to me."

"Don't cry or I'm going to." Jimin laughed, wiping the underneath of Jungkook's eyes to deter any tears that were threatening to escape. "I don't ever want to see you cry, we're not breaking that wish now."

Jungkook couldn't help but laugh, nodding before he wiped at his eyes once more with the sleeve of his shirt. "You should let me paint you." Jimin's words were abrupt, catching Jungkook off guard as he paused in the middle of wiping his eyes. "We're doing still-lifes really soon, and I should start practicing again. Be my muse."

"Where's all of this coming from?" Jungkook asked, folding his hands and raising an eyebrow.

"It just came from me looking at you, and having the opportunity to appreciate what a work of art you already are." Jimin just seemed to love showering Jungkook with compliments that day, leaving the younger flustered and with mixed emotions as he sat in the chair across the table. "Be my muse, Jeon Jungkook."

"Are you sure that wouldn't like to find somebody better?" Jungkook asked nervously, Jimin shrugging and looking deep into Jungkook's eyes.

"I could try, if you don't accept my offer." Jimin nodded. "But it's going to be a hell of a hard task."

--

Burnt | JiKookWhere stories live. Discover now