(Jungkook POV)
___
I stuffed my binder in the locker, slamming it shut.
"Hey."
I jumped back, clutching my chest.
Jimin laughed, leaning away from the locker beside mine. His orange locks were swept back from his forehead today, revealing smooth skin.
"I like your shirt," he smiled. His fingers ran along the fabric of my wool sweater, threads bouncing up at his touch.
I bit my cheek, giggling. "Thanks, though it took me a while to decide on it."
He lingered his gaze at his fingers which still ran slow along my arm, grazing softly as he nodded. "It's the first time I've seen you wear orange, usually it's dull colours."
"I'm happy you're wearing it," his fingers stopped, reaching up to ruffle up my hair.
We turned away from my locker, walking down the dim-lit hallway. People no longer stared much at Jimin for the reason with Yoongi no longer interesting enough.
They still stared though, for his face.
I didn't blame them, I would too -- still do.
It was just so sculpted, as if all his features fell in just the right place at just the right crook at just the right angle.
A familiar pair of eyes met mine as a brunette walked towards us, his tall height towering above others in the hallway. Jimin tensed beside me and I felt a discomfort rise.
"Hi, Jimin," he greeted.
Jimin stayed quiet for a second, but he replied back, cocking his head to the side.
"Hi, Taehyung."
___
We sat in the empty classroom. The curtains were pulled back to reveal a cold world, windows fogged up and ice glistening behind glass.
Jimin rested his head on the desk sideways, staring at and listening to an apologetic Taehyung.
"I didn't know that you felt like that, if I did, I would've held you closer." He looked down at his hands, "so when you lashed out on Yoongi and Namjoon, I..I was taken aback."
"I hope you'll forgive me for not coming to you earlier, but I'd really like us to remain close again."
"I was scared, Jimin. But I really," he sighed, "I really do care about you."
Taehyung's eyes darted to mine for a second, "not in the way that you care about Jungkook, but a similar kind," he smiled slightly.
My eyes widened as Jimin grinned.
"You guys are together, aren't you?" The brunette asked.
The wind howled from behind the window and my chest grew warm, an answer begging to escape from my dry throat. I'd never spoken in front of him, hell, I'd never even spoken in front of my classmates -- they even thought I was mute by now.
"Yeah."
My cheeks grew warm at the answer I'd elicited from my mouth. "I-I mean kind of, l-like we are together, but not, n-not li--"
Taehyung slammed his hand on the desk, "I knew it!"
"Knew what? That he could talk or that we're together?" Jimin casually asked from where he sat, chin resting in the palm of his hand.
"Both," Taehyung cheekily smiled.
He turned to me, our knees almost touching. "You have a really nice voice," he spoke softly. He leaned forward, our knees touching, eyes widened. "You should speak more."
"Stop creeping him out, Tae." Jimin laughed, checking the time on his phone.
Taehyung's eyes slowly returned to normal size, a softness growing around them. His face remained close to mine as he whispered his nickname to himself, slowly retreating back.
"Tae..." the brunette whispered the nickname to himself again, looking over at Jimin, "you still remember that?"
Jimin nodded, pulling his chair closer to us. "How could I forget? God, I was so embarrassing, I didn't even know how to properly pronounce your name."
"You were seven!" Taehyung erupted in laughter.
Jimin grinned and looked over at me, "when we first met and he told me his name, I couldn't pronounce 'hyung', only 'tae', so that's what I called him for the next eleven years."
"And you," he turned to Taehyung, "had on a crush on that guy. Man, you never even told me his name, just would never shut the fuck up about him."
Taehyung shrugged his shoulders, "it's not 'had', it's 'have'."
"Still?" Jimin's eyes widened.
I felt so lost.
My eyes kept darting between Jimin and Taehyung, witnessing a revival at an eleven year long friendship.
It was quite beautiful.
"Yeah," Taehyung smiled, but I witnessed a pinprick of melancholy in his features. It had stuck to him ever since Jimin referred to him by his nickname, and it moved in his face whenever he quieted.
What was on his mind?
Or perhaps, who?
"C'mon, tell me his name at least now." Jimin punched his arm gently, a mischievous grin playing on his mouth. "Make me meet him just once."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
Jimin waited for him to go on, his hand coming down to rest on Taehyung's.
"You'd think that a crush would've gone away by now," Taehyung shook his head, "but I refuse to think it's anything more than a crush."
"Why don't you just tell him?" Jimin asked him.
"Just say it," I added in. My mind stopped short, surprised at the way I so casually spoke just now in front of someone I barely now.
Taehyung smiled, but my mind entered in the word 'sadly'.
"Because he'll never return my feelings, and neither, my dumb words."
"Your words aren't dumb, Tae." Jimin assured him, squeezing his shoulder. "They're precious."
His mouth lifted in that same smile again, that same sad smile, and I wondered who it was because of.
"I don't want them to be precious, I want them to be returned. I want to say the words 'I like you' and have them directed back at me."
"But you haven't said them to him yet. Who knows, maybe he'll even say them back yet."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
Taehyung wriggled his hand out of Jimin's grasp, staring at it.
"Someone already beat me to it."
___
A/N;
damn this chap made me sad.
