Enchanting | Jikook

4

Luckily, of course Jungkook returns to the coffee shop with his friends the next time Jimin works the night shift. He behaves the same way as usual so Jimin isn't sure if he's told Sana and Hoseok about their talk in the subway station, but he supposes it doesn't matter for now.

Instead of misspelling his name, this time Jimin just writes his phone number on the cup. Jungkook's face lights up considerably before he quickly catches himself and pulls it into a smug smirk instead, but Jimin keeps holding on to the cup while Jungkook's already trying to pull it towards himself.

"This is for whenever you decide to stop being a shithead and talk to Tae," he says quietly, just to make clear he's still not willing to let Jungkook escort him to some horrifying hotel to fuck. "I wanna help."

"Sure," Jungkook says.

Naturally, the first time he calls Jimin barely a day later, he starts the conversation by asking if Jimin would be more inclined if Jungkook promises to let him top.

Jimin tells him no and hangs up. Jungkook immediately calls him again and asks how he should handle things with Taehyung, so they talk.

Jimin has a feeling that Jungkook needs a little nudge to handle things the adult way, so he offers him help in setting up a situation where he can just have a calm, honest talk with Tae. Jungkook doesn't know what to say to Tae, so Jimin helps him with that too.

Jungkook calls him again to talk specifics on when and where and how exactly they're going to do this, and then he calls him the day before it's supposed to happen, to review what he's going to say while also somehow trying to act like he's not nervous but super cool about everything.

It takes them roughly a week to organize everything. It's a Thursday when Jimin invites Taehyung to come visit him during his night shift, he feels bad for lying to get the younger there though it's for a good cause.

To make Jimin feel even worse, Taehyung sends him a look that's half panic and half plain betrayal when Jungkook strolls into the coffee shop wordlessly, without Sana and Hoseok this time, and just sits down across from Tae, completely ignoring the books spread on the small table in front of him.

He doesn't listen while they talk. Music is playing softly in the shop, and Jimin busies himself with cleaning and staring pointlessly at his phone, only glancing their way now and then, to make sure they're not punching each other or something, to make sure Taehyung is still alive and breathing and Jimin doesn't have to hurt Jungkook for hurting Taehyung.

But they're calm. They talk quietly almost the entire time, and then Jimin watches both of them get up from the corner of his eye, and hug for what has to be at least two minutes.

Jungkook is hopping out of the shop without saying goodbye to Jimin, but once he's outside, he throws him the most bunny-like grin Jimin has ever seen through a window, and two thumbs-ups. Jimin just cocks a brow at him until he leaves.

"Thank you," Taehyung says, very quietly, once they're completely alone again.

"Sorry about ambushing you like that. Jungkook was too nervous for anything else."

Once the glass can't get any cleaner in this plane of reality, Jimin sets it down very gently, straightens his back, and clears his throat as he looks at Tae. There's another thing he wants to talk to him about.

"So, listen," he starts, making Taehyung look up at him from the straw he was picking at between his fingers with his brows raised.

"I don't know what you two agreed on for now, how you're gonna do this forbidden friendship thing of yours, but..."

Jimin breathes in and back out. Maybe he should have planned this better beforehand, like he did with Jungkook.

"Um, this is kind of weird timing with it being my last year of college and all, but I'm going to give up my apartment. It's always been a shitty little place and I can allow myself something nicer now I think, but, um..."

He trails off again, lowering his gaze when Taehyung just looks at him in confusion. Dammit. Talking to people seemed easier when he was laughing at Jungkookie for being too chicken to do it.

"I wouldn't mind sharing the new apartment with someone. I mean, I would mind sharing my place with some random asshole I don't know, but, I guess what I'm saying is, I wouldn't mind sharing it with you. Just in case you wanna, you know, move out from home. I know you don't like it there much, and I think you could afford it if we shared a place, and, you know, we work pretty well together, so like, this is just an offer. Sleep on it, or something, maybe."

At this point, Jimin is shrugging so much he's pretty sure his shoulders are blurring with the movement, but he stills when he dares to look up. Taehyung is beaming at him. His eyes are wide, and his mouth is open in a big, happy smile, and Jimin, wants to jump over the counter and hug him, but he doesn't.

"That would be so cool!", Taehyung says, voice breaking a little from excitement, and Jimin smiles right back at him. "Of course I want to!"

"Sleep on it," Jimin repeats. "Please. Make sure you can afford it, both financially and, you know, emotionally. I wouldn't want to make anything worse."

Taehyung happy smile turns into a lenient little grin. "Jungkook scared you, huh? They're not that bad, my parents. They'll probably be really happy if I tell them I'm finally leaving."

They can test their chemistry by starting apartment hunting, Taehyung tells him that he will move in and that's that.

to be continued...