autumn leaves [jikook]

1

It was a sunny afternoon, and classes were over for the week. The end of the semester was close, assignments were all finished, and it was unusually warm weather for late September, which seemed to be putting everyone in a good mood.

Jungkook looked over at Jimin, eyes fixed on the bright smile he wore. The younger couldn't help but grin as well — Jimin's happiness was quite contagious. He leaned back on his hand and tilted his head up to look at the sky, feeling a little sleepy as the hot three o'clock sun shed its warmth on the park.

"Ah, it's so nice today." Jin smiled at the sunshine that hit his skin, the others humming in agreement.

"Yeah, feel that breeze." Taehyung closed his eyes as a flowing wind mercifully cooled his skin, although only for a moment.

Clouds moved across the sky, revealing and hiding the sunlight as they drifted overhead. Jimin, Jungkook, Hoseok, Jin and Taehyung sat amongst the wild daisies that grew in a shady area of the park, the towering maple trees providing some relief from the sun's rays. Jungkook liked this particular spot. The sky was always pretty here.

"So Tae, when are you going to introduce us to Kayu?" Jin asked, nudging Taehyung with his elbow.

"Who's that?" Jungkook asked.

"His lady friend." Hobi giggled, flicking Tae's cheek.

"When the time is right," Tae cocked his head slightly and closed his eyes as another swirl of wind swept past. "She's in America on exchange at the moment, but she'll be back at the end of the semester, so you'll see her and I around campus then, and I might introduce all of you to her. Maybe."

"I've heard she's beautiful, be careful she doesn't fall for me." Jin laughed, and all the others except for Tae joined in.

"Oh, of course Worldwide Handsome has a line-up of chicks, hasn't he?" Jimin asked the eldest with a playful grin. "Any ladies in your life at the moment, Hyung?"

Jin blushed. "N-no..."

The others began to tease him, laughing as he grew even angrier by the second.
"Ah! Jin-hyung, you're twenty seven and still haven't found the one!"

"AND WHAT ABOUT YOUR DEAD ASS LOVE LIFE, JIMIN?" Jin yelled in defence, all the others still cackling wildly.

"We don't talk about that!" Jimin jokingly acted offended.

"I mean, he's not wrong," Tae laughed. "Have you even dated anyone?"

"No, he hasn't," Hobi had a cheeky smile on his face. "Jimin's mad ugly—"

"YOU'RE NO DIFFERENT, HYUNG!" Jimin whacked the older on his arm, Hobi laughing uncontrollably as the younger shrank behind the rosiness of his cheeks.

Jin patted the younger's back to console him. "Ah, Jimin, you may not be as handsome as me, but I'm sure you'll find a beautiful lady soon."

"Hmm, yeah." He smiled softly but averted his gaze, eyes hiding behind his tousled bangs.

"I think he's handsome." Jungkook said, almost without thinking, which caught a few glances from Hoseok and Taehyung, and the obvious pink that dusted Jimin's face began to deepen as his eyes met Jungkook's, disbelief shining behind their dark hue.

"Well, yeah, we were only joking." Tae placed a hand on Jimin's shoulder, making him grin sweetly.

"Jimin's quite the catch." Hobi said, squinting as a patch of sunlight shone on his eyes.

"Awh, thanks guys." Jimin beamed.

"No homo, though." Jin assured, and everyone giggled childishly.

"Yeah..." Jimin glanced up and locked eyes with Jungkook for a moment, the world slowing down around them as they smiled at each other, if it was for a second or a minute Jimin wasn't sure, before Jungkook broke the eye contact, looking down at his lap shyly.

In that moment, Jungkook found himself wanting to know the secrets within the deep brown of those irises as he stared at Jimin, uncertain of what he may have experienced in the two years they'd been living different lives.

As the air cleared up and the sun began to fall behind the buildings, Tae, Jin and Hobi had since left to go to a party, leaving Jimin and Jungkook laying side by side on the cool grass, the older ranting as the clouds faded to a deep delta blue and stars began to pepper the sky.

"I just don't get why relationships are so important, and seen as such a necessity," Jimin sighed, picking off the petals of a daisy. "I've never even been in a relationship. Like, ever."

"Yeah, neither." Jungkook mumbled, gaze fixed on Jimin's rosy lips, the words coming out of them in a velvety tone like a melody with no lyrics. He wasn't focusing on what Jimin was saying, just how he was saying it. The way the older's face was so perfect yet so real made Jungkook feel at ease. Made him feel all warm and cosy, but confused at the same time.

Jungkook had grown up with Jimin. Their mothers were close from a very young age as well, so the boys always spent weekday afternoons and weekends at each other's houses. They attended the same schools, and their old homes were only a street away from each other. Countless nights were spent sneaking in through each other's windows at night to play card games and talk about pretty much anything.

The two had only just reconnected after Jimin graduated high school when Jungkook was starting eleventh grade. The older had moved away and gone to university, leaving his best friend to finish high school by himself. They had both changed so much in those two years apart, and so spent quite a bit of time together as of late.

"...And isn't it weird that, especially in this country, people can't love who they want to?" Jimin turned his head to face Jungkook, who quickly looked away with flushed cheeks, realising he'd been staring for way too long.

"I mean, gay people are seen as disgusting in our society. Do you think of them like that?" Jimin asked Jungkook, who was fiddling with his bangs nervously.

"No, I agree with you, it doesn't bother me." Jungkook answered.

After silence followed, Jungkook turned to look at the older male again, only to see a single tear fall down his cheek and onto the grass.

The younger's eyes widened as he sat upright. "Hyung, what's—"

"Jungkook, there's something I have to tell you." Jimin sat up and looked him straight in the eyes, causing them both to blush.

Jimin had known all his life that he was gay, but had never told Jungkook. He knew the younger's parents weren't particularly in favour of it, and he didn't want either of them disapproving, so he kept it to himself.

But as the last of the sun's light disappeared, shrouding the outer city in a dim blue twilight, he decided he'd finally tell Jungkook. With a heavy sigh, Jimin said two words that changed Jungkook's life forever:
"I'm gay."

Jungkook was beyond shocked. Happiness, confusion and so many other feelings swirled around in his mind, leaving him without words.

"Really?" He asked in an awfully dubious tone, but was then unable to say anything else to save Jimin from misunderstanding.

The older looked up at him, his face showing how heartbroken he was that Jungkook didn't seem to accept him.

"Oh my god." Jimin murmured, more tears swelling in his eyes. He stood up, his head hanging.

"You hate me." He whispered.

"No, Hyung—"

Before Jungkook could say anything, Jimin had snatched up his bag and left. The younger stood up as Jimin ran away, wanting to chase after him but somehow not being able to move.

What the FUCK did I just do?