HANDCUFFED | TAEKOOK

two minutes

"what?" taehyung asked but jimin's arrival at the door cut the conversation off, making taehyung move towards the door and open it.

"hi tae!" jimin smiled, eye smiles making him look even more beautiful than he already was.

"hey, jungkook." jimin snapped.

"hello, jimin." jungkook responded, in a pleasant tone.

"what's untwisted his panties?" jimin asked, one eyebrow up.

"nothing, he's just in a good mood." taehyung remarked.

"he wants to be friends now apparently, so let's not bring the bad side again shall we?" jungkook said, making taehyung's stomach flip.

he's up for it? for friendship ? fuck i'm not easy to be friends with.

"oh, wow." jimin raised both his eyebrows and looked at taehyung and then jungkook. and then again taehyung and back to jungkook.

"no, i didn't spike him, shorty. he's the one who asked." jungkook rolled his eyes.

"don't take it seriously. it's hard to be friends with kim. watch out." jimin warned, making taehyung clear his throat awkwardly.

"anyyyhooo." taehyung started. "what do you wanna do? in the picture i mean. jungkook and I are handcuffed."

"oh, uh. hmm, that's a little hard. okay , so jungkook, stand ... here." jimin tugged on jungkook's folded arms and pulled him to face the couch, handcuff slightly straining taehyung's left hand.

"just crop it." jungkook yawned.

"fuck, you're a genius." jimin looked with wide eyes.

jimin started to explain the photo and taehyung laughed, spewing out korean slang. jungkook took jimin's phone and after he coughed momentarily, he opened his eyes and he hated to admit it but there was something unsettling about seeing taehyung with jimin like that.

jungkook took the picture, making sure that taehyung's hand that was around jimin's shoulder wasn't shown.

jimin jumped out, ecstatic once he heard the camera flash sound from his phone.

"okay that should do it. thanks tae." jimin smiled, kissing taehyung's cheek.
"he does shit again, just give me his number." taehyung said, ruffling the older boy's hair.
taehyung's phone immediately beeped and he took it out to see the picture.

                        parkjimin : thank you for everything, i love you
  

"okay are you love birds done?" jungkook scoffed.

"wow someone's an angsty teen." jimin muttered.

"anyway, I'll uh be on my way but I need to talk to you guys before that. so, give me two minutes?"

"yeah, what is it, chim?" taehyung asked, blinking.

"jungkook. the jeon jungkook. this is for you. ever since sixth grade, you knew just how to ruin taehyung. emotionally, physically and mentally. it just kept building up over the years till ninth grade, and I really don't need to fill you in on the details because that would just make things uncomfortable. I thought taehyung had changed this year. turns out, you pissed him off more than ever, and one small thing you said would send his emotions spiralling down-"

"jimin, he doesn't need to know-"

"don't, tae. if he wants friendship, I'm stating what I need from him as a sure signal that he won't fucking hurt my best friend."

taehyung stayed quiet. he didn't like this feeling. he kept shifting and the handcuffs kept clinking, but he just couldn't stand still.

"you know how bad eleventh grade was. you know how you two went at each other. you just, never stopped. it came to a point during the last few months where you guys had bruises just because of fighting with each other, jungkook."

jungkook looked up, and his eyes showed a little bit of remorse.

"do you understand where I'm getting at? no matter what you try to do right now, it's going to be extremely hard for you to get to taehyung. he's fragile. he needs a support system and right now that's me. the only reason I'm being so raw with what I'm saying is because you're the only other constant in his life."

jungkook froze.

what?

"think about it. from sixth grade, you've been constant. doesn't matter if you were bad energy but you were consistent in being in his life. yes, in a bad way, no fucking doubt about that. but just hear me out. if you really, honestly want to patch up, you're going to have to start from scratch. both of you. it's going to take so long. and you two may get memories that strike right through your heart sometimes. so just, watch where you're going jeon. it's not necessarily a very well built place. taehyung's heart is extremely delicate. don't...do something I'd have to bury you for."

jimin ended his little talk for jungkook but turns out he was nowhere close to done.

"taehyung, I'm going to speak to you like as if no one is here. just like the way I spoke to jungkook." jimin shifted a bit and pulled his sweater paw down.

"you're literally my soulmate. no one could ever fucking replace you and I need you to know that I will support you whatever you do. I'm a little shaken up that you told fucking jeon jungkook that you wanted to try and be friends. but you know what I really am? proud. I'm proud that my best friend has come so far that he's willing to give the person who's hurted him the most a second chance. scrap that. a hundredth chance." jimin chuckled, shaking his head.

"i'm not saying it's impossible. i need you to be careful, but open. treat jungkook like a friend. and, how about you start simple? yeah?" jimin held onto taehyung's shoulders, with assurance.

"just make an agreement that you won't fight for, say, maybe 24 hours? or even a week if you're brave. you know you've always been weary about friendships. i'll be right here through it all. any problem, i'll help sort it out."

taehyung smiled, looking at jimin.

"just like I always have."

jimin stepped back and looked at his watch.

"wow okay, i think i exceeded my time limit." he giggled, looking at his phone.

 "but do know that I'll somehow support this friendship. even though taehyung has cried on my lap because of the excruciating pain from his limbs after a fight. even though I've had to hold him after telling him time and again that he's way more than enough. i'll work on my ability to forgive. sorry if i was blunt, i just can't bear to see taehyung hurt." jimin stepped towards the door and looked back, his eyes sad and hopeful.

"jungkook, don't...disappoint us?" he said, before stepping down and walking on the road, pulling his hood up because it was cold.