Paper Balls | Yoonmin

midnight

"sorry," jimin muttered, seeing me awake but his arms wrapped around my waist.

i'd just been sitting on my phone for a little while since i generally have a tough time sleeping.

"sorry for what?"

"for earlier, i t-tend to get touchy when i'm l-little." he said, i assume he was meaning he wasn't little anymore.

"it's okay. i told you i don't mind." i told him and he nodded, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"what t-time is it?"

"twelve-thirteen."

"oh, d-did i keep you up?" his look became sorry.

"no, you didn't keep me up. i just have trouble sleeping. i fell asleep earlier, around the same time you did which is odd for me. but no, not your fault."

"why can't you sleep?"

i shrugged. i know some of the reason i can't sleep but that's something i tell him later on, not now. "just insomnia."

"oh. but you fell asleep when i did?" his voice changed again and he began to fiddle with the blanket.

"yeah,"

"then maybe i can make you sleep again?" he perked up. he was little again.

he scooted over, laying down and slinging his leg over my waist and arm across my chest.

"are you tired yet?"

"not yet." i chuckled at what he was doing.

"can i ask you about your stutter? your grandma told me that you weren't born with it. but you don't have to tell me."

"oh, um..." he bit his tongue, rolling over onto his back. "i developed it a w-while ag-go. i d-didn't know what-t caused it. my grand-dma b-b-blames it on m-my p-parents and everyone who likes t-to tease m-me." he said, staring at the wall in front of him. "i have a d-deep mistrust f-for most p-people, so it-t generally h-happened w-when I was n-nervous but then b-became permanent. it g-goes away s-sometimes but only i-if im with s-someone lik-ke my grandma, s-someone i f-feel l-loved and p-p-protected by."

"oh," i said in acknowledgment. he's never mentioned his parents until now but i didn't feel it was the right time to ask.

"you're d-definiently different-t, yoongi." he said, quieter this time.

"what do you mean?"

"you're d-different. you're nice t-to me. it f-feels different w-when i'm around you. i h-had to leave m-my only f-friends a long time ago... but you s-seem different than ot-ther friends i've h-had. you a-accept m-me for who i am. a-and my g-grandma s-said you l-like having me ar-round which is s-something i n-never heard b-before. b-but honestly, i'm s-scared you m-might l-leave m-me, t-too." he said, fiddling with his fingers. i could see his eyes begin to tear up and that hurt something in my heart.

i sat up and turned so i was facing him. i wipped his teary eyes with my sleeve. my heart was beating really fast. i was... sad. it hurt me, to see him like this, scared i might end up treating him like everybody else.

what i said next surprised me.

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