misunderstood || bts x red velvet

➣ Twelve

The night sky was littered with bright stars and at that particular time, Jimin felt particularly jittery. He had just completed his twelfth cup of coffee since 11pm that night, after finally deciding to start his three thousand word essay on the history of the Silk Road. 

It was 3am and he was practically bouncing when he gripped the rough rope that he'd climbed almost every night for 11 months. 

11 months, 2 weeks and 3 days to be exact. 

Almost a year.

It was routine for him, to the point that he could do it without thinking. There he was, his thoughts elsewhere, but his strong arms on the rope and the soles of his worn out Converse scratching against the old oak bark.

His biceps burned from the intense climbing to reach the white framed window of Taehyung's room. Every night, without fail, Jimin would arrive earliest at 4am, but surprisingly, he'd finished his essay quite early today, so he decided to visit his boyfriend early.

But there was something off.

He was halfway to the top, when he realised he couldn't see any disheveled head of silver peeking from the bottom of the frame, with his little box smile. No matter how exhausted Taehyung was, Jimin would always be there for him and vice versa.

No matter what.

So you won't imagine what a shock he got.

Back then, the boy had silver hair, to match his boyfriends'. Their entire school knew about their relationship: they were bigger than the heterosexual ones. Being that tight, you would understand why there was such a tight, uneasy feeling clinging to Jimin's heart when he reached the sturdy top branch.

And found Taehyung lying in bed.

With Jungkook on top of him.

No, not naked, but still. The pain that surged at his heart was too painful, he barely survived it. And imagine the look on Taehyung's face when he stopped making out with the boy on top of him and saw his boyfriend outside the window. Jimin saw the boy utter his name before he scrambled down the tree. But he couldn't get far. 

He was about to jump over the second white fence from the right of the left side of the house when he heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"Jimin, wait, please!" Taehyung didn't care about waking his parents anymore. Guilt broke him when he realised what he had done.

I cheated.

Oh no, no, no.

"Jimin!" He called out again, dropping from the bottom branch of the tree with ease before sighing with guilty relief when the boy stopped. Panting, Taehyung walked towards his boyfriend and placed a hand on his shoulder, before it was vigorously shaken off.

He'd forgotten how scary Jimin looked when he was mad.

But that wasn't what was running through his mind. What was running through his mind, was the fact that Jimin's angry expression was streaked with crystal tears that reflected the moonlight.

Even when he's mad he's gorgeous.

"You were all I had, Taehyung. You were all that was left." His heart broke, no, shattered against the force of what he had just saw. And the worse thing was Taehyung knew it.

He knew he was all Jimin had left.

"I'm so sorry-"

"Sorry is not going to cut it Tae!" Jimin shouted, ready to bolt if anyone appeared. Just in case, he brought his voice down. But it only made it hurt more. "I saw it, first hand. You cheated on me for Jungkook. You promised me, Tae. You promised me. I trusted you.

"I trusted you with my entire being, but you did this to me."

"Chim, please." The boy's heart was breaking itself as he watched the love of his life break into pieces because of him. 

"Don't 'Chim' me Tae. I'm done. We're done." 

With a weak, cracking voice, Jimin sprinted down the street and around the corner all the way back home, and for the first time in awhile, he truly felt all alone. He was only partly safe when he managed to crawl quietly into his window and tucked himself into his duvet despite being warmed by the night air. After he had thrown his sneakers carelessly on the floor and was still for the first time that night, could the feelings of the past 10 minutes wash over him.

And he sobbed his heart out.

All alone.

Back at the yard of Taehyung's house, stood Taehyung. Counting to 137, knowing that's exactly how many seconds it's going to take Jimin to run home to his room. 

At the 134th second, there was a sound of bare feet hitting the grass. "Taehyung?" Whispered an innocent voice. Without turning, he knew it was Jungkook, wide eyed and guilty. But it wasn't his fault, really, it was Taehyung's. "I'm sorry." 

The boy snapped around to the one who was just on top of him, 13 minutes ago.

He looks so innocent and pure. Was I really making out with him? Oh my God, did I just take advantage of him?

As Taehyung watched the younger brunette squirm under his gaze, he remembered Jimin telling him:

"Hey Tae, you know Jungkook likes you right?"

"Yeah, but I like you."

"It's not your fault Jungkook." Taehyung's voice cracked and just moments after he spoke, he fell to his knees on the warm grass of the lawn and began to sob uncontrollably. He had lost the one boy he had ever loved that loved him back, who was always there, kept him safe, even when the boy himself wasn't. He had acted selfishly and he knew it.

Suddenly, he felt a reassuring arm wrap his shaking shoulders and he looked up with red rimmed eyes to see a very, genuinely sorry Jungkook looking down at him. 

"I'm sorry Taehyung. I really am, I-"

"Jungkook." The brunette stopped rambling and held the silver boys shoulders tighter. Taehyung couldn't help but lean into the comforting touch.

A little later that night, Taehyung was lying on his comforter, not at all comfortable. He missed Jimin, with his crescent eyes when he smiled and his smooth skin. Instinctively, the boy swung at the air on his left, where his love would usually lie as they talked late night talks.

Jimin was having a hard time at home and when they first became friends, Taehyung would be the only one who would try to understand him. He had promised Jimin that he would always be there, no matter what. But he broke that when he first let Jungkook in his front door that afternoon.

"I'm done. We're done."

His breath hitched and he began silently sobbing again, as the video of the retreating back of Jimin replayed in his mind like a HD movie.

It was that night, when he stayed up by himself for the first time, did he make the promise to himself, to never, ever, fall so deep in love again.

And it was that night, that Taehyung began the construction to build the walls around his heart, the last thing it took in being Park Jimin.

His first and probably last love.

Ever.