[ON HOLD] Post-Its •yoonmin•

7

  Namjoon and Jin brought food, as promised - they ended up just ordering pizzas because they wanted to get to the apartment as soon as possible. The apartment isn't exactly ideal for hosting parties, but Yoongi, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook manage to squeeze themselves together on the couch, which leaves a beat up recliner for Jin and Namjoon to share. Everyone is eating and sharing stories about Jimin.

  "I've known Jimin since high school. He should've been a grade below me, but he skipped fourth grade because he was so smart," Namjoon starts, even though everyone knows this part of the story already. "Jimin, I don't even know if you realize you did this, but we had gym together freshman year. I got picked last for teams a lot because I'm not the most athletically inclined," Jin snorts at that, "and it didn't bother me that much because I knew it. Jimin, on the other hand, always got to be team captain. After a couple of weeks, he started picking me first for his team, even though he knew I sucked at pretty much anything we'd be doing. We became friends later on, and never talked about it, but that kindness really stuck with me."

  "I do remember. Kids are so mean. I'm competitive, don't get me wrong, I'll throw elbows if I need to, but making sure everybody feels comfortable is always more important to me than anything else. That's why I started picking you," Jimin explains softly. "Thank god I did, right? Where would I be without my Namjoonie?"

  "Lost, for sure," Namjoon laments, sharing a fond smile with his younger friend.

  "Okay, wait, I have a funny story. Actually, I have an entire vault of funny stories, considering I've known Jiminie since he was born—"

  "I'm older than you!" Jimin interrupts Taehyung, honestly hoping to avoid this 'funny' (translation: humiliating) story, but his best friend is undeterred.

  "–But this one is special, coming straight out of the third grade. Let me set the scene for you," Taehyung shifts forward on the couch, a devious sparkle in his eyes. "Playground. Warm day. Jimin and I are playing tag, when suddenly he stops running. I slam right into him because who the hell stops during tag, right?"

  Jimin hides his face in Yoongi's neck and groans when he realizes what story this is, but he doesn't try to stop Taehyung. He knows better than anyone that it's impossible to stop that force of nature.

  "So I fall to the ground, confused, and I see Jimin frantically search the playground for something before he runs to the swings and plops down into the puddle of water that was under one of them."

  Everyone starts laughing, but Taehyung stands up and waves his arms. "No, no, that's not even the funny part. You guys have no idea." Once everyone has their attention on him again, he continues. "So I run up to him, and so does a teacher, and we're both like 'are you good' and he's like 'yep just fell oops such a klutz' which is believable, so he goes to the nurse's office to get new pants from the lost and found. When we were walking home that day, I kept pressuring him because I knew he was clumsy but not that clumsy, right? So he starts crying, and then finally whispers, 'Taetae, I peed my pants!'"

  "No he didn't," Jin counters, pressing his lips together to hold back a laugh when Taehyung nods his head in insistence.

  "You threw yourself into a puddle to hide the fact that you pissed yourself?" Yoongi asks, incredulous.

  "Shut up," Jimin whines, laughing, silently giving everyone else permission to laugh, too.

  "I think it was a pretty good idea," Jungkook offers between giggles. "Nobody else found out, right? And Tae only found out 'cause he made you cry, so I'd say you were a little genius."

  "That's why you're my favorite, Kookie, thank you!"

  That little exchange says all of the words that Jungkook is too soft-spoken to express in front of everyone about how much he cares for Jimin; the older man hopes the smile he gives lets Jungkook know that he got the message.

  As the little party goes on, Jimin eats half a bag of the hard strawberry candies that he's sure Jin insisted on buying, knowing he loves them. Crunching on them while taking in the chaos around him is helpful at keeping the panic at bay. Yoongi's warm legs underneath his own and one of his cooler hands resting on his leg thigh isn't hurting, either.

  After a few hours, Namjoon and Jin head out, giving Jimin tight hugs that help snap a couple pieces of his fragile heart back into place.

  "Call if you need anything, okay? We love you so much," Jin whispers, but Namjoon hears and voices his affirmation. Jimin nods in agreement.

  "I'm not leaving, but...is it okay if I hug you, too?" Jungkook asks, eyes wide and shiny.

  "You don't have to ask, you dork," Jimin says, wrapping him in his arms. Even though Jungkook is taller, the way he leans into the hug makes him seem small.

  "I'm not good with serious feelings, but I hope you know that you're safe as long as I'm around, okay? No matter what."

  "I know. Love you, Kookie."

  When they part, they both have tears in their eyes, causing them to laugh at each other. Taehyung hugs Jimin too, half-heartedly apologizing for telling everyone about the puddle incident before retreating to his room with Jungkook. When he turns back to Yoongi, who hasn't moved from the couch, he has a fond little smile on his face.

  "Why are you looking at me like that?"

  "Because everyone loves you just as much as you love everyone. It's fascinating to watch," Yoongi admits.

  "Let's go to bed, I'm exhausted," Jimin says, already pulling his boyfriend up and out of the living room.

  Once Jimin has shed his pants (he never sleeps in them) and provided Yoongi with more comfortable clothes, they're face to face under the covers. The glow from Jimin's bathroom light allows them to see each other pretty clearly. Jimin feels like there's so much to say, but nothing feels right. Thanks for loving me even though I'm haunted seems dramatic, but I appreciate you being around seems too informal and impersonal. Thankfully, Yoongi speaks first, while he traces Jimin's features lightly with one finger.

  "I will do everything in my power to keep you safe, Jimin. You have to tell me what you need, though, okay? Anything you need, I'm there, but I'm not a mind reader, so you've gotta let me know."

  Jimin's response is a sleepy, slurred 'kay, Yoongi's soft ministrations lulling him to sleep.

  "I'm proud of you for reaching out today even though it was scary." Jimin throws a leg over Yoongi's hip, stopping the finger on his face by entwining that hand with one of his own, mumbling something involving the word sleep, making Yoongi laugh. "Goodnight, Jimin."

  Yoongi lays awake for quite a while longer, glad that Taehyung and Jungkook were being quiet. He hadn't planned on being awake for so long, otherwise he would've kept his phone closer to him, but he soon finds that watching Jimin rest is enough entertainment.

  His mind does, unfortunately, wander. Yoongi doesn't know how someone could be abusive to anybody in any capacity, is a generally peaceful guy and strongly believes that there are very few instances where violence is acceptable. In general, the thought of someone being abused horrifies Yoongi, but the thought of Jimin being abused...it ignites frightening rage within him. Imagining the soft, kind man in front of him being beaten, berated, and assaulted is enough to make him shake and require deep breaths to calm down.

  Before he drifts off, he makes two decisions. One: he will keep his word on keeping Jimin safe, no matter what. Two, if the man who hurt Jimin continues trying to get close, Yoongi will make it an instance where violence becomes acceptable. (He briefly registers that he might have to recruit Jungkook for that job, but doesn't think he'll mind and falls asleep too quickly to plan it out any further).