𝕯𝖆𝖗𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖌 || 𝖄𝖔𝖔𝖓𝖒𝖎𝖓

~twelve~

Yoongi doesn't know what to do.

He's never been good at consoling people, and he's not good at receiving consolation either. 

He has a memory of him in elementary school. He accidentally pushed his classmate in a game of tag and she started crying. Yoongi just told her to "frickin' suck it up". 

His mom wasn't happy with that.

Now, he's here. With Jimin, a person he cares about a lot, crying uncontrollably and bleeding in a GS25 store of all places in the middle of night on a Thursday.

Yoongi doesn't know what to do.

He stands there dumbly for a good minute before his brain kick-starts again. Yoongi leans over the counter as best as he can and tries to get Jimin to look at him. "Jimin? Jimin, are you okay?" He internally cringes immediately after. What a great question, Min Yoongi.

Jimin doesn't  say anything, just keeps sobbing, now with his face in his hands. Shit, he is really not the right person for this. He rounds the counter to stand in front of the younger, trying to pry the his hands away from his face as gently as he can. "Jimin, look at me. Please?," he asks softly.

That seems to do the trick, apparently. He only sees a flash of bruised cheeks and red rimmed eyes before he has his arms full of a crying Jimin. 

Jimin's arms wrap loosely around his neck and his forehead rests on Yoongi's shoulder. Yoongi pauses briefly before he raises his hands to awkwardly pat Jimin's back.

It seems to be enough for the younger as his sobs quiet down after a few seconds and only the occasional sniffle can be heard. 

Yoongi fleetingly reminds himself that wow, I'm actually kinda sorta hugging Park Jimin right now, before he mentally smacks himself to attend to the concerning matter at hand.

He clears his throat, "Uh, do you want me to call someone? Jin hyung or Jungh-"

He feels Jimin tense up and shake his head frantically against his shoulder. "Okay, okay. No calling anybody." Jimin relaxes again at that but doesn't let Yoongi go.

"But I need to clean your cuts, okay? Can you maybe um- sit on the counter or something?," he asks, grimacing a bit. Fuck, he's so shit at this.

Jimin stills for a second before stepping away from Yoongi and goes to sit on the counter. Jimin isn't speaking, that worries Yoongi a little (a lot.) He sits with his shoulders slumped and his head down, almost as if he's trying to hide. Now Yoongi is immensely worried. 

He opens the pack of the swabs Jimin brought to the counter and takes one out.

The doors open, making them both look up. A woman walks in, sees the two at the counter, stares for a second, then turns on her heels to leave. 

"Just a second," he tells Jimin and walks to the doors, turning on the Closed neon sign. He might get fired for this, but oh well, shit happens.

Yoongi walks back to the counter. He taps Jimin's chin to make him look up. Jimin complies but doesn't meet his eyes. Yoongi swipes the swab on his lower lip carefully. Jimin hisses at the sting. Yoongi smiles sheepishly, "Sorry."

Awkward silence ensues, filled by Jimin's occasional hiss or whimper, Yoongi's muttered apologies and the outdated bubblegum pop song playing faintly from the speakers.

As he cleans the cut on Jimin's cheekbone, this one deeper, he asks, "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Jimin meets his eyes briefly and shakes his head. Yoongi nods, "Okay, that's alright." It's not, but Yoongi respects Jimin's privacy. 

The silence soon becomes too much for Yoongi to handle so he manages a small smile and asks, "Do you wanna know how I found out my Film professor has a daddy kink?" 

Jimin shoots him an unimpressed look and shakes his head again. Yoongi purses his lips, "Got it. Well, do you wanna hear some jokes?," he asks instead.

Jimin nods. Yoongi hums, opens the box of band aids and takes one out, "Let me think of one. Ah! When's the worst time to have a heart attack?," He asks. Jimin doesn't say anything.

"During a game of charades.", Yoongi deadpans. Jimin stares for a minute before breaking out into a small smile. That's good, he thinks, and tries to think of a stupid knock knock joke, so by default Jimin at least says something. 

"Knock knock."

"Who there?," Jimin asks in a small voice. Yoongi almost sighs in relief.

"Alec."

"Alec who?," Jimin asks, a tiny smile on his face. 

"Alec-tricity. Ain't that a shocker," Yoongi says, and fixes the band aid on Jimin's cheek.

Jimin bursts into squeaky giggles that manage to make Yoongi smile a bit too fondly. He tries not to be too proud of himself. 

When Jimin's giggles die down he look at Yoongi and says, "Thank you, hyung. For", he gestures around his face, "This." Yoongi puts away the stuff he used, making a mental note to pay for it later, and shakes his head. 

"No need to thank me," he says, throwing the used swab in a dustbin behind the counter. Jimin makes no move to get off the counter and Yoongi doesn't tell him to. 

"Do you want me to drop you off at home?," he asks. 

Jimin tenses up again and shakes his head. "No."

Yoongi frowns and tries to search his face for answers. "Somewhere else then?" Another shake of his head. "So..do you wanna stay here with me?"

Jimin looks down again and nods, "If that's okay with you."

What's Yoongi supposed to do? Say no? 

"Okay then. Let me just go switch on the sign." He walks up to the door again, turning on the Open sign. He walks back to the counter, standing behind it. "It can get pretty boring, I'll warn you."

Jimin shrugs, making himself comfortable, "I don't mind."

Yoongi sits down on the chair and leans back, taking out his phone. "Alright. If you wanna talk, I'm here."

Jimin's quiet for a moment then he says, voice barely above a whisper, "Thanks for letting me stay, darling."

Yoongi's finger pauses where he's about to resume his baby fails video.

 "Anything for you, Jimin," he replies.

-

a knock knock joke i almost used:

Y: knock knock

J: who's there?

Y: honeydew

J: honeydew who?

Y: honeydew you know how cute you are?

sksksanssnsn that's too much even for me