My Mate Is Too Shy {Jiminxreader}

14) Of Sorrys and Silly Straws

Date: October 24th
Time: 6:24pm
Location: Work, the bathroom
Mood: Crying for stupid things
<><><>

The irony of this moment was not lost on Y/n. All she had wanted since Jimin had showed up in her life was for him to leave her alone. Now when he asked for the same thing (albeit in a rude way), she was hurt. Why did it hurt? She didn't know. Why did she cry? She didn't know. Why had she felt this irresistible need to comfort him in the first place? She didn't know.

What she did know, or better said, what she thought she knew, was that crying about it was an over reaction and she was a stupid crybaby.

After letting a few tears out, she forced the lid on them to close. It wasn't like her feelings mattered in the first place, so what was the use in crying? They were supposed to be working anyway, not engaging in some sort of soap opera in the back room. Hopefully Jimin didn't notice that her ridiculously fragile feelings were hurt and that would at least spare her from any type of embarrassment later on.

Sneaking out of the bathroom and getting back to where she was supposed to be behind the counter, she was relieved to find the store still empty. No costumer nor Jimin was anywhere to be found. With a dampened mood she pulled out her phone and earbuds. Maybe listening to the most vulgar songs in her library could lift her spirits.

Before she could insert the earbuds, a flash of green outside the window brought her gaze to find the mint-haired regular lounging on a bench across the street. Why was he out there instead of inside? Why did she care? She didn't know. Y/n didn't know anything anymore.

One look at her phone told her it was a little over three and half more hours before she could go home. The hours spent here seemed to drag compared to the time spent in a comfortable setting. Unfair how that worked.

The creak of a door was the only warning she had before Jimin was in front her. An opened bottle of Dr Pepper with a silly straw sticking out of it was set on the counter between them before he turned so that his back was facing her.

"Y/n, I'm an IDIOT." he declared with such strong conviction in his tone that her startled gaze shot to his back. "I'm a creepy, weird idiot that talks to himself and hurts you by accident. I've done a lot of stupid things since we met, but I'm going to stop doing them now. You don't have to forgive me, but please don't hate me. I can't..." his pained words trailed off before he was able to find them again. "This," gesturing with a thumb over his shoulder towards the soda, he remained in place, not even moving his head to look at her. "This is my sorry for being...not normal."

He said she didn't have to forgive him. But the truth was that she had already. If there were ever a time when she didn't forgive someone, regardless if an apology had been issued or not, hell would be ice cold, pigs would be flying and the moon would be blue. Compassion was ingrained in her nature to the point that it didn't matter if pain was still present. What mattered was that no one else was hurt as an affect of something she had said or done.

"I forgive you." The words left in a whisper, but the way his head turned slightly in her direction made it known that they were heard.

Still he didn't turn fully, or even set his eyes her direction. It was the most she'd ever looked at him without casting her eyes elsewhere in embarrassment. Jimin was different again. How many sides were there to this man? The Jimin now was blunt but delicate in his speech, somewhat standoffish but not in a negative type of way. Rather in a way that was deliberate in order to accommodate for her shy and anxiety ridden personality.

It was comfortable. Or as comfortable as she had ever been when alone with him. Her palms still sweat and there was a nervous weight over her chest, but no urge to clench her fingers together. The roster of scientific facts she kept stored in her head was absent. Breathing was normal. It was different, and left her feeling a bit unsure, but not with the idea that she should fight against it.

Besides, that soda looked very inviting.

"Thank you," he replied softly. "How about we come up with a system? When I make you uncomfortable, you can give me a sign and I'll stop, no questions asked."

At those words something inside that she couldn't decipher shifted. Not very substantial by any means, but something infinitesimal, yet significant that had been absent up to that point locked into a much larger space. A space that couldn't be figured out, no matter how hard she tried. Almost like a puzzle, but it was only the first piece, and she had no idea where the others would fit to, or if they even existed.

To put it simply, something changed. In her, and in whatever this was with Park Jimin.

"How about this?" Still not engaging her in eye contact he held a hand above his shoulder, the thumb and forefinger in the shape of an L. "Just show me this, and I'll stop being an idiot."

"You-you're not an idiot." 'Just creepy.'

"I can be." he shrugged, dropping his arm and crossing them both over his chest. "No matter what, like I told you before: I will never hurt you. But I'm a weirdo, so you need to let your boundaries known. Don't be afraid to speak up and boss me around. Sometimes I need the direction."

The unsaid words here was that Jimin was sticking around for the long run, and Y/n heard them loud and clear. Not that she believed them. Not fully. But the thought gave her another feeling she wasn't entirely used to. Not happiness. Not protected. But something akin to contentment. Which made no sense to her whatsoever. Honestly, what did at this point in time?

"I understand." Sort of.

"I'm glad." he nodded and she could hear, rather than see the smile on his face. "I'll get back to work then. Call me if you need anything."

She watched with an open mouth as Jimin (if she could even call this new person Jimin) retreated through the door to the back area, not looking back at her once. What happened to him?

And why did she like it?

—
Edited 7/11/22