This is my favorite chapter so far, I'm sure you guys will see why - author

~14:48~

Jimin ran after Y/N as soon as she took off. She was slow due to her injury, but somehow she still managed to get up the ladder and find her quarters due to them all being marked with each crew member's name. She didn't bother closing the door since she knew Jimin was following her. He's grateful for that, he doesn't really want to leave her alone right now. Not after what happened. The Engineer doesn't know why he feels so obliged to be with her, but he does.

He enters her room and closes the door, watching as she groans and sits down on the bed. Each quarter is significantly larger than the ones on the Athena. There's enough room for a mirror set and dresser along with a separate closet that actually has a decent amount of room in it. Each bed is a queen size, with the Captain and Executive Officer's quarters having a king. Overall, a nice room. Comes with carpeting and an emergency crash chair, just in case they get attacked in their sleep.

Jimin slowly sits down next to her, giving her a moment to collect her thoughts. After a few seconds, she speaks. "Does he know I'm on this ship?"

Jimin peers over at her, but her eyes are on the ground. "Probably."

"How did he find us?"

"I'm guessing when we boarded the Silver Angel, news of our arrival spread down to Mars."

"And he picked up that news from there since he's my father. He has friends all over Mars," Y/N says with a huff, nearly groaning at the revelation.

"Hey, on the bright side, we haven't replied to his constant requests yet. We don't plan on it." When she doesn't answer, Jimin rests his hand on her shoulder. She finally looks up at him, and to his surprise, she has tears in her eyes.

"I finally got away. I hate the situation we're in right now, don't get me wrong, but at least I'm finally doing something with my life." Jimin stays quiet, choosing to listen closely to what she has to say. "My father would try and get me to go to university and study some prestigious new medical or science field. He wanted me to be a leader, a fighter like him. I wanted to fly around the galaxy. A classic villain dad, right?" She pauses, sniffling. "Until he started hitting me."

Jimin's stiffens for a moment before wrapping his arm around her shoulder, guiding her head onto his lap. Her hair sprawls out on his sweatpants, and his hand can't help but fall to her locks, stroking them softly. She stares at the wall. "The night I left was the night he disowned me. He was going to kick me out of the house, pretend I was never apart of the family. Pretend I was never born."

Jimin's heart cracks at the story. He knew she had good reason to leave her family, but he didn't think it would be so scarily similar to his own reasoning. He left Earth because of his parents, and she left Ganymede because of her father. Both for practically the same reasons.

She sniffles. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to drop this all on you. I've only told one person this before, believe it or not." She turns her head to look up at him, and his eyes fall onto hers.

"I understand. More than you realize, I understand what you went through." She gives him a gaze of sympathy, sitting up but still staying close to him. Her face is only inches away from his, her brows furrowed close together. Her eyes continue to give him the sympathy.

"You too?" He bites his lower lip, then nods. She sighs and looks down. "I guess we were both disappointments then, huh?"

"Not to this crew." When she looks up at him in awe, he gives her a small smile. "And certainly not to each other." She stares at him with confusion in her eyes, then lights up. He places his forehead against hers. She's not surprised by this; in fact, she expected it, even leaning in to meet him halfway.

They sit there for a while, eyes closed, their foreheads pressed against each other's. The sound of their breathing is the only audible noise in the room. They don't speak for several minutes, only sitting there and appreciating the closeness they share.

"Jimin," she whispers. He softly hums. "I'm scared." 

When opens his eyes, he sees her staring right back. He leans back by a few inches. "Don't be, we'll get through this. I promise." She pauses, searching his eyes for any signs that he's lying. After she doesn't find any, she gives him a nod.

Jimin begins to realize how close to her face he is, and he ends up biting back a flush. His eyes fall to her lips. They're so close yet so far. His heart is beating so loudly he swears she can hear it. He resists his urges and meets her eyes again. She seems to have noticed his look, but doesn't react to it. She's waiting to see what he'll do. The problem with that is Jimin has no idea what he's doing. Being this close to her and having it feel natural? It scares him, but not necessarily in a bad way. He feels both excited and nervous when he's around her, and those feelings have only amplified recently.

He's not even sure if Y/N trusts him, let alone likes him enough to let him kiss her. But oh God does he want to. He's always seen her as attractive, but recently he's started to admire her for her strength and determination. Jimin wasn't sure what the feelings were at first, and quite frankly he's still not sure, but he has a much stronger idea now. He wants her lips on his so badly that the image won't leave his mind. He can't help himself: he grips her hips firmly. Within an instant, he brings her onto his lap, her slightly elevated, her head only a few inches above his. Y/N gasps, the sound filling Jimin's ears with warmth, but he still feels so much conflict. He's not sure what he's doing...

~14:53~

Y/N. Do not have a straight panic.

Jimin dragged you onto his lap, his body only inches away, his eyes constantly darting to your lips. Your skin is forming goosebumps at this rate. It's not like you're sure how to feel about this. There's no doubt in your mind you're attracted to the engineer, but is this too much? You would gladly let him kiss you, even full on make out with you. His plump lips only grows your temptation more. His intense gaze on you, the way he looks at you like no one else does... it all drives you crazy.

You let your eyes glance down at his lips, and you almost lose all self control. They look so ready for you, and you want to grant their request. Only problem is you're not sure if you can emotionally. You've only felt this way for someone twice before, and even then, it wasn't nearly as intense. There's an intimacy with you and Jimin no one else can match. You're scared of it, but also excited. Deep down, you desire to run your fingers through his hair as he kisses you. However, you know that right now, you would probably A) emotionally be a wreck, and B) lose all your air within five seconds at most due to your injury.

Despite your inner turmoil, you don't stop your hands from travelling up his cheek to his soft locks. You let a soft smile grace your lips as your fingers tug at his locks. "Y/N," he whispers, his voice low. He closes his eyes, leaning into your touch. His breath hitches when you brush your fingers through his hair. The tone of his voice alone is enough to make you weak. Your entire body wants to succumb to him, so much so that your body leans forward, trying to get even closer to him.

You didn't realize your face was coming towards his, your lips only centimeters apart. It's at this time that you can feel his breath on your lips. Your protests are only squeaks now, but the squeaks are still enough to make you gulp. Oh come on, there has to be some kind of distraction you can cause. There's no way you can do this. Your life has gone to absolute shit. What if what you feel is an escape for you? What if it isn't real? You don't want to risk that and hurt Jimin in the process.

The two of you are so close. You can feel his anticipation. Your heart is doing cartwheels at the thought that this beautiful man wants you so badly. The thought is enough to pull your lips closer. You're not quite kissing, but your lips are just about on his. So close that you can feel them. You want to kiss him - you really do. It takes every ounce of your strength not to give in and push him against the bed, kissing him fiercely.

When no distraction comes, you make one. You know you'll probably regret it later, but you have to. You pull back and breathe heavily, throwing your hand over your injury. Jimin's eyes snap open. He pants for a moment, his face threatening to cover with sweat. You gulp and wince. It's not totally an act: you are in pain. You might need another dose of whatever they gave you soon. However, you know you needed this distraction.

"A-Are you okay?" Jimin asks, resting his hand on your shoulder. He appears concerned, but also confused. You can tell he's in the same boat as you: not sure what to feel right now. One thing is for sure - you really like Park Jimin. A dangerous amount. When both of your lives fell apart, you were there for each other. Finding out he has a similar home life to yours only made you more attracted to him. Finally, someone who understands what you went through. And even if he didn't understand, he still held you while you cried about it. He still cared more than anyone else has.

"Yeah. Just... ow," you whisper. "I think I need another dose of whatever you guys put me on."

Jimin pauses for a moment before answering. "Yeah, yeah you look like you could use it." The two of you peer at one another for a few beats, his eyes scanning over your injury. His irises observing every inch of your skin has your mind swirling with delight. Unfortunately, you're interrupted again.

The comm link in the room buzzes, then Namjoon's voice is heard. "Y/N, is Jimin with you?"

"I'm here sir," Jimin says before you can open your mouth.

"Good, I need you in the cockpit, the throttle seems to be jammed."

"I'll be right there," Jimin replies with a smooth tone. You swear for a split moment you can see his posture straighten, his entire body oozing with that of an experienced fighter. But that moment passes, and he slouches again, shifting his attention to you. "Do you need me to help you to the medbay? I'm sure they'd understand if I was a minute late."

You shake the thought away with what you hope is a convincing stare. "No, don't worry, I can handle it." When Jimin gives you an 'are you sure' look, you dip your head. "Need to get used to it, right?" He sighs, but ultimately agrees. Truthfully, you need a few minutes to regain your composure. What just happened between you and him? That's never going away. The experience will be in your mind for a long, long time.

~The Next Day, 15:01~

Jimin strolls into the dining hall, where the entire crew (except Y/N) is. It's the afternoon, that's probably expected. Everyone is chatting and eating lunch together. No one looks in Jimin's direction, so he shrugs and grabs some coffee. He isn't the biggest fan of the taste of space coffee, or coffee in general, but he hasn't had a true cup of the substance since his last day on Earth. The Engineer doesn't bother getting food: he has no appetite. His mind has been on what happened yesterday. Y/N was so close to him, her lips just barely touching his. His mouth still tingles when he thinks of how close they were to kissing. One more second and they would have lost all control.

Jimin gulps, realizing he's standing at the coffee machine awkwardly. No one seems to notice, but he doesn't want anyone to get the chance to. He saunters towards the closest table, which has Seulgi and Hoseok sitting there. Baekhyun and Namjoon sit across the way, probably discussing their next destination, but Jimin doesn't question it as he approaches the unlikely pair in front of him. Seulgi and Hoseok peek up at him.

"Mind if I join you?" Jimin asks, attempting to mask the nervousness from his tone by giving them a soft smile. And to his amazement, it works.

Hoseok hums, his eyes beaming. "Of course."

Jimin takes a seat next to Hoseok, placing his mug on the table. "No food?" Seulgi asks, leaning forward by a hair.

"Not particularly hungry. Turns out being on the run only makes me tired, not hungry." Hoseok chuckles while Seulgi smiles, although she still has a look of concern in her eyes. "What were you guys talking about?" Jimin asks, trying to deflect the conversation so he isn't in the spotlight. However, that quickly backfires.

"Seulgi was telling me about all the exes she has," Hoseok says in a teasing tone. Seulgi rolls her eyes, but there's still a grin covering her lips. Meanwhile Jimin's eyes expand. Of course, he's thinking about Y/N.

"I've only had four, not that big of a deal," she says.

Jimin's eyes snap to her, and he gives her a teasing expression. "Really? You? They could handle you calling them by their metals and ranks?"

She snickers. "I called them a lot more than that, trust me." They share a small laugh, and as soon as they dial down, Seulgi leans towards Jimin. "Jimin, don't take this in a weird way, but you are a strange guy."

"Uh, thanks? I think?" he starts, but she continues.

"I never even knew you existed until this whole chaos broke out, so tell me, who exactly are you?"

"Well, I'm not very interesting. I ran away from home to be an engineer, was an engineer for two years on the Hep. Not too much to know."

"Well sure, but..." She pauses, trying to think of the right words to say.

"She's pretty much trying to ask if you've ever had a girlfriend," Hoseok says with a small smirk.

Seulgi throws up her hands in defense. "Or boyfriend, we do not judge here." Jimin tilts his head at her. This is not the same Seulgi he knew mere days ago. Is she drinking or something?

However, these thoughts only last a few moments since he realizes both Hoseok and Seulgi are staring at him expectedly. "Uh... yeah." Hoseok lets out a small cheer while Seulgi groans.

"Hand it over," Hoseok says. Seulgi reaches into her pocket and pulls out ten dollars. Jimin's eyes nearly burst out of their sockets.

"You guys made a bet on whether or not I've ever been in a relationship?"

Seulgi groans again and nods. Hoseok holds up the ten dollars in triumph. "Oh yes, always," Hoseok says, hopping up and down in his seat.

"Okay well, now you need to tell us all the details," Seulgi says, recovering from her grumpy state.

Jimin, however, fakes a look of hurt. "You thought I didn't get all the girls back in high school?"

Seulgi scoffs, although he can tell she's just being playful. "You may be attractive, but you're weird. Most chicks like confident and attractive. Not weird and attractive. Strange combo."

"She knows from experience," Hoseok says, nudging her shoulder.

Jimin glances between the two, then his eyes light up. "Oh my God, you two dated?!" Jimin asks a little too loudly. He can practically feel Namjoon and Baekhyun's eyes on them now. Seulgi and Hoseok stutter over their words in-sync.

"I-It was nothing serious," Seulgi mutters, looking down.

Jimin raises a brow. "Riiiight."

Seulgi rebuttals by giving him a glare. "You can tease me all you want about him and I, but when are we going to address the elephant in the room?"

Jimin furrows his brows. "What elephant?"

Before Seulgi can answer, Y/N trots into the dining hall. Jimin makes eye contact with her, but regrets it. She clears her throat and looks away, going over to the food dispensers and grabbing a metal tray. Jimin lowers his gaze and coughs, peeking back up at Seulgi, who gives him a smug look. "That. That is the elephant in the room."

Hoseok lights up, pointing his finger at Jimin as if accusing him of a crime. "Wait a second. Are you and Y/N...?"

Jimin's ears turn a deep shade of pink. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Looks like our engineer has a little crush," Seulgi says.

Before she can tease him any further, Y/N sits down next to Seulgi, and of course, right across from Jimin. She peers at him for a split second before lowering her eyes to her food, grasping her fork and digging in. "Ah Y/N, thanks for joining us, we were just talking about our past relationships. We got half an answer out of Jimin, now we need one from you. Have you been in any relationships?" Seulgi asks.

The woman plays with the answer in her mind before saying it. "Two. One was about nine months ago, the other was three years ago."

Seulgi chuckles a bit, folding her hands together. "Were they serious?"

"The first one yeah. We lasted two years. The second one? Not so much. Not that it was a bad relationship, we just were looking for some fun I guess."

"Something Seulgi doesn't want to mention is that her and Hoseok dated," Jimin says.

"Oh really?" she asks, giving a gaze to Seulgi. He can't stop himself from staring at Y/N. Her eyes traveling curiously over Seulgi's face, trying to get an answer. Her lips are slightly pursed, her brows raised. He doesn't even notice that Hoseok is watching him stare at Y/N until he forces himself to look away and meets Hoseok's eyes. He gnaws on his lower lip when Hoseok gives him a smirk.

"Well, it was nothing serious," Seulgi says, fiddling with her folded fingers.

"Alright alright, I give up. How about we don't talk about relationships anymore?" Jimin asks.

"How about first kisses instead?" Hoseok says, Seulgi nudging him with her elbow playfully.

Jimin groans, burying his face in his hands. "Isn't that in the same category?"

Hoseok giggles like a baby while Seulgi shrugs. "Jimin start," Seulgi says, which makes him freeze.

He peeks over at Y/N and is surprised to see her looking back. Her eyes widen, and so do his. He swallows to bring moisture back to his throat and pries his eyes away. "Uh, it was almost nine years ago, my first relationship. We were walking home and she just kinda kissed me. It was weird though, it happened out of no where." He gazes back at Y/N, who's looking down. "Seulgi maybe you should go next."

"Gladly. Mine was four years ago. We were watching the stars from my quarters on the Hep. It was pretty magical, she leaned forward and... kissed me. And of course, I kissed her back." She sighs, looking down. "Her name was Adelaide. Gold Medic."

"I'm so sorry," Jimin whispers, which she nods to.

"Hoseok, maybe you should go?" Seulgi says, wincing at her memories.

Hoseok hesitates, offering Seulgi his sympathy before clearing his throat. "It was on Earth, six years ago. I was leaving to join a small crew that eventually led me here. She kissed me goodbye. I almost didn't go because of her, but she convinced me and told me to live my life to the fullest."

"Aw, that was cute. I'm glad you had a good experience at least," Seulgi replies, shifting her pupils to the other woman present. "That leaves one last person. Y/N, you're up."

For a split second, she peeks at him. She almost seems hesitant to tell the story, but she rips her gaze away from him and glances at Seulgi. "Three years ago on Ganymede. I snuck out at night to go and see him. Got screamed at in the morning for it, but I still think it was worth it." She smiles at the memory, and Jimin feels a pit in his stomach. His eyes go dark before he can tell them not to. "He met me by the train station. We wanted to go to a planetarium together since he knew how much I wanted to escape Ganymede. It was the nicest thing anyone ever did for me. In the middle of the show, when it reached Earth, he told me he'd take me there. Then I leaned up and kissed him."

Jimin's hands ball into fists under the table. There's an overwhelming sensation of jealousy boiling up inside him. He wants to take her to a planetarium. He wants to take her to Earth and watch as she reacts to seeing the blue sky for the first time. He wants to do normal couple things and take her on cute dates. His eyes widen at his thoughts. At first, he saw her as a friend, maybe a small crush, but still mostly a friend. What happened yesterday confirmed his desire for her, but he didn't think he would be thinking about going on dates with her or taking her to Earth.

Y/N's hand goes to her chest, right over her gunshot. Jimin panics right away. "Are you okay?" he asks, not being able to hide the concern in his tone.

She meets his concerned eyes, brushing it off as if it were just another day. "I need more painkillers. I'm sorry, I don't mean to cut our conversation short."

"It's okay, go take care of yourself," Hoseok says, something Seulgi agrees to. Jimin, however, can't stop looking at her in concern. And it's in that moment he realizes he'll be on edge until she's fully healed.

She stands, wincing in the process. Jimin averts his eyes to Seulgi, who gives Y/N a sad face. "I'll see you guys later," Y/N says. She grabs her tray of an unfinished meal and meets Jimin's eyes.

"I- uh... see you around," he says, which she slowly nods to.

"R-Right. See you around. Gotta go... take meds since I can't feel my face." She chokes on her words. "C-Chest, I mean chest uh... yeah, I'll stop talking now." She storms away as fast as possible, scraping her meal into the garbage before heading out.

"Okay, I don't mean to pry, but what the hell happened between you two?" Seulgi asks.

Jimin glances up at her. "Well uh, we may have... almost... kissed." Seulgi's eyes nearly pop out of her head, as does Hoseok's.

"ALMOST?" Hoseok yells. Jimin flinches at the sudden loud tone. He can tell they have Namjoon and Baekhyun's attention once again, seeing as they come over and sit down. Namjoon plops where Y/N once was, and Baekhyun goes next to Jimin.

"Everything alright over here?" Namjoon asks.

"Oh yeah, we are all good," Seulgi replies, staring at Jimin, almost as if asking for permission to continue talking about it. He knows that he can't keep his feelings for Y/N hidden from the crew much longer, and since Hoseok and Seulgi already know, why not tell the Pilot and the Captain? They're going to find out anyway, might as well be on his terms.

"We were in her room yesterday and we, uh, had a moment," Jimin says in a meek voice, his skin going clammy. Namjoon catches on, but Baekhyun still seems confused. Regardless, he doesn't ask. "She was so close to me. I've never felt anything like it. I didn't even realize how strongly I felt for her until she got shot. She saved my life. I'm going to be honest with you guys, I don't care what you think - she's apart of the crew."

Everyone's eyes slightly dilate at his words, but it's Namjoon who speaks up first. "Yes she is, one hundred percent. At first, I'll admit, I was cautious. But now, after seeing her take a bullet for Seulgi? I trust her with my life." Jimin peers up at his Captain with awe littering his irises. He certainly wasn't expecting Namjoon to have such a change of heart so quickly. Thanks to Namjoon speaking up, everyone nods in agreement.

"We're all survivors," Seulgi says, giving Jimin a determined glance. "We're in this together." The crew goes quiet for a moment until Namjoon chortles, motioining to Jimin.

"Jimin?" he asks, Jimin letting his shoulders straighten.

"Yes?"

Namjoon gives him a teasing smile, and Jimin bites back the urge to falter under the Captain's steady eyes. "Can you two just make out already?"