Requested by: Jennie (Quotev)

Rating: M (profanity, adult themes, fighting)

Where could she be going this time? Aera had always been a flirtatious person. That was how she captured Park Jimin's heart. She always went out, but once her and Jimin got together, she had stopped going out so frequently. Now she had been going out like she used to, Jimin found himself panicking. Did she find someone better than him?

No, she couldn't have. Jimin gave her everything she wanted. He was himself around her, and she was herself around him. He just didn't understand. Though he wasn't the type to accuse, she made it very difficult to trust her in this way. She once had told Jimin 'once I lose feelings for someone, they'll know it. Don't worry though! You're my one and only.' If that were true, why was she leaving so often?

Jimin attempted to remain calm, keeping his eyes on the mirror in front of him. The mirror in their bedroom. Their shared one. It was difficult not to punch the glass or lash out from the rage swelling inside him. It was unlike Jimin to feel any sense of anger, and that showed in his actions. Even when people pissed him off, he never lashed out. He'd remain calm and collected, choosing to be stern yet soft. He always believed people didn't learn from being yelled at. They deserved patience. But lord, Jimin was running out of patience now. Especially when the person involved mattered so much to him, and the thought of a betrayal that bad made his skin shrivel up inside itself.

After taking a few deep breaths, he ended up showering, changing into his comfortable clothes, and relaxing on their bed. It was unmade still, mostly since neither of them saw a need to make it unless they wanted to do the chore together. That was how they normally did chores. Together. They did everything together. So why was it that Aera was handling all her business without giving Jimin so much as a peek as to what it could be?

Aera was someone he trusted more than anything. That was why seeing her revert to her old habits worried him so much. Both for himself and for her. Jimin checked his phone to see the time, and it was getting late. Yet another night where she was late, and where she'd fall asleep before he could cuddle her like he loved to. He poked his tongue against his cheek and tapped his finger against the mattress, the carmine sheets covering half of his body.

The room was filled with life. Their life. The art Jimin made, some of his song lyrics hung in frames on the walls, the ceiling fan decorated with glow in the dark stars Aera bought when they first moved in. She was scared of the dark, so the glow in the dark stars and planets were a way for them to do something fun together, and to give some light to the room when they went to bed.

Jimin found it amusing at the time. Actually, it made him fall more in love with her. And not long ago, he realized he wanted to marry her. They had respect for each other, and it went beyond just a 'you have your own life, and so do I'. It went deeper than that. She respected his friends, but didn't try to be friends with them, and he was the same way with her friends. Their friends were their friends, and they could hang out all together of course, but it made sense that neither of them tried to hang out with the other's friends individually. Some may see that as strange, but to them, it worked perfectly.

He yawned, losing the strength to stay awake. He was staring at the ceiling and wondering when she'd be back, but he lost the energy to even think. So, he turned on his side and nuzzled the pillow. All his strength left his body, and his eyes shut. Sleep helped. That was what he desired in that moment. However, his plans changed when he heard the front door. Or maybe that was just his mind playing tricks on him. The door to their bedroom creaked too, signaling that it wasn't the start of a dream. It was reality. Aera was really home.

Still lost in the memories of the old days, he snapped up and opened his eyes with an eye smile. Right when he went to greet her, he noticed her dress and her handbag. A dark dress to show off her curves, a bag not much larger than her hand matching it, and that was without mentioning her makeup and hair which were flawless. She looked amazing. Sexy, even. On any other day, he'd whistle, check her out, and tell her about how good she looked. Jimin wasn't the type to tell her not to wear revealing clothes. Hell, he fucking loved it when she did. It was a blessing to see her grin when she saw how gorgeous she appeared. And if other men eyed her, of course Jimin cared, but he trusted her. Right?

More memories came. The memories of when they'd go out and Jimin would have no problem smiling as she attracted attention only to go home that night and make love on their bed, him reminding her who she belonged to. Or, in other cases, her reminding him of that. So, that was the issue: Jimin couldn't figure out the issue. Their sex life was good (at least he thought so), they had been dating long enough to know each other well, they supported each other financially and emotionally, they were in no danger of anything like losing their house or their family or their health, etc. Of course, they had petty arguments and fought over stupid shit like cabinets being left open. That was every relationship. Other than that, it bordered on perfect.

"You're back late," he said, attempting to hide any hostility in his tone. That wasn't what he wanted. He was a believer that yelling solved nothing and made problems worse, and most of their fights were handled that way. They sat and talked about it. Only there was one factor here that neither Jimin nor Aera realized: it was late at night and they both needed sleep. Desperately at that.

"Friends kept me late," she replied, waving her hand as if swatting the air.

She changed and used the bathroom, and Jimin didn't watch like he normally would. He didn't get out of bed to back hug her and tease her, or kiss her shoulder, or brush his fingers through her hair like he adored doing. Everything felt shifted by a degree. It was only a degree, but it was enough to offset the entire picture.

"You're quiet. Tired today?" she asked when she finished changing into her nightgown. It draped down her body, stopping at her upper thigh. He loved that nightgown, and even in his sadness, it brought a soft smile to his face seeing her wear it.

"A little, I guess." Tired of not knowing what the hell was going on with her were the words he didn't say.

"Anything I can do? Foot massage, maybe?"

"Touch my feet, I punt you to Pluto."

She chuckled at his 'threat' and the way he pointed his baby finger at her to make it appear more serious. It felt like they were a normal couple for a few moments. Then, she went to her side of the bed and laid down, and Jimin didn't feel like holding her. She gave him a few moments, but when nothing came, that was what started the rocky night off.

"Something wrong?" Her voice was stronger than he expected, or maybe that was just his imagination.

"No."

"I think there is."

"What?" he asked, praying he said it loud enough to mask the terror imprinted on his eyes.

"You're lying to me, that's what the problem is." He sighed and wiped his brow like there was sweat there, keeping his eyes on the ceiling instead of on her. "And now you won't even make eye contact. What happened, Mochi? Did something happen to your parents, or the boys? Your brother? You've been huddling around your phone a lot more recently, I was wondering if you were waiting for a phone call or something."

"I've been huddling around my phone more? Really? I didn't even notice."

"It's easy not to notice habits, but take it from me, the person who lives with you knows you better than you know yourself when it comes to stuff like that. Lived with a roommate once, back in college. She had like 10 alarms and slept through every one except the last one. And sometimes she'd sleep through that too. On the very first day of classes, I had to wake her up since she missed her alarm. Halfway through the year I told her to stop oversleeping, and she told me she rarely overslept as if she didn't sleep through most of her alarms and was setting a bad habit for herself. See what I mean? You don't notice those things until you ask someone who does."

Jimin had to admit the most attractive thing about her was how they could have conversations for hours. He didn't mind silence or being silent with someone, but she had this thing where she could talk about anything and everything. Some story from her past, a painting, a show on TV. It was fascinating how her brain sparked a conversation out of the dumbest things, and it was something he admired.

"Huh, when you put it like that, yeah I guess I have been on my phone more recently." To check her social medias constantly and see where she was. Maybe he sounded like an overprotective, even toxic boyfriend for doing that, but he couldn't help but be anxious. Even in her presence he would be checking out her profiles. His logic was if she caught him stalking her pages, he could blame it on admiring her beauty. Which wasn't even a lie. "I don't know how to explain it. No, there's nothing wrong with my friends, my family, or me."

She wasn't dumb. Quite the opposite, actually. Right away her brows furrowed, and her lips formed a mix between a pout and a frown. "So it's about me."

Looking into her eyes, he found he couldn't lie to her. "Yeah..."

"What about me?" Her voice, luckily, wasn't confrontational or hostile. Only curious.

"You've been going out a lot recently. As much as before we started dating. I don't mind you going out and having fun, but some texts and warnings would be fun. And... maybe it makes me selfish, but with our schedules, our time together is already limited. It'd just be nice to see you more, that's all."

She pondered his words for a beat, then, shook her head. "I'm sorry you feel that way, but I'm going out the same amount as normal."

He chuckled, but there wasn't any humor in it. "It's easy not to notice habits, but take it from me, the person who lives with you knows you better than you know yourself when it comes to stuff like that."

"Touché." There was silence as both of them considered the weight of the situation. Aera mumbled a curse and sat up, Jimin remaining in his spot for perhaps a second too long. When he finally arose with her, she didn't meet his eyes and fumbled with her hands. "I don't know, I just want to go out more. I'm a young woman, and our relationship is serious enough that soon we may be settling down. So I guess I want to live a little before then."

"Do you see settling down with me as a prison or something? Who said you can't go out and have fun. Just because I put a ring on your finger doesn't mean you can't go out until 3 a.m. with your friends, or go on trips by yourself, or zipline at Las Vegas for all I care. I just want to be told about it first."

"When did I say it was a prison?" she asked, her voice teetering between soft and stern.

"I never said you did. I asked if you saw it as that. Is that seriously what you took out of that?"

"Don't you trust me?"

That was what struck a nerve. Not once did he question her faithfulness. His issue, which he made more than clear, was that he didn't like how she was leaving without telling him, or texting him when she'd be back. "Excuse me?" he asked, his eyes expanding. Hers did the same, and it seemed like her irises did a dance, her expression reading as though she realized she made a mistake.

"I didn't mean it like that, just..."

"Then how did you mean it? I never once said anything about trust, and now you're turning it into a trust thing. Why? Are you hiding something from me?"

"Of course not," she said, scooting back just a little, but enough to go noticed by Jimin.

His hands were clenching the sheets, his eyes narrowing on her. "Then why did you turn this into a trust thing?"

"I assumed, I'm sorry I assumed, but that's where I thought this conversation was going."

"You're not the type to assume." He gave her the space she so desperately wanted, leaning back and poking his tongue against the inside of his cheek. She stared, her eyes frozen on him. It was terror inside her eyes, and he wasn't sure why such an emotion would be present. Unless she was guilty. "You want to tell me something? Huh?"

"Jimin, no, I'm not-"

"Not what? Not cheating? You're only going out every night and not texting me about your whereabouts or when you'll be home. Now you're assuming I don't trust you. So what are you doing exactly? Going out to the club with your friends and having one too many drinks? Is that it?"

"No, we haven't been going to the club."

"Then what's with the fancy outfit?"

"Well, tonight I was going to my friend's birthday party. She rented out the ballroom of some fancy hotel and treated it like we were the most elegant people in the world. There were barely any guys there."

"That's not what I care about," he said, hoping he wasn't coming across as aggressive. At this rate, he wasn't sure what he was feeling. His emotions were to the boiling point, and he wasn't sure why she didn't use common sense and let him know about her whereabouts. Not only for trust reasons, but also so he knew she was safe. At the end of the day, what he wanted most was for her to come home safe and sound. "There could be a million guys there, and although that'd be weird, it's not about them. It's about you and how you act around them. Why is it so hard to tell me where you are all the time?"

"I didn't know it bothered you this much."

"It bothers me because you've never done this before. Both you and I made an agreement, and I thought this was common sense anyway, to let each other know where we were. Communication is the thing that keeps relationships strong. Why don't you understand this? Why do I even have to ask you to text me every once in a while?"

She shrugged, and it was at that point that Jimin was livid. He took a deep breath, knowing that this was a matter they should handle after they slept. Sleep changed perspectives and calmed anger, but he also didn't want to let this go another night. The longer this went on, the more stress it would cause. So, Jimin unclenched his hands and let go of the sheets. The sheets screamed from relief, Jimin forcing air to go in through his nose and out through his mouth.

"Are you cheating on me?" he asked, his left eye twitching as he said the words. The words that cracked his glass heart. The very thought brought tears to his eyes, but he bit them back. Right as she opened her mouth, he interrupted. "And look me in the eyes when you answer."

She did, and it was like looking in a mirror. Jimin saw the exhausted expression dancing around her face, the bags under her eyes now since her makeup was rubbed off, her disheveled hair from laying on the bed. But most of all, he saw the dabs of anger painted in specs around the sides of her irises.

"No," she said, keeping her eyes on him the whole time. "Work has been stressful recently, and I've been going out to cope. I didn't want to burden you, so I kind of got lost in it. I'm really sorry, Jimin."

The use of his name was a nice touch. Such a nice touch that he believed her and nodded, the rage he felt dissipating. He let out some air through his mouth and laid back down, her coming with him. They didn't touch, but Jimin turned toward her so they could at least gaze at one another.

"I'm sorry if I went too far. I just... I miss you," he said.

Her face softened at his confession, and she hummed in response, placing a hand on his cheek. The simple touch ignited his heart again, and the crack repaired itself. She came a bit closer and rubbed his skin, giving him a soft smile that silenced all his worries.

"I miss you too."

~~~

The next day was as tiring as the last. Two dance routines and one recording session later, Jimin found himself sitting outside the Hybe building, taking a sip from his water. It was a secret spot where him and the boys snuck out to relax. It was their way of hiding from management... and the cameras. This was the only place around the entire building that didn't have cameras pointed in every direction, which was equally as peaceful as it was dangerous.

Jimin had a beanie on, his fat ass sitting on a navy-colored barrel. Metal fences that were chipped and dull spiraled around the vicinity. Probably an old smoker spot staff used to come to, but after the renovations, they stopped. Jimin was the only one out here. Not even Taehyung came to join him, much to his surprise. The man needed help with the choreography since he still wasn't getting it, so he stayed behind with Hoseok to learn a bit more. Jimin was too tired to protest, plus he wanted fresh air.

Not that the air was very fresh. It felt polluted, and Jimin couldn't put his finger on why. The concrete had scorch marks on it. Fresh ones, too. Probably a day old at most. So someone had a fire here, it seemed. That would explain the lingering of smoke in the air. Smoke was something that took ages to clear.

Jimin placed his water by the corner of the barrel and grabbed his mask from his pocket. His beanie and sunglasses were already on, and he pulled up his mask. Most people respected his privacy and let him walk around the building without interruption. But just in case reporters or crazy fans were around, he still took the precautions to hide his face. Not that it mattered. Their fans could tell them apart even with their backs turned and hats covering their hair. But the illusion of safety was enough to get Jimin moving, his legs carrying him around the side of the massive building.

Management wouldn't like him roaming around like this. They never liked it when the boys walked around outside out of fear that reporters would swarm them. Reporters were around every corner. Not just because of BTS, but in case they spotted other idols too. They had sections of Seoul that they camped out at. Jimin located a few of them before. He once saw a white van without any labels or stickers hanging out in a discrete alleyway. Upon closer inspection, he saw a woman inside holding a notepad and a camera, then deduced she was a reporter hiding out, waiting for an idol to mess up.

Jimin managed to hide his relationship, but it was difficult considering a few things. A) they could rarely go out in public. B) they had to do loops to make sure no one followed them home. C) they weren't married, so if they were exposed and a breakup happened, even more hate would go to his girlfriend. There were other factors that he didn't want to think about, like the military service and what came after, so he brushed the thoughts off.

He went around the building and noticed it was a slow day. Seoul was always busy, but it was in the state where the busyness was at a low. Rush hour was over a long time ago, so the last traffic of the day was trickling away. Jimin ignored what traffic was left and went to the front of the building, leaning against the side and glancing at the setting sun. It had a gorgeous hue that reminded him of a tiger's coat. The rays of light reached out and said hello, tapping on the little exposed skin on his face. Peaceful moments like these were what he lived for-

"Are you crazy?"

Jimin ducked behind the trashcan mere feet away, holding his breath as if that would help him hide. He risked a peek out only to see Jungkook there, running a hand through his hair. Only he wasn't alone. There was someone in front of him, backing away and crossing her arms over her chest. Aera.

His eyes popped open, his mouth falling behind his mask. Meanwhile, the pair didn't notice. They barged out of the two front doors, the cameras pointed toward them, but they didn't care. Or if they did, they didn't show any signs of it. Jungkook kept his burning eyes on Aera, her unfazed by his glare.

"Why would you show up here? Do you have any idea what that could do to Jimin's career?" Jungkook asked, keeping his distance and putting on his mask after he realized he could be in public view. Not many were on the streets now, and even less were looking in this direction. But if they were, they'd likely see Jimin hunched behind a gray trashcan, stalking an angry man and an emotionless woman who were having what appeared to be an argument.

Perhaps what surprised Jimin most was how Jungkook seemed to have a sense of familiarity with Aera despite him meeting her the least amount of times. Very rarely did the boys meet each other's significant others, and even rarer did they show up to Hybe. Actually, Jimin couldn't think of a single time one of their lovers came to the main building.

"Jungkook, come on, let's just talk about this," she said, Jungkook freezing up for a moment.

He looked behind him, then sighed. They weren't far from Jimin, but far enough that he had to strain to hear what they were saying. And even then he could barely make it out.

"Not now. Text me later, okay?"

Text? What? Jimin had never given Aera Jungkook's number. Or any of their numbers, for that matter. Which meant she had to have gotten it by herself. Jimin's heart throbbed against his throat until he couldn't feel his tongue, and after Aera pleaded with Jungkook a few more times, he finalized his answer and left her there. Jungkook went back inside, and for good measure, he locked the doors. She pulled on the handle to no avail, grunting when it didn't budge.

That was what got Jimin out of hiding. He clapped a few times to reveal himself, Aera whipping around and jolting when she saw Jimin there. She was one who could recognize him no matter how much was covering his face, and that showed in her eyes. The shift in her expression made his anger come back to him, his hands going to cross over his chest.

"Want to explain why you have Jungkook's number?"

"He gave it to me at our last lunch together. Remember? A month ago, when we all made lunch at Namjoon's place?" she said, glancing around to see if they were drawing attention.

"I do remember, what I don't remember is you and Jungkook having any connection. I can't even recall a time you guys had a conversation longer than ten seconds. Care to explain why he was looking and talking to you like that?"

She tilted her head. "Like what?"

"Like he's known you for months."

At her hesitation, he motioned with his head for her to follow him. He swiveled and went to the back of the building. She waited at the front while he went to the back, returning to his original spot at the smoke-smelling area. She came not long after him, but long enough to ensure they weren't followed.

He sat back on the barrel and took off his mask, shoving it back in her pocket as she approached. She went by the back door and leaned against it, the two of them looking forward at the backs of buildings ahead. It almost felt like they were in an alley. The street was barely visible, only the sound of cars passing alerted them that other life wasn't far. Regardless, without cameras or direct line of sight, they were sure they were at least somewhat safe from prying ears and eyes.

Silence hung over them, almost like it was holding them at gun point. Neither of them knew what to say, and Jimin averted his eyes to his feet. It felt like he was holding them up, and his pupils were like 50 pound weights. In that moment, he wished he could close his eyes and forget the world. But he couldn't. Not yet.

"I can't do anything right," she finally said, her voice cracking as she said it.

Despite the strength it took, her crack motivated him to shift his gaze back at her. She had tears streaming out of her eyes, her hand raised with the back of it touching the tip of her nose. He wanted to run to her and hug her, but his anger was in control. He remained quiet, asking with his expression what the hell was going on.

"Jimin, I know you have every reason not to believe me, but I texted Jungkook this morning." She grabbed her phone from out of her back pocket, handing the device to him. He unlocked it, the passcode being his birthday as always, and he went to her messenger. It felt wrong doing it, but she kept encouraging him to, so he did. Within less than thirty seconds, he found her text conversation with Jungkook. And what he saw had his eyes widening.

"I wanted to make things right," she said, pointing to each text. The first read, 'Jungkook, I need your help with Jimin'. Jungkook replied in classic Jungkook fashion with, 'I hate to break it to you, but I'm not a therapist. If I was, I'd be my first patient'. "I thought that I could surprise you at work with your favorite snacks and drinks. I-I have proof. I have a basket in my car with all your favorites. And I know it won't make up for everything, but... I thought it might help. As for Jungkook, I needed him so he could let me in. I know your oldest members would've said no, but Jungkook's reckless and a hopeless romantic. I thought he might've saw it as cute and helped me out."

Jimin kept scrolling through the texts, and they confirmed her story. Jungkook and her talked for an hour, which explained why he was on his phone so much in the morning. Even the other boys were making fun of him. Jungkook was single, so everyone kept teasing him for fanboying over some celebrity he liked. Nice to know he was actually on his phone for a reason.

"Do you want to see the basket?" she asked, and he agreed.

They went to her car, avoiding the public as much as possible. Jimin even put his mask back on. By the time they got there, he opened the passenger side door to find the basket there. And just like the texts, it confirmed her story. All his favorites packed into one basket. The basket had a little card attached to it with words of encouragement for Jimin. His heart softened with his expression, and he turned back to her to see her wiping her tears away.

"I swear to you, I'm not cheating. I just thought it'd be a nice surprise. But it turns out it just made me look more suspicious. I'm sorry... again."

"Don't," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Don't apologize for trying to make me happy. I'm the one who's sorry for jumping to conclusions. You tried to make it right. I appreciate that, thank you. But... honey?" She nodded. "I don't need snacks and surprises for you to make it right. All I need is your attention, and texts when you're going out at night. How does that sound?" He held up his tiny pinky, and she laughed, sniffling slightly. He used his free hand to wipe her remaining tears away, peeking around before risking it by taking off his mask and kissing her forehead. She smiled at the action. Then, she hooked her pinky onto his.

"Sounds good to me."

~~~

Written by: Raven

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