Chapter 16: Nothing's Changed

"You have a cute smile," Jungkook spoke out and brought Jimin back to reality after getting lost in his thoughts, and for a minute there, Jimin's face began to glow in a pink hue after listening to what Jungkook just told him. Was the robot truly an introverted type? Jimin just couldn't remember if Yoongi was this confident about his own words. The very thought of Jungkook making these remarks was enough to confuse the human when he tried to settle on the thought of Jungkook being an introverted robot.

"Is he... flirting with me?" Jimin thought and brought his gaze up to Jungkook's eyes. "Yoongi was introverted too, but I don't remember him being this open about his words... or especially that brave enough to say them... maybe things are different since Jungkook isn't like the rest."

"Jimin...."

"Y-YES?"

"Did I lose you already?~" Jungkook asked and made a charming smile as he looked into Jimin's soul with his bright blue eyes.

"I-I was just thinking!"

"What's on your mind?" Jungkook asked. The soft tone to his voice returned again to trace its finger down Jimin's spine. The young man continued to sit there and hold back the shiver that longed to race through his blood, was Jungkook always like this?

"Nothing..." Jimin replied and threw away any other thoughts of Jungkook acting differently since he was cautious about his thoughts being read by Jungkook himself. It was impossible for Jungkook to do that of course, but the way Jungkook looked into his soul, left Jimin silent as if he was being listened to even in his thoughts.

"Nothing...? Alright, I'll take your word for it," Jungkook dropped the question as he sat up on the couch. "The sun will be setting soon, I think I should get going," Jungkook continued and stood up right after.

"B-But, you can stay and we can continue talking... please!" Jimin begged. Surely, Jimin knew he would be alone at the end of the day but he didn't expect it to happen so suddenly.

Jimin almost forgot how it felt to be alone and just fearing the torture of being watched, tempting to drop onto his shoulders again like a pile of bricks, was something Jimin just couldn't look forward to. The desperate human hated being watched and the idea of being watched in the comfort of his own home by an unknown entity, was enough to make him desperate towards his friend.

"I would love to stay, but I will need to recharge eventually. If I stay, I won't have enough to keep me going by the next morning. Maybe next time, Jimin," Jungkook answered.

However, the second he turned around to point his perfectly sculpted body in the direction of the door, Jimin suddenly acted out of his own thoughts and reached for Jungkook's hand out of the fear that possessed him to avoid being watched again. Jimin absolutely hated being watched so much, he longed to have a friend stay over just to get rid of that feeling.

"Please, Jungkook, I'm afraid! I'm afraid someone or something will watch me in my sleep. It happened before and I couldn't sleep. Who knows if it will happen again? I hate it so much!" Jimin begged. The second his hands wrapped around Jungkook's left hand, the android made a smirk to himself and finally took a glance back. Wiping the sly smirk out of his face just so Jimin wouldn't see.

"Jimin, why don't I come over tomorrow instead? I'm sure that whatever it is, it's gone by now. I detect no other living or moving creations at this location. You'll be fine!"

"You can't say that, what if it returns in the middle of the night? What if it keeps preying on me until it attacks me? I'm sorry if I'm a little desperate, I... I just hate being watched... it... it makes me feel uncomfortable. It's like that in public at times, so I stay home since I never get that feeling... only until now it ruined the safety I have at home. Jungkook, please, I can't-"

Suddenly, Jungkook placed his hand over Jimin's head; his hand sat over the center and above the silk locks, carefully patting and shifting the gesture into a gentle caress in order to calm Jimin down.

"Shh... you know I can't stay, but I can give you my number so you can call me at any time. I would love to stay and talk with you all night but the downside to us Androids is that we need a lot of power for the next day. So, call me just so I can keep you company even if I'm not here physically."

"Oh.... Oh, okay!" Jimin replied instantly and tried to fight back the red blushes over his own cheeks. The second Jungkook pulled his gentle hand back, Jimin's hands flailed around in his pockets until he was able to bring out his phone and hand it over to the android before him. "H-Here!"

"Good boy..." Jungkook teased with the low tone to his voice. Afterwards, he picked Jimin's phone up into his hands, placed his thumb on the home button and then returned the phone the second his number was scanned and uploaded into the contacts. "Done. Call me now."

Jimin gawked at the contact on his screen seeing the name 'Jeon Jungkook' sitting right at the top along with the green button to call. Jimin called right away and watched as Jungkook stood for a second and then raised his index finger up to his ear as if he had an earpiece to listen into the call and answer.

"Hello, Jimin." Jungkook said with a smile and watched how Jimin giggled once he was able to hear the android through the phone. "What's so funny?"

Jimin quickly shook his head and hung up right after as he laid back onto the couch. At that moment, Jimin looked back at the way other Android's would answer their phone calls; they would close their hand into a fist but only stick out their pinky and their thumb just to speak to the call. Jungkook on the other hand, just needed to place one finger against the base of his tragus in order to communicate through a call.

"I've never seen another robot communicate with just their index finger against their tragus, I would always see my friend use his thumb against his ear and his pinky close to his mouth in order to call."

"Well, I guess you can also add that to the list of differences I possess. I guess I'm a little more human than them, wouldn't you say so?"

"More realistic than other androids, yet too artificial than humans. You're inbetween, but it's nothing bad. It's interesting," Jimin mentioned and watched Jungkook make another soft smile before heading towards the door. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Maybe, I don't do anything at all, don't you have a job?" Jungkook asked and let out a chuckle right after.

"I... don't work... My father supplies me with all the things I need. I see it as a push for living alone, not independent yet, but getting there somehow," Jimin replied and stood up to follow Jungkook to the door.

"Wow, I know it must be the life for you, hm? I've learned humans would die for a lifestyle like that. You have a lot of time in your hands, Park Jimin. You should pick up a hobby."

"It's not as good as it sounds, it gets very boring here, but I can assure you I will pick up a hobby! Maybe you can help me tomorrow if you come over?"

And just like that, Jimin didn't think he would find it in him to ask Jungkook to come over again so smoothly. Jimin began to realize how comfortable he became with Jungkook enough to become so interested and excited about what the future held for the two. It was true that Jimin avoided making new friends in fear of things not working out well like this, but with Jungkook, he was able to open up to him and feel comfortable in seconds. Maybe it was the reason that Jungkook was a fresh breath of air aside from Taehyung or even a new box of puzzles that had yet to be put together, or maybe, Jungkook was something that reminded him of Min Yoongi; a comforting, yet, introverted android Jimin grew too attached to.

"I like the way you think, finding an excuse for me to come over again. Alright, only because I don't leave my house at all. I will see you tomorrow," Jungkook replied and turned around to face Jimin once more. "Call me if anything comes up."

"Of course..." Jimin replied and watched as Jungkook softly patted his head once more and opened the door before leaving right after.

Silence. The beautiful sound of silence that Jimin once adored, became something Jimin was slowly beginning to feel uncomfortable towards. Just yesterday, that same silence was what led to the piercing feeling of being watched in his sleep. Jimin quickly looked around and began to lock the door and ensure that the curtains remained drawn shut before putting his empty bowl away and dashing to his room. Normally in this silence, he would sit around and read a book, but his mind was too distracted to think of when would be a great time to call Jungkook.

"Should I call him the second it happens or seconds into when it's happening? Ah, what am I saying? It's not going to happen again!" Jimin thought to himself and reached his own room before closing the door behind him. "I'm losing my mind, I shouldn't rely on Jungkook and I shouldn't be desperate towards him. He's just a friend to me, not my hero, not my lover... not my... lover..." Jimin repeated the final words before sitting on the opposite side of the bed where the bedside table remained empty.

His hand slowly ran along the sheet over the bed as he looked down. Soft laughter pulled from his memories began to play on in his head like a broken record until he quickly retracted his hand and shook his head swiftly.

"This was Yoongi's spot... was... but not anymore. Then, Jungkook laid on this spot and I had no problem with it... I thought I would have an issue with this, I mean, I didn't like it when Taehyung would joke around and lay here too, right? Is it because Jungkook is an introverted type of android and it slightly reminds me of Yoongi through comforting words? Or was it the way he comforted me when I packicked like Yoongi would? Why didn't I grow upset with the sight of him laying here?" Jimin asked himself and continued to look at the space on the bed quietly. "It's not that I want Jungkook in any romantic way, it's the fact that I feel close to him so suddenly when normally, I wouldn't open up to others, not even to Taehyung! The only one I've ever opened up to was Yoongi... but letting someone in after keeping it exclusive to just him, oddly makes me feel a lot better..."

Jimin set his hand over the empty spot again as he began to drag the tips of his own finger along the wrinkles of the bed sheets until he made a smile to himself. "This is the guest room, but I always found myself sleeping in here since Yoongi stayed here too. It's like my room too; I still keep all my things here instead of my actual room across the hall... I guess this room keeps me safe and keeps me believing that he never deactivated in the first place,"

Jimin was no stranger to talking to himself. Being alone for most of his life allowed him to gain clarity on his own. He used to rely on Yoongi for that, but weeks after that, he's been living the life he had before he met that android and that was being there for himself. For once, Jimin didn't think of Yoongi that night, rather, he thought of the way he was comforted by another and was proud to know that he was able to open up to Jungkook when normally, he wouldn't with any other.

However, he didn't notice the part where life to him was beginning to repeat itself when it came to Jungkook. When he met Min Yoongi, Park Jimin went into this new friendship innocent and easily blinded as if nothing's changed.

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