"Your bed is comfy" Jimin said as he snuggled into Jungkook's heavy sheets. The mattress was thick and coddled around his frame. Jungkook smirked at that, glad that Jimin approved of his mattress as he started to place a dividing barrier with display pillows down the middle of the bed. He too thought the thread count was *chef's kiss.*

Happy with his pillow wall work, Jungkook moved to shut off the light and hop onto his side of the bed. He watched Jimin keep the covers up to his nose and Jungkook paled, realizing that the sheets probably smelled like him. He hoped it wasn't too strong - but Jimin didn't seem to notice the citrus scent of his body wash.

"About today, with Jin-" Jimin said, surprising Jungkook as Jungkook got under the covers on his own side. Unsure how to lay down, Jungkook mirrored Jimin's position of having his back to the pillows and his knees into his chest, facing the wall.

"Don't apologize, if that's what you were leading to. And if you wanted to ask me not to tell anyone about it, don't worry about that either. I won't." Jungkook said quietly, but surely.

"Thank you." Jimin said smally. "I'll figure things out, I promise. But thank you for offering this. For helping me despite everything."

Jungkook swallowed and Jimin went quiet. Jungkook wished he could see Jimin's face, read his expression, but instead he stared at the wall coated in darkness before him with only the knowledge that Jimin a foot away from him. A part of him replayed Taehyung's taunts on set about how Jin and Jimin were end game. Even hearing Jin and Jimin's conversation himself, Jungkook knew that Taehyung wasn't fully right - but a part of him needed to know for sure that Jimin was really not interested in Jin anymore. Otherwise the small crush that had firmly nested its way in Jungkook's chest would need to be burned out as soon as possible.

He couldn't lose someone like that again. Care about a person just to have them leave him for another.

"So you two really aren't dating?" Jungkook finally asked, schooling his voice to sound neutral. Platonic. Curious.

"We're done. We've been together for as long as I remember. We've broken up several times but ...this time I really mean it." Jimin said and Jungkook poked his tongue into the side of his cheek. Again he wished he could see Jimin, but all he had to relay on was Jimin's voice. "It's messy but no, I can't love someone I don't trust." Jimin added before silence again overtook the room.

"My ex's name was Namjoon." Jungkook said, the words strange on his lips. He'd never talked about Namjoon with anyone other than Hoseok, hadn't wanted to. But it felt right sharing a part of himself as Jimin did.

"How long did you date?" Jimin asked.

"About three years. I loved him. He was...everything to me. Distant and a little off sometimes, but I would have given him the world if I could." A slow breath made its way into Jungkook's lungs as he pictured Namjoon's face. He had the features of a scholar, intelligence and chaos crackling in those dark eyes. "I believe you, you know. When you say that you and Jin are over."

"....why?"

"Namjoon lied to me for almost our entire relationship. I'd like to think I can tell lies apart by now and you don't sound like you are." Jungkook said, the image of Namjoon sitting on the edge of Jungkook's bed in Seoul, explaining that he was in love with a woman Jungkook had never met. Though an image, it still screamed in Jungkook's memories like a siren, consuming him.

"Do you remember when Seokjin mentioned my birthday dinner reservation? I wanted to go to this dessert shop near Lotte Tower in Seoul and it takes a whole year to get a spot there. It was dumb and I didn't have any sentimental reason for going, I just really wanted to try it. I hyped it up for weeks beforehand and Jin knew just how excited I was for it. My birthday finally came around and he went to visit a friend on the set of a drama filming in Busan that morning. He didn't tell me he was road tripping the two hours and when he finally got back home our reservation had passed. He'd ordered pizza to make up for it then spent the whole night convincing me that I had always wanted a low-key birthday. I think that was when I started to realize something was wrong because I almost believed him even though I'd cried over it less than an hour before he'd made it home."

Jungkook didn't reply, but his silence was comforting. It was like he was respecting the impact it had on Jimin, allowing room for the story to breathe before he responded.

"I bring that up just to say - you can't blame yourself for not seeing it. With Namjoon. It took me almost three or four years to just start to see something was off with my relationship. I think that sometimes our hearts just aren't ready to carry that burden. It doesn't mean we're not capable or deserving of healing."

Jimin heard Jungkook swallow.

"And, I'm sorry for the pain you went through. Namjoon was an idiot. You're pretty great." Jimin said, snapping Jungkook from the memories. He could feel sweat had beaded on the back of his neck.

"Well, I'd love to be 'full great'."

Jimin snorted, reaching his hand down between the pillows. Their backs were still pressed against each other and both men were staring at opposite walls, but Jungkook felt the light brush of Jimin's fingers against his pinky. His blood started to rush, pulse quickening in his neck as he inched his own pinky back.

When Jimin didn't pull his hand away, Jungkook slowly slid his palm into Jimin's own and waited for what felt like centuries to pass before he was sure Jimin wouldn't move away. Jungkook didn't move a muscle, scared that if Jungkook even cranked his neck to see if Jimin was facing him that it would cause Jimin to slip his hand away.

"I hate sleeping alone." Jimin explained and Jungkook bit the inside of his cheek. He hadn't shared a bed since Namjoon and thought that he'd never want to share a bed again with anyone else - yet here he was, enjoying it.

"I hate it too, sometimes."

Jimin didn't reply and Jungkook thought he might have fallen asleep if it wasn't for the small squeeze Jimin gave Jungkook's palm. Jungkook squeezed it back, finally stealing a look at Jimin who had his eyes closed, falling asleep with his hand in Jungkook's own.

___________

A/N:

The hand hold is my favorite episode of New Girl and so it deserved a mention in one of my fics <3

Anyone going to the Stray Kids concert? I'm going to try and get tickets. ALSO BTS IS HAVING A COMEBACK Y'ALL AND THEROIES SAY THEY'RE GOING BACK TO THEIR BULLETPROOF ROOTS!! I've been an army since WINGS so I genuinely can't wait to hear their new take on their old sound!!

- Violette