my birthday is tomorrow wowowowo
—

"I want you to know that this doesn't mean I'm okay with any of this."

Jungkook, Taehyung, and Jimin had finally shed off the hostile auras that had been clinging to them, finding themselves standing outside Taehyung's apartment building waiting for Yoongi to pull up front.

Jimin cleared his throat softly before continuing speaking. "Jungkook's trust for you doesn't extend to me." His words were directed at Taehyung, who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "I don't know anything about you, and the only reason I'm even giving you the slightest chance is because you haven't done anything wrong so far."

Taehyung laughed softly, leaning against the wall of the building they stood in front of. He crossed his arms over his chest, purple hoodie shielding him from the wind.

"And I don't trust you." He returned, pulling the sleeves of his hoodie over his fingertips. "You nearly killed my best friend, of course you're not in my good books." He watched as an unknown emotion flashed across Jimin's face - it was gone too soon to decipher. "Let's see you're also a criminal, skilled liar, probably trained in combat - sorry, who's not to trust here?"

"I can see why you guys get along." Jimin hummed, nudging Jungkook's shoulder softly. The younger male couldn't help but crack a small smile at that, knowing that Jimin was referring to the snarky confidence that they both had around him. "So here's the deal; I didn't even want Jungkook to help me, so obviously I don't want another pair of hands to add to that."

Jungkook couldn't help but frown, looking over to Taehyung and watching as his older friend's mouth turned downwards as well. "You can stick around, I'm not going to ostracize you now that you know what we're guilty off." Jimin continued. "I just don't want you near any evidence or planning, because you'll probably just make things harder - one student is enough for me."

Taehyung's frown softened, and he hummed softly in agreement while nodding his head.

"I'm good with that." He answered, pastel hair blowing into his eyes. He brushed the strands away quickly. "I don't want to go near any of that anyway. That's why I had Jungkook grab the tapes for you - I don't even want my fingerprints on them."

Jimin smiled softly, just then remembering and reaching into his sweater pocket to feel the disc in his fingers. It felt so much more calming to know that evidence against him was back within his hands.

Yoongi soon pulled up in front of them, rolling down his window and motioning for them to come over.

"Shotgun!" Taehyung grinned, pushing himself off of the wall and making his way over to the car. Jimin scoffed, quickly following after him.

"We don't even know you." Jimin countered, rolling his eyes as he watched Taehyung already slide his body into the passenger seat of Yoongi's car. He heard Jungkook giggle softly behind him, smiling softly at the way the younger boy's eyes crinkled up.

"And yet, I'm still the one in the passenger seat." Taehyung laughed, closing Yoongi's car door and pulling out his seatbelt. Beside him, Yoongi couldn't help but laugh as well, the younger male's carefree aura saturating the area around them. The raven haired honked the horn of his car twice, making Taehyung's smile only widen.

"Get in or stay here, c'mon."

-

"Tomorrow's my birthday."

Jungkook and Jimin sat in the living room of the older male's home. Yoongi and Taehyung had disappeared off to the raven haired male's room to play video games, which gave Jimin good time to teach Jungkook how to pick a lock. That was something he had been waiting to do for what felt like awhile now.

The younger boy's words though, made him forget about his plans for a moment. He didn't really sound excited - which wasn't foreign because Jimin didn't make too much of a fuss about his own birthday - but he knew that it was Jungkook's eighteenth. Surely, that had to feel at least a little bit special for the younger male, wouldn't it?

"You don't sound really happy about that." He hummed, setting down the practice lock he was about to give to Jungkook. The brunette shrugged, tugging on his lip piercing softly.

"I don't know, I guess you're right. It's definitely not happiness that I'm feeling." He leaned back where he sat on the couch next to Jimin. "I just feel... weird. I feel like it should be more daunting, to turn eighteen, but I'm not sure. I think my brain matured faster or something, because I feel like I've already entered adulthood - even though technically I'm just about to."

His brown eyes were swimming with worry, Jimin watching as Jungkook brought his hand up to rub the back of his neck. He looked so distraught, the expression on his face so accurately depicting how frazzled his mental state was. He was never one to comfort, but the unknown instinct within Jimin was telling him to just hold the scared boy in front of him. The same as when Jungkook had shot his gun, it was impossible for Jimin to sit idly by and watch the younger boy tear himself apart.

"Have you talked to Taehyung about this?" Jimin moved just a few inches closer, resting his hand on the couch cushions between them. Jungkook shook his head, sighing heavily.

"I've barely had time to think about it, since I met you." He answered, looking to Jimin with tired eyes. He normally tried to put on such a confident facade around the older thief, but it was slipping - and he couldn't be bothered to care. "The training, combined with keeping the secret itself was hell on my brain. I guess Taehyung finding out about you lifted a bunch of the stress of that away, which made room for the stress of this."

Jimin frowned. He knew that he hadn't been the kindest with the younger boy - mentally, or physically - but that was because when they first met he really couldn't find it in him to care. Now though, was it guilt that thudded in his chest? Jimin hoped not. How could Jungkook gain his sympathy so quickly?

"The fact that you're stressing about your birthday at all proves you're still a kid at heart." Jimin replied, watching as Jungkook looked to him with a confused expression. He thought for a moment, features softening the longer he pondered Jimin's words. "Besides, adulthood is different for everyone." Jimin continued, filling the silence when Jungkook didn't. "Sure, I've matured, but I definitely don't act like ninety percent of the other twenty-something's that live around here. Is that a good thing? Maybe, I'm not the one taking advice from a criminal so.."

This caused Jungkook to crack a smile, his worried features crinkling up into smile lines instead. Jimin didn't even realize he was trying to make him do that until he felt a beam of success radiate through him. The younger boy was growing on him, he knew that he was.

Truthfully, Jimin couldn't have killed him back at Taehyung's house. He was more scared for himself than angry, but he also found himself growing more and more accustomed to having Jungkook around as the days ticked on. It was strange, because he had never really enjoyed anyone's company other than Yoongi, but Jungkook had slid his way in effortlessly.

He didn't shy away from harsh questions, he wouldn't back down just because he knew Jimin had more experience, he was so determined but so scared. Jimin couldn't let him go before finding out more about what made him, him. Jungkook was just too interesting.

"The jewelry heist, have you and Yoongi discussed it anymore?" Jungkook's next words were on a completely different topic, conveying to Jimin that for the time being he had gotten all he needed to off of his chest.

When did they start sharing troubles like this? Jimin nor Jungkook was sure, and neither would ponder the question.

"We're thinking either the location on South Street or Coastside Ave." Jimin answered, picking the practice lock back up off the coffee table once he had realized they were back on the topic of their less legal affairs. "Coastside is getting their cameras replaced on Sunday morning, but according to Yoongi the new models are ones they haven't been briefed on yet." Jungkook nodded, watching Jimin intently. "Either we get lucky and they don't set them up properly, or you're going to have to come in handy."

Jungkook's eyes widened and he gulped, but he quickly nodded. He had to remind himself that he had already done this before. "South has better working cameras meaning that we'd definitely need you, but the locking system on their jewelry cases is so much simpler so I'd be done really fast."

Jungkook nodded, thinking for a moment and comparing the two options. When it came down to it, it was really a wager of how confident and willing Jungkook was. One option left him doing basically nothing if all went well, and the other option solely depended on him.

It was a scary thought. If he messed up, then there really wouldn't be anything saving him from prison, Jimin's rage, or both.

It was that fear though, that fuelled him to answer.

"I think we should go with south." Jungkook answered. The opportunity to prove himself to Jimin was way too tempting to pass up, his fear transforming itself into excitement instead. His hands trembled slightly, and he wasn't sure which emotion it was from. "Most cameras nowadays are standard, so I really should be okay. Besides, if it'll make it that much easier for you, then why wouldn't I?"

Jimin smiled, and he nodded before clapping his hands together once.

"South Street it is, then."

—
a/n

wooo! probably expect a double update tomorrow hehe I've been doin a lot of writing

- Charlie:)