Jimin could hear Taehyung approaching within the hallway. The door swung open.

"Damn, Jiminie. Twenty-four looks good on you." Taehyung emphasized with a chef's kiss. "But I thought we were staying in. You didn't get all dolled up for us, did you?"

"We are staying in. Can't I fucking just dress for myself?" Jimin snapped back with a smile, knowing he'd put in some extra effort so that Yoongi would see just what he was missing. He wore some blue contact lenses to make his eyes pop, his favorite blazer with leather accents, a black choker to draw attention to the deep v-neckline of his shirt and the tightest fucking pants he owned. [a/n gotta flaunt the jibooty and those thicc THIGHS, y'know?]

When Jimin entered the apartment, Hoseok ran over shrieking "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!" and scooped Jimin up in an almost painful hug.

Back on solid ground, Jimin looked around the kitchen, seeing Yoongi sitting on one of the stools by the kitchen island looking fairly uncomfortable.

"Hiiii, school friend," Jimin said, arching an eyebrow. He didn't plan to bring anything up about their romantic past, not yet anyway. But it was fun to see if he could make the older squirm.

Yoongi's eyes widened, realizing that Jimin knew about his omission. "Hi, Jimin. Um... happy birthday."

"YOU KNOW EACH OTHER?" Taehyung gaped at them. "Why am I left out of everything?"

"We knew each other at school in Busan, Tae Tae. No big deal. Right, Yoongi?"

"Sure."

- - -

Jimin and Taehyung chatted in the kitchen while Yoongi sat awkwardly on the stool watching Hoseok, who had been wandering back and forth between the living room and his bedroom.

"Yoongi, have you seen a gift bag? [did you see his bag? 🙃] I could have sworn I wrapped Jimin's gift.... ugh. " Hoseok groaned before finishing his thought, "at the studio. Shit. I have to go get it."

"Can I come with you?" Yoongi asked, not knowing which was worse - being left behind with Jimin... or Taehyung.

"I think I have to take my bike so it's a little faster. But if you need to..." he trailed off, studying his boyfriend's expression. Yoongi shook his head, silently reassuring that he would be okay for a little while, despite his social anxiety.

"Okay," Hoseok turned back to the other two. "Jimin, I'm sorry, I know you just got here, but I'll be right back." he apologized as he walked toward the door.

"Don't worry, Hobi-hyung! We'll take care of Yoongi!!" Taehyung called after him, wiggling his eyebrows at Jimin.

"The hell you will," Yoongi grumbled, staring at the door through which Hoseok had just vanished and regretted not going with him.

"He's just joking," Jimin insisted. "Taehyung has the mind of a sex-starved lunatic sometimes, but he's a really good guy."

"Awww, thank you, Jiminie." Taehyung beamed. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he took it out to glance at the notification. As he walked toward his bedroom, he called over his shoulder, "I have to take this. Eat a dick, Jimin."

-   -   -

"... Eat a dick, Jimin."

"I-- ... Boy, I just vouched for you!" Jimin huffed.

"He means these," Yoongi quietly pointed to the plate of phallic cookies sitting next to the gift box, which was tied with a yellow ribbon.

Jimin sighed, rubbing his temples. What the fuck, Tae.

After a minute or two of silence, he looked at Yoongi, who occupied himself by pulling at the drawstrings of his hoodie.

"So... are you just not going to talk to me?"

Yoongi looked over at him and responded softly, "What am I supposed to say, Jimin?"

"Oh, I don't know. 'Hi, Jimin. How have you been over these FOUR YEARS? Are you well? Are you happy? I'm sorry I didn't think to even once check up on you.'..." Jimin took a breath to calm down.

"Hey, you didn't either."

"If you recall, I didn't have the choice. You left and changed your number and never once thought to drop a text in my direction. You cut me out of your life, Yoongi."

"Jimin. That's not true. Look, I'm sorry I hurt you, that was never my intention. I needed to leave for my own fucking sanity. You have to understand that. You know what I was going through." Yoongi's eyes were filled with genuine regret and Jimin softened.

He crossed the room and stood closer to the older boy. "Yoongi... I honestly didn't come here today to chew you out. I'm sorry. I just... I cared about you and it stung - a lot - that you cut off contact when I didn't do anything wrong. I get that you wanted to forget the pain of your past and were making a new life for yourself, but did I really need to be punished for being part of your old one?"

Yoongi sighed. "You're absolutely right. I'm sorry, Jimin." He gave a weak smile before continuing, "What are the chances that you're friends with Hoseok, right? I'm glad that we can maybe be friends again."

Friends. The word made Jimin spit out a question that he hadn't planned to, "Why did you only tell Hobi that we were just friends from school?"

"I didn't. I mean... I didn't tell him that we dated, but it didn't exactly come up, you know? I'll tell him. Maybe not during this gathering because that would bring a whole new meaning to the word awkward."

"Duly noted." Jimin nodded. "Starting over?" he opened his arms for a hug.

"I'd like that," Yoongi stepped down from his seat and hugged the blond.

Jimin immediately got lost in the feeling of Yoongi's body against his. I missed you, he thought, letting go before he almost held on for too long. There was no way he could be just friends.

Should he have been thinking about Yoongi like this, when he was clearly with Hoseok?

No.

Jimin knew that. Did he care?

Not a fucking bit.

-   -   -

Taehyung finished his call a short time later and Hoseok returned with the gift he'd mistakenly left at the studio. The four boys decided to start Jimin's requested movie marathon.

Hoseok sat next to Yoongi on one end of the L-shaped couch. "What's first, Jiminie?" he asked the birthday guest of honor, "Or do I already know?"

"You already know," Jimin replied from the corner of the L, grabbing a fistful of popcorn and watching as Hoseok searched The Notebook - a guilty pleasure for some, but one of his favorite movies.

Taehyung sat next to Jimin and wondered aloud, "Remind me, is there old people sex in this? Don't get me wrong, old people need love too, but I don't want to see it in high-def."

"No, Tae," Jimin sighed, "that's just the book."

Throughout the movie, Jimin continued stealing glances at Yoongi when no one was looking. He couldn't stop himself.

By the time Noah and Allie reunited on screen, Jimin felt his stomach tying itself in knots seeing Hoseok and Yoongi cuddling in their spot.

Later came the tense scene in which Noah demanded Allie choose between him or her fiance. Taehyung began shouting that Allie should just take both men and began a short-lived rant about the wonders of double-penetration before being shushed by everyone else.

It was also around this time that Jimin had become hyper-aware of the couple's movements on the couch beside him. Jealousy bubbled up and came to a boil in his chest.

He wasn't intentionally listening to them, at first, but when he caught Hoseok's whispered 'I love you', he definitely zeroed in on Yoongi's response.

It wasn't 'what?'.

It wasn't an apology.

It came so easily that it made Jimin's heart stop for a moment.

'I love you, too'

Jimin was thankful that he could blame his favorite sappy movie for his angry tears.

[a/n]

what y'all thinkin?

💜