⚠️ Trigger Warning ⚠️
Crude language & Homophobia

Tae sat sprawled over a cafeteria chair while his teammates laughed and hollered around him. The trophy sat on the table in front of him, perfectly positioned for everyone to see. People kept stopping by their table all day to congratulate them. Some stopped for Tae's autograph or for a picture with him and the team.

He was feeling pretty smug.

The lions had had him worried for a while but he had come out shining. A big chunk of the credit went to Jimin of course. He had distracted the opposition perfectly, at cost of his own physical well-being. He looked over at Jimin who was busy typing on his phone. He had been avoiding Tae for the last two days.

A soft set of hands closed around his eyes and he smirked. He raised his hands to hold both of hers.

"Kate" he said softly as he pulled her closer. She giggled and came around to sit on his lap.

"Missed me?" She asked looking up at him through her lashes.

"Nope" Tae answered honestly "But I did miss this" he said as he captured her lips with his.

His teammates started hooting around them causing her to pull away shyly.

"Eewww" Hobi was sitting beside him, scrunching his nose in disgust. Tae ignored him.

Namjoon was on the other side of the cafeteria talking to one of the cheerleaders. It was just another Saturday at the University.

He looked over at Jimin again who was sitting in front of him. He had been quiet and withdrawn. They hadn't spoken since the match.

It stung a little.

Jimin was the constant in his chaotic world. Tae was impulsive and short tempered, Jimin grounded him. He was his voice of calm reason. His best friend since he was three. They had always stuck together. Even when Tae had been in Korea, Jimin never gave up. He called every day, encouraging a depressed Taehyung to work hard and come back to prove himself.

And Tae had done exactly that.

This had been the first season of his comeback. And the trophy in front of him was proof that he still had what it took to be the best.

He owed it all to Jimin.

He was just about to speak to him when Jimin's phone rang. Jimin looked at the screen and then with big terrified eyes at Tae.

Taehyung frowned. "Who is it?"

Jimin swallowed. "Uhm... No one" he said grabbing his phone and getting up from their table.

Tae tapped Kate on the back indicating her to get up from his lap, putting a finger to his lips when she started to whine. She got up hesitantly and Tae silently followed Jimin.

Jimin hobbled a few tables away with his crutches and sat down at another empty table with a huff.

Tae stood behind him quietly as he answered his phone.

"Hey you!" He said in a fake happy voice.

"I'm okay" he said into the phone. "It's just a bad sprain. I will start physio next week."

Why hadn't he mentioned all the bruises? Tae wondered.

"No, really" Jimin replied to something the caller had said.

"I keep telling you, it wasn't your fault. Why won't you listen? Don't keep beating yourself up over it" He said kindly.

That was so Jimin, Tae thought quietly. Comforting someone else even though he himself was in pain.

"Please don't" he moaned. "I hate listening to you talk like this."

"I know, me too but I can't really leave the campus on my own yet."

"I know what I said and it really is just a sprain, I swear!"

"I'm on crutches" Jimin informed in a small voice while Tae listened quietly.

"No! Stop this please. I'm fine. Please don't blame yourself" he begged.

Jimin listened to the caller quietly for a few moments.

"I can't do that, babe" he whined. "It's not that simple"

Tae was shocked. It had sounded like he was speaking to the guy who had crashed into him on the field. Now, why was he calling him babe?

"You know how Tae is. He won't understand."

What? Tae wasn't following the conversation anymore. What won't he understand?

"No! Don't" Jimin said in a panicked tone.

"I will try to talk to him okay? I promise. Just please don't do anything rash. I don't have the energy."

He paused.

"I know."

"I miss you too."

Tae frowned. What the hell was going on?

"I'll try" Jimin said softly "Stop moping around and go out. Have a drink on my behalf." He chuckled and ended the call.

Tae cleared his throat and Jimin jumped violently.

"What are you doing?" Jimin asked clutching his chest. "You scared me"

"Maybe you shouldn't try to be so sneaky then" Tae commented, sitting down next to him.

"I wasn't being sneaky" Jimin said with a pout, turning away from him, intending to get up but Tae grabbed his wrist to stop him.

Jimin looked at him questioningly.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" Taehyung asked.

"I haven't been avoiding you" Jimin replied without looking at him.

"Okaaaaay... Why haven't you spoken to me since the match then? Obviously something pissed you off on the field. Whatever it is, I'm sorry. I'm not a complete asshole you know. I do understand things." Tae said pointedly.

"I know, Taehyungie" Jimin said smiling sweetly at him.

"You know I can't stand you being mad at me. I love you Jiminie" Tae hugged his shoulders.

"Aww look who's gone all soft on me" Jimin said elbowing Tae in his ribs.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Tae asked rubbing his sore ribs.

"Suck it up. I'm hurting much worse" He said wincing as he shifted.

That reminded Tae.

"So who was it on the call?" Taehyung asked casually.

"Uhm N-No-one" Jimin hesitated.

"No one? You call no one Babe?" Tae asked tongue in cheek.

Jimin's eyes widened.

"It's time to come clean Jimin-ah. Whatever it is, I promise to listen to you with an open mind and not judge. I'll try to understand, I promise" Tae said sincerely.

Jimin hesitated and then Tae saw the resolve form in his eyes.

"You are right. It was someone. Someone very special to me." Jimin answered, his face lighting up with a slight blush as he smiled.

Tae frowned. Special? But he thought Jimin had been speaking to a guy.

"Who? Did you get a girlfriend, Jiminie?" Tae asked, confused.

Jimin's face fell again and Tae felt like an asshole. But he didn't know what he was doing wrong.

"It doesn't matter" Jimin said as he rose from the table.

"What? No! What did I do?" Tae asked grabbing Jimin's arm again. "I don't understand, Jimin. Please help me understand. You said it was someone special and I assumed it was in a romantic sense. I'm sorry. Please, I want to know."

"Please?" He said again when Jimin hadn't moved.

Jimin sighed and closed his eyes.

"I didn't get a girlfriend Tae." Jimin said slowly, his eyes still closed. "Because I don't like girls"

Taehyung looked utterly confused.

"I like boys Taehyungie" Jimin clarified. "I got a boyfriend"

Taehyung scoffed "Yeah right!" He chuckled.

Jimin stood up. He was furious. "This is exactly why I never told you before. I knew you wouldn't understand. You wanted to know what you did wrong on the field? You called Kookie a fag! A fag, Taehyungie."

Kookie?

Taehyung heard a gasp behind him. He whirled around to see Hobi standing behind him.

"I didn't mean it like that, I swear" Tae defended himself.

Jimin had picked up his crutches and started to hobble away from the table.

"Jiminie wait! What the hell is going on?" Tae burst out.

Jimin turned to him, his mouth twisted in disgust. There were tears in his eyes. Taehyung's heart broke at the sight. He took a step towards him but Jimin raised a hand towards him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Leave me alone" he said tearfully and turned away, hobbling his way out of the cafeteria.

Namjoon had left the girl behind and walked over to them. Hobi still stared at Tae in disgust.

"What?" He asked them in frustration.

"That was not nice" Hobi reprimanded.

Namjoon scratched his nose and looked away like he was ashamed of him, making Taehyung feel small and embarrassed.

"I'm just shocked okay. I swear I don't care if he's......" Tae hesitated.

"Gay" Hobi supplied. "Go on say it. It's not a bad thing"

"You knew?" Tae stared at him with wide eyes.

He was a little jealous to be honest. His best friend of so many years that he couldn't even count anymore, had shared his deepest secrets with someone else and not him.

"Of course I knew. He's never had to pretend, he knew he could be himself with me." Hobi said quietly.
It was no secret that Hobi was gay. He was very comfortable and confident in his sexuality, he changed boyfriends faster than he changed his clothes.

Jimin hadn't felt comfortable to be himself with him. Tae felt ashamed. He had let his best friend down.

Tae looked at Namjoon who stood stony faced, still looking away from him.

"Hyung! Did you know?" Tae asked him.

Namjoon gave him a sharp nod before looking away again.

"Did everyone know except me?" Tae asked looking around in astonishment.

They all looked away guiltily.

"Well fuck!!"

"He wanted to tell you, Taehyungie. More than anything, he wanted to be able to talk to you about it but you had started to express very strong hatred towards people like us. It scared him and disturbed me too." Hobi said quietly.

"What? No! I don't hate you. Nor do I hate Jimin. It's okay. I'm not homophobic, I swear." Tae tried.

Both Hobi and Namjoon stared at him in disbelief.

Tae sighed and hung his head. "Look, back in Korea its very conservative guys, I have never been exposed to any of this. When I was here in the US, I was just a kid, a jock, I was always surrounded by girls, I've never known anything else. I'm sorry if I have hurt you with my words or actions, hyung." He put an arm around Hobi. "It was never my intention"

"I know Taehyungie beneath all the assholery" Hobi waved his hands all over Tae "Is a good guy, which is why, I still keep you around." He laughed.

Namjoon chuckled. "Someone else you should be apologising to buddy"

"Jimin overreacted before I had the chance to come to terms with it" Tae complained.

"Can't blame him though. He's kept it bottled up for years and now combined with the pain he's in, it's understandable. He's missing him." Hobi explained patiently.

"Who?"

"His boyfriend. He's been calling non stop asking after him. He's desperate to see Jimin. Worried sick actually and Jimin hasn't been able to go see him to assure him that he's okay. It's stressing them both out." Namjoon informed him.

"I was thinking of taking him today, without Tae noticing." Hobi told Namjoon looking pointedly at Tae.

Tae felt like he was punched.

"I will take him myself. Tell me where." Tae said with conviction.

Hobi and Namjoon looked at each other for a moment. Then Namjoon slowly nodded.

"There's a sports bar called 'Dario's' about twenty minutes from campus. I'll send you the location." Hobi said.

"Okay. I'll take him right away." Tae said "Who is it?" He asked hesitantly. He had an inkling but he still wanted to make sure.

"I think you should let Jimin tell you that" Namjoon replied.

"You're right" Tae agreed and walked away from the cafeteria towards the dorms where Jimin lived.

Hobi and Namjoon looked at each other again.

"Kook will be there." Hobi said with trepidation.

"I know" Namjoon commented. "We should go too. It could get heated"

"Let's go. I'll text him that we are on our way and that Jimin is coming. He's been going crazy for the last two days." Hobi said and quickly typed away on his phone as Namjoon sprinted to the parking lot to bring his car around.

~~~~~~~~~~