The Best Around

"Have you seen Footloose?" Jimin asked, tilting his head to feel the cold breeze on his neck. How long had he sat out here with Jungkook? Jimin lost track of the hours, but the sun was definitely up. He'd gone inside a couple times to check on Taehyung only for Yoongi to kick him out saying Jimin would wake Taehyung up when he needed all the rest he could get - so back to the cold Jimin went.

Jungkook choked in surprise, his body jolting to look at Jimin who was now sprawled, exhausted, on the steps of his apartment. God Jimin's eyes felt heavy. Every time he closed them he was scared it'd be years before they'd open.

"What in the possible Hell made you think, oh yeah, this guy, this guy right here, has definitely watched a cheesy romance movie and at this point, I should bring that up?"

"Well," Jimin continued, taking a deep breath as if he was sinking into a comfy bed and not a concrete slab covered in dirt and leaves, "this kid, Ren McCormack, moves from Chicago - it's the American City with the pizza."

Jungkook shot a brow up.

"You know, the one with the cheese under the sauce."

"Jimin I know where Chicago is."

"The best pizza."

"Not arguing deep dish isn't."

"So good."

"Jimin."

"Right." Jimin licked his lips and turned to use his forearm as a pillow. Why hadn't they moved inside? Jimin instantly blushed, realizing Taehyung was taking up the living room meaning if he wanted to sleep somewhere comfortable the couch was already taken.

Leaving one other option besides the floor.

"Wow pizza really gets you going, huh?" Jungkook teased at Jimin's red cheeks which caused Jimin to stick his tongue out instead of admitting he was thinking of sleeping in Jungkook's bed.

"My point," Jimin stressed, "is that Ren McCormack moves where dancing is outlawed. He's shocked, obviously, because dancing is supposed to be free and joy filled and this small town seemed to forget that. So he convinces all the kids to dance with him until eventually life floods back into that little town."

"You normally spoil movies for your friends?"

"Only the tattooed ones."

Jungkook grinned and Jimin lazily smiled back.

"I feel like Taehyung is forgetting that about dance." Jimin sighed, sitting up before folding his head into his hands. "And SADA is like Ren McCormack's town."

Jungkook poked his tongue at the inside of his cheek, scooting his hand over the smallest bit towards Jimin's. He twitched his fingers, staring at Jimin's tiny hand only inches away from his own before flicking those long lashes back up at the boy sitting next to him.

"Why do you want to join so bad?" Jungkook finally asked.

Jimin moved his own hand just the slightest inch closer to Jungkook's, his pinkie daring to brush Jungkook's tattooed one. He wondered what it meant, the letters on his fingers or the single eye tattoo on his forearm. With no other ink on him, both tattoos popped against Jungkook's tanned skin.

"Taehyung's the first friend I made here." Jimin shrugged, his eyes down staring at Jungkook's hand. He thought of his little brother, someone Jimin made a mental note to call, and how he used to watch Jimin practice his dance forms in the living room. JiHyun would attempt to mirror them, frowning when he'd fall down and wait till his big brother would run over and make everything okay. "I need to succeed here, Jungkook. If I get in, even if SADA is a little-"

"Cult-y?" Jungkook finished for Jimin and Jimin shrugged.

"I don't know." Jimin sighed. "Why aren't you in school?" Jimin asked; there was no judgement in his voice, just curiosity. Sitting so close, it felt like no words they said would escape out into the world or haunt them. Jimin felt Jungkook's hand twitch beside his own and Jimin finally looped his pink around Jungkook's own. It felt right, the touch was so small but it locked the world even further away.

"My parents." Jungkook answered, moving his hand away from Jimin. Jimin schooled his features into a neutral expression, hiding the small crack the action caused the wall they'd built around them. "I didn't really have a choice. I was going to be a performing arts major too. I didn't know the specific major, but performance for sure. I used to - uh -" Jungkook rubbed the back of his neck, color blooming in his cheeks, "okay don't judge but I was hoping to become a singer. Maybe. I don't know, but I really loved it. I got through middle school then high school and even sent out applications but when the letters came back my parents burned them. They let me have a dream and it was time to wake me up I guess."

Jimin bit his lip, furrowing his brows and reached again for Jungkook's palm. This time Jungkook didn't slide his hand away. He let Jimin's tiny cold hands hold his rough calloused ones, turning his hand over so that he could draw little circles in his palm with his thumb. Jimin took the job very seriously, as if each tiny circle could heal away a little bit of the pain in Jungkook's voice.

"You know, in Teen Beach Movie-" Jimin started and Jungkook turned his whole body to look at the blond boy, distress and confusion and intrigue dancing in those gold speckled eyes. Like Jimin had just told him his house was on fire but it's okay because Jimin had a bucket.

"You are not about to make a comparison between real life and teen beach movies after talking about something as classic and well developed as Footloose."

Jimin's eyes widened and he almost squealed - wait, no he definitely did squeal, grabbing the guy Jungkook's forearm and shaking him. Jungkook gaped. It felt like someone's puppy jumped on him and he'd only ever owned cats before.

"You have seen it!!" Jimin said, the exhaustion gone from his voice despite the bags under his eyes.

"Okay okay yes - you can let go." Jungkook said.

Jimin did not let go.

Jungkook gave up and just let him cling until Jimin noticed he was too close and blushed, dropping his hands.

"Sorry, Tae hasn't seen any good movies and I used to watch them with my dad all the time." Jimin smiled, hoping Jungkook would ignore the stupid grin on his face.

"Well, I was gonna say, everything in Teen Beach Movie isn't what it seemed. The character motivations, the world, the stereotypes. Sometimes life keeps what's really waiting for you out of sight. So maybe it's not that your dream's gone, just that it's not time for you yet. Or there's something even better waiting for you."

Jungkook opened his mouth to reply when the door creaked open behind them and Yoongi walked out with a stillness to his movements that made Jimin question if he's mastered the art of standing so still that no one can see him. Did Jimin mention he loved Marvel?

Jungkook stared at Jimin as Yoongi walked out. He put a hand on Jimin's shoulder and he was surprised to see the pale boy's stark face soft, kindness lingering in his dark eyes. It was the first time Jimin really felt like Yoongi was older than them, it was the look Jimin often gave his brother when he tripped.

"Taehyung's starting to wake up. The IV helped push the drug out of his system and the rest helped get his strength back up. You should be able to safely get him back to your dorm. Just make sure he drinks a lot of water today and he'll be fine."

"Thank you, really." Jimin said, shooting up to his feet. "What do I owe you? I-I don't have a lot to pay for medical bills but I promise I'll come up with it."

Yoongi glanced at Jungkook who gave a small shake of his head and Yoongi laughed.

"Nothing," the private doctor said. "We waited to make sure you boys were safe and it's our fault we didn't get you out of there sooner."

"Oh." Jimin said and Yoongi shot another big brother gummy smile, walking back inside to grab Taehyung.

Jimin rubbed his forearm. "Um." He started, wanting to avoid any unwanted silence creeping in. "If you liked Footloose you should try Grease. It's kinda an older movie but it's really cute. I think you'd like it."

Jungkook's face slowly fell. "Jimin I-"

"Look," Jimin thought of how Jungkook had pulled his hand away when Jimin got too close. "I need more friends and you need more movies. I'd say this is a fair exchange."

Jungkook poked his tongue in his cheek again, furrowing his brows. "I'm terrible at being friends with people. Like this is a massive red flag I'm telling you from the start. My life's messy. I don't want you to have to deal with that."

"Oh. Wait. I know, The Devil Wears Prada. It's nothing like Footloose at all. Or Grease. But a great movie."

"Did you not listen to any - Jimin. Red Flag. Me. Is that my phone?"

Jimin frowned as he grabbed Jungkook's phone from his jacket pocket. He stared at the home screen, mad that it was never changed from the standard pre-set one of a beach.

"Why- how did you -"

"What's your password?"

"The fuck."

"No, that's too long. It's not letting me type it."

Jungkook frowned, starring again at Jimin with that startled, fascinated look. He gently took his phone and unlocked it, carefully handing it back to Jimin as if he was handing him a bomb.

Jimin typed in his number under Jimin My Best Friend Ever He's The Best and I Will Watch Every Movie He Recommends.

Jungkook's brows lifted at the novel of a contact name but Jimin just waved him off. He didn't care that Jungkook didn't go to his school, or any school for that matter. The more he learned about him the more similar their experiences were. His shoulder still burned where they had touched and his pink felt little flames dancing on the skin. He liked how the world felt smaller when the two of them talked, like every scary thing was cut off and all he could breathe without a single bad thought in his head.

"Look, I'm a handful too." Jimin shrugged as Jungkook just looked at him, that full mouth of his hanging open in a disbelieving smile. "Besides, everyone needs friends and I need someone to watch movies with me when Tae can't."

Jungkook grinned - so wide it made something flutter in Jimin's chest. Jimin would have stood there and stared at that smile all day if it wasn't for the fact that he had to lug the barely awake body of his best friend back to his dorm.

__________

A/N:

I haven't always had great experiences with relationships. To be honest, I always thought of falling in love with someone as this big burst that happens. Like you see them and their body lights up like a beacon and you just know that they're your person. But the reality is that love is very slow and it's calm and unexpected. Throughout the past couple months a lot of relationships, not just romantic, but platonic too, made me realize I was searching for the wrong thing with that.

Anyway, all I can say is that the second Taylor Swift's RED re-recording drops, I'm not ready for the way my entire soul will feel every word of it. My favorite Taylor Swift lyric that sort of relates to what I'm getting at is "love's not red, it's golden." And that's okay too.

Also how are the chapter lengths feeling? Are they too long?

- Violette