"It was. We were." Jungkook said, shaking his head. "Sorry, I know this is a lot. How are you holding up?"

"Okay, I think." Jimin said. He would have believed it too if it wasn't for the pile of clothes making his arms shake from carrying them. There were so many sweaters and soft cardigans covering his chest that sweat was starting to form on his neck and he wondered when had this little shop become a fucking savanna. 

Jungkook noticed, as Jimin was getting used to him noticing little things, and started walking Jimin back down to the already prepped changing room. Jungkook thanked the blond clerk, who laughed it off with a wave of her hand from the counter where her long legs were propped up and half her pretty freckled face covered with a fantasy fae smut book.

"I can wait out here if you want." Jungkook said, rubbing the back of his neck as he helped Jimin put down the clothes on a wooden stool at the end of the dressing room. It was surprisingly bigger inside than Jimin had expected, the two of them fitting comfortably with the door still hanging open. "You can just bring out what you like and I'll pay when you're done." Jungkook added.

Jimin looked from the clothes to the mirror covered with little chalk crabs crawling around the edges and blushed. He could sort of remember meeting Jungkook for the first time, some parts missing like the exact date or the reason for Jimin and Jungkook were outside of a party together, but he remembered the feeling. This weird warmth in his chest. Back then, the feeling brought Jimin comfort. Now, mmmm not so much.

There was a ringing in Jimin's ear from a panic forming in his chest. Jimin looked up to the grown, beautiful man in front of him, and softed the harsh words dancing on his lips as Jungkook's eyes lit with care. His brows were furrowed the slightest bit and Jimin could see the man's thumb pushing against his palm at his sides. 

Something loosened in Jimin's chest. "I can use a second opinion. It's okay if you want to stay. Unless we had some sugar daddy type thing going on where you just pay for shit I like." 

Jungkook flushed red, shaking his head and Jimin broke a laugh at that. A real sound freeing from his lungs. It felt like breathing again, like tasting fresh air for the first time. Crisp and raw and - Jungkook was still turning red. 

"I'm not, we weren't, I'm not a sugar daddy."

Jimin scoffed at that and rolled his eyes. "Sure, Mr. 'I'll pay for anything you want bb.'"

"I did not sound like that."

"Aye yo GG. I pay bb."

"Don't quote Girl's Generation against me."

Jimin just laughed again and Jungkook's brows shot up. It was like flexing a muscle Jimin hadn't used in a while, like them sharing a changing room was a normal and natural thing. 

Then Jungkook's phone rang and the air turned flat between them as Jungkook hissed out at the number. "Jimin, I'm so sorry. It's work, I have to take this."

"Work? The flower shop or your secret underground business?"

 "Will you be okay?"

Jimin shrugged, "Haven't been killed by my impeccable taste in fashion just yet."

"I'm sorry love, I'll be right back." Jungkook said as he leaned down, pecking Jimin on the side of his head before leaving the changing room leaving Jimin stunned, a yellow fuzzy sweater gripped between his palms. 

Jimin rubbed his forehead, shaking slightly as he put the clothes down on a wooden slab on the corner of the changing room. He lifted a different sweater, trying to get the fabric and Jungkook's lips as far away from his mind as possible.

God, his head hurt. Has it been hurting this whole time? In fact, it felt like it was about to explode. What was that smell? A scent like rainwater and smoke - it filled the whole room. Filled his head and caused it to spin. Jimin frowned - he knew that smell. His body remembered it, at least. Jungkook. He must have caught a whiff of Jungkook's cologne when he had - when he'd  kissed him on the forehead. 

God Jungkook's lips were soft.

What. The fuck.

But his body seemed to remember more. Suddenly he could remember how one brush of Jungkook's hand could cause Jimin's entire body to yearn for more - like there was nothing good in life but this, them, that feeling. His chest pounded, heat like flames coursed through his veins as something like excitement caused him to see white. He could feel his own hand, like watching a stranger puppeteer his body, reaching down his chest to relieve the yearning -

- Jimin ripped himself from the memory. His nails digging into his palms so hard that his knuckles were white and skin broke. The room was too small. The walls too close. The pile of clothes a mountain to climb.

Jimin had to get out of there. That feeling in his chest, that absolute yearning and complete rawness terrified the Hell out of him. He didn't know Jungkook. Whatever this older body remembered, Jimin didn't claim it. The memories belong to a stranger that shared the same face.

Jimin stumbled out the door. The kind receptionist was too engrossed in her A Court of Dicks and Wings book to watch him run out of the store. 

The sound of cars honking and wind whipping against his skin woke Jimin up slightly, the harsh cool light like jumping in cold water after the golden interior of the shop. 

Jimin glanced around, relieved to find Jungkook nowhere in sight.

He just knew he needed out. Away. Away from the fiancé he had no recollection of, of the body years older than he remembered it, a life and wealth he had no connection to. If only -

"Hey, watch out!" Someone said before a car whisked against Jimin's ear.

____________

A/N:

Miss me?? I missed you!! Update: second semester just started and the first couple weeks are always crazy which is why there's been a lack of updates from me recently. BUT I hope you all had amazing winter breaks and happy lunar new year!! Other life update is that I've watched Arcane and looooved it. The soundtrack??? The fight scenes?? The art style?? Vi??? So good. 

vio