Jin // 11:50am: Where are you?

Me // 11:50am: grabbing a coffee!

Jin // 11:53am: you're never at my place anymore. not that I'm complaining.

Jin // 11:53am: which shop? bring me one?

Me // 11:56am: sry... they're out :/

Jin // 11:56am: Out... of coffee.

Me // 11:57am: ya, sucks ://///////

Jin // 11:58am: If you don't want to buy me one you can just say so...

Me // 11:58am: I do not want to buy you one

Jin // 11:59am: Fucker. Where are you? I'll come and meet you and get it myself.

Me // 12:10pm: Just left sry

Jin // 12:10pm: Choke on your biscotti, bitch

Me // 12:11pm: so sry!

Me // 12:11pm: wait... how do you know I'm eating biscotti

"How do you fuckin' think?" Jin's voice comes from behind him, and he startles violently.

"'Kay well that felt like entrapment."

"Why are you here?" Jin asks, settling down in the bar stool beside him. "And why did you fuckin' lie to me?"

"Here you go, Tae," Jimin says with a sugary smile, sliding a beautiful latte carefully towards him. "One Hazel-Nut-Hugger."

"Ah," Jin hums in understanding.

"I'm always here. Why are you here?" Taehyung shoots back.

"What's taking so long? Is Jimin flirting instead of making drinks?" Yoongi grumbles as he plops down in the stool next to Jin.

"Ahhh," Taehyung says with an obnoxiously conspicuous eyebrow waggle.

"I told you I'd make your damn coffees," Hope says brightly, appearing between Jin and Yoongi. "You just insisted on bothering Tae."

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh," Taehyung says even louder and with an even more obnoxious eyebrow waggle.

"Oh shut up," Jin spits, neck tinged pink as Hope claps a pretty hand on his shoulder.

"You shut up."

"You two are like really fucking annoying siblings together, you know that, right?" Yoongi tells them, leaning forward to peek around Jin.

"We are," Jin growls, shooting Taehyung an agitated look.

"Are what? Fucking? Annoying?"

"Siblings," Jin answers solemnly, avoiding all eye contact with everyone.

In a moment of abrupt hushed silence, even the clinking of spoons against mugs ceases as Taehyung feels every eye in the vicinity swivel to them.

"Step siblings," Taehyung clarifies. "Kind of."

"O. Kay. Well. That explains a lot," Yoongi says, brows raised and frozen in place on his forehead. "Does not explain why nobody fucking knew that until now, but it explains a lot."

"I mean our parents got married when we were already adults, and we kind of got drunk at the first combined Thanksgiving when they were still dating and almost did it on the kitchen counter, but yep. Bros."

"That... sounds like a story that needs to be told," Jimin says, catching the last bit of the conversation and leaning forward on the bar.

"It really doesn't," Jin groans.

Taehyung pays him no mind. "There was some tension over turkey carving rights at our first combined family Thanksgiving and when our parents went into the living room to watch football, it was suggested by SOMEONE who will remain anonymous-"

"Jin," Yoongi provides simply, looking quietly elated.

"-that we fuck it out in the kitchen before halftime," Taehyung reveals without qualms, taking a small sip of his coffee. "It was kind of hot."

"75% straight my beautiful ass," Jimin scoffs. "You were showing signs early on."

"Oh, you didn't know?" Jin asks, looking wicked. "He was down to 60% as of last weekend."'

"Oh reallllllly?" Jimin smirks, leaning very much into his space again. "Interesting," Jimin breathes, reaching forward to adjust the collar of Taehyung's shirt, and Taehyung is pretty shit with percentages lately but he is 100% sure he is about to explode.

"I uh," he coughs nervously, "I actually recently decided to... you know. Give up on this whole percentage thing." Then with a significant glance at Yoongi, "I realized that maybe numbers aren't an accurate way to measure everything."

Yoongi rolls his eyes and silently crosses his arms.

"Well, no, but it sure was cute to watch," Jimin says with an eye-crinkling smile. "Kind of a shame though."

"What is?" Taehyung questions, perplexed.

"I was excited for 60%."

Yoongi groans. "Ew, I know what he said about 60% and I would like to personally cancel my coffee order and also all future interactions with the both of you."

"Well too fucking bad for you," Jimin says with a huff, "Because Pride is Saturday and we're all going. They're closing off the street in front of the queen for the parade, so we're going to run a little coffee and refreshment stand out front. Plus, I have a show afterwards and I fully expect you to be there."

"Is the show here at least?" Yoongi asks hopefully. "At the Queen?"

"No way. You know Joon has his panties in a bunch and won't let me do anything remotely sexy here."

"WE ARE PROVIDING-" Namjoon swoops in from nowhere.

"Oh boy," Jimin mumbles into his hand.

"A SAFE AND NONSEXUALIZED SPACE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. Which believe it or not is more important than you going to fourth base with the floor on stage."

"How do you get to fourth base with a floor?" Taehyung asks, cocking his head to the side. "Wait, what is fourth base?"

Jimin huffs. "That was one time, and I blame it on a shoddy drunken tuck job."

"You almost got arrested for indecent exposure," Namjoon reminds him, voice deadpan.

"I'm in," Taehyung responds, much too fast, and he can almost feel the sharpness of Yoongi's pointed glare. "Wait, what are we doing again?"

Jimin giggles delightedly and boops Taehyung on the nose. "Pride. This weekend." His smile fades a little then, just a shade uncertain. "You don't have to come, obviously. I know you're not really... I mean I know that this is all kind of new to you."

"No! I'm... I'm there," Taehyung insists too quickly, relaxing at Jimin's relieved exhale. "Definitely there."

"Yeah?" Jimin asks, smile bright as he leans forward on the counter.

"Super there," he confirms, returning his smile with enthusiasm.

"Meet here at 8, then?" And it's hard not to fall forward, drawn by Jimin's brilliant grin.

"With bagels and my gayest sweater."

He hears rather than sees Jin's exasperation as he groans, "A piece of clothing cannot be fucking gay, Tae!"

"Okay fuck you, fine, that sweater is fucking gay," Jin allows with what sounds like painful reluctance as they make their way through the colorful crowd towards the Queen, where they are meeting the rest of their group.

"I told you!" Taehyung says triumphantly, spreading his arms so that the entirety of his rainbow striped sweater is on display. "I literally googled 'gay sweater' and bought the first thing I saw. I wanted to be 100% prepared for wooing Jimin. I'm not a complete idiot."

"Says the guy wearing a sweater in 85 degree weather."

"Yeah, well, I need to advertise the fact that I'm interested and available. Jimin told me that I dress like a straight boy who thinks that knowing his correct clothing size would be gay. I need to make it very clear that I'm super not straight, especially when it comes to him."

Jin eyes him skeptically. "For the last few months, you have been updating everyone on the evolution of your sexuality through a very careful but mysterious percentage system that you insist on posting on your Google calendar which you have, for some reason, shared with the entire group," Jin says, squishing close to Taehyung to allow a rowdy group of scantily-clad men pass. "I think he knows."

"You know what, you have no room to criticize. At least I am actively pursuing the person that I want to be with. I know that's a foreign concept to you."

Jin cuts his eyes at him but keeps walking. "Excuse you, don't get snarky with me. I don't even want to be with anybody right now."

"Why are you such a huge liar? Yoongi basically lives with you. I know this because I basically live with you."

"Yoongi doesn't date," Jin replies simply. "It's not something he wants."

"Doesn't mean it's not something you want. And don't even get me started on-"

"Hope!" Jin calls with a wave, smiling suddenly as he looks ahead, ignoring Taehyung completely as he hurries towards the entrance of the coffee shop, where there's a series of tables and drink stations set up.

Taehyung can see Hope's bright smile from here as she waves enthusiastically and opens her arms wide to catch Jin as he swoops in for a hug. When she pulls back, she leaves a smear of rainbow glitter on his shoulder, but Jin doesn't remotely notice.

Hope is almost more glitter than clothes, Taehyung notices immediately. From collarbone to belly, her bare torso is a beautiful swirl of delicate, intricately applied pastel rainbow glitter, and a shimmer mid-length pleated skirt, each of the vertical panels a different color of a muted rainbow, hangs delicately on her waist.

"Hey Tae, Jimin is back in the back getting cups and napkins," Hope says as she brushes gently at some of the glitter clinging to Jin's shoulder.

Taehyung nods and steps into the mostly empty shop, making his way back into the stock room.

He doesn't see Jimin immediately, but then there's a a glimpse of black hair bobbing behind a massive stack of boxes.

"Jimin?"

A surprised face pops up into view as Jimin springs out of his crouching position, but he grins immediately when he sees who it is. His hair and makeup are already done, but he's wearing a blush pink silk robe.

"Hey!" he says, dusting of his hands from where they had been resting on the floor. "You're early."

"I'm excited," Taehyung explains shyly.

"And you're wearing the sweater."

"Thought it was appropriate."

"Oh! That reminds me. I got something for you," Jimin says, digging into his robe pocket for something. His eyes brighten when he locates it, and he pulls from his pocket a small flag pin, pink purple and blue. He steps closer so that Taehyung can get a better view. "Joon was giving us all a lecture on bisexual erasure yesterday, and I thought maybe you would want something a little more specific to your experience to wear for Pride."

Taehyung reaches out to gingerly take the pin, and he looks at it with appraising eyes. "This is the bi flag?"

"Yeah, I mean, you don't have to wear it, obviously you don't have to label yourself yet. Or like, ever. I just figured since you're not doing your percentage system anymore, maybe bi just kind of... covers your bases, you know?"

"Yeah it's..." There's a painful lump in Taehyung's throat for some reason. "I think it's good."

"Good," Jimin says with a soft smile. "Here, let me put it on for you."

He takes the pin back from Taehyung, stepping close so that he can gently tug Taehyung's hand sweater forward and reach underneath, soft hand skimming the skin of his stomach, so that he can fasten the backing to the pin.

"There you go," he says softly, hand lingering as it drags down the skin of Taehyung's torso. He doesn't step away but raises his chin so that he can look up into Taehyung's face. "How's that?"

"Perfect," Taehyung breathes, mind otherwise blank from the proximity.

It would be easy to lean down and press a kiss to Jimin's lovely, parted lips. He's almost certain he'd meet no resistance.

But his throat is still a little tight and his eyes are prickling at the corners, and all he wants to do is give Jimin the biggest warmest hug he can manage. So he does. Jimin sighs into his shoulder as Taehyung's arms hold him close, and Taehyung feels small hands wind slowly around his own waist.

"Thanks," Taehyung breathes into his hair after swallowing hard.

"It's no big," Jimin insists, sounding embarrassed now. "Just... You know. Whatever you're feeling is valid, you know?"

Taehyung's grasp on him tightens. "Yeah."

"Jimin did you get the- Oh." Jungkook freezes at the door as Taehyung takes a hurried step back from Jimin. "Don't mind me!" he says with a gigantic goofy grin, waving his arms as if to convince them that his presence was nothing more than an illusion. "I was never here."

"Guess we should go help?" Taehyung says, pulling away with a shy look.

"Ah yeah I was just gonna grab these boxes," Jimin says, pointing to two of them on the ground.

"Oh, let me!" Taehyung insists, stopping to grab one of the boxes. It doesn't budge from the ground. "I uh... I can't get a good grip," he claims as he shoots an embarrassed look over his shoulder. He clears his throat and leans down to try again, lifting with all his might, back straining as he grunts a little with the effort.

Nothing.

"Uh..."

"Move aside, noodle arms," Jimin sighs fondly as he leans over to lift one box, then both boxes, without the slightest issue, balancing all the while on precarious glittering platform heels.

"Wow. You just lifted a whole entire me basically," Taehyung breathes reverently as Jimin cocks a hip and shoots him a sassy smile.

"We can test that out later, if you want," Jimin says with a wink as he leaves the room.

Taehyung trips over his feet in his haste to follow.

On their way out, they run into Namjoon, hurriedly gathering supplies into a box behind the countertop. And Taehyung, who is used to seeing Namjoon in platform shoes, pastels, bright colors, strange hats, or light kinkwear, is stunned to see that he's wearing khakis and a buttondown.

Jimin stops abruptly when he sees him. "Excuse me when are you changing?"

"I'm not," Namjoon says, stepping out from behind the counter to reveal his footwear.

"Oh fuck no, you are not wearing Crocs to pride."

Joon looks down at his clothes, then back up at Jimin. "Look, I've been so crazy busy. Things are really picking up at the non-profit and shit's been so crazy here. I slept at the office last night, these are my emergency clothes. You know I haven't had time to put together an outfit for Pride."

"Oh," Jimin says sounding devious now, slinging the boxes down onto a table and moving forward to start circling Namjoon like a lion circling its prey. "Oh I can help with that."

"Jimin, no..."

"Joon, yes. You owe me, remember? You lost that bet."

"We don't have time for this, okay? We can do it a different day." Namjoon insists, looking harried as he shifts the box to his other hip.

"I'm a fuckin pro, Joon. I'll have you out there in 45 minutes. Scouts honor. And I have the perfect outfit! Yoongi brought some new samples over. It was my backup for tonight but I didn't have time to get it tailored."

"Oh no. No way. Something you were going to wear? I am not wearing some candy-colored buttfloss or some shit."

"Hold on," Jimin scoffs incredulously. "Are you like... Concerned about your aesthetic right now? Because you literally do not have a cohesive aesthetic. Like at all. One day you're a working mom from an 80's film, one day you're just wearing an outfit made entirely of dildos. You are all over the map."

"My drag name is Lady Dada and if you knew anything about 20th century cultural movements, you would understand WHY," Namjoon huffs, looking very much like he's explained the exact same thing many times before. "But no, I just... don't want my ass hanging out."

"Okay, look, it's long and black and totally goth."

Namjoon hesitates, like he's actually thinking about it. "I don't know..."

"Pride is special, Joon! Plus, you might actually get physically attacked out there wearing those things." Jimin points an accusatory finger at the Crocs.

"Would not," Namjoon pouts, staring down fondly at his shoes.

"Look," Jimin says, sighing through his nose. "Kook was reallllllly looking forward to seeing you all dressed up. Remember his excited little face when he heard I was going to do your drag?"

Namjoon purses his lips before slumping his shoulders in defeat. "Fine. But you have 45 minutes and then I'm out no matter what."

"Thank God," he says, bending to slide the pink Crocs from Namjoon's feet. He tosses them to Taehyung. "Burn these."

Rather than marching in the parade, the employees and friends of The Queen have set up shop outside of their storefront, providing coffees and waters to parade-goers free of charge. Namjoon has set up donation tins on both sides of their booth, both of which are overflowing within the first hour.

"Damn!" Taehyung remarks, pushing down the overflowing bills in one of the tins so that he can make room for new ones. "What are y'all going to use all of this cash for, anyway?"

"Lots of stuff," Hope tells him as she re-loads one of the coffee dispensers. "Some of it we keep for costs and for a couple of the local events that we put on, and the rest of it we donate to local LGBTQA non-profits and programs, like the one Joon helps run." She grunts as she forcefully tries to force the lid onto the large dispenser, hampered by her long nails, each a color in a pastel rainbow. "Hey, where the fuck is Jimin? He was supposed to be out here helping like an hour ago."

"He's actually helping Joon get ready," Taehyung tells her, gently pushing her aside so he can affix the top. "Here, let me. You'll break a nail," he says kindly.

Hope coos at him before reaching out to pinch his cheek tenderly. "If only all straight boys could be more like you."

"Oh," Taehyung says, before proudly pointing to his flag pin. "But I'm bi."

"Exactly."

It's still early, but the crowd is already gearing up, colors and sounds and smells all vibrant and almost a little overwhelming. Taehyung stays behind their both, helps when he is able, gets out of the way when he is not.

Hope, however, is already receiving a steady stream of admirers stopping by to ask for pictures and just wanting to chat. She is clearly a local favorite, absolutely beloved and revered within the community, and Taehyung knows that her instagram following is nothing to sneeze at. But as many people stop by, she is nothing but bright and enthusiastic for each and every person, always ready with a hug and a smile and more than willing to pose for pictures, no matter how long the line gets.

Jin and Yoongi sit further back towards the shop, watching her with matching gazes of admiration, not speaking, just watching. Their thighs press together on the bench, but their eyes never leave Hope.

"Um hey, so Jin's your brother right?" Jungkook asks quietly so that the other three can't hear.

"Wow, it sounds so gross when you say it. But yeah, like... my adult step brother who I almost banged once before we were technically stepbrothers."

"Cool. So, what's up with those two?" He asks nodding in Jin's direction.

"Uh... with. Jin and Yoongi? Or Jin and Hope." He pauses. "Or... Yoongi and Hope?"

Jungkook's brow crinkles, regarding them all carefully. "Wait. I don't know anymore."

"I don't think they know either," Taehyung says as he watches Hope, finally able to take a break, sling herself into Jin's lap, arms winding around his neck as she leans forward to wipe a bit of latte foam from Yoongi's mouth with her finger.

"Interesting..." Jungkook says as he tilts his head to look at them even more intently. "Jesus, why is everyone in our friend group completely in love with each other?" After a moment, he jerks his head towards Taehyung, eyes huge. "Except for me and Joon. Obviously."

He chances a look at Taehyung, who doesn't have time to paste an expression of casual acknowledgement over his underlying skepticism at the statement.

"Um hey so I'm reallllly not good at pretending I don't know things that I already know," Taehyung tells him gently and with a sympathetic look. "So you can just talk about it if you want to."

Jungkook's neck is beet red as his eyes widen almost impossibly. "What? How the fuck do you know?"

Taehyung shrugs. "Heard from Jimin maybe possibly mentioning that it might be a thing?"

Jungkook's mouth snaps shut as he hurriedly turns away and tucks his head. "Oh." he's quiet. "Fuckin loudmouth." He chews on his bottom lip for a few seconds before he continues. "I mean there's not really anything to talk about. Joon doesn't like me like that, so I'm cool with how we are. At least I get to hang around him, you know?"

"Uh..." Taehyung hesitates, his instincts telling him to blab. "Yeaaah?" His voice cracks, and Jungkook's head jerks towards him once more.

He quirks an eyebrow. "Why did you say that so weird?"

"I dunno? I didn't?" Taehyung tries, but the words come out strangely accented and stiff.

"What the fuck, you sound like Mario. What is happening right now?"

"I hate this," Taehyung curses, heaving a sigh. "Sometimes when I try to lie, I think I get nervous and subconsciously imitate a fictional character? Maybe to like try and add another intricate layer to the deception or something? I dunno, I can't help it. When I had to tell my dad how I got the scratch on his car, I gave the entire speech 15-minute speech as Donald Duck."

"Well I obviously know you're lying now, so tell me before I run inside and tell Jimin about the time you got a boner when he was clipping his fingernails."

Taehyung's blood runs cold. "Joon really likes you but he knows you're not ace and he's worried you wouldn't be happy so he's keeping his distance," he blurts out before slapping his hands of his own mouth. "I told you I can't pretend not to know."

"He... " Jungkook's eyes are large and far away. "Okay."

"Um are you alright?"

"Nope," Jungkook replies slowly, popping the 'p,' gaze still unfocused and unmoving.

"Okay, so I probably shouldn't have done this in public when he's like... right inside. Hey look when Jimin's done doing Joon's makeup, you've gotta-"

"Jimin's doing Joon's makeup?" jungkook demands abruptly, looking terrified.

"Uh.. yeah. He said he had a dress for him too. Yoongi brought some samples from work and-"

"I have to get out of here," Jungkook says, clambering over a chair and barely catching his footing as his eyes go wild.

"What? Why? Don't you want to see-"

"Look, I'm already fucking overwhelmed! If I see him like that I'm just gonna blurt out-"

"Excuse you all! The Queen has arrived!" Jimin calls from the shop exit, still clutching his own silk robe around him as he holds open the door for a tall, dark figure.

Taehyung hears a soft whimper beside him.

Namjoon had always been a striking figure, long and tall and lean, but now he towers over the rest of them on platform boots, like the warrior goddess of death and beauty.

Taehyung has only ever seen Namjoon in minimal makeup or graphic stylized makeup, never in between. But Jimin has truly outdone himself, transforming the usually handsome features into a soft, striking beauty, all smooth golden skin, intense black-lined eyes, and burgundy lips.

The black fabric of the fitted bodice clings to his narrow waist and continues down his torso into a high-cut body suit, and the floor-length skirt of the dress is completely sheer except for a few opaque, vertical seams, between which are visible two long, shapely legs underneath. Atop his shoulders sits what looks like a stunning and delicate piece of shining golden armor, carved like two small wings draping over his upper arms.

"Wow," Taehyung gawks, eyes wide. He chances a glance at Jungkook who looks like he's about to vomit.

"Jesus Christ! Joon?" Hope asks, launching herself out of Jin's lap to get a closer look. "Is that really you?"

Namjoon looks like he's about to respond, but before he can, his ankles wobble in the 6-inch black booties and he loses his balance. Jimin catches him under the armpits and prevents him from crumpling completely.

"Yup. Still Joon," Yoongi confirms. "Damn dude that sample looks better on you than it did on the model."

"You look like a sexy movie villain," Taehyung chimes in, then turns towards Jungkook. "Jungkook, doesn't-"

He's talking to air.

Taehyung turns back to the group, and they're all looking at him inquisitively as if they're expecting an explanation for Jungkook's sudden disappearance, as if he would know anything about it.

"He uh. He had diarrhea," Taehyung tells them, gesturing somewhere vaguely behind him.

"Oh," Namjoon says, glancing concernedly around as if to try and spot him. "Is he okay? I should go find him."

"No!" Taehyung answers too quickly. "Nope, he is... he's fine. Don't worry," he says standing up and backing away. "I'll go get him."

"Hold on Tae, don't go by yourself. You're fuckin' fresh meat," Jimin starts, gracefully shedding his robe. "Let me come with you." And Taehyung's frenzied exit comes to an abrupt halt, because he now understands what Namjoon had meant about 'candy-colored butt floss.'

"Um," is all that Taehyung can manage, and suddenly he feels the heat of the sun boiling up underneath the collar of his sweater.

'Harness' is probably the best word for what Jimin's wearing, but Taehyung's not as concerned with terminology as he is with trying to prevent himself from exploding into a million tiny pieces where he stands. Strappy strands in various colors of a muted rainbow criss-cross Jimin's smooth, tan skin, barely covering enough to be publicly decent.

Taehyung realizes it's probably rude to stare, so he opens his mouth to say words. Nothing comes out.

"Jesus Jimin is it even legal to wear that?" Hope asks, peeking around to take a look at Jimin's ass which is, apparently, mostly bare.

"Perfectly legal," Jimin huffs haughtily. "Technically."

"Jesus," Hope just shakes her head with a chuckle and turns towards Taehyung to address him again. "Good luck with-"

She's talking to air.

There is color in even the sounds and smells of Pride, a cohesive brightness about the place, and everywhere Taehyung looks, happy people cling to each other in glee, shout happily across the street, or wave banners and flags in delight. Smiling people hand him things as he passes, a small rainbow flag from the woman with beautiful long braids, a packet of colorfully-wrapped condoms from the booth of a local organization, a rainbow flower crown from an older man and his partner. It's almost enough to make Taehyung forget that he wants to be swallowed by a black hole.

To his credit, neither the almost overstimulating environment nor the creeping persistent shame distract him from actually looking for Jungkook. The heat, though, is truly distracting, and he finds himself stripping off the admittedly ill-advised sweater after just a few minutes of strolling in the sweltering heat, encouraged by the amount of skin that some of the other Pride-goers are showing. He gets a couple of wolf-whistles as he does so, and waves vaguely in the direction of the sound with a shy chuckle.

Half an hour in, his search is beginning to feel futile. He slings his sweater over his shoulder and exhales in frustration, looking around kind of wildly.

"You okay there?" A voice calls from behind him, and he turns to see a group of vibrantly-dressed parade-goers who have set up chairs and tables in a little grassy space behind the barricade-lined sidewalk.

"Oh, yeah! I'm fine, just looking for a friend," Taehyung assures them, and it looks like the guy who talked to them is a grinning middle-aged man holding a paintbrush, which is poised in front of a half-finished rainbow on another man's cheek. "Actually, maybe you've seen him. Young guy? Skinny but swole? Emo flap? About five-foot-ten? Expression like he's just walked in on his parents having sex?"

The guy laughs. "Sorry man, that sounds like a lot of people I've seen today. But you're welcome to hang here and we can keep an eye out for him." He waves the paintbrush. "Paint that pretty face while you wait."

Taehyung looks down at his jeans and bare chest, feeling woefully bland without his sweater.

"You know what? Go crazy."

"And then he told me-" Taehyung pauses his story as a drink is pressed into his hand, "-oh thank you. And then he told me that I have cute nipples, which... like how do you take that. Is that a desirable trait? I don't know. I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm a furry, though, so maybe that's why he hasn't-"

"Kim Taehyung!"

His mouth clicks shut with astonishing speed, and even though he can't turn his body to look lest he ruin the intricate paintjob that is currently in progress, he knows who it is by voice alone.

Suddenly Jimin is in front of him, looking thoroughly irritated as he yanks the drink out of Taehyung's hand.

"Jimin! Hey!"

"What do you think you're doing?" Jimin asks through gritted teeth, handing the drink back to the guy who originally handed it to Taehyung.

"I'm just getting festive," Taehyung replies, pointing down at his torso. "See, there's the rainbow," then he points at his right nipple, "And here's the sunshine," he point at his left nipple, "And here's a hot air balloon with two stick figures hugging each other upside-down in the basket."

"They're 69-ing."

Taehyung gapes, craning his head down towards his own chest to get a better look. "You can do that standing up?"

Jimin sighs, resting a hand on his hip, and Taehyung flushes a little as he is reminded of what Jimin is wearing. "We found Jungkook like an hour ago."

"You did? How?"

"We fucking texted him, Tae. We texted you, too."

"Oh. Sorry," Taehyung mumbles, tugging his phone out of his pocket and looking guiltily at the screen.

"Hey, aren't you that drag queen from youtube?" One of the younger guys in the group pipes up from behind Jimin. "The one with the makeup tutorials?"

Jimin turns then, and Taehyung watches him visibly try to wipe his face of any lingering hits of annoyance. "Uh, yeah."

"Wow, you're like, even hotter in person," he notes, standing up now to approach Jimin. "Do you want to stay for a drink?"

"Sorry, we really have to get back," Jimin says graciously if stiffly. "Thank you, though."

"Yeah, thanks guys!" Taehyung pipes up. "It was fun hanging out though!"

"We should hang out again sometime," the middle-aged guy tells him, gesturing to Taehyung's phone with a little smirk.

Jimin steps between them. "Sorry, he's taken." He reaches back to grab Taehyung's hand and tug him away. "Come on, Tae."

Taehyung is too bewildered by the action to do anything but wave vaguely over his shoulder as he trails along behind Jimin trying with all his might to keep his eyes fixed on the sky. They wander once or twice in the first few seconds.

"Uh... why-"

"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to taking drink from fucking strangers?" Jimin asks, and he still sounds a little irritated as he pulls Taehyung through the crowd.

"Uh, no. Why?"

"Jesus. I forget they don't teach straight boys this shit." Jimin slows down now so that they're walking side by side. "Because people can put things into your drink."

"Seriously?" Taehyung asks, feeling foolish now. "Even at like... Pride?"

"Just because people are gay doesn't automatically mean they have good intentions, Tae," Jimin tells him, much softer now. "Most are great people, amazing people, but some are not so good. They're humans with human flaws and sometimes human ugliness. So just... be careful."

Taehyung nods silently, and Jimin squeezes his hand.

"Is this okay?" Jimin asks then, gesturing to their clasped hands. "It's just... easier. I get bothered less."

"Minnie!" Someone to their left screams, as if to prove the point. Jimin turns and blows a kiss, then raise his and Taehyung's hands as if to say he's occupied.

"Yeah," Taehyung says, eyes following their hands as Jimin lowers them once more to hang between them. "No problem."

"Thanks." Jimin's shy smile might just be Taehyung's favorite.

"Is Jungkook okay?" Taehyung remembers then as they continue to weave through the crowd.

"Oh he's fine," Jimin assures him. "I think he punched his feelings out on a giant bag of beans in the back of the shop. He's good as new. And surprisingly diarrhea free." Jimin adds with a smirk.

Taehyung groans, remembering. "He's going to kill me."

"Absolutely he will. Joonie had fucking Pepto waiting for him and everything."

Night has fallen by the time Taehyung smoothes sweater nervously and steps into the line for the club. After the parade, he'd run back to Jin's place for a quick shower, and now he's donned his sweater once more for part two of the night, Jimin's show. He shifts his weight to his other foot as he approaches the very large bouncer at the door and hands him his ID, his other hand clutching several rumbled bills for cover.

The bouncer eyes him appraisingly for a moment, eyebrows creased, and Taehyung doesn't know what rule he's breaking, but it's got to be a big one with the way this guy is looking at him. Finally, he hands back Taehyung's ID and murmurs in a surprisingly soft voice. "Nice sweater," before nodding him through and waving away his money-bearing hand.

He finds his group, minus Jimin, pressed right up against the stage, chattering excitedly to each other.

Yoongi just grunts at him as he approaches, and when Taehyung follows his line of sight, he sees a very drunk and giggling Hope throwing herself forward onto Jin's chest in unbridled laughter.

"Hello to you, too," Taehyung greets him in response to the grunt, then he looks back over at Hope and Jin. "They sure are getting along, aren't they?"

Yoongi cuts a steely look at him from the corner of his eye. "Yeah, well, there's a lot of that going around. Lots of getting along within our friend group. Still. After explicit instructions to fucking stop."

Taehyung raises his hands in a show of innocence. "Don't take it out on me just because your ex-boinks may or may not want to boink each other now."

"They can do whatever they want. I don't care," Yoongi says unconvincingly.

"Yeah right, you're basically married to them both. Hope's your hot first wife, and Jin's your hot second wife and they're both about to leave you for each other. You'd have a major boner about it if you weren't so secretly heartbroken."

"Don't be weird," Yoongi cringes. "We're friends. We're all just friends." But his eyes are fixed unmovingly on the pair in front of them, not daring to blink as Jin leans in close to whisper something in Hope's ear. He bites the inside of his cheek in worry before visibly snapping himself out of it. "Hey, stop trying to derail the conversation. I'm serious about Jimin. You have no clue what it's been like for him."

"Dude, I really don't see what you're seeing. Jimin is perfectly fine. Super confident and well-adjusted."

Yoongi scoffs so hard that Taehyung feels a light spray of spittle on his arm. "I'm sorry but casually flirting with him for 3 months does not making you the fucking expert. Just because he hasn't told you about it doesn't mean it doesn't bother him."

"He's never said a word about it to me," Taehyung trills, tip-toeing to try and see the stage above Namjoon's gigantic head.

"Yeah because he's secretly afraid that you could be the next straight boy to fuck him over," Yoongi spits, his upper lip quirking slightly in disgust. "Why do you think he hasn't fucked you yet?"

Taehyung's confidence falters tellingly at that, because he can't deny that he's been wondering the same thing. "Maybe because he really likes me." He sounds so much less certain than he would prefer.

"Right," Yoongi says smugly, looking pleased to have drawn blood.

Taehyung pointedly ignores him and screams along with the rest of the crowd when the lights go down and the M.C. steps out onto the stage.

He feels more prepared than last time, for Jimin on stage, but he's still very much in awe. Jimin is soft, glamorous and decadent in skin-tight baby pink bodice covered in glitter, the long petaled skirt, similarly sparkling, open slightly in the front to reveal that it's actually covering a high-cut body suit. Each layer of petaled fabric is a different color, transitioning from pink through the rainbow to an eventual lavender, muted and soft. His hair falls in black, retro waves over one of his shoulders, his eyes lined heavily in kohl. It's a different routine this week, something slow and sexy that Taehyung doesn't know, but he can hardly be bothered to wonder as he watches Jimin bend and twist magnificently, the lines of his face set in a soft, faux pleasure as he mouths along to the music.

A sharp elbow to his side snaps him out of his reverie, and for a moment he thinks that it's Yoongi trying to drop him a painful hint. But when his head snaps to the side, his glare fades almost immediately, because it's not Yoongi. The stranger glares down at him and steps directly in front of them, dragging another man along up the front with him. The guys are big and giving off some sour vibes, so Taehyung just steps back a little and shifts to try and get a better look.

Taehyung misses most of the rest of the song, catches peeks here and there over the guy's shoulder. But he still claps and screams harder than ever, apparently much to the annoyance of the man in front of him, who shoots Taehyung a glare before he gently elbows his friend and motions to the bar with his head.

"Hey, guys. I have to open tomorrow, so I'm heading out," Namjoon says after a few minutes after the show is over.

"Can I catch a ride?" Jungkook asks eagerly, his eyes large and hopeful as Namjoon sighs and smiles.

"Sure. 'Night, guys," Namjoon waves as Jungkook skips excitedly to his side, tugging him towards the door.

"Night fuckwads!" Jungkook shouts over his shoulder, entwining his arm with Namjoon's, and Taehyung is impressed with the 180 degree change in demeanor from this morning.

"Let's dance," Hope yells over the noise, grabbing Jin and Yoongi's hands, but Yoongi moodily yanks his hands away.

"Nah. I'm out too," Yoongi says with a short wave, and Hope looks momentarily hurt.

"Okay," she says sweetly. "Be safe. Text me when you're home?"

Yoongi nods curtly and turns on heel, his small frame quickly being obscured by the crowd.

Hope steps closer to Taehyung as her eyes stare after Yoongi. "Hey, I saw you and Yoongi talking earlier. Is everything okay with him?"

"As okay as it usually is. But it's not like he's gonna spill his guts to me," Taehyung tells her. "Why?"

"I dunno. I'm probably just being paranoid." Hope says shaking her head. "Just seems like he's acting weird."

"Weird?" Taehyung asks.

"Yeah. Just... distant. Kind of like he did last time before... you know."

Taehyung just shrugs as he looks pointedly away from Jin, who is now gently nuzzling Hope's neck.

"Let's dance," Jin says then, changing the subject abruptly.

"You want to dance, Tae?" Hope asks politely, but he can see Jin's arm tighten intimately around her waist.

"I'm just gonna wait for Jimin," Taehyung says with a smile.

"Okay!" Hope shouts, brightening once more as he pulls Jin out of sight and presumably out onto the dance floor.

Taehyung figures he has a good 10 minute minimum until Jimin has wrapped everything up, so he squeezes, shoves, and dodges his way through the crowd and finally ends up in the bathroom.

He's halfway through a very satisfying piss when something on the floor catches his eye. A small plastic baggie, the bottom quarter-inch lined with a fine white powder. His eyes go buggy when he realizes what it is, and as soon as he is finished, he subtly nudges the little baggie towards the trashcan with his toe, wedging it underneath so that it's no longer in sight. He may not be able to make people's decisions for them, but at least he can make those decisions a little less convenient.

When Taehyung steps out of the bathroom and back into the blasting, vibrating noise of the club, his heart jumps a little when he sees a glimpse of silver. He had been expecting Jimin to emerge fully in drag, still in character, ready to politely wave off his fans, but he slips out from the door looking very scrubbed and clean and somehow very small.

Taehyung makes his way to the bar nearest to him as Jimin scans the room for a couple of seconds, eyes eventually land on Taehyung. He beams and waves enthusiastically, and Taehyung practically skips over, slinging himself onto the stool next to Jimin.

"Wait, are you by yourself?" Jimin asks, smile fading slightly as he looks around.

"Yes, but I have not accepted a single drink from a stranger," Taehyung says proudly.

Jimin's eyes are happy, scrunched crescents when he laughs. "You fighting off the men left and right?"

"Not fighting them off, but kind of almost like physically fighting. There was this one asshole in the crowd during your show, and I swear I would have- oh shit, he's like right behind you." Jimin turns conspicuously to get a quick peek out of the corner of his eye.

"Fuck," Jimin mutters, tucking his head and turning towards Taehyung. He subtly jerks his head back. "I know that guy."

"Oh. Well if you know him why don't you say hi?"

"I know him know him Tae. As in my dick knows the inside of his ass."

"Oh." Taehyung repeats as he swallows a bitter wave of jealousy. "Why doesn't he recognize you? He's right fucking there."

"He probably doesn't recognize me out of drag," Jimin mumbles. "We never..." He trails off, chewing his lip. "I thought he said he didn't come here anymore because he got a fucking girlfriend."

"Uh, do you wanna leave?" Taehyung asks before Jimin is forced to finish his thought.

"I..."

"Hey have you seen Minnie?" comes a loud, slurring voice from behind Jimin. It's the guy, and he's asking the bartender. Jimin's shoulders stiffen perceptibly and he's staring very hard at the surface of the bar. The bartender briefly glances at Jimin, before shrugging noncommittally. Taehyung wonders how many people come asking after Jimin after seeing him perform. A lot, probably, judging by the bartender's hesitance. "Asshole," the guy mutters when he gets no response, turning back to his friend. "He's got to be around here somewhere. Maybe he's still backstage."

His friend rolls his eyes. "You haven't even talked to the guy in months. You totally ditched him for Mari, who you are definitely still dating, and you really think he's gonna-"

The first guy scoffs, offended. "I'll just tell him I missed him or some shit. And he doesn't have to know about Mari. Believe me, Minnie's easy as pie."

Taehyung's hands ball up involuntarily, but Jimin rests a gentle hand on his arm to calm him. "Do. Not."

His friend scans the bar, eyes passing right over Jimin, whose eyes are cold, glinting steel as he primly purses his lips. "Yeah right. Look I'm not gay, dude, but he's obviously hot. I still kinda doubt he even fucked you."

"I was the one doing the fucking, thanks," the guy bristles. "And I'm not gay, either, you shithead."

"Which totally explains why we're here at a gay bar. During Gay Pride. Trying to fuck a drag queen that you used to regularly fuck."

"His instagram said he'd be here," the guy growls, but he looks embarrassed. "And look, a good lay is a good lay. Here, see for yourself. Look," the guy says with a repulsive sneer as he whips out his phone then holds it out to show his friend something on the screen.

Taehyung is pretty sure he has a good idea what it is, and he's shaking now, the movement of his arm shaking Jimin's hand, or maybe Jimin is shaking too. He hopes that his glare will burn a hole straight through that asshole's head.

"Shit, dude," the guy's friend says, covering his ugly smirking lips with his hand as he leans closer to the screen. "Who the fuck can bend like that?"

"See? Hottest piece of ass I ever got," the guy brags, looking smug now as he swipes presumably through a series of photos on his phone. "It's a shame he got clingy and I had to drop him."

"I'm not gonna lie, I'd probably tap that. Like, once. If nobody ever found out."

"You probably could," the first guy chuckles haughtily. "I told you, he'll fuck any straight boy who asks, it's sad. Oh wait, you've got to see this video from last time."

There is an ugly, thorny, roaring dragon in Taehyung's chest, and he's sure that if he has to listen to one more second of this shit, he's going to burn up from inside. Taehyung makes to stand up, and Jimin's nails dig into his arm like claws.

"Tae. Fucking don't," Jimin hisses, and Taehyung wrenches his arm away. "I don't need a goddamn hero."

"I know you don't, but I can't just sit here while he-"

"You can and you will," Jimin insists, gaze hard. "Listen I'll talk to him like an adult when he's done spewing shit."

"So you're just gonna let him...?" Taehyung trails off, not knowing how to end that sentence.

"Yes," Jimin says, detuned determined even as his cheeks burn red.

Taehyung scoffs. "Fine do whatever you want. But I'm not just going to sit here."

"Tae, sit the fuck down," Jimin warns him, grabbing his arm again, nails sharp on his skin. "He'll kick your ass."

"I'm not going to fight him," Taehyung informs him coolly. "I just have to pee."

Jimin hesitates for a second, trying to get a read on Taehyung's expression, but eventually he nods curtly. "Hurry back."

Taehyung moves quickly through the crowd this time, now that he has purpose, slipping in and out of the bathroom in just moments. The plastic feels sweaty clutched tight in his palm.

He panics a bit when he re-emerges and he doesn't immediately see Jimin where he'd left him, but then he spots him staring defiantly up into the face of the guy they'd overheard. His blood runs cold, watching as Jimin calmly talks to him, but Taehyung can see the way that his fist is clenched so hard that his knuckles are white and his nails must be digging into his palm. The guy scoffs visibly, then tucks his phone into his back pocket, crossing his arms and glaring down at Jimin.

Undeterred from his original plan, Taehyung takes a deep breath and strides purposefully forward, bracing for impact several seconds before he actually runs directly into the asshole, hands moving nimbly and successfully before he bounces off his shoulder and lands ass-first on the floor. He feigns an expression of apologetic fear.

"Shit, I'm so sorry!" he says as the guy glares down at him. He scrambles to his feet and tucks his head in pretended deference.

"Watch where you're going, idiot," the guy spits, shoving Taehyung away, sending him flying a few steps away.

Taehyung regains his footing, learning down to whisper into Jimin's ear, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Jimin says evenly, loud enough for the guy to hear. "I'm just having a conversation. Getting back something that doesn't belong to him."

The guy laughs viciously. "Look, I don't know what Minnie told you, but-"

"I am Minnie, you fucking asswipe," Jimin fumes, and Taehyung sees his fist shaking at his side now. He gently grabs Jimin's wrist in what he hopes is a reassuring way. "And I want those photos back."

The cocky look slides off the man's face like a pat of butter on a hot pan. He still manages a skeptical scoff. "What? No way. You're not-"

"What, you want me to prove it?" Minnie asks, raising a challenging eyebrow. "You called me daddy and asked me to piss in you at the Mariott. Ring a bell?"

"What the FUCK dude?" The guy asks, charging forward to grab a fistful of Jimin's shirt in his meaty hand. "That's... That's a lie." He looks back at his friend, who stands back from the conversation with his eyebrows raised. "That's a lie."

"Okay," Jimin shrugs. "Just delete the fucking-"

"Jimin, come on," Taehyung urges him, tugging him away by the arm. "Let's go."

Jimin tries to shake him off. "What? No. I want him to delete those fucking photos." He turns back to the guy. "You know, you're lucky I'm a decent human being and deleted the photos you sent me. Because those were far more fucking embarrassing. Remember?"

"You-" the guy tightens his grip in Jimin's shirt, and Taehyung reaches up to step between them and gently pry it away.

"Jimin. Trust me. Let's go," Taehyung says with a significant look. Jimin looks into his eyes for a few moments before he sighs.

"Fine," he grunts, turning back to the guy, who is red-faced, sweaty, and shaken. "You know what? Lie to yourself all you want, but stop telling lies about me to your friends, you piece of shit."

He turns then and stalks away without waiting for Taehyung, who with one last scathing look at the guy, turns to follow.

On his way out, just as he reaches the door, Taehyung hurriedly pulls the bouncer aside, whispering into his ear and nodding behind him.

"You sure?" The bouncer asks with raised eyebrows.

Taehyung nods emphatically. "Positive."

The bouncer pats him on the shoulder, and Taehyung shoots him a quick smile before jogging lightly out the door, keeping his eyes peeled for Jimin.

He finds him outside, looking very small as he leans against the wall, hunched over his phone.

Taehyung jogs over to him, breathing heavier than normal as he says, "Hey. Uh. You okay?"

"I'm calling an Uber," Jimin says shortly, scrolling through his phone before abruptly looking up and fixing Taehyung with an outraged look. "Why the FUCK were you dragging me away like that? I had the situation under control, maybe I could have gotten him to delete-"

"Jimin, we need to go."

Jimin groans, rolling his eyes. "Why, Tae? I'm fine, I'm not fucking fragile. I can take care of myself."

"I know, I just-"

They are interrupted by a commotion as the man and his friend stumble out of the door on unstable legs. At first, Taehyung thinks they're just drunk, but then he sees the bouncer behind them, arms extended like he's just given them a good shove.

"Shit, not again," Jimin says, sounding truly tired. But the guy is clearly otherwise occupied, yelling and gesturing wildly at the bouncer, who looks on unamused. "Wait, they're getting kicked out? Why the fuck are they getting kicked out?"

"Oh. Uh," Taehyung hesitates. "I dunno. Maybe someone like... planted cocaine on him and ratted him out to the bouncers?"

Jimin's head swivels in his direction, eyes bulging like he can't believe his own thought process. "What... are you saying?"

"I'm saying I planted cocaine on him and ratted him out to the bouncers."

"WHAT?" Jimin whisperscreams, eyes bugging further as he adjusts the bag on his shoulder and tugs Taehyung several steps further from the bar.

"Shhh," Taehyung urges him as the bouncer continues to try and calm the guy down. "Look I worked in a bar in college. He's not gonna get arrested, they're just going to ban him from the bar so he can't come back and bother you."

"I am currently more worried about YOU getting arrested you fucking dipshit, and also where the fuck did you get cocaine? And how you...??"

"I found it in the bathroom earlier, then when I bumped into him, I slipped it into his pocket. Which is why I was trying to get us the fuck OUT." The guy whips his head around wildly, and his eyes stop on Taehyung, a look of slow realization in his eyes. "And it looks like he's just figured that out so we should probably hightail it the fuck out of here if we want to avoid a scene."

"WHAT?" Jimin demands again, eyes bulging slightly, and he's clearly still very much in shock.

"Come on," Taehyung urges him, tugging him towards the parking lot, just as the guy dodges the bouncer and comes lunging straight at them. "Fuck, run!"

That part Jimin understands.

They bump into the sides of a few cars in their haste to get the fuck out, the adrenaline in their blood telling them that the mild pain isn't their most pressing concern, not when they can hear that jerk literally growling in rage behind them. Taehyung chances a glance behind them, and yep, that bouncer has been effectively left in the dust, and there are at least 160 pounds of pure asshole barreling towards them at an alarming rate.

He feels Jimin's small hand clutching at the material of his shirt as they book it through the parking lot, and Taehyung takes a brief moment to be grateful that Jimin changed out of drag tonight. Otherwise, he would be sprinting in heels, or more likely, eating pavement in heels.

"COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE FUCKERS," Taehyung hears behind them as they tear through the night, feet slapping against the pavement almost in tandem.

Jimin is just slightly in front of him now, and damn he's fast. Taehyung's lungs are burning already, his hours and days and weeks of nothing but sedentary screentime finally catching up to him. They book it down the street, past the still-celebrating crowds, past the nearby strip of bars, and down to a more deserted part of downtown.

Taehyung chances a glance behind him, and surprisingly there is no one there. The guy must have gotten lost in the crowd, or maybe he'd just given up.

"Jimin!" he calls as his feet stutter to a stop on the hard ground. "Jimin, we lost him."

Jimin gradually slows, checking behind him as he circles back around towards the place where Taehyung had stopped.

"You sure?"

"No sign of him since that big crowd," Taehyung confirms, checking again.

Jimin just nods, chest heaving, hands resting on the top of his head as he paces back and forth. Weirdly, he breaks out into a smile, then a couple of chuckles, and then he is lost in hysterical laughter.

"Uh, Jimin?"

"I'm... I'm sorry," he gasps between gales of laughter. "It's just so funny. I just... I... What the fuck?" And he defends into his fit of laughter once more. He sinks into a squat, unable to keep himself upright, his shoulders shaking with the force of his laughter. It's wild, unbridled, unfiltered, bordering on hysterical.

Taehyung laughs too, then, because he feels like he should. But he does so uncertainly, because something about it doesn't feel remotely funny. "Yeah, that was-" Taehyung gulps around a hard, labored inhale, clutching his side,"-that was crazy. Hey, are you okay?"

Jimin ignores his question, face flushed, eyes glazed over, and mouth stretched into a painful looking grin. "What the fuck?" he repeats, burying his face in his hands, and his voice cracks, his shoulders still shaking. But then his voice sounds different, just as hysterical but in a very different way. And shit, he's crying. "What..." he starts again quietly, unable to finish, his voice now thick with restrained tears.

"Shit," Taehyung mutters to himself, heart falling as he sinks to the ground to wrap his arm around Jimin's narrow, trembling shoulders. He pulls him as close as he can in their awkward squatting position. "I'm sorry Jimin. I'm really sorry."

Jimin doesn't say anything, but he's making the saddest little squeaking sounds as he cries, and Taehyung has never felt so guilty in his life. Taehyung wants to apologize more, but that's a selfish impulse, probably not what Jimin needs right now. So he just quietly rubs his back as Jimin sobs into his chest. Jimin's hands grasp firmly onto his shirt, like he would collapse without the support, and Taehyung feels tears welling up in his own eyes just from seeing Jimin hurt. When he feels a cool wetness soaking through his shirt, he only pulls him closer, afraid that Jimin will think he's being a bother.

After a few minutes, the sobs change tenor again, and Jimin is giggling once more. "Cocaine you crazy motherfucker. Cocaine." Taehyung just averts his eyes in shame, relaxing his grip on Jimin slightly so that he can pull away. "Remind me-" he takes a deep shuddering breath, "-not to get on your bad side," Jimin says lightly, though he hiccups tellingly not a second later.

"I just... wanted him banned from the place. Didn't want him or his shithead friend anywhere near you ever again. But I'm sorry I did it without asking first. Sometimes I do shit without thinking, I'm really-"

"It's fine, it's fine. That's not why I'm crying, you big dummy," Jimin says wiping the snot from his face as he still manages to look irrationally, delicately beautiful, if a little blotchy and worse for wear. "I'm just so mad! The thing that made me maddest was that he fucking lied. That guy is in huge denial. Would only agree to see me when I was in drag, like somehow that made up for me having a dick. He said I was pretty, for a boy."

Taehyung's heart clenches, in an extremely painful way. "You know you're like... literally the most beautiful person on the face of this shit planet, right? Boy or otherwise?"

Jimin smiles weakly at that, then scoffs. "Whatever. Fuck him."

"Fuck him," Taehyung confirms, pausing to think. "Oh!" He remembers suddenly, digging into his pocket and pulling out a phone.

Jimin's eyes go wide. "What the hell is that?"

"Uh, I also stole his phone."

"Were you a fucking videogame pickpocket in a former life, what the fuck?" Jimin demands, gaping dumbly at him.

"I got my lunch money stolen a lot in middle school so I learned to steal it back," Taehyung shrugs, handing Jimin the phone. "Here... Uh. You can. You know. Delete."

Jimin cringes as he grabs the phone. "I was dumb for letting him take them in the first place. He was waving every red flag in the book. One time we saw his friends in public and he made me hide in the bathroom for 40 minutes while he talked to them. Then he fucking ditched me."

"None of this is your fault. You know that, right?" Taehyung says emphatically, squeezing his hand. Jimin just shrugs.

"I keep fucking idiot fetishizing straight boys who are ashamed to be seen with me in public, so yeah, I feel like part of this is my fault," Jimin says, swiping the correct pattern on the screen on only his second try. It makes Taehyung a little jealous to think how often they must have hung out.

"Why do you... uh..." Taehyung starts, then thinks better of it.

Jimin, however, scoffs and finishes his though. "Keep fucking idiot fetishizing straight boys?" Taehyung nods sheepishly. "I dunno. At first it feels good. Feels good to be like... the exception to their straightness. Makes me feel special. And I mean... it's not like they don't have feelings for me. I think they do, they just... They're not ready. And I keep hoping they'll be ready."

Taehyung just hums lowly and nods his head, carefully averting his eyes from the phone in Jimin's hands. "Hey delete the stuff from his Cloud too, okay?"

"Oh shit. Thanks," Jimin says, as he goes back to scrolling.

"I'll return the phone to the bar so he can find it when he checks."

Jimin looks at him, the light from the street lamp reflecting in the wetness on his cheeks and in his eyes. "Okay."

Taehyung chews on his lip for a few minutes as they sit in silence, the din of a still-rowdy crowd echoing distantly in the background. "Hey, really, though. Are you... good?"

Jimin chuckles wryly before shutting off the phone and pocketing it. "I'm fine. I know he's just insecure and stupid and generally shitty and that I have no reason to feel bad. It just... I did kinda like him. At one point. So it still hurts a little." He bites down on his lip as it starts to tremble.

Taehyung really can't stand this, Jimin, who is usually so confident and badass, looking so intensely vulnerable. "Look, hear me out, I know this guy who does adult circumcisions, USUALLY voluntary but-"

Jimin collapses into gleeful laughter then, his ass plopping onto the pavement as his squat finally becomes unsustainable. "Fucking hell, Tae."

"Sorry. I just. I'm so mad! And I don't know how to make this better."

Jimin is smiling at him affectionately, and he doesn't know why, but it's making his entire body flush hot, his temperature rising perceptibly. "You just being here makes it better. I promise."

The timing, he thinks, couldn't be worse. Because Jimin is looking at him with soft eyes that are telling him everything he's wanted to hear for the last several months, eyes that are giving him every green light he could have ever asked for.

And all the while, Taehyung is silently vowing to himself that he is never, ever going to hurt Park Jimin like he has just been hurt. All the while, Taehyung's inner conscience is starting to sound a hell of a lot like Yoongi. And just like that, just as Jimin's eyes dart down to follow the motion of his lips as he nervously licks them, he's decided.

Stay.

Be his friend.

"Thanks for sticking with me." Jimin mutters in a sweet, quiet voice as he tucks his head into Taehyung's shoulder.

Like none of them did.

The lump in his throat is thick and bitter, but he manages to swallow around it as he plasters a lopsided, reassuring smile on his face.

"Always."