Staying itself is easy enough. Taehyung wants nothing more than to stay. And going to the Queen is so integrated into his everyday routine that finds himself making his way there on autopilot the next day before he can even consider giving Jimin space. Or, giving himself space.

It's the 'friend' part that Taehyung is finding increasingly difficult, especially as Jimin becomes clearer about what exactly it is that he wants. And what he wants very obviously transcends the bounds of friendship.

He's always been touchy, but lately it seems like Jimin's hands are everywhere, subtly stroking his knee under the table when they go out for drinks, arm slung around his shoulders as they stroll down the sidewalk to meet the guys for brunch, playing with his hair as they sit on the couch at the Queen after Jimin's shift is over. It's frustratingly easy to forget that he's supposed to be setting boundaries, pulling back, creating distance, especially since he still has to be around him to give this whole 'friends' business a go, especially since it feels so good to just let it happen.

But even more than the physical touches or the pointed, suggestive looks, it's the smile that's killing him the most. He's been blessed to be able to bask in the light of Jimin's stunning smile from the first day they met, but it's different now. Jimin smiles at him like they share a happy secret, like they know something remarkable that the rest of the world doesn't. It's a smile just for Taehyung, but every time he sees it, an ugly nauseous feeling bubbles in his gut, because it reminds him how badly he's doing at diffusing this situation and how much he simply does not want to.

So his visits to The Queen become less frequent. And when he does decide to go, he's taken to lurking outside of the building or maybe a couple of blocks away, pacing anxiously as he internally debates the merits of option one (leave) vs. option two (stay).

It's in the course of this pacing a few weeks after the incident that he accidentally collides with a body much smaller and less solid than his own, and he looks up just in time to see a box tumbling from a woman's arms. It hits the ground with a loud clunk but luckily the contents don't spill.

"Shit!" the woman curses, eyes darting up to Taehyung's face. She's a young middle-aged woman, maybe 40, tiny and stylish and absolutely beautiful. "I'm sorry! The box was blocking my view, I'm so, so sorry!"

Taehyung waves off her apology, leaning down to pick up the box. "I'm pretty sure I was in my own world and it was 100% my fault." He heaves the box up on his hip and tucks it under his arm, then he notices the wrap on her wrist, like it's been recently hurt. "Can I help you carry that somewhere?"

Her small, graceful hand flies up to her chest. "Oh that's sweet, honey! But my son should be here any second now to help me unload the car. Rotten little bastard's probably off with his friends."

Taehyung fakes outrage as he steadfastly holds onto the box. "What kind of a son would leave his mom to fend for herself? Especially one so young and delicate?"

"Oh, you're very good," she says coyly, gently slapping his arm.

"Come on, I insist, let me help," Taehyung says smoothly, and her ensuing smile is brilliant. He's always been a mom charmer. "Lead the way."

"What a sweet boy," she coos, starting slowly down the street. "You'd never leave your mom hanging like that, would you?"

Taehyung exaggerates his expression of mild offense. "I would never. My mom is my best friend. We get monthly pedicures."

She stops to consider. "I wonder if I could talk him into monthly pedicures."

"If not, you're always welcome to join ours," Taehyung tells her with a sly smile. "And hey I can talk some sense into that little punk when I see him if you-"

"Mom?"

Taehyung's first thought is that this lady's son is really fucking hot, and much older than he had expected of a woman so young.

Taehyung's second and much more obvious thought is that this lady's son is Park Jimin.

"Oh, hey baby!" She says happily, lunging forward to envelop him in a hug. Then she steps back and flicks him hard on the forehead. "Little bastard, why didn't you text me back?"

Jimin pouts, rubbing the sore spot on his head. "My phone was on silent."

"Well lucky for you, I met the loveliest man on my way in," she says smugly, reaching back blindly for Taehyung, who steps forward obligingly. "This is... Actually, I'm sorry sweetie, I don't know your name."

"It's Taehyung," Jimin bashfully answers for him, eyes not quite meeting his mother's.

Her eyes widen as she tilts her head. "Taehyung? As in..."

"Taehyung," Jimin repeats significantly, a pretty blush covering his cheeks as his eyes shoot warning a warning glance her direction. His mother's mouth falls into a prim little 'o.'

"Well sweetheart, why didn't you just say so?" Ms. Park says, turning to Taehyung, eyes now crinkled into a very familiar smile. His insides twist in pleasure and guilt. "If I had known-"

"Mom, why don't you let Tae take that box inside?" Jimin says pointedly. "It's heavy."

"Oh of course, dear," she says, waving Taehyung along. "You go right ahead. Park Jimin, follow me. And don't you give me that face, what did I do?"

Taehyung readjusts the box, watching the two figures become gradually smaller as they retreat down the street towards Ms. Park's car. When they turn the corner, he hoists the box up once more and makes his way a little further down the street, to the Queen.

A more flurried level of activity than usual greets him when he steps inside. The tables are arranged into a more classroom-type setting, and there are medium-sized mirrors perched every three feet or so on the wood.

"Hey Tae!" a cheery and attractive man in a snapback greets him, and it takes Taehyung a second to realize that it's Hope, unusually bare-faced. "What's wrong?" he asks, looking momentarily concerned at the momentary lack of response.

"Nothing!" Taehyung assures him quickly, panicking slightly.

Hope looks down at himself, and laughs. "Oh shit you've never seen me on a masc day, have you?"

"Uh no, but you look super hot. Not that you don't usually look hot, but. You know."

"Thanks." He gently grabs the box from Taehyung's arms. "Where did you get this?"

"I uh, I met Ms. Park on the way in. But what the fuck is happening?" He asks, looking around disconcertedly.

"It's the annual Paint Shop. Didn't Jimin tell you about it?" Hope asks as he sets the box down near the bar and starts unpacking it, pulling out dozens of sample-sized containers of make-up.

"No, but I mean, I haven't been around as much lately, so. I guess I missed it," Taehyung admits, shifting his weight guiltily. "What is it?"

"It's this yearly workshop we hold for aspiring queens, trans girls, nonbinary stunners, and other lgbtq makeup enthusiasts to learn some makeup tips from the city's finest. It's kind of Jimin's baby."

"Oh." Taehyung's insides are prickling with affectionate warmth, and it's almost making him nauseous. "That sounds... awesome."

"It's pretty amazing. Jimin started it a few years ago, and it's definitely grown since then," Hope tells him. "And since Jimin's mom works at a makeup counter, she can get us these samples to give out for everybody to keep."

Taehyung just nods, and Hope leaves him with a blinding grin, hustling off to set up the samples in front of each mirror. He takes a look around, at Hope carefully positioning the little bottles and compacts, at Namjoon setting up a beverage station nearby, at Jin ferrying drinks from the bar to the few attendees who have already showed up, at Yoongi queuing up a playlist on the sound system, and at Jungkook rushing to the door to grab the boxes from both Jimin and his mom with ridiculous ease, and Taehyung is undeniably, overwhelmingly fond.

His eyes find Jimin then, who is a little sweaty from unloading boxes, a little pinched in the face as he listens to his mother, a little beautiful in his bare-faced glory, and he feels the strangest swell of emotion in his chest.

"Hey, Tae!" Jimin shouts from across the room, motioning him over. Taehyung jogs over lightly, eager for something to do. "Are you free today?"

"Yeah," Taehyung says, immediately whipping out his phone to text the Dentist's office that no, he cannot confirm his appointment today. "Nothing on the calendar. Why?"

"Do you think you could help film the workshop? So that I can put it up online for everybody who can't make it in person?" Jimin asks, dabbing gently at his shining forehead.

"Of course," he responds without hesitation.

"Great!" Jimin says brightly, handing him the camera. "Uh, we already have a camera set up on just me to capture the actual makeup stuff, so if you could just get some wide shots and some footage of everyone else. Don't worry, they've consented."

"O... kay," Taehyung agree in slight wonder, not missing the look that Ms. Park gives him as Jimin claps his shoulder with a fond smile and hustles away to Yoongi, who is flagging him down.

Taehyung looks down at the camera, fumbling with it slightly before locating the 'record' button. Ms. Park sidles up next to him, sighing fondly as she takes in the bustling scene before her eyes.

"Sometimes I wonder how I raised such a good kid," she says, entwining her arm with Taehyung's. "I don't know where he got it from, but it definitely wasn't me."

Taehyung gives a little hiss of disagreement as he raises the camera shoulder-height and tries to set up his shot. "Something tells me that's not true."

"Flatterer," Ms. Park elbows him playfully. "Is it okay if I hang here with you? I want to stick around to watch, but I don't want to be in the way."

"Of course," Taehyung says, both honored and terrified. If he had known this was Jimin's mom from the get-go, he'd have been a fuck of a lot more nervous momflirting with her. "Honestly, I feel like I'm in the way, too," he says sheepishly. "Everybody else here knows what they're doing but I'm kind of new here. Kind of new to... all of it"

"Oh sweetie, that's okay," she assures him, and Taehyung can truly recognize Jimin in her at that moment. Can recognize Minnie in her. "I know my son, and whether you came here 10 years ago or yesterday, you're here now, and you're so, so welcome." She reaches down and squeezes his hand then, and Taehyung has to swallow the lump in his throat.

"I definitely see where he gets it from."

Ms. Park shoots him a shy smile, which he returns, clasping her hand a little tighter as he turns his attention back to the camera. The rest of the room has slowly but surely filled, and Namjoon and Jungkook are passing out waters and coffees to the newcomers.

"Welcome everybody!" Jimin calls from the front, where his own makeup station is set up, and he looks so genuinely thrilled to see everyone and to be doing what he is doing. Taehyung steadies the camera in his hands, brows furrowing in concentration.

He's so charming.

Taehyung has always known that Jimin is charming and had himself nearly been charmed out of his pants the very first night they met. But as he watches him kindly and patiently lead the room of clearly adoring participants, many of whom appear to never have done a full face of makeup before, through a simple but transformative makeup routine, Taehyung's heart gives the most affectionate squeeze.

Ms. Park elbows him gently, peeking over his shoulder. "I think we have enough footage of his lips for now, sweetie," she whispers smugly, and Taehyung startles, quickly adjusting the camera so that it captures the rest of the room.

When the workshop is over and the crowd huddled around Jimin has dwindled then eventually cleared, his friends and Ms. Park start breaking down the temporary setup of the chairs and tables.

Taehyung rushes forward to grab a chair from Ms. Park's arms, clicking his tongue in disapproval. "Why is your rotten son letting you lift things again?" he asks, gesturing at her bandaged wrist.

"You know, he could learn a thing or two from you," Ms. Park sighs, allowing Taehyung to lift the chair from her grip. "I'm glad you're here to be a good influence on him."

"He's pretty good all on his own," Taehyung tells her, gesturing to the jumbled interior of the shop behind them.

"I know he is. I just like to give him a rough time," she says with a gentle smile that is so strikingly like Jimin's. "But I'm still glad you're around. I think it's good for him."

Jimin jogs up them then, looking nervously between them. "Uh, thanks again mom. Can I help you carry anything to the car?" He asks significantly.

"Okay, okay, I can take a hint," she says, rolling her eyes. "I'll leave the rest of the samples here, but I'll get out of your hair." She gives Jimin a firm hug, then pulls back and after a moment of deliberation, leans forward to pull Taehyung into her arms too. "You've got my number, right?"

"Yep!" Taehyung says brightly, waving his phone lightly in the air. "I'll call you next month for pedicures!"

"Bye, mom," Jimin hints again, jogging forward again to open the door for her.

She rolls her eyes but mouths something silently to Jimin, something that looks a lot like 'He's a keeper.'

"BYE, MOM," Jimin says more forcefully this time.

Jimin kind of slumps against the door once she's gone, breathing a relieved breath.

"You good?" Taehyung asks over the clatter of moving chairs and tables.

"Yeah," Jimin confirms, but he sounds tired. "I love her to death, but Lord does she exhaust me."

"Hey, Jimin," Namjoon calls as he slides a bottle of beer down the smooth wood of the bar. "Take a load off. You did awesome shit today." After a moment, a second can follows the first. "You too, Tae."

Jimin stumbles forward towards the bar and pops the cap of the beer with little delay. After his first bracing sip, he looks over his shoulder at Taehyung and jerks his head towards the second beer. "You heard the man. Good work."

Taehyung steps forward and wraps his hands around the cold bottle. "I didn't do shit. You were amazing, though." The silence settles between them as the rest of the guys continue to clean. "Why didn't you tell me about the workshop?"

Jimin shrugs, leaning forward against the bar as his shoe scuffs the ground behind him. "I dunno. Felt like bragging." Then after a second, he adds, "And, you know. You haven't been around as much."

"Yeah... Sorry," Taehyung struggles, feeling caught. "Work got busy."

"That's okay. You're here now," Jimin says, clinking his beer can with Taehyung's. "Hey, do you wanna go somewhere?" he asks suddenly, shifting his beer to one hand. He doesn't wait for an answer before he's grabbing Taehyung's free hand and dragging him across the room. He nabs a six-pack on the way out.

"Wait, where?"

"You'll see," Jimin says as they make their way down the back hall, further than Taehyung's ever been, to the door at the end. Jimin pushes it open, and they step outside into a small alley behind the shop. The air is stagnant and heavy in the closed space between buildings, and Jimin's hand feels warmer than ever in his own.

"Um..." Taehyung says uncertainly, looking around the cramped, dirty alleyway. "Yeah. This is... This is great."

"Not here, dummy," Jimin says, dropping his hand and walking towards a nearby fence and pointing at the roof. "Up there." Then he's shoving the six-pack and his open beer into Taehyung's hands. "Here, hold these."

Taehyung doesn't have a moment to refuse before the beers are clattering in his arms and Jimin is turning around to clamber up the chainlink fence. Once he makes it far enough up, he grabs hold of the side of the roof to steady himself, then plants his feet on top of the fence then pulls his body up onto the roof.

A moment later, his head peeks over the side. "Pass me the beer then get your ass up!"

He's not nearly as graceful as Jimin, but eventually he clambers his way up. Luckily, the surface is surprisingly flat, the slight slope of the shingles not really steep enough to be challenging as he settles down next to Jimin, who is is already laid out across the roof.

"Do you usually drink in high, dangerous places?" Taehyung asks, settling down on the rough shingles beside him and accepting his own beer, which Jimin offers him.

"I gravitate towards roofs," Jimin says simply. "They feel like youth and rebellion. Can't tell you how many times mom yelled at me for climbing up on our roof at night."

"Your mom seems cool," Taehyung says lightly, taking a swig of beer. "And like, mad hot."

"Ew!" Jimin says, shooting him a disgusted look. "You sound like my straight friends from high school."

"Excuse me, I have settled firmly on bisexual," Taehyung asserts vehemently.

"I wouldn't mind settling firmly on a bisexual," Jimin says, cheekily sticking his tongue out of the side of his mouth. "But if by 'hot' you mean 'young' then yeah, mom is young. She had me when she was 17."

"Wow, my mom could technically be your mom's mom," Taehyung marvels, staring up at the sky and taking another swig of beer. "I could be your uncle."

"I sure hope you're not my uncle," Jimin says vaguely but suggestively, and Taehyung fidgets beside him.

"I think I'd like being in your family though. You guys seem pretty cool."

"It's just me and her, really," Jimin tells him, picking at the label of his beer. "I mean, I know there's a dad out there somewhere, but I prefer it the way it is. Just us."

"Really?" Taehyung asks curiously, glancing at Jimin out of the corner of his eye.

"Yeah, I mean she's like, the definition of a supportive parent. Who knows how my dad would have been under the same circumstances. Nah, I'd take my chances with just her any day."

"Hobi said she works at a makeup counter. Is that where you got so good at makeup?"

Jimin shrugs. "It definitely didn't hurt. I used to sneak into her bathroom and play around with her makeup." He gives an incredulous laugh then. "Fuck, I was so bad the first time. Orange eyeshadow all over my lids, the foundation was way too light, and god that color pink was awful on my lips. And of course I left everything a complete mess. I mean, I was a 13 year old boy, a complete disaster. There was no way she didn't know. And I knew she must know, especially when she caught a spare bit of leftover smudged mascara under my eye at dinner that night. But you know what she did?"

"What?" Taehyung asks softly.

"I came back the next week to snoop in her makeup again, and there was a second makeup bag there next to the first. There was a darker foundation, a more neutral eye palette, and a brand new set of brushes. She didn't force the conversation on me, didn't just stand by and watch me struggle. She let me discover myself in my own way and come to her when I was ready. By the end of high school, we were doing our makeup together in the mornings." The sound of cars and distant horns linger in the air as Jimin readjusts slightly on the scratchy roof. "Not everybody has somebody like that."

Taehyung turns on his side then to look at Jimin, and it's uncomfortable as the roughness of the shingles scratches his arms, but it's more than worth it when he sees the gentle yellowing light from the streetlamps illuminating Jimin's profile, softening it and making him almost glow. "Is that why you do the workshop?"

Jimin shrugs. "It's not much, but it's something."

"It's definitely something," Taehyung agrees wholeheartedly, pushing himself up onto one elbow so that he's almost hovering over Jimin, who turns to look at him then. "It's... "

He trails off then, mind snared by the way Jimin's eyes are reflecting starlight.

It's a moment, and not their first, where it would be very easy for them to close the space between them and put an end to the uncertainty. Taehyung thinks that he sees Jimin's eyes flit down to his mouth, then back up to his eyes, and the silence tells him that the wheels in Jimin's mind are turning, too. But something tells him that Jimin's waiting for him to make the move, for him to be completely sure, and after a few moments of tense staring, Jimin sighs as he turns away and gazes up at the sky once more.

"Thanks, Tae," he says quietly, bringing the bottle to his lips again.

And Taehyung is so tempted to say more, or to lean down close and kiss him like he so badly wants to do, but he remembers. Be his friend. He leans back down onto the roof and takes a large swig of his own beer, arm pressed against Jimin's and face turned up towards the stars.

As far as Taehyung's employers know, he does not regularly conduct his daily work in a coffee shop run by drag queens, and he certainly doesn't take a break from his work every 5 minutes to make ridiculous heart eyes at one. He's not sure how they would react if they did know, but he almost finds out one day when he forgets about a scheduled skype meeting until about five minutes before it actually happens.

"I'm dead. I'm actually dead," Taehyung despairs, banging his head against the countertop. "I am fired and dead. This is really the last straw, I'm sure of it. This is not the first incident, Jimin! There was this whole lube fiasco at this conference and-"

"Don't panic. We can make this work." Jimin braces his hands on the bar. He's in full glorious drag today, and his precisely drawn brows are crinkled in thought. After a moment, he snaps his fingers. "Got it. Come here. Bring your laptop."

He leads him to the back room and yanks open the door to the closet of costumes, flinging clothes over his shoulder left and right.

"Hey, uh... I appreciate you trying to help and everything, but I don't think going drag is going to help me in this particular situation."

"No shit," Jimin says with a light-hearted glare. "Namjoon went through an Annie Hall phase, this like, man dressing as a woman dressing in menswear kind of thing, and I think he still has... Aha!"

He pulls out a suit, thrusting it triumphantly over his head, and Taehyung could cry.

"Here, hurry!" Jimin says, striding over to him and tugging at his clothes. Taehyung bats his hands away, scandalized, before realizing that he has zero time to refuse. He wills himself not to get a boner as Jimins tiny hands deftly de-clothe his upper half and sling a dress shirt around his shoulders.

His entire body stiffens under the foreign hand on his waistband.

"WHY MY PANTS? It's a fucking skype meeting! I only have to be professional from the waist up!"

Jimin rolls his eyes and tugs insistently at the elastic. "You're wearing your dad sweats and trashcan sandals! What if you have to stand up, or the computer falls or something?"

He swallows thickly, trying to suppress his arousal as Jimin kneels between his legs and attempts to de-pant him. "I would rather face that hell than this one."

"What hell? Stop being a baby! We have time!"

"Time is not my concern! HEY WATCH THE GOODS. Jesus, will you stop? I'm trying to test my webcam!"

Jimin has managed to work Taehyung's pants all the way down around his knees when Yoongi walks in.

Everybody stops mid-movement, Yoongi's hand still on the doorknob, one of Jimin's hands still bunched in the fabric of Taehyung's sweats, Taehyung's hands hovering over his keyboard.

Yoongi blinks once, twice, three times, then Taehyung watches as his eyes narrow and harden, can feel the accusation in his glare.

"Oh, hey Yoongi!" Taehyung says stiffly, belatedly realizing that his hand is on Jimin's, which is on his upper thigh. He yanks it away, flushing. "Really funny story. This is so not what it looks like."

Jimin scoffs furiously. "Or maybe it's exactly what it looks like. Either way, none of his damn business," he says evenly before tugging down Taehyung's pants again. When Yoongi doesn't make to move, Jimin huffs, "How about some privacy?"

"Jimin..." Yoongi starts, but Jimin cuts him off.

"Later, Yoongi. We're kind of crunched for time."

With a last glare at Taehyung, Yoongi reluctantly retreats, the door clicking shut behind him.

"God he's nosy," Jimin mutters. "Like he's my fuckin' dad or something."

"He's going to kill me," Taehyung despairs, "I'm dead. Between my boss and Yoongi I am a dead man."

Jimin's forehead creases in confusion. "Yoongi? Why Yoongi?"

Taehyung is saved from responding when a Skype request pops up on his screen and his computer starts chiming.

"Go, go!" he hisses at Jimin, who crawls hastily towards the door. Taehyung hurriedly pulls up his sweatpants, figuring it's the better alternative to doing the meeting pantless. Jimin cracks open the door quietly and does a graceful somersault out of the room, before sticking his head back in and blowing an impish kiss to Taehyung, who grins goofily and momentarily forgets the insistent ringing of his computer.

He realizes a few seconds later and hastily clicks the accept button.

"Hello ma'am! Yes of course I remembered. Huh? What wig?" A quick glance over his shoulder. "Oh that wig. It's my mother's. Hmm? Oh, she has alopecia. Uh, yes, she's doing very well, and it's... it's definitely not fatal. Yes, that is also her spandex body suit... That's right, it is great that she is still living a full and active life. I'll certainly tell her. Thank you."

Taehyung is in the process of googling 'how to break up with a beautiful man you might be in love with but aren't actually dating' when the alert for the group chat buzzes to life on his phone.

The Queen's Men

Kook: Guys don't forget Thursday

Kook: we're going to beat the shit out of some bears

Me: um......

Me: the fuck do u have against bears they're basically giant forest dogs

Me: it would be an honor and a privilege to be eaten by a bear

Min Yoongi: fuuuuck. not the bowling league

Me: wait wht

Kook: YES the bowling league! it's the championship!

Kook: all you have to do is show up, get drunk, and watch me destroy the South Side Bears

Me: shut up are you telling me they fucking trained bears to bowl

Me: just when you think god isn't listening

Kook: the players are the bears dipshit. We're the Downtown Twinks

Hobihobi: i'm there! Jin says he's there too.

Min Yoongi: wait, Jin is with you?

Hobihobi: yeah i'm trying his new menu

Hobihobi: he says he asked you if you wanted to come and you said no and you were busy.

Kook: wow can you three get your own fucking chat or like, a hotel room or something?

Min Yoongi: speaking of throwing your friends under the bus, Joon are you going to see Jungkookie bowl?

Kook: bitch

Joon: of course.

Joon: I ordered us t-shirts to show kook our support

Joon: didn't you guys see the info on the Facebook event I created? I invited all of you.

Hobihobi: I only check Facebook every few months to make sure no extended family members have died without my knowledge.

Hobihobi: Jin says he doesn't have a Facebook and you probably found the catfish who uses his photos instead

Min Yoongi: I'm sorry did Jin lose his fingers in a freak kitchen accident and therefore lose the ability to text?

Joon: I was wondering why Jin solicited nudes when I asked for his RSVP via Facebook.

Hobihobi: jin says maybe if you texted him back he wouldn't have to resort to speaking to you through me in the group chat Yoongi.

Kook: ooooooooooooooooooooh

Kook: but seriously guys we're starting a group chat without you bye

New and Improved Group Chat, Exclusive as Fuck

Joon: thanks kook we all needed that

Kook: ^_^

Kook: did you really get shirts made??

Joon: Heh. Yeah.

Kook: uwu

Kook: you're kind of the best

Joon: me??? Naahhhhhhhhhh

Kook: are too

Joon: are not

Kook: are too

Jimin: wow you guys are just as bad we're starting our own chat

Best Group Chat, 95z Only

Jimin: why is everybody around us disgusting

Jimin: Tae??

Jimin: are you in the middle of a marathon coding session again?

Jimin: don't forget to eat

Jimin: you want me to bring food?

Jimin: hey take care of yourself dumbass.

Jimin: Night.

Taehyung changes his mind 4 times before he ultimately decides to go. About an hour before he leaves, he types a quick, "Sorry, phone died while I was wrapped up in a project, see you tonight!"

Once he steps into the bowling alley, it not hard to find where he's supposed to be. A huge crowd has gathered on the two lanes closest to the back, and he's pretty sure he can spot Jimin's ass from here.

Jimin is Minnie tonight. His hair is a shiny black, pulled back in a ponytail, and he's wearing high waisted black skinnies with an adorable bowling shirt knotted up in front. His lips are a dewy pink, and his eyes are glittering and carefully lined. Taehyung feels struck all over again.

"Hey."

Jimin turns around, his face brightening instantly when he sees Taehyung.

"Hey asshole, wasn't sure you'd show. Thought you might stay buried under your mountain of code red bottles and chip bags."

"Needed to get out. Probably won't stay long."

"Oh. Okay," Jimin says agreeably, though his face falls slightly. "Well hey do you want a drink?"

"I dunno if that's..."

Jimin groans, ignoring his impending refusal completely and tugging him towards the bar. "Come ON, loosen up, you've been so tense lately."

Taehyung consciously relaxes his shoulders and allows himself to be led. "Sorry, just... work, you know? I guess I can have one."

When they're back from the bar, drinks in hands, Jimin motions to the empty seat beside him on the bench. Taehyung sits down tentatively, leaving a purposeful gap between their thighs. Jimin quickly closes it, turning to Taehyung and clinking their bottles together as the announcer starts to go over the lineup.

"This is pretty legit," Taehyung remarks as the players step forward in acknowledgement when their names are called. The size difference between the two teams is remarkable.

"It's definitely a thing," Jimin confirms. "Kook looks forward to it all year. Might get a little nuts."

Things are already a little nuts by Taehyung's standards. The sizable crowd is both really into the game and really stinking drunk. Lady Gaga blares over the speakers in between announcements and there is almost as much dancing as there is cheering.

Taehyung tries to pay attention to the game. He really does. But Jimin's thigh is pressed up against his, and there is a very definite, very distracting transfer of body heat happening. And every once in a while, when Jimin laughs, he throws his entire body into Taehyung's lap, clutching him for support. Jimin smells soft and clean and vaguely floral, and Taehyung is utterly entranced.

It's only a flurry of movement that jerks him out of his reverie. Over on the bowling platform, Jungkook is puffed up, spine rigid as he stands almost forehead to forehead with a gigantic, bushy-bearded man. Namjoon is gently tugging at his arm, leaning forward to whisper presumably calming words into his ear. Jungkook shows no sign of backing down.

Jimin rolls his eyes. "God there he goes. I honestly can't watch him when he gets this competitive. Do you wanna go bowl a couple of games on one of the free lanes?"

"What?" Taehyung asks, snapping at once out of his trance.

Jimin giggles, slumping forward onto Taehyung again, and Taehyung can't help but chuckle, too. "We're gonna play. Come on."

Taehyung allows himself to be tugged away, away from the screaming crowd and over to the shoe rental stand where a mustached man blinks thrice when Jimin orders his shoes in a men's size.

"What do you say we make this interesting?" Jimin suggests innocently as he laces up his shoes once they've set themselves up on a lane clear on the other side of the building. His bangs fall into his eyes, but they do nothing to obscure the mischief glimmering there.

"How?" Taehyung asks skeptically, carefully.

"Well, every time one of us gets a spare, the other one has to either drink their entire drink or honestly answer an embarrassing question."

Taehyung chews his lip. "And if we get a strike?"

"One non-negotiable dare."

A current of excitement thrums in Taehyung's stomach, because this is exactly the kind of thing that people do when they want something to happen. It's a terrible idea.

"That sounds like a terrible idea."

Jimin rolls his eyes. "Come on. What happened to the Tae who vowed never again to miss out on an opportunity?"

"He probably wised up and quit before he woke up in a bathtub of ice with one kidney," Taehyung mutters, glancing purposefully away from Jimin, who is currently staring at him with eyes the size of saucers. His gaze flickers back up, and he has to stifle a laugh. "That's not even cute, stop trying to be cute. You look fucking creepy."

"So?" Jimin does not waiver, his eyes and nostrils flaring simultaneously. It's disgusting and adorable.

"So... fucking stop it," Taehyung pouts, trying not to look at him and utterly failing.

"Say yes and I'll stop," he promises, leaning in closer to Taehyung, and it's the proximity rather than the over-the-top attempt at cuteness that does it.

"OH my god. Fine just... go away."

"Yes!" Jimin hisses cheerfully then gestures to himself as he moves towards the ball rack. "I'll go first. Beauty before age."

"Um, you're older," Taehyung says, then catching Jimin's ensuing glare he adds, "And... decidedly more beautiful."

Jimin gives a satisfied little huff as he grabs a mid-sized ball from the rack and shuffles up to the lane, wiggling his rear adorably. He turns then, looking over his shoulder and winking coyly at Taeyhung before he lines up his shot, swings his arm back, and releases.

9 pins go clattering to the back of the lane.

Taehyung balks. "The... fuck?"

"What's wrong, sweetie? Wanna go back on our deal?" he asks innocuously.

"Did you... hustle me?"

Jimin giggles and takes a few steps towards him, cupping Taehyung's cheek tenderly. "Aw. Babe." His thumb brushes over the skin just briefly, and it's a little too intimate to match the tone of his voice. It also sets Taehyung's insides ablaze. "Your face is just begging to be hustled. Now watch me knock out this spare."

Jimin's hand is gone in just a moment, and Taehyung doesn't realize he was leaning into the touch until he stumbles forward slightly. Jimin grabs another ball without hesitation and lines up his shot.

The last pin goes flying, hitting the side of the lane and making a loud thunk. Jimin points back at him, smirking. "Drink, bitch."

Taehyung gropes blindly for his drink, not tearing his gaze away from Jimin, who is flipping his long hair triumphantly. "I think I love you."

"Huh?" Jimin asks distractedly, wiping his hands on his tight jeans, and thank god.

"Nothing, I... burped."

Taehyung spitefully chugs his beer before slamming down the plastic cup, swaggering up to the ball return and grabbing a child's size ball, which ends up three lanes over, having been inches from taking out the fluorescent ceiling light.

It goes like that for a while, Jimin racking up spares, somehow never strikes, Taehyung gulping beer until his stomach feels like it's about to burst.

On his 4th full cup of beer in 30 minutes, he pauses.

"You're the fucking worst, you know that?" Taehyung slurs, sloshing beer down his front.

"Tae, you're going to have to try telling me that again when you can tear your eyes away from my butt for more than a few seconds at a time."

"Huh?" Taehyung asks, tearing his eyes away from Jimin's butt, eye darting upward and face burning like he's been caught. "Just... switch to questions please," he begs, holding in a belch. "No more beer. I'll tell you anything."

"Aw," Jimin coos, running a hand over Taehyung's hair. "If you insist." He appraises Taehyung for a moment before snapping his fingers. "What search terms did you use when you were browsing gay porn?"

Taehyung taps his chin, straining to remember through his beer haze. "I think I started with 'gay butt stuff' and by the end of the night ended up somewhere way deep." He pauses. "Actually, I think 'Somewhere Way Deep" was the name of one of the pornos I watched."

Jimin chuckles delightedly, clapping his hands. "What kind of shit did you end up watching?"

"Excuse you. That sounds like another question to me."

"Twinky rectal fisting," Jimin tries, undeterred. "Cum guzzling bears. Muscly jock fucks himself on toy as wrinkled hottie jizzes on face."

"First of all, ew. Second of all, can you please write those down for me for no particular reason."

It's Taehyung's turn to bowl now, and 4 beers in, he's not so much aiming as he is praying. Jimin is comfortable by now, lulled into security by Taehyung's consistent gutter balls.

And so it takes them both by surprise when Taehyung swings the ball wildly back, sends it speeding down the alley, and knocks down all 10 pins in one go. The sound of the strike reverberates through the place, and Taehyung slings around to gape at Jimin in disbelief at his own luck.

"What."

"What."

They stare for a moment.

"OH HOW THE TURNTABLES HAVE... wait. That's not right."

"I demand a re-do," Jimin pouts. "You didn't even do it on purpose. That was an act of god."

"His will be done," Taehyung says solemnly, bowing his head and stumbling forward several feet. "Jimin, Jimin, Jimin...... what shall I do with you...."

"Yeah, yeah," Jimin huffs, crossing his arms.

"My friend, payback's a bitch... and so are you." He furrows his eyebrows. "Wait. That's not right, either."

"Okay, just hurry up," Jimin grunts.

"I'm drunk and it's your fault so leave me alone."

"Look, don't drag this out, just fucking do it. It can be anything."

"Anything in the whole world," Taehyung agrees, sounding concerned now, the reality of the situation settling over him.

"Yes," Jimin says, eyes wide to emphasize just how obvious it is. "Anything. So hurry."

"I know, that's the problem!" Taehyung exclaims. "A massive realm of possibilities, and I have to pick one. It's a lot of fucking pressure, okay? I never expected to get this far."

Jimin sighs hard through his nose and then saunters up to Taehyung, sticking a finger through his belt loop and pulling him forward slightly, tipping his face up to look Taehyung in the eye. He licks his lips. "I said... it can be anything," he reiterates, and Taehyung inhales so fast that he chokes on his own spit.

It's about 20 seconds before he can stop coughing, and by that time, Jimin has stepped away, shielding himself from flying spittle.

"So?" Jimin asks when it's silent again.

He scrambles desperately to direct this situation back into safe territory. "Um. I dare you to. Lick Yoongi."

Jimi blinks blanky at him. "That's it?"

"Yes?" Taehyung says uncertainly. "On the forehead."

"That's how you choose to use your dare?" Jimin demands, looking slightly perturbed. "You know I've already licked Yoongi of my own accord, right?"

"I... yes." His brow crinkles in thought. "Wait, no. I did not know that. How did you.... Never mind." Taehyung takes a deep breath. "But yes, it is how I choose to use my dare."

Jimin shrugs, looking unabashedly disappointed. "Fine."

He turns to walk briskly towards the tournament, head whipping back and forth as he tries to locate Yoongi. He disappears into the crowd, and a few moments later, Taehyung hears a strangled yelp. Jimin appears again a second later, booking it away from the crowd and back to Taehyung.

"Done." He points at Taehyung, striding past him to grab a ball again. "My turn. Last ball of the game," Jimin says solemnly, stepping up to bowl his last frame. "This one feels good. Feels right."

And he's not wrong.

"Strike!!" he yelps, pumping his fist in victory, and Taehyung buries his head in his hands. "Finally. I was starting to think I was cursed."

"Be gentle with me," he pleads. "Dares are scary. And nothing with feet please. Or mayonnaise."

Jimin swaggers up to him, looking mischievous and deadly, and pulls Taehyung abruptly to his feet. Taehyung falls forward lightly against him, face aflame.

"Kiss me," he says without hesitation.

Taehyung's mouth pops open as his gaze automatically darts to Jimin's lips. A great electric ball of panic blooms rapidly in his gut as Jimin's perfectly lined eyes flit over his face. "I... what?"

"I'm tired of waiting. So kiss me," Jimin repeats, pulling him lightly closer so that their bodies are flush.

Taehyung is rooted in place, watching in slow motion as Jimin lowers his gaze and slightly parts his lips. His heart pounds in his ears, and it's all he can hear until his own conscience pipes up.

"Uh." Taehyung stumbles half a step back and pushes Jimin away ever so slightly, and it almost physically hurts to do it. "I... No?"

"Oh." Jimin looks instantly hurt, and a little bit afraid. He steps away from Taehyung so fast it's like he's on fire. "Okay."

"I'm sorry," is all Taehyung can think to say.

Jimin's delicately arching eyebrows crumple on his forehead as he looks down and takes another step back. "No, no, I'm sorry. Sorry if I misread like... all of this. I thought you..."

"No, I-... You didn't misread anything," Taehyung assures him, searching for an explanation and ultimately failing. "I just... can't."

Jimin smiles a little bitterly. "Can't."

"Yeah... can't," Taehyung confirms, and the words shred his heart as he says then.

Jimin nods slowly, chewing on his lower lip now. "Well, thanks for having your straight boy crisis before we fucked, I guess. It's usually the other way around."

"No it's not..." Taehyung starts, but he guesses that excuse is as good as any. "I just really like you as a person and I want to... you know... be here for you as a friend."

"Uh thanks? I guess?" Jimin laughs a little, and the sound is thick, like he might cry. Taehyung's instincts are screaming at him to tell the truth, but a small voice, Yoongi's voice, is telling him that this is the right thing to do.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry about not..." He pauses, biting his lip again, and Taehyung thinks that if he starts crying, there's nothing he can do, he'll take it all back in a second. He'll deny everything he just said. "Hey, thank you really. That's not sarcastic. You're a good friend and I appreciate you being honest." He rocks back and forth on his heels a little, and the silence is awkward. It's a first. "Game's over," he says, gesturing at the scoreboard. "Guess I win? I'm gonna go get a drink and try to catch their last game."

"Okay," Taehyung says softly, and he sounds pathetic.

Jimin gives him a soft, forced smile before retreating to the large group of people on the other side of the room, and Taehyung stares after him, swallowing down every loud, painful objection that threatens to come spilling from his lips.

Taehyung flings open the front door to Jin's apartment, slamming it behind him as he launches himself onto the soft couch. A few throw pillows go flying upon impact.

"WHY are you always at my house?" Jin demands from the kitchen, where he is currently washing dishes.

"Why is Yoongi always at your house?" Taehyung shoots back, throwing a glare at Yoongi who is seated on one of the bar stools at the island.

"Because I'm sucking his dick," Yoongi says without a hint of shame, not even bothering to look up from his phone.

"Oh so we're not just like hiding that like a shameful family secret anymore?" Taehyung asks, unamused.

Yoongi's eyes crinkle into a forced, fake laugh. "Funny."

"Seriously though," Jin continues, setting a clean dish into the dish rack. "Why are you here? You okay?"

Taehyung buries the lower part of his face in a pillow and pouts against the fabric. "No."

Jin tosses the dish towel onto the counter and takes a step closer to the living room. "Why? What's up?"

Taehyung shoots a quick glare at Yoongi, who sighs heavily and grunts, "I can leave if you want."

"No, it's fine," Taehyung assures him cooly, "I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that I just straight out rejected my actual soulmate."

"Don't be dramatic," Yoongi groans.

"Did Jimin say something to you?" Jin insists, ignoring Yoongi. "When? Just now at the tournament?"

"At the bowling alley," Taehyung mumbles into the pillow. "He asked me to kiss him, and I told him I couldn't. He thinks I'm having a straight boy crisis."

"Are you... Are you having a straight boy crisis?" Jin asks as kindly as he is able, hands moving to his hips.

"No," Taehyung says, and his throat feels tight. "Not even a little. I super want to gay kiss and gay marry him."

"Then why?' Jin asks genuinely, and Taehyung's eyes dark to Yoongi once more, who looks guilty. It strikes him that Jin probably doesn't know. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened," Taehyung despairing as he drags his eyes away from Yoongi, the sound of his words still muffled by the pillow. "That's the goddamn point."

Jin raises his eyebrows, his chin retracting into his neck as he reaches for his cup of tea on the counter. "Um excuse you, don't fucking sass me, Kim Taehyung."

"You're not my real dad!" Taehyung shoots back at him, but he instantly deflates when Jin shoots him a Look. "Sorry. You sounded like your dad when you said that. Reflex. But I really don't want to talk about it."

Jin sighs heavily. "Fine. Whatever. We're going to bed."

Taehyung makes a disgusted face. "Oh, we."

"Shut up," Jin scolds him. "And if you're going to sleep on my couch, at least keep your pants on."

"No promises," Taehyung mumbles grumpily.

"I'm actually going to need you to promise. Like, right now before I leave this room."

"Prude. Whatever happened to open-toed shoes and group sex?" Taehyung grunts into his pillow, grabbing a throw blanket from the top of the couch and shaking it out to settle around his legs.

"Believe it or not, my desire to see your dick has no correlation with my willingness to expose my toes," Jin says deadpan. Surprisingly though, he doesn't go straight back to his room but instead heads towards the couch, where he holds Taehyung's head in place and places a gentle kiss to it.

"What are you doing?" Taehyung demands as he furiously rubs at the place on his head where Jin's lips had touched.

"I'm being affectionate, dipshit," Jin snaps at him, tossing a throw pillow at his face as he disappears down the hall.

"Love you," Taehyung whispers into the pillow, far too quietly for Jin to hear.

"Love you, too," Jin whispers back, despite that.

Taehyung bundles the blanket up around his neck as he is prone to do, and he falls into a fitful sleep thinking about what a fucking idiot he is.

After what seems like a moment but was probably much longer, his eyes flutter open and he is yanked from sleep at the sound of a bang. He realizes after a few moments of careful deduction that it's Jin's door, and not a second later, he feels the breeze from Yoongi whooshing past him, out the front door.

That wakes him up, because the air that Yoongi leaves behind him is staticky and tense, causing the hairs on his arms to stand on end. He's groggy as he rubs the sleep from his eyes, dragging his blanket over his shoulders as he first checks the front door then heads back to Jin's room, where the door is still standing open, the room within quiet.

Taehyung tiptoes inside and sees Jin sprawled on his back, staring at the ceiling, half clothed.

"Hey Tae," Jin greets him as Taeyhyung moves to take a seat on his bed.

"You okay?" Taehyung asks softly.

"Fine," Jin says evenly. "Is Yoongi gone?"

"Uh, yeah," Taehyung confirms. "He left a second ago."

"Ah."

"What happened?" Taehyung asks lightly, laying down beside Jin.

"We had sex," Jin answers simply.

"O..kay. And?"

"And I think the Hope thing happened again."

"Huh?"

"He realized I was in love with him," Jin mutters to the ceiling more than to Taehyung. "So he left."

Taehyung just gapes at his handsome profile for a moment. "Oh."

"After... When he got weird, we fought about you, too," Jin reveals quietly. "You and Jimin."

"I'm sorry," Taehyung says, snuggling into his side.

"It's not your fault," Jin assures him, tilting his head to look at Taehyung then. "Hey why didn't you tell me what he said to you about Jimin? I would have kicked his fucking ass."

"I didn't want you to kick his ass," Taehyung responds quietly. "He was just looking out for Jimin."

"Still," Jin persists, "Woulda done it."

"Thanks I guess," Taehyung sighs contentedly into Jin's shoulder.

They are quiet for several minutes, just breathing and staring at the ceiling.

"He's in love with Hope," Jin says quietly after a while. "I know... he said he doesn't do the romance thing but... I think he is. In his way."

Taehyung doesn't deny it, just snuggles closer to Jin's side. "In all fairness, I think he kinda loves you, too."

"No, I was the rebound. He and Hope are good together," Jin says, staring at the ceiling once more. "I see why he loves her. I think it'd be really easy to love her."

"Are you sure you're not all just... kinda in love with each other?" Taehyung says cautiously, trying to get a read on Jin's blank face.

Jin clicks his tongue. "What kind of a dumb fucking question is that?"

Taehyung instantly raises his hands in surrender. "It's a valid fucking question, especially considering the way you and Yoongi met."

"Oh come on," Jin rolls his eyes. "A threesome is totally different than... whatever it is you're talking about."

Taehyung shrugs. "I guess."

Jin exhales hard, his hands coming up to massage his closed eyelids. "I guess our family just isn't meant to be happy in romance."

"Don't say that," Taehyung mumbles, and they're silent for a second. "Hey, you know what we should do? If we both turn 40... and neither of us has found someone, we should just marry each-"

He is silenced by a pillow pressing down on his face, and he can feel Jin leaning his full weight on top of it.

"I WHAZ GIDDINKK," he yelps against the fabric.