There was something going on between Jimin and Jungkook.

Hoseok stared at the man sitting opposite to him at the picnic table, nibbling on a sandwich like a mouse, then glanced to his left where Jungkook was sat, alone, at a separate picnic table.

He wasn't an idiot. They were clearly fighting.

Hoseok began feeling suspicious as soon as Jimin started making up excuses for why Jungkook was always absent when they hung out, and now it was just blatantly obvious.

The two Busan boys were always fighting, and Hoseok would even argue that they enjoyed it. They would always find something stupid to disagree on, and it always spiraled out of control. It had been the same ever since Hoseok first met them. However, they always made up the next day, with Hoseok's help, of course. That was their routine. This time seemed different.

"Okay, what happened?" Hoseok sighed, breaking the silence. It was starting to get incredibly frustrating.

Jimin looked up at him in surprise, almost like he'd completely forgotten about Hoseok's presence. "What do you mean?"

Hoseok grunted. "Whatever you and Jungkook are fighting about this time, I wanna know the whole damn story and don't you dare try and lie to me, I know something's up."

Jimin stopped chewing, eyes scanning Hoseok. He gently placed his food down, back into the plastic packaging. "It's a long story, hyung. You'd think it's stupid."

"It's always stupid!" Hoseok huffs out a short breath. "You two always disagree on the most pointless things. The last I remember, you two almost ended up punching each other over which god-damn Naruto character was the best. So what makes this occasion any worse?"

Jimin pokes his food like a child, going completely silent.

Sometimes Hoseok felt like he was friends with toddlers. Why did he always have the be the damn peace-maker? One day, he was going to teach these damn brats respect.

"If you won't tell me, I'll just hassle Jungkook instead," Hoseok smirks, knowing fully well Jungkook wouldn't tell him shit. Jimin was so much easier to break than the younger man.

Jimin pursed his lips, leaning his chin on one hand. "Oh please. You know as well as I do that Jungkook has a tight upper lip."

"Which is why it would just be easier if you tell me instead." Hoseok grumbled.

Jimin blinked a couple times, hesitantly glancing towards Jungkook's table. He gulped, making Hoseok sigh at the pure dramatics of the whole situation.

"Well..." Jimin started. "Jungkook sort of got into a heated discussion with Seokjin."

"Kim Seokjin?" Hoseok exclaimed, his ears perking up. Out of the three of them, he was the one who loved gossip and drama the most. Who could blame him to be intrigued when the two most boring people in the world, otherwise known as Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook, finally had something interesting to tell him. "Why would they ever fight? Do they even know each other?"

"They didn't until a few days ago," Jimin continued. "Jungkook made a few childish jokes, and Seokjin stood up against Jungkook, and the whole thing just sort of spiraled downwards from there."

"Damn, I didn't see Seokjin as the aggressive type." Hoseok replied, leaning back a little. "Was it hot?"

"You know I hate you, right?"

"The thought occurred."

Jimin hung his head slightly, clearly embarrassed by the conversation. Hoseok wasn't sure if he cared or not. He liked seeing Jimin outside of his usual friendship group.

"He's not aggressive. Actually, he was far from it..." Jimin's speech fades out. "He was stern, and straight to the point. He didn't raise his voice or sound threatening. He was.... defending me."

Jimin had whispered those last few words out, but Hoseok heard them clearly. He nearly gasped out loud, picturing the broad shouldered beauty, looming over a cowering Jungkook, putting the boy in his place. It was an image he wished he could've seen for himself.

"That's... really hot," Hoseok covered his face with one hand, feeling giddy. "So when are you seeing him next?"

Jimin suddenly looked back to him, trying to hide the redness creeping up his neck with his jacket. "You're making it sound like I'm dating him or something."

"Well, if you don't, I sure as hell could use a guy like that in my life," Hoseok chimed at him, giggling slightly.

He notices Jungkook get up from his seat and walk away from the eating area. Oh right, he forgot they were supposed to be talking about Jungkook. It was the damn Kim Seokjin effect.

"Anyway," Hoseok coughs. "You need to talk to your best friend, Jimin. I'm not sure exactly what he said or whatever went down, but I know you both well enough to have a pretty good idea. You're going to have to face this eventually, you're roommates for christ sake! How long do you really think you can keep avoiding him for?"

Jimin stayed silent, lowering his head so his fringe fell in his eyes.

Hoseok hated being given the silent treatment. "Fine! Keep fighting with him and stay miserable. See if I care," Hoseok crossed his arms against his chest. "If you don't like your roommate, then give him to me. I've been thinking of looking for a new one, so this'll work out perfectly for me."

"What's wrong with Daniel? I thought you said he was the ideal roommate."

"That was until he started bringing home four girls at once. And not quiet ones either. How am I supposed to get any beauty sleep with them humping like wild animals all night? Plus it makes me look like a total loser for never bringing back anyone myself."

"Why is everything a challenge to you?"

"Because it makes me feel superior for once."

"Maybe if you actually had sex appeal you wouldn't feel so threatened."

"Like you're one to talk. I don't see anyone throwing themselves at you these days."

"Leave me out of your petty drama."

"You started it."

"For once in your life, please just shut up, Hoseok."

If Jimin got to choose another life, he would've been the confident, brave, charming young man, who could handle multiple responsibilities at once.

And who was also pretty tall. That was probably the most important aspect.

Instead, he was stuck with the shy, introverted, awkward kid, who was all of a sudden handling two majors, multiple assignments for both of those subjects, and a part time job, whilst also being the lead choreographer for an upcoming, highly anticipated show.

And he was still short.

"Jimin, could you please stop daydreaming? We have customers."

His thoughts were immediately interrupted by his supervisor.

Jimin noticed the growing number of people entering the bar he worked at, and quickly bowed his head in apology. "I'm sorry sir! I'll try my best to pay my full attention to my work!"

He scowled before heading off to the staff room, only to slack off like he usually did during his shift. Jimin couldn't help but scoff at the irony.

He blew out a deep breath before returning his attention to serving various customers, pouring them drinks and making recommendations. He had only started working here a month ago, since his bank account was starting to look a little sparse recently. He didn't like working during term time, but he hadn't really earned enough from his summer job to last him till Christmas, and there was no chance of his parents lending him any cash.

His phone in his back pocket vibrated, so Jimin sneakily took a peak, hoping none of his supervisors or coworkers would notice.

what time does ur shift end? i wanna talk 2 u

It was Jungkook.

Jimin still hadn't spoken to him about the fight, and wasn't planning to anytime soon. They had successfully avoided each other, having little to no interactions at all. Jimin was still beyond pissed off, and a part of him enjoyed making the younger man suffer from his silent treatment. He was a petty son-of-a-bitch when he wanted to be, and there was no way he would be the one to break the silence, since he never did anything wrong in the first place.

He wished Hoseok hadn't brought it up earlier. He was doing a pretty good job at avoiding Jungkook.

stop ignoring me

and stop leaving me on read u asswipe

please??

hyung

Jimin was waiting for him to pull the hyung card. He would only ever call Jimin hyung when he had given up the fight. In other words, Jimin was the ultimate winner.

my shift ends in 2 hours. u better have a damn apology ready or im kicking u out for good

He quickly types out his response before shoving the phone back into his pocket. He already knew that he would forgive Jungkook, regardless of how well he apologised or not. The kid had a special spot in his heart, and like all best friends, you end up forgiving them no matter what.

But he wasn't lying about kicking him out. That much was true.

Jimin looked around the bar, eyeing up all the people who sat and were chatting it up with their friends, thinking about how lucky he was to get a job here. The bar was fairly close by to his apartment, so he didn't ever have to worry about transport, and the people who came here were your typical nerdy groups of science majors, who didn't drink much and just wanted a place to sit and converse about Star Trek. No one here would know him, and that delighted Jimin.

Each clique had there own places to go, and had claimed their spots in town. The performance majors were much further away. Jimin didn't want to work at a bar where he would have to serve and pretend to be nice to all those stuck-up jerks who would look down on him and complain about how tough their lives were. Oh boo hoo, poor little rich kids. He got enough of that during the day, he didn't need it after classes as well.

It gave him a chance to just relax and forget about his daily life, and push the looming thoughts of projects and shows and beautiful men calling his dancing mind-blowing and staring at him with big golden eyes to the back of his mind.

Here, he could just breathe for once.

"This beer tastes like piss. Did you spit in it, kid?"

Jimin stares at the angry looking customer. He was much older, clearly not a student from their university. Why would a guy like this be going to a student bar? Some people are strange.

"I'm sorry if your beer tasted that way, but I didn't spit in it," Jimin answered as politely as he could. He hadn't even been the bartender to serve this douche, why did he have to deal with all the shitty customers? Was he a damn magnet? "Would you like a refill on the house as an apology?"

"Sure," the asshole grunts. "But I'm watching you this time."

Jimin suppressed his scowl and covered it up with a forced smile, turning towards the tap and filling up the glass with beer. He was tempted to spit in it just to spite the bastard, but the guy was watching him like a hawk. Asshole.

"Here you go," Jimin passes it to him, and the guy just grabs it and takes off, not even bothering to thank him.

One day, Jimin will spit directly in his face, and not bother to aim for the glass. The mental image made him feel a little less angry.

He glanced towards the back of the bar, spotting Hoseok on his phone. He had insisted on coming tonight, since he hadn't had the chance to check out the bar yet. Jimin knew that he would hate it hear, and of course, he was right. The scowl on Hoseok's face proves it, as he furiously taps his phone, most likely playing some stupid game to make the time pass. Why couldn't he just go home? He was just glad he wasn't bothering him tonight.

"I'm looking for a new roommate, remember? This place is filled with nerds who don't get out much, sounds like the perfect place to find a potential candidate." Hoseok said earlier, when Jimin had asked why why he wanted to come tonight.

As far as Jimin had seen, the older man hadn't spoken to a single person so far. He just sat there and observed. He really should just go home.

The door opened again, bringing in more customers. It was a pretty busy Friday night, even busier than usual, and he was getting some nice tips from the more generous customers this evening, especially if he winked and sucked up to a few of them. Another two hours and he would be free.

He started wondering what he was going to eat for dinner that night, debating on if he should attempt to cook a meal or be his usual lazy self and just pick up a take out meal on his way back, partly just to taunt Jungkook and eat the food right in front of his apologetic face, when he froze.

Before he could register what he saw, he jumped down behind the counter to hide his face.

Did he just see Kim Seokjin walking in?

Surely he must've been seeing things. Kim Seokjin would never be caught dead in a place like this. He would certainly never willingly set foot in a bar for people who probably have giant anime girl body-pillows and care about the political troubles of their TV show universe than their actual countries. To say the least, this was not Kim Seokjin's crowd. It must've been a look-alike.

Jimin slowly glanced over the top of the counter to look at the table again.

Fuck.

It really is him.

He was sat directly opposite a guy holding out his Nintendo, with Seokjin glancing at the screen amusingly.

Of all the fucking bars he had to go to.

Jimin wasn't exactly avoiding Seokjin, he just didn't want to be seen outside of campus. For some reason, he found it incredibly humiliating, especially since Seokjin was the son of a famous CEO, meaning he was richer than any of the other stuck-up brats he knew. Jimin had only known that from the research he had done. Oh God, that made him sound like a stalker.

He wasn't ashamed of working part time, but he couldn't handle the thought of Seokjin seeing him like this. Would he judge him like all the other snobs? Even if he acted nice to his face, Seokjin could still be thinking otherwise.

"Jimin? Are you okay down there?"

He looked up at his coworker, Minji, looking down at him with a concerned expression.

Jimin paused. How would he explain this one?

"My legs are hurting after all the practice," Jimin replies, feeling his face heat up. "Just give me a minute."

"Um, okay," She says, still looking confused. She was a sweet girl, really. But very perceptive. "Also, your friend just told me that he was going to head out soon."

At least there was some good news.

But wait, if Hoseok were to get up and leave, would Seokjin notice him? The actor seemed like the type to greet everyone, and Hoseok would surely snitch and tell him how Jimin worked here. His mind came up with endless possibilities as it always did, and Jimin felt the panic rise in his throat. He couldn't let that happen.

Jimin took a deep breath to calm himself down, before going through his different options in his head.

First option, he could pretend to be someone else. Jimin knew where a pair of scissors were kept in the staff room, he could easily cut all his hair off, draw on a moustache, change his name, fake an accent, and have them all fooled. Except, he wasn't keen on the idea of cutting off his blonde locks, and he wasn't entirely sure that neither Seokjin or Hoseok would fall for the trick.

Second option, he could tell Minji he was feeling sick, get permission to end his shift early, then sneak out undetected. The place was crowded, and if he could just get out from behind the bar without being seen, he had a clear path to the door. But Seokjin was placed directly opposite the bar, and Hoseok was sat next to the exit, so it was likely he would get caught.

Or lastly, he could just grow a pair and continue working, hoping that neither of them approach him.

So far, the second option seemed to he the most appealing to Jimin.

"Minji?" Jimin quietly uttered, gaining her attention. "Can I ask a favour?"

"Yeah, of course," She said."

"Could you tell hyung that I'm feeling sick and I had to go home? Like, immediately?" Jimin asked, half smiling at her.

She raised an eyebrow. "You don't seem that unwell to me."

Jimin started coughing harshly. "It's really bad. I have asthma and I forgot my inhaler."

He felt bad for lying, but he'd rather be a liar than look like a clown in front of Seokjin and Hoseok.

"Oh my god! That's terrible!" Minji's voice and expression looked as though she believed Jimin. "Okay, I'll tell him you had an emergency."

"Thank you," Jimin wheezed out, making sure to cough a few more times. This acting thing wasn't that hard after all. If he wasn't such a scaredy cat maybe he could've been an actor in another life. Maybe he could've been a confident handsome actor who is loved by everyone and is seemingly perfect in every way.

Whilst Minji went searching for their supervisor, Jimin started carefully sneaking around the bar, plotting his exact route to escape. There were a few people walking towards the exit slowly, in a large group as well. This couldn't be more perfect.

Maybe the gods didn't hate him after all.

He quickly stood up and hid behind them, glancing in Seokjin's direction, who was still conversing with the guys on the table. Good, he hadn't been detected. He could probably sneak past him with this group. His only other worry was if Hoseok looked up from his phone, he would instantly spot Jimin leaving. There was no doubt that Hoseok would demand to know where he was going, and completely blow his cover. He just had to pray whatever game it was that had Hoseok occupied was extremely attention demanding.

The group chatted loudly, heading towards the exit. Jimin hovered near them, not so subtlety checking on both Seokjin and Hoseok.

"Isn't it a little early to leave? I feel like another glass," one of the girls suddenly said, stopping in her tracks.

Oh no.

"Let's stay a little longer!"

Oh fuck.

It didn't take long for the group to start heading straight back to their table, right next to Seokjin's.

Shit. At this rate he was going to be spotted.

He was heading right towards him. Should he go back to hiding behind the counter? He could potentially get back uncover cover and think of another plan. Option number one was still on the table, Jimin considered carefully, thinking about how quickly he could chop off his hair and draw a convincing beard and moustache, and which accent would be the most believable.

"Jimin?"

Maybe he wouldn't get the chance after all.

Seokjin was staring directly at him, wide eyes and blinking quickly. "What are you doing here?"

That's what I have been wanting to ask you, mother fucker, Jimin thought.

Seokjin titled his head. "Do you work here?"

"Me?" Jimin scratched his head. "Pffft. No way! I'm just here to.... um, I'm just passing by."

Jimin knew his lie sounded like total bullshit. If he was in Seokjin's position, he wouldn't have believed him either.

"Then why are you wearing a name tag?"

Jimin blinks, trying to come up with a quick explanation. "I was working at, um, some place else before I came here?" He wanted to laugh at how bad he was at lying, knowing how idiotic he must've looked right now.

"The supervisor said that you could go, Jimin. Don't worry, I took care of it." Minji appeared next to him, smiling brightly like she hadn't just exposed Jimin's lie red-handed.

Seokjin half smiled, raising an eyebrow directly at Jimin.

Clenching his sweaty fists, Jimin turned to the oblivious coworker. "Thank you, Minji, but that won't be necessary anymore."

Minji's bright smile disappeared. "But you said it was an emergency! And now you've stopped coughing? I thought you said you had asthma?"

Jimin shifted his weight on his feet. Why does he always get himself into situations like this? He's such a terrible liar, yet always lies to get himself out of tough places. It always comes back to bite him in the ass, eventually.

"Don't worry, Jimin's absolutely fine."

Jimin turned his head to Seokjin, who's smile had turned into a knowing smirk.

"It's Minji, right?" He continued, beaming at Jimin's coworker. "My friend here left his inhaler with me this afternoon, so it's incredibly lucky that we bumped into each other this evening." He reached into his jacket and pulled out an inhaler, almost making Jimin's eyes jump out of their sockets.

Where did he get an inhaler from? Was he really a damn sorcerer like his character?

"Oh! That is very lucky!" Minji giggled, probably infatuated with Seokjin's charm already. Jimin wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

Seokjin chuckles, gently patting Jimin's arm. "Try to be more careful from now on."

And then the fucker winked at Jimin, making him ten times more embarrassed than he already was.

Jimin quickly scurried back to behind the counter, turning away from the man staring at him with amusement. He thought he heard a faint chuckle, most likely coming from Seokjin. He just had to get through another two hours, then he could go outside and hopefully get hit by a bus to end his life long suffering.

"Hey Jimin, did you get my message?" Another voice called out to him. "I told your colleague to let you know I was leaving."

Oh for fuck sake. He forgot about Hoseok. He was too busy pondering about the probability of Seokjin having super powers to remember that his red haired friend was also another problem he had to worry about.

He turned back around to see his friend staring at Seokjin, eyes wide with surprise.

"Kim Seokjin?" He voiced, pointing at him. "What are you doing here?"

Seokjin smiles, lips forming a cute pout as he spoke. "I'm here to buy a limited edition version of Pokemon green from my friend over here." He gestured towards the man sat next to him, looking confusingly at the three men stood up.

Huh. So he's a gamer as well.

Yet another surprising detail about Kim Seokjin.

"You were leaving, weren't you?" Jimin said sweetly, forcing himself to smile at Hoseok.

Seokjin stands up. "Leaving?" He looks disappointed. "Let me buy you a drink."

Jimin's eye twitches.

"I don't know, I'm not the best drinker," Hoseok half laughs, scratching his neck.

"Oh come on, lets stay and chat!" Seokjin playfully pokes his forehead, like they've known each other for years. "Come on, let's catch up!"

Hoseok looks at Jimin, who sends him a look of say no, god dammit. Hoseok smiles, and turns back to Seokjin.

"Sure! Lets catch up!"

Hoseok lay his head on the counter, seemingly passed out. He started to dribble and Jimin felt himself sigh heavily.

He knew this would happen.

Hoseok hadn't been lying when he said he isn't the best drinker. Give the guy one drink and he's practically wobbling and slurring immediately. And Seokjin just had to buy him two drinks at that, so obviously, the next step was for the man was to collapse.

Jimin's gonna have to be the one to take him home as well, and the man was heavier than he looked.

Seokjin chuckled at the sight of Hoseok dribbling, clutching the glass in his hand. He and Hoseok had sat on the stools in front of the bar, only to further humiliate Jimin. They had been chatting for a while about various topics, such as Hoseok's dance, Seokjin's acting, but went on to talk about plenty of other things Jimin wasn't entirely sure he understood. It seemed that both men shared a very similar sense of humour.

That was until Hoseok finally started sipping on his drink.

"Maybe two drinks was a bit too much for him," Seokjin giggled.

No shit, Jimin wanted to say. He was annoyed at Seokjin. Annoyed because he had caught Jimin trying to escape. Annoyed that he had so easily got him out of trouble with Minji. Annoyed that he and Hoseok decided to stay and keep each other company. Annoyed that they had both ignored Jimin the entire time.

The bar was close to closing, only twenty minutes left, and it was starting to get empty. Jimin wiped a spot on the counter with an old cloth, feeling Seokjin's gaze land on him.

"So," Seokjin started. "What was that about earlier?"

Jimin paused. "You mean the asthma thing?"

Seokjin nodded.

Jimin opened his mouth and closed it, unsure what to say. He was hoping Seokjin wouldn't bring it up. But of course he would.

"Why didn't you want me to know you worked here?" He sounded concerned, and not at all humorous.

"I guess I just... panicked?" Jimin squeaked, feeling incredibly small.

Seokjin hummed, sipping his drink. "You seem to panic a lot." He placed the drink back down. "Do I make you nervous?"

Jimin wanted him to stop asking these questions. They made him feel even worse about himself than he already did. It was bad enough thinking these things daily, but when Kim Seokjin was the one questioning him, it somehow made them all feel a lot more aching.

"Sorry, I'm probably making you feel uncomfortable right now. Even me just being here, I can understand why you would get worked up over it." Seokjin turned his head, looking away. "I'll leave if you want."

He begins to stand up.

"Wait," Jimin says before he can stop himself. Seokjin halts, looking at him. "It's not your fault. I just... don't know how to act around you. You're Kim Seokjin. And I'm Park Jimin. Don't you see how weird it is for us to be talking? For us to even know each other?"

Jimin could still see the distance between them, the invisible line drawn between the two. Both worlds apart, both far away from each other, never supposed to clash. Wasn't all this weird to Seokjin like it was weird to Jimin?

Seokjin frowns slightly. "I don't know if I understand what you're saying. Yes, I'm Kim Seokjin, and you're Park Jimin. What does that have to do with anything?" Seokjin leans forward and stares straight into Jimin eyes. "Act as yourself around me. Your true self."

Does Seokjin really see them on equal grounding? Jimin almost laughed at the thought, that someone with the pure talent and experience as Seokjin thinking that Jimin deserved to be seen as an equal. But it makes his blood start pumping and prickling under his skin.

"I'm sorry I lied to you," Jimin says quietly. "Like I said, sometimes I panic and over think things and the first thing that came to my mind was to deny everything and lie straight to your face, so for that I'm sorry. I really made myself look like an idiot, yet again."

Seokjin huffs out a laugh, not seeming bothered by it at all. He leans his head in the palm of his hand, "You know, I'm starting to think lying is contagious. One lie leads to another, then another, and before you know it, there's an epidemic on our hands."

Jimin nods his head, understanding his words fully. Seokjin somehow always managed to have the right words and summed up Jimin's problem completely.

"You even made me lie tonight as well," Seokjin tutted, shaking his head in disapproval. "If it weren't for me your colleague would've caught your lie red-handed. Luckily, I was there to save the day. I guess you could call me Prince Charming."

Jimin groaned as the older man winked at him. He was a lot more similar to Jungkook than Jimin had realised, not sure if that was a good or bad thing yet.

"Why do you even have an inhaler on you anyway?" Jimin asks, a small smirk appearing at the corners of his mouth. "I was beginning to consider the idea of you being a real-life sorcerer."

That seemed to please Seokjin, as his face displayed a full blown grin in response, practically setting Jimin on fire. "I used to have really bad asthma as a child." He pulls the inhaler out of his pocket and places it on the counter. "It's a lot better than it used to be but I still need it occasionally."

The images of Seokjin as a child, playing with his inhaler just as Seokjin was doing right now coated Jimin's mind sweetly.

What Seokjin says next almost knocks the wind out of his body.

"I don't like lying to people, under any circumstance. So I expect some sort of payment for saving your ass back there. Come with me to a party tomorrow."

Jimin isn't sure if Seokjin is joking or not. He is staring at Jimin playfully, but his tone is suggesting otherwise.

"A party?" He exclaims, looking hesitant.

"Well, it's kind of a party, but its being thrown by theatre majors, so it probably isn't like the frat parties you might expect. I personally consider it more of a social gathering," He explains. "Usually only theatre majors are allowed, but I doubt they'd say no to me."

His utter confidence almost made Jimin smile, like he knew that he could have his way no matter what. Jimin envied him a little.

But this so-called 'social gathering' still didn't seem too appealing to Jimin. Being stuck in a house filled with people whom he despised the most didn't sound like the ideal Saturday night to him, especially when he could spend it cuddled up on the couch watching reruns of Bob's Burgers instead.

"I'm sure you'd enjoy it. The people there aren't snobby. They're pretty cool and chill, and Taehyung will be there too."

Jimin looked up at the mention of Taehyung, who had had grown a liking to recently. As far as theatre students go, Kim Taehyung wasn't terrible. In fact, he was actually pretty cool, and quite a nice guy. He usually hung out with some of the douches that Jimin heavily disliked, but Jimin got the sense that he's mostly a lone wolf, despite his rising fame and popularity on campus. Kind of like himself.

Jimin rolls his sleeves up carefully and leaned both arms onto the counter. Seokjin was looking at him with those bright eyes again, the golden hues bright and expectant. He was weighing out the pros and cons in his mind, the pros being a hopefully fun night out, free drinks, and the company of Seokjin and Taehyung, whom he had grown a liking to recently. The cons being a party full of strangers who would no doubt be wondering why a nobody like him was there, and with Kim Seokjin of all people.

He doesn't get the chance to start over analysing things like he usually does, as his mind goes blank when he looks into Seokjin's eyes. They're warm, and asking him to come.

Why is Jimin such a sucker for warm eyes? They will be the death of him some day.

"I have one condition," Jimin whispers without thinking.

Seokjin's eyes light up, sitting himself properly in his chair. "I'm listening?"

"Hoseok has to come too," Jimin says. He looks directly at the sleeping man, still drooling everywhere and completely intoxicated. He didn't want to be in a place full of snobs alone. At least with Hoseok there, he might have a semi-fun time. The man always managed to make the most boring and mundane events lively.

Seokjin hums, the smile on his face only growing deeper. "Alright. It's settled then. You and Hoseok will join me tomorrow."

A nervous feeling has spread from Jimin's fingertips to his chest, but he wasn't sure if it was from pure excitement or from a panic he was all too familiar with.

"Keep moving, you oaf!"

Jimin attempted to heave Hoseok towards their apartment whilst simultaneously trying to find his keys in his pocket. He was expecting some seriously good karma for dragging Hoseok's heavy and half unconscious body from the bar to his place, and an endless supply of fried chicken from the man leaning on his shoulder.

Luckily, Seokjin helped half the way.

Unluckily, Seokjin was equally just as weak as Jimin. So both men struggled pulling the red haired man along.

Seokjin had found the whole ordeal rather amusing, laughing the entire way. Jimin on the other hand, being the one Hoseok continued to drool on, didn't find it quite as amusing. But Seokjin's squeaky laughter did cause a smile to stretch onto his lips.

He had offered to help bring him the whole way, but Jimin quickly refused his help, not wanting to come across as completely incompetent to his hyung. Seokjin had insisted a couple times but Jimin wouldn't let him, putting his foot down in the matter. Both physically and verbally.

Part of the reason why Jimin hadn't wanted Seokjin to help was a feeling of embarrassment. He was sure Seokjin probably lived in some incredibly posh and fancy apartment, and Jimin wasn't keen on the idea of Seokjin witnessing their rather unimpressive and lackluster apartment in comparison.

After Seokjin eventually left them, whilst still insisting to help the whole way - considering he was the one responsible for Hoseok's current state - Jimin somehow managed to single handedly carry Hoseok back to his place. He knew that Hoseok wouldn't be in any right state of mind to travel back to his own apartment in his condition, and probably wouldn't even be able to get the key in the lock. Jimin truly was the best friend any one could ask for, especially after Hoseok nearly vomited all over him only minutes ago.

After Jimin eventually got the door open, he pulled the man into the building without caring much for his injuries. He spotted Jungkook sat on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate, staring at them with confusion as Jimin dumped Hoseok onto the carpet.

Jungkook sighed. "Drinking?"

"You guessed it."

The boy chuckled, quickly getting himself off the couch and helping Jimin place him comfortably where he had previously been sat.

Hoseok immediately fell asleep, soon followed by a soft snoring and continued dribbling. Jimin was going to make him clean the whole damn place in the morning as punishment, and maybe throw in a nice massage as payment as well. His back was certainly killing him, it could do with a little love and care.

"How many drinks?" Jungkook nudged jimin's shoulder with his own, earning a wince from the shorter man.

"Two."

"Christ. Should've made him stop at one."

The way Jungkook is looking at Hoseok with his cute bunny grin reminded Jimin how much he missed seeing him around the past week. It put him at ease for once.

Jimin took a deep breath, remembering the texts he had received from him earlier. They needed to talk, and Jimin had completely forgotten. Kim Seokjin had once again distracted him, making all other worries and priorities in his mind fly completely out the window.

"Jungkook." Jimin's voice changed. He noticed Jungkook's shoulders tense up automatically. "We need to talk."

"Yeah," He responds, going to sit on the very edge of the couch, trying his best not to disturb the sleeping Hoseok right next to him.

Jimin stood in front of him, gathering his thoughts. Should he speak first? He was eager to get an apology from Jungkook, and also an explanation now that he was thinking about it, but now that they are both here, it feels incredibly awkward, with neither one of them taking the initiative to talk first.

Jimin straightens his back, clearing his throat. "So, Jungk-"

"I'm sorry, hyung."

Jimin's eyes open wide. He partly expected a bit more of a struggle before Jungkook apologised so directly; maybe a little more arguing and some snarky comments beforehand. That was what Jungkook was like. He always had a great difficulty apologising.

"Look, I know I acted like a complete dick to you, I know I was out of order, and you had every right to be pissed off, but I never thought you would actually get hurt by what I said," He continues when Jimin remains silent. "If I had known, I wouldn't have said anything."

All of a sudden, Jimin feels his walls go up again. He tries telling himself that Jungkook is just trying to explain everything and clearly wasn't aware of how hurtful his words and actions were, but it didn't help.

"But why didn't you know?"

Jungkook looks up at him, surprised.

"Why didn't you know how it would make me feel if you've done this to me on countless occasions? You always belittle me, Jungkook, and this wasn't the first time you've done this," Jimin raises his voice a little. "Why didn't you learn after every other time that isn't how you're supposed to treat your friends? I hate it when you look down on me, and call me names, and embarrass me on purpose. I hate it so fucking much, but you still do it. It's not funny. It was never  funny. I have never done that to you, so the least I expect from you is for you to treat me the same."

Jungkook's expression makes him look like Jimin had just slapped him the the face. "If you really hated it that much, then why did you never tell me?" He stands up, quick to defend himself. "How the hell was I supposed to know that if you don't ever tell me?"

Jimin feels his ears grow hot rapidly, blood pumping from the argument. He felt like his voice would start wobbling soon, as it usually did whenever he faced confrontation. He wanted to cry, to scream, to shout at everyone and everything. God, why did he have to be so useless.

"I didn't want to upset you," He says quietly, trying to mask the quiver in his voice.

The look on Jungkook's face softened when he heard his voice.

"You've had so many problems in the past, Kook." Jimin pushes his hair out of his face, giving himself a chance to cool down. "You have suffered so much, and you would always take out your pent up frustration on me."

Jimin pictures it all in his head; the time his parents split up. When his grandparents died. When his older brother had told Jungkook he didn't ever want to see him again, and left him for good. When his family got kicked out of their home and had to come stay with Jimin for a while. When he was bullied in school and hadn't told anyone about it, not even Jimin. When he had confessed his love for a senior when he was only sixteen, and then got brutally beaten by him and his friends. And most recently, his classmates at college also picking on him, just like in high school.

Each of these events Jimin had witnessed, and every single time, Jungkook chose him to be his personal punching bag.

"You were hurting so badly, I didn't want to say anything," Jimin continued. "I always thought that maybe next time, you'd learn. Maybe next time, you would've been mature enough to handle things differently, but you never did. And I'm tired of always having to be the one to pick up the pieces."

Jungkook sits back down, going completely silent. A look of guilt, hurt and confusion washes over his face. "I never meant to hurt you. Fuck, why didn't I see it sooner? I'm such a fucking shitty person. I'm so sorry, Jimin."

He was sounding desperate to Jimin, desperate for this to be over and desperate for him to forgive him, so they could go back to being themselves again. It wasn't fair. There was so much Jimin still wanted to say, about the argument with Seokjin, about why he had such a grudge in the first place.

"You can't do this, Jungkook," Jimin says, receiving a confused look. "You can't do this anymore; doing shitty things to me to make yourself feel better when bad things happen. And feeling bad about yourself doesn't make it better either. You need to change."

He nods weakly, looking like he's given up trying to argue back. "You're right. You're absolutely right. How can I make this up to you?"

Thankfully for Jungkook, Jimin wasn't a malicious person, and wasn't expecting much. If this were Hoseok he were dealing with, the evil dancer would dare him to run around campus butt naked, or something similar. Jimin had something else in mind.

He couldn't help but already feel forgiving, especially since he has such a big soft spot for the boy. Sure, he was a total ass and deserved to feel guilty, but Jimin just didn't have the heart to hold onto that kind of grudge.

He didn't want this to ruin their friendship The Busan boys had a much stronger friendship than that.

"First, I want you to apologise to Seokjin as well. He deserves an apology just as much as I do," Jimin starts.

"What?! You've got to be kidding me," Jungkook rages, crossing his arms across his chest. "He argued with me as well, remember? He's just as responsible as I am, you know."

"Stop trying to take the blame off of yourself. Secondly, you will buy me all the food I want for a month."

Jungkook curses under his breath.

"Thirdly and finally..." Jimin leans down so he is at eye level with Jungkook, and smirks. "Tell me all about the little crush you've been trying to keep secret."

That was the final blow for Jungkook. He let out a loud whine whilst Jimin cackled, face going bright red.

There was no getting out of this one, unfortunately.

It was becoming a nasty habit for Seokjin to check his phone these days. He used to be fantastic at keeping his concentration and attention where it needed to be, phones and other distractions were used very little as they would potentially break that well trained concentration.

But it seemed as if he had easily fallen into this extremely annoying habit of spending far too much time on his phone.

And it was all Park Jimin's fault.

It had been nearly two hours since the party started, and Jimin was no where to be seen. Seokjin was wondering if this was a regular thing for the dancer, or if it only happened when Seokjin was the person he was meeting.

"What's with the scowl?" His roommate not so subtly pointed out. "Careful, or you'll get frown lines."

"Go bother someone else for a change," Seokjin sighs. He was tired and frustrated, and Yoongi was certainly not going to help change that anytime soon.

The man took a long sip out go his cup, wincing at disgust of the flavourless cheap beer. Seokjin didn't understand why he had agreed to come in the first place. Yoongi was, to put it frankly, a party snob. Nothing ever appealed to his high standards, and he always had something to complain about when he was there. The exact opposite of Seokjin, who loved being at any sort of social event.

Yoongi only huffs in return, placing the half abandoned cup on some shelf behind him. "Someone's in a bad mood today."

"Why are you here again? You hate parties," Seokjin skilfully turns the conversation away from him, not wanting Yoongi to know he was once again fussing over the same Park Jimin who left him waiting for a text back that one time.

"I was originally here for the free drinks, but they taste like piss," he sticks his tongue out. "Seriously, why can't people ever buy good beer for once? Everyone has shit taste these days."

"It's 'cause it's from that special brand, dumbass," Seokjin sighs again. "This is what rich kids buy to look cooler."

"Yeah, well, it still tastes shit. I bet my literal piss tastes better than this crap."

He decides to look away from the smaller man, paying attention to the atmosphere. It was certainly more chill than the average party. Everyone in this room alone were in deep conversation, there was no screaming, no wildly drunk sorority girls rapping along to Nicki Minaj, just a delightful glowing hum in the background. This was definitely more appealing than every other party he's been to in the past.

But despite the great atmosphere and the ideal company, Seokjin still felt foul, and it was clear that not only Yoongi could notice it, since the majority of people at the party were avoiding him the minute they caught a look at his expression.

Jimin had made it very unclear when he and his excitable friend would show up, suggesting sometime just before midnight.

Seokjin checked his watch. It was 11:21.

He couldn't help but feel irritated. As someone who'd grown up on strict rules and punctuality, it irked him when others couldn't show the same amount of care that he always did.

Or maybe it was just because it was Jimin.

He enjoyed Jimin's company, with his easily impressible eyes and small smiles and surprised expressions. It was nice being around someone different. Someone who felt completely real and genuine.

"Hyung!"

Seokjin turned his attention to Taehyung politely pushing through a crowd of actors.

He grins as Taehyung approaches him. At least he can have some company that isn't completely depressing, unlike his so called best friends presence. "Where have you been? You disappeared, like, an hour ago."

"Sorry," the younger actor smiled apologetically. "Woobin wouldn't let me leave him."

Seokjin rolled his eyes at the mention of Taehyung's roommate. "He's such an asshole, Taehyung. He only likes you for your popularity. You need to move out and find someone else."

Taehyung sighs and nods. "I know, but I'd feel bad if I just ditched him like that. He really helped me out when I first started acting." He leans against the wall next to Yoongi and Seokjin.

Seokjin has seen Taehyung's transformation from his early training as an actor to where he is now, and how much he has improved in such a small amount of time. He got a lot of help back then, and Seokjin can understand his feelings of loyalty, even if Woobin was the anti-christ in human form.

"Listen, Tae." He places one hand on his shoulder. "For once in your life, you need to be selfish. How do you think I got this far? I had to leave some people behind, cut some ties, whatever you want to call it. This is a tough business, and there's no such thing as loyalty in it. It's survival of the fittest." He pats his shoulder gently. "Besides, the guy is a complete tool. You shouldn't feel bad about leaving him behind to rot. I'm sure he'd do the same thing to you."

Taehyung nods again, looking down at his shoes. He looked like a small puppy who had just been scolded.

"He's not wrong, kid." Yoongi pipes in. "Although, if hyung ever decided to leave me in the dirt, I'd kick his ass."

Seokjin chuckles, looking to his left at Yoongi. "I might've considered it a few times." He winked at Yoongi, earning a groan and a kick to the shin.

"Seokjin?"

All three men paused their conversation to place their attention on the woman in front of them. Cha Yoojung. One of the top acting majors at their college, almost rivalling Seokjin's popularity. She was incredibly wealthy, and strikingly beautiful. She was also the host of this party, only inviting the most known and respected students from a number of colleges. Everyone around here wanted an invite, and it was almost impossible to get one, unless you were talented, wealthy, popular or attractive.

Seokjin sent her his best dazzling smile, making sure she knew how grateful he was to have been invited to this event. As expected, she smiled back with her equally stunning grin, showing off her pearl white and completely straight teeth. It was a little flirty and suggestive, but Seokjin enjoyed it, sending a similar signal back.

"Yoojung! How are you?" Seokjin politely hugged her. "How's your production of Macbeth going?"

Even though Serendipity was without a doubt the most anticipated show to come from the drama students this year, there were others that were gaining a lot of attention as well, like Yoojung's Macbeth, which was to be gender swapped and set in a modern day setting.

"It's going wonderful! The cast are a delight to work with, I couldn't have asked for a better team," she beamed, sounding excited for her show.

Yoojung had a lot of rumours about her, just like Seokjin, and many people saw her as a rude and bitchy type of student, but Seokjin admired her. She was a lot like him in many ways, and he respected her a lot. They had a friendly relationship, and had slept together a few times in the past, but nothing beyond that. They both knew where they stood and it was exactly the type of relationship they had both wanted. No strings attached.

"Well, make sure to reserve a seat for me. Front row, of course," he laughed. "You'll be sure to see me cheering you on."

She scoffs, smirking at him. "Oh please, we all know your show is going to be far superior. Everyone can't seem to stop talking about it! It's going to be mind blowing, I'm sure of it." she slapped his shoulder playfully.

Yoongi huffed in agreement next to Seokjin, clearly liking the indirect praise to the show he had contributed so much to.

"Oh, and by the way," she started, carefully stroking the area that she had just slapped. "There was a commotion outside earlier."

Seokjin frowns slightly. It wasn't uncommon for people to try and sneak in to one of her parties. It almost became a type of challenge for some students. "What happened?"

"I'm not too sure." She moved a piece of hair out of her face. "Security called me and said there were two men on the door demanding to be let in. According to them, they were invited by you, but I had never heard of them before, nor have I seen you around them."

It couldn't be Jimin and Hoseok, could it?

No, It couldn't, Seokjin thought to himself. He had told Yoojung directly that he would be bringing two guest with him. Yoongi and Taehyung were already on the guest list, so there's no chance of them being mistaken as his plus twos.

Seokjin stays standing for a moment, realising that he had never told Yoojung who it was he was bringing with him.

Oh God. There was no mistake about it. It couldn't really be anyone else. How long had they been waiting out there?

He immediately stormed past Yoojung, trying to navigate himself through this large house to the door, all whilst trying to think of a suitable apology to the two males, who were more than likely feeling rather pissed off. Who know's if they were even still there?

He got to the front door and opened it, seeing a small crowd of people waiting to enter, and presumably try and sneak past the guard.

"I told you already, I'm on the damn list!"

"I'm sorry sir, but you will need to step back, or else we'll have to call the police."

"Let's just get out of here, Hoseok. He just said they'll call the police if we don't leave. It isn't worth it."

"Screw that, I was invited here personally by Kim Seokjin himself! I have every right to be here, and so do you."

Seokjin watched as the angry red head and considerably less angry blonde argue with the second guard.

It was certainly a sight to see.

Seokjin shook himself out of his amused expression and realised he had actually just stood there and watched them like a creep. He needed a god damn drink, but Yoongi was actually right for once, the beer sucked.

He marched towards the commotion, waving his hand to gain their attention.

"Excuse me," He coughed. Jimin looked over at him immediately, recognising his voice. "Actually, these two are with me. There's been a mistake, and I'm the one to blame for that. I'm sorry for the inconvenience," he bowed his head to the guard in apology, like his parents had always taught him to do.

"I see," he bowed back to Seokjin. "Well then, you can go in. But you," he pointed at Hoseok. "Don't cause any trouble."

Hoseok stuck his tongue out at him childishly whilst being dragged into the house quite harshly by Jimin.

Once they were inside, all three collectively took a deep breath. Seokjin looked at Jimin, feeling guilt in his stomach. He forgot they weren't well known in the inner circle of campus. He wasn't used to going to extreme lengths to get guests into parties, or for getting dancers to choreograph in his shows, for that matter. He was used to everything being easy.

A part of him kind of liked it difficult.

"How long were you out there?" Seokjin gulped.

"Oh, it wasn't that long-"

"A whole hour, can you believe it?!" Hoseok exclaimed, gaining a nudge in the rib-cage by his best friend.

"It's fine, really," Jimin laughed, no humour evident in his voice.

Seokjin's smile wavers and his eyes narrow, but he remains silent.

"Woah, this place is huge!"

Jimin's eyes are partially budging out of his eye sockets, taking in the entire entrance, the chandelier, and spiraling staircase. Seokjin smirked, placing a hand on his shoulder. He found it cute.

"I'll show you around," Seokjin says, grabbing Jimin's hand and starting to pull him away. "Oh, and Hoseok?" He stops quickly to face the man, pointing at him strictly. "No drinking for you."

"What?" Hoseok pouts, looking disappointed.

"I mean it," Seokjin uses his stern, but still friendly voice. "Do you know how much Jimin struggled to look after you yesterday? I don't need you making his life any harder than it already is. I'm actually surprised you aren't hung over right now." Seokjin spots Taehyung in the corner of his eye. "Taehyung!"

The boy immediately runs over, grinning brightly when he spots Jimin. "Hey Jimin! I didn't know you would be here!"

Jimin shyly waves as him, masking Taehyung's delighted expression.

Seokjin leans forward. "Look after Hoseok, will you? He's a bit of a light weight and it's best if he stays clear of anything related to alcohol tonight."

"Why can't you look after him?" Taehyung's focus zooms into on Seokjin's hand in Jimin's.

"I'm already a little preoccupied with this one instead," He says, nudging Jimin's shoulder. "Just please keep an eye on him? I recon you and Hoseok would get along like a house on fire."

Seokjin feels Jimin's cold hand squeeze his, as if he's trying to show his appreciation for his concern. Seokjin looks directly at Jimin, and squeezes back. He'd forgotten they were holding hands, and feels something strange growing in his stomach.

"Alright, but you owe me," Taehyung winks. Seokjin taught him well.

He ruffles Taehyung's fluffy hair affectionately. "Love you lots, Taehyung!" And starts pulling Jimin into a different room, ready to start showing him around the large mansion.

As he was no sure stranger to this place, Seokjin showed Jimin around with confidence, just as he did when they were in the theatre together.

Having hooked up with Yoojung quite a lot of times in the past, and been invited to every single one of her events, he had seen more than enough of the rooms in this palace like building. A part of him felt the need to share it with Jimin, to show him around and introduce him to people with confidence, just like he did back in the theatre.

However, this time Seokjin didn't get the feeling that Jimin was enjoying this experience.

Every new person Seokjin introduced him to, it felt like Jimin was getting less and less talkative, shying behind Seokjin's broad shoulders.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from the famous Kim Seokjin!" Woobin laughed rather loudly into Seokjin's ear, making him step back. He wasn't sure how he got himself into a conversation with this pretentious douche, but Woobin was making it incredibly difficult for him to leave. He had cornered Seokjin and Jimin out of no where, and Seokjin knew it was rude to just leave like that. "You have such a honoured reputation for a reason."

Seokjin hated others sucking up to him, trying to snake their way into his life. It was written all over Woobin's face and dripped from his voice. Seokjin knew the guy secretly despised him, since Seokjin always got the lead roles and the most attention from the audience and the public, with people like Woobin remaining in second place. It was almost laughable how fake he was acting in front of him.

Jimin stood awkwardly next to him, tapping his fingers together with boredom. Seokjin felt bad for dragging him into all these conversations. It was obvious this was way out of his comfort zone. He had only come here because Seokjin had asked him to, and was probably regretting to come right about now.

"Well, if you excuse me, Woobin, I have somewhere-"

"And I heard you and your crew made the bold decision to add choreography to your performance? Is that true?"

Seokjin could see Jimin tense up in the corner of his eye. He didn't like where this was going.

"Yes, you're correct," he smiles at Woobin. "We have hired a fantastic choreographer to join us and make our show even more phenomenal." He caught Jimin's hard smile, looking down at the ground, and felt an inner victory.

Woobin glanced at Jimin. "And who may the choreographer be? I expect it to be one of the finest dancers at our college. Nothing less than perfect for Kim Seokjin," His eyes gleamed.

Seokjin hadn't known Jimin for that long. In fact, he barely knew that man at all, having only met him a couple times and spoken briefly. They were still practically strangers in many ways. But Seokjin had gathered enough from Jimin's actions, and from the few small occasions that he'd seen him, to know Jimin wears his emotions on his sleeve. That anything someone might say about him, no matter how small, means a great deal to him, and he'll think about it for hours and hours and hours upon end.

"Would it be Kwon Soonyoung? He is truly a master at his art, isn't he? Or perhaps, Myoui Mina? Her ballet is exquisite, and certainly one of the best dancers I've ever seen," Woobin continues. Seokjin ignores his rambling, focusing on Jimin. He hadn't said a word, standing quietly, as still as a stone.

"Actually," Seokjin started. He stared back at Woobin, making a mental note to punch this guy in the face someday. "Our choreographer is Park Jimin."

Jimin grabs his arm, staring at him nervously. Seokjin felt a little guilty for outing him out of no where, but covered it up with a smile. He didn't feel ashamed of Jimin, and wanted to proudly present Jimin to the world as his very own, hand picked choreographer.

Woobin raised an eyebrow. "Who's that? I've never heard of them."

"He's standing right next to me," Seokjin responded, faking his smile especially hardly in that moment. "I introduced you to him only ten minutes ago, remember?"

Woobin looked as if he was holding back a smirk. "Oh yeah! My apologises." He turned to Jimin. "It's nice to meet you, Jimmy."

Jimin nodded his head, remaining silent. Seokjin sighed. He wished Jimin had more confidence to stand up for himself, like he did when Seokjin first asked him to join their show.

"It's Jimin."

Hold that thought.

"Huh?" Woobin had the same expression as Seokjin, having not expected him to speak.

"It's Jimin. Not exactly an uncommon name."

He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Jimin looked like an unamused little cat, sneering up at Woobin, ready to pounce. Seokjin fights the urge to snicker. Woobin must be feeling the same sense of surprise as Seokjin did when Jimin first snapped at him. It made Seokjin feel triumphant.

"I see," Woobin says, glaring down at Jimin. "Forgive me for not knowing who you are. I'm just a little shocked! I had expected Seokjin present a more... recognised dancer instead."

"What does that mean?" Seokjin quickly comes to Jimin's defence.

"No offence to you, Jimin, but we were all expecting someone from the top of the class, someone who has made a name for themselves. After all, those are who Seokjin usually goes for. Not somebody nobody knows. Well done for taking such a huge risk!"

Seokjin had had enough of this. "Well, everyone will know him after this."

He held onto Jimin's wrist and pulled him away once again, feeling all too familiar. Jimin let him direct him far away from Woobin and his crowd without any protest.

They ended up in one of the many private guest rooms, that weren't currently being used for a particular purpose. All parties are the same in the end, Seokjin sighs whilst thinking to himself.

He glanced over his shoulder to Jimin, who had sat on the large queen sized bed. His shoulders looked a little heavier, and his head a little lower and completely lacking in self esteem.

It had started to rain outside, as the only thing he could hear beside the music from downstairs was the faint tapping on raindrops onto the bedroom windows.

Seokjin lets out a long breath, leaning against the door. He didn't feel like sitting next to Jimin, having practically been the reason for his probable embarrassment right about now. He had wanted Jimin to have fun tonight, to have fun with Seokjin for once, instead of constantly feeling like he had to keep his guard up.

Seokjin was an idiot.

He hates knowing that he caused all this, that Jimin could've been anywhere else right now, feeling far better than he did right here with Seokjin.

And oddly enough, he felt the need to shield Jimin. All his life, he had been taught to fend for himself, that anyone who couldn't keep up weren't worth his time, and to only focus on himself. He had been trying to hard to grow out of that state of mind, especially since he met people like Yoongi, Namjoon, and most recently, Taehyung. These were all people he didn't want to close himself off to, and to help.

But with Jimin, it came to easily to him.

"Jin hyung?"

Seokjin jumps slightly at the sound of his voice, having grown used to the silence in the room. "Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

He tilts his head, wondering why Jimin was worrying about him when he had just been the target of Woobin's words. "I'm fine."

"It's just weird, not hearing you talking so much, you know? I'm not sure I like it when you're quiet."

Seokjin chuckles to himself, and finally builds up the courage to sit next to Jimin. "I'll make sure to keep talking your ear off then, Jiminie." He shifts a little closer, bumping shoulders with the blonde. "How about you?"

Jimin looks up finally. "I don't know."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know."

Seokjin smirks. "Do you know how to say anything other than I don't know."

Jimin looks at him, suppressing a smile. "Jerk."

Seokjin laughs out loud, joined by Jimin's subtle giggles. It felt much lighter now that the tension has been shattered, replaced with the much lighter, pink shaded atmosphere they felt often around each other.

"Let's talk about something else then. Better yet, lets play a game." Seokjin turns to face Jimin completely, crossing his legs.

Jimin raises an eyebrow amusingly. "A game? Like what?"

Seokjin thinks to himself. "Let's play.... two truths one lie."

Jimin groans, leaning back on the bed fully. "That's the most predictable game ever. Couldn't you think of anything original?"

"Would you rather play charades? I'm rather good at it," He teases playfully, whilst Jimin shakes his head. "Now come on, think of three things. You go first."

"Why me?!"

"Because you're the youngest."

Jimin muttered a few curses under his breath about wishing he had hyung privileges like him, making Seokjin want to burst out laughing again. He watches the man's face, giving him time to think, his profile illuminated by the dim lit light coming from the lamp next to the bed. His eyes slowly shut, making Seokjin think for a second he's fallen asleep. He looks like something from a fairy tale, completely ethereal and untouchable, something to be admired from a distance. Seokjin lets himself wonder what Jimin would look like performing on a stage in front of thousands, sweat dripping from his body as he gave his everything into his dance. He couldn't help but think he probably looked beautiful.

Eventually, his eyes opened again, and he sat mirroring Seokjin. "Okay. I'm ready."

Seokjin beamed. "Hit me with your best shot, Park Jimin. I'm a fantastic lie detector."

Jimin smiled back, shaking his head. "Wait, is there gonna be a prize or something? For the winner?"

"Hm? Sure." He liked the idea of a prize, being a bit of a competitive person. "Whoever loses, has to do anything that the winner wants. Within reason, of course. I won't be killing anyone for you."

Jimin's face lights up, liking the sound of that. "What if neither of us loses?"

"Then we'll both have to do something for the other."

The atmosphere had suddenly shifted again once Seokjin had whispered those words. It felt strangely intimate all of a sudden. Could Jimin feel it as well?

Before Seokjin could react, Jimin spoke quickly. "I don't have my driving licence. I failed my exam when I nearly crashed into an old lady crossing the road. The memory still haunts me to this day."

Seokjin bit his tongue, holding back the giggle ready to erupt. But he couldn't hold it back. "I'm sorry, keep going."

Jimin's face looked a little pink, but it could've just been from the lighting. "I really can't stand dogs. I had one as a kid and it nearly killed me. Needless to say, I try to stay away from them as much as possible."

"Interesting. And lastly?" Seokjin said.

Jimin paused. "I haven't been in a proper relationship in almost three years. I'm not the most outgoing guy, and dating hasn't been my top priority recently. I've been trying to focus more on myself."

Seokjin nods, thinking about all three statements Jimin had shared with him. His lips twist down, looking at Jimin directly, remembering each of the words he used, and his tone whilst he spoke.

"I think I've got it," Seokjin says proudly. "I'll start with your first statement. No driving licence, failing an exam, nearly killing an innocent civilian?"

Jimin shrugs. "What can I say? I panicked again."

"Okay, you've convinced me. That's the truth." Seokjin can picture Jimin behind the wheel, hands shaking and eyes twitching. The mental image was a little funny. "Have you tried retaking it?"

"No way," Jimin says. "Driving and me is a cause for concern. Keep me away from all vehicles and you might live."

His fingers curl up, inspecting Jimin. He was glad the man opposite him seemed to talk almost fondly of the memory, and was able to laugh about it freely. Seokjin knew enough people who didn't pass their driving test, forever shamed from their pure humiliation.

"Okay, next. Your statement on dogs? I don't buy it."

"Why is that?" Jimin smiles.

"Because yesterday at the bar, as we starting dragging Hoseok out into the street, I saw you glance at a puppy that passed us, and you were practically beaming at it." Seokjin leans his head on his wrist.

As Hoseok was being hauled outside of the bar, taken away from the warmth of the cozy bar, Seokjin himself had been gazing adoringly at a small puppy the was walking straight past them. He couldn't help but notice Jimin's similar expression.

"I know a dog lover when I see one. You can't fool me, Park Jimin."

Jimin hangs his head, scratching his neck. "I didn't realise you pay that much attention to me."

Just as Jimin speaks, Seokjin's eyes narrow down onto the spot on Jimin's neck that he started scratching with his nails.

"Hyung?"

Seokjin snaps out of it instantly. Maybe that was a little embarrassing. He needs to get laid soon, that must be why he's been acting weird recently. Yoongi had pointed it out to him last night. Maybe he could talk to Yoojung later, he was sure she'd be interested.

"So, you haven't dated in three years, huh?" He quickly changes the subject. Hopefully Jimin hadn't noticed the way Seokjin had blatantly been ogling his neck. Was that weird? Jimin just happened to have a rather nice neck. Surely it was normal.

"Um, yeah," Jimin starts acting all shy again. "It's sort of embarrassing, really. But I haven't really been interested in anyone, plus I'm too busy with my classes and stuff, um."

His soft rambling was completely endearing to Seokjin, who was unknowingly staring at him with adoration.

"Is that weird?" Jimin asks. "I get my friends teasing me about it sometimes, so should I consider it weird?"

Seokjin sighs. He couldn't help but wonder if it was Jungkook who had been the one not so kindly teasing him. It wouldn't be a surprise. "Its not weird at all, Jimin. Trust me, there's a lot of weird and wonderful things about you, but that's definitely not one of them."

He seems to like that answer, as yet another smile appears on his face. If it was possible, he looked even more like the belongings of a fairy tale book.

"You got it all right. Damn, you are good at this," he said in defeat. "It's your go now."

The corner of Seokjin's mouth quirks up, letting his mind relax as he decides what to share with his friend.

He paused momentarily. Should he cheat? A part of him wants to test Jimin, see if he can see through Seokjin's lies or not.

"I'm scared of almost everything," he says, hesitantly. "Any little bugs, noises, bumps, jumps, you name it, I'm terrified. I can't handle jump scares, which is why I hate horror movies. I like to come across as brave, but in reality I'm a huge scaredy cat."

Jimin nods, smiling knowingly. "Okay, what else?"

He clears his throat, thinking through his next statement. "As a child, I hated theatre. I couldn't stand costumes and make up and pretending to be someone else. I once went to see a school play and I hated it so much I puked."

Jimin looked surprised but unconvinced by Seokjin's words.

"And lastly," Seokjin glances back at Jimin. "I'm an only child."

"That's it?"

Seokjin nods. "Pretty self explanatory."

Jimin hums quietly. He starts rocking back and fourth as he thinks, looking quiet playful and child-like.

Seokjin is eager to hear his verdict, whether he will see through him instantly. He couldn't help but be a little bit harsh on Jimin with his answers, but he wanted to know if he was believable. If unlike everyone else, someone like Jimin could see fact from fiction, with his twinkling eyes that seem to see all of Seokjin.

Jimin snaps his fingers. "I've figured you out."

Seokjin holds his breath.

"You could never hate theatre, I just know it. Someone like you has lived and breathed it you whole life, and you absolutely adore it." Jimin sounds confident, but his expression is uncertain, unsure if he is correct.

He decides to give him the benefit of the doubt, holding his hands up in defeat. "You got me. I'm an open book."

Jimin cheers, clenching his fist in utter victory, unaware of the change of expression on Seokjin's face.

I guess everyone's the same in the end, he thinks.

Jimin stands in the corner of the room as the growing awkwardness and anxiety he had felt earlier returns to his fingertips. After their game of two truths one lie, they had left the room after another couple stumbled in, clearly needing the bedroom more than Jimin and Seokjin did.

Except, Seokjin was acting differently now. He was stood talking to a girl across the room, laughing loudly as she whispered something into his ear. Jimin didn't want to describe how he was feeling as jealousy, but it was something similar to that.

After all, why would he feel jealous over Seokjin? They barely knew each other. Even though they had just spent what felt like hours together in that room, laughing and talking, enjoying each others company. Jimin hadn't said it at the time, but that was exactly what he needed right then. To be alone.

Seokjin hadn't been lying when he told Jimin this wasn't a wild party. It was fairly tame, with everyone in deep conversation instead of throwing themselves all over each other and chugging as much alcohol into their system as possible. But somehow, Jimin felt even more uncomfortable here than he would've at a regular party. Seokjin didn't see it, but Jimin could feel all these eyes on him, wondering why someone like him was here with Kim Seokjin, and why was the actor devoting all his attention to him and him only?

Jimin had wondered it himself, why Seokjin was pulling him around all night, introducing him to as many judging eyes as possible, especially that one dick who forgot his name. Jimin had seen the way Seokjin's jaw clenched as Woobin spoke to him, making Jimin feel even more confused than he already was.

When Seokjin finally took him away from all of the chatting and whispering and peering, away into that bedroom, he let himself feel at ease, and Seokjin made it even easier for him to fall into that feeling, with his caring gaze and soft words that made Jimin want to fall asleep.

It's almost funny how Jimin can go from wanting to stay on that bed with Seokjin forever, talking about anything and everything, to wanting to shove his head down a toilet in a matter of minutes.

He finally pulled his eyes away from Seokjin and the girl, trying to calm his emotions down. This wasn't fair. Seokjin wasn't allowed to just invite him to a party full of judging and snobby strangers, drag him around all night, talk to him and make himself open up for once over a stupid meaningless game, make him feel so damn special with his words and looks and touches, holding his hand and squeezing it like that meant nothing at all, and then completely change all in a second, ditching him and practically flaunting his arm candy in his face.

It hurt. He knew it shouldn't, but it did.

He hated how quickly he had grown to like Seokjin, and how easy it was to fall into this feeling of safety and trust around him. He hadn't talked much about failing his test before, or the fact that he rarely dated. Both private parts of information that Jimin only shared with only his closest friends. Seokjin had made Jimin feel like those were two exciting parts of his personality, that he was genuinely happy to learn them about him.

"Jimin! Where have you been?"

Hoseok ran towards him, quickly followed by Taehyung.

"I could say the same thing about you," Jimin said, faking a smile.

Hoseok stands directly in front of him, blocking the view of Seokjin. "We've been out on the porch. It started raining, so dared Taehyung to run around the garden in his bare feet." He grinned at the boy in delight.

"My feet are still wet, you know. And I can't find my shoes anywhere." He leaned closely to Hoseok.

"Wait, has he been drinking?" Jimin questions, noticing the way Taehyung sneaks his arm around Hoseok's waist. "Is there something I should know about here?"

"He's just being friendly," Hoseok waves Taehyung off him. "But he has been drinking. God, and you all say I'm bad at handling my alcohol." He shakes his head. "Anyway, I'm gonna get this cutie back home safely. He's not in any state to drive. Are you gonna be okay here by yourself? Wheres Seokjin hyung?"

Jimin can't help but feel like he's been ditched twice. Clearly he's no one's first choice tonight. Seokjin would rather be with his lady friend, and Hoseok would rather be with Taehyung.

He quickly shakes the thought out of his head, scolding himself for thinking that of his friend. Hoseok was just looking out for Taehyung, who clearly needed a little love and attention right now considering his ability to stand was starting to fail him.

Taehyung and Hoseok were yet another reminder of Seokjin's kind actions, having tried to look out for his friend earlier to reassure Jimin. Why did he have to do do that? It only made everything that much more painful.

"Go, I'll be fine, I'll just get Seokjin to give me a ride back," Jimin lied, planning on calling a taxi as soon as the two had left.

"But I wanna stayyy," Taehyung whines, throwing his arms about like a child who's just been grounded.

"Come on, Taehyungie, lets go," Hoseok attempts to direct him towards the door, quite forcefully.

Taehyung pulls away from Hoseok suddenly, and his lack of balance makes him fall straight back into Jimin. Taehyung knocks Jimin over, who in turn falls into an expensive looking vase cabinet, almost comically and in slow motion. Charlie Chaplin can eat his heart out.

He feels sharp pain enter his hands, and then again and again. It hurts, not like when he was left alone by Seokjin, but a physical pain instead. He couldn't decide if it was better or worse.

"Jimin!"

He gets forced into a sitting position, as he had been lying on the floor only moments ago. Arms are holding onto him quite tightly, shaking him slightly, warm hands that feel like they won't let go. His vision is out of focus. His heart is pounding out of fear. The palms of his hands are hurting badly. As he looks down, he thinks he can see blood on them. All he sees is red.

"Oh my god, Jimin! Are you okay?!" He hears Hoseok practically scream straight into his right ear. Now his ear drums were hurting as well.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

Why did everything have to hurt.

"There's glass shards in his hands." the warm arms that were holding him closely only moments ago disappeared, and instead were now enclosed around his wrists, caressing them gently.

It hurts.

"Taehyung, you moron! Look what you did to him! We are gonna need to take him to a hospital."

Jimin felt weak, his whole body feeling light and feathery. The panic ridden voices around him started to all blend into one.

"No, I don't think a hospital is necessary. The shards aren't that small, I could easily get them out myself."

It sounded like Seokjin. He wasn't too sure, as he wasn't paying that much attention.

"You aren't a damn doctor. He needs professional help."

That was definitely Hoseok. It was the same high pitched voice that nearly deafened him before.

"I've had a similar accident before, and I took care of it just fine. Let me take care of him, Hoseok."

It still hurts.

He didn't want to go with Seokjin. Didn't want to give him the satisfaction of taking care of him any longer. He was angry and confused and mostly importantly, hurt.

"I'll get the car ready, do you need any help bringing him out?"

Okay, that voice was different from the other two. Was it Yoongi? Jimin had no clue.

"I'll take care of him by myself. You go get the car."

Warmth fills his face as both hands embrace him, lifting it up ever so slightly so Jimin could finally focus on the man in front of him. Seokjin was sat on the ground, with a look that Jimin had never seen on his face before. He looked... worried?

"Jimin? Can you stand for me? I'm gonna get you out of here so we can treat your hands, okay?"

Jimin feels himself lose attention to Seokjin's face and words yet again, going in and out of focus. The only thing keeping him still slightly attentive was the thumb that was rubbing his cheek so so softly. That was the only thing holding him together.

He wanted to cry, to let out ever emotion he had felt that evening. He wanted to push Seokjin away and tell him to go to hell. He wanted to hold Seokjin close and never let go.

Eventually, Jimin felt himself nod. Seokjin held onto his arms, and slowly helped him up off the glass covered floor. How much were all those pricey looking vases even worth? Jimin hated to think about it.

"You're gonna be okay, Jimin. Let's go, okay?"

Seokjin has his arm wrapped around his waist, the other arm now circling around his wrist, careful not to touch his wounds. There wasn't as much blood as Jimin has originally thought, but there was still enough to freak out about. But Seokjin was right, it didn't look like a job for the hospital to take care of. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to pay for those hospital bills.

Suddenly, Jimin realises he's in the car, with Seokjin sat right next to him, stroking his arm. He must've blacked out, and he starts to feel himself slipping again, as the feeling on Seokjin's fingertips on his wrist make him shiver.

It hurts so much.

Is the last thought Jimin thinks of as Seokjin lulls him to sleep, resting his head on Seokjin's broad shoulder.