Chapter Text
from: joonie-hyung
Hey.
Sorry that Yoongi-hyung won’t be coming with me, some urgent matters came up.
I’m on my way.
ETA 10 minutes.
Namjoon arrives exactly ten minutes later with a briefcase in his hand, dressed so posh with a tie on. It makes Jimin giggle because Namjoon always looks so serious.
“So… Um,” Jimin sits down next to Namjoon, hands rubbing his own thighs nervously.
“What?” Namjoon asks gently, his voice soft. Jimin purses his lips and turns his head to look at Jeongguk who is sitting on the armchair next to him. And then Namjoon speaks again, “you guys are dating?”
Jimin turns his head to Namjoon, heat rushing to his cheeks as he blinks once, twice, before turning his head to look at Jeongguk again, smiling sheepishly. “I guess we are?” Jeongguk smiles back, nodding to Namjoon.
Namjoon leans back against the sofa and lets out a breath, a proud smile on his face. “Took you both long enough, but I know you two would eventually cave in.”
Jimin can’t stop the blood from running to his cheeks, and he can hear Jeongguk lets out a soft chuckle too. But Jimin remembers the reason why they asked Namjoon to come around, so he takes a deep breath before speaking. “But that’s not what we wanted to tell you.”
Namjoon straightens up a bit, eyebrows lifting. “It isn’t?”
There's no easy way to tell your loved ones that you've been abused. Jimin had been dealing with his uncertainty by speaking up about his abuse up until now. But even a small step is still a step.
So Jimin begins telling Namjoon about everything, about how it started, about the first hit, and how the rest came mercilessly. He tells him about how he never felt safe and how at one point in time he believed there was no way out of it. He shows Namjoon the evidence– Jimin actually saves some of the photos that he took of himself several times after being punched or kicked. Jimin also turns out to even have a video (only black screen because he accidentally presses record, and the video was never meant to be made in the first place, not voluntarily) of one of the heated arguments in which three slaps can be heard. It’s especially hard to play the video again, because hearing the audio almost feels like he’s reliving the horrid situation all over again.
He tells Namjoon all this, all the while Jeongguk rubbing soothing circles against his back, and his other hand tight in Jimin’s.
Namjoon stays silent for a while as he takes everything in before he scoots closer to bring Jimin into his arms. His voice a bit shaky when he says, “I didn't know you were fighting this alone.”
Jimin lets go of Jeongguk’s hand to hug Namjoon back. “I know. But it's alright. I’m okay now.” Namjoon is still looking down when Jimin pulls away. “Hey, hyung.” Jimin calls and Namjoon looks up. Jimin looks back to Jeongguk and smiles, the latter smiles back in an encouraging and loving manner, and then Jimin’s eyes fall back to Namjoon and he smiles reassuringly, patting his shoulders. “I’m okay now.”
Jimin is truly okay now because he is finally free, and he has his friends beside him. He always has, but he was too scared. He doesn’t have to anymore.
After regaining his composure, Namjoon tells them that Junho will definitely be charged with domestic violence, stalking, and intimidation. He also can be charged with home invasion and assault and battery because he trespassed on Jeongguk’s property.
When it reaches Junho’s ears that Jimin is filing a lawsuit against him, he calls Jimin non-stop that Jimin has to change his phone number. What takes Jimin by surprise though, is how he managed to get Jeongguk’s number. He called Jeongguk one night when Jimin and Jeongguk were eating dinner. Junho called to tell that he wouldn’t sue Jeongguk if he could get Jimin to drop the lawsuit. But Jeongguk isn’t having it, so he spat through his phone. “You can sue me I don’t fucking care. Have fun in prison you sick fuck.”
And because Jimin doesn’t drop his lawsuit, Junho does what he said he would do. He goes for an appeal and brings Jeongguk into the picture because he has proof that Jeongguk beat him up too. But even that is a big laugh. At this point, Junho is only doing anything just so that he can get away, just like he always did. He doesn’t get to do that anymore. Right from the start, the whole appeal was a big laugh. Junho’s appeal is rejected.
The court rules Jeongguk innocent since what he did was only self-defense. Jimin wins the lawsuit and Junho is fired from the hospital and he is sent to prison with no bail will be granted. The court also orders restrictions to prevent Junho from ever interfering with Jimin’s life ever again when he gets out of prison.
And of course, of course. Just like how it’s always been – and Jimin believes how it’s always going to be – through everything, Jeongguk stands by his side.
“Jeongguk?”
“Hm?”
They’re sitting on the beach, letting the waves crash onto them gently before pulling away. The sky is a mix of orange and yellow, the sun is about to dip into the ocean. Everything looks just perfect. As Jimin turns his head, looking at Jeongguk – long dark hair dancing against the chilly breeze, a content smile paints across his lips, doe eyes adoring Jimin’s – Jimin can’t seem to wrap it around his head still, how they have been best friends for what feels like an eternity, but it doesn’t feel as long at the same time. How no matter what, he can’t seem to picture a life without him– and he doesn’t want to anyway.
“There's no other way to say this without sounding so cheesy.” Jimin grimaces, but his heart is full. As he tucks Jeongguk’s hair behind his ear, he smiles. “But you literally saved my life. I can never thank you enough.” Jimin leans in to kiss Jeongguk’s cheek. “I love you.”
Jeongguk smiles, brushing the sand off his hand before caressing Jimin’s cheek, his eyes linger on Jimin’s eyes before flickering down his lips before he leans in to capture Jimin’s lips. “You equally saved mine.”
Jeongguk looks at him like he’s a wonder, and perhaps Jeongguk believes that Jimin is a wonder . He looks at Jimin as if he’s the only thing he ever wants to see for the rest of his life. He holds him like Jimin is something delicate, something he should cherish always, just like he always does. Jimin knows no one can ever make him feel loved more than Jeongguk can. This is a feeling Jimin knows he will never cease to have, for the rest of his life; this overwhelming rush of emotion, one that he’s gladly falling into, no hesitation, no second guessing; consistently and continually.
Jimin is thankful for everything that has happened. Of course, how can he not, when every single thing chooses to fall in order for him to take this exact path. The path that isn’t all flowery and pretty, but still the path that he would take all over again.
The path that doesn’t really bring him to Jeongguk – because he has always been here .
He has always been here.