Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Taehyung’s second day off from Sanguine falls on a Thursday. He spent his first day off sleeping, trying to catch up on some lost sleep as he adjusted to his new schedule, but this one he’s got plans. He’s going home, both to visit his grandparents, and to pick up a few things he needs or wants, but did not bring with him when he first came to Seoul. The last two weeks have been an utter whirlwind, full of so much change it makes Taehyung’s head spin. But despite it all, he’s happy. Taehyung loves his job. He loves singing on stage, loves the audience’s applause when he finishes. He loves wandering around the lounge afterward, talking to people and learning about their stories. He even loves the hours. Taehyung’s always been a night owl, so having a job which gives him a good reason to be up until the wee hours of the morning, and to see the sunrise more often than not, suits him just fine. He also loves his co-workers. He feels like, maybe, he’s starting to befriend Jimin, and that thought elates Taehyung. He loves Seokjin, Namjoon, Hoseok, and Yoongi like older brothers. He loves Jeongguk, loves how easy it’s been to befriend him. 

After their jaunt around Seoul together, and subsequent stay at the coffee shop in the rain, he feels a lot closer to him. Feels like he knows him a lot better, and he really likes the person he’s getting to know. He feels the same way about the others, even though he’s not had as much of a chance to get to know them yet. But he doesn’t feel like it’ll be hard to really befriend them, feels like it’s happening naturally, slowly as the days pass to the point where Taehyung already feels like he’s known them a lot longer than two weeks. 

Taehyung has to admit that he missed hanging out with people his own age. He loves his grandparents, and their friends, but he really loves being able to joke around with Jeongguk, and even with the older guys in ways he never could with the people he spent most of his time around back in Geochang. All of his high school friends went off to college, while Taehyung stayed behind to help with the farm, and that meant his pool of people to hang out with there was quite limited.

Taehyung doesn’t love bartending, but he definitely doesn’t hate it. It even starts to be fun once he really gets the hang of it. It helps that Hoseok and Namjoon are great teachers. He loves watching Yoongi working on their music, sitting hunched over his laptop at one of the many tables in the lounge, a glass of whiskey sitting beside his computer, never far from his hand. Taehyung loves watching the others interacting. It’s clear just from watching them that they’ve been friends for a long time, but they never hesitate when it comes to welcoming Taehyung into the fold. He notices everything, from the way Hoseok and Seokjin affectionately tease Namjoon every time he drops or breaks something, to the way Jeongguk stares longingly after Yoongi. After witnessing him blushing bright red after his brief conversation with Yoongi on the phone, and Jimin’s subsequent confession that Jeongguk’s ‘head over heels in love’ with their small, skinny, dark haired producer-slash-DJ, it’s become glaringly obvious to Taehyung. Jeongguk really does have it bad. 

Now that things seem to be improving with Jimin, Taehyung thinks that he could be happy to work at Sanguine for a long time. It’s tricky, though. Jimin is one big contradiction, an enigma. When Taehyung looks at him he sees a puzzle that’s missing just enough pieces to make it so that he can’t quite see the big picture. He’s kind to the other guys, loud and boisterous when interacting with the customers, alternately playful and sultry on stage, and yet at home he’s quiet, he isolates himself in his room. Before a few days ago, when they ate together and hung out, whenever Taehyung ran into him in the kitchen, or living room, or coming out of the bathroom, Jimin didn’t say anything. Or, if he did, it was clipped, cursory. He would avoid putting himself in situations where he’s alone with Taehyung, and when they were all together, either before or after work, Jimin would ignore him.

But, something’s changed. Something compelled Jimin to silently make him lunch, and then sit and watch TV with him. Something compelled Jimin to agree to sing a duet with him, even though he knows Jimin had several opportunities to say no thank you, and back out. When Seokjin brought the idea to him, Taehyung had to suppress a laugh, certain that he would never get Jimin to agree, no matter what Taehyung said. He’d been incredibly surprised, then, to hear that Seokjin asked Jimin first, and that he’d said yes already. So, Taehyung’s decided to stop trying to figure him out, to stop trying to see the big picture without all the puzzle pieces in place - he’s fairly confident that at some point he’ll get those last few pieces, and until then he can be patient. 

They haven’t practiced their song together yet, and Taehyung knows he should bring it up first, but the cautious part of him wants to wait for Jimin to make the first move. A paranoid voice in his mind keeps telling him that Jimin’s avoiding him, that he’s having second thoughts about the duet. But a smaller, kinder, voice in his head reminds him that he doesn’t know Jimin’s process when it comes to new songs yet. He told Taehyung that he was going to practice it and memorize it, and he very well may be, and it’s just taking a little longer. 

Taehyung tries to keep in mind everything his grandparents have taught him about being kind to everyone, even if it doesn’t seem like they deserve it. And over the last few days since their impromptu shared lunch, things have felt different. Jimin hasn’t brushed him off, or been rude. But he hasn’t exactly gone out of his way to talk to Taehyung, either. They’ve spent a little more time together in the living room, but it’s always been watching TV, or reading, or doing anything separately. Not talking. Not engaging, or trying to become friends. It’s getting harder to remind himself to be patient, especially since his initial attempts at friendship were met with such hostility. It doesn’t matter that Jimin’s not hostile anymore, part of Taehyung still expects it every time he opens his mouth to speak to him, so he usually chooses to close it again, and not say anything. It’s hard to be stagnant in an uncomfortable situation, no matter how badly Taehyung wants to wait him out. He wishes he could take a look into his mind, just a small one, to help him understand him better. 

He watches Jimin. He observes, and what he’s observed has been the storm behind Jimin’s eyes quieting, almost. But he doesn’t seem peaceful, like the calm after the storm, at least not to Taehyung. It feels more like the eye of the storm, where everything is calm, almost eerily so, before it starts up again worse than before. Taehyung has no idea what to do about it. There’s nothing he can do, he knows. He can see the others watching Jimin just as much as he does, like he’s a ticking time bomb, and they’re all waiting for him to go off so that they can assess the damage left in his wake, and start to repair. It makes Taehyung feel even more on the outside, helpless as he is to help the poor guy with whatever it is he’s struggling with. 

Taehyung wakes up early on Thursday, just after ten. Much too early after going to bed at five in the morning, but he’s got a train to catch. He walks out of the apartment fifteen minutes after waking up with nothing but his wallet, his phone, and his headphones. He’s only going to be there for one night, and he’s still got a bunch of clothes in his old bedroom. Sleepily, he catches a taxi to the train station, and after buying his ticket, he trudges over to the Dunkin’ Donuts to buy himself a coffee and a glazed donut, which he scarfs down, and then heads to the platform. He timed it so he wouldn’t have to wait too long, and sure enough less than twenty minutes later he’s climbing onto the train and collapsing into his seat. 

Taehyung dozes during the hour he spends on the KTX from Seoul Station to Daejeon Station, and feels a little more awake as he transfers to the Daejeon Bus Terminal. He’s lucky here, too, something which also helps to perk him up even more, for he only has to wait a half hour for the bus that’ll take him to the Geochang Bus Terminal. He could take a bus from there to his grandparents’ farm, but he’s fairly certain that if he calls they’ll come pick him up. He wanted to surprise them, just show up on their doorstep, but the closer he gets to his childhood home, the more he wants to be done travelling, and just be there. 

So, once he’s situated on the bus and it makes its way out onto the open road, Taehyung turns off his music, unplugs his headphones, and dials his halmeoni’s number. She answers almost immediately, and Taehyung laughs softly, thinking about her sitting in her chair playing one of her favorite games. She’s only had the smart phone for a couple years, and only because Taehyung spent even more years trying to convince her to get one. But now that she has it, she swears by it. Even if she only uses it to talk to Taehyung and play games. 

“Taehyung-ah!” she exclaims, and Taehyung’s smile grows wider. 

“Hi, Halmeoni,” he says softly, trying to be considerate of the few other people who are riding the bus with him. 

“How are you, sweetheart?”

“I’m great! I have a surprise,” he says, squeezing his eyes shut with excitement when she oohs like she can’t wait to be in on the secret. “I’m on a bus to Geochang right now.” He jerks the phone away from his ear when she screeches. He hears her yelling to his halabeoji, and he muffles his laughter in his scarf. 

“When do you get here? We’ll come get you!” Halmeoni says, her voice still loud, but much less ear splitting. 

“We just left Daejeon, so it should be about an hour and a half or so.”

“Okay, Taehyungie! We can’t wait to see you, sweetheart!” Halmeoni says. “I want to ask you all about your new big city life, but I’ll wait until you’re here and I can feed you and hug you.” Taehyung squeezes his eyes shut again, still smiling madly into his scarf as warmth spreads through his entire body. He’s missed his grandparents. This is the longest he’s spent away from them since he did his military service, and the first time he’s truly left them voluntarily. 

He’s too excited to sleep, so he passes the ride playing random games on his phone, and when the bus pulls into Geochang Bus Station, Taehyung practically bounces off of it, calling a jovial, thank you! to the driver. He walks into the station and immediately spots his grandparents - his halabeoji still standing tall and strong, and his halmeoni a little stooped from a lifetime spent hunched over cooking and cleaning. He smiles so widely he thinks his cheeks will split, and he jogs over to them, going to his halmeoni first and wrapping her up in a tight hug. 

“Taehyungie!” she cries, laughing and holding him much more tightly than she looks like she should be capable of. He lets go of her after a moment and hugs his halabeoji, and then he steps back and looks at them, unable to wipe the smile from his face. “What a wonderful surprise!” Halmeoni says. 

“Our big city grandson, back to visit his little old grandparents,” Halabeoji says, chuckling. He wraps his arm around Taehyung’s shoulders and they turn to return to the truck, parked just outside. “How was the trip?”

“It was easy,” Taehyung says. 

“You didn’t bring any bags?” Halmeoni says.

“I can only stay one night, today’s my day off. My main reason for coming was to see you, but the other reason was to bring a few more things back to Seoul with me.”

“Are you going to take your guitar?” Halabeoji asks, and Taehyung smiles, nodding. “Good, it’s a fantastic hobby, and you should keep it up.” They reach the truck and climb in, Halabeoji in the driver’s seat, Halmeoni in the middle, and Taehyung in the passenger’s seat. Taehyung has many great memories of this truck, which his grandparents have had his whole life. It was brand new when he was a baby, but it shows its age much more strongly than Taehyung does. His halabeoji takes good care of it, though, so it’s still in good condition, even if it is a little rusted in a few places. 

His halmeoni chatters away about all the things he’s missed in the two weeks he’s been away, and Taehyung allows himself to relax, his arm over the back of the seat. He’s turned slightly so he can look at them, these people who raised him. His halmeoni falls quiet for a moment, and Taehyung takes the opportunity. “I missed you guys,” he says softly. 

Halmeoni turns to him, her eyes wide and sparking. She reaches up and pats his cheek lovingly. “We missed you, too baby bear. Aish, you’re so skinny! Are you eating at all in the big city?” she cries, and he laughs. “Does your new boss pay you enough? Can you afford food?”

“Yes, Halmeoni, my new boss pays me very well. And I eat, I promise!” He could probably stand to eat more, but he’s not going to tell her that and cause undue worry. He resolves to eat better. Then Halabeoji starts talking about the cows, and Taehyung gladly turns his attention outward again. 

The drive to Taehyung’s childhood home passes quickly, and soon enough the old truck is rumbling down the long gravel drive that will lead them to the house. As they slowly make their way down the driveway they pass the cows, all clustered near the fence, curious, and Taehyung quickly cranks the window down, sticks his whole top half out and yells, “Hey guys!” at the top of his lungs. He sits back down when Halmeoni grabs the back of his coat and pulls, laughing. Taehyung laughs with her, and is once again struck by how much he’s missed her and his halabeoji over the last two weeks since he moved to Seoul. 

Has it really only been two weeks? he thinks, his eyes going wide. It feels like it’s been a month or more at the least. 

They arrive at the house and it feels like he never left. Everything is the same as it’s always been. The only thing that’s different is Taehyung himself. 

He’s roped into helping finish a few chores, which he’s happy to do, and by six o’clock they’re finished. Halmeoni doesn’t even need to ask before Taehyung washes his hands to help her make dinner. Halabeoji ‘supervises’ from the kitchen table, and Taehyung finds himself talking. He’s told them everything already, over the phone during their daily chats, but he says it all again, excited to share his new life to his most important people. 

“Seokjin-hyung is awesome. I found out that before he opened the club he was a model, which makes perfect sense when you see his face - he’s stunning. And Yoongi-hyung was a makeup artist at the same modeling agency, that’s how they met. He’s really talented, and quiet, and thoughtful. Jeongguk has a huge crush on him, something Jimin just confirmed a few days ago, but even before I knew for sure it was totally obvious just seeing how he looks at hyung. Poor kid. Yoongi-hyung is totally oblivious. And Namjoon-hyung and Hoseok-hyung are so cool! They’re teaching me how to bartend, soon I’ll be slinging drinks like a pro.” He stops to take a breath, but Halmeoni cuts him off. 

“How are things going with Jimin?” Taehyung sighs, pausing as he chops up kimchi to make kimchijeon. 

“I don’t even know anymore, Halmeoni. He’s impossible to read. But… I don’t know. Lately it’s been better? He made me lunch earlier this week, and we watched TV together for a while. And Seokjin-hyung suggested we sing a duet together, something I thought Jimin would reject outright, but he didn’t. And then we went through the song we’re going to sing together to pick out our parts, and he said he was going to practice, and I haven’t heard anything else from him about it all week. So I don’t know.”

“Well, did you ask him if he was ready to start rehearsing it yet?”

Taehyung ducks his head, a little sheepish. “No. I was waiting for him to come to me.”

“Tae-yah,” Halmeoni admonishes gently. “From everything you’ve told me about this boy, it sounds like he’s going through something in his personal life, something that made him a little hesitant about welcoming someone new into his life, does that sound fair?” Taehyung nods. “So maybe his first impression was bad because of that, but it sounds like he wants to start trying, especially if he made you lunch and agreed to sing with you. It could be, though, that if he’s changed his mind about you, he’s embarrassed about that first impression, and so he’s having a hard time feeling like he can start a relationship with you. Maybe he thinks you wouldn’t welcome his friendship. Which is why you need to show him that you’re open to it. Do you want to be friends with him?” Taehyung doesn’t hesitate before nodding vehemently. “Then you might have to take the initiative, Baby Bear. Show him that you’d still like to be friends with him, even though you two got off to a bad start.”

Taehyung sighs, and nods again. She’s right, of course. As usual. Now that she’s laid it all out in front of him like that, he realizes how silly he’s being, and how obvious it is that Jimin must be embarrassed and unsure. “Thanks Halmeoni. You’re right. I’ve got to show him that I’m still open to being friends, especially since my relationship with the others is already good.”

“Sometimes people just need a little extra push,” Halabeoji says from the table. “It’s hard for some people to make new friends. Especially if it’s been a while since they had to make a new friend.” Taehyung thinks about that, about how insular the group at Sanguine is due to the nature of the job, and how close they all are, and he has to admit that it makes a lot of sense, once again. 

Later in the evening, after they’ve eaten and cleaned up, Taehyung retrieves his guitar from his old bedroom, and takes it out into the living room. He sits on the edge of the couch, tuning it slowly. Once it sounds the way it should, he starts to pluck away, focusing on where he puts his fingers, feeling out of practice, even if it’s only been two weeks since he last played. Absently he worries that Jimin won’t like him practicing at the apartment, but he doesn’t let that worry him. If Jimin would rather not listen, then Taehyung can bring the guitar to the club and practice before everyone arrives. 

After their conversation before dinner, Taehyung’s found himself thinking more about Jimin. He considers what his halmeoni said, and the more he thinks about it, the more silly he feels. The more childish he feels. He’s known that Jimin is going through something, and he still let himself get all petty about how he treated Taehyung. Of course Taehyung knows that he deserves to be treated better than Jimin did at first, but he could have reacted better. He continues plucking at the guitar, warming his fingers up, as he promises to himself that he’ll do better when he returns to Seoul tomorrow. For now, though, he just wants to play his guitar and enjoy spending time with his grandparents. Back to regular life tomorrow. 

When Jimin woke up yesterday to find Taehyung gone, he didn’t think much of it. He knows that he’s been spending more time with Jeongguk, and thought that maybe they were hanging out again. Or that he was with another of their friends. So he didn’t think too hard about it, and spent a lazy afternoon at home before heading to the club for work. He knew it was Taehyung’s day off, so when he arrived to find everyone already there, he asked if they’d seen him.

“I haven’t seen him since we closed yesterday,” Jeongguk says, and the others echo his sentiment. That confused Jimin, but he still didn’t let it bother him. Maybe Taehyung’s made some friends outside of their group. If that’s the case, good for him, Jimin thinks. He got ready and practiced a couple of his songs, and when the club opened, he found almost all thought of Taehyung left him as he slid right into his Sanguine singer persona.

But when he arrives home just after five am to find Taehyung’s door still open, how he left it yesterday, and Taehyung nowhere to be found, he starts to worry a bit. He remembers what Taehyung said when Jimin asked him to give him a heads up before bringing people over, That won’t be necessary, I don’t know anybody here. He supposes Taehyung might have spent the night with whomever he was with yesterday… but still. He worries a little. He goes to sleep, though, exhausted after a long night, and guesses that Taehyung will be back from wherever he was by the time Jimin wakes up in the afternoon. 

When he wakes up, however, the apartment is still empty and quiet. A tight ball of anxiety forms in Jimin’s stomach, and with it confusion grows. Why do I care so much? He doesn’t even like you, Jimin. Then a small, petulant voice, pipes up, You don’t even like him! 

But… That’s not true anymore, is it? he thinks. He does like Taehyung. He does want to be friends with him, even if he royally screwed things up by being an asshole at first. On top of the fact that it would make their living situation so much better, Jimin is finding that he does genuinely like Taehyung, and it has almost everything to do with the way Taehyung treats Jimin’s friends. He’s kind, and encouraging, and talented. He’s hardworking, and a clean person, and he’s done his best to accommodate Jimin. 

Jimin forces out a heavy sigh, shaking his head as he makes his way to the kitchen to start on lunch. As he warms up leftover kimchi jjigae, he softly sings On an Evening in Roma. He’s been practicing it, and he thinks he’s ready to start rehearsing it with Taehyung. Once his food is ready, he carries both his bowls - one with the stew, and one with rice - to the table and sits down. Before he starts eating, though, he texts Seokjin. 

Jimin [12:49]: Hey hyung, have you heard from Taehyung? He was gone when I woke up yesterday, and he’s still gone now. 

Seokjin [12:50]: I haven’t. Did you text him? Are you worried?

Jimin [12:50]: No… and I don’t know… do you think I should be?? 

Seokjin [12:51]: No, he’s an adult Jimin-ah, he can spend the night somewhere else if he wants to kkk 

Jimin [12:51]: ugh you’re no help

Jimin shakes his head, flipping his phone over so he can start eating. But as the afternoon progresses slowly, and Taehyung doesn’t return, Jimin can’t help continuing to think about it. When four o’clock rolls around and he’s still not back, Jimin starts to really worry. He tries to watch a movie, but he keeps looking at his phone often enough that half the movie passes and Jimin has no idea what happened. He growls in his throat. 

“Why do you care so much?” he groans at himself, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees and putting his face in his hands. He sits up and stares at his phone. “I could call him…?” He grimaces. Taehyung might think that’s weird. Jimin unlocks his phone, and hesitates. 

But then the front door starts beeping, and a moment later it opens and Taehyung walks in, laden with two duffel bags and a guitar. Jimin stares at him, wide eyed. “You’re back!” he says before he can stop himself. 

“Ah, yeah, I am,” Taehyung says, struggling to get out of his shoes before making his way to his room. Jimin turns around on the couch and watches him put his bags down, and then he comes back out into the living room, collapsing on the other end of the couch. He sighs. 

“W-where- Um. You were gone a while?” Jimin says, wincing slightly, hoping he doesn’t sound as awkward as he feels. “I was a little worried, none of the others had heard from you…?” Taehyung opens his eyes, his brows furrowing as he sits up and looks at Jimin. 

“You were worried about me?” 

Jimin’s mouth closes with an audible clack, and he feels his cheeks heat up slightly. “Y-yeah, I mean, I just- I don’t know.”

“I went back to my grandparents’ farm to pick up a few things I didn’t bring with me when I came here the first time,” Taehyung says, an indecipherable look on his face, though his lips curl up into a small smile. “I didn’t even think about the fact that I should have let you know, I’m sorry, Jimin-ssi.”

“You don’t have to be so formal,” Jimin mumbles, looking down. “We are the same age, after all.”

“Okay.” Jimin glances up to find a small smile on Taehyung’s face.

He’s handsome. He looks away again before his blush can betray his thoughts. Dammit Jimin, get it together. “Um, I’ve been practicing On an Evening in Roma, and I think I’m ready to start rehearsing it, if you are?” Taehyung’s smile widens. 

“Yeah! Do you want to head to the club early and we can run through it a few times?” Jimin nods. “Okay, let me just go take a shower, I’ve been on buses and trains all day.”

“Okay,” Jimin says, a small smile on his face. Taehyung leaps up and goes to take a shower, and Jimin sits back, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “Maybe you can be friends,” he whispers to himself. “Maybe you didn’t completely fuck things up.”

Yoongi watches Jimin and Taehyung beginning to rehearse their duet with a smile on his face. He’s in the sound booth, behind his laptop, but he’s not paying attention to what he’s doing. He’s watching Jimin getting increasingly excited the more he and Taehyung work together. Jimin loves getting new songs ready, he loves thinking about the way the audience will react, loves making up small choreographies to dance along with it. He thrives in it. That alone is enough to make Yoongi feel like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders, but on top of it all is the look in Taehyung’s eyes as he listens to Jimin, as he practices with him and dances with him. Yoongi knows from experience that Jimin’s happiness is infectious, that it worms its way in and forces you to feel the same way, and here Taehyung is experiencing it for the first time. It would appear that the barrier that built up between them after their first meeting has been torn down, and Taehyung is officially in where Jimin is concerned, and that thought makes Yoongi immeasurably happy. 

Taehyung looks a little like he’s falling in love with Jimin, a little more every time Jimin’s eyes light up with an idea, every time he laughs, delighted with how they sound. Yoongi vehemently approves. Once upon a time, Yoongi might have felt a little like he, too, was falling in love with Jimin. But after a while, those feelings faded into brotherly love, platonic devotion. He would do anything for Jimin, because he’s family, but there are no romantic feelings there. So, if Taehyung starts to feel that way about Jimin, then Yoongi will wholeheartedly support him. Jimin deserves to be loved in every possible way one can love another. 

He’d arrived early, only a few minutes before Jimin and Taehyung did, and the rest of their crew haven’t arrived yet. The back door opens, a few minutes later, and Jeongguk steps in, bundled up in his thick scarf and coat. Yoongi gazes at him as he walks further into the lounge, and he picks up his hand and waves. Jeongguk smiles widely, waving back. “Hey, hyung! I’m glad you’re here,” Jeongguk says in that sincere way he has. Yoongi’s used to being useful. For so long, wherever someone might have seen him, they’d be happy to see him because of how he could help them, or whatever he could do for them. But Jeongguk’s delight at his presence is simply that. I’m glad you’re here, not I’m glad you’re here so you can help me. It makes something in Yoongi’s belly flutter. He ignores it. 

Stop it Yoongi, he grumbles to himself. We’ve talked about this. Jeongguk is young and charismatic, talented and so handsome. He has so much going for him. He doesn’t need me hanging on. Not like he even feels that way, anyway. 

“Jeongguk-ah, I’ve got the final mix or your song ready. Do you want to hear it?” He smiles, butterflies in his stomach fluttering harder when Jeongguk’s face lights up even brighter. He nods vigorously, nearly strangling himself trying to get his scarf off, and he dumps it and his coat on the bar before sidling up right beside him. Yoongi hands him the headphones, and the butterflies in his stomach go crazy, now mingling with the tight roiling of anxiety in his belly. He recorded himself singing the lyrics, and that always makes him anxious. He’s not a singer, not like Jeongguk or the others are. His voice isn’t terrible, but he’s still shy, and hesitant to share it. 

Out of them all, he thinks he’s the most nervous to share with Jeongguk, no matter how many times he’s done this, it never gets easier. He hands over the headphones, and Jeongguk immediately fits them over his ears, glancing at Yoongi with an excited look in his eyes. Yoongi hits play, and waits. He forces himself to look up at the stage, lest he spend the whole time staring at Jeongguk. Jimin and Taehyung are standing close together, talking soft enough that Yoongi can’t hear what they’re saying. He’s exceedingly glad that Jimin seems to have figured out how to bridge that gap between them, and is actually giving Taehyung a chance to be his friend. 

When Jimin started working with them, he was so closed off. Yoongi, shy and introverted by nature, didn’t try particularly hard at first to befriend him. It made him anxious, Jimin’s fiery energy that he brought into everything he did. Back then he was so determined, which he still is, of course, but back then it was like Jimin was always ready to fight for everything he wanted. Yoongi knows, now, that that’s entirely because of the way he was raised, and the tough time he had before he found Sanguine and decided he wanted to work here. He did have to fight for everything he wanted.

But then one day, maybe a month or two after Jimin arrived, he got a little drunk towards the end of the night. He didn’t want to go back to the hostel he was still living in, and before Yoongi could stop himself, he offered Jimin his couch for the night. Jimin roped him into drinking more with him when they arrived at Yoongi’s place, and that opened the floodgates. They talked for hours, well into the morning, and that was it for Yoongi. He’d welcomed Jimin into his inner circle, and decided that he would go to hell and back for that kid. He knows Jimin very well by now, and so he knows how things have been for Jimin lately. And he knows how hard it’s been for Jimin to open up to Taehyung. 

Which is why it makes Yoongi so happy to see the way Jimin is looking at Taehyung up on the stage, the way he smiles at him, and the way his expression and body language are finally open to him. Yoongi wonders just what it was that was the turning point for them, but he’s over the moon that it’s happened, whatever it was. 

He’s brought back from his thoughts when Jeongguk pulls the headphones off of his ears, and looks at him with wide, excited eyes. “Hyung,” he says, all of his breath forcing that one word out. Yoongi feels suspended in the moment, waiting for Jeongguk to continue speaking. 

Jeongguk reaches out and places both hands on his cheeks, and Yoongi’s eyes go wide for a split second, before Jeongguk is surging forward and kissing him. Shock courses through him, and though he wants to wrap his arms around Jeongguk and hold him, keep him there, lips on lips, he can’t move. Jeongguk reels back, his eyes wide, but this time they’re filled with horror. “I- I- oh my god,” he whispers, sounding terrified. “I love the song, hyung. I’m sorry.” Then he rushes past Yoongi and disappears backstage. Yoongi stands, still in shock, for a long moment, not registering that the rest of the room is silent, and Jimin and Taehyung are staring at him. 

Movement from the stage catches his attention, and the turns, his mind blank, and watches Taehyung making his way off stage, toward where Jeongguk disappeared, and Jimin making his way over to him. Jimin gently places his hand on Yoongi’s elbow and leads him to a chair, where he collapses unceremoniously. “Hyung,” Jimin says, sitting beside him, his chair pulled close. He puts his hand on Yoongi’s shoulder, and he manages to make himself move to look up into Jimin’s eyes. “Hyung, are you alright?”

“I… He kissed me.” He knows that he sounds dumb with shock, but he is dumb with shock. “Why did he kiss me?” He looks into Jimin’s eyes, beseeching him to explain it to him. Jimin smiles, his eyes narrowing with it, and exhales a soft laugh. He reaches up with both hands to place them on Yoongi’s cheeks, and for a single, bewildering second Yoongi worries Jimin’s going to kiss him too. 

“Hyung, Jeonggukie’s been in love with you for years.” It takes a moment for those words to penetrate into the fog of Yoongi’s brain. “And something tells me that maybe you feel the same way?” Jimin ventures softly. Yoongi nods, unable to summon the right words. “You’re a lot better at hiding it than Jeonggukie is,” Jimin laughs. 

“He loves me?” Yoongi asks, the true meaning of the words not quite sinking in. Jimin nods patiently. “I- what?” Jimin pats his cheek, like one might a child who’s being silly. 

“You should go talk to him, hyung. I think he’s probably terrified. I don’t know what caused him to finally go for it, but judging by how quickly he ran off, I think it must have been a spur of the moment thing.”

Yoongi nods, still feeling in shock, but then he surges up and quickly makes his way to the backstage door. 

Meanwhile, Jeongguk is panicking. He’s pacing back and forth in his dressing room, trying not to hyperventilate. Taehyung sits in his chair, watching silently. “I can’t believe I did that,” Jeongguk whines. “Hyung doesn’t feel the same way about me, what if he hates me now?” he cries, his heart pounding in his chest. “I- I- what did I do?” His chest feels tight, and he thinks he’s about a split second away from bursting into tears. He stops pacing and throws himself into the second chair he keeps in the small room, dropping his face into his hands. 

“I doubt hyung hates you, Jeonggukie,” Taehyung says, and Jeongguk hears the scratch of his chair scooting across the hardwood floor a second before he feels the hand on his back. “He just looked surprised, not angry! How can you be sure he doesn’t feel that way about you?”

“Because he’s in love with Jimin,” Jeongguk mumbles into his hands. “He has been for years now.” Taehyung’s hand on his back falters, but then he goes back to rubbing his shoulder blade a second later like he’d never stopped. 

The dressing room door opens, and Jeongguk’s face flies up, shock and fear shooting through him when he sees Yoongi standing there. “Tae-yah, can I talk to Jeonggukie alone please?” Yoongi ask softly. 

Taehyung pats his back, leaning in close to say, “Deep breath. Don’t panic, just talk to him.” Taehyung stands and leaves the room, shutting the door softly behind him. The lump in Jeongguk’s throat swells slightly, and he tries to swallow it down. Yoongi lingers for just a moment, before stepping over to sit down in the chair Taehyung just vacated. He sits forward, staring into Jeongguk’s eyes for a long moment. 

“Jeongguk-ah,” Yoongi starts, pausing to take a breath, and Jeongguk can’t stop himself. 

“Hyung I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to kiss you, I just loved the song so much, and the lyrics felt so personal and I just couldn’t help it. I know you don’t feel the same way about me, and I know that you’re in love with Jimin so I’m not expecting anything and-” Yoongi reaches over and clamps his hand on his forearm, effectively interrupting his rambling. 

“Wait, what? You think I’m in love with Jimin?” he asks, his brow furrowed. Jeongguk nods miserably. “Jeonggukie, I’m not in love with Jimin. I’m in love with you.” 

It feels like the whole world stops in that moment. Even Jeongguk’s heart seems to pause for a moment, leaving only heavy silence and disbelief in its wake. “What?” he whispers. 

“Jeonggukie, I’ve had feelings for you for a while now. Maybe a year, or so.”

“I’ve been in love with you for three years,” Jeongguk whispers. 

Then, Yoongi laughs. It catches Jeongguk off guard, and he blinks dumbly at him for a moment. But then it dawns on him. Yoongi loves him! Yoongi feels the same way Jeongguk does, and now they both know! “We’re really dumb,” Yoongi mumbles. He looks up into Jeongguk’s eyes, opening his mouth to keep talking, but Jeongguk can’t hold himself back. He surges over and kisses Yoongi again, his hands on Yoongi’s neck and his cheek. It’s a little too enthusiastic at first, and his teeth clack against his lip, but then he pulls back and fixes the angle, and oh. Yoongi’s lips feel so perfect against his own. Just the way he always thought they would. It’s everything he’s ever wanted it to be. Yoongi kisses him back sweetly, winding his arms around Jeongguk’s back and holding him close. It’s a little awkward, Jeongguk half standing over Yoongi as he sits in the chair, but when Jeonguk kneels on the edge of the seat, he’s able to settle more comfortably in Yoongi’s lap, and it’s perfect. 

Yoongi pulls back a moment later, and Jeongguk opens his eyes to stare into Yoongi’s. “Will you go out with me?” Yoongi asks softly. 

“Yes, hyung, I definitely want to do that.”

“Good. Kiss me again?” Jeongguk does so, enthusiastically. 

Taehyung emerges from the backstage to find Jimin back on stage once again, humming to himself and going through the small choreo they made up together. He watches for a long moment, smiling to himself at how focused Jimin looks, how dedicated he is to putting on the best performance he possibly can. He notices Taehyung and stops. “How did Jeonggukie seem?”

“He was freaking out. He’s convinced Yoongi doesn’t feel the same way he does. In fact, he told me that Yoongi’s in love with you,” Taehyung says. “What did Yoongi say?”

Jimin snorted when Taehyung mentioned Jeongguk’s fear. “Yoongi-hyung is just as head over heels for Jeongguk as Jeongguk is for him. He’s definitely not in love with me.” Taehyung closes the distance between them. He’s feeling optimistic at their newfound tentative friendship, but he doesn’t want to say the wrong thing and ruin all of the progress they’ve made. He’s felt for so long like he’s walking on eggshells around Jimin, but… Jimin was worried about him. He didn’t know where Taehyung was, and he worried. He didn’t text, and ask where he was, but it’s something. It’s enough. Enough for Taehyung to abandon the last bit of resentment he may be carrying around from their initial impression, and throw himself into this budding friendship. 

Jimin smiles at him, much less restrained than he’s ever been with Taehyung, and Taehyung realizes. That crush is still there. It may have felt like it faded in the last few weeks since it initially flared up when he first heard Jimin sing, but it never went away. Taehyung smiles, not trying to hold it back. His halmeoni was right, he needs to take that initial step, make sure that Jimin knows that he wants to be friends - even if he wants to be more than that, but that can come later. One step at a time. 

“Shall we continue rehearsing?” Jimin asks lightly, and Taehyung nods quickly. “I think we might even be able to debut it tomorrow night, if you think we can be ready. But I think the audience is going to lose their minds. We sound really good together.” 

“I agree, Jimin-ah,” Taehyung says softly, feeling genuinely happy in Jimin’s presence for the first time. 

“Love is in the air, don’t you think?” Hoseok asks Namjoon, feeling amused. It’s been a month since Yoongi and Jeongguk got together, and a month since Jimin seemed to finally get over his hangup where it came to Taehyung. Hoseok is elated to see Jimin finally being friendly to their newest friend, and he’s even more elated to see Jimin actually happy for the first time in months. 

It’s a busy night toward the end of November, and Hoseok and Namjoon have barely had a moment to take a breath since they opened. Jimin and Seokjin are on stage, however, singing a new duet, and so most of the club-goers attention are on them, and Namjoon and Hoseok can take a moment to breathe. Hoseok watches Namjoon glance over to where Jeongguk is standing talking to Yoongi in the soundbooth, and he laughs softly. Hoseok can’t hear it over the sound of the club, but he’s heard it enough to know what it sounds like.  

“I think you’re right. Want to take bets on how long it takes Taehyung and Jimin to start dating?” 

“You think they will?”

“I’m almost certain they will. Have you seen the way Taehyung stares at Jimin? He’s gone for him. And then Jimin, I don’t think he realizes it yet, but I think he’s gone for him as well. They’re just dancing around each other right now, and eventually something will snap and they’ll collide.”

Hoseok considers it, but the longer he thinks about it, the more he thinks Namjoon has a point. Jimin seems to have fully welcomed Taehyung into the fold, finally. And having been on the receiving end of Jimin’s hard-won affections, Hoseok knows what a big deal that is. “Well, if they do start dating, I’ll be glad for them. Jimin deserves someone like Taehyung. Someone who’s patient enough to outlast his temper.” Namjoon laughs, nodding. 

Things feel almost too good to be true, Jimin thinks. He and Taehyung are growing closer, actually becoming friends. They’ll eat lunch together almost every day, carpool to and from the club together, and they’ve ever started going out to do things around the city together. Jimin’s spent hours by now sitting on the couch, listening to Taehyung play guitar, and even singing along when he plays a song Jimin knows. Taehyung is easy to talk to, and even easier to start to grow feelings for. Jimin’s not sure how he feels about those feelings, but he’s content to simply let them grow and see what happens. He doesn’t want to mess anything up. He wants to just exist in this happy moment, for however long he can. Yoongi and Jeongguk are finally together - something everyone crowed in happiness and relief over. Seokjin, Hoseok, and Namjoon are all happy. Everyone’s happy. 

Jimin feels like he’s finally moved on past what happened last summer. Like he can let his guard down, just a little bit, and simply let himself be. 

It’s a busy night a few weeks later. It’s Seokjin’s birthday, and that means that the party is in full swing. Jimin, Taehyung, and Jeongguk all sing much longer than they normally do while Seokjin drinks and mingles, and now he’s drunk. Seokjin is a loud, happy drunk, though, so he’s absolutely the life of the party, just as he should be. Yoongi’s playing all his favorite songs, good-naturedly wearing the birthday hat that Seokjin shoved onto his head a while ago. Namjoon and Hoseok are also wearing them. Jimin flat out refused, and Jeongguk followed his lead. Taehyung wore the hat at first, but ditched it at some point. 

Taehyung’s standing at the bar staring around the crowded, lively club with a wide smile on his face. He’s having a great time, though he thinks not nearly as great a time as the birthday boy is himself. Seokjin’s standing at one of the tables in the middle of the room, talking and laughing loudly. Jeongguk’s at the same table, standing beside Seokjin and surreptitiously distracting him every time he tries to go back to his drink to keep him from drinking himself sick in front of all of these customers. 

He’s got a drink in his own hand that he’s been sipping slowly, not wanting to get drunk himself. Jimin, however, has no such qualms. He’s been back to the bar several times for another cocktail, which he carries with him as he moves from table to table. He’s currently on the other side of the lounge, sitting in one of the round booths set against the wall. There are five other people in the booth with him, two strikingly handsome young men who look to be about the same age as Jimin and Taehyung are, as well as three young women who look closer to Jeongguk’s age. One of the young ladies is hanging all over one of the men, but the other is looking a little put out that the other man seems more interested in Jimin. Taehyung can’t help the way his eyes narrow as he watches the man lean in and say something into Jimin’s ear, causing him to laugh. He’s gorgeous when he laughs. Jimin is beautiful, and kind when he wants to be, with a sharp wit and a fast tongue. Taehyung’s crush has grown into full blown Feelings. It feels a lot like they’ve started dancing around each other, and Taehyung doesn’t know how to make that first move. He’s never really been in a relationship before. So he’s biding his time, waiting for that perfect moment to confess his feelings to present itself, so he can dive headfirst into the romantic inclination he’s always known he possesses, but has never had the opportunity to tap into.

He starts to look away to take a sip of his drink, and perhaps turn his attention to less painful subjects, when he sees something that alarms him so badly he nearly drops his glass. 

He’s staring right at Jimin when the man whose arm is around his shoulders seems to put something in his drink. The club is so busy, so raucous in their celebration that no one would have noticed had they not been staring right at him when it happened, as Taehyung had been. Jimin doesn’t even notice, too busy laughing at whatever the man’s saying. Taehyung’s noticed that when Jimin laughs, his eyes close nearly all the way. On more than one occasion he’s bemoaned, “I can’t see when I laugh!” while busting up at something one of the other guys says, and this man seems to have noticed. 

Taehyung stands frozen for a moment, questioning himself. Did you really see what you think you saw? Did that guy just drug Jimin? What do I do?

He whips around, trying to catch Namjoon or Hoseok’s attention over the bar, but they’re so swamped, that they don’t even look at Taehyung. He turns back, his eyes drawn to Jimin like a beacon in the night, and he gasps as Jimin tosses back half of the drink in one go. “No!” he yells, launching himself off of the barstool. He races through the club as fast as he can, knocking into more than a few people, barely able to hear them when they yell at him. He doesn’t care. He screeches to a halt at Jimin’s booth, and snatches his drink right from his hand. 

“Hey!” Jimin yells, turning to look up at Taehyung with confusion on his face. “What the hell?”

“Yeah, what the fuck, dude?” the man beside him says, puffing himself up. 

“Jimin, I saw this guy put something in your drink,” Taehyung says, leaning in close, to make sure that Jimin will hear him. 

“What’s wrong?” Jeongguk’s voice sounds in his ear, his hand on Taehyung’s shoulder. Taehyung can’t turn around to look at him, though, because his eyes are locked on Jimin’s. He’s staring up at him, wide eyes, his mouth slightly parted. He looks terrified, and it ignites something in Taehyung he’s never felt before. Pure, unbridled rage. 

Jimin stands, quickly, his movements jerky. Taehyung reaches for him, out of instinct, and to his great surprise, Jimin goes to him, moving to stand behind him. “This guy put something in Jimin’s drink,” Taehyung says into Jeongguk’s ear. 

What happens next surprises Taehyung more than anything he’s seen in a long while. Jeongguk, who is always so sweet and gentle, flies forward, reaching out and fisting his hand in the man’s tie. He shoves him against the backrest of the booth, and it’s too loud in the club for Taehyung to hear what he’s saying, but after a moment Jeongguk lets go. Taehyung’s still standing close by, holding around Jimin’s waist. Jimin’s breathing very quickly, and if Taehyung had to guess, he’d say he’s likely hyperventilating. 

Jeongguk climbs up onto the table, knocking over glasses, and faces the bar as he starts waving his arms over his head. Taehyung’s confused for a moment, but then it dawns on him that he’s probably trying to get Yoongi, Hoseok, or Namjoon’s attention. 

While he’s doing that, the man who drugged Jimin tries to dart out of the booth. Taehyung lets go of Jimin only so he can shove the man back down. “Oh no, you’re not going anywhere!” he snarls. The music cuts off, startling everyone and sending an uproar of confused voices into the room, and Taehyung glances up to Jeongguk, who’s using two hands to motion across his neck. 

There’s a crackle as a microphone is turned on, and then Yoongi’s voice is coming over the speakers. “I’m so sorry everyone, but there’s been an emergency, and we need to cut the party a little short. Please see yourselves out in a quick and orderly fashion.” His tone is firm, to the point, and thankfully seems to be enough that people actually listen. The man tries to get up again, but Jeongguk pushes him back as he climbs off the table. 

“Jeongguk-ah, I’ve got it here, you should take Jimin backstage,” Taehyung says, putting his hand on his shoulder. “I saw what happened, I’ll handle it. Take him somewhere safe.” They both glance back to find Jimin still breathing fast, a terrified look on his face. There are tears streaming down his face. It’s probably only been two minutes since Taehyung raced over, and yet it feels like it’s been an hour already. 

Jeongguk nods, and goes to put his arm around Jimin’s waist to lead him through the crowd. That’s when Namjoon and Hoseok both reach them. Seokjin stumbles over as well. It’s still loud in the club, but not so loud that they can’t hear as Taehyung explains what happened. 

“I was watching Jimin when I saw this guy slip something into his drink, and then before I could get to him Jimin drank like half of it.”

“We didn’t do anything!” one of the women with the man cries. “I don’t even know this guy! We just met tonight!” she cries.

“Doesn’t matter, you’re with him, you need to be here to make a statement when the police arrive,” Namjoon says, his tone hard. 

“I can’t fucking believe this happened to him again,” Seokjin groans. His voice is quiet, and Taehyung only hears it because Seokjin’s leaning on him. His stomach drops. Again? Jimin’s been drugged before? Taehyung wants to ask, but he knows that now is not the time. 

The club’s mostly cleared out, and much more quiet, more importantly, when Hoseok pulls out his phone and calls the police. The man who drugged Jimin hasn’t said a single word since Taehyung first confronted him. He looks like a caged animal, but doesn’t seem stupid enough to try to run again, not when surrounded by the four of them, as well as his ‘friends’, who are all staring at him like he’s the most disgusting thing they’ve ever seen. As they should, Taehyung thinks. 

Panic grips Jimin, ice in his veins, as he walks through the club, not yet stumbling. Jeongguk’s arm is heavy around his waist, a comforting, familiar presence, and Jimin is glad to have him there. Or he would be, if he could think about anything other than the fact that he’s now been drugged for the second time in his life. Yoongi joins them halfway to the backstage door, and Jimin barely hears him asking Jeongguk what happened over the din of customers funneling out of the club. They turned the lights up when they turned the music off, so Jimin can see everyone in stark clarity, unhindered by the usual dimness of the club in full swing. People stare at him as they push past, and usually Jimin enjoys their stares. Usually their stares are welcome reminders of how beautiful he is, how desirable he is. But now? Now those same two traits are the reason he’s panicking, the reason he has some unknown substance seeping into his blood more and more every second that passes. They’re the reasons this happened the first time. 

Yoongi shoves open the backstage door, and they lead him down the narrow hallway into his dressing room. As soon as they’re alone, as soon as all those eyes are off of him, Jimin breaks. He inhales a harsh, shuddering gasp and exhales it with a sob, a hand flying up to cover his mouth. The tears which started streaming the moment he fully comprehended what Taehyung told him redouble, and he squeezes his eyes shut against them. It doesn’t help, of course, they continue flowing. He’s led to a chair. That’s when he realizes. “Oh god, I need to puke,” he says, the panic and urgency of this realization halting his sobs without stopping the tears. “A trashcan, anything, please,” he cries, reaching out blindly. 

One of them hands him his trash can, and Jimin holds it between his knees, hunches over it, and shoves his short fingers down his throat. He gags, but doesn’t vomit, and that only makes him more panicky. There are hands on his shoulders, on his back, in his hair, and he tries again and again until finally it works, and he’s retching all of the liquid he put into his stomach that night. He doesn’t stop until his stomach threatens to cramp, and nothing else comes up except bile. It’s disgusting, but he wipes at his mouth with the back of his hand only a moment before Yoongi’s wiping at his hand with a wet wipe. Jimin succumbs to the panicking sobs again, barely noticing Yoongi wiping around his mouth as Jeongguk takes the trashcan and puts it somewhere out of sight. Yoongi kneels on the floor in front of him and pulls him into his arms, holding him tightly. Jimin clings to him, like if he lets go he’ll fall straight down into some abyss, the same abyss that keeps whispering to him, how could you let this happen to yourself again? How could you be so careless? 

“I’ve got you, Jiminie,” Yoongi whispers, petting his hair. There are other hands on him, an arm over his shoulders, a hand clenched over his own where it clenches on the back of Yoongi’s shirt. Jeongguk’s perched himself on the arm of Jimin’s chair and holds him, so he’s surrounded by two of his closest friends as he sobs out his panic and disbelief. He starts to feel himself relaxing, and a small part of his brain screams against it, telling him this is just the drug! Fight it! But his eyes droop and he starts to go limp in Yoongi’s arms. 

“Hyung,” he says, hearing how the word drags, like his voice is trudging through mud.

“Shh, Jiminie, it’s okay. I’ve got you, I promise. Nothing is going to happen to you.”

“We’re going to make that man pay,” Jeongguk says, his voice hard. 

Jimin laughs. It’s a barely there sound, little more than a jerk of his diaphragm, a puff of air. “Why me?” he groans. “Why do people keep doing this to me? Why can’t anyone just try to get into my pants the normal way?” he whines, and his voice keeps dragging, his words slurring as the drug that managed to seep into his bloodstream takes hold. His head rests heavily on Yoongi’s shoulder. 

“Jeongguk-ah, can you pick him up?” Yoongi says. “Let’s take him to the couch in hyung’s office.” Jimin lets himself be manhandled into Jeongguk’s arms, and then he feels like he’s floating as he’s carried back down the empty, now quiet hall. Then he’s deposited onto a couch, and the warm, comforting hands are gone and he cries out, reaching. “Okay, Jimin-ah, I’m still here,” Yoongi says, and next thing he knows, Jimin’s lying on his side on the couch, his head pillowed in Yoongi’s lap. He’s not crying anymore, but through the haze of the drug he feels vaguely like he’s being stretched in every direction, and he’s about to snap. 

He falls asleep, and he doesn’t dream. When he wakes up, somehow, he’s in his own bed. Yoongi is lying on top of the blankets beside him, curled up on his side facing Jimin. The room is lit up through his gauzy curtains, and as he stares outside he guesses it must be around midday. 

“Hey,” Yoongi whispers. 

“Hey,” Jimin croaks. He scrubs a hand over his face, and smacks his lips. His mouth tastes terrible, and he vaguely remembers throwing up last night at the same time he remembers why he threw up last night. He groans, grimacing and curling up tighter into himself. 

“How do you feel?” Yoongi asks, his voice still soft, gentle. 

“Physically? I feel fine, mostly,” Jimin says. He wants to be angry. He wants to rage and scream and break things, but he’s just tired. “The last thing I remember is being carried to the couch in Seokjin-hyung’s office.”

“That’s just about the last thing that happened to you before we brought you home,” Yoongi says quickly. “You fell asleep very quickly, and then you were out cold. Jeongguk carried you down to Seokjin-hyung’s car, and drove us and Taehyung here after the police were finished. Hyung was still drunk, so Jeongguk drove him home after.”

“What happened? After we left the lounge?”

Yoongi’s mouth twists in a frown, and he adjusts the way his head is resting on his arm, which is bent backward, acting as a pillow. “Hoseok called the police, who arrived quickly and took everyone’s statements. They arrested the man who drugged you, and Seokjin called his lawyer right away. He said that since Taehyung saw the guy put something in your drink, as well as it being caught on CCTV, the guy has no case if he’s stupid enough to plead not-guilty and take this to a trial, which he won’t, nobody can be that stupid. They’ll need you to go in today and give your statement.” Jimin nods, staring at the wall above Yoongi’s head. “Hyung said he’s not opening the club today,” Yoongi continues. Part of Jimin wants to protest this and claim he’s not worth losing that money. But a smaller part of him is grateful. He nods again. “We’re going to change a few things, once we do open again.” Yoongi’s voice is still soft, but it’s taken on a slight edge. “I don’t think you and the others are going to mingle with the customers after you sing anymore. Or if you do, you won’t drink with them, or accept anything they give you.”

“Yeah, that’s probably for the best…” Jimin rolls onto his back and stretches. He feels suddenly restless, jittery. “I’m going to take a shower, brush my teeth,” he mumbles, pushing himself up. “You should go home, hyung.”

“Are you sure?” Yoongi asks, sitting up as well. His black hair is disheveled, and standing up on the side of his head he slept on, and despite his mood Jimin can’t help but laugh softly at it.

“Yeah, I’ve got Taehyung,” he says, and for the first time, he’s immensely glad to have the other man living here. It hits him, all at once, that those words are truer than he ever could have imagined, for without Taehyung, last night would have gone quite differently. 

“Okay. If you’re sure.”

“Yeah, go home. I’m sure Holly is freaking out.” Yoongi groans, as if he’d completely forgotten about the small toy poodle waiting for him at home. 

“Shit, you’re right. Hopefully he hasn’t eaten my couch.” This time Jimin’s laugh is real, and he feels a little lighter. He’s got space now to be grateful for what didn’t happen, rather than dwelling on what could have happened. 

They get up together, and Jimin hugs Yoongi, thanking him, and then sends him home. When he emerges into the hall after he hears the front door open and close, the apartment is quiet. He wonders if Taehyung is still asleep, or just in his room. He feels drawn to him more strongly than he was before, but he needs to shower first. He needs to brush his teeth, and put on clean clothes. He’s still wearing the outfit he was in last night, and he feels dirty. 

He spends a long time in the shower, the majority of it simply standing under the hot water, allowing it to wash away all the bad from last night. When he steps out and wraps himself in a towel, he feels new again. He spends a while in the silence, drying himself off, moving slowly and enjoying the peace of the moment. When he’s finished, Jimin opens the bathroom door and jumps. Taehyung’s standing there, surprise on his face showing in his wide eyes. 

“I- I’m sorry, I heard the shower go off a while ago and I assumed you were already in your room,” Taehyung says quickly, and then he turns around and starts to go back to his room, but Jimin reaches out and catches his shoulder. Taehyung stops, half turning back. 

“After I get dressed, can we talk?” he asks. Taehyung stares for a long moment, his face unreadable. Then he deflates, exhaling a nervous breath, and nods. 

“I’ll. I’ll go pee, and meet you in the living room?” He gestures over his shoulder, toward the couch with his thumb. Jimin nods, and they switch places, Taehyung disappearing into the bathroom while Jimin goes to his bedroom. He puts on clean boxers and his favorite sweatpants and sweatshirt. He combs through his wet hair, parting it the way he likes so it’ll dry somewhat nicely - though it never air dries completely the way he likes it, considering how damaged his hair is from bleaching it. He finishes by putting his favorite pair of fuzzy socks on his feet, and then goes into the living room. Taehyung’s already sitting on the couch, dressed in similarly comfortable clothes. 

Taehyung watches Jimin sit down on the opposite end of the couch, turned to face him full on, one leg tucked under him and his hands shoved into his sweatshirt’s pouch pocket. He feels jittery, despite the exhaustion clinging to him from the very little sleep he got. When they finally arrived home this morning it was past six - much later than they usually arrive back home - he led as Jeongguk carried Jimin into the apartment. He hovered, worried and keyed up after talking to the police, and watching them lead that despicable man out in handcuffs. The other people who’d been with him were allowed to leave after giving their statements to the two officers. Taehyung felt confident, after listening to them, that they’d told him the truth, that they hadn’t known the man before meeting him at Sanguine, and had no part in what he’d done - what he’d tried to do to Jimin. Seokjin, though still drunk, had been deadly serious the whole time, and it was such a startling difference from how he usually is that it only made Taehyung more anxious and worried about the whole thing. He can’t stop thinking about Seokjin’s words from last night. Not again. He’s desperately curious, but he won’t ask. Not unless Jimin offers up the story himself. 

He turns as well, so he can face Jimin head on, and he can’t keep the concern he feels from rolling off of him in waves, showing in his face, in the way he itches to reach out for Jimin. He was scared, seeing the man he’s come to know as strong and vibrant, passed out in Jeongguk’s arms, looking small and vulnerable. All of the walls he keeps up so carefully torn down. Asleep, Jimin looks young, innocent in a way that Taehyung knows so clearly now that he isn’t, and not by his own design. Clearly, he’s a man who has dealt with the worst of the world. Not again. 

“Are- are you okay?” he asks, his voice breathy where he wants it to be strong. Frightened, where he wants to be firm, a solid presence, to show Jimin that he’s not alone. He feels young. He’s never known anyone who was drugged at a club, and he feels that inexperience like a physical thing, sitting on his shoulder. 

“I am,” Jimin says, staring directly into Taehyung’s eyes. He wants to look away, but he finds he can’t. Jimin’s hold on him is too strong, and even though he knows now is not the time, a small part of his mind can’t help but marvel over how beautiful he is. “I’m okay, Taehyung-ah, and that’s entirely because of you.” His voice is soft as he admits this, and Taehyung’s eyes fly open wide. 

“What?”

“You saw it happen, you stopped me from finishing that drink. Last night was so crazy, so busy, who knows if one of you would have seen that guy smuggling me out of the club, or into the bathroom, or whatever it was he’d planned to do. You stopped something really bad from happening to me last night. It still fucking sucks that it happened, and it’ll probably take me a while before I can feel entirely comfortable at work again, but what could have happened didn’t because you saw something and you came to help. Thank you.” He pulls his hands out from his pocket and scoots himself closer, into the middle of the couch, and reaches out to take one of Taehyung’s hands from where it sits on his lap. “Thank you, Taehyung-ah. You’re a really good friend.”

Taehyung feels overwhelmed. There’s a pressure in his chest, and he can feel his heart beating wildly under his ribcage. He squeezes Jimin’s hand, and opens his mouth to say something, anything, but instead he bursts into tears. With his free hand he reaches up and covers his face. “Oh god, I’m sorry. This isn’t about me, I know, but god, Jimin, that was so scary.”

“It was,” Jimin agrees, his own voice wet, and when Taehyung removes his hand and looks at him, he finds him crying as well. Without thinking twice about it, Taehyung acts on his instinct, scooting even closer and pulling Jimin into a tight hug. Jimin returns it, wrapping his arms around Taehyung’s waist, and holding the back of his sweatshirt in his fists. He presses his face into Taehyung’s shoulder, and they both let out all of the emotions left over from last night’s harrowing events. 

Once Taehyung manages to get himself together, he pulls back slightly, but Jimin holds on, so Taehyung adjusts so he can sit a little more comfortably as he holds Jimin while he pulls himself together. He does, after a little while, and pulls back, though doesn’t move away. He sniffs, wiping at his eyes with his sleeve. “Taehyung, I wanted to say I’m sorry,” Jimin says in a small voice. 

“For what?” he asks immediately, his brow furrowing. 

“For being such an ass to you when we first met. I know we’re friends now, but… I never really apologized to you for it.” Understanding floods Taehyung, and his mouth falls open in a small ‘o’. “I walked into the club while you were auditioning for Seokjin-hyung, and my first thought was that hyung was hiring you to replace me. I’d been… spiralling, a bit, before you came. Drinking too much with the customers and making a bit of a fool of myself. Um.” He stops and takes a deep breath. Taehyung thinks he knows what’s coming. “I- uh. A few months ago, about a month before you arrived, actually, I was at another club on my day off, just blowing off some steam, trying to meet someone to hook up with, when the same thing happened. Some guy put something in my drink. I was able to get away, lock myself in the bathroom before anything really bad happened. I called Yoongi-hyung, and he came to get me, but the guy was long gone, of course. I- I felt really violated.” 

“Of course you did,” Taehyung breathes, watching Jimin’s eyes water, though he doesn’t truly start crying again. “That’s a really fucked up thing for someone to do.” Jimin nods. 

“I was going through it for a while, and I could tell I was getting on Seokjin-hyung’s nerves, so when I saw you I was convinced you were my replacement. And then after I was assured that you weren’t, I still felt angry. I know now, of course, that you’re a great guy, but at the time I was upset at having someone new join our group. They’re like my family. I don’t really have a relationship with my real family, so the guys are it for me, and I didn’t want to have to welcome anyone new in.”

“Then why did you let me move in?” Taehyung asks cautiously. He understands where Jimin is coming from. He thinks that if he’d been in his shoes, he would have felt the same way. 

“I guess… I guess my subconscious recognized that I really needed to not be alone, and latched onto the idea of having a roommate again… Jeonggukie lived with me for a long time, but earlier this year he decided it was time for him to get his own place.” Jimin pauses, and the corner of his mouth quirks up as he huffs a laugh. “I think he was getting ready to finally do something about his feelings for Yoongi. And now that he has, I bet he’s really happy he did,” Jimin laughs.

Taehyung can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of him. “I bet you’re right.” They indulge their laughter until it peters out on its own, and they’re left in a quiet that feels lighter than the heavy silence that previously occupied their apartment when they were in the same room together. 

“So you forgive me for being an ass?” Jimin whispers after a long moment. He stares at Taehyung, and he can recognize a kind of hopefulness in Jimin’s eyes that sparks something inside Taehyung. He nods vigorously. 

“I do. It’s forgotten.” Taehyung smiles widely, and his heart melts when Jimin leans forward to hug him again. 

Seokjin is seething. He’s angrier than he’s ever been in his entire life, and he doesn’t know what the hell to do about it. He sits at the bar of the club he’s owned for six years now and for a brief moment he considers giving it all up. Seokjin stares down at the drink in his hand, frowning. How many times has this happened here, and no one noticed? How many people got hurt at my club? Those two questions swirl around in his brain over and over again, and his chest begins to hurt. 

And Jimin… Seokjin feels like he failed him. He turns and looks over at the booth where it happened, where Jimin had been sitting and talking because Seokjin asked him to mingle with the customers. He’s always thought it was a good idea. Let the customers get to know the people they come to see, which will make them want to come back. That personal aspect adds to the customer’s experience, helps make the club feel like a comfortable place for people to come spend their nights. But that decision put one of Seokjin’s employees - one of his best friends - in danger. His breath shudders as he thinks about what could have happened had Taehyung not seen what that man did. He worries about both of them, about Taehyung who comes from a small, small town, where there are no clubs, and almost certainly no scumbags trying to drug people, but mostly about Jimin. This is the second time this has happened to that poor boy, and now at his own place of employment. At his own home. Seokjin works hard to make his staff feel like his family, to make the club feel like their home, and Jimin has just been violated in that home. 

He throws back the rest of the whiskey in his glass and reaches over the counter for more. It’s late in the afternoon, and he came here after receiving a text to inform him that Jimin went to the police to give his statement. Seokjin doesn’t care how much money it takes for his lawyer to handle the entire thing. He doesn’t care about money. He has plenty of it, and it’s the least he can do to help Jimin get justice for something he feels partially responsible for. 

The door opens, but Seokjin doesn’t turn to see who it is. He pours himself another drink and takes a sip. Someone sits down beside him. “Hey, hyung,” Namjoon says. 

“Hey, Namjoon-ah.”

“How are you doing?”

“I’m not the one you should be asking that,” Seokjin mutters. 

“I talked to Jimin and Taehyung earlier. Jimin’s okay, he promised me he is. So now I’m worried about you.”

“Why are you worried about me?” He swirls the whiskey around his glass and takes another sip.

“Because you’re drinking whiskey alone. And because I know you.”

Seokjin half turns to raise an eyebrow at his friend. “Is that so?”

“Yes, hyung. I know that you’re feeling really guilty right now because this happened here at your club. But Jimin’s okay.” 

“I’m not just worried about Jimin, though,” Seokjin sighs. He swallows the rest of his whiskey and sets the glass down without reaching for the bottle again. “I’m worried about all the other people that this might have happened to here, who didn’t have a Taehyung to stop anything bad from happening.” Namjoon nods, his face grim. “I’m hiring a security team,” Seokjin says after a long moment of quiet. It’s something he should have done a long time ago. “This place has always felt safe. We don’t get belligerent drunks, or fights breaking out. We have celebrations, and promotions, and singing and dancing. We don’t have innocent people getting drugged here!” he spits. “But now we do, and this place doesn’t feel safe to me anymore. People don’t feel safe to me anymore. But I’ll be damned if I let this happen again, especially to Jimin. Or Jeongguk, or Taehyung. Or to me! God!” Seokjin groans, putting his face in his hands. He shakes his head, and Namjoon puts his hands on his back, rubbing comfortingly. 

“That’s a good idea, hyung. Yoongi-hyung also mentioned the idea to me earlier that maybe the singers shouldn’t mingle anymore,” he adds softly. Seokjin nods. 

“Yeah, that’s the second thing we’re doing. They can sing for longer if they want, and help out behind the bar to keep from getting bored, but we’re not doing that anymore. It’s not worth the risk of something happening.” Namjoon nods. Seokjin sits back, exhaling forcefully. 

“It’s not okay that it happened, but all you can do is make positive changes, hyung, and do your best to make sure it never happens again. And Jimin doesn’t blame you. None of us do.” Seokjin nods again, feeling more than a little hollow. “How long are you going to keep the club closed?”

“I need some time, and I want to give Jimin some time. Taehyung, too. Poor kid seemed more than a little traumatized by the whole ordeal.” 

“Okay, hyung.”

“It’s Tuesday, let’s stay closed the rest of the week, and open again on Friday. Let Jeongguk know? So he can update our social media?”

“Will do. Now, how about we get you home so you can actually relax?” Namjoon stands, taking his glass back to the sink to wash it quickly, and then puts the bottle of whiskey away. Seokjin stands, puts on his coat, and follows Namjoon out of the club, shutting off the lights. 

Jimin’s a social creature. He always has been. He doesn’t like being alone, and would much rather just be in someone else’s presence, even if they’re not talking. He’s always preferred having a roommate, and spending time out away from home if that means he’d get to spend time with his friends. That’s one of the reasons Jeongguk moving out hit him so hard - he would come home to an empty, silent apartment after work, and would wake up alone with no one to talk to. It was exhausting. Jimin is a textbook extrovert. He needs other people to energize him. 

He regrets how he treated Taehyung when they met. He regrets not bridging that gap between them sooner. But… Somehow, against the odds, it wasn’t too late. What happened at the club is objectively terrible, and Jimin’s still upset about it, but if one good thing came out of it, it was that it provided an avenue for Jimin to really open up to Taehyung, and he does so with relish. 

They hung out before the incident, as they tentatively waded into their new friendship, but Jimin still spent quite a bit of time in his room. He starts leaving his bedroom door open when he’s hanging out in there, starts spending more time in the living room. They keep sharing their meals, but they’d still maintained their separate food stores but they develop a new system, where they go grocery shopping together and share the cost of the food. Jimin abandons the idea of his food and Taehyung’s food. He altogether stops avoiding him, and after only two days off of work, spent at home with his roommate and newest friend watching TV or listening to Taehyung play the guitar, Jimin can already feel the difference. The storm that was constantly brewing under the surface of his skin has calmed somewhat. Jimin still feels jittery, still feels restless from time to time, but now rather than wandering around his apartment, or fleeing in favor of going to Yoongi, Jeongguk, or any of his other hyungs, he can go into the living room and Taehyung is there. He hadn’t quite realized just how comforting it would be to live with a friend again. 

So he’s a little hesitant when he realizes that his crush is only growing, moving from something small and easily ignored, into a shining beacon Jimin couldn’t avoid if he tried. He starts to notice Taehyung in minute detail. He notices the little freckles on his nose and lip. He notices the way his hair brushes the nape of his neck, curling slightly in the back. He notices the way Taehyung’s big smile is square, and how freely he gives it away. He notices how soft and affectionate he is when he talks to or about his grandparents. Jimin notices the way Taehyung notices him. 

They joke about Yoongi’s obliviousness when it came to Jeongguk’s crush on him, and it only takes those two days for Jimin to notice that he was being the exact same way. It’s quite clear that Taehyung has a crush on him. It makes him feel warm, and he finds he likes that feeling. 

Two days after the incident at the club, Seokjin calls Jimin and tells him that the man who drugged him confessed to the police what he’d done, and Seokjin’s lawyer negotiated with his for that asshole to receive probation, community service, and have to pay Jimin ten million won in restitution. He would also receive a lifetime ban from Sanguine, as well as most of the other major clubs in Seoul, after Seokjin reached out to his friends in the business. Jimin accepted, and vowed to himself to move past what happened. It’s no use living in fear, in dwelling on what could have happened. All he can do is take every precaution to make sure it never happens again. 

The first night the club is open again goes off without a hitch. They sing for most of the night, and afterward Taehyung goes back behind the bar to help. He stands beside Hoseok and watches him make some fruity cocktail for a customer. “What did you do on your days off?” he asks. Hoseok glances at him with a smile. 

“I slept a lot,” he chuckles. “But I also danced, something I haven’t been able to do much. Sometimes it’s hard working here. The hours make it hard to have a social life outside of our little work family, but there are some drop in dance classes I used to attend on my days off, so I went to a couple. And I hung out with Seokjin-hyung and Namjoon.”

“You’re really close to them?” Taehyung ventures to guess. Hoseok nods, smiling at the customer as he hands her her drink. 

“Yeah, I’ve known Namjoon since high school, and we both met Seokjin-hyung before he opened this club.”

“Man, I can’t imagine having friends who know me that well,” Taehyung says softly, not entirely intending Hoseok to hear, though he does. He puts a hand on Taehyung’s shoulder, a confident smile on his face. 

“Stick around, Taehyung-ah, and you will. You’re part of the family now, especially now that Jimin’s accepted you into the fold.” Taehyung laughs softly. “How did your little vacation go? How did Jimin seem?” His demeanor shifts slightly, a hint of worry creeping into his voice. 

“I think he’s okay… He certainly seems grateful I was lucky enough to have been looking when that guy drugged his drink.” Hoseok nods, pursing his lips. But then Taehyung’s eyes widen slightly as a sly smile spreads across his face. 

“You were staring at him, that night,” he says. “And we’ve all noticed you staring before then, too. You like him, don’t you.” It’s not a question, Taehyung knows this. But after a moment, he can’t help nodding slightly. 

“I do.” It feels good, saying it out loud. 

“Even though he’s been an ass to you?” Hoseok pushes. He’s briefly distracted by a customer, but after taking his order he’s back. “Most people would have given up on someone who was a dick to them for no reason. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love Jimin like a brother, but he was a dick to you.”

“I know,” Taehyung says. “But… I don’t know. I guess I could sense that he was going through something. And I saw how he was with you guys, and that showed me what kind of person he is. I was raised by my grandparents,” he starts, and then waits while Hoseok hands the drink to the customer. “And they always taught me to be kindest to the people who take their pain out on others, because they need it the most. Jimin was taking his pain out on me, and though I didn’t know why, I knew I had to look past that, so I did. And I really liked what I saw. And to be honest, I had a crush on him from the moment I first heard him sing, and though it faded a bit, when he was being a jerk to me… it’s back now.”

“You two are friends now, right?” Hoseok asks, smirking. Taehyung nods. “Do you think you’ll go for it, then?” 

The question catches Taehyung off guard. “Do- Do you think I should?”

“I think you should do whatever will make you happy,” he says, shrugging. Taehyung decides to head backstage for a bit, leaving Hoseok to concentrate on tending the bar. He needs space, he thinks. Space to think about Hoseok’s words, and about what he wants to do. But when he reaches the backstage door, it opens a second before he reaches for the handle, and Jimin’s there. He’s gorgeous, as always, his makeup done flawlessly, his hair coiffed up perfectly off of his forehead. He’s wearing a suit tonight, and it’s perfectly tailored to his body. He looks amazing, but what sweeps Taehyung off of his feet is the smile that spreads across his face when Jimin sees him standing there. 

“Hey Tae,” he says, the nickname rolling easily off of his tongue after the last two days they spent getting to know each other better and becoming friends so quickly Taehyung’s head spins when he thinks about it. 

“H-hey Jimin-ah,” he says, smiling even as his face heats up at the way his words tripped over each other. Jimin’s smile grows wider, and he waves, a small waggle of his fingers, and passes by, heading to the bar. Taehyung watches him go, his heart clenching, and it’s then that he knows exactly what he wants to do. The question will be if he can gather the courage.

They’re sitting at the table Friday afternoon the week after the club’s reopening, sharing a lunch of kimchi fried rice they made together. Jimin tries to be surreptitious about the way he watches Taehyung, who is scrolling through his Instagram as he eats. “Taehyung-ah,” Jimin says softly, and he looks up, his brows raised, chewing slowly with his mouth closed. “That night I got drugged, how did you see it happen?” Taehyung swallows his food, and frowns. 

“Um, I was looking around the room, and I saw you sitting at that booth, and I was just watching when it happened.”

“What are the odds, though? That you’d look at me at just the right time.” Jimin has a sneaking suspicion, and he wants to see if he’s right or not. 

“I- well, um. I might have been watching you… for a while,” Taehyung admits, wincing. “Sorry.”

“No! No, it’s okay that you were staring at me,” Jimin says fast. He’s trying to be coy, teasing, but he thinks he just sounds insecure, and he fights off a wince as he says, “I’m glad you were, obviously. I’m just curious… about why you were staring at me.”

Taehyung stares at him now, looking slightly panicky. He puts his spoon down and sits up straight. “I don’t know what you want me to say,” Taehyung says softly, sounding nervous. He stares into Jimin’s eyes for a long moment, and Jimin decides to stop teasing him. 

“It’s okay, I’m sorry,” he says softly. Jimin backs down, thinking that maybe he was wrong, maybe Taehyung doesn’t have feelings for him. He picks up his spoon and eats more of his rice, but he can feel Taehyung’s eyes still on him. He glances up and finds an unreadable expression on Taehyung’s face. 

“I was staring because you’re gorgeous,” Taehyung says, exhaling the words quickly, like they burst forth from his chest and he had no control over them. Jimin stops, putting down his spoon and finishing chewing his food. He swallows, and sits up straight, looking right into Taehyung’s eyes. 

“A lot of people stare at me because they think I’m good looking,” he hedges. 

“No, you’re not just good looking, Jimin. You’re the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen, something that I realized the moment I saw you for the first time.”

Jimin’s stomach sinks a little. “So, it’s just because of my looks, then?” He hates the vulnerable tone that’s crept into his voice, but there’s absolutely nothing he can do about it. 

“No, Jimin. That’s not the only reason I have a big, fat crush on you.” Jimin’s eyes widen, and Taehyung sighs lightly, but then sits up straight and takes a deep breath, almost as if he’s preparing himself for something. “That’s part of the reason, yes, but not even close to the most important reason. It’s because you’re strong, and smart, and so talented. It’s because even though you didn’t like me at first, you still let me move in here when I didn’t have a place to live yet. It’s because I see how you are with the others, and how you laugh and smile with them. It’s because you have a presence that demands respect, even though some unfortunate people are stupid enough to not give it to you. Honestly, I feel like I shouldn’t because of how things were between us for the first month we knew each other, but for some reason it stuck around. And now that we’re friends, I thought maybe I could just stay that way, and be happy just being your friend but this last week has shown me that that’s not possible for me, because my feelings for you just keep growing stronger and stronger. I’m sorry,” he whispers. “This isn’t how I wanted to confess to you.” He sounds almost mournful, and Jimin’s heart squeezes. “Jimin-ah, I really like you. I want to date you, if you’ll have me. But I understand if you don’t feel the same way…”

“Tae, I feel the same way.” Taehyung looks up sharply at him, hope blooming in his eyes. “Yeah, I didn’t like you at first, for a stupid reason, and then I just let it continue because I felt awkward, but I regret that. I should have set aside my pride and welcomed you in sooner, because you’re starting to feel like someone I need to have in my life. You saved me, Tae, but even before that I started developing feelings for you. You’re so talented, and handsome, and your singing voice makes me want to melt. You’re so kind. So kind. So much so that even when I was being an ass toward you, you still had a crush on me, and were still so sweet to me. I don’t understand why, but I’m really glad. And I really regret how I treated you at first. I’m sorry.”

“No, Jimin-ah, it’s okay. That’s already forgotten.” Taehyung stares at him for a long moment, that hope still swimming in his eyes. “I could tell that you were going through something, and that you were taking your pain out on me. I’m strong, I can handle that, and I liked you enough right away to be able to push through and hope that one day you wouldn’t hate me so much. And look, it worked,” he says, one corner of his mouth quirking up. “And now that I understand you, I feel even better about it all. I knew it wasn’t about me. It still stung, I won’t lie about that. But that’s in the past.” He stops talking for a moment, chewing on his lip. “You like me?” he whispers. Jimin laughs, nodding. 

“I do. I think I really like you.”

They stare at each other in silence for a long time. Jimin lets himself take the time to really study Taehyung. His features are perfect. He’s so handsome it makes Jimin’s heart ache, but that’s only half of why Jimin likes him. He’s always hated only being seen as a pretty face, only being wanted because he has a nice body, so he won’t do that to Taehyung, just like Taehyung’s not doing to him. Taehyung seems to have been able to look past the exterior right away, and though it took Jimin a minute, once he tried he found it so easy to see beneath Taehyung’s exterior. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and he’s so genuine in his interactions with everyone he meets. He’s kind, and understanding, and hard working, and Jimin realizes just how easy it would be to love, and be loved by him. 

“So what do you wanna do then?” Taehyung whispers. 

“I want you to take me on a date,” he says quickly, almost jokingly, and he expects Taehyung to laugh. But he doesn’t. 

“I can do that,” Taehyung says, his voice still soft. He smiles then, his eyes narrowing in his happiness, and his square smile bunching his cheeks up in a way that makes Jimin’s heart absolutely melt. “I’ll plan it out, and let you know when, okay? It’ll have to be lunch, if that’s okay with you?” Jimin stares at him, eyes wide, not even trying to hide his surprise. He’d honestly thought that Taehyung would try to immediately get him into bed. That’s how this usually goes for Jimin, when he meets people who are attracted to him, and to whom Jimin is attracted. He nods dumbly. “What?” Taehyung asks. 

“I- I just. I’ve never really been on a date before,” he admits softly. Taehyung’s mouth hangs open for a moment before he catches himself, and shuts it. 

“What?”

“I guess I just don’t seem like the dating type,” Jimin whispers. 

“That’s it,” Taehyung says, lightly clapping his hands down on the table, abruptly reminding Jimin that they’re in the middle of lunch. “I’m going to woo you Park Jimin.” A tingle runs down Jimin’s spine, and he can’t help but smile. 

“I’ve never been wooed before.”

“I’ve never wooed anyone before,” Taehyung admits, though he sounds confident. “But one thing you should know about me is that I’m a romantic, and if you’re open to it, then I want to give you the works. The candlelit dinners, the hand holding, the pet names, the longing looks at each other across the lounge at work.” He lists them off on his fingers, and Jimin giggles, a little hysterically. “I’m going to serenade you.”

“That sounds nice,” Jimin says breathily, feeling a little disbelieving. Is this really his life? Or has he woken up in a romantic comedy. People like Taehyung don’t really exist, right?

“I can tell that it’s been hard for you,” Taehyung says, suddenly serious. “I see the way people at the club stare at you, like you’re a piece of meat. Clearly, for some reason people think that you’re not a real person, and you don’t have feelings and desires of your own, but I don’t think that way, Jimin-ah. And I’m going to prove it to you. We’re not even gonna kiss yet.” Jimin giggles again. “Because I want to prove to you that I’m in this for you, not your body.”

“Okay. Yeah, I can get on board with that.” It feels woefully inadequate, but he honestly doesn’t know what to do or say now. 

“Okay then, Jimin-ah,” he says, seriously. “Do you want to date me?” The hysteria bubbles up and escapes in a giggle fit. Jimin slaps his hand over his mouth, but nods. 

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Jimin feels something brewing in his chest, something he’s never felt before. He’s scared, and he doesn’t want to get hurt. But Taehyung feels safe. Taehyung makes him feel safe, and for Jimin that is enough to risk it. He leans forward over the table, smiling, and says, “I understand why you said you didn’t want to kiss yet, but what if I told you I really want to kiss you?”

“I’d say I really want to kiss you too,” Taehyung whispers, his eyes burning, and igniting something inside Jimin as well. Jimin stands and walks around the table. He places a hand on Taehyung’s shoulder, and the other under his chin. He tilts Taehyung’s head up and stares down at him for a long moment, appreciating how beautiful he is, with his eyes half-lidded and his lips parted. Jimin leans down, hesitating just a breath away, and it’s Taehyung who closes the gap between them, pressing their lips together in the most perfect first kiss Jimin’s ever had. He inhales sharply, and lets himself melt into it, melt into the warm feeling of Taehyung’s hands resting on his back, and how wonderful it feels. It feels like possibility, like warmth, and happiness all wrapped together, and Jimin thinks he wants to feel like this for a long, long time.