Chapter Text
Jimin groans as he removes one of the pins from the dresses he’s working on. He can’t get the hem right, and it’s been driving him crazy for hours. He’s trying to get the ruching right, and it’s not working. He’s pulled it off a few times before, but it doesn’t seem like it will work out this time.
It would be a pretty dress, he knows it and can see it in his head, but his fingers don’t want to cooperate today. He sighs and tries to place the pin again, but it doesn’t feel right, and he groans before taking it out. He puts it in the pincushion on his wrist and takes a step back to look at the dress.
He throws his arms up and takes another step back before taking the pin cushion off his wrist and placing it on the workbench he set up in Namjoon’s living room.
He brought it over here so they could spend time together after Namjoon finishes class; thankfully, he should be home any minute now.
Actually, now that Jimin thinks about it, he should have been here a while ago. He didn’t realize, too caught up with working on the dress. Either way, he tries not to worry about it, cleans up, and puts his things away.
Luckily, he hears that familiar electronic click that lets him know the door’s unlocking. Namjoon walks in, and Jimin’s all over him as soon as he does.
He beams and throws his arms around him in a hug. “Missed you,” he murmurs and feels his favorite strong arms around him, squeezing him. Namjoon buries his head in Jimin’s neck and mumbles back the same. “You’re late,” he comments and pulls back, keeping his arms looped around his boyfriend’s neck.
Namjoon turns red, growing a little sheepish. “Yeah, I—ah, yeah,” he replies and shakes his head.
Jimin raises an eyebrow, but he’s unsure what to say. “What’d you do?”
Namjoon ducks his head and shakes it again before pulling away from Jimin and fully stepping inside.
He’s avoiding the question, and Jimin doesn’t like that. Namjoon tells him everything.
The elder takes his shoes off, places his bag down, and walks away, but Jimin grabs his hand and pulls him forward. Namjoon winces but goes willingly. When Jimin’s eyes fall on his hand, he gasps and immediately brings it closer to his face.
It’s starting to bruise, and it looks like there’s a cut; and Namjoon tries to pull it away, but Jimin fixes a stern look at him, and he stops.
His baby is hurt and didn’t want to tell him about it, making it sting that much worse.
Jimin drops his hand but then reaches up, grabs Namjoon’s face, and examines every inch of it, looking for any scratches or bruises. He sighs in relief when he doesn’t see any, and then Jimin starts to look over his arms, and then lifts his shirt and starts to examine his torso and—
“Jimin-ah.”
Jimin huffs a bit and stands up straight. He takes a deep breath, looks at Namjoon in the eye, and says, “What. Did. You. Do?” He punctuates every word, wanting to get across how serious he is.
Namjoon swallows nervously and shifts uncomfortably under Jimin’s intense gaze. “Baby,” he murmurs and shakes his head. “It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing if you’re hurt,” Jimin quickly insists but realizes he’s taking the wrong approach. He takes another breath and, as gently as he can, takes Namjoon’s injured hand, brings it to his lips, and kisses his knuckles. “I’m not mad,” he says between kisses. “I’m concerned. What happened?”
Namjoon lets out a little whine, but Jimin can tell he’s wearing down. “Can we sit down?”
“Of course, my love.”
Jimin sits down. Namjoon lays next to him and puts his head on his lap. Jimin starts playing with his hair immediately, running his fingers through it and even braiding small strands as he waits for Namjoon to talk. He’s patient, and they don’t have anything to do for the rest of the day. So, he’ll wait all day if he has to.
“Someone—” Namjoon starts but then sighs. “I hit someone.”
Jimin splutters, and Namjoon brings his hands up to hide his face, and Jimin can’t help but laugh. He pulls his hands away, taking the injured one into his own and brushing his thumb across his knuckles.
“Can you blame me for being shocked that you—Kim Namjoon-ssi, that says violence is never the answer and has never even hurt a fly in his entire life—hit someone?”
Namjoon huffs out a laugh and smiles at Jimin, and quietly, he says, “I like you so much. You know that, right?”
Jimin blinks but then quickly nods. He’s taken aback. Of course, he knows Namjoon likes him, but the sudden confession throws him off. “Of course, I know that, baby,” he says, brushing some of the hair from his face.
“And you know that you’re absolutely perfect the way you are, and you’re perfect and should never change and—”
“Namjoon-ah.”
Namjoon’s cheeks turn pink, and he nods with a small smile. “Sorry, got carried away.”
Jimin chuckles and shakes his head. “Fortunately, I do know all those things. I’m lucky enough to have you around to tell me all the time.”
Namjoon leans up and captures Jimin’s lips in a kiss, and it’s sweet and gentle, nothing rushed about it—some of Jimin’s favorite kinds of kisses, where their lips move together lazily, no end goal in mind except tasting each other.
Namjoon pulls away and leans their foreheads together. “Someone was talking shit about you,” he whispers.
Jimin stills.
What?
It doesn’t make any sense. Namjoon is the least violent person he’s ever met, and he can’t imagine someone saying something that would rile him up so much that he would punch them.
“Hyung, what—” Jimin doesn’t even know what to say.
Namjoon looks a little sad, and Jimin can only feel himself panicking.
“Baby, what someone says about me is the least of your worries,” he tries to soothe. He reaches out as Namjoon lays down again and searches for his hand.
Namjoon just smiles a little bit and shakes his head as he laughs. “Oh, angel, you should see the idiot who thought it was okay to say something about you.”
Jimin’s breath catches, and he tears his gaze away from his boyfriend.
He doesn’t know how he feels about that, just that it makes a pit form in his stomach, and panic settles at the base of his spine.
Namjoon’s not typically reckless. He’s calculated and logical, so Jimin just can’t understand why he would feel the need to get in a fight with someone over him. He seems like he regrets the physical part, but that’s all. He’s so casual about that, and Jimin needs him to understand that he can’t do that again.
But he doesn’t know how.
“I gotta—” Jimin says quietly and swallows thickly. “I need to use the bathroom.”
Namjoon’s head tilts to the side, but he quickly gets off Jimin’s lap as he scrambles to the bathroom.
Jimin can’t entirely place his feelings right now, just that he’s scared for Namjoon.
His hands shake as he opens the bathroom door and closes it behind him. He walks over to the counter and leans against it, looking at himself in the mirror.
Many thoughts are swirling through his head, all landing back that he never wanted this for Namjoon.
He doesn’t want his boyfriend to risk himself like this; it’s not fair to him. He doesn’t understand, either, because Jimin’s the mouthy one of the two of them.
He splashes some cold water on his face and takes a deep breath, but the panic doesn’t seem to go away, and he doesn’t know how to tell Namjoon he’s scared.
There’s a knock at the door.
Jimin flinches. Of course, he came to find him.
“Y-yeah?”
Namjoon knocks again, making Jimin smile, and then he asks, “Can I come in?”
“Y-yes.”
Namjoon opens the door and immediately frowns upon seeing Jimin. He doesn’t hesitate to walk over to him and wrap his arms around him. Jimin lets out a shaky sigh and squeezes him tight.
Namjoon kisses his forehead and whispers, “What’s going on in there?”
Jimin chuckles because it’s a line he uses on him far too often.
“I’m scared,” Jimin admits.
Namjoon pulls back to look at him, and the confusion is evident on his face. “How come?”
“You shouldn’t do that,” he mumbles and buries his head in Namjoon’s neck. “You shouldn’t—it’s not worth you getting hurt, my love. Whatever someone says about me is not worth it.”
“But you’re perfect,” Namjoon whispers, making Jimin choke on a laugh. “And I can’t—it was—” he sighs. “It was deserved, Jimin-ah. They were being really homophobic.”
Jimin pulls back, cups one of Namjoon’s cheeks, and pulls his forward, so they’re face to face. “That may very well be, but unfortunately, that’s how it is when you’re queer.” Namjoon’s brows furrow, but he’s listening. “It’s something you have to learn how to deal with.” Jimin brushes his cheek with his thumb, a tender action he leans into. “People are awful, as you’re aware, and awful people can do some physically awful things. I don’t want that to happen to you, especially because of me.”
Namjoon’s face remains the same, and Jimin’s not sure he’s getting it, but he’s new to all of this and probably doesn’t understand.
“If something shitty happens, you have to come home and tell me about it, and we’ll deal with it together,” Jimin explains. “Because we’re both—” he laughs before continuing, “we’re both pretty gay, and some people aren’t going to like that, but it’s something you have to learn how to deal with in your own way.”
Namjoon’s eyes are round, and he resembles a puppy, and Jimin can’t resist the urge the lean forward and kiss his nose. He goes cross-eyed, and Jimin lets out a genuine laugh.
“I don’t—I can’t have someone saying something terrible about you in front of me and thinking it’s okay,” Namjoon argues.
Jimin knows he’s not meaning to be stubborn, that he just doesn’t quite get the consequences, but he’s trying to get it across to him.
“Listen to me,” Jimin starts, “my love, you could get really hurt. I don’t want that to happen. If that were to happen because of me—” Jimin cuts himself off, a lump forming in his throat and tears welling up in his eyes.
It’s like a lightbulb goes off in Namjoon’s head as his eyes widen and he shakes his head. “Oh, baby, no, no,” he tells him and scoops him up. Jimin goes willingly, letting himself be held, and wraps his arms around Namjoon’s waist. “I understand. I get it now. Don’t cry, please,” he murmurs and pets his head. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t have done that.”
Jimin lets out a little laugh because, of course, tears are what get him to understand. It’s happened only a few times, but Namjoon hates seeing him cry.
“It’s okay, baby,” Jimin murmurs and kisses his cheek. “Thank you for listening to me.”
“You’re very welcome, sweetheart,” he says, and he sounds happier. “I’m sorry I did it again.”
Namjoon turns around and walks toward the bedroom, and Jimin giggles.
“Now, don’t spend the rest of the night apologizing to me,” he teases.
Namjoon lays him gently down on the bed, crawls on top of him, and lays on top. Jimin lets out a little oof, taking a few seconds to adjust to being blanketed by his boyfriend. Namjoon huffs, and it tickles Jimin’s neck as they get comfortable and wrap their arms around each other.
“I won’t,” he tells him honestly. “But can I reiterate something from earlier?”
“Yes…”
Jimin regrets saying yes the second Namjoon opens his mouth—except not really because he adores his boyfriend more than anything.
“Jimin-ah, you're perfect. Seriously, you're brilliant, and you’re mine,” Jimin can’t hold back his giggles as Namjoon rambles. When he gets like this, it’s best to let him continue, “You're the best thing to ever happen to me, and I’ll do whatever I can to protect you, which may or may not include destroying anyone who thinks otherwise.”
Jimin can’t contain his laughter, snorting at Namjoon’s dramatics. He pets his hair, still laughing, and says, “Okay, angry pup. I hear you. I’m all yours; you know that. I appreciate you.”
Namjoon looks at him with a satisfied smile, then snuggles into his chest and lets out a happy sigh. “Okay, as long as you know. I’m happy with it.”
Jimin kisses his head, laughing as he says, “I’m happy with you.” And Namjoon lets out a little whine of protest before burying his head in his neck, and at that moment, Jimin knows he’s falling for Namjoon, and he never wants to stop.