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Jimin really should have known what was coming when Jungkook sidled up beside Jimin in the hallway, bright red and bug-eyed. The fidgeting should have tipped him off, or the stammered small talk.
But he still had advanced potions on the brain. Taehyung had laughed over his cauldron when Jimin almost dropped his whole bag of frog legs into the potion while pretending to be a cooking housewife. He’d said, “I’d never date you. You’d be a terrible boyfriend.”
It wouldn’t have hurt coming from anyone else. And Jimin knew it was a joke. Taehyung joked all the time about how demanding Jimin could be, how persnickety and thin-skinned, how undateable. Jimin had told himself ages ago to give up that dream. It would be better to keep their friendship and suffer. He’d done his best to get used to Taehyung’s friendly antagonism, but fuck, it still hurt.
So when Jungkook asked him out on a date, blushing and awkward and so heart-sinkingly adorable, Jimin had to stand there blankly for a moment and wait for his head to clear.
Jungkook seemed to think that Jimin just hadn’t understood him, which was understandable. “Um, do you, uh,” Jungkook said, and swallowed. Sweat tracked down his forehead and Jimin could see, very clearly in his mind’s eye, what he was about to do. His heart clenched. Though he’d guessed at the crush, he’d hoped Jungkook would never get up the guts to ask.
“Do you wanna go on a date with me?” Jungkook finally managed.
“Oh,” Jimin said, because he didn’t want to just say no immediately. Should he say something about being hung up on someone else at the moment? Too incriminating. That had to stay secret. He shifted, balancing his books and the potion samples he was supposed to take home and analyze. “Um, I—”
Jungkook cut him off in a panic, which was half aggravating and half adorable, and Jimin let out a little breath of defeat as he felt his resolve begin to flake away. It’s not like Jungkook wasn’t cute. It’s not like he wasn’t gorgeous and precious, strong and smart in his own way, everyone’s favorite little brother. He was just…young. In many ways, and he wasn’t Taehyung.
But fuck Taehyung. Jimin could be an amazing boyfriend. At least Jungkook could see that. Poor Jungkook, blubbering something about academic probation and Valentine’s Day coming up. Jimin couldn’t make himself do what Taehyung had so heartlessly done to him year ago.
Jimin placed a hand on Jungkook’s shoulder. It took a few seconds for Jungkook to look up and meet his gaze. His eyes looked so wide that Jimin expected them to fall out. Jimin almost felt like crying. He forced his face into a wide grin. “Of course I’ll go on a date with you, Jungkookie.”
Jungkook stared in shock, like he couldn’t actually believe Jimin said yes. “Oh,” he said, “Awesome.” His voice got terribly high. Jimin felt the same way. He just said yes to a date with a person who wasn’t Taehyung. And not just anyone, but poor, sweet Jungkook, the newest baby of the group, who Jimin was supposed to protect, not mislead. Jimin’s stomach turned. The mounting panic began to set in.
But this would prove Taehyung wrong. Someone thought he’d be a good boyfriend. Would he be jealous when he found out? It didn’t seem like he even remembered turning Jimin down, but maybe he’d be sad he didn’t get to Jimin first, eventually. He slid his fingers down into Jungkook’s palm. “What time?” he asked. Jungkook looked completely unprepared for the actual aftermath of a “yes.” “Do you want me to pick you up?”
“Um. Saturday is Valentines Day.”
So cute. He looked incapable of functioning. “It is,” Jimin answered.
“Uh, afternoon,” Jungkook said, rushing a little. Jimin could see his brain working. He could also see blood pumping in his cheeks. It was flattering. Jimin giggled a little, horror easing. It all felt almost natural, like playing someone else’s role in the scene, someone who would actually be excited at having their adorable friend ask them out. “I’ll pick you up,” Jungkook said decisively.
“No, I’m the hyung. You should let me pick you up,” Jimin said. It was one thing to let Taehyung see him with someone, and another thing entirely to give up control of whatever this was that he was allowing.
A door slammed down the hall and Jimin looked towards it, anything, really, to cut the awkward, panicking tension in his own mind.
And for some reason, Jungkook crowded into his space, and Jimin flinched back, and slipped. “Shit!”
Jungkook grabbed him, and he stopped in midair like he weighed nothing. For a moment he stood there, just a little stunned. Something surprised and hot bloomed in his chest at the way Jungkook could just hold him up with his strong arms, a little twitch of reluctant attraction.
And then the glass vial from class bounced off his books and burst against Jungkook’s chest.
“Shit,” he hissed. He’d only been half paying attention when he made that one, letting his mind blank so he didn’t cry in front of Taehyung. He assumed it wasn’t dangerous. He hoped to hell it wasn’t dangerous. “Oh, fuck.”
“Was that important?” Jungkook asked, his gentle voice cracking a little. He stared down at the smashed vial at his feet.
“Um—” The potion was all over his front, light green staining the white shirt and showing some peach tan skin underneath. “No. There’s more in the potions lab, I think, but, um—try not to let that touch your skin?”
Jungkook stared awkwardly at his shirt for a moment, and then awkwardly peeled it off his abs. “Fuck.” Jimin grabbed him by the arm and hauled him down the hallway towards the bathroom. Jungkook trailed behind him like a wilting balloon, very much overwhelmed.
It felt a little strange, to have accepted the date, and then to stand in the bathroom with poor, sweet Jungkook, frantically reading over his potions notes and trying to figure out if Jungkook was doomed to die now. He wanted to run away and curl up in bed to figure out what the fuck he was doing, messing with his friends like this. Holy fuck, he’d have to go on a date with Jungkook. Not that there was anything wrong with Jungkook besides him not being Taehyung.
The ingredients looked fine. The combinations looked fine too, no corrosive reactions waiting to happen. There was one odd type of frog leg that Jimin didn’t know much about, but that was probably fine too. “You should be fine,” he said with a sigh, finally, as Jungkook shuffled around with his arms crossed over his chest, Jimin’s borrowed shirt distractingly tight across his pecs. Jimin made himself stare. He’d never looked at Jungkook with anything more than motherly affection, but he’d have to change that now. Jungkook gave him the softest of shy smiles, and left him feeling awfully conflicted.
“I hear our baby is taking you out on a date,” Taehyung said, lying back on Jimin’s bed, long, soft, and painfully, ethereally beautiful.
“Yeah, for Valentine’s Day,” Jimin said.
“Didn’t think you were into him like that,” Taehyung said, examining his nails, suspiciously casual.
“He’s cute,” Jimin answered carefully, “And you should have seen him when he asked me out. He could barely get the words out. I wasn’t about to say no to that.”
“Hm.”
“Seriously! He was so cute.” He flopped back on the bed and stared at the mobile hovering on his ceiling, little carved fish turning in lazy circles in the air, unconnected to any wires or strings, glowing a little. Taehyung said nothing. Jimin waited for a few long seconds, and then turned to see Taehyung blinking lazily at the dust floating through the sunlight. He stared, breath caught in the light webbing over Taehyung’s eyelashes, the gentle glow of his irises, and the shadows cutting across his smooth skin. Taehyung turned and met his stare. Jimin felt his cheeks redden, but held his gaze.
Taehyung waited for a moment, like he expected something. Jimin took a deep breath to speak, but Taehyung got there first. “It’s just kind of weird. I’ve known about his crush on you for, like, a year now. We all have. But you’ve always ignored it, so I figured you were waiting for him to give up. And then when he finally asks you, you say yes? It’s just…not what I thought you’d do.”
Jimin rolled over, struggling for something to say.
“I mean,” Taehyung sat up, “you’re my best friend, so I feel like I know you pretty well. I figured you’d turn him down sweetly and then break his heart when you inevitably start dating some older guy he can’t compete with.”
Jimin made a small, offended noise.
“Yikes. Sorry, that was harsh,” Taehyung said, flashing a familiar apologetic smile. “You just seem like you have super high standards. And you deserve those super high standards. You’re awesome—” Jimin blinked. That was the best compliment Taehyung had given him in a very long time. “—No offense to Jungkook, but he doesn’t really meet high standards.”
“How does he not meet high standards? He’s hot, strong, sweet, super talented, hardworking—”
“He’s sixteen,” Taehyung laughed, “I know we’re not much older, but still. He’s a kid. He just got off academic probation. Namjoon had to explain to him what butt plugs were last week. You told me just the other day you were looking for someone with experience who can make you feel good.”
Jimin scowled and hugged his pillow. “It’s Jungkook. He’s comfortable. And he’s super cute.”
“He’s invested,” Taehyung said, flopping back down onto the bed. He rolled face to face with Jimin, putting him only a few inches away, knees brushing. “Don’t lead him on.”
Oh. Leading him on. That’s what Jimin was doing. Leading him on just to get back at the man who turned him down. Poor Jungkook. Guilt twisted heavily in Jimin’s chest. His vision blurred.
“Jimin? Are you okay?”
Jimin rolled away from him. “You always assume the worst,” he said, fighting the guilty whimper and failing, “What do you even think of me? You always say the meanest things.”
“I, um…”
Jimin tried to breathe deep and calm down. He shouldn’t turn this into Taehyung’s fault. That wasn’t fair.
“It’s just…” Taehyung said quietly, and then paused for long enough that Jimin got his tears under control and assumed the conversation was over. “It’s just that the last person you asked out was me, and that was a year ago, but you haven’t been on a date or shown interest in anybody since then. I was just worried—”
“You remembered that?” Jimin squeaked, sobs coming back hard. Jimin didn’t bother stopping them. “You always acted like it never happened! I thought you forgot!” Taehyung looked very caught, sitting stiffly and staring up at Jimin under his bangs. “And you’re lecturing me about Jungkook? Is that why you always put me down? Is that why you don’t hug me anymore?”
“Jimin, our friendship—”
“It fucking hurts, Tae! If our friendship has just been me pining and you forcing me away for the past year, I don’t fucking want it!”
Taehyung’s eyes dropped, blinking rapidly. “Just, please don’t drag Jungkook into this,” he said, “He doesn’t deserve to get caught up in this.”
Jimin groaned and fell back down on the bed. “Why shouldn’t I give him a chance, huh? I can’t back out now. Maybe I want to move on, Tae. Maybe I trust Jungkook with my feelings more than anyone else and I want to give this a shot. Maybe this isn’t all about you.”
“He doesn’t deserve to be your experiment either.”
“It’s not your fucking business. Why don’t you want me dating someone else when you wouldn’t ever do it, huh? Do you like having me so hung up on you I can’t stand to let anyone else in? Do you care that I can’t sleep sometimes? Does it make you feel good that I do whatever you want, and compliment you all the time, and don’t get mad when you make fun of me in front of people?”
That was unfair. Taehyung was always mostly gentle with him, maybe a little careless, but never cruel. Taehyung frowned at the floor, eyebrows screwed up, looking a little stunned. “Maybe you’d be the shitty boyfriend, if this is how you treat people who care about you,” Jimin said, just to twist the knife.
Taehyung stood up and started throwing his homework into his backpack. “Fuck you,” he muttered, “I didn’t want to lose you, okay? I tried really hard. It’s been hurting me too, you know.”
“Tae, wait. Please don’t go.”
“Fuck off,” Taehyung snapped, but his voice wobbled, “I tried so hard for you. Would you rather I just leave you alone?”
“No!”
“Please don’t lead Jungkook on just to get back at me,” Taehyung said desperately, one hand on the doorknob.
“Is Jungkook the only one you care about?” Jimin yelled. “I wanna be happy too!”
“Jimin…”
“Fuckin leave!”
Taehyung’s face screwed up, but he swung the door shut and Jimin heard the stairs creak like he was running down them. The door downstairs slammed. Jimin curled up around his pillow and sobbed.
When Jungkook knocked on Jimin’s door on Saturday, Jimin jumped about three feet in the air. He checked himself in the mirror. Jungkook wouldn’t care how Jimin looked, of course, but he wondered if he should have dressed to scare Jungkook off instead of inviting him in with a low-collared shirt and leg-hugging jeans. Taehyung was probably right. It wasn’t fair to use Jungkook this way. Maybe he should have done his make-up poorly and worn a chicken kigurumi or something, although Jungkook probably wouldn’t have blinked even then.
He opened the door, and there he was, adorable as always, light grey hoody and thick-soled Timberlands. He filled out that shirt gorgeously. He’d switched his normal silver rings for little black studs that did nothing to make him look tougher. He shifted nervously and carefully scratched his wrist.
Jimin’s own nerves melted. This could be fine. This was Jungkook, after all, darling, adorable kookie who was always so sweet and polite, who could probably bench press Jimin’s bodyweight but got teary over transfiguration homework. He could date Jungkook.
“Hi Jungkookie,” he cooed.
Jungkook stared down, blushing. “Hi, hyung.”
By the time they were halfway to the park on the subway, Jimin had begun to feel a little too comfortable. Jungkook’s nerves and his pleasant, soft voice kept getting Jimin more and more excited. This was Jungkook’s first date, and Jimin’s first date in over a year, and it would be perfect. Maybe they could actually work. That would fucking show Taehyung.
“So where did you get the idea to take the two of us to a park?” Jimin asked.
“Um, I saw it on one of my mom’s…dramas…actually.”
Jimin snickered. “Cute,” he said. What a sweet kid.
“Shut up,” Jungkook mumbled, blushing.
Jimin leaned his head on Jungkook’s shoulder. He was a little bit of a baby, a little nervous and shy, showing every bit of their two-year age gap. All the same, even if he was younger, he made Jimin feel soft, safe and a looked-after. That’s all Jimin had ever wanted from a relationship.
“Jimin,” Jungkook said, sounding strained. Jimin grinned into his jacket. It would be nice if Jungkook got more comfortable. He’d seen the way Jungkook acted when he didn’t know Jimin was there, extra as hell and adorably petulant. For now, it just felt lovely to be finally wanted he might almost kind of want back, someone he could learn to be with.
His heart still resisted. Jungkook didn’t deserve to be someone Jimin just settled for. He deserved more than that. Taehyung was probably right. He unconsciously squeezed Jungkook’s cold, clammy hand. “Thanks for—this,” he said, guilt gnawing steadily under his stomach.
Jungkook jumped a little, like he’d forgotten Jimin was there. “What?”
The train swerved and Jimin grabbed onto Jungkook’s arm. He gasped. So cute.
“For, uh, asking me out,” Jimin said, “This is nice.”
Jungkook didn’t give him the gratifying response he expected, no blushing and shuffling or gentle teasing. Jungkook’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “Jungkookie?”
Jungkook swiveled his gaze smoothly towards Jimin, almost robotically, terminator-style. Jimin cringed back. “Jiminah?”
Informal little shit. Jimin’s smile came back a bit, tentatively. He drew his hand back to give Jungkook a light smack. “Don’t fucking—” Jungkook scratched frantically at the spot on his arm Jimin had just let go of. He stared blankly at him, and his eyes looked odd, like his pupils were blown impossibly huge, but Jungkook’s eyes were black. Jimin wouldn’t be able to see that in the dim subway light. “Were your eyes…always so black?”
Jungkook whipped his head back around to stare out the window like he’d been caught. “Everyone’s eyes are black.”
“Well not—everyone’s…” Jimin said for the sake of argument, leaning around to try to see better. Maybe they weren’t more black, just…bigger. Bigger even than they were normally. They seemed terrifyingly wide. Jungkook didn’t seem to want to look at him. “Jungkook-ah, look at me.”
“No.” A woman sitting nearby gave Jungkook a look, and Jimin figured he really wasn’t imagining things. He grabbed Jungkook’s chin to turn his head, and a long strip of skin tore off and hung from Jimin’s finger. A dim panic flooded his arms with heat. The fucking frog legs.
“How, uh,” he turned to the woman now gaping at the little strip of skin hanging from his outstretched hand, “Do you know how to get to the hospital from here?”
The nurse finally left them alone in the hospital and Jungkook brightly said “Hyung, don’t feel bad. They say everything’s going to be fine. They get shit like this all the time,” so optimistic and unbothered, like nothing in the world could ruin a date with Jimin for him.
“Yeah,” Jimin said, guilt hitting hard as his head cleared. Poor Jungkook, sweetest kid in the world. He’d asked Jimin out on a date and spent a few probably anxiety-ridden days slowly turning into a frog in consequence while Jimin spent the same time being bitter that he wasn’t Taehyung. He couldn’t turn Jungkook away now. Not when he’d already put him in the hospital. He couldn’t make this worse.
“I’m sorry I ruined the date,” Jungkook said.
“What?”
“I’m sorry. I—I was just nervous that I wouldn’t get off academic probation again anytime soon, and you know how long stuff like this can take to fix sometimes, and it took me so long to—work up the courage to ask,” he said, trailing off into almost a whisper, skin flushing a creepily vivid red through his translucent skin.
“Jungkookie,” Jimin said, hand hovering over his wrist, “You didn’t ruin anything.”
“I’m the one who made you trip in the first place. It’s at least, like, partially my fault.”
Jimin ached. He almost told Jungkook why he was really there, why he’d said yes. Jungkook needed to be angry at him, not beating himself up.
But Jungkook was too sweet for that, too forgiving and self-deprecating sometimes, too incapable of maliciousness. He’d probably just say “oh,” and then he’d try to find some way to lay all the blame on himself. He’d probably apologize. Jimin felt a sudden flow of affection coupled with crippling shame.
“It’s my fault, Jungkook-ah,” Jimin said, “But you didn’t ruin the date.”
Jungkook stared up at him, irises now clearly oblong and misshapen in the bright hospital lighting. Jimin couldn’t help the small shudder. “How are we supposed to have a date in the ER?”
Jimin grabbed the picnic basket off the floor and set it on his lap. “Here. Medical date chic.”
Jungkook snickered and Jimin’s nerves eased. Until he offered Jungkook a piece of shredded squid and his tongue rolled out of his mouth and past his chin, long and limp.
As the abject horror faded and Jungkook roared with laughter, tongue still lolling out, Jimin found it in him to laugh a little. Maybe Taehyung was right and Jimin would be a terrible, terrible boyfriend, but at least Jungkook was happy, and maybe Jimin could be happy too.
“Hey,” Jungkook said, slurring around his tongue, “Do you think I could kiss you when I get this fixed?”
“Oh,” Jimin said. He’d forgotten that the arrangement involved that kind of thing. But even with Jungkook looking off-puttingly amphibian, the idea didn’t seem too bad. “Yeah, I’d—I’d like that a lot.”
Much later, with Jungkook’s features fading slowly back to normal, Jungkook pulled him gently close under the eaves of his own apartment and kissed him lingeringly, warm and soft and so candy sweet, and Jimin’s heart melted. Jungkook wasn’t Taehyung, but he was lovely, and Jimin could see this being exactly what he needed. Jungkook locked his strong arms around Jimin’s small waist and let himself give in.
“You know you’re kind of doing to him what I did to you,” Taehyung said a couple weeks later as he stared out the front window of Jimin’s flat. He ended up there a lot out of habit, always drifting in and out of each other’s spaces, not knowing where else to go. It hadn’t been the same. They never talked. Sometimes Taehyung left only thirty minutes after he got there, looking angry. “You’re letting him think this is working because you want the attention. He deserves better.”
Jimin sighed and put down his pencil over four pages of notes on the properties of various frog legs. “I think this is working, Tae. He into it. I’m comfortable. It's fun.”
“What if he finds out that you only dating him because you couldn’t have me?” Taehyung said.
Jimin bit his lip. His heart thudded unhappily. Even after getting used to the idea of dating Jungkook instead of Taehyung, the reality stung. “I’m never telling him that. That’s unnecessary. He doesn’t need to know.”
Taehyung glared out at the street. “It kind of feels wrong. This is Jungkook we’re talking about. We’re supposed to take care of him. You’re dating him. Shouldn’t you tell him the truth?”
“That would be so mean,” Jimin said, “He’s happy. I’m fine with carrying all the weight of fixing this. It’s my issue. What about us, huh? Are we going to fix this? I’m dating someone else. I’m trying to get over you,” Taehyung had known all along, but the admission left his mouth unwillingly. “You’re still here. Are we going to fix this?”
“Can you?” Taehyung said, still not looking at him. “You’ve got Jungkook now. He’s your boyfriend or whatever. Shouldn’t you stop hanging around people you’re more attracted to than him?”
“God, you can be such a dick,” Jimin muttered, “How did I never notice that before?”
Taehyung scowled. “I’m bitter,” he said softly, “That he wants you, and not me.”
It took a minute for the hurt to hit, to realize that the love of Jimin’s life had his eyes on someone else all along, someone that Jimin had instead. “Oh.”
“Yeah,” Taehyung muttered, “So you can see why I might be mad that you’re dating him just because you can, when I might have asked him out if you’d said no, and it might be us dating now and not you two.”
Jimin blinked blankly down at his notes.
“Oh, how the tables have turned, right?” Taehyung muttered.
It felt wonderfully awful to be so jealous of Jungkook, yet so maliciously pleased.
“Well I’m never letting him go now,” Jimin said.
Taehyung turned, face twisting and furious, disbelieving. Jimin flinched, ashamed. Taehyung just started sobbing, terrible shaking cries that seemed too big for his thin body. He bent into himself like they hurt, rocking back and forth with his arms around his waist. “Let him go!” Taehyung cried, “Just let him go. I love him so much. You don’t know. Please let him go.” Jimin sat still, staring at the edge of the table as his heart ripped itself to shreds.
“So, on your first date,” Seokjin said, after a long, smug sip of coffee, “You turned him into a frog?”
“Only kind of a frog,” Jungkook said while Jimin muttered, “It was before the date! We just... went to the hospital. On the date.”
Seokjin’s gaze darted between the two of them. “How long have you been dating?”
“Year and a half,” Jungkook answered. He looked pleased, saying so, but Seokjin looked even more pleased, eyes twinkling as he leaned back in his chair.
“So I guess you could say that Jungkook was your frog prince?”
Jungkook yanked off his sneaker and lobbed it at Seokjin. “Not even funny, hyung,” he muttered. “Doesn’t even make any goddamn sense.”
“My darling Kermit,” Jimin giggled.
“Is that why you call him that?” Seokjin cackled, “Are you Miss Piggy? I just figured that was a joke Taehyung left behind. Seems like something he’d say.”
“How’s he doing?” Jimin asked.
“Taehyung?” Seokjin asked, the grin slipping off his face.
“Yeah.”
Jungkook pressed his nose against Jimin’s neck and squeezed his waist a little tighter. “Yeah where’d he go? I miss him.”
“He’s doing okay…” Seokjin said warily. Jimin had no doubt Taehyung had told him everything. “Seems kind of lonely most of the time. He’s got a pretty good job at the animal shelter. Does a lot of work with rescues and he gets to help out with the dragons. He’s never as bubbly as he used to be though. I take it you two don’t talk much anymore?”
“Not in nearly a year,” Jimin said quietly, “not since we graduated. Do you know if he’s got friends? Is he seeing anyone?”
Seokjin gave him a look. “He’s always got friends. He’s Taehyung. But no, he’s not seeing anyone. He never does.”
Jungkook hooked his chin over Jimin’s shoulder. “That’s not good.” Jimin could hear his familiar concerned frown and tipped his head against Jungkook’s comfortingly. “Maybe we could call him up? Hang out?”
“I don’t know if that’s the best idea,” Jimin said quickly.
“Why not?” Jungkook asked, “Whatever happened between you two?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does,” Jungkook said, inching around to the side so Jimin could see him pout. “He stopped talking to me too, you know.”
Jimin shook his head. He still couldn’t face Taehyung. For almost three months after Jimin and Jungkook started dating and Jimin refused to give him up, Jimin grew happier and happier while Taehyung grew more and more silent until one day he collected his stuff from Jimin's flat and said goodbye. Jimin stayed up nights missing him sometimes, lying awake in the dark with Jungkook against his back, wondering if he’d be any happier if he’d just let Taehyung have Jungkook, or if he would have eventually left the friends he loved behind too.
Only a week later, Jimin ran into Taehyung in the downtown apothecary looking for stormfly larva. He seemed hollow, positive but unexcited. They hugged before leaving, just out of the awkwardness of old habit, and Taehyung squeezed him so tight. He nuzzled his face into the side of Jimin’s head, breaths heavy like suppressed sobs, and Jimin felt, again, the thrill of wanting him.
“Are you happy with Jungkook?” Taehyung asked quietly, arms still lingering around Jimin’s shoulders.
“Yes. We’re happy. How are you doing with that? Really. Are you okay?”
“I miss you,” Taehyung murmured, and then even quieter, “I miss him.”
Jimin couldn’t stop a little bit of bitterness, defensive boyfriend instincts jumping in alongside the jealousy that Taehyung could want someone else. The old, forgotten guilt came flooding back. “At least he’s happy, right?” Jimin croaked.
“Yeah,” Taehyung said, “Are you?”
Jimin nodded and Taehyung managed a small smile. “Jimin, I’m sorry.”
“Huh? Why?”
“For not…I don’t know. For being a shit friend. For leading you on.”
“No no,” Jimin said, and hugged him again, squeezing his scarily thin chest, so different from Jungkook’s rock-solid wall of muscle. It felt like it would cave. Jimin missed him desperately. “This is all on me, Tae. I’m sorry. You never did anything wrong.”
Taehyung nodded, hair straying into his eyelashes.
“You should come hang out sometimes?” Jimin said tentatively, squeezing him again. “We can try to fix things. I miss you.”
Taehyung pulled away, shaking his head. “No. I’m sorry, but no.”
“Tae…”
“Good seeing you,” Taehyung said, pulling back into himself, face deadening. “I’m glad you’re both doing okay.”
“Taehyung, I’m sorry.”
Taehyung nodded. “Right. I’ll see you around.”
“I hope you figure things out,” Jimin said softly, fingertips still latched into Taehyung’s jacket. Taehyung took a step back and Jimin’s hands fell back to his sides. He smiled gently, then turned and disappeared into the crowd.
Jimin went home in a daze, feeling like his past dreams and flaws dragged behind him on the ground, his soul filled with little bits of glass and broken friendships. The ghost of Taehyung’s happiness sat on Jimin’s couch with a half-eaten plate of lamb skewers on his lap and a PlayStation remote in his hands.
“Hey Kermit,” Jimin said tiredly, and Jungkook paused the game to pull Jimin close. Jimin’s darling second best, his one and only plus one.
“Welcome home,” Jungkook said. Jimin kissed him, and wished he was Tae.