Chapter Text
******
“I can’t think.” Yoongi announces, his voice drifting into the practice room long before his physical form does, “I can’t think, I can’t write, ah, I can’t write notes for shit, what is a piano, who cares, damnit, damnit, damnit,” sounding as though his spiritual self has exited this realm. This is not surprising, considering his predicament.
Thinking himself lucky he was between repeats, volume low enough to catch the agonized groaning of his hyung, Jimin stops mid-kick. Using the buttons on his headphone wires to pause the next song, sweat slips his fingers, slicking cold on the plastic. In sluggish, miserable steps, Yoongi makes his way past the doorframe. Jolting where his shoulder catches on the frame, he stumbles and comes to a stop.
Jimin waits, a silence settling; Yoongi stares, scowls at his socked feet. The bright lights, the bare white room, routine speakers hanging in every corner and abandoned drink bottles, creaking iron chairs, the loud buzz of the air conditioner mid-winter. A familiarity they’re adapted to- hard-boiled to, being a comfort and somewhat second home alongside their dorm. Somewhere for inspiration to flow, for their biggest hits to be composed, their best lyrics to be recorded, their best numbers to be choreographed.
The weight of the building; Jimin can see it crushing in on Yoongi’s shoulders.
Every so often, Jin will stress cook and snap at anyone- staff and friend alike -who comes into the kitchen, getting in his space. Spasmodically, Namjoon’s raps will grow incredibly existential and wither to four or five syllable lines per three or four bars, often repeating a motif with little changes. Hoseok, usually joined by Taehyung, will sit on his bed and look through pictures of home on his phone, crying until his eyes can’t produce any more tears. There are days where Jeongguk will say no words, yet cling to his hyungs more than he normally does, and pester less than is ordinary for him. Like a leech on the low energy, these low moments of their maknae will prompt Taehyung to close off, preferring his solitude above any of his needs; going as far as upsetting others to get his way and be left to himself. Jimin’s own self-worth depressions and designated ‘alone time’ to keep his calmness occurs in a near-perfect monthly cycle.
He’s heard females synch up with their periods, when living together. Namjoon may have laughed when he’d suggested it, but Jimin thinks maybe they’ve become similar in that way.
Yoongi’s deep breath distracts him. Eyes squeezed shut and face pinched to a pained expression, he tosses his head back to face the roof.
“Fuck!!”
The shout booms, thundering along the low ceiling.
“Hyung!” Shocked, spluttering, Jimin squeaks and tugs his headphones out.
“Fuck- what are you doing here!?” Yoongi- appearance smoothed to a neutral, normal formation bearing no trace of his anguish -only spares Jimin a glance before turning and striding right back outside.
“Hey- wait!” Chasing after him, almost braining himself on the door when it slams shut in his path, Jimin takes off down the hall in the direction of the studios. Yoongi is a ghost, on the occasions he doesn’t want to be found. The group usually has to rely on Namjoon’s expertise to discover his whereabouts.
Coercing him to leave said hiding spot is another issue entirely.
They leave a lot of issues pertaining to Yoongi for Namjoon to deal with. Taehyung calls it ‘Yoongi-wrangling’. Jin calls it a pain in the ass. Jimin thinks it’s plain useful, and a little bit cute, but each to their own. “Hyung?! Hey! Where did you go…”
Protocol double-slaps Jimin in the face.
He stops, whips out his phone.
To: monie hyung:
can you find yg hyung
The answer is immediate. None other than Namjoon can answer a text at any time of the day, busting down the metaphorical door, guns blazing.
From: monie hyung:
Why
What Happened
Are You Okay
Where Did You See Him Go
What Happened
Marshmallow
j I m I n
Is Everything Okay
The phone is shaking too much and Jimin drops it, huffing his exasperation at the award-lined walls and into every empty studio he pokes his head into.
When he returns to the phone, he has to scroll through several pages of his name; testament to how much Namjoon must be panicking.
From: monie hyung
j I m I n
j I m I n
[cut for length]
j I m I n
Do I Have To Come Down There
To: monie hyung
wow- no you shouldn’t
just please ask him where he is so I can talk to him
From: monie hyung
He’s Working Tonight.
Punctuation. The first sign that Namjoon could be ticked off.
From: monie hyung
What Happened
Nothing gets past Namjoon. When it comes to Yoongi, at least.
To: monie hyung:
he came into the prac room
screamed ‘fuck’
and left as soon as he realised i was there
From: monie hyung
Bunnies
f u c k
To: monie hyung
haha
… ???
From: monie hyung
Gonna Call Him One Sec
To: monie hyung
why write ‘gonna’ and ‘sec’ when you could just not capitalize every word
From: monie hyung
Ask JEON JEONGGUK LOVE OF MY LIFE THE GOLDEN BOY THE BEST BOY I LOVE HIM VERY MUCH AND WILL BUY HIM ALL THE FOOD HE COULD EVER WANT I WILL LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR HIM
Jimin snorts aloud, logically assuming Namjoon was able to type that fast with no mistakes. Why the sudden Jeongguk praise, though, he had no idea.
Well, he has an inkling. A pretty big one.
From: monie hyung
Bunnies
That settles that question, then, Jimin resolves in his mind, fucking Jeongguk, I have to treat the kid for this. How did he get every single word?
From: monie hyung
F U C K
To: monie hyung
ok
The other end goes quiet- Jimin assumes Namjoon has called their missing rapper. He stands, alone and distracted and muscles cooling achingly in the breeze of the fire door.
The fire door propped open by a black backpack. With a Kumamon keychain. Jammed full with notebooks, no extra jumper packed, like all members of staff and members of the group and any reasonable human being would. Smelling like sweat and instant noodles and off mangoes, on closer inspection.
An irritating, bell-like dinging goes off in Jimin’s head and he is very close to punching himself in the nose in an attempt to remove the stupidity. Leaving the bag as it is, he slips outside into the freezing winter night wearing nothing but his tank top, sneakers, and jeans.
“It’s fine, really.” Yoongi says, droning as normal, zero intonation giving himself away.
Although Jimin can’t hear what Namjoon is saying, he can certainly imagine the kind of things their leader would be spouting.
“No, you don’t have to.”
“……”
“Okay. Stop worrying. No- Joon- hey,” Yoongi’s voice raises a bit, and on instinct Jimin backtracks a few feet, “Hey, listen to me-…”
“……”
“Okay… Yeah, Jimin.”
“……”
“What, like you weren’t just messaging him and freaking out.”
“……”
“Mhm. Okay. No, I don’t mind. Truly- no, it’s okay, seriously, you won’t be a bother.”
“……”
“See you soon.”
“……”
“You- y-you too, alright, bye, see you soon.”
Astounded, Jimin stuffs his earphones back in and bolts away through the corridors lest Yoongi catches him eavesdropping. The white winter breath burns his throat the whole way to the practice room. For such a barren, invulnerable–seeming season, winter goes about clinging to any source of heat it can, dragging its way into buildings, bees to flowers or rivers to oceans. Winter battles in every way it can to stay, under the sun or the moon. Flourishing on darkness and grey tones, finding targets even in their home; a worm into the cores of their rooms, their beds, their chests. Coldness somehow both abhorred, and welcome. Jimin finds a peculiar satisfaction in warming up against a winter chill under the blankets- has been assured that the others feel similarly.
Yoongi, somehow, always gives to Namjoon.
Namjoon may have laughed when he’d suggested it, but Jimin thinks maybe Yoongi and winter have also become one, in that way. He may have laughed, but there lay an unusual sparkle in his eye at the mention of Yoongi’s name.
Jimin isn’t half as dense as many believe.
Now, it’s Jimin’s choice- to stick around and get some more practice in, or to go home and rest. His muscles are already tightening from the exposure to the elements.
To: monie hyung
HOW
But he knows how. Yoongi, wintry exterior aside, is a sucker for Kim Namjoon. Relationship that of a two-way street, there is nothing one can do or want or feel or fear without the other knowing.
From: monie hyung
Well He Opened With An Interrogation So I Was Losing To Begin With
He Didn’t Like You Being Here So Late
But He Was Inspired Anyway
And Got An Idea Or Something
So I’m Coming Down To Help Him
I’ll Pass You On Your Way Home
Good Job By The Way
You Handled That Well
Sorry If I Was Over The Top
I Just Worry, You Know?
Turns out Jimin doesn’t really have a choice, after all.
Three jackets on and zipped, a pair of tracksuits over the thin jeans, and he’s sighing as the front entrance clatters open. Its noise has the men trained. Pavlov’s Dogs to its rusty whir that marks the end of a hard work day, or the beginning of a longer one. Alone in the cold on the graveyard shift, a security guard waves him out, wishes him a good night. Jimin frees one ear up to reply, stuffing it back in as though the sound waves can ward the creeping ice from infiltrating his brain through the sides of his head.
To: monie hyung
three questions
From: monie hyung
Shoot.
To: monie hyung
one- why did you think it was a good idea to let jk have your phone, for a long enough time to fuck up your entire keyboard
two- why does yg hyungs bag smell like a fruit salad went bad in it
three- why are you such a loser for him
From: monie hyung
Okay…
One- He Must Have Stolen It The Funbag
f u c k e r
Why. Sometimes I Ask Myself Why.
You Feel?
He’s close to dropping his phone for the second time today, from amusement instead of frustration. Only just, he replies:
To: monie hyung
im crying go on
And Namjoon does not disappoint.
From: monie hyung
Rude
Two- I Spilt A Smoothie In It Last Week
And He Hasn’t Noticed Yet
Do Not Tell Him
I Don’t Want To Die
It Was soy So Not That Bad On The Dairy Smell But I Think He’s Starting To Notice And I’m Going To Put BABY BOY
Bunnies
dangit
Wow That Worked
Anyway
Gonna Put T A E In The Firing Line Because For Some Reason He Can’t Get Mad At BABY BOY
F u c k I n g TAEHY U N G
You Are Welcome To Help With This By The Way
The man is already a goner. Jimin won’t be the one to tell him that. To his credit, Yoongi likely already knows exactly who ruined his bag and how. Namjoon, too, would understand that Yoongi is aware of his accident and subsequent plan to weasel his way out of facing the blame. Jimin is impressed nonetheless, by Namjoon’s resilience; suspects it’s yet another unique way of flirting, between the two. The Food-stealing incident all over again.
To: monie hyung
good luck yah
From: monie hyung
Fine Be That Way
And Three- We’ve Been Over This Okay Look I Am Not A Loser For MY HUSBAND MIN YOONGI Ijodksdkfjldajfgsn
Suga’s Ass Is Perfect
s h I t
What If I Sent That To PD Or Something Fuck That Kid
No I Want To Shout Damnit!!!!!!!!!
WHAT IF I SENT THAT TO PD OR SOMETHING FUCK!!!!! THIS!!!! KID!!!!!!!!!
Fuck You JEON JEONGGUK LOVE OF MY LIFE THE GOLDEN BOY THE BEST BOY I LOVE HIM VERY MUCH AND WILL BUY HIM ALL THE FOOD HE COULD EVER WANT I WILL LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR HIM
Suga’s Ass Is Perfect
To: monie hyung
isnt it just
From: monie hyung
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To: monie hyung
yeah you sound fine
see you soon hyung
From: monie hyung
IM GONNA KILL THAT KID JUST WATCH ME
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
From: monie hyung
yeah you sound fine
see you soon hyung <3
He gets no response.
However, the fuming, red-faced, tight-lipped Namjoon he passes in the street is more than enough to set him off cackling again. Jimin promises himself he’ll give Jeongguk a high-five once he gets to the dorms, whether the maknae is awake or not.