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Lazy Saturdays at Jungkook's home had become an annual thing after the shy video game enthusiast had joined their group of friends a year ago. Jimin couldn't recall all the times he had been squished between Taehyung and Jungkook on the couch in Jungkook's living room like now, fiddling with a controller that buzzed in his hands whenever he did something wrong, which happened more often than he'd like to admit, playing video games until his eyelids threatened to fall off due to not blinking for three hours straight, or so it felt, giving his utmost and still losing every single game they played. Maybe he lost because he preferred to dance in his leisure time instead of playing those (stupid) games like his friends did. Or maybe he could just keep blaming his controller, whether Taehyung nor Jungkook seemed to mind his lack of ability in the games. Though, they kept enjoying him losing a little too much for Jimin's liking.
"Are you even trying to race us, Jimin?" Taehyung asked, eyes fixed on the screen as he tried to get a chance on overtaking Jungkook's lead as the youngest was currently leading the racing game.
"I'll punch you later for that, Tae!" Jimin huffed, trying to speed up his stupid car but somehow managing to lose speed now. Was there even a button to make the car brake? For sure it was that stupid controller again. No matter how hard Jimin pressed on the button to accelerate his car, it kept slowing down over and over again. He didn't understand as he was doing everything right this time. "Why am I losing speed suddenly?"
"You're accidentally pressing the brake button again, hyeong," Jungkook answered to his right, his voice calm as the youngest let his eyes flicker to Jimin for a second to check if his assumption had been right, it was, and smiling at how the elder's small hands were holding the black controller in the wrong way again.
Jungkook had only looked at the dancer for a second, had only dared to do so as he had been clearly ahead of his two friends, but he had dared too much and had looked away from the screen for a second too long.
"Take that Golden Maknae!" Tae screamed next to them, jolting up and throwing his hands up in the air, wiggling his body in joy as his character raced ahead of Jungkook's, reaching the finish line only milliseconds before the other. Jimin wasn't even halfway done with the round before his last round yet.
"How– What– Dammit!" Jungkook cursed, dropping his controller into his lap as his nose scrunched in annoyance, neck stiffening like it usually did when he had to tame his overwhelming emotions. He was trying very hard to not be a bad loser while also ignoring Taehyung's goofy victory-dance right in front of him. He would make that alien eat dust in the next round and each round after that, he vowed to himself.
Jimin, on the other hand, wasn't planning any revenge or reconsidering his game plan, if he could claim that he had one. He didn't even try to finish the current game, as he was setting his controller aside instead, risking a glance at Jungkook, taking in how the maknae sucked in his bottom lip in frustration.
God, that boy hated to lose against Taehyung, Jimin thought, or rather losing against anyone, to be honest, in anything, and Taehyung just loved showing the maknae his place in the gaming hierarchy. They were both too competitive and far too good in gaming for Jimin to even make an attempt on second place in any of the games. His two friends always battled each other for the first two places and didn't spare a thought of being the last as Jimin always lost anyway.
Someone might ask why Jimin was still joining the gaming marathons on most Saturdays if he only ever lost in the first place, but they probably wouldn't after looking at him, as it was written all in his eyes, eyes that were still fixed on the maknae's sucked-in bottom lip.
"–Jimin?"
"Huh?" Jimin tore his gaze away from Jungkook and looked to his left, where Taehyung was staring at the TV again, already setting another round and choosing a new car to outrace the maknae once more.
"I asked if you want to try another car."
"Actually," Jimin started, pressing the button that disconnected his controller from the gaming console and bringing his knees up to his chest next, getting all comfortable like he usually would at this time around, "I just wanna watch you guys race this time."
"You sure, hyeong?" Jungkook spared him a glance while tuning his car, frowning lightly as he took in Jimin's heavy eyelids. Jimin looked tired. He'd been looking tired and exhausted for over a week now. Jungkook couldn't stop himself from noticing that Jimin also had lost a little weight too. The maknae's worries came back easily.
"Yeah, I'm sure, Kookie," Jimin answered him, using the pet name he himself loved so much but earning a deeper frown from the youngest at the use of the endearment.
"I'm no food, hyeong," Jungkook complained as he didn't like the nickname. At the sight of the youngest's cute frown, Jimin started laughing, hand flying upwards to cover his mouth and body rumbling as his head fell to the side, landing on the maknae's shoulder and getting all comfortable there. Jimin kept his head in place and Jungkook didn't try to shrug him off. The youngest was used to that by now. He only ever complained about one certain nickname, "I don't understand why you call me that way, hyeong."
"Probably because he'd like to eat you," Taehyung joked. Jimin couldn't help the faint pink creeping onto his cheeks. Gladly, both his friends were too caught up on the newly started race to spare him a glance.
After a few more rounds, Jimin started rubbing his arms as the temperature seemed to have dropped suddenly. He looked around for a blanket or something but Jungkook's mother had most likely brought the blanket to cleaning as they had accidentally stained it last Saturday. Jimin was still sorry for that. Hot chocolate left nasty stains. He had told Jungkook's mother how sorry he was and that he would pay for the cleaning, but she had shrugged it off, telling him it was all right and ruffling his hair to calm the apologetic boy down. Jungkook's mother alongside Jimin's own mother were the only two living souls who were allowed to ruffle his hair occasionally. The thought of how affectionate his friend's mother was with him, made Jimin a little warmer, but as soon as the memory faded, he felt a new shiver of cold running down his spine and arms. He clung to himself desperately.
"You're cold, hyeong?" Jungkook asked him, eyes not leaving the TV as he was trying to win this racing match too. Jimin shivering lightly next to him was distracting him a little. His frail hyeong always seemed to be cold in winter, even more so today.
"Don't bother."
"Be a good best friend and keep distracting him, Jimin," Taehyung instructed, concentrating so damn hard on beating the maknae once more. He knew that he only had a chance when the youngest was distracted and Jimin was the best distraction there was. Either humming, asking questions about the games, which the maknae tried to answer while competing with Taehyung, or fidgeting as he was cold, uncomfortable or anything like that. Jungkook was a good dongsaeng, a polite person in general and as it was his parent's house, he had to care for his guests' well-being. Taehyung knew the worth of Jimin at these Saturday gaming marathons. Without the dancer, he would have had no chance of beating the Golden Maknae once. Although, maybe throwing a pack of chips at him would distract the maknae even more but then Taehyung would be distracted too, so Jimin was his best chance on getting Jungkook's head off the game for a moment.
"Sorry," Jimin apologized and tried to remain silent and still between them. But it was so cold in the room and he couldn't help wrapping his arms around his knees, hugging himself to keep his body warmth, but unfortunately, bumping into Jungkook and giving Taehyung the chance to catch up with the youngest some more. So Jimin mumbled his apology again.
"Hyeong," Jungkook spoke up, his tone still calm although he seemed to be highly concentrated on beating Taehyung once more, which had gotten incredibly harder now that his mind was occupied with his hyeong's well-being too, "just grab something from my wardrobe."
"Yeah?" Jimin asked softly and rather surprised as Jungkook didn't usually share his clothes and made a big fuss whenever Jimin dared to snatch one of the sweaters that lay around in the youngest's bedroom whenever he and Taehyung came over to hang out.
"I nearly got you there, maknae!" Taehyung exclaimed when Jungkook barely managed to keep his leading position as he had been distracted by Jimin's soft melodic tune once more.
"You wished!" Jungkook tried to accelerate more to make his friend eat the dust of his next win. Jimin shivered again. "Hyeong, just go grab something to wear and we can have hot chocolate after I destroyed Taehyung in this game."
"Really, Jungkookie?"
"Sure," the youngest shrugged as he felt Jimin's bright smile next to him. It radiated warmth, so it didn't make sense to the maknae why Jimin felt so cold all the time. Most likely, because the dancer was a little too skinny and dressed in only the thin cloth of a tee.
"Don't accept the offer, Jiminie, he's only trying to get you on his side! I'm your best friend, don't forget that!"
"But he promised hot chocolate," Jimin argued, cautiously climbing from the couch to not bump into his friends who were still concentrated on their race.
"You're selling my win for a hot chocolate?"
"And a hoodie," Jimin teased his best friend before walking out of the living room, laughing as he heard Taehyung cursing about something in the background. He could clearly make out the word traitor though.
Jungkook's room was on the second floor to the right. Jimin liked walking up the stairs as the wall next to it was plastered with pictures of the maknae. Pictures of the boy winning in sports competitions, or grinning into the camera with his bunny teeth on display.
Looking at the pictures felt as if Jimin had already been there when Jungkook had turned seven and was hosting his first birthday party, or watching him winning his first gold medal at the age of 9, or witnessing the youngest beaming at the sight of a big American burger after the Jeon's had moved to the States, living there until they returned a year ago. Memories Jimin hadn't been a part of but he sometimes liked to believe that he had been, just like he was on the group picture of Jungkook's sixteenth birthday only a couple months back in September. Jimin loved this picture as it showed how he had smudged frosting on Jungkook's cheeks, making his dongsaeng scrunch his nose cutely but smiling his bunny smile nevertheless. The younger had returned the favor of frosting on skin at Jimin's birthday the month later. Jimin had a framed picture as a proof of it in his own bedroom.
Smiling, Jimin walked into the youngest's bedroom and dove into his wardrobe, looking for something to wear. Maybe he could have taken the first hoodie he set his eyes on but Jimin wanted to snoop around a little, or a little more as he finally found a blue sweater in the very depths of Jungkook's cupboard.
Jimin liked the color and was reminded of his first encounter with Jungkook a little more than a year back. He could clearly remember the maknae wearing a blue sweater similar to this one. Smiling even wider, he pulled the sweater on, the blue cloth big on his smaller frame but not too big to look stupid.
As soon as he had walked downstairs again, he found Taehyung alone in the living room, lost in another video game. So, Jimin walked past the living room and into the kitchen instead, where the maknae was currently boiling milk for their hot chocolates. When he walked towards him, Jungkook looked up and a cute frown settled on his face once more. Jimin stopped in his tracks.
"Is that sweater okay or," he trailed off, not sure why Jungkook was frowning at him this time. Jimin couldn't know that Jungkook wasn't frowning at him but either trying to understand how Jimin, different to Jungkook, could look so cute in this blue sweater, the one sweater Jungkook usually glared at, the blue cloth a little too big for his hyeong's smaller frame. The blue sweater paws caught his attention next before he managed to tear his eyes off Jimin, keeping himself from cooing at his cute hyeong.
"No, it's fine, hyeong."
"Sure?" It didn't look like it though.
"Yeah," Jungkook shrugged, resuming with his task and watching the milk in the pot, "I don't really like that sweater anyway."
"Why not?" Jimin asked, walking closer and hopping onto the kitchen counter, like he usually did, feet dangling and fingers playing with the too-long sleeves of the blue sweater, trying to ignore the fact that he had sweater paws because his hands felt cold and needed the warmth of too long sleeves covering them, as he waited for Jungkook to answer his question.
"My mom bought it for me as she threw my other sweater away. I was really angry because it had been my sort of lucky charm or so."
"She felt sorry and bought you that one instead?"
"Yeah, but I never wore it out of protest," Jungkook said with a victorious grin and Jimin giggled lightly at his remark. The maknae looked up and smiled at his hyeong. It was endearing how the elder giggled as it was a lovely tune, not like the rasp chuckle of Taehyung.
After Jungkook had finished the three mugs of hot chocolate, he handed Jimin the first, in which he had put one extra marshmallow after seeing how the blue sweater was swallowing the smaller frame of his hyeong.
"Thank you," Jimin mumbled, bringing the steaming cup closer to his lips and smiling shyly at the extra marshmallow. They both knew why Jungkook kept putting an extra marshmallow into Jimin's hot chocolate, so neither had to say something about that matter. Not like Jimin would want to talk about it anyway.
Later that night, they all fell asleep on the couch, Taehyung snuggled into Jimin and Jimin snuggled into Jungkook, only waking up when Jungkook's parents returned home and shooed the boys upstairs into bed, the sleepy boys, or rather Taehyung and Jimin competing in a fast game of rock, paper and scissors to decide who would get the spare bed in the guest room and who had to share a bed with the maknae. As usual, Taehyung won and rushed down the hall grinning. Jimin pouted a little for losing yet another game when he entered Jungkook's bedroom, pout not fading when he snuggled into bed next to his dongsaeng, waiting for sleep to come back.
"Do you think I'm a loser, Jungkookie?" They had already been silent for a while but Jimin knew that the other wasn't sleeping yet as his breathing was still too heavy and uneven to be mistaken as the sleeping sounds the other usually made.
"Of course not, hyeong," the younger answered immediately, knowing that Jimin's nonchalant tone most likely was a facade and that the elder was really worrying about what he just said. Jimin had a problem with imperfections and all his friends knew, trying to stop the dancer from worrying too much whenever possible. "Why'd you think that?"
"Because," Jimin huffed, staring at the dark ceiling and trying to not sound stupid, "either I'm a loser or the controller isn't working right."
As the words were out, both boys immediately came to the conclusion that the controller wasn't the problem. Still, Jungkook made an attempt to brighten the mood by offering to switch controllers next time.
"Nah," Jimin declined that offer, knowing too well that it wouldn't change anything and rather humiliate him even more, "I'll keep the one I have as I'm already used to losing anyway."
His words didn't sound bitter but they still bothered the younger boy who was struggling to come up with another solution. There had to be something he could offer his hyeong to help. As he finally came up with something, he turned to the side to face the elder, noticing the small pout of discomfort the other sported.
"You could come over after school and I'll train you until you're the best," Jungkook suggested, his kind offer drawing a shy smile from his hyeong. Jimin then turned to face him, smile not fading and something akin to stars glistening in his dark orbs.
"Thanks, Jungkookie," Jimin whispered, giving himself a moment to consider the offer he had to turn down, "but you know I have dance practice after school. Still, thank you."
"You're welcome, hyeong," Jungkook shrugged and brushed the topic off, feeling relieved as the smile didn't leave the elder's lips. The younger would have offered Jimin to come by during the winter holidays that had just started, but Jungkook knew that Jimin would be in Busan to visit his grandparents and would only come back when school started again. "I wish I could come to Busan with you."
"Yeah?" Jimin was so surprised by that, he couldn't help but stare at the other with wide eyes, heart beating a little faster at the mere possibilities of why Jungkook had said that.
"Yeah, I really miss the Busan sea," Jungkook explained, not noticing how Jimin's heartbeat slowed down again. "Maybe you could send me a picture?"
"Okay," Jimin agreed to that, snuggling further under the duvet as his eyelids grew heavy. After a muffled yawn, he wished the younger goodnight and soon fell asleep, dreaming of nothing but the Busan sea and him visiting it with Jungkook.
The next morning, they were woken by Taehyung promising them pancakes as Jungkook's mother was preparing an American breakfast for her son's cute friends. It didn't happen often that Jungkook was spoiled like that as both his parents were very busy with work most of the times and too exhausted on weekends to get up earlier and spoil him with pancakes. So he hurried Jimin out of bed and down the stairs, Taehyung had already left a minute earlier and was probably eating everything up already, them entering the dining room just in time when the pancakes were set on the table.
Jungkook's mother gave each boy the exact same share of pancakes and then put the last one on Jimin's plate, ruffling the boy's head affectionately as Jimin's cheeks flushed before she left the boys alone. They devoured their breakfasts, Jungkook glancing ever so often towards the dancer to check if he was eating and not sneaking a pancake onto Taehyung's plate like he sometimes did. Jungkook smiled as he realized that Jimin was again wearing his blue sweater but his smile faded as he realized how big it still looked on the elder. So, he poured the elder some more of the sweet orange juice.
"What about me?" Taehyung whined as he caught sight of the youngest's action. Jungkook shrugged and gave the bottle a slight push so that it slithered over the table to Tae. "Thanks."
An hour after the boys had finished their breakfast and got ready for the day, Jimin was packing his stuff in Jungkook's bedroom, ready to leave in a bit. His mother had asked him to be home for lunch and he had to catch the next bus to be home in time. He was rummaging in his bag, looking for something warmer to wear as the temperatures had dropped overnight when Jungkook came back into the room.
"What are you looking for, hyeong?"
"Warmer clothes."
"You can just wear my sweater. Give it back on Monday or so," Jungkook offered, surprising the elder once more. And once again drawing a shy smile.
"I'll only be back after the holidays," Jimin reminded him.
"Then after holidays."
"You sure?" Jimin asked, voice soft as he looked up from where he was crouching on the floor, locking his eyes with the younger's. Jungkook just nodded as if it wasn't a big deal. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, hyeong." Jungkook walked over to his desk, unplugging Jimin's phone from his charger and handing the device back to its owner. Jimin looked surprised again.
"I'd have forgotten it, thanks."
"When you're leaving?"
"This afternoon," Jimin answered, collecting the rest of his stuff. He knew that Jungkook was asking about his leave for Busan as Jimin's rushed leave now had been caused by a change of his family's holiday plans.
"I thought you'd be waiting for your father?"
"He's meeting us in Busan instead. His flight was canceled or so," Jimin told his friend the little information he had gotten himself half an hour ago, "but he managed to get Eomma and me train tickets for this afternoon, so we would be able to meet him there."
The situation was a little messy and Jimin had to get home asap as he still had to pack for the stay in Busan. He was a little sad that he wasn't able to stay a little longer at Jungkook's, although that had been the plan. Him and Taehyung staying at Jungkook's until Monday morning, meeting up with the rest of the group at noon on Monday, staying at Jin's place until Tuesday, and leaving for Busan on Wednesday. Now he wouldn't be able to see the rest of his friends before leaving for the holidays.
"And your bus?" Jungkook asked next.
"Ten minutes," Jimin told him, checking the time at his phone, "Or rather eight."
They then hurried down the stairs, Jimin grabbing his jacket, scarf, and gloves, prepping himself for the cold temperatures and glad he was wearing Jungkook's sweater as soon as the front door was opened.
"See you after the holidays then?" Jungkook asked, probably freezing to death as he wasn't wearing a jacket or anything warmer than a t-shirt while standing in the opened doorway.
"Hyeong will send you that picture of the Busan sea you asked for," Jimin reminded them, smiling at the younger and checking the time once more. Five minutes. He should head to the bus station already. "Say Taehyung goodbye for me, please."
"Sure, hyeong."
"And the others too?"
"Of course."
"Thanks, Kookie," Jimin said softly, jolting forward and hugging the younger, something he rarely did and only if he could muster the courage to do so, "Have nice holidays without me."
"You too, hyeong," Jungkook mumbled into the elder's scarf, waving after him as Jimin sprinted towards the bus station, looking back before he turned at the next corner and waving Jungkook who was still at the door, watching him leave.
<><><>
Jimin had sent that picture during winter holidays, but he wouldn't be Jimin if he hadn't done even more. The dancer had taken the bus to Jungkook's place at this last day of their winter holidays, knowing that he could've waited for the next morning to give Jungkook the contents of his bag in school, but he had felt jittery ever since wrapping the small present for his friend.
Jungkook was rather surprised when he heard a soft knock at his bedroom's door, asking his mother to come in but seeing the dark shock of much shorter hair instead. "Jimin?"
"That's still hyeong," Jimin scolded him playfully from where he peeked into the room from behind the half-opened door, "May I come in?"
"Sure, hyeong."
"Thanks," Jimin said before walking into the room, hands and bag hidden behind his back, "your mother let me in. I hope it's okay I came by?"
"Sure," Jungkook shrugged, noticing that his hyeong was hiding something behind his back. "Is there a special reason for your visit?"
"There is," Jimin announced, bouncing a little on his feet as he felt his excitement rise. But there was a little voice in the back of his head, reminding him of the possibility that Jungkook wouldn't like his present.
"You're going to tell me?"
"Maybe," Jimin teased and giggled at how Jungkook sucked in his bottom lip in frustration. He decided that his dongsaeng was too cute to tease him any longer. So he retrieved his hands from behind his back, opening the bag and then handing Jungkook the blue sweater he had borrowed before the holidays. The younger looked at it with a crestfallen expression on his face.
"You came to give me my sweater back, hyeong?" Jungkook frowned at the piece of cloth, not understanding why the elder would make the effort to take the bus on an icy Sunday this late in the afternoon just to give back that sweater. A sweater, Jungkook didn't even like that much.
Jimin was glad that Jungkook wasn't looking at him right now as he was blushing rather hard at the sight of the same blue sweater he might have been wearing during the holidays, snuggling into it during cold nights and maybe sniffing at the collar from time to time. It had smelled just like Jungkook, something Jimin could only describe as warm.
"Not solely," Jimin said next, answering the younger's question and retrieving something else from his bag. A wrapped cylindrical gift. Jungkook gawked at it and Jimin was happy he had spent those twenty minutes wrapping it properly.
"Thank you, hyeong," Jungkook said as he took the gift cautiously, wondering why he was getting it in the first place.
"Open it already," the elder urged him. So Jungkook unwrapped it and found it to be a small glass vessel containing sand. Jimin had written Busan Sea on it. "You like it?"
"Is that really from the beach in Busan?"
"Of course, it is," Jimin answered, giggling at how dumbstruck the younger looked.
"Why?" Jungkook asked next as he didn't understand why he was gifted this in the first place.
"You said you missed the Busan Sea," Jimin answered, shrugging as if to not make a too big deal of his gesture, "and you're a good dongsaeng so I felt like bringing you this."
"Thank you," Jungkook finally said, turning the glass in his hand once more, before standing up and placing it on his nightstand, shuffling a few other things aside for it to take residence there. Jimin smiled at that, glad he had come over and therefore been able to witness this.
"You're welcome, Kookie," Jimin said and really meant the words, not minding when the younger pulled him into a hug, although the elder usually didn't like to be touched without any warning.
"You're staying for a bit?" Jungkook asked as they shuffled apart, looking at Jimin and happily recognizing the fuller cheeks of his hyeong, a faint flush on top of them. The elder was still wearing his jacket, as well as his scarf.
"My ride back is coming in about fifteen minutes," Jimin told him, explaining why he was still looking like a hiker in winter and already putting his gloves back on.
"Who's picking you up?"
"The bus, stupid," Jimin said playfully.
"Let me walk you there," Jungkook offered, grabbing a hoodie on the way out of his room and down the stairs. He put on his jacket and a scarf as he told his mother he would be back rather soon. She smiled at them leaving from where she was watching the news with her husband in the living room.
The two boys walked towards the bus station while chatting about their holidays, not stopping until they were interrupted by the bus halting in front of them. Jimin reluctantly said his goodbye and hopped onto the bus, waving out of the window towards Jungkook who kept waving back until the bus got out of sight.
The younger kept wondering about that surprising visit and the gift until Tuesday after school, when he was opening his locker to get the umbrella he had forgotten inside of it, being met with a small piece of paper stuck inside of his locker instead. He frowned at the sight but unfolded it anyway, surprised about the neatly written words that were referring to his today's choice of clothes, or rather the blue piece of cloth his mother had asked him to wear at least once after she had been reminded of its existence because of Jimin returning it last weekend.
I like your sweater.
Jungkook frowned at the words, not understanding them at first and finally realizing that the note was complimenting him. His frown deepened as he kept looking for something on the paper, something that wasn't there. The note wasn't signed. Whoever left it, didn't want to be known. Jungkook wondered how the mysterious girl looked that had left the unsigned note to become his first secret admirer. He kept looking for anyone suspicious as he left the school building, but he was too overjoyed to really look and catch sight of the person hiding behind a locker a little farther away, tugging at too long sleeves, watching Jungkook leave with a beating heart, shy smile growing wider until crescent eyes caught sight of the school's clock and Jimin realized, that he would be late for dance practice.