Work Text:
Min Yoongi didn't befriend people. He was the one who was befriended. Never the other way around. But upon seeing the shy freshman in a blue sweater sitting all to himself on the cold floor in the far back of Yoongi's beloved music room of the school, doodling into what seemed to be a biology textbook, Yoongi decided to make a friend for the very first time.
"Hey, kid," he approached the younger boy, his cold voice startling the other. The boy flinched but didn't look up to him. Yoongi raised an eyebrow as he wasn't really someone to be disobeyed usually. But to his own surprise, Yoongi did something that was very unlike him and he swore that if someone ever found out about it, namely Hoseok who would never stop teasing him for having a heart, after all, he would strangle the joyful dancer and not regret it. "What's up, kid?"
For a short moment, Yoongi considered that maybe he never made an attempt on making a friend because he wasn't good at it. People didn't consider him a friendly fellow, his harsh honesty and cold voice repelled most other humans — yes, Yoongi was a human being, and no, they didn't have to check it at first but still, Hoseok had checked just in case after meeting Yoongi — and also his friends had to get used to it at first, or rather accept that Yoongi was nothing other than a silent, music-obsessed boy with a sharp tongue. Cold and distant most of the times but it wasn't like he didn't care at all. Although moments like the one right now, when he cared for a lonely looking freshman, weren't on any daily, weekly or even yearly basis. It was a once in a lifetime chance and the boy in front of him should better stop staring and start answering to Yoongi's nonchalant greeting.
Even Yoongi's stern expression and piercing stare couldn't stop the freshman's staring. The boy was looking at him in what seemed to be relief, his big doe-like eyes sparkling with a hope that didn't match their setting but the sparks soon clouded with fear as if the boy was scared to do something, maybe even scared to repel Yoongi. But on top of it all, the boy looked as if he was simply glad that someone was finally talking to him. Yoongi raised an eyebrow in question and it finally startled the boy out of his stare.
"Lunch," the younger shrugged, voice sounding nonchalant and not at all how the turmoil of emotions Yoongi had just read in the boy's eyes. The younger turned back to his textbook, pen flying over the page. The boy had Yoongi hooked now as the freshman seemed to be like a more introverted, younger and slightly taller version of Yoongi himself. The senior couldn't help glancing towards the biology textbook and he had to admit, the freshman was talented. Not an artist yet but he had for sure a characteristic way of drawing and a unique view of his surroundings, mostly animals and people.
Yoongi wasn't much of a talker and the freshman didn't seem like one either, so instead of asking if he was allowed to join the boy during lunch, Yoongi simply slumped onto the floor next to the drawing boy. Silence for several minutes. Yoongi decided then and there that he liked that boy.
After a few more minutes, he glanced to the textbook once more and soon recognized a rough outline of his own features. The senior wasn't one to get flattered but he liked to have an impact on his surroundings, preferably with his music but that felt nice too.
"Yoongi," he said next, deciding that the boy had earned the privilege to know his name.
"Jungkook." More silence as neither of them felt the urge to say something to fill the wordless air between them. Yoongi relaxed and stretched his limbs off of him. God, he would like to have a nap now. The silence was heavenly. No Hoseok who wanted him to speak his mind on the gossip the joyful dancer shared with his friends, no Jin-hyeong who scolded him for giving his opinion. Although he liked his friends and maybe even had a weak spot for Hoseok — something the dancer needn't know — this not at all awkward silence between him and Jungkook gave him the little peace he needed during this hell of a Thursday in school.
So, it wasn't a big surprise when Yoongi returned to the music room the next day, not at all surprised to find Jungkook already there. The boy was again slumped on the floor and lost to another textbook. It looked like history. Yoongi wordlessly took his place beside Jungkook and they remained silent for the first half of lunch break.
After a while, Yoongi decided he wanted to make an effort for once, "Freshman?"
Jungkook grunted in recognition. No words needed between them. Yoongi smirked. He liked that boy who might become his favorite among his friends. The elder already dreamed up how he would spend his lunch breaks in peace and quiet for the rest of the school year that had started just a month ago.
"Call me hyeong, kid," he instructed the younger boy, not asking him if they wanted to be friends but rather deciding that they would be from now on. Jungkook didn't seem to mind.
"Whatever, hyeong."
It would have been a perfect lunch break with peaceful quiet if not for Yoongi's friends that kept bugging him via text. The device hadn't stopped buzzing for the last fifteen minutes and Yoongi was annoyed to put it nicely. So, he finally retrieved his phone to check who was disturbing his peaceful lunch with Jungkook — mostly to get a name and cursing the bug directly — and, of course, it was Hoseok. At first, the texts sounded a lot like the dancer, asking Yoongi why he wasn't at the canteen yesterday, if they had done something wrong, that they wanted to eat with him. Not at all important stuff like that. So, Yoongi didn't even bother to reply to these messages and put his phone aside again.
Peace for several minutes and Yoongi thought about how crazy some people might consider his friends. Not only for befriending Yoongi in the first place but for wanting him to join their lunch table when all he ever did during lunch break was listening to music with his headphones on, ignoring their gossiping, hardly ever contributing anything to their conversation. Only sometimes he would discreetly lower the volume of the music to hear clearly what they were talking about. After all, he was their friend and always checked if a topic was important enough for him to participate in it, if only with a listening ear.
This listening ear was the only reason why he checked his phone when it buzzed twice, startling both the boys as the buzzing sounded louder due to the hard floor. For someone out of their group of friends, the message sounded nonchalant, a simple question but Yoongi's blood ran cold upon reading the innocently sounding words.
By any chance is Jimin with you?
I'm worried he looked so distant yesterday at lunch.
Yoongi frowned at his phone. No, Jimin wasn't with him and Hoseok asking him meant that Jimin wasn't with them either. The senior finally realized that he couldn't hide in the music room after all. He had friends that needed him, so he quickly replied to his friend that he shouldn't worry and that Yoongi would check on Jimin. But first, he had to do something else.
When Yoongi stood up hastily, or rather fast for Yoongi's usual slow-paced movements, Jungkook looked up to him in question and with something akin to worry in his eyes. A silent question if something was wrong and if he could help. Yoongi shook his head to that.
"Canteen. Monday," the elder instructed and Jungkook nodded before returning to his textbook, a small frown clouding the younger's features. Yoongi looked at the younger for a second, nodding at him in a way of recognition, kind of rewarding the younger for being such an easy-going dongsaeng, then Yoongi left without another word, heading for the upper floor where the dance studio was located as there was no way to properly explain Jungkook his current worries.
<><><>
On Monday, Yoongi was sitting with his friends at their usual table in the canteen, Hoseok entertaining them with the newest gossip, Namjoon trying to look at said gossip from a philosophical point of view, Jin scolding Taehyung for making the attempt on stealing food from his best friend's plate, Taehyung whining and claiming that Jimin wasn't going to eat all of it anyway. It was the usual and Yoongi already missed the silence of the music room but his presence was obviously needed.
Yoongi's eyes were continually flickering between the boy sitting across from him and the doorway to the hall. He was still expecting Jungkook to join them but the shy boy wasn't his concern right now. Jimin was as he was staring at his food, not eating it and looking like someone had turned his whole world upside down. Yoongi frowned at him. They didn't know why Jimin sometimes hid in the dance studio of the school, or why he skipped lunch or simply looked at his meal without eating it. It happened ever since they met two years ago and the brown-haired boy had never opened up to neither of them. Hoseok had been right on Friday, Jimin looked distant, hadn't laughed once during this lunch, no matter how hard Hoseok tried to make the boy laugh with exaggerating the gossip until it was hardly believable. If Yoongi was honest, he hadn't witnessed Jimin laughing or even smiling once in the past two weeks. Not that the boy laughed and smiled a lot but if Jimin did, it lit the whole room and at least twenty girls would crane their necks towards him, admiring him from afar.
"Yoongi-hyeong," Hoseok called over the whole table as they were seated at the exact opposite and all of their friends were in-between them, "Did you forget your headphones at home, or what?"
Yoongi simply rolled his eyes, hearing the light chuckles from his friends. Everyone smiled except Jimin. Then the elder remembered why he wasn't wearing the headphones and checked the doorway again, immediately recognizing the blue sweater of the boy who was staring at their table.
In a very Yoongi-unlike manner, the elder reached his hand up and signaled the shy freshman to come over to their table. His action silenced the whole table but Yoongi didn't bother to put his hand down until Jungkook's minute of hesitation was over and the boy walked over to their silent table, awkwardly coming to a halt behind Hoseok and Jimin. Everyone was looking at the boy, not understanding what was happening right now.
Yoongi cursed his friends for making the shy boy feel even more awkward, so he simply pointed to the unoccupied seat directly in front of him, the one next to Jimin, who had been the only one too lost in his mind to realize the newfound silence at their table and therefore was the only one not staring at Jungkook. At least not until the freshman slumped into the seat next to him.
Yoongi watched how Jimin jumped in his seat and then slowly looked to his right, eyes growing wide upon seeing the strange boy sitting next to him. Jungkook glanced over to Jimin for a second and blushed immediately as Jimin kept staring at the freshman with wide eyes. Yoongi couldn't help but think that Jimin looked a little scared, scrutinizing Jungkook as if trying to figure out if the boy meant any harm to him.
"So, Yoongi, who's your lovely friend?" Jin asked, trying to turn the attention towards Yoongi as he felt that Yoongi's new friend was feeling very uncomfortable with all the eyes fixed on him. His voice somehow startled the others and they resumed eating while waiting for Yoongi's answer.
"Jungkook," Yoongi informed the others, realizing that he had to make an introduction, something he hated to do, "met him in the music room, he's nice and quiet, a freshman, introduce yourselves."
After his short speech, Yoongi looked at Jungkook, realizing the boy had taken out another textbook, math this time, and was doodling into it. If not for the blush on his cheeks and the slight tremor in his hand and the untouched lunch next to the boy who usually devoured his food, Yoongi wouldn't have realized how uncomfortable the younger felt right now. Jimin still staring at him with wide eyes didn't help at all. Yoongi couldn't help but recognize how Jimin was still scrutinizing Jungkook, still trying to figure the younger out as if the shy boy could do any harm to anyone.
"So, Jungkook?" Jin spoke up once more, this time calling out to the newcomer who flinched a little at hearing his name but looked up from his textbook, only barely meeting Jin's eyes. "What do you think about people making too many apocalypse jokes lately? They're acting as if there's no tomorrow."
A silent groan rushed over the table, Hoseok and Taehyung facepalming at their friend's attempt on yet another uncle joke. No one, really no one ever laughed about them but Jin still tried. Maybe the other's didn't realize what Jin had tried to do, but Yoongi did as he was aware of the hopeful look in Jungkook's eyes. So, he nudged the shy boy under the table, raising his eyebrow in question as the younger looked at him. Jungkook understood the elder's wordless question if the younger would be able to handle the situation alone and nodded before looking back to Jin, waiting for him to say some more.
Yoongi sighed and finally put his headphones on, sparing Jimin another glance who was still staring at the shy boy as if waiting for something that hadn't happened yet. Yoongi shook his head, allowing himself to drift off to the world of sounds and melodies, just as Jin spoke up again, "I'm Jin by the way and as you can see I'm not only responsible for the looks in our group of friends but also for the mood."
"Sorry to break it to you, Jin-hyeong, but your jokes are lame," a boy with a boxy smile to Jin's right spoke up next.
"And Taehyungie is in charge of disrespecting his hyeongs," Jin bit back playfully, giving the boy, Taehyung, a fond smile before both of them darted their tongues out to the other. Jungkook looked at them in a daze, but was averting his eyes a little as soon as Jin looked at him once more, "You can call me hyeong if you want."
Jungkook nodded shortly, not able to say anything as any words were held back by the tight feeling in his throat, before returning back to his textbook. He felt the pair of eyes next to him, watching his every move as he doodled into his math textbook, outlining Jin-hyeong's features when the elder had been the only one to crack up on his own joke.
"I can't believe that Yoongi made a friend on his own," another one of Yoongi's friends stated, making everyone except Jungkook and the still staring boy next to him chuckle at his remark. "I'm Hoseok, by the way."
Jungkook nodded in recognition but wasn't able to look up to the other, trying his hardest to stay calm in this social situation. If he had known that he would meet Yoongi's friends, he would have hidden in the music room. To be honest, Jungkook hadn't believed Yoongi had any friends, but it seemed like the elder wasn't too shy and filled with anxiety to the brim of his existence like Jungkook himself was, but rather silent and distant because Yoongi seemed to want to be like that.
"You must be special if he did," Hoseok mused next, making the shy boy blush even more. As Jungkook found the courage to look up, he didn't get as far as looking at Hoseok but stopped right at the boy between him and Hoseok, the boy who was still staring at him.
Jungkook's eyes halted at the sight of the pair of dark orbs boring into his, blushing even harder at the eye contact. He waited for the other boy to say something, ducking his head a little and doing his best to maintain eye contact because normal people would do so. The boy kept scrutinizing him, analyzing Jungkook and making his anxiety worse by the second. It wasn't until Jungkook bore his front teeth into his lower lip to overwhelm the anxiety with pain, that the other boy's eyes lit up and the corners of his full lips slowly tucked upwards into a small smile that grew brighter the more Jungkook blushed at the sight of the other's smile that made his eyes disappear to form crescents.
"I'm Jimin," the other boy said, still smiling brightly at him and Jungkook couldn't help but smile back at him as Jimin's smile was contagious. Then Jimin pointed to the table, to the very spot in front of Jungkook, "I like it. You draw very well."
Jungkook blushed, even more, when the other tilted his head, something akin to stars glistening in his crescent eyes as the other looked at him. Jungkook couldn't bear the eye contact any longer and turned to face his textbook instead. Jimin then giggled next to him, a soft melodic tune that made Jungkook's heart beat a little faster than before. The anxiety got worse, he thought to himself.
"You're cute," Jimin stated next, or rather cooed at Jungkook before turning to the rest of the boys sitting at the table who might have been staring at them talking, all surprised to see Jimin this bright, "I approve to him. I wanna keep him."
Literally, everyone at the table sighed upon hearing Jimin's bright voice, wholeheartedly agreeing to Jimin if the shy freshman seemed to have this kind of reaction to their friend. Well, everyone except Taehyung, Jimin's best friend, who couldn't help but tease Jimin a little when the opportunity was given.
"Not so fast, Jiminie," Taehyung intervened, silencing the table with his stern voice, not a hint of playfulness hidden between the lines. Jimin looked at his best friend with wide eyes before turning to Jungkook, finding the younger in a similar state, wide doe eyes filled with what looked like fear. Jimin was about to scold Taehyung for scaring the boy, not really knowing why he felt so protective of the boy with the doe eyes, but Taehyung beat him to it, speaking to Jungkook directly, "Do you play video games, Jungkook-ah?"
The whole table relaxed upon hearing Taehyung using a more friendly tone with the new boy. Jimin was still on guard though, ready to intervene if Taehyung dared to not accept the shy boy into their group of friends upon something stupid like Jungkook not playing video games. But to his delight, Jungkook nodded and stopped ducking his head towards Taehyung.
"Are you any good?" Taehyung asked next, fixing him with a playful stern look as if everything depended on Jungkook being good at video games. Jimin was the only one knowing why Taehyung asked that and he already knew what would happen after Jungkook shrugged to the question. "We'll see on Saturday. Consider yourself approved after the weekend."
"Shouldn't you ask Jungkook first before you invite yourself to his home, Taehyungie?" Jungkook was glad when another one of Yoongi's friends spoke up as he didn't understand what was going on right now.
"Namjoon-hyeong," Taehyung said, voice sounding awfully serious, "Why would Jungkook not want me to come over to play video games? He's my friend. I'm his friend. Where's the problem?"
Jungkook could feel how each one of Taehyung's friends tried rather hard to not facepalm in front of him. They managed to stop themselves and were instead looking at Taehyung with all the fondness in the world. Jungkook would later learn that Taehyung was very unique and special, the kind of best friend everyone wished for, caring and opening up to people immediately, maybe the friendliest person Jungkook had ever had the pleasure to meet, but right now he was just grateful that the boy already considered him a friend, not caring that his mind screamed at him that he would have someone, a friend, at his house at Saturday, someone to play video games with, someone he had to have a conversation with. The last part made his anxiety rise to a new high, especially when another boy, the one right next to him, spoke up to everyone's surprise.
"Are you already replacing me, Tae-Tae, or am I allowed to join?"
"Sorry, Chim-Chim, but you suck at video games," Taehyung honestly said but shooting his best friend a big boxy smile. Jimin rolled his eyes at him and dropped the topic as he had only asked to see his best friend's reaction anyway. "Love you, Jiminie!"
"Love you, alien," Jimin teased his best friend, before returning to his food and, to the pleasure of every single one of his friends, he started eating it. A collective sigh enveloped the table before they started having a light conversation about the recent gossips regarding a certain girl, Yuju, which Jungkook didn't know.
"She's going to class with Jiminie and me," Taehyung explained after he had realized that Jungkook was frowning at them, "and I'm proud to say that she wasn't my first kiss."
Jungkook felt Jimin tense up next to him and glanced towards the elder who was holding his chopsticks but not moving them. He wanted to ask if everything was all right but his throat was still too tight to say anything. When he felt a soft nudge under the table, he looked towards Yoongi and found the elder shaking his head softly at him. So, Jungkook didn't ask why Jimin tensed up and stopped eating, but he couldn't help starting to worry when the same thing happened the next two days.
On Wednesday, Jungkook was surprised to find someone glancing at the doorway when he entered the canteen. Jimin shot him a small smile as he walked over to their table, silently taking the seat next to Jimin and across from Yoongi. It was still a little awkward for Jungkook to sit at their table, not yet feeling like he was a part of their group of friends. They all knew each other for at least two years now, Jimin and Taehyung as well as Namjoon and Hoseok for even much longer, and he felt like an intruder. Although they tried their best to include him, asking him questions and trying to get to know the shy freshman, Jungkook wasn't comfortable to talk to them yet and so he remained listening to them intently and maybe listening even more intently to Jimin whenever the boy tried to explain something to him because Jungkook had scrunched his nose as he wasn't able to follow the others' stories. Jimin still smiled at him brightly whenever Jungkook blushed because of the elder's attention and the elder also kept calling him cute. Although Jungkook would like to disagree to him, his heartbeat accelerated each time due to his anxiety and he'd been rendered speechless by the memories of being mocked by other classmates for being cute and for his bunny front teeth.
This didn't change in the following days. Whenever Jungkook did answer one of the questions Jin, Hoseok, and Namjoon shot towards him, or so it felt, he either used the least possible amount of words or chose to nod or simply shook his head, before returning to doodle into his textbook. They soon thought that Jungkook might be just like Yoongi and that there had been a reason why those two found each other. They couldn't know that Jungkook really wanted to talk to them, he just couldn't get his mind to will some words through his tight throat. Although he longed to say something, to contribute to their conversations, his anxiety rendered him to stay a listener, laughing with them although he longed to make them laugh in return.
The following weeks were easier for Jungkook, maybe because he now felt comfortable in Yoongi's and Taehyung's presence after having the latter at his house for the majority of the past Saturdays. They had bonded over video games and Jungkook's mother had been over the moon when her son had brought home a friend and said friend had asked if he would be allowed to come over next Saturday each time.
Jungkook was already excited to spend his Saturdays battling Taehyung in racing games but that still didn't change the fact that he simply couldn't contribute to their conversation during lunch. It bothered him a lot. Especially, whenever Jin made one of his uncle jokes and no one laughed and Jungkook just thought of a joke that was really funny and would for sure draw a giggle from the boy next to him. Though, he couldn't say the joke aloud and therefore had to smile to himself, everyone believing that he somehow enjoyed Jin's uncle jokes.
"Your smile is so cute," Jimin said next to him, voice low enough to not disturb the serious topic that had emerged between the elders at the other end of the table. Before Jungkook could blush because of Jimin's words, the elder said something else which made Jungkook blush even more, "Is that me?"
Well, Jungkook could have simply nodded to that or deny it with a firm shake of his head but blushing damn hard and clutching his hands on top of his textbook to hide the drawing of Jimin might have been a little too obvious. Jimin giggled next to him and as much as Jungkook was embarrassed he couldn't help but smile too at the sound. It was the Jimin-effect he had soon learned as everyone at this table had to smile whenever Jimin laughed.
"I'm flattered, Jungkook-ah," Jimin cooed, eyes disappearing into those crescents Jungkook had drawn into each of his textbooks by now. Maybe, just maybe he was a little obsessed with Jimin's smile but the other's seemed to have the same problem, so it didn't feel strange at all to him. Everyone loved to see Jimin happy and smiling, so it was nothing out of the ordinary that Jungkook felt so too.
The next day, when Jungkook walked into the canteen like he had done each day of the past month, glancing over to the table with the bunch of people he maybe should consider calling his friends by now, his eyes met another pair of dark orbs.
"Jungkookie!" Jimin called out to him, leaning back in his chair, craning his neck towards the doorway and beaming at Jungkook as if he had waited an hour for him to arrive when it had only been two minutes. Jungkook had stopped in his tracks upon hearing the way Jimin called him. It was the first time someone was saying his name in such an affectionate way, using such an endearment. It was remarkably similar to how Jimin had called out to Taehyung the other day, Taehyung being Jimin's best friend for years now, and somehow Jungkook had become someone the elder would call with similar affection.
Jimin was still waving at him and as the elder called out to him once more, some heads turned towards Jimin's angelic voice. Jungkook finally moved to the table, slumping into the seat next to the still beaming elder. It was his seat now and no one apart from Jungkook questioned that anymore, although the shy boy realized that sitting on the chair today felt different from how it had yesterday. He felt it, upon seeing Jimin's bright smile directed at him, Yoongi nodding at him from across the table and Jin already preparing his next uncle joke to make Jungkook groan inwardly, for the very first time he felt like being a part of this group of friends.
"How was your test, Jungkookie?" Jimin asked in his singsong voice, smiling and looking at him with a warmth in his dark eyes that knocked the air out of Jungkook's lungs. Jungkook was a little overwhelmed by Jimin as the elder always maintained eye contact and Jungkook wasn't used to that yet. Jimin didn't pressure him to answer though, the elder simply waited for him to get the words ready and encouraging Jungkook with a warm smile.
"Don't know, hyeong, kinda difficult," Jungkook finally said, averting his eyes as the eye contact was too much now and pulling his lunch out next, suddenly startled when he felt an elbow nudge his side softly, followed by a small hand on his arm.
"I'm sure you did well, Kookie," Jimin told him, retrieving his hand from his arm and resuming to eat his lunch. Jungkook watched with wide eyes how Jimin lifted the fries one after another to his mouth, munching on them with squishy cheeks. Jungkook was so captivated by Jimin for being the very first person, besides his mother, to give him a nickname, not realizing that he was staring at the elder, until Jimin pointed it out to him, "Want some?"
Jimin was referring to the fries and didn't seem to mind that Jungkook had stared at the food in the elder's small hands but Jungkook couldn't help the blush creeping up his neck. The anxiety was accelerating his heartbeat again when his eyes caught sight of Jimin's eyes forming those damn crescents that always rendered him speechless.
"Have some," Jimin insisted and put the box of fries in front of Jungkook, smiling at him widely. Jungkook hesitated but finally reached for the fries, munching at them and sighing as it really tasted good. He really liked greasy food like that. "You're so cute, Jungkookie."
Before Jungkook could try to say something to the elder, to ask him to stop calling him cute, Jimin said something else, barely audible for anyone besides the two of them.
"I like that you're cute." Jimin wasn't looking at him as he said that, or rather mumbled that as if Jungkook shouldn't have heard it in the first place. The moment was destroyed by Jin calling out to Jungkook, their new beloved maknae, and opting for his attention.
"Your test, Jungkook-ah, maths right?" Jungkook nodded and Jin's smile widened before he tapped on his chin as if he had to think about something before dropping yet another one of this uncle jokes, "You know, there is a fine line between numerator and denominator."
<><><>
When the doorbell rang on Saturday around ten, Jungkook flew down the stairs to get to the front door before his mother, already anticipating to let Taehyung in and start gaming the second after, but he was surprised to find someone else at the other side of the door.
"Jimin-hyeong?"
"Hi," the elder greeted him, sounding timid and looking all soft in his warm jacket and bis scarf, wringing his gloved hands as if they were still cold. Jungkook was rendered speechless. He didn't know why Jimin was standing in front of his house and this must be written all over his face. "Did Taehyung not tell you?"
Jungkook raised his brows in question, not able to speak yet as he hadn't prepared himself for talking today. Taehyung and he mostly played and not talked beside some low curses that slipped through here and there as they were both too competitive for their own good. So, he shook his head and Jimin sighed and rolled his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Jungkookie," Jimin said next, playing with his gloved fingers and not meeting his eyes, "I thought he'd asked you if I could join you today. I-I can just leave if you want."
Before Jungkook could say something to that or think about if he wanted Jimin to leave or stay, his mother beat him to it.
"Jungkook-ah, honey, don't let the front door open that long and just let Taehyung-ah in," she said while rounding the corner and walking over to them, stopping in her tracks upon seeing another boy at the other side of the door. Her eyes nearly watered because her son, her shy little baby, had somehow managed to befriend not only one but two people. "Come in, please, it's so cold outside. Come in."
Jimin heard the woman talk to him directly, saw her big smile that welcomed him into the house, but before he even dared to think about entering Jungkook's home, he looked towards his dongsaeng and waited for him to agree to his mother. As the younger nodded, Jimin smiled at him shyly and allowed Jungkook's mother to usher him in. He greeted her politely and put his shoes neatly to the space she had pointed as she took his coat and hung it up for him, helping him to entangle himself from the big scarf.
"I'm sorry for coming over without an invitation," Jimin apologized to Jungkook's mother and the shy boy who hadn't said anything else since seeing Jimin at his front porch.
"Don't be sorry," Jungkook's mother told him, giving Jimin a once over and curiously looking at his feet, "Have you, by any chance, danced ballet?"
Jimin blushed. He blushed so hard when Jungkook's mother pointed that out with only a short look at his feet. He knew that he still tended to stand like a ballet dancer despite having switched to contemporary and modern dancing two years ago but he couldn't help but stand this certain way, having trained to do so for years.
"I'm sorry, I'm probably wrong, it's just … you hold yourself a lot like a dancer would," Jungkook's mother rushed to explain, sensing that the boy felt a little embarrassed. "You know, I danced ballet when I was young and I really tried getting Jungkook into dancing, showing him some moves but he was just not into it and always fell on his cute little butt–"
"Eomma!" Jungkook shrieked, looking at his mother in bewilderment. His mother clasped her hand in front of her mouth as she now had embarrassed her son in front of his friend. But their awkward moment was soon interrupted by a soft giggle next to them. A melodic tune that melted both their hearts.
"I am a dancer," Jimin told them between giggles and surprised both when he admitted to having danced ballet for a long time. Jungkook was shook as it was news to him too. His mother got excited and she asked Jimin if he would twirl once for her. To all their surprise, Jimin really did, although he usually didn't dance in front of people anymore, especially not ballet. So he twirled for Jungkook's mother, ending in a perfect ballet posture after adding a few contemporary moves to it as he preferred this style of dancing. He didn't know why he did it but hearing the woman clap in excitement was enchanting him.
"That was beautiful," she gasped at him, "thank you," she stopped a moment as she realized that she hadn't gotten his name yet.
"Jimin," the boy helped her out and they smiled at each other. Jungkook looked between Jimin and his mother and didn't quite understand what special dancer-bond they were forming in front of his eyes but he felt a slight pull at his heart and his mind kept telling him that Jimin was his friend.
It was strange and got even stranger when Jimin caught sight of a picture next to them, a small framed snapshot of Jungkook when he was four or five years old. "You look so cute, Jungkookie, even back then."
Jungkook blushed. He blushed harder than ever before in his life and did so in front of his mother who was looking at him with a smile before turning to Jimin after the elder had asked if a professional had taken that picture as it looked so beautiful. Jungkook's mother lit up at that once more, cooing at Jimin and thanking him as she had been the one taking the picture. She started telling him at how she was into art and liked photography and Jimin listened intently, glancing at Jungkook here and there until the younger's mother stopped and Jimin got a chance to say something.
"Now I know where you got all your talent in drawing from, Jungkookie."
"Aww," Jungkook's mother cooed, clutching her hand over her heart and looking to her son, whose face was tinted red by now, giving him a warm smile, before returning to Jimin, "What a well-mannered young man you are, Jiminie. Do you boys want a hot chocolate?"
Jimin looked towards Jungkook and waited for his approval before nodding and thanking the younger's mother who finally let the two boys alone. "I'm still sorry for coming by without an invitation, Jungkook-ah. I really thought Tae has told you about it but I should've asked you directly. I'm sorry."
Jimin's dark orbs were boring into his once again and the apology glistened in the elder's eyes. Jungkook recognized the small pout on Jimin's full lips and who was he to deny Jimin to be a part of their Saturday's gaming marathons? "It's okay, hyeong. I don't mind."
"Yeah?" Jungkook nodded and Jimin lit up again, beaming at Jungkook with his bright smile and crescents, the younger's anxiety tightening his throat more and more but not hindering him at smiling back at Jimin.
While waiting for Taehyung who liked to be fashionably late, Jimin told Jungkook about his dancing after the younger had asked him about it, knowing and hoping that it would fill any silence that he wouldn't have been able to endure. It turned out that with Jimin he wouldn't have to endure any awkward silence. The elder was bubbly and laughed at each of Jungkook's reactions, no matter if it was just a nod or a smile or a full word. Jungkook easily eased into their dynamic with Jimin talking more than him but asking Jungkook questions here and there, not getting too personal but about stuff like his grandparents. As it turned out that both of them were originally from Busan they had found a new topic to engage in and talking about the Busan Sea made Jungkook open up more and more. He missed the place of his childhood and he loved the way Jimin giggled when Jungkook told him about the big sandcastle he built one day, only to stumble over his own feet and landing directly on top of it. Jimin laughed so hard, his body rumbled and fell forward, leaning into Jungkook and clutching onto his arm for some support.
"Jungkookie," the elder laughed, eyes tearing up and face hurting from laughing this much. When he finally calmed down, he leaned back into the couch again, his head tilting and hitting the headrest, "I never laughed so much in my whole life, Kookie, thank you."
"You're welcome, hyeong?" Jungkook wasn't sure why Jimin thanked him for that but he was glad that he had been able to do so. Seeing Jimin smile made him smile too.
"How about you show me how to hold this controller the right way?" Jimin asked next, getting all serious and business again while still smiling brightly at Jungkook, "Tae told me I'm so bad at those games because I can't hold the controller the right way but he never told me what was the right way."
Jimin soon realized that asking Jungkook about gaming was like unlocking the doors to Jungkook's personality and mind as the boy kept explaining and talking and acting seriously as if video games were the most serious business there was. Jimin listened intently, watched Jungkook brighten up and never stopping to talk after a while as the shy boy seemed to have forgotten that he used to be shy around others.
When Jungkook finally finished explaining Jimin how he should hold the controller in the right way and giving the device to the elder to try it, Jungkook soon realized that Jimin was already trying his best but that his hands were way smaller than Jungkook's and that it clearly was impossible for Jimin to hold the controller in any other way. Although Jungkook tried to position Jimin's short fingers the right way, as soon as he pulled at one, another fell out of place.
"It's impossible, hyeong, your hands are so small," Jungkook exclaimed, not sure how he should change anything upon that. Jimin wouldn't ever be able to not press the brake button during racing games, so the elder would be losing each time and for sure wouldn't come over another time for a gaming marathon.
"I'll just keep trying, Kookie," Jimin insisted, asking the younger again which finger belonged to which position and Jungkook soon stepped in and tried once more to position Jimin's short digits onto the right buttons without accidentally hitting another one.
Jimin watched his dongsaeng fiddling with his fingers, frowning cutely at the mere impossibility of placing them right onto the controller, making the elder giggle over and over again, and maybe, just maybe, Jimin liked that Jungkook was holding his fingers right now, fiddling with them and making Jimin blush at the never-ending touch.
Maybe, just maybe, Jimin came back every Saturday after that because he secretly wanted Jungkook's fingers fiddling with his, playing with his short digits, holding his small hands, and maybe, just maybe, Jimin hoped for his hands to never grow, so that he had an excuse to have Jungkook fiddling with his fingers and holding his hands forever.
And maybe, really just maybe, when seeing Yoongi at lunch on Monday, Jimin would silently thank his hyeong for not only befriending Jungkook but telling the shy boy to sit right next to him, as Min Yoongi of all people was their unknowing matchmaker, their very own Cupid.