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Jimin had to admit it. Maybe Jungkook was cute. He didn't know why the thought had suddenly crossed his mind during lunch break but now he couldn't help noticing that his dongsaeng was in fact a cute little bunny. It was obvious in the way the younger was currently munching on his food while doodling into one of his textbooks, history it was today. Also, it really was a fact as all his friends had agreed to it wholeheartedly whenever Jimin had been pointing it out in the past four months. Jungkook was cute. End of the story.
If it only was that easy, though.
The thought had occurred, for whatever reason, and now Jimin just couldn't help but forget about the meal getting cold in front of him as his eyes were too busy staring at his dongsaeng's profile, trying hard to pinpoint exactly what was making his Jungkookie so cute. If not the cutest.
Well, for starters, Jungkook had a nose. A rather cute nose. Some people might say that it was a little too big for the rest of his features but those haters hadn't witnessed what Jimin had been witnessing these past four months. Each Tuesday and Thursday during lunch break, Jungkook would be buried nose-deep into his maths textbook, said nose scrunched up in the cutest way possible as the boy tried his hardest and yet failed at solving an equation. A confused Jungkook was some cute sight to admire and Jimin did so for as long as civilized possible until he would have some mercy with this cutie and bury his own nose into the maknae's textbook to solve those distressing (super-easy) equations in a matter of no time.
Yes, Jimin was a genius in maths.
Yes, he always stared at his cute dongsaeng first instead of helping him right away.
Yes, he was pleased whenever Jungkook would call him a genius for solving the equation. Maybe he even enjoyed the look of disbelief and admiration Jungkook gave him while and after solving the equation.
No, he wasn't a maniac for wanting to bath in Jungkook's attention.
And no, he for sure hadn't secretly taken pictures of his cute Jungkookie whenever the younger had failed at those equations. It had only happened twice and both times had been accidents, or rather an attempted selfie but accidentally he had used the back camera both times.
No, that wasn't an excuse.
Talking about pictures. One significant part of Jungkook's features had already been gathered in a collection of pictures by Jimin and was currently decorating a rather big part of his bedroom's wall alongside to more pictures of all of Jimin's friends. Of course, Jimin wouldn't plaster his walls solely with pictures of Jungkook as there would be no good explanation for a mad behavior like that. But maybe (definitely) Jungkook was on a rather big amount of them, or rather the majority (99 percent). Of course, only because of Jungkook's cute bunny smile.
Yes, that boy, of course, was blessed with having not only a cute nose but also the cutest smile Jimin had ever set eyes on. Blessed with two bunny-like front teeth, the maknae had the cutest of all smiles, namely a bunny smile. A freaking bunny smile. If Jimin would be in the possession of the ultimate information, namely all the ticklish spots of his dongsaeng, then he wouldn't hesitate using that information to draw smile after smile from Jungkook.
Yes, Jimin was working on finding those ticklish spots but Jungkook was a shy boy and Jimin couldn't simply start touching his friend all over to search for ticklish spots. That would be something a maniac did and, for the record, Jimin wasn't a maniac. This bunny smile, though, was driving him into madness at a slow (fast, very fast, speed of light fast) and steady pace.
Jimin had to support his maddened head on his hand to not fall into his food. Although, on second thought, it would make Jungkook laugh and Jimin would be able to see the bunny smile, admire it, take another picture of it and pin it to his wall. It was only food, right?
God, he was a mad boy by now.
In fault was Jungkook's mother as the younger boy had inherited his (cute) bunny-like front teeth from that lovely woman. A lovely woman that adored Jimin to the moon and back, always spoiling him with hot chocolates and marshmallows. Sometimes, Jimin liked to believe that Jungkook adored him too, for no obvious reason though, as the son, unlike Jungkook's mother, wasn't showering Jimin with his attention.
Mother and son, a pairing Jimin had been hosted by every Saturday of the past three months, ever since he had persuaded Tae (whined about it and blackmailed his best friend until he finally gave in) to let him join their gaming marathons at Jungkook's home, and both, mother and son, had cute bunny smiles. Although Jungkook's was even cuter than his mother's. Jimin didn't know why he thought like that, or why he felt the need to point the fact out to himself whenever the thought occurred, but he did and no one could make him believe otherwise.
"Hyeong?" A small voice crashed through Jimin's wall of thoughts, startling the elder who blinked several times to settle back into reality. His head was still propped up on his hand, head slightly tilted and cheek for sure squished while he had been obviously staring at Jungkook for the past minutes. Jimin feared to check for how many minutes.
Out of all the possible things Jimin could have said, his (mad) brain chose the most embarrassing one. After all, his mother had raised her son to honesty. "You're so cute, Jungkookie."
It was the maknae's turn to blink in confusion. And out of all the ways the younger could have reacted to that, Jungkook's cheeks chose to change into an adorable flushed state. Jimin remained his calm on the outside and only sighed in his head.
Argh, this cute little bunny!
"Jungkookie," Jimin cooed, reaching for the younger's cheeks and pinching them lightly, "you're so cute. Why you're so cute?"
"Hyeong?" Jungkook managed to say as Jimin squished his cheeks, making it hard to let words stumble over the squished lips, giggling when the younger frowned at him while looking like the crossing between a fish and a bunny.
"So cute," Jimin cooed once more before tapping the younger's nose and letting go of him. Jungkook massaged his face, skin feeling hot underneath his fingertips. His cheeks must be a shade of crimson now.
"Finished staring and cooing at the maknae, so you can pay some attention to your best friend for once?" Taehyung snarled from across the table, doing his best to not sound (too) jealous. But he was jealous because his best friend kept ignoring him, doting on the new maknae instead and in a way Jimin had never doted on any of his other friends, not even his best friend. Yes, Taehyung was sulking.
"Sorry, Tae," Jimin apologized, smiling apologetically at his best friend for a whole second before glancing at the maknae again, giggling at his cute frown and scrunched up nose. Jimin couldn't help cooing (and melting) at the cute sight, "Kookie, why you're so cute today?"
"Hyeong!" Jungkook exclaimed, not understanding how he had gotten into this situation as he was just as usual. Jimin was the one acting dramatic today. The elder was yet again staring at him and Jungkook shifted in his seat. All that attention, as well as Jimin's gaze, was making him feel uncomfortable. He didn't like being the center of attention after all. "I'm not doing anything, hyeong."
"You're blushing, Kookie," the elder stated or rather giggled. Was that some kind of explanation? Because it didn't explain anything to Jungkook whose heartbeat had accelerated with all the attention he got from his hyeong. If Jimin kept being like that, Jungkook would have to eat lunch somewhere else. His heart couldn't handle working overdrive two days in a row. "Why you're so cute?"
"I'm not, hyeong," Jungkook tried but failed.
"So cute," Jimin cooed again, pinching his cheek once more before resting his hands on the table to prop his head on top of his small fists, which were still holding onto the slightly too long sleeves of his sweater, squishing his cheeks while the elder stared at Jungkook. Out of all the things Jungkook could have been thinking right now, his mind was whirling because Jimin was the cutest living thing in this universe and yet the elder tried to give the title to Jungkook. That was what Yoongi-hyeong would call irony, right?
"Jiminie, stop bugging the maknae and eat your lunch," Hoseok tried to reason with his friend. The other dancer had listened in on their kind of conversation and he had mercy with the maknae. After all, the shy boy had joined their group of friends only four months ago and not once had Jimin stopped giving the maknae all of his attention. It was cute but it was overwhelming for all of them. Jimin had never been like that with anyone else before and Hoseok wondered if his friend was simply trying to be the perfect hyeong or if there was another reason for his adoration for the maknae. On the other hand, Jimin liked to be perfect in whatever he did, so it probably was about being the perfect hyeong.
"But, Hobi-hyeong," Jimin exclaimed, not understanding why his hyeong used such a scolding tone on him, "I'm just stating the facts."
"You're exaggerating the facts, Jimin," Tae huffed, still angry for being yet again ignored. Just like that, he was ignored once more. It seemed like his best friend hadn't even registered him saying something. He could be air by now. He could disappear and Jimin wouldn't even recognize he was absent. So much about being besties and soulmates for life.
"Eat your lunch, Jiminie, the break is almost over," Hoseok tried once more, sparing a glance at the maknae who was looking back at him gratefully.
"Hyeong," Jimin whined, head whipping around to face Jungkook who looked startled for a moment before the younger was grabbed by the cheeks and dragged over Jimin's lap, so the elder could explain himself and his actions by showing off the maknae's cuteness, pulling the younger boy directly into Hoseok's face, "Look at him! He's so cute! I can't possibly stop!"
"Well, you heard him, maknae, stop being cute for the sake of all of us," Tae commented, hoping to get at least some attention from his best friend but yet again he was ignored. He knew, the exact same thing would happen on Saturday. He should simply stay at home as he had obviously been replaced by someone younger. He slightly regretted that he had allowed Jimin to join their Saturday gaming marathons. After all, Jimin sucked at gaming. Always had done and still did. Not one of the at least hundred times Jungkook had explained Jimin by now how to correctly hold the controller had helped Jimin to get better and Taehyung was pretty sure that no further attempts would change the one truest fact. Jimin sucked at video games.
"You can, you will, now eat," Hoseok growled, looking across the table for some support from Namjoon before being reminded by the empty chair that his friend was skipping lunch to prepare Jin for an English exam at the library. On second thought, Hoseok wasn't good in English either. "You know what? He is cute. Eat him up if you want to. I'm at the library."
With that Hoseok trotted away, leaving a surprised Jungkook behind. The younger had lost his only hope. Taehyung was the next one to stand up in a huff.
"If anyone minds, I'm following hyeong," Tae said, accidentally ignored by his best friend but not by Jungkook who pleaded him with his doe eyes to stay and help the youngest out of his misery. Taehyung saw it but he didn't care. He was angry at the maknae too, for being so damn cute. It wasn't like Jimin had made that up but Taehyung was sure that he was at least as cute as the maknae. So, he simply stomped off, leaving Jimin and Jungkook alone with Yoongi, who was still trying to ignore his dongsaengs but it got harder as the maknae's current position didn't seem comfortable. Not at all.
"Hyeong," Jungkook winced, pain shooting up his spine when Jimin pulled him closer, the younger's cheeks still in the firm grip of his hyeong. The words that would free him were on the tip of his tongue, ready to say them loud enough for Jimin to understand. As soon as he met Jimin's eyes though, the words were gone. Melted like snow in spring. It was the second day of February after all.
"Yes, Kookie?" Jimin looked at him with wide eyes, growing bigger by the second and filled to the brim with concern. Of course, his hyeong recognized that he was in pain. Jimin always recognized when Jungkook was struggling with something. "What's causing you pain, Jungkookie?"
You. The word was on the tip of his tongue but suddenly Jungkook forgot that his cheeks hurt due to Jimin's firm grip, that his neck was in a highly uncomfortable position, head tilted in what seemed to be a 180 degree angle, and that it was Jimin causing all this discomfort because the elder strained Jungkook's every muscle to make their eyes lock. Jungkook forgot of all of this because Jimin looked all angelic and adorable with his big concerned eyes and pouty lips and squishy cheeks that Jungkook would like to pinch, not sure which one first. Right or left cheek? He couldn't decide, couldn't think because Jimin was angelic and adorable. Right in front of his eyes.
"What is it, Kookie?"
"Never mind, hyeong."
"No," Jimin shook his head, gripping the younger's cheeks tighter, making Jungkook wince in pain when he pulled the younger's face closer and his neck was about to crack at the force, "No, tell me. Hyeong can make it better."
Yoongi had seen enough now, "You're breaking his neck, Jimin-ah."
"I'm what–," Jimin stopped himself as he looked at Jungkook, finally feeling the force in his own fingers that were pinching the maknae's cheeks far too hard. When he recognized the position of the younger's neck and upper body, halfway dragged over Jimin's lap, knuckles white where they gripped at the table to prevent the maknae from collapsing into Jimin's lap, and neck bent in a straining angle, Jimin finally let go of the younger.
The sudden loss of force caused Jungkook to fall forward, landing in Jimin's lap, after all, cheek resting on his hyeong's thigh. He groaned when another shock of pain shot up his spine, hitting his neck that felt like it was dislocated. Before he could straighten his back and crack his neck like he wanted to, cold fingertips settled onto his nape and started to sooth the pain in a slow pace. Jungkook relaxed under the touch immediately, humming as the pain slowly faded.
"I'm sorry, Jungkook-ah," Jimin said, fingers dancing over the younger's back by now, trying to mend what he had broken earlier. Jungkook hummed, a sound of content but Jimin still felt so sorry. "I'm really sorry, Jungkook."
Jungkook frowned upon hearing that. After knowing Jimin for four months now, he had memorized each way the elder liked to call him and the latter hadn't occurred yet.
Jimin preferred Kookie. Jungkook had tried his hardest and was still trying his hardest to act like he disliked the nickname when, in fact, he didn't. The elder always called him that way when Jimin was in his brightest mood. It was adorable to see how his hyeong's eyes would light up upon using the nickname, giggling at Jungkook who played his role of the ungrateful dongsaeng like he was born to do so. In fact, he was grateful for the nickname, for Jimin himself. His hyeong gave him so much attention, showered him with affection and compliments, that Jimin had managed to get him out of his shell. At least to an amount and only in front of the elder, who secretly was his favorite hyeong. With Jimin he could talk for hours, listen to his (angelic) voice for even longer. He felt comfortable with Jimin, although he tried to act as if all the attention bothered him. He even liked it when Jimin called him cute, although he still got embarrassed and had to blush.
Jimin would call him Jungkookie on a regular basis. The younger liked the way Jimin was singing his name instead of simply saying it. Jungkook had recognized that the elder liked to express how close they were already, much closer than Jungkook was with the rest of his friends, and calling him Jungkookie was stating just that as no one else was calling him that way. Unlike the others, Jimin was clingy and Jungkook was surprised that he liked it, even more, he found Jimin's behavior to be adorable and cute. In fact, Jimin was far cuter than Jungkook, in the younger's opinion at least, although the elder kept stating the opposite.
As much as Jimin liked to express how close he and Jungkook were, if the maknae did something wrong and needed to be scolded, Jimin would show him that by expressing a distance between them, doing so by calling him Jungkook-ah. Jimin would also call him that way when the elder himself had been in the wrongs for something and wanted to apologize, using the name once again to express how he himself deserved to be disciplined by maintaining a distance between them. Jungkook had figured that out after a month as Jimin would never stop teasing him until he was flushed from head to toe, embarrassed back to his earliest ancestors, but the elder had apologized whenever he had overstepped an invisible line, calling him Jungkook-ah and not looking the younger in the eye until Jungkook would accept the apology and brush the topic off by doing something ridiculous in an attempt to make Jimin smile.
But this time, Jimin had called him simply by his name. Simply Jungkook. The younger didn't know yet, what this meant but he had a suspicion as Jimin had sounded rather ashamed and was still doing his best to sooth the pain he had caused earlier.
"I didn't mean to hurt you," Jungkook heard him say once more, while the elder's fingers were still dancing over his back, soothing a pain that wasn't even there anymore, "I'm so, so sorry, Jungkook."
"It's okay, hyeong."
"No, it's not, Jungkook–"
"Hyeong!" Jungkook sat up straight and looked at Jimin, only to find the elder with his head hanging low, eyes cast downwards. His hyeong looked regretful, ashamed and heartbroken. Jungkook didn't know what to do, how to comfort Jimin as he had never needed to do so. He looked to his side to ask Yoongi for help. Only then he realized that the elder had left.
"I'm really, really sorry, Jungkook."
"It's okay, hyeong," Jungkook rushed to say but Jimin shook his head. The younger didn't understand why it was tormenting his hyeong that much. Yes, he had felt a little pain but the elder acted as if he had cut Jungkook's arm off. "It doesn't hurt anymore, don't feel sorry, hyeong."
"I am sorry, Jungkook." It hurt the younger how Jimin kept calling him this way, as if they were strangers, not using the nicknames both liked so much.
"Hyeong," Jungkook stressed, reaching his arm out hesitantly and putting a finger under the elder's chin, tilting his head up slowly until their eyes met. Jimin's were watery if not to say brimming with tears. The elder really felt sorry. A lot. "It's okay, hyeong, stop apologizing, it hasn't even hurt that much."
Jimin nodded and reached out for his school bag next. The elder left without a word but what was even worse, Jimin left without giving Jungkook his usual smile of goodbye. The worst though, the worst was that Jimin skipped lunch for the rest of the week and Jungkook felt awful during each of the three lunch breaks he had to sit next to an empty chair.
<><><>
On Friday around seven pm, Jungkook was in deep despair because of the mere impossibility of wrapping the blanket he had bought for Jimin. He wanted it to look nice and neat as he wanted to mend things with his hyeong as soon as the elder would set foot into the house tomorrow morning. Jungkook really hoped that Jimin would come to their usual gaming marathon. Just to make sure, he decided to text Jimin after he had finished wrapping the gift for the elder.
Maybe he should ask his mother to do it? After all, she had been wrapping gifts for years now and Jimin wouldn't be able to know if Jungkook had done it himself or not. Still, Jungkook wasn't used to giving up, or rather not being good at something, so he tried again. After a heavy amount of sticky tape — maybe one whole roll of sticky tape, maybe not — the wrapping paper finally stayed in place. And it would look nice if Jimin closed his eyes tomorrow. Maybe a bow on top?
"Jungkook-ah, honey," his mother called before she knocked at his opened door and entered the bedroom. Perfect timing. He had to persuade her to redo the wrapping for him.
"Eomma," he whined, ready to give her his best puppy eyes to get her into agreeing to his master plan, "Could you please help me wrapping the present for Jiminie-hyeong? I want it to look nice. Jiminie-hyeong's presents are always the prettiest and I want his present to look pretty too."
"Honey, you've got a visitor downstairs," she told him without further ado and Jungkook's puppy eyes turned into confusion at the very second the next words left her mouth, "It's Jiminie."
"Jiminie-hyeong is here?" She nodded and Jungkook was on his feet before she could tell him to go downstairs. As he rounded the corner and reached the stairs, he could already see his hyeong at the front door, still dressed in his jacket and scarf, and for sure still gloved hands hidden behind his back. Jungkook rushed down the stairs, nearly stumbling over the last one before he came to a halt in front of the elder whose eyes met his for a second before they darted towards the floor.
Before one of the boys could say something, Jungkook's mother came down the stairs, heading for the living room where she had been watching the news with her husband.
"I'm in the next room if you boys need something," she told them before leaving them alone again. Silence fell upon them. When Jungkook wanted to ask the elder why he had come by without saying anything, and after hiding for the greater part of this week, Jimin's hands rushed forward from behind his back, a wrapped gift between them.
"Hyeong?" Jungkook asked, surprised to see the (of course, prettily wrapped) gift but Jimin didn't say anything, just held out the gift. So, Jungkook took it from him, a confused thank you prepared on his lips but he wasn't able to voice it as Jimin turned on his heels and rushed out the door.
Jungkook frowned at the gift, then at the door and once more at the gift before he grabbed his jacket and rushed after his hyeong, catching up with him a few meters down the sidewalk, just as the elder stepped into the light beam of a streetlamp.
"Jiminie-hyeong," Jungkook called out and stopped the elder by his wrist, halting him and turning the elder to face him, "Why'd you run away so suddenly?"
Jimin faced the street, not looking Jungkook in the eye. It was stupid how the elder was acting and Jungkook had the slight feeling that it was still about the lunch incident a few days back.
"Hyeong, tell me why you've come over and ran away and gave me a gift," Jungkook asked, or rather demanded to know. Jimin hesitated before he finally said something.
"I've hurt you and I'm sorry, Jungkook."
"You have nothing to feel sorry about."
"I have."
"You haven't and now drop it," Jungkook growled, grabbing the elder's hand and dragging him back to the house. He didn't care if the wrapping looked (like shit) like it had been used ninety times already, he would give his gift to his hyeong. Now.
Jimin didn't try once to break free from the younger's firm grip and Jungkook made sure that his grip wasn't too firm. Unlike himself, Jimin looked a little fragile, especially his delicate wrists, and all their friends treated the dancer just like that. As if Jimin was a porcelain figure that could break easily. Jungkook didn't know why but he agreed to it. He would take good care of Jimin, just like the others did. He wouldn't allow himself to fail at taking care of his hyeong when he had already failed at wrapping the gift for the elder in the way Jimin deserved it to be wrapped. Pretty.
Because Jiminie-hyeong only deserves the best, his mind pointed out to him, (useless) mind totally foregoing the fact that Jungkook wouldn't ever be able to wrap Jimin's present in the prettiest way possible, which was the only way Jimin deserved it to be wrapped, as it was Jimin himself who was the only one capable to do so. He couldn't ask his hyeong to wrap a present that was for himself, right? No, he couldn't and should save the capacity of his brain cells for maths and the problem on hand (quite literally as he was still holding Jimin's hand), namely Jimin avoiding him for the past days. Jungkook had long decided that this had to stop. Right now.
Upon entering the house, they took off their shoes and Jungkook dragged Jimin up the stairs, calling out to his mother that they would be in his room. He closed the door behind them and let go of the elder's hand. Now empty hand occupying itself by scratching his neck, to prevent taking Jimin's hand again.
"Have a seat, hyeong," he told the elder and motioned to the bed, not able to look him in the eye for no obvious reason. Jimin's eyes were glued to his floor though, to the very spot where the mess of a present had been abandoned earlier, and Jungkook happily blamed the messy wrapping for the funny tingling in his fingertips, "Ignore the mess on the floor, please."
Jimin nodded and tore his eyes away from the wrapped gift, taking cautious steps to the bed and taking the offered seat on it. Though it looked like Jimin felt like an intruder, making himself as small as possible to not use up too much space.
"Hyeong," Jungkook said, trying his hardest to speak through the lump in his throat that had formed upon seeing how crestfallen Jimin looked and acted. Gone was the bright Jimin he had known until now. Jungkook stepped closer and held out the hand that wasn't holding onto the gift from his hyeong, "Give me your jacket, please."
"I'm not staying," Jimin stated, voice muffled as the words were spoken into the big scarf around the elder's neck and shoulders.
"You are," Jungkook decided, determined to not let his hyeong go before he was smiling again. So, he put the gift next to where the elder was sitting and got a hold of Jimin's left hand, pulling at the fingertips of his gloves. Jimin looked up at him in surprise and Jungkook had to fight back a wave of protectiveness that occurred upon seeing Jimin's wide dewy eyes, dark orbs filled with disbelief and small specks of hope swimming in them.
Jungkook gave him a small smile and took off the first glove, fumbling with the next, Jimin not once stopping him or averting his eyes from the younger. But Jungkook couldn't look him in the eye while unraveling the elder from his scarf. (If he had, he would've been able to see Jimin's already flushed cheeks turning an even brighter shade of crimson.) Only the jacket Jimin took off himself.
"Why the gift, hyeong?" Jungkook asked as he sat down at the floor in front of the elder, looking up to him and managing to catch his eyes that had been cast downwards to the floor again due to the question. Jimin looked so sad with his head hanging low, shoulders sagged, bangs dangling in front of his eyes. Sad but also angelic. Jimin had always looked like an angel in Jungkook's eyes. From the very first second. An angel with moony eyes and the prettiest smile, a smile that brightened not only the night of a day but rather the night within all of us. Jungkook shook the thought away before it could settle into his mind and concentrated back on the task at hand. How to draw said smile. He knew the steps to make Jimin smile by heart now. Step one: Be extra. Step two: Enjoy your giddy hyeong. "A gift for me, hyeong? Because I'm so cute?"
It didn't draw the smile from the elder Jungkook had secretly hoped for but Jimin at least tilted his gaze upwards, looking him in the eyes now. The elder's eyes squinted at the corners, barely visible to someone who hadn't been drawing said eye-smile for the past four months.
"Because I'm the cutest?" Jungkook asked cheekily and his hyeong nodded, eyes squinting a little more but yet no smile tugging at his full lips. "It's not true, you know," Jungkook said, locking eyes with the elder and taming his racing heart to be able to say the words although his anxiety made the task far more difficult, "Hyeong's the cutest."
This time, he got the smile. The corners of Jimin's mouth slowly tucked upwards into a shy and adorable smile, squishy cheeks tinted a rosy red and eyes disappearing into two beautiful crescents.
"So, hyeong deserves a gift too, right?" Jungkook announced, leaning towards the mess on the floor and pulling it closer. Out of all the ways Jungkook had imagined that Jimin would react to the mess of a gift, it surprised him when two arms circled around his neck and the elder collapsed onto the floor with him, hugging him close, all the air pressed out of Jungkook's lungs. Although they were close friends, much closer than they would have thought to be after only meeting four months ago, in those four months Jimin hadn't hugged him once. It was a surprise, it was a first and it was a little too much for the shy freshman. Jungkook didn't know what to do, his hands going limp next to his body while Jimin clung to him like he was life itself.
"Thank you, Jungkookie," Jimin whispered, tightening his grip for a short second but relieving the younger out of his arms afterward.
"You're w-welcome, hyeong," Jungkook stammered, blushing hard at how bright Jimin's smile was. He did that. Jungkook had been responsible for this smile. The younger scratched his neck, not knowing what else to do. He had made the elder happy and that fact tucked on his own pair of lips while he still stared at the elder's smile.
Jimin reached up to the bed where Jungkook had put the prettily wrapped gift Jimin had brought with him, giving it to the younger once more, this time with a cheeky smirk, "Because you're almost the cutest."
Jungkook blushed a little more, mumbling a thank you and opening the gift, the elder's eyes not missing a second of it. The present was wrapped so prettily that Jungkook almost feared tearing it open, so he pulled the wrapping paper away cautiously, not realizing that it made Jimin grow impatient and crazy. When the wrapping paper was finally shredded to pieces, Jungkook looked at the presumably black notebook, not sure what to do with it. He wasn't good with words after all.
"A sketchbook," Jimin explained, reaching out to it and opening the first page, reading aloud what Jimin himself had written into it yesterday, "For all your talent, Kookie. Never forget that hyeong admires you. You're my favorite friend, Jeon Jungkookie. Heart Jimin."
Jimin closed the book again and to Jungkook's surprise (and Jimin's own) he took the younger's hand, squeezing it lightly with his own smaller one. Jungkook looked at their joined hands, perfect gift and heartwarming words forgotten for a moment, heartbeat accelerating at the sight in front of his very own eyes, namely Jimin's small hand engulfed by his own. It fitted just perfectly.
"I'm sorry for being overwhelming most of the times and making it hard to bear me as your hyeong ever so often," Jimin explained, still squeezing Jungkook's hand, the younger, in fact, feeling overwhelmed but the feeling that Jimin would be unbearable never occurred once, "I'm going to try my hardest and turn it down."
"No!" Jungkook blurted out, the words an immediate reaction to Jimin's prediction of their future. The elder quirked an eyebrow, not understanding. "I don't mind that you're clingy, hyeong."
"You don't?"
"I like it," Jungkook assured, the prediction that Jimin would stop his behavior, change to someone less clingy, less affectionate … that wasn't something Jungkook wanted. Yes, he was overwhelmed sometimes but that just was his anxiety and he could bear it, would bear it willingly. This prediction, though, Jimin showing less affection, it resembled an unbearable future. The younger wouldn't tolerate it.
"You do?" Now Jimin was confused. That wasn't surprising though, as Jungkook always lamented about Jimin being too loud, too affectionate, too clingy. The younger said it because a part of him thought it was the right thing to do, to make sure no one else would try to copy Jimin as one clingy hyeong was overwhelming enough but it didn't mean that he wanted Jimin to change into someone less affectionate, less clingy and definitely less Jimin.
"Hyeong," Jungkook started, sitting upright as he knew he had to make something clear, "I don't like my cheeks being pinched, I don't like being called cute, I don't like being cooed at after blushing, I don't like being embarrassed and forced to blush because of it, and I don't like being hugged until my bones crush," Jungkook explained, oblivious to the fact how Jimin shrunk into himself at his words, smile fading with each word the younger stated with such a serious voice, Jimin fearing to hear the worst before Jungkook finally clarified, "by someone who isn't you."
When Jungkook looked at his hyeong, he caught sight of Jimin wiping at his eyes and blinking more unshed tears away. He waited a long minute for the elder to calm down as Jimin had formerly believed the younger would tell him to fuck off already. A thought that had tormented the elder for the past week. But Jungkook had done the very opposite and when the elder realized that, he lunged forwards once more and trapped his dongsaeng in another bone-crushing hug.
This time, Jungkook knew what to do. So, he placed his hands hesitantly at Jimin's back before getting more comfortable (or rather the hang of it) and draping his arms around the elder, squeezing him back, although not as tight.
"Thank you for the gift, hyeong," Jungkook whispered, voice low due to the missing air in his lungs as it had been pressed out of him by his hyeong. Jimin seemed to like hugging, although the younger had never seen him doing so with one of their friends. After all, it was the second hug of the elder Jungkook had ever witnessed. Surprisingly, both of them had been today and both times Jungkook had been the recipient of those bone-crushing hugs. But Jimin had to do that quite often as he was far too good at hugging people. As his hyeong's hug made a warm tingling blossom inside of Jungkook.
"You like it?" the elder asked, not releasing his dongsaeng out of his tight grip yet.
"It's perfect," Jungkook answered, his head delivering another thought that he pretended to ignore, although he clearly heard his inner voice say it. Just like you, Jiminie-hyeong.
"I'm glad you like it," Jimin said before untangling his arms from around Jungkook's neck, scooting away a whole twenty centimeters and grinning at Jungkook, probably not seeing anything but the back of his eyelids. Maybe Jimin really had a pretty eye-smile. (The prettiest.) "Hyeong wants to open your gift now, please."
"It's nothing special," Jungkook shrugged, reaching for the wrapped mess and handing it to his eager hyeong. Jimin was bouncing a little, overly excited by the thought of Jungkook preparing a gift for him.
"Did you pick it yourself?" Jimin asked, smiling even wider when the younger nodded as Jungkook really had picked it himself, not asking his mother for second thoughts, even paying it with his own money. "If it's from my Kookie, then I'm going to love it."
Jungkook blushed again, watching Jimin who smiled at the messy wrapping, giggling when Jungkook opened his mouth to explain but no explanation would stumble over his lips.
"It's just like you, Jungkookie," Jimin stated, admiring the mess of wrapping paper and sticky tape as if it was art, "a charming mess."
"Hyeong," Jungkook whined, getting embarrassed for being teased like that. He wasn't sure if he really should be called charming, if he could live up to that high standard but he was sure that he didn't want to be a mess. Although Jimin had called him a charming mess and maybe that sounded like a compliment to Jungkook's ears, a thought that made his anxious heartbeat accelerate worse. So, he couldn't help but fall back into his mannerism of feigning to be bothered by Jimin's words.
"Drop that act," Jimin cooed at him, hand reaching out and flicking Jungkook's nose that scrunched up in played discomfort, before Jimin flashed him a cheeky smile, "I know you like it."
Well, now Jimin knew that Jungkook really did like getting attention and affection from his hyeong. Being honest sucked at times. Jungkook should have never told his hyeong. How had he been able to give away such top-secret information without hesitation? Stupid.
After some more cooing and giggling, Jimin finally opened the gift and fell silent upon freeing the ethereal patterned blanket. Jungkook watched Jimin's eyes grow wide, stars lighting up and glistening in the dark orbs when he tucked at the two sleeves attached to the blanket.
"You always get cold in the living room and I thought a blanket would keep you warm," Jungkook explained, scratching his neck as he wasn't so sure of him anymore, grabbing at the sleeves at next to further explain his thoughts, the label of the blanket Cuddle Couture encouraging him to keep talking, "You can snuggle into it and won't even have to stop playing because of the sleeves, hyeong, so you don't have to stop whenever the fun part starts like you do now–"
"Jungkookie," Jimin stopped him, a shaky finger pressing against the younger's lips to stop his cute rambling. The elder made sure to have Jungkook's full attention, gazes locked as he assured, "I love it. Thank you. It's beautiful and well thought of and … and came from your heart, right?"
Jungkook nodded and Jimin's smile got even brighter. Then the elder did something very surprising. One second, Jimin was at an arm's length distance but the next, Jungkook could feel full lips on his cheek, leaving what felt a lot like a small kiss there. Then Jimin's soft lips were smiling against his skin.
Jimin giggled at Jungkook's flushed face after he had pulled back a little, stifling with laughter when seeing the younger's slack jaw, Jimin's body rumbling now, hand reaching for Jungkook's arm for support and head resting on the younger's shoulder. Slowly, the melodic laugh faded and Jimin surprised his dongsaeng again by saying, "Jungkookie, you're so cute."
For the record, it was the soft knock stopping Jungkook from saying something and not Jimin smelling like flowers. The boys turned to the door in Jungkook's back, his mother peeking inside and smiling at them, a phone next to her ear. "Jiminie? I've got your mother on the phone. We thought that maybe you'd want to stay overnight? As you would have come over tomorrow morning anyway, right?"
Jimin looked at the woman, not sure what to say. Yes, he would have come over tomorrow morning just like he usually did on Saturdays. Yes, he would like sleeping over instead of taking the bus home and back here the next morning. But it wasn't simply his decision, so he glanced at Jungkook who looked similar overwhelmed by the suggestion. It wasn't only the fact that Jimin had never stayed overnight before, it was that Jungkook never had had a friend staying overnight in his fifteen years of living. Not once.
"So, what do you say, Jiminie? You want to stay over?" Jungkook's mother asked again after the silence had stretched a few seconds too long. It wasn't Jimin who jumped up from the floor though, but rather Jungkook answering her while bouncing on the spot.
"Yes. Yes, yes, yes! Jiminie-hyeong wants to stay! Of course, he wants!" Jungkook screeched happily, forgetting a moment that he wasn't a five-year-old anymore. Jimin watched his friend bouncing on his feet, bunny teeth on wide display, clapping excitedly and bugging his mother with questions about popcorn, soda, marshmallows … whatever he seemed to come up with in this very second, not caring that his mother and Jimin were looking at him in surprise, not having seen that kind of excited outburst coming.
Jungkook's mother cleared her throat to startle her son out of his excitement and back into reality, "Jungkook-ah, honey, shouldn't you ask Jiminie if he wants to stay over first?"
The bouncing stopped and Jungkook blinked at his mother before he turned on his heel and literally dropped to the floor in front of Jimin, doe eyes wide and bottom lip pushed forward, giving his puppy-eye look to his best.
"Hyeong? You're gonna stay, right?" Jungkook didn't simply whine, he was kind of pleading his hyeong while enlarging his doe eyes even more, debating if he should try to make his bottom lip quiver a little. Turned out, he didn't need to make that effort as Jimin was blinking at him only once before his hyeong's beaming smile lit up the room while the elder cautiously nodded at Jungkook in silent but rather obvious agreement.
Jungkook's mother smiled at them, not wanting to startle their little moment, so she closed the door behind her and told Jimin's mother what she had been witnessing just seconds ago. The boys didn't even register that she had left, simply beamed at one another. To the surprise of both, it was Jungkook who broke the silence, although not breaking eye contact this time.
"You know," Jungkook started, sounding a little shy and embarrassed but still not stopping to tell his hyeong, "I never had any friend sleeping over at my house before."
"Yeah?" Jimin asked, feigning to not have figured that out already. No teen would've reacted like that to a simple sleepover. Not unless it was their first.
"Yeah."
"Then," Jimin mused, a mischievous smile curling his lips this time, while his gaze flickered to the pillow on the bed that was just in his arm's reach but, upon seeing the sparks of hope and excitement in Jungkook's doe eyes, he decided against his wicked plan, the corner of his eyes curling now and a fondness settling into Jimin's features as he stared at his dongsaeng, "Let's make this the best first sleepover party ever, yeah?"
"Yeah," Jungkook agreed with yet another excited nod, watching his hyeong grab a pen and paper from the desk and starting to write down a list of things every best sleepover party had to contain. They conspired on that matter for the next twenty minutes until the plan seemed settled.
Jimin looked at the paper though, trying to come up with something else before he remembered an essential, scribbling it down next. Jungkook followed the movement of the pen and he frowned at the words.
"What is The Notebook, hyeong?" the younger asked after a second of wondering and Jimin looked at him in bewilderment.
"You did not just ask that, right?" Jungkook's frown deepened as he tried to come up with an explanation to why Jimin was now writing prepare a box of tissues next to it. Before the younger could ask, Jimin smiled at him, "You gonna love it, I promise. Now, what's your favorite horror movie?"
<><><>
Three hours later, after they had waited over two steaming cups of hot chocolate for their pizza to be delivered, chatting with Jungkook's parents a little who had surprised the two boys by announcing to spend the night out and leaving shortly after paying the delivery boy, eating said pizza and finally moving into the living room with a bowl of popcorn, a box of tissues Jimin had insisted on, and the beautiful blanket Jungkook had gifted his hyeong earlier with, the younger found himself frowning at the TV and doing his best to catch up with the subtitles of a movie while Jimin was sniffling next to him, curled up into Jungkook's side, head resting on the younger's shoulder and one hand in the blanket's right sleeve while said blanket was draped over both of them.
It turned out to Jungkook's dismay that The Notebook was a romantic drama. Or rather, the one romantic drama that made his hyeong's eyes tear up as the sniffling boy next to him had used at least half of the tissues contained by the box and still insisted on finishing the movie, to which, by the way, Jimin knew most of the subtitles by heart as he for sure wouldn't be able to read them with his hazy eyes, making it damn hard for Jungkook to concentrate on the movie and the too fast switching subtitles, while he himself felt a few tears in his eyes after the end credits finally rolled over the screen. Finally, after 124 very long minutes.
"It's so sad, right?" Jimin asked as he started to shift and Jungkook was barely able to blink away any unshed tears before his hyeong was looking at him. Jungkook was a little mesmerized as he saw the elder's puffy cheeks and the few tears that still stuck to his long lashes. One of Jimin's hands, the one that was in one of the blanket's sleeves, reached up to his face, fingers curling around the sleeve's fabric as that one, too, was too long for Jimin's arm, wiping the single tear away that had managed to slip out of Jungkook's eyes completely unnoticed by the younger boy. Jimin smiled at him beautifully, "Softie."
"Hyeong," Jungkook wailed as he felt the blush creep up his neck. Jimin giggled next to him, giggles growing into laughter at the younger's scowl and feverish blush, the elder's hand falling onto Jungkook's chest as Jimin curled into the younger's side even more, looking for some support while waves of laughter rumbled through his petite body.
Jungkook didn't mind the physical contact. If anything, he tried damn hard to not recognize the warm tingling in his chest, right beneath the spot where Jimin's small hand was placed, fisting his white tee and crinkling the cloth. As the laughter died down, Jimin's hand let go of the fabric but started rubbing the spot as if smoothing out the wrinkles he had caused seconds before.
"Hyeong?" Jungkook spoke up after a while, or rather after five minutes in which he had tried to say something but his racing heart had tightened his throat.
"Hmm," Jimin hummed, hand by now drawing circles on Jungkook's chest. Circles that felt a lot like little hearts if someone would ask Jungkook but he tried to not recognize those hearty circles. Why would his hyeong draw little hearts above his heartbeat? No reason. No explanation. So, no thought needed to be wasted on the matter.
"How about some horror now?" Jungkook managed to ask after another minute. His hyeong didn't answer, simply nodded and finally retrieved his hand from where it was drawing little circles (hearts) on top of Jungkook's racing heartbeat.
So, the younger switched the movie and chose to keep some distance (a mere meter) between himself and his hyeong as he sat back on the couch. Barely fifteen minutes into the movie, Jimin snuggled deeper into the blanket and Jungkook thought, maybe the older boy was cold. Ten minutes after that, Jimin was hiding half his eyes behind the blanket, knees by now close to his body as he was halfway hugging them while still trying to look and not look at the paranormal murderer chasing his next unknowing victim. When the first jump-scare appeared though, Jimin literally jumped in his seat before he scooted over to Jungkook, curling into his side again but this time the elder's body was tense (as was Jungkook's but probably not because of the horror movie he had seen at least ten times by now).
"Hyeong?" Jungkook whispered while yet another pretty victim was unknowingly walking into their already dug grave. The elder wasn't looking at him, eyes wide and fixed on the TV, blanket ready to come up and hide whatever horrendous incident might happen next. Jungkook smiled when Jimin tucked the blanket closer to his eyes as the background music grew heavier and the victim walked right into the very spot to avoid, just like the others beforehand. The music sped up to its climax and Jungkook smiled at how cutely Jimin buried his head into the blanket, muffling words that sounded a lot like why did she go there, we all knew that would happen. "Are you scared, hyeong?"
"No," Jimin denied, voice still muffled by the blanket, a heartbeat later he spoke up once more, "Is it over yet?"
"Yes," Jungkook chuckled, watching how Jimin's face appeared again, eyes wandering to the screen and a shriek escaping his hyeong's throat as he witnessed yet another murderous jump-scare. Jimin's head dove back into the blanket, a little embarrassed for shrieking in front of his dongsaeng but more scared for witnessing yet another bloody murder.
"Brat," Jimin's muffled voice came out of the blanket, the scolding barely reaching the younger's ears. But what did reach Jungkook and startled him a little was the elder's arm that slowly slung around his own while the elder leaned into his side. Jimin ended up curled into Jungkook's side for the rest of the movie, clinging onto Jungkook's arm and hiding his face in the younger's shoulder, whispering a low is it over yet every two or three minutes.
"It's over now," Jungkook said after the end credits had all rolled down. Jimin was still a blanket ball, clinging onto the younger with both hands by now, one holding onto Jungkook's forearm and the other holding his hand. The latter Jungkook only ever realized when Jimin gave their joined hands a soft squeeze.
"You're not fooling me again, right?"
"I'm not."
"Really?"
"I'm really not, hyeong," Jungkook answered truthfully, squeezing the elder's hand in reassurance. Jimin didn't move though, face still buried into the younger's shoulder as if he intended to stay there forever.
"Should I trust you?" Jimin asked after a while, sounding unsure but with a playfulness to his tone. Jungkook couldn't help his smile when he felt Jimin's head tilt and barely moving, Jimin's squishy cheek pressing against the younger's forearm as the elder directed his still closed eyes to the TV.
"It really is over," Jungkook said again, reaching for the remote and switching off the TV. The room was dark now, only a barely-there illumination coming from the window. A lonely street lamp that was trying its hardest to beam bright enough for the two boys to see at least the outlines of this night. But Jimin's eyes were closed anyway and Jungkook's slowly grew accustomed to the darkness. Still, he couldn't see much more than the soft strands of dark hair that were grazing against his skin when Jimin propped his cheek on Jungkook's shoulder.
"You know," the elder said, voice low and rather suitable for the quiet of the house, "I don't really like horror movies."
"Why'd you suggest to watch one then?" Jungkook asked, of course, not sounding surprised that his hyeong hadn't been enjoying the movie. It had been obvious and still was by how Jimin clung to him as if Jungkook could keep him safe.
"Best sleepover party," Jimin mumbled, missing how the younger smiled at his remark. Jungkook squeezed their joined hands again.
It felt so much easier to communicate with his hyeong this way, squeezing his hand instead of mustering up the courage to voice his thoughts. A squeeze of their joined hands could assure the elder as good as if Jungkook would have said that this was indeed the best sleepover party ever. Jimin understood him easily.
"Not yet," the elder declared, tone innocently but an unseen mischievous smile tugging at his lips. One second, Jungkook was holding Jimin's hand but the next, the elder's hands roamed over his upper body, only needing seconds to find Jungkook's ticklish spots and starting to draw breathless laughs from the younger.
Jimin giggled as he pinned Jungkook into the couch, small hands drawing laugh after laugh from the younger who was trying to voice his defeat after only a few minutes.
"That's for scaring me with that movie," Jimin giggled, not stopping to attack the younger, pinching into his sides and making the boy laugh and squirm underneath him. At some point, Jimin felt more breathless from laughing at Jungkook's pathetic attempts to stop him than from dodging said pathetic attempts. He was laughing so hard that his body eventually collapsed onto Jungkook, staying there as both boys tried to catch their breaths while a few late laughs and giggles escaped their exhausted throats and bodies.
After a while, Jimin started humming, something the elder didn't even register until Jungkook asked him what the song was called.
"What song?"
"The one you're humming, hyeong."
"I'm not humming."
"Yes, you are," Jungkook insisted but the elder wouldn't have it, playfully scolding him for talking back like that by pinching into his side again. This time, Jimin had made a mistake though. "Hyeong?"
"Hmm," Jimin hummed, the same tune he had been humming for the past minutes still lingering in his voice. It sounded beautiful and Jungkook nearly regretted what he was about to do.
"You remember the movie?"
"Won't sleep because of it for the next two years," Jimin joked, oblivious to his dongsaeng's plan.
"You remember how the victims always went into the house although they knew people had been gone missing when doing so?" The younger's statement made Jimin frown but he didn't get the chance to catch up with Jungkook's thoughts as the boy suddenly attacked the elder's sides, making him laugh and squirm on top of Jungkook.
"Jung– Jung-k-k-kookie," Jimin stammered between giggles, trying to free himself from the younger's arms but Jungkook had him in a firm grip.
"Why did he do it, we all knew that would happen," Jungkook mocked the elder's tone, doing his best to impersonate his hyeong while not stopping to attack the elder's sides. Not until Jimin managed to let a pathetic plea of defeat stumble over his lips. Plush lips that collided with Jungkook's neck as the younger finally ended this tickle war. He felt Jimin's breath fan over his skin as the older boy tried to catch his breath. When he finally did, he surprised both by snuggling closer to Jungkook's neck.
"You're awful, Kookie," Jimin scolded him playfully, swatting the younger's chest with his small hand and soothing the never appeared pain by rubbing the spot tenderly afterward. Jungkook started blinking as he felt the touch, blinking until he heard and felt the softness of Jimin's breaths against his skin.
"Hyeong?" Jungkook whispered, only getting a muffled hum from the elder who was drowsy and already in front of the opened gates to the heaven of sleep. The younger debated if he should shake Jimin back into reality as they shouldn't sleep on the couch in the cool living room but he couldn't bring his heart to do so when the older boy started humming quietly in his half asleep state.
"Cold, Kookie," Jimin whined after some time, snuggling further into the younger's neck who was already trying his best at reaching the blanket that was lying at the floor next to them with the free hand that wasn't rubbing the elder's back in an attempt to warm him up (there obviously was no other good explanation for him having started to do so a few minutes prior). When he finally caught a slip of the soft fabric on the floor, he yanked it up and managed to drape it over the two of them, covering them from shoulders to toes.
"Better?" Jungkook asked, voice low as he didn't want to disturb Jimin who seemed to be already fast asleep.
"Hmm," the elder hummed, hand starting to draw circles (hearts) on top of Jungkook's blood pumping muscle again. After a while, Jimin started squirming in the younger's arms once more, stopping after entangling their legs and pressing his cold toes against Jungkook's calves. The younger froze at the touch of his hyeong's icy toes but the ice melted as soon as he heard the content sigh of the elder who snuggled closer once more.
It was cold in the living room, Jungkook figured after a while, although he himself felt rather warm (if not to say hot) as he was engulfed from head to toe in Jimin's body warmth. In a last attempt to comfort the elder, Jungkook slipped into the sleeves of the blanket and draped his arms over Jimin, one resting on his back to keep the blanket in position, while also returning to rub over the elder's back tenderly, and the other making sure Jimin's head wouldn't get cold by cradling the older boy's head with his arm. Another sigh left Jimin's lips, fanning over the younger's neck as Jungkook started brushing his fingers through the elder's soft hair, thinking to himself that the blanket's brand name couldn't be more accurate right now. Cuddle Couture it was. Indeed.