Archive of Our Own

If Jungkook was proud of one characteristic he possessed, it was his stubbornness. He didn’t just let things happen. And he certainly didn’t let things not happen. Once a challenge presented itself to him, there was no way in hell he was going to back down.

But it seemed, for all intents and purposes, that Jungkook was losing conviction.

Any sensible person would’ve given up after two, maybe three attempts. But not Jungkook. No, it took Jungkook five miserable failings to consider that this wasn’t a fight he could win. Even then, he decided he wasn’t done yet.

So, in the end, it took Jungkook six attempts to finally confess to Jimin.

──── 〔✿〕────

Failures: 0
Successes: 0
Total Attempts: 0

Weeks left: 8

“Congratulations!” Jimin screamed, catapulting himself out of the car and directly into Jungkook’s arms, nearly tripping over the edge of the driveway in his haste.

Laughing, Jungkook stumbled back a few steps as Jimin ran into him. Jungkook’s arms caught him around the middle, holding him up slightly as Jimin linked his arms behind his head.

“Be careful, you idiot,” Jungkook muttered into his ear, far too fond to be any sort of scolding.

Twirling out of his arms, Jimin started walking towards Jungkook’s house, throwing his smile over his shoulder. “Happy graduation!”

“Yeah, yeah, you too,” he muttered, scratching the back of his neck, fluffing his dark hair up from where it was stuck slightly with the humidity.

“I didn’t graduate yesterday,” Jimin scoffed. “Finishing my sophomore year isn’t anything like graduating high school, Kookie.”

Jungkook rolled his eyes and ushered Jimin into his house, shoving him through the threshold playfully. “We’re both going to university in august though. I think that counts.”

“No way. Starting and finishing university are two different things!”

Jungkook let out a breathy sigh. He didn’t want the fun atmosphere to turn dark or morose, but every time they talked about the future -- and the meager two months left together -- Jungkook wanted to throw himself into Jimin’s arms and never let go. “I still wish you weren’t leaving.”

“I wish you weren’t leaving,” Jiming whispered, matching his tone with a small smile.

Pulling the door closed behind him, Jungkook let out another sigh. He met Jimin’s eyes slowly, the air heavy between them.

“What am I gonna do without you?” the younger mumbled, reaching out tentatively.

Jimin grabbed Jungkook’s hand and held tightly, eyes almost pleading as he assured, “You’re not really gonna be without me.”

“Jimin, I --”

“Jimin!” Namjoon’s voice sliced through the atmosphere that had begun to blossom between the two boys, standing just inside the doorway. “I’m glad you made it!”

“Finally,” dragged out Hoseok, tone light and teasing.

And then Jimin’s warm gaze was turning over his shoulder and focusing on the other two. He dropped his hand. Jungkook tried not to let his lips pull into a frown.

But somewhere, in the back of his heart, Jungkook was glad for the distraction. Glad his words were stolen from ever making it past his teeth. His heart was thudding dangerously loud and the blood rushing back his ears was dizzying. It took a moment for him to catch his breath, swallow his relief, and blink back his nervousness.

“Why didn't you greet us like that, huh, Jungkook?” Hoseok asked, slinging his arm over Jungkook’s shoulder to usher him into the living room (where he’d left both Hoseok and Namjoon as soon as he’d seen Jimin’s car pull up outside his house). “Joonie and I both had to ring the doorbell.”

It was obvious that Hoseok was just playing around, jostling him slightly with his arm around his shoulder. But it still managed to put a blush on Jungkook’s cheeks.

His feelings for Jimin had been real and readily realized for almost six months now. When they had started to bloom, Jungkook had no idea. Probably forever. There wasn’t a time that Jungkook could remember where he didn’t know Jimin. Growing up on the same street and going to the same daycare brought them together before Jungkook knew to treasure his time with Jimin.

Now, the clock was ticking for both of them.

Jungkook had never been more relieved as when Jimin told him he was going to college in Busan for at least the first two years. Which, of course, meant he wouldn’t be leaving (like Hoseok and Namjoon did the year before Jimin) Jungkook to fend for himself during his last two years of high school.

So, when Jimin told him in January that he’d been accepted at a major dance school in Seoul, Jungkook had felt the air suck right out of his chest. At that point, he hadn’t yet been accepted to his school. It was the first time Jungkook had felt those three words leap on his tongue.

I love you.

Of course, since then, Jungkook had been swallowing down those words practically every time he looked at Jimin. Because, really, when was the best time to confess to your childhood best friend?

──── 〔✿〕────

Failures: 1
Successes: 0
Total Attempts: 1

Weeks left: 7

“Are you ready yet?” Jimin’s impatient voice cut through Jungkook’s bathroom door, and he could picture the way Jimin had his hands on his hips and his toe was tapping the ground.

Laughing slightly, Jungkook called out, “Almost!”

He couldn’t make out Jimin’s grumbled reply, but Jungkook just chuckled and slipped a folded piece of paper into the back pocket of his jeans.

When he opened the door, Jimin stumbled, falling off balance from where he’d been leaning against the door. Catching his shoulder against Jungkook’s chest, Jimin let out a noise of panic as they started falling, a mess of limbs together.

Jungkook took a few stuttering steps backwards as he wrapped his arms around Jimin, trying to keep him from pushing them both over.

“Oh my god, be careful!” Jungkook hissed, finally finding his footing and catching Jimin’s shoulders in his hands.

“Thank you!” Jimin let out, breathless. His hands were fisted in Jungkook’s t-shirt and his eyes were wide. “I really saw my life flash before my eyes.”

Jungkook let out a breath and shook his head, unable to keep the smile off his lips. “Don’t be so dramatic.”

“I’m never dramatic.”

“Sure, Park Jimin.”

“Don’t use that tone with me, Jeon Jungkook,” Jimin shot back hotly, uncurling his fingers and shoving Jungkook in the chest instead. His words were meant to be cutting, but his tone was too tinted with laughter to bring his point across.

Jungkook just took a step back and let Jimin turn around, all dramatic flare in his tense shoulders. His pink hair was fluffily messed up from almost falling, even as he tried to walk away with some semblance of dignity. “Whatever you say.”

The air dissipated between them as they clamored down the steps of Jungkook’s house, bags hanging off their shoulders. The excitement was palpable as Jungkook slid into the driver's seat of his car, tossing his smile to Jimin as he sat in the seat next to him.

“Ready?” Jimin asked, still impatient, but in a way they shared this time.

“Yep.”

And then they were off, pop music blasting on the radio and windows down to let in the wind. It was exhilarating in its own right, but their destination was what really brought the smiles to both of their faces.

“Do you think Yuta is going to come back this year? He was so funny last summer.”

“This’ll be his fourth year, right? I doubt he’d miss it,” Jungkook responded, voice raised over the music and the whipping of the wind.

Jimin hummed, catching the air on his fingers as he stuck his hand out the window. “Him and Mark were my favorite. God, I’m gonna miss Cabin 13.”

“I know.” Jungkook let out a sigh, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to meet Jimin’s gaze. “But Cabin 9 is gonna be fun too.”

“I hope so.”

~

“What?” Jimin and Jungkook breathed out at the same time (well, Jungkook yelled it while Jimin let it out on a gasp).

“Jeon Jungkook, Cabin 9. Park Jimin, Cabin 13.”

“No, no, there’s gotta be a mistake,” Jungkook tried, taking a few jumbled steps to stand beside the head camp counselor -- Kim Seokjin -- and peer at the clipboard in his hand.

Seokjin sighed, showing Jungkook the paper a bit begrudgingly, pointing at the spot where his name was written.

Jimin was gnawing on his lip when Jungkook looked up, eyes wide. “Can’t we switch it around? Jimin and I are always leaders together.”

“You both are excellent counselors. That’s why we needed to pair you with these other counselors,” the camp head explained. “Both of them are already here. You should go introduce yourself before all your campers arrive.”

“Are you sure?” Jimin asked, blinking with a pout on his lips.

Seokjin didn’t move an inch. “I’m sure. See you both at the introductory dinner tonight.” And with that, he turned around and walked away, clipboard falling to his side.

“Jimin.” Jungkook reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing tightly.

“We’ll be fine,” Jimin announced. If it was to assure himself or Jungkook, he didn’t know. “It’s not like we won’t see each other, right?”

Jungkook forced a smile, for his sake. “Right.”

“Okay.” Jimin let out a breath through his nose, steeling himself. But his voice was soft and his smile was kind. “I’ll see you then. Good luck.”

“Yeah, you too.”

Then Jimin was letting go of his hand and walking away, following a familiar path to Cabin 13. The paper in Jungkook’s back pocket burned as he turned away from Jimin, heartstrings aching to run after him.

But when he finally made it to Cabin 9, thoughts of Jimin flew out of his head.

Because, of course, sitting in a chair on the porch of the cabin was none other than Min Yoongi. His mint green hair was messy and straight, looking sort of fluffy in the humidity of the forest that surrounded them. His eyes were trained down at the phone in his hand.

“Min Yoongi.”

It was then that he looked up, blinking. “Oh. Are you the other counselor?”

Jungkook wanted to scoff. He seemed not to recognize him. That was fine, Jungkook tried to reason. It wasn’t like they’d been working at the same summer camp for four years or anything.

“Yeah. Got reassigned.”

“Nice to meet you,” Yoongi drawled, turning his eyes back to his phone.

“Nice to --” Jungkook started, voice huffy as his shoulders raised almost to meet his ears. “Are you serious?”

Yoongi seemed confused, meeting his gaze once more. “Have we met before? Uh, sorry, I guess.”

“I’m Jeon Jungkook,” he stated, trying (and failing) to keep the irritation out of his voice. When he didn’t receive any sort of indication that his name rang a bell for Yoongi, Jungkook all but spit out, “We’ve been working here together for years.”

“We have?”

Jungkook’s eyes widened in rage as he stayed rooted in his spot, hating how he was standing at the bottom of the steps. But he couldn’t move. He was sure, if he did, that he’d punch that confused look right off Yoongi’s face. “Yes,” he ground out.

Yoongi let a small smile turn his lips as he scratched a hand through his hair, musing it up even more. “My bad.”

“Yeah, okay, whatever,” Jungkook muttered, finally tearing his eyes off Yoongi in exchange for the door to the cabin. It was closed. So were all the windows. Did Yoongi seriously not even try to air out the cabin? Jungkook was going to lose his mind.

He had to bite his tongue to keep from screaming when he saw not a single bed had been made. Did Yoongi learn nothing from being a counselor for years? Maybe he threw open the window behind Yoongi’s head a little harshly. And maybe he smiled when the other boy jumped at the noise.

“Sorry,” Jungkook bit out, not an ounce of remorse on his words. “Just thought I’d air out the cabin. Like we’re supposed to.”

“Oh. Thanks for doing that,” Yoongi replied, seemingly unbothered as he settled back into the chair and looked down at his phone once more.

Jungkook’s breathy sigh was loud enough that he was sure Yoongi could hear it. But, if he did, he didn’t make any sign of it. So Jungkook just rolled his eyes and went about opening the other windows, breathing in the dusty air from the winter season of disuse.

By the time he was breaking a sweat from hauling the blankets and pillows out of the back cabinet to toss them on the beds, he was fed up.

“Yoongi!” he called, huffy. “Can you help me make the beds?”

The other counselor only turned his head over his shoulder. “I always have the kids do it themselves. The twelve of them can do it a lot faster than the two of us.”

“Really?”

“Yeah? They’re like, what? 11? They can make their own bed,” Yoongi grumbled.

Jungkook had to remind himself to take a deep breath, letting it out through his nose. It was the first day of their four week stay at camp, he had to at least put in some effort not to make enemies with his co-counselor. Even if said co-counselor wasn’t willing to put in any effort at all.

“Fine,” Jungkook replied, his tone icier than he’d wanted it to be. “I’ll just do it myself. No worries.”

Yoongi didn’t even respond. Instead, he just shrugged his shoulders and looked back at his phone.

Jungkook made all the beds while muttering angrily to himself.

~

“Jimin!” Jungkook called out, voice thin from a certain someone wearing down his patience. But his smile was broad when he saw Jimin across the mess hall.

Waving back at him, Jimin said something to the boy beside him, tugging him close to whisper in his ear. The other counselor -- Jungkook assumed -- had long, dark hair that curled almost into his eyes. His smile was boxy as he nodded and patted Jimin on the shoulder.

Jungkook hardly had the time to identify the twinge of discomfort in his chest before Jimin was barreling into him. “I miss you already, Kookie!” Jimin cried, nuzzling his face into Jungkook’s collarbone and crushing him tight in his arms.

It took a moment for Jungkook to respond, shocked and stumbling backwards slightly (while ignoring the snickers from both Yoongi and his campers). “I miss you too,” he whispered once he’d collected himself enough. He took in a deep breath of that familiar vanilla scent, letting himself melt more into his arms.

“How are you doing? Is your cabin okay?” Jimin pulled away and sent a glance to Yoongi and his campers climbing over the bench to sit at their table.

“Do you wanna meet by the lake tonight? At midnight?” Jungkook asked, breathlessly quiet. He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous. The two had snuck out plenty of times to chat and walk to the lake during the nighttime. But for some reason, this time, it seemed so scandalous to ask.

Jimin’s smile was sly. “Of course. I’ll see you then.”

“See you!”

And then he was sitting down at the far end of the table, across from Yoongi. Their table had a big number 9 on the center of it and was the perfect fit for the 12 campers and 2 counselors. Each table was alight with excitement as the hungry kids waited eagerly for dinner to start.

“Did you get separated from your boyfriend?” Yoongi’s question was quiet, as if he didn’t want the kids to hear. He didn’t even make eye contact with Jungkook.

“My boy -- what?” Jungkook sputtered out, blinking.

Yoongi raised an eyebrow, finally catching his gaze. “Was that not your boyfriend? The one with the pink hair?”

“Jimin?” Jungkook breathed, eyes far too wide and voice far too affected to hide his emotions. “No, no, no. No. Jimin’s not -- he’s just -- no.”

It took a moment of Jungkook staring at Yoongi before he turned away sharply, a hand coming to cover his mouth and stifle his snort. It didn’t take long at all after that to have Yoongi laughing with the whole of his body, shoulders shaking and head thrown back and eyes squeezed shut.

“That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard,” Yoongi told him, a smile still bright as he calmed himself down.

Jungkook huffed. “I have no idea what you mean.”

“Sure, sure. Whatever you need to tell yourself,” Yoongi agreed easily, catching his tongue between his teeth teasingly. Then, before Jungkook could say anything else, Yoongi was turning to the kids. “Taeil? You’re at the foot of the table, so you have to go get the trays of food. Take someone else with you.”

And when four kids stood up, Jungkook cut in, “We only need two campers for the job! Don’t worry, you’ll all have your chance.”

Taeil laughed brightly and scurried off with Doyoung to get the food, other campers from different cabins lining up to enter the kitchen. The other kids at the table continued to talk to each other, some screeching, adding to the overall din of hectic conversation.

With a sigh, Jungkook ran a hand through his hair, arching his back slightly as he attempted to get a look at cabin 13’s table. It wasn’t like he was worried or anything. No, of course not. But thinking back on all the times he’d sat in the dark-haired counselor’s spot -- across from Jimin -- made his heart hurt.

“-kook. Jungkook!” Yoongi’s voice finally broke through Jungkook’s mess of thoughts. Starting slightly, Jungkook blinked a few times before he could focus on Yoongi.

The counselor rolled his eyes and pointed at the camper sitting right next to Jungkook, a small boy with mousy brown hair who was holding a bowl of rolls. “Oh. Oh, thanks, Johnny.”

Yoongi hid his snort behind the back of his hand as Jungkook tried furiously not to blush. It wasn’t like he’d been caught doing anything bad, but it made him embarrassed anyway. He bit into his bread too aggressively and earned another chuckle from Yoongi.

~

By the time they’d gotten all the campers to sleep, Jungkook was exhausted down to his bones. He could feel the ache in all his muscles, wrapping around his knees from all the squatting in front of the kids and tight in his shoulders from picking them up.

But when he finally got into the back room of the cabin, where there was a private bathroom and two bigger beds for both counselors, Jungkook felt a bolt of energy go through him. He was going to meet up with Jimin. The paper in his back pocket had felt heavy ever since dinner, and he wanted nothing more than to give it to Jimin, finally.

“What’s got you all bouncy?” Yoongi asked, padding out of the bathroom in pajamas.

“Nothing.” Jungkook answered too quickly, too sharply.

Yoongi raised an eyebrow. “It’s got nothing to do with your boyfriend from cabin 13?”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Jungkook muttered, voice petulant, almost childish.

“Sure. Because just friends decide to meet up in the middle of the night,” Yoongi snorted, throwing himself down onto his bed, arms and legs spread. “Keep lying to yourself, kid.”

Jungkook had to take a deep breath to prevent himself from snapping at Yoongi. So, he hid himself in the bathroom without replying -- a dead giveaway that there was at least some truth in his statement. Not that Jungkook was going to give Yoongi the satisfaction of knowing that.

So, instead, he rested his hands heavily on the sink and let his head drop, dark hair falling into his eyes. Forcing himself to look up, he met his own eyes in the mirror. “Don’t be a baby,” he whispered to himself. “You can do this.”

Letting out a breathy sigh, he fished the paper out of his back pocket and slowly unfolded it. It was a bit hard to read in the dim yellow light of the bathroom, his handwriting messy and cramped.

Jimin,

you made me realize recently that i’ve waited too long to tell you this. i’ve spent so long trying to find the right moment. but i can’t wait anymore. i have to tell you, and there’s never going to be the ‘right moment.’

i like you. a lot.

it’s okay if you don’t like me back, but i had to tell you.

Jungkook

Nervousness was an animal in the pit of Jungkook’s stomach as he crumpled the edges slightly in his tight hold. Maybe it wasn’t a very eloquent letter or written with pretty words, but he couldn’t find anything to compare Jimin to that wouldn’t sound like an understatement.

The sun setting over the lake and sending rays of warmth and trails of color out across the sky had nothing on the way Jimin smiles. The whistling of the wind on a hot summer day, bringing the sweetest reprieve during the oppressive heat paled in comparison to Jimin’s laugh. The stars spread out all across the dark expanse of the night sky like shimmering pieces of gold were dull when put up against the number of sparkles in Jimin’s eyes.

But it wasn’t like Jungkook had those words anyway. So he just shook his head slightly at himself and read through the note once more, finding strength in the simplicity of his heart. Folding the paper, he shoved it back into his pocket, feeling it burn with anticipation.

He was going to give the note to Jimin. He was finally going to tell him how he felt after months of biting down the words.

So he fixed up his hair in the mirror and smoothed his sweaty palms down his counselor t-shirt.

“Have fun on your date,” Yoongi called, making Jungkook’s flush and close the door to their shared bedroom harsher than he’d wanted to.

But stepping out into the early summer breeze reminded Jungkook to take a deep breath. He tried to rationalize that everything was going to be okay, although his heart was beating hard and fast. It was a worry that Jimin would say no, that he didn’t have an interest in Jungkook that way. And then what would he do?

Everything would be different after that. Would Jimin even be able to look at Jungkook the same anymore? After learning that Jungkook couldn’t look at Jimin like a friend any longer.

But what if he said yes? What if Jimin smiled his gorgeous smile and told Jungkook he loved him too? Just imagining those words from off Jimin’s lips was enough to have Jungkook wrestling a smile from his face, blushing hard at nothing but an imagination.

The hope was enough to keep Jungkook walking forward, pushing towards Jimin.

By the time he made it to the lake, there was already a figure perched on the edge of the dock.

“Jimin?” Jungkook called out, tentative voice quieter than he would’ve liked. But the silhouette turned his head around and Jungkook saw Jimin’s smiling face. “Did I make you wait?”

Jimin’s laugh was light and echoed slightly over the moonlit lake. “Not at all!”

As Jungkook sat down next to Jimin, he let his feet dangle only a few inches above the water, the cool breeze blowing under the dock and making him shiver. The nervousness that he’d felt as he fled the cabin (and Yoongi’s teasing) came roaring back to him, his heart pounding. He was sure Jimin could hear it.

“I can’t believe they separated us,” Jimin complained, hunching over to rest his chin in his hand and peer at Jungkook with sad eyes.

“Me neither.”

At first Jungkook wasn’t sure if catching Jimin’s gaze was making his heart beat faster or slower. But he decided that trying to figure that out was going to give him a heart attack, so he set his eyes out over the water. Watching the way the lake moved gently in the wash of pale moonlight made him remember all the fond memories the two of them had made at this camp.

Just as Jungkook was going to say something of the sort, Jimin let out a relieved sigh. “At least my co-counselor is super nice and fun too.”

“Oh?” Jungkook managed out, almost choking on air.

“Yeah!” Jimin’s voice was light, a bright smile on his face. “His name is Taehyung and he’s my age. He’s never been a counselor before though, which sort of surprised me. He’s so good with the kids. But maybe that’s just because he acts like one himself!”

And as Jimin dissolved into laughter -- the kind that had him covering his mouth with his hand as he threw his head back -- Jungkook shoved his tongue into his cheek. As if that would help dissolve any of the tension clenching his fists.

“How’s Yoongi? I couldn’t believe you got paired with him.”

Jimin’s question threw Jungkook out of his swirl of jealousy and forced a fake smile on his face. He was sure it came out more like a grimace. “He’s like a rock, I swear.”

And this time, when Jimin laughed, Jungkook felt a small spark of pride light in his chest that it had been him to make Jimin laugh. Not some Taehyung guy.

“He hadn’t opened the door or any of the windows when I got there. He was just sitting on the porch!” Jungkook complained, throwing his hands to his side in an aggravated gesture. “He’s not that bad, just lazy as hell.”

“I’ve got the opposite problem with Tae --” the nickname made Jungkook grind his teeth, “-- he wants to do everything!”

Jungkook could only nod, trying to crack a smile as Jimin laughed again. He’d always loved the fact that it was so easy to make Jimin laugh, but in this moment, Jungkook was trying too hard to swallow down his jealousy to enjoy anything about the windchime of his giggle.

“But guess what? Yuta’s back again this year! And a few others, and they all remembered me,” Jimin told him, shoving Jungkook slightly. “And they asked about you!”

“They did?” Jungkook asked, voice soft as he thought about the campers he’d spent the last few summers with. Well, them and Jimin.

Nodding, Jimin looked at him, smiling warmly with the moonlight on his face and filtering through his pink hair. He looked like an angel. Glowing.

Swallowing drily, Jungkook took a deep breath, shifting slightly to grab the paper in his back pocket. “Jimin --”

“Who’s over there?!” a harsh voice shattered the quiet magic of the summer night by the lake. It was loud and demanding.

And scared Jimin right off the dock.

It was like Jungkook was watching in slow motion, the way Jimin latched both hands around Jungkook’s upper arm. He met Jungkook’s eyes with his own -- wide and fearful -- for only a moment before he slipped right off the edge of the dock.

Jungkook hardly had the time to gasp at how loud the splash was before he was following right behind, Jimin’s hands only looking for a stronger hold on Jungkook’s arm as he slipped under the dark surface of the water.

The cold water was a shock, scaring the breath out of Jungkook as he gasped. Jimin was still digging his fingers into Jungkook’s bicep, tugging him under the water as his feet failed to catch on the muddy rocks beneath him. Wrapping his fingers around Jimin’s wrists, Jungkook pulled his hands off him.

Jimin’s small hands were grasping at his t-shirt, but his movements were far too frantic.

“Jimin!” Jungkook hissed, trying to grab the boy up in his arms. “Just -- stop it -- stand up!”

And it took another moment of splashing water and flailing limbs before they were both standing, staring at each other. They were both panting, water dripping down their faces and blinking droplets off their eyelashes. The dock was almost directly above them, even with all the panic, they hadn’t really moved anywhere.

Somehow, with the adrenaline racing through him, Jungkook couldn’t help but think how pretty Jimin was, even with his pink hair stuck at odd angles across his forehead. Even with water beading down his face, shining in the pale moonlight. It must’ve been a trance the moon and the lake water was putting on Jungkook.

“Oh god, are you okay?” the harsh voice from earlier had turned high-pitched and frantic. There was a flashlight swinging wildly across the water as heavy footsteps ran down the dock.

But as Jimin sent his eyes upward, Jungkook rested a hand on his cheek, fingers just barely trembling. “Are you alright?” Jungkook’s voice was soft, but edged with real concern.

Jimin’s fingers were cold as he rested them on top of Jungkook’s.

“What are you two doing out here? Do you need help?” It was Seokjin, the head camp counselor. Of course they had to be caught by the guy in charge of everything. He already didn’t like them from the fit they’d put up just that morning about being switched cabins.

Jungkook pulled his hand off Jimin’s face and pushed his wet hair off his forehead in an awkward motion. “We’re okay,” he replied, shading his eyes against the flashlight as he tried to look up at Seokjin.

Crouching on the edge of the dock, Seokjin was wide-eyed and panicked. “You need to get out of the water, it’s not exactly a warm night, even for June.”

They stood there for a moment, the dock more than a head’s height above him. Jungkook probably could’ve heaved himself up, but by the time he was seriously considering doing just that, Jimin was already trudging through the water towards the shore.

So Jungkook hurried to catch up to him, his sandals sliding on the muddy rocks below him and sending him careening face-first into the water. Jimin’s hands were on his shoulders as soon as he found his footing again, blinking lake water out of his eyes.

“Be careful!” Jimin warned, fingers digging into his shoulders and shaking him slightly.

“I’m fine, I promise.”

Jimin didn’t seem convinced, but just waited to continue through the water by his side. It wasn’t easy, the water pulling against his shorts and forcing his t-shirt up, sticking against his skin. But they finally made it to the shore, both breathing heavy.

“You guys really aren’t allowed to be out here this late! Your campers could be getting into trouble without you!” Seokjin chided them, waving his flashlight around wildly.

“I’m sorry,” Jungkook managed out, coughing through his words. The bit of lake water he’d gotten up his nose was burning in his throat and at the corners of his eyes.

Jimin put a hand on his shoulder, looking concerned. “We’ll head back right away, sunbaenim.”

“I better not catch either of you out here again so late, alright?”

They both just nodded, wet and miserable, feeling childish being caught doing something some dumb. Jungkook let his shoulders drop as he looked at Jimin, annoyed at himself for even inviting Jimin out to sneak away from their campers.

Trudging back to their cabins, Jungkook winced with every squeak of his wet sandals. Seokjin only let them walk alone when he took the path down to the lower-numbered cabins, telling them to stay safe and head right on back.

“Well,” Jimin started, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

“That was an adventure,” Jungkook giggled out, surprisingly himself slightly with the light tone. Even though he was a little water-logged, he wasn’t going to let it get them down.

Jimin agreed easily with a laugh, dropping his head on Jungkook’s shoulder. “Goodnight, Kookie. Get some rest, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow at breakfast.”

“Yeah, you too! Night.”

And they parted ways, something achingly devastating. His heart was heavy in his chest.

The letter was destroyed. Even if Jungkook could manage to pull the paper out of his pocket without it ripping, the words would be impossible to read.

And, somehow, Jungkook was relieved. He’d been excited and nervous and dreadful and anticipatory all at once with the letter burning in his back pocket. His feelings were safe now, floating away on wet pencil smudges. There wasn’t a possibility of being rejected if he never confessed.

But that made him sigh all the same. Because it meant continuing on with the way things had been going since. And that included watching the way Taehyung looked at Jimin from across the dining hall. And the way Jimin gushed about Taehyung.

It wasn’t like he was jealous or anything.

Except that his skin prickled whenever he saw the dark-haired counselor hanging off Jimin or smiling that adorable boxy smile. Except that he clenched his jaw when Jimin would say what a wonderful job he did helping the campers at archery. Except that he balled his hands into fists whenever Taehyung would put a hand on Jimin’s shoulder and toss Jungkook a smirk.

So maybe he was jealous.

Or maybe he just wanted a better co-counselor than Yoongi.

──── 〔✿〕────

Failures: 2
Successes: 0
Total Attempts: 2

Weeks left: 6

Jungkook brushed a piece of hair behind his ear. The heat had gotten significantly more intense during the second week at camp and his bangs were sticking to his sweaty forehead. He and Yoongi were cutting through the woods to get to the pool and bugs were buzzing through the leaves.

Jungkook didn’t quite mind though, he found the presence of nature to be comforting, especially after having over a week to acclimate to the noises of animals in the underbrush and birds in the trees. He still wished it wasn’t quite so hot, though.

And, from the frown on Yoongi’s face, he was thinking the same thing.

“Hyung,” Jungkook started, earning him a sidelong glance from an already-annoyed Yoongi (even though it was barely 9 in the morning; or maybe it was because it was barely 9 in the morning). “I really thought the kids were doing rock climbing in the gym today.”

“Oh, they are,” Yoongi deadpanned, almost tripping on a tree root along the path. He scoffed as if he could yell at the tree for being in his way and Jungkook had to hold himself back from laughing.

But there was still an issue as to where exactly they were going. “Then why are we going to the pool?”

“We aren’t. You are.”

Jungkook furrowed his brow, slowing down slightly to fix his eyes on Yoongi. Hesitant to ask, Jungkook’s voice was tentative, “What’s going on?”

“You’re going to the pool and I’m taking the little fuckers to go rock climbing.”

“I told you to stop calling them that.”

“And I told you to stop second-guessing my judgements,” Yoongi snapped, turning his head to look back at the path. His green bangs stayed cemented on his forehead, sweat beading on his skin. “Keep walking.”

Jungkook sighed, following his hyung because, quite frankly, he didn’t have any idea what else to do. “I still don’t understand what’s happening.”

“You will.”

“You said that last time. About cleaning the shower,” Jungkook protested, still annoyed at himself for believing Yoongi in the first place.

Yoongi’s laugh only grated harsher against Jungkook’s skin. “Yeah,” Yoongi let out on a chuckle. “I just wanted you to clean the bathroom. This is different though. I mean, I guess.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’ll see.”

“Again, hyung, that’s really not very comforting.”

But Yoongi just shrugged in response, sighing slightly in relief when they got out of the trees and started trekking across the grass over the pool. It was easier than picking his way through the woods, but it also meant the sun was beating right down onto them.

Jungkook ran another hand through his hair, just for his bangs to flop limply back onto his forehead. There wasn’t much hope with a day as humid and hot as this one. But maybe he could hop in the pool when they got there -- not that he was really expecting this trip to be a usual one with how cryptic Yoongi was.

Besides, after his unexpected swim in the lake, he felt a little less inclined to jump in any time soon.

Soon enough, they were standing at the gate to the pool, the wide blue expanse sparkling in the morning sun. The sun, coincidentally, was also shining on a certain pink-haired boy.

“Alright, lover boy, go get him,” Yoongi whispered with a laugh, opening the gate and shoving Jungkook roughly through it.

“Hyung, what --”

“Jungkook?” Jimin’s voice cut through Jungkook’s protests to Yoongi. Turning around slowly, Jungkook smiled sheepishly, feeling exposed for the fact that he had no idea why he was at the pool to begin with.

Jungkook still smiled when he took a few steps toward him, looking at the way his pink hair looked so soft in the sunlight and how his eyes seemed like they were brimming with fondness. “Hi, Jimin?” Sounding confused still, Jungkook’s words came out more as a question than a greeting.

“Bye, boys!” Yoongi called out, already walking away. His hand was lifted in the air and his words were playful.

All Jungkook could do was blink. He knew that Yoongi would yell at him if Jungkook followed, but could he really stay at the pool while Yoongi took their campers climbing? That was hardly responsible. But also, Jimin was here, and there wasn’t a moment that passed where Jungkook wasn’t thinking of him.

And then Jimin’s voice was cutting into his indecision and dragging him back. “Jungkook, what are you doing here?”

“I --” Jungkook started, taking the last few steps to close the distance between them. “I really have no idea. Why are you here?”

“I -- well, I got caught so Seokjin said I had to clean the pool as payback.” Jimin told him, scratching the back of his head and avoiding Jungkook’s gaze.

And, needless to say, Jungkook was intrigued. Smirking, he poked a finger into Jimin’s chest, accenting the lilt to his voice as he asked, “What did you do?”

Jimin looked down briefly before meeting Jungkook’s eyes, his lip caught between his teeth. “I let Yuta make three crafts when everyone was only allowed to do one.”

Laughing, loud and unrestrained, Jungkook tossed his arms around Jimin’s shoulders, folding against him as he shook with laughter. From the tone of Jimin’s voice, he could’ve been confessing a murder. It was something so refreshing, laughing with Jimin.

It took him a moment to collect himself, but when he did, Jungkook didn’t unwrap his arms from around Jimin’s neck. Instead, he just pulled back and looked at him, a fond smile on Jungkook’s lips. “Yuta’s always been your favorite.”

“I know,” Jimin groaned, dropping his forehead onto Jungkook’s shoulder. “But he gave me the biggest puppy eyes, Kookie! I didn’t know what else to do!”

“So Seokjin is making you clean the pool?”

Jimin lifted his head with a pout. “Yeah. I have to check all the little filter trap things and then take out any leaves in the water with this stick thing and then he wants me to sweep all the surrounding cement and --”

“Hey, hey, calm down.” Jungkook shook Jimin’s shoulders lightly. “I’ll help you out. Don’t worry.”

“No, no. I couldn’t make you do that. Besides, I have to do it myself or Seokjin could get you in trouble and I can’t --”

“Woah, Jimin, really. It’s gonna be okay,” Jungkook assured, squeezing his shoulders gently. But Jimin wasn’t meeting his gaze and he was gnawing on his lip. It seemed like a lot of worry in the tension of his jaw and the way his fists were grabbing at Jungkook’s t-shirt to be over something like cleaning the pool. Tilting his head to the side, Jungkook asked quietly, “Is something else bothering you?”

Flicking his gaze up to meet Jungkook’s, Jimin’s eyes were wide and his response was quick. “No!”

And Jungkook didn’t even deem it with a reply. Instead, he just raised an eyebrow and kept his hands on Jimin’s shoulders, thumbs brushing over his collarbones.

“Maybe,” Jimin revealed in a tiny voice, pushing himself out of Jungkook’s arms to take a few steps towards the pool. Running his hand through his hair in a gesture that Jungkook had seen so many times -- a gesture to calm himself down or collect himself -- Jimin was obviously upset.

“Do you wanna tell me about it?” Jungkook asked softly.

When Jimin didn’t respond, Jungkook walked over to the edge of the pool, crouching down to start untying his shoes. Jimin blinked a few times at him but didn’t say anything.

Jungkook smiled when he dipped his feet into the pool and scooted closer to the edge to let them dangle up to his knees in the water. With a sigh, Jimin threw himself down next to him, slipping out of his shoes quietly. And then the two of them were sitting there, knee to knee, with their legs in the pool Jimin was meant to be cleaning. Against his better judgement, Jungkook grinned like a fool when Jimin rested his fingers atop his own.

“It’s Taehyung,” Jimin whispered.

Jungkook bristled immediately, a spike of annoyance and defensiveness going through him. It must have shown on his face -- a blind moment of irritation -- because Jimin was quick to keep going.

“Everything’s fine. He hasn’t done anything. It’s just --” Jimin sighed, breathy and almost sad. “It’s just that he makes me feel like a bad counselor.”

“Jimin --”

“He doesn’t do anything except be himself and he’s just so naturally fun and good with the kids and even though I’ve been doing this for four years everybody likes him better than me.” Jimin kicked his legs out in the water, letting the droplets roll down his calves before dropping them back in with a small splash. “Even Yuta.”

Smiling sadly, Jungkook rubbed his thumb over the back of Jimin’s hand. “So that’s why you let him do three crafts?”

Jimin dropped his head. “Yeah.”

“Well, I’m glad I don’t have to beat him up. Taehyung, I mean. I was really afraid he’d done something to hurt you.”

“No, no. He’d never. That’s the other part that makes me feel guilty. He’s so nice and friendly and I actually really like him a lot? Like he’s so kind and genuine too. I’m really glad we got paired together or else I don’t think I would’ve met him,” Jimin told him, voice small but warm.

And it made Jungkook unnecessarily angry. It made something prickle under his skin. Because that was supposed to be him. Jungkook was the one who was supposed to be co-counselor with Jimin and Jungkook was the one that Jimin was supposed to be thinking nice things about and Jungkook was the one that Jimin was supposed to want.

Instead, Jungkook was sitting next to him by the pool in a stolen moment. It was a moment among minutes he’d spent with him over the last two weeks. Mere minutes where he was used to spending every second by Jimin’s side. It was frustrating and made Jungkook all the more irritated when hearing about just how wonderful Taehyung and Taehyung this and Taehyung that.

Jimin sighed. “But it’s just infuriating to be trying so hard and yet they think he’s funnier than any of my best jokes.”

And Jungkook was a bit ashamed at the burn of satisfaction he felt at hearing that. The least he could do was lighten the mood, make Jimin feel better. So Jungkook smiled and bumped his shoulder against Jimin’s. “Did you tell the camel one?”

“Of course I told the camel one,” Jimin groaned, but he was smiling.

Jungkook bumped his leg against Jimin’s to get his attention. “You’re the best counselor I know.”

“Yeah, well you’ve got Min Yoongi as a co-counselor so I’d be a little offended if I wasn’t.”

“He’s not as bad as I thought at first,” Jungkook conceded, surprisingly himself a little bit with the growing want to defend his hyung. “Sure, he’s super lazy, but he’s nice and can be fun sometimes too. Plus, he brought me here, although I’m still not sure why.”

Nodding, Jimin smirked a little bit. “You know what Sana from Cabin 2 told me? That Min Yoongi and Kim Seokjin -- you know, the camp leader guy -- are like super close.”

“Super close?”

“Like, possibly secretly dating,” Jimin whispered, as if there was anyone around to hear them.

Jungkook snorted. “I didn’t think he was straight.”

“Apparently not,” Jimin laughed. “I wouldn’t expect that though, would you?”

“Kim Seokjin still scares me.”

“Me too. Especially after getting caught at the lake.”

And the two looked at each other, both with matching bashful expressions before bursting into laughter.

“That was so awful!”

“The worst!”

“You know, Jimin, I --” Jungkook started, emboldened by the happiness floating in his chest, filling him up as if he could never touch down again. “I really wanted to tell you something that night.”

Jimin tilted his head, giggles still falling off his lips as he looked at Jungkook. And all he could think was how pretty he was. How gorgeous he was with the sun bright overhead and eyes squinted into half moons and smile broad. How much Jungkook wanted to wrap him up in his arms and hold him tight.

“What did you wanna tell me?”

“Jimin, I --”

“Jimin!” a new voice rang out, bright and cutting right through the moment they were sharing.

Jungkook, startled almost out of his skin, nearly jumped right in the pool. His heels hit painfully against the wall in an attempt to distance himself from Jimin, as if that would help anything after his confession had been on his lips. Not that Jimin knew that.

But Jungkook almost broke his neck trying to turn around to see who the hell thought they could interrupt.

It was, of course, none other than Taehyung.

Jimin’s face lit up. Jungkook’s heart sank.

“Tae! Why are you here?” Jimin asked, voice light and pretty and excited. He immediately stood up, splashing a bit of water on Jungkook as he swung his legs out of the pool. Jimin didn’t notice. Preoccupied staring at Taehyung as he unlatched the gate to the pool, Jimin ran a hand through his hair again.

Jungkook swallowed drily, trying to press down the anger that flared over him every time he set eyes on Taehyung.

“I got Sana and Chaeyoung to watch our kids at the stables since they’re only riding six at a time with the horses they have tacked today!” Taehyung told Jimin excitedly. “So I came to help you!”

Jimin melted; Jungkook could see it from his spot at the edge of the pool.

“You didn’t have to do that!”

And when Jimin threw his arms around Taehyung’s neck, Jungkook had to turn away. He couldn’t help the jealousy that bubbled in his chest. He couldn’t push it down.

So, instead, he just swung his feet out of the pool and hurriedly shoved his socks back on. He hated the way they bunched over his wet skin, but he hated being around Jimin and Taehyung even more. So he just jammed his feet into his shoes and stalked over to the other boys.

“I have to get back my campers. Can’t leave them alone too long with just Yoongi,” Jungkook told them both with a forced and painful laugh.

Jimin smiled at him and it only made him a tiny bit less annoyed. “Thank you for coming to see me, Kookie!”

“Nice seeing you again,” Taehyung told him with the smallest upward turn of his lips.

Jungkook was pretty sure his smile turned into more of a grimace as he looked at Taehyung. He hardly managed a confirmatory noise before he was turning tail and marching away from the pool. Maybe it was rude, but he didn’t have half the mind to care much.

~

When he made it to the rock climbing wall, Jungkook was still attempting to calm himself down. Barely able to smile at the kids as some of them said hello, he gave Yoongi a thumbs up with a scowl.

Yoongi rolled his eyes and took a few steps to stand next to him. “I handed that opportunity right to you, lover boy.”

“I know.” He hung his head slightly. “Thanks, I mean, I guess,” Jungkook stumbled, voice awkward and quiet.

“And you still didn’t tell him.”

“Tell who what?” he squeaked, suddenly remembering who the hell he was talking to. He’d never confided in anyone that he had feelings for Jimin, much less his stubbornly lazy co-counselor.

Yoongi leveled his gaze as Jungkook, and even though the older was three inches shorter than him, he still wanted to cower slightly. “It’s so fucking obvious that you want to confess your feelings to Jimin. You’re terrible at hiding it.”

“Watch your language around the kids,” Jungkook attempted to snap back, but his voice lacked any sort of confidence.

“I can’t believe I gave you a perfect chance to talk to him and you still blew it.”

“If it wasn’t for Taehyung --” Jungkook started, too caught up in his emotions to watch who exactly he was talking to. He had no idea that Yoongi was seeing Seokjin, so who was he to know if he was friends with Taehyung or not?

But he’d already said too much, it seemed, as a smirk blossomed on Yoongi’s face. “Got competition?”

“No,” Jungkook ground out instantly, inadvertently confirming Yoongi’s suspicions about Jungkook’s end goal. His blush was quick and bright.

Yoongi clapped him on the shoulder as he yelled, “Jisung! If you wanna rock climb you have to keep your harness on.”

It helped to bring Jungkook back to the moment, to the rock climbing wall, to his campers. He shook his head a little bit, as if it would help clear his thoughts.

“Better luck next time, kid,” Yoongi told him with a chuckle.

Jungkook sighed but took comfort in his words. Next time.

──── 〔✿〕────

Failures: 3
Successes: 0
Total Attempts: 3

Weeks left: 5

Jungkook really wasn’t expecting Seokjin. He wasn’t expecting anyone, really, but especially not Seokjin. He was on his break, lounging on his bed, while Yoongi was sitting with the kids out front of the cabin learning how to tie knots.

Blinking, Jungkook sat up and put his book down. “Seokjin-ssi?”

He was breathing heavy, his hand clutching the doorframe with the sunlight streaming in over his shoulders. “Jimin’s in the infirmary and asking for you.”

And Jungkook was flying out of bed, his feet fitting awkwardly in his shoes as his throat tightened. Questions were jumping on his tongue, but he couldn’t get any of them out. Not while his mind was reeling with the worst possibilities. So instead of saying anything at all, Jungkook just ran out the door, shoelaces tucked haphazardly into his shoes.

But he didn’t have time to stumble over his sneakers. He had to get to Jimin.

So when Jungkook finally made it to the infirmary he was sweating and panting and nervous.

And Jimin was sitting up in a cot with a bandage around his head, pink hair sticking up in eight different directions around the white gauze. It was a good thing Jungkook was in the infirmary because he almost passed out on the spot.

Instead, he let his numb feet carry him over to Jimin, hands reaching out instinctively, as if he could make anything better by holding him. “Jimin --” he whispered, too afraid to even ask.

But then Jimin was smiling at him, wide and open, and Jungkook felt like he could breath once again. “Kookie! I’m fine, really. Stop looking like you’re gonna cry.”

“What happened?” He ignored the itch to assure Jimin that he wasn’t going to cry. Depending on what Jimin responded with could change his determination anyway. A thin blanket was covering Jimin’s legs -- maybe he was all bruised up or paralyzed or missing an entire foot? He’d probably cry if that was the case.

“I just fell off the rockwall. I really only sprained my ankle and hit my head,” Jimin explained, trying his best to sound comforting.

Jungkook gasped lightly. “Jimin, oh my god.”

“It doesn’t even hurt!”

“What number is this gonna be? Your sixth ankle sprain?”

Jimin pouted, looking far too cute. “Fifth,” he let out, at least having the dignity to look slightly abashed. “And only the second for my left ankle!”

“That doesn’t make it any better.”

“It does too!”

Shaking his head, Jungkook let out a small laugh and ran a hand through his hair (picking the sweaty strands off his forehead, more like). “Do they think you have a concussion?”

“They’re not sure. I didn’t even really hit it hard, but it was bleeding a little bit so --” Jimin let his words trail off, his eyes dropping from Jungkook’s. Watching the way Jimin was biting the inside of his cheek, Jungkook waited, nervous for what else he had to say.

“The medic is sending me home.”

And Jungkook felt his heart break.

Not just because he’d miss his best friend for the last week and a half at camp, but also because he could see the devastation on his face. Jimin was someone who poured the entirety of himself into whatever he was doing. And for this month, it was being the very best camp counselor he could (even if he was nervous about how good of a job he was doing). Jungkook knew he felt like he was letting his campers down.

So Jungkook just let out a small sigh and sat down on the edge of the bed. Grabbing Jimin’s hand, Jungkook rubbed a calming circle into his palm. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” Jimin bit off, his nonchalant attitude falling away.

“You’re not a bad counselor. Your campers are going to be just fine, even if they’re gonna miss you a whole lot,” Jungkook told him in a soft voice. “But you have to focus on yourself sometimes.”

Jimin melted slightly, bringing his eyes up to meet Jungkook’s. “Thanks for saying all that.”

Squeezing his hand, Jungkook tilted his head slightly with a smile. “I’m not just saying it. I mean it, Minie. You’re not letting your campers down.”

Letting out a huffed laugh, Jimin let his head fall back against the wall. “How do you always know just want to say?”

“I’ve known you for a little while. Maybe that’s it.”

“Oh, just a little while.”

“Not long at all,” Jungkook teased, sticking his tongue out slightly.

And then they were staring at each other. It was warm and soft between them, something surprisingly intimate. Jimin’s eyes were wide and swimming with something he couldn’t place. His lips were slightly parted as if his smile had slid off his face and left the remnants of wonder.

Jungkook felt like blushing even though they were only looking at one another.

For whatever reason, despite the bright lights and the bandage wrapped around Jimin’s head and the curtain pulled by one side of the bed, Jungkook felt like they were the only two in the world. Just him and the most important person in his life. Just them.

And, for whatever reason, Jungkook felt those familiar words on the tip of his tongue. “Jimin --” he started, soft and almost timid.

Then, the door to the infirmary burst open.

It was loud and clattering and made Jungkook whip his head around, all but slipping off the edge of the bed. His wide eyes settled on the figure in the doorway -- Taehyung.

Jungkook wanted to commit a crime. Or at least yell, scream, throw things. He wanted to throw a tantrum and steal all Jimin’s attention for himself. Taehyung had the absolute worst timing known to man. Not once, but twice, he had to interrupt Jungkook just before he was about to tell Jimin that he loved him? It made Jungkook blind with anger.

But then Jimin’s warm voice was curling around him and Jungkook remembered where he was.

“Thanks for packing up my stuff, Tae!”

Well, at least if Jimin was going home, neither him nor Taehyung would get to spend time with him. Not that Jungkook should be jealous over two and a half weeks when he had spent his whole life with Jimin. But he stood up and glared at Taehyung anyway.

“Yeah, no problem. I hope I grabbed everything.”

Jimin gave a noncommittal wave and a small smile. “I’m sure you did.”

“Uhm, by the way, someone named Namjoon called seven times on my walk from the cabin here,” Taehyung told Jimin sheepishly, handing him his phone.

Jungkook laughed with Jimin while he scrolled through his notification -- several texts from Hoseok and many from Namjoon along with 16 missed calls. “They’re coming to pick me up,” Jimin explained. “So you still have a car to drive home, Kookie.”

“Plus you can’t drive with a sprained ankle.”

“It’s my left, it would’ve been fine.”

“No,” both Jungkook and Taehyung shot back -- Taehyung sounded properly aghast while Jungkook just groaned.

They laughed while Jimin tried to wave away their concern. Jungkook had to bite down a feeling of companionship with Taehyung leveling a deadpan stare at Jimin’s attempts to claim he really could make it home alone if they’d let him. He’d rather let the jealousy fester than find any basis in Jimin’s interest in him.

So, Jungkook let every little thing get under his skin. Every time Taehyung chuckled -- deep and bright at the same time -- he clenched his jaw. Every time Taehyung pushed a strand of hair behind his ear, Jungkook balled his hands into fists. Every time Taehyung placed his hand on Jimin’s knee or shoulder, Jungkook could only hear the blood rushing through his ears.

It wasn’t fair. Having Jimin smile at Taehyung like that while Jungkook was sitting right there? It was tearing a hole straight through him.

With each text (sent about five minutes apart for the last half an hour) from Namjoon, Jungkook was getting increasingly more anticipatory to be out of Taehyung’s presence. But, consequently, that also meant time was crawling closer to when Jimin was leaving. And he really didn’t want Jimin to leave, especially with words still stuck in his throat.

But as the medic came over to help Jimin up and onto a pair of crutches, Jungkook felt time like sand slipping through his fingers. Namjoon and Hoseok were only minutes away. The medic was making sure the crutches were a good height for Jimin as he hobbled over to the door and Taehyung was throwing his bag over his shoulder to follow him out of the infirmary. Jungkook was standing by the bed, feeling helpless.

Rolling his eyes at himself, Jungkook hurried out the door, letting the warm air cradle his freezing heart.

“Jimin!” Namjoon all but screamed as he hardly let Hoseok park before he was scrambling out of the car. “Jimin, oh my god, I was trying to get Hoseok to speed the whole way but he kept saying ‘no, you don’t even have your license, you don’t understand, I’m not breaking the law for you,’ and all sorts of stuff but whatever, I guess, I mean, just, I’m sorry it took us so long to get here!”

Jimin laughed, taking a jump of a step forward on his crutches. “Joon-hyung, really, I’m fine.”

It was like a mob converging on poor Jimin as he stumbled, just slightly, on the crutches. Both Jungkook and Taehyung came at him from a few steps behind, while Namjoon flung himself in front of Jimin with both hands reaching towards his shoulder. Even Hoseok jumped forward to make sure Jimin wasn’t going to fall.

Blinking slowly, Jimin looked at the four boys around him and let out a sigh. “I promise I’m okay.”

“Woah, oh my gosh. Just be careful.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Watch where you’re going a little bit, okay?”

“I don’t believe you.”

The four of them let out various levels of complaint as they shuffled nervously around Jimin until he reached the car. Namjoon hurried to open the passenger side door.

But Jimin turned around first, settling his warm gaze on Taehyung. “Thanks, Tae. For everything these couple of weeks.”

“Nothing to thank me for, Jimin,” Taehyung reassured, taking the few steps between them to wrap his arms around Jimin’s neck.

Jungkook allowed the jealousy to stir inside him as they shared a few more words and promises of keeping in touch over the summer. Then Jimin turned to look at Jungkook and he positively melted under his gaze.

It was something like the first time Jungkook had seen Jimin. Really seen him.

Jimin, with a soft smile and crescent eyes giving away all the secrets to his happiness. Jimin, with his pink hair fluffy and haloing around his head with the gentle breeze, dappling the sunlight on his cheeks. Jimin, with his arms opening wide for a hug.

As Jungkook wrapped him up in his arms, he took in a breath, surrounding himself in the soft scent of vanilla. It was warm and safe in Jimin’s arms.

Jungkook didn’t want Jimin to leave.

As much as Jungkook had been missing Jimin over the last two and a half weeks, it was nothing compared to the loneliness already washing over him at the thought of Jimin being home and Jungkook being at camp. He was comforted by the fact that Jimin was nearby, even when they were on separate ends of the campgrounds. Without him there, Jungkook felt like a ship lost at sea.

Not for the first time (not by a longshot), Jungkook wished he’d already told Jimin he loved him. Because that’s all he wanted to say. “Bye, be safe, I love you.” But how could he justify saying those three words for the first time moments before Jimin was going to get in a car and leave him?

How could he justify saying those three words for the first time just weeks before they both left for college?

Shaking his head slightly, Jungkook struggled to keep his thoughts away from the sinking reality that time was passing faster each and every day, eating at the moments they had left together. “Bye, be safe,” Jungkook told him quietly, swallowing down the words that so ached to escape.

“I’ll see you soon, Kookie,” Jimin promised with a wide smile meant just for him. “Don’t have too much fun without me.”

“I don’t think I could.” Jungkook’s voice was a little too serious to be teasing. But they both knew he meant it anyway, despite the dip into sentimentality.

They smiled softly at each other, a silent promise of everything unsaid.

And then Hoseok and Namjoon were helping him into the car, taking the crutches and keeping floaty hands around him in case he decided to try and fall again. Jimin laughed, waving them off like overly-concerned parents.

That left Jungkook standing in front of the car, arms hanging limp at his side.

Namjoon closed the passenger side door while Hoseok put the crutches in the trunk, his eyes shifting to find Jungkook’s in a matter of moments. “I’ll see you in a week, right?” Namjoon mumbled as he closed the gap between them, wrapping his arms around Jungkook. They’d been preoccupied over Jimin so much that his friends had hardly even said hello.

“A week and a half.” Jungkook wasn’t sure if he could hear him, his head tucked as well under Namjoon’s chin as he could manage. It was always great to receive a hug from his hyung, the couple of inches making Jungkook feel small and safe.

“Take care of yourself, okay? I don’t wanna make this drive again to pick you up.” And even though Namjoon chuckled, he was still serious, his eyes full of concern.

Jungkook slipped out of Namjoon’s embrace and gave him a sincere smile, small yet bright. “I promise.”

Ruffling Jungkook’s hair, Namjoon wrinkled his nose with a grin of his own, looking positively adorable. Somehow, even though he was standing right in front of Jungkook, it made him miss him more already.

But he didn’t have any more time to wonder as Namjoon clapped Taehyung on the shoulder before turning around and sliding into the back of the car. Watching through the car windows, Jungkook saw Namjoon ruffle Jimin’s hair, a smile on both of their faces.

And then Hoseok was all but tackling Jungkook. “Don’t look so sad, Kookie! It’s only a little over a week!” he promised loudly, almost pitching them both over before Jungkook could get his feet under him.

“I know, I know, hyung,” Jungkook groaned, arms pinned to his sides with the way Hoseok was clinging on to him. “I’ll be home before you know it.”

“Good!” Hoseok smiled his heart-shaped smile, keeping his hands on Jungkook’s shoulders as he pulled out of the hug. “So no more looking sad like that, okay?”

Jungkook let out a laugh on a slight exhale. “Alright.”

“See you soon!” Hoseok called out after briefly pulling a confused Taehyung into a hug, smile still bright and cheery. “Be safe, kids!”

“We will,” Jungkook mumbled, his words nowhere near loud enough to reach any of the three boys in the car, their conversation now turned inward, pulling further away from him. The loneliness hit him as soon as Hoseok threw the car into reverse and pulled around in the small parking area, Jimin waving brightly out the window.

“God, I’m gonna miss him,” Taehyung mumbled while they watched the clouds of dust kicked up behind the retreating car.

And in an instant, the melancholy in his chest was ignited by the reminder of the boy standing next to him. His emotions lit up in a flame of anger. “You don’t get to miss him,” Jungkook growled out, unduly upset about the wrong thing.

Taehyung’s eyes went wide. “Look, Jungkook, I don’t know what I did, but --”

“You didn’t do anything, that’s the whole problem.”

With a small noise of confusion or maybe dissent, Taehyung turned to fully face Jungkook. “I have no idea what you mean.”

“You spent two and a half weeks with Jimin!” Jungkook burst out, sounding petty and jealous and angry. “You must’ve known how clumsy he is! Why’d you let him up on the rock wall in the first place?”

Taehyung blinked. “You think it’s my fault he’s hurt?”

“Yes! You have to watch Jimin every second of the day or he’ll end up dead by evening!”

“Okay, but he really has some strong puppy dog eyes. How am I supposed to say no to him?” Taehyung had softened, a smile on his lips, as if Jungkook hadn’t just blamed him for supposedly letting Jimin get hurt.

Jungkook just sighed, pinching his nose. “I guess. Yeah. Whatever.”

“C’mon, you’re still mad at me. About something else.”

“I’m not mad at you.”

“You sure act like it. I know you don’t like me but what does that have to do with Jimin?”

Setting his glare on Taehyung once again, Jungkook let his lips twist into a grimace as he grumbled, “It has everything to do with Jimin.”

“Oh. My bad,” Taehyung paused a moment, a light laugh bubbling off his lips. “Of course.”

“What does that mean?”

Tilting his head to the side, Taehyung smiled gently and placed a hand on his shoulder, much to Jungkook’s dislike. His eyes and tone were soft as he said, “I’m not interested in Jimin like that.”

“Like what?!” Jungkook choked out, blushing hard. He knocked Taehyung's hand off his shoulder.

Taehyung just laughed. “I’m pretty sure he likes you back. Jimin wouldn’t stop talking about you the whole time. I know more about you than I probably should.”

“Th-that’s -- don’t be ridiculous. He’d never like me . . . like that.”

“With the both of you leaving in a few weeks I think you’d better tell him soon, kiddo.”

“Don’t call me that.” Jungkook bit back, reactionary. But then Taehyung’s actual words sank in a moment later. “How do you know we’re both leaving?”

It didn’t escape Taehyung’s amusement that Jungkook hadn’t tried to deny his feelings this time around. “Jimin kept saying he was sad that you guys only had 4 weeks left together after you got back from camp. Like I said, Kookie, I think I know a lot more about you than I should.”

“Well -- that’s -- it’s just, I guess --” Jungkook sighed, stumbling through his words. “I don’t know how to say it.”

“That you like Jimin?”

Jungkook refused to answer and refused to meet his eyes.

“I think you know what to say, but you’re just scared.”

“Hey! I’m not scared,” Jungkook bit back. But his words lacked any sort of conviction, wavering and weak.

“If you weren’t scared you would’ve told him already.”

“I tried but someone interrupted us,” he growled, glaring as fiercely as he could manage.

Taehyung raised his eyebrows and pointed a finger at himself. “I did?”

Jungkook just continued to glare. “Twice.”

“Aw, I’m sorry! I had no idea. But just think of those as practice!” Taehyung clapped a hand on his shoulder again, like a sort of camaraderie. “I know you can do it, Kookie.”

“I know. I will.” Jungkook’s voice was low, quietly confident.

“I think you’ll get an answer you’re looking for.”

Jungkook didn’t think to let his hope grow just from Taehyung’s comment, but somehow his heart felt a little bit lighter anyway.

──── 〔✿〕────

Failures: 4
Successes: 0
Total Attempts: 4

Weeks left: 3

Jungkook’s only thought on the ride home from camp was of Jimin. He thought about driving right to his house, car still full of stuff from camping, dirt under his fingernails, a heart drawn in marker from Jisung on his left forearm. But he hadn’t had a proper shower in a couple days and he didn’t want to worry his parents.

Begrudgingly, Jungkook headed home, all wound up.

It had been a great end of camp, he even found himself exchanging numbers with Yoongi to keep in touch and rolled his eyes while promising Taehyung he’d let him know how the whole confession thing went. He was already missing the kids and the general boisterous atmosphere.

But he was also missing Jimin.

So he ran inside the house, dumping his bags in his bedroom and hardly managing to wrap his mom up in a hug before jumping in the shower. There’s always something so blissful about the first shower after camp; after having nothing but the grimey stall with weak pressure and lukewarm water. But Jungkook doesn’t allow himself to enjoy it for too long.

By the time he was dressed and toweling off his hair, Jungkook was nearly bouncing with the need to see Jimin. They had texted when Jungkook had moments throughout his busy days at camp, but it had mostly been Jimin reassuring him that everything was alright.

He wasn’t really inclined to believe Jimin until he could see that for himself. So, sooner rather than later, Jungkook was running out the door, barely explaining to his flustered mother why he was in such a hurry. When he was behind the wheel of his car, he forced himself to take a deep breath.

Texting Jimin to let him know he was on his way over, Jungkook put on his favorite radio station and tried not to speed.

But when he parked his car outside of Jimin’s apartment he felt a familiar pang of emotion wash over him. He’d half convinced himself on the ride home that he was going to confess today. Going to finally tell Jimin those three stupid words that had been on the tip of his tongue for months now.

And he was nervous.

Why wouldn’t he be? He was nervous the last 4 times he tried to tell Jimin he loved him, so what was different about this one? Realistically, it was starting to become a little ridiculous, the amount of times he’d attempted to confess and their subsequent interruptions.

Maybe he’d actually get to do it this time. Jimin lived alone in his small apartment, who would interrupt them this time when Taehyung was halfway across the country? There weren’t any lakes to fall in either (even though he hadn’t even tried to write another note after that failure).

There really wasn’t anything holding him back this time around, right?

So maybe that’s why he felt sick to his stomach. But then his phone buzzed in his lap, opening to see a text from Jimin asking why he was just sitting in his car. Letting his head fall back on the seat, Jungkook groaned.

Running a hand through his hair, Jungkook grabbed his bag (full of snacks) and tried to come up with a good excuse on the short walk up to the apartment building. By the time he was standing in front of Jimin’s door, digging the key he’d given Jungkook out of his pocket, he still hadn’t thought of anything.

So he just plastered a smile on his face and pushed into the apartment.

“Kookie?” Jimin asked, standing up from his chair by the window, pink hair fluffy and smile wide.

“Minie?” Jungkook parroted back, tilting his head to the side and taking a few steps forward before he stopped dead in his tracks. His tone was serious and slightly questioning, darkening the mood of the room.“Jimin.”

Blinking innocently, Jimin quickly dropped himself back into his chair. “Hmm?”

“You weren’t walking on that ankle, were you?”

“Nope. I have no idea where you would get that idea.”

“Jimin,” Jungkook groaned, dropping his back and quickly closing up the space between them. “I missed you,” he ended up saying softly (instead of any of the chastising words that came to mind).

As he leaned over to give Jimin a hug, just a bit awkwardly, with the older sitting down, Jungkook was all but dragged into his lap. Making a small noise of protest, Jungkook found himself with his knees thrown over the side of the overstuffed chair, arms hooked around Jimin’s neck.

And Jimin’s hands were linked around his midsection, hands hot on his hip. His face -- smiling brightly, eyes shimmering -- was so close to Jungkook’s. He could feel Jimin’s gentle exhales on his cheek. It made Jungkook want to blush in response, so he opted to bury his face into the crook of Jimin’s neck instead.

“I missed you too,” Jimin whispered, Jungkook could feel the way his words rumbled slightly in his chest.

And it was so warm, so loving, being caught up in Jimin’s arms like this. Taking in a deep breath of vanilla and the feeling of being home, Jungkook gave himself one more moment to soak in the bliss of it all. The bliss of Jimin.

“I’m crushing you.”

“No, you’re not. You haven’t eaten properly in a month, Kookie. Even besides that you weigh nothing!” Jimin protested, tightening his hold on the boy in his lap.

Jungkook rolled his eyes. “You’re hurt.”

“You’re not sitting on my ankle.”

“I don’t wanna hurt you.”

Jimin shook his head, ruffling his hair slightly against Jungkook’s, the pink strands fluffing up against his own. “Could never,” he mumbled, lips close to his ear.

Feeling a jolt of something run through him, Jungkook knew his cheeks were as bright as Jimin’s hair. His throat suddenly tightened and his hands maybe started sweating. “I brought snacks,” he said abruptly. “Have you been taking care of yourself?”

He could hear the smile in Jimin’s voice even as his tone was exasperated, “Yeah, yeah, just like I told you I was the eight million times you texted asking.”

Jungkook laughed, hoping the flush wasn’t obvious as he tucked a piece of his hair behind his ear -- it had grown quite a bit at camp and was still just slightly damp from his shower. Jimin’s fingers were hot against his skin as he brushed the errant strands from Jungkook’s forehead, following the action he’d just done himself.

If Jungkook had thought his blush was lessened, it certainly was flaring up again.

“About those snacks!” Jungkook announced suddenly, throwing himself over the side of the chair. Consequently, his hair fell right back across his forehead and into his eyes.

Giggling, Jimin shifted in the chair, the old thing creaking slightly. “What did you bring me?”

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Jungkook turned around and brought his bag over to the small coffee table between Jimin’s chair and the couch. He plopped down on the couch as he started rummaging through his bag. “I’ve got pepero, uh, some honey butter chips and crab chips, and orion chokopai!”

But when he looked back up, Jimin was pouting.

“What? Did you want ice cream or something? I can --”

“I wanna sit on the couch with you.”

Jungkook blinked a few times, not understanding. Then, Jimin extended his arms forward, his eyes wide and pleading. And it clicked for Jungkook.

The crutches were laying haphazardly on the floor next to the chair and Jungkook had already scolded the older for even standing on his ankle, much less walking on it. So Jimin was totally expecting Jungkook to carry him.

Which he could do. Obviously. He was strong enough, it wasn’t like Jimin weighed too much, but he wasn’t sure he could really handle it. Maybe on a normal day it would be fine, but with his thoughts so swirling with the words of a confession on his tongue, he couldn’t help but think of the romantic implications.

Hell, it was romantic enough that he’d been snuggled up in Jimin’s lap no more than a minute ago. Why was picking him up and carrying him the few feet over to the couch that much different?

“Kookie,” Jimin whined, his soft voice clicking into something in Jungkook’s short-circuiting brain.

So he just let out a laugh on an exhale, shaking his head slightly -- as if he was marveling Jimin’s lack of shame, not willing the heat to die down in his cheeks. Letting the bag slump over, Jungkook stood and took the few steps over to Jimin.

It really shouldn’t be such a thing. Jimin was injured and needed help.

Regardless, Jungkook couldn’t look at Jimin as the older slipped his arms around his neck, hands clasping behind his neck. Jungkook didn’t let himself think about anything as he slid his arms under Jimin’s knees and back, lifting the boy up easily.

But once he had him in his arms, Jungkook really didn’t want to let go.

He was warm and solid, strong even as he dropped his head on Jungkook’s shoulder. There wasn’t a part of him that wanted to put Jimin down. So, he didn’t.

Maybe it was stupid, but maybe Jungkook could die happy listening to Jimin’s laugh. And he laughed as Jungkook bypassed the couch entirely, it was just a giggle, something borne of confusion. And he laughed as Jungkook muttered something about just wanting to grab a drink. And he laughed as Jungkook bounced him slightly to free his hand under Jimin’s back. And he laughed as Jungkook leaned over his midsection to try and take a sip of the water.

He even laughed when Jungkook spilled a third of the cup into his lap.

“Ah, shit!” Jungkook yelled, laughter already falling off Jimin’s lips as he quickly caught the cup. “Jimin! I’m so sorry.”

Jimin couldn’t even form a coherent response as he shook with giggles in Jungkook’s arms.

“It would’ve worked if you went piggyback,” Jungkook grumbled, a little bitter about his stunt not working out in his favor. But, he had to admit to himself, he’d wanted Jimin to laugh, and here he was.

Jimin slapped the cup on the table before burying his face into the collar of Jungkook’s shirt. “My stomach hurts!” he managed out between gasping laughter. “And I look like I peed my pants.”

“Just like in third grade.”

“Hey! That was uncalled for!” Jimin yelled back, but he was still giggling.

But Jungkook just shook his head and walked out of the kitchen, heading for his bedroom. “I really am sorry though, I was just trying to make you laugh.” His voice was low, a little sheepish, even as he smiled.

“Well, it worked!”

“I guess so,” Jungkook relented, glad Jimin wasn’t mad. He walked into Jimin’s bedroom, flicking on the light as he passed. “Do you need help?”

“Do I --” Jimin rolled his eyes as Jungkook put him down softly on his bed. Tilting his head to the side, Jimin leveled his gaze at him. “You wanna stay?”

Jungkook turned bright red. “That’s not -- ! I just --” Sputtering, he just turned around and scurried out the door, unsure of what else to do.

Slamming Jimin’s bedroom door behind him, Jungkook leaned up against it, breathing heavily and listening to Jimin’s light laughter. What in the world . . . ? Jungkook could hardly think straight. The way Jimin had looked at him, up through his lashes, one corner of his mouth pulled up in a smirk. The way Jimin’s voice had been just slightly husky, his tone low and mischievous.

It was making his head spin.

Sulking back into the kitchen, Jungkook downed what remained of his water, hoping it would help lessen the tint to his face. He’d never been so flustered in front of Jimin before in his life. What had he been thinking, acting stupid and boisterious before dumping a cup of water right onto him?

He was losing his mind. That was the only thing he felt certain about.

“Kookie? Help me back to the living room?”

Jungkook jolted out of his thoughts, smacking the back of his hand into the counter as he spun around. Cursing under his breath, he shook a piece of hair out of his eye and hurried back over to Jimin’s room, opening the door before he had a chance to think about what might be on the other side.

Which, of course, was Jimin. Obviously. What else would he be expecting? He’d changed into a pair of small pajama shorts and a striped t-shirt. And Jungkook definitely wasn’t having an issue or anything.

“Thanks for your help, Kookie!” Jimin told him brightly, reaching his arms out.

Jungkook turned around, crouching a little to let Jimin hop on his back with a little giggle.

“See, now none of this is a problem,” Jungkook boasted, letting go of Jimin’s legs as they wrapped around his midsection, his hands already clasped tight around his neck. Refilling his cup, Jungkook made a show of taking a drink, turning his face towards where Jimin’s chin was resting on his shoulder.

They were close enough for Jungkook’s nose to brush his cheekbone.

And in the next moment, Jungkook was putting Jimin down on the couch, cursing his blush for what felt like the millionth time that afternoon. “Where was I? Snacks.”

“Yes! Snacks!”

They laughed, dissolving into something easy and familiar, Jungkook willing his flush to stay away for the rest of the time spent together.

That, of course, wasn’t the case even remotely.

As Jimin turned on a movie to watch, he snuggled up against Jungkook, wrapping his hands around his bicep and smushing his cheek into his shoulder. He was warm pressed up against the younger’s side.

The movie was some stupid romcom that had Jimin snoring halfway through and Jungkook crying. But not actually crying, really, just tearing up. Just a little bit.

He couldn’t keep himself from looking at the sleeping boy on his shoulder as the main character finally told the love interest that all the cakes in her bakery were actually inspired by him. It was cheesy but sweet, and Jungkook felt those words flutter in his throat once again.

A few moments after the actress on the screen said those three words, Jungkook felt a pang in his chest. A need so strong to see how those words would feel rolling off his tongue. And, for the first time in the last seven months, Jungkook let himself whisper what his heart had been yelling.

“Jimin. I love you.”

It was short and sweet. Warm and wanting. His voice was quiet, hardly disturbing the fluffy pink hair on Jimin’s forehead. And even though Jimin’s response was simply to snuggle in a little deeper against his shoulder, breath still soft and even in the throes of sleep, Jungkook just smiled.

He’d done it. At least a little bit. Half credit, maybe.

It was by no means a proper confession, but hearing those words come off his tongue with Jimin right next to him was something of an experience. It made him want. Want to have Jimin light up with happiness. Want to have Jimin say it back. Want want want.

But that all fluttered away with the ending credits of the movie, the music a bit louder and stirring Jimin. As soon as Jungkook felt the older move on his shoulder, he froze, fear shooting through his blood. It wasn’t like he’d spoken in the last ten minutes, but he almost immediately convinced himself that Jimin had heard him and chosen to ignore his confession since there was absolutely no way he felt the same.

In the same thought, he dismissed himself as delusional. There was no way Jimin had heard him, and there was no way Jimin wouldn’t respond with something at least heartfeltly apologetic.

So he just stuck a smile on his face and whispered, “Did you like the movie?”

“S’was great,” Jimin mumbled, turning to rub his forehead on Jungkook’s sleeve. It was endearing, seeing the way he was all cuddling and exuding warmth upon waking up. It made Jungkook want to wake up beside him every morning.

But that was silly. So Jungkook just laughed. “I thought it was good. That cute lemon cake was decorated with their first meeting in mind.”

“Is that what it was?” Jimin mumbled, scooching up closer, obviously determined to be the reason Jungkook spontaneously combusted.

All Jungkook could do was nod in agreement, mentally slapping himself on the forehead. When the hell was he going to get it together?

──── 〔✿〕────

Failures: 4.5
Successes: 0.5
Total Attempts: 5

Weeks left: 2

The next two weeks passed without much happening on the outside and a lot happening on the inside of Jungkook’s brain. It wasn’t strictly his fault, moreso, he countered, it was Jimin’s. Since they were counting down the days they had left to spend together, they were seeing each other at least every other day, if not more frequently.

And every time Jungkook saw Jimin -- beautiful, smiling Jimin -- he wanted to tackle him to the ground and smother him in his love and kisses and every kind thing the world had to offer. And every time he wanted to let those words finally fall off his lips, something (or someone) was there to stop that from happening.

In all honesty, Jungkook was starting to lose conviction. If he’d already tried five times to confess to Jimin and failed each time, was the universe trying to tell him something?

But, by god, he was too stubborn to listen to Yoongi’s intermittent cryptid texts that boiled down to him just being nosy and wanting to gossip to Seokjin about his relationship with Jimin. And he was too stubborn to listen to Taehyung’s far-too-frequent texts of encouragement and insistence that he should just go ahead and do it already.

So, maybe Jungkook could be stubborn enough to ignore the universe too.

~

“Can you help me pack?”

His voice is small over the phone, slightly wavering like he was holding back tears or had just quickly wiped them away. It made Jungkook’s heart ache.

“Of course, I’ll be over in twenty.”

Running a brush through his hair, Jungkook tried not to look at himself too harshly in the mirror. But the bags under his eyes were pretty hard to ignore. The way his hair had remained tangled and messy all morning even though he’d been awake for hours. Not to mention the redness of his eyes.

He hadn’t been sleeping and there was no way he was going to be able to hide it from Jimin. But if his best friend was in a similar position, maybe they could share their sufferings rather than attempting to be braver than them.

The fear was a live thing that clawed at his throat and slammed into the inside of his skull. He’d never left Busan before. Never left his family. Never left Jimin.

And he had no idea what he was going to do.

Going to a big school in Seoul seemed like such a good idea. And, for all accounts and purposes, there wasn’t a better school out there for him. His options hadn’t been wide when he decided to go for a double major in both theater and photography. But thinking about going anywhere was making his heart thump loudly in his chest.

He just didn’t know what to expect from a school like that -- his graduating class was barely 100 people. To be going into a program with 500 other people and nearly 2,000 in his first year class? Jungkook couldn’t wrap his head around it.

It didn’t help that it felt like his heart was going twist itself into a million little pieces.

He kept trying to find the perfect time to somehow confess to Jimin. But nothing seemed to work. He went home after seeing the love of his life and felt like ripping his hair out for frustration.

But he had to put that aside. Jimin needed help with packing, with leaving, with not being scared. While Jungkook wasn’t sure how to do that himself, he knew he needed to do whatever he could to chase that wobbling tone out of Jimin’s voice.

So he slapped on some deodorant and tucked a piece of his hair behind his ear -- he’d need to get it cut before he left in two weeks. Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he gave his mom a kiss on the cheek before heading out, reassuring her everything was fine.

As soon as he turned on the car, his phone started ringing. Scared that it was Jimin telling him to hurry -- or worse, telling him not to come at all -- Jungkook picked up without looking at the caller ID.

“Hello?” he rushed out, sitting with one hand wrapped tensely on the steering wheel and the air conditioning blasting.

“Kookie!” a happy voice broke out. One that was certainly not Jimin.

Furrowing his brow, Jungkook brought the phone away from his ear to see Taehyung’s contact (with several emojis he’d added himself before they’d parted at camp). “Hyung?”

“Did I catch you at a bad time? You don’t sound happy to hear from me.” Jungkook could hear the pout on his voice, even tinny as it was coming through his phone.

Putting his phone on speaker, Jungkook focused on pulling out of his driveway, his mind back on his mission to get over to Jimin’s as fast as he could. “No, no. I’m just in the car so I won’t be able to talk for that long. What’s up?”

“Oh, no worries! I only have one thing to say!” Taehyung cheerfully replied, voice light and bubbly. It made Jungkook smile slightly, wondering what the bright boy had to tell him.

But when there was a pause, Jungkook prompted, “Which is?”

“Stop being a pussy.”

Jungkook gasped, glaring down at the phone as if Taehyung could see him. “Excuse me?” he squeaked out, certainly surprised by the happy tone changing to say something rather offensive if he did say so himself.

“I said, stop being a pussy.” Taehyung sighed, as if he had any right to be exasperated with Jungkook’s unwillingness to confess unless the moment seemed perfect and romantic and well-thought-out. “It’s driving me crazy. And Yoongi and Seokjin for that matter. You guys don’t even have that much time left.”

“Wha-what do Yoongi and Seokjin have to do with anything? I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” Jungkook stubbornly protested.

He could almost hear Taehyung roll his eyes as he let out a soft breath. “Just tell Jimin you love him. Okay?”

And the phone call clicked off.

Jungkook was sure his face was bright red. And whether that was from anger at being so accurately called out or embarrassment for his feelings being so damn apparent, he didn’t know. But as he turned a corner, he only had a few moments to calm down.

Shaking his head as if he could scatter the thoughts, Jungkook pulled down the small mirror on the sun visor. Sighing at his unkempt appearance, he shoved another strand of hair behind his ear and angrily slapped the visor back onto the ceiling.

Grabbing his phone from the cupholder, Jungkook rolled his shoulders back and started heading toward the apartment. He was going to have to be strong. Not just for himself, but for Jimin too.

“Hey,” Jungkook whispered as Jimin answered the door, pulling it open slowly, his fingers curling around the doorframe.

“Hi,” he mumbled back, pink hair falling in his eyes. Jungkook had just touched up the roots for him a couple days ago and it was a slightly different color than the ends. Jimin had said he didn’t mind.

But he just looked sad now, the color too closely matching the red rimming his eyes and flushed in his cheeks. Jungkook wanted to wrap him up in his arms and press kisses to the corners of his eyes and across the bridge of his nose until Jimin was laughing and smiling.

Instead, he just tilted his head to the side and said softly, “You alright?”

Jimin dropped his eyes and bit his lip in an attempt to keep his tears from welling up once again. It made Jungkook’s heart ache in his chest. This time he didn’t stop himself from rushing forward into the apartment and wrapping his arms around Jimin.

The older sank into the embrace, arms curling around Jungkook’s neck. “I don’t think so.”

“That’s okay. That’s okay, you don’t have to be alright,” Jungkook whispered, desperate to get Jimin to stop shaking in his arms. His nose was cold against Jungkook’s collarbone, his skin a bit sticky with tears. “I’m here.”

“You won’t be in two weeks!” Jimin wailed, pushing roughly out of Jungkook’s arms, spinning around to slam the door shut. He stayed there a moment, breath hitching as he pressed his palms into the door with trembling force and let his head hang slightly.

The air was tense between them; Jungkook was shocked by Jimin’s outburst, his shoulder aching with the smallest bit of discomfort from where the older had shoved him.

“You say that like it’s my fault,” Jungkook muttered darkly. He didn’t quite mean to let his venom slip out onto the words, the anger and anxiety and denial manifesting into something flammable in his tone.

And Jimin was more than happy to ignite. Whipping around, Jimin looked haggard as his hair fell into his eyes, shirt falling off one shoulder with his finger pointing dangerously at Jungkook. “It can’t be your fault if it’s mine. Right? If you blame me then you get to be mad and distant and try and cut yourself off from me and everything --”

“What? What the hell are you saying? Cut myself off from you?”

“Yes! Jungkook, you’ve been acting weird all summer. I get that you’re going to go off to make new friends and forget all about me but can’t you at least wait until I’m gone?”

“Wha -- ?” Jungkook sputtered, taken totally aback by the anger. “Forget about you?”

“Great, so now you’re going to deny it?”

Shaking his head, Jungkook rose to meet Jimin’s furious tone, all but screaming, “I’m not going to forget about you!”

“Oh, sure!” Jimin yelled, throwing his hands up in the air and taking a step forward, almost menacingly. “That’s why you’ve been texting people and refusing to tell me who it is and always avoiding the topic of school and --”

“Because it stresses me out! Because I don’t want to leave!”

Jimin chuckled, something dark and mirthless. “You’re going to be just fine and you know it! You’re pretty and talented and everybody loves you! You’re perfect!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, you asshole!” Jungkook scrunched his nose, hating the way he fed into Jimin’s anger so easily, breathed it in and let it blind him. “I was so scared before you decided to stay here for the past two years. I thought I was going to die without you here.”

“You don’t mean that,” Jimin growled back, voice lower but nasty all the same.

“I wouldn’t have made it through my senior year without you. I depend on you so much, you idiot! I couldn’t forget about you even if I tried!”

Jimin took in a sharp breath, curling his lip. “You felt like you had to stay friends with me because no one at university liked me. That’s what it is, isn’t it? You can’t wait to get away.”

It was like Jimin hadn’t heard a single word Jungkook said. He was breathing heavy, a tear tracing down his cheek even as he looked ready to throw a punch. Shaking his head, Jungkook let out an exasperated noise and pinched the bridge of his nose. Gesturing violently toward him, Jungkook hissed, “You must be the stupidest person I’ve ever met.”

“You’re only mad because I’m right!”

“You’ve never been more wrong in your life!”

Jimin stomped up to him, poking a finger into his chest and looking up at him with fiery eyes, even as tears got caught in his eyelashes. “You’re going to forget all about me as soon as you get to school and we both know it.”

“I don’t know that!” Jungkook snapped. “Neither do you!”

“Well, what the hell do you know?”

“That I love you!” Jungkook shouted, wrapping his fingers around Jimin’s shoulders and shaking slightly. “I’ve been trying to tell you that all summer.” The anger was gone from his voice, leaving his words small and quiet, punching into the air with a different type of tension.

Jimin let his finger drop from where it was hovering between them, eyes going wide. “You --” he searched Jungkook’s face. “You love me?”

“You’re such an idiot,” Jungkook muttered, letting his fingers ease slightly where they were gripping Jimin’s shoulders. “I kept trying to tell you,” he sighed, his next words spilling out of him like a rush of water once a dam was burst, “I-I was about to tell you before my graduation party but then Hoseok and Namjoon ruined it an-and then, well then I tried to write a note but we fell in the lake, and I wanted to kiss you so bad but the note was a wreck and then at the pool and Taehyung and then again in the infirmary and then --”

Jungkook wasn’t sure how it happened.

But all of a sudden there were warm fingers sliding across his jaw to hold his cheeks, soft and gentle. His breath hitched in his throat, his hands falling away from Jimin’s shoulders. It was like time stopped. And then Jimin was pressing his lips against his.

They say kissing someone for the first time is like having fireworks go off behind your eyes or butterflies fluttering in your stomach. That it’ll make your head spin or your heart hammer in your chest. That you’ll never forget what it was like or how it made you feel.

Kissing Jimin put all of those clichés to shame.

Jungkook didn’t have any words to cage in the emotions that were about to escape his chest. There wasn’t anything to compare -- not the sunshine warm on his smiling face or the shine of stars in the dead of night, trailing across the sky -- to the way he felt.

It just felt so right.

Pressing ever so slightly into the kiss, Jungkook let his hands link around Jimin’s waist, gently. As much as he wanted to keep kissing Jimin forever, he couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips. Jimin felt it, of course, and pulled back, just enough that he didn’t have to go cross-eyed to look at Jungkook and his flushed cheeks.

“It was the only way to get to stop talking,” Jimin whispered, voice husky and warm.

And then Jungkook was giggling. There wasn’t any sort of filter through his squeaky laughter, his smile broad and his hands tightening slightly around Jimin’s waist.

Jimin slipped his hands from where they were cupping his face to wrap around the younger’s neck, pressing up onto his tiptoes to rest his forehead against Jungkook’s. “I love you, too.”

His words made Jungkook weak in the knees. Dreaming about Jimin whispering those words for months on end had nothing on the real thing. The way his voice was sweet and confident and as warm as a summer evening made Jungkook pull him even tighter to him. They were pressed chest to chest.

Pushing away his grin was harder than he’d expected, but kissing Jimin only made him want to smile wider, so he settled for peppering a few small pecks across the bridge of his nose and cheekbones. He whispered in between each kiss, “I have -- been waiting -- so long -- to hear that.”

When Jungkook finally pressed his lips to Jimin’s -- despite his adorable giggling -- he felt the older melt against him, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. It took Jungkook’s breath away.

“How long?” Jimin asked as their lips were but a hair's breadth away from one another.

“Maybe forever,” Jungkook mumbled, almost fevered to press another kiss against Jimin’s mouth. Now that he was allowed to. Now that Jungkook had finally said those three words. Now that Jimin had finally said them back. “At least since January.”

Jimin let out a breathy sigh, kissing him again before responding, “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

“Me too,” Jungkook quickly agreed, the regret in Jimin’s tone making his heart ache. “I’m sorry it took me so long.”

“I was just so scared, Kookie.” Jimin’s voice was small, his breath shallow. “Th-that you didn’t love me and that everything would be ruined.”

Jungkook let out a short laugh, pressing his forehead against Jimin’s. “I was scared you liked Taehyung,” he said quietly, “but I guess not.”

Giggling, Jimin nodded, “Definitely not.” He pressed another kiss against his lips, something sweet and warm and chaste. “Only you.”

“He called me a pussy today,” Jungkook muttered.

Jimin blinked, pulling back to look at Jungkook fully. He furrowed his brows in a confused way that made Jungkook want to melt. “Who?”

“Taehyung.”

“He called you a -- a pussy?”

“Apparently everyone at camp knew I liked you,” Jungkook revealed sheepishly, looking away briefly. “They’ve been annoying me about it since we got home.”

“Yoongi-hyung too?”

Jungkook nodded, dropping his head on Jimin’s shoulder. “I have to tell them.” His voice shook slightly, belying his emotions even as he hid his face. “Right?”

“I don’t see why not, right?” Jimin responded, pressing a kiss to the crown of the younger’s head. “I mean, as long as you -- well, as long as you want to be my boyfriend.”

The timid tone of Jimin’s voice gave Jungkook pause. He kept his head buried in the crook of Jimin’s shoulder for a moment before he straightened and gripped the older’s hips tighter than he probably should. “Yo-your boyfriend?”

“My boyfriend.”

“Your boyfriend,” Jungkook repeated again, sounding dumbfounded, as if the words were mystical. In some sense, they definitely were. Then, he fixed his gaze back on Jimin, smiling a lopsided smile. “My boyfriend.”

“Your boyfriend,” Jimin agreed, exhaling on a laugh.

And then Jungkook was kissing Jimin again, smiling against his lips as he locked his arms around the older’s back and spun him around. Jimin giggled against his lips and tightened his hold around Jungkook’s neck.

Jungkook wasn’t sure he was ever going to let go of Jimin now.

──── 〔✿〕────

Failures: 4.5 (but who’s really counting now?)
Successes: 1.5
Total Attempts: 6

Days left: 2

Jungkook put his hands on his hips and assessed his room. It made him sad -- a brief, painful pang in his chest -- to see his walls stripped bare of the posters and notecards he’d hung up over the years. Memories of ten years in this bedroom packed up and folded away into a box and a suitcase.

“You okay?” Jimin whispered, coming up behind him and wrapping his arms around Jungkook’s midsection. He pressed his nose against the back of the younger’s neck, nuzzling close to him.

“I think so,” Jungkook mumbled back, resting his hands on top of Jimin’s and leaning back into him. “I will be, at least.”

“We’ve got our plan.”

“We’ve got our plan,” Jungkook repeated, turning around while staying in the circle of Jimin’s arms. Cupping his boyfriend’s cheeks, Jungkook kissed him -- long and warm, languid and sweet. “It’s only 150 miles from Seoul to Daegu.”

“Not too far at all,” Jimin agreed with a nod, determined smile on his lips.

“Visit at least once a month.”

“And your birthday.”

“And your birthday.”

“Call every night.”

“Of course.” Jungkook nodded, letting his fingers slide to hang around Jimin’s neck. “Letters?”

“Definitely.”

“Like a couple in the 1800s.”

Jimin smirked, tilting his head to the side slightly. “Oh, forbidden lovers?”

“Makes it more romantic, right?”

“Everything’s romantic with you, Kookie.”

And they laughed against each other's lips, finding solace in the fact that they were finally loving one another the way they wanted, the way they’d both been dreaming about.

Where Jungkook had been afraid that maybe their relationship would be irreparable or completely different or something equally drastic, it was clear -- even within two weeks -- that they fit together perfectly.

Taehyung had screamed over the phone, calling Jungkook immediately after he sent a vague “I did it!” text with a confetti emoji. His enthusiasm had scared Jungkook a little bit, but the smile that spread across his face was genuine and the hardest yet to work off his lips.

Yoongi had responded -- confusingly -- with a selfie of him and Seokjin both with a thumbs up. It was a cute picture and made Jungkook grin with the proud face his hyungs were making, but he wasn’t expecting anything past a “good job, kid” or something. Regardless, telling his friends from camp had been a breeze in comparison to telling Hoseok and Namjoon.

Nervously, Jungkook had typed out six different texts to invite the two hyungs over to pizza and a movie -- like any other Friday. Jimin had shoved him and stolen his phone, too frustrated watching his hopeless boyfriend attempt to write the perfect text.

So, of course, Jungkook was a mess before they came over, anxiously running through scenarios where Namjoon stormed out of his house and Hoseok decided to never talk to them ever again.

What really happened was that Jungkook accidentally dropped a slice of pizza into Hoseok’s lap because his hands were shaking too much and almost cried while apologizing frantically. Namjoon had put a hand on Jungkook’s shoulder and quieted him with a few words and a serious gaze before asking what the heck was the matter.

Jungkook stumbled so hard through his words that Jimin had just blurted it out. Cut right through Jungkook’s frantic mumbling and outright said they were dating.

And his hyungs had hugged him and told them both how happy they were that Jimin and Jungkook were together (i.e stopped being idiots and finally admitted it to each other).

It made Jungkook blush and smile so hard he could hardly contain any of his happiness inside. He’d kissed Jimin on the mouth in front of his friends, too excited to do anything else. There was something so achingly wonderful about not having all his emotions held down close to his heart. Something so freeing and colorful.

And now he was hugging his boyfriend two days before they were supposed to both leave for college.

“I love you,” Jimin whispered.

“And I love you.”

The summer was coming to an end but their love was just beginning. It was something borne in the quiet stillness of the lake and the bright concern of the infirmary. It was something warm and soft that grew throughout the years of scraped knees and braces. It was something that was truly and wholly theirs -- no matter the distance between them.

There wasn’t anything that was going to tear them apart now, definitely not those 150 miles.

Jungkook pressed a kiss to Jimin’s lips and let everything else fall away.