Archive of Our Own ^beta

Jimin knows he should tell the truth to Jungkook.

That if his back hurts, it's not because he stayed sat for too long, but because the boys of his class knocked him with their feet. That if his lip is torn and slightly bleeding, it's not because he fell this morning on the way to school, but because the boys of his class had hit him right in the face.

But Jimin finds himself unable to say anything, because Jungkook is talking to him about the same boys hitting him with stars in his eyes, his smile almost reaching his ears. Jungkook had no friends except for a few childhood friends, and he had always tried to become popular, to get noticed by the cool kids.

Now that Jungkook had reached his goal, Jimin couldn't bring himself to break his dreams and hopes just because he was too weak to protect himself. "Hyung, you should have seen their records for street-figther, it was awesome! They even passed the level we were stuck for like a year if it's not more, and they did it in only a few hours! " Jungkook screams.

Jimin shakes his head, scribbling words that didn't made any sense on his book. He didn't wanted to deliberately ignore his best friend's excitement, but it's not like he could approve everything he said, when he knew that these boys pretending to be cool were just fucking retarded.

"Oh, and look at that!" Jungkook adds, raising his legs in the air. Jimin tears his eyes away from his book to notice the black boots the boy was now wearing, his cheeks colored with a pink that would have made Jimin smile in other circumstances, but which made him sick right now. "They gave me these shoes as a gift, like a proof i'm one of them for real."

Jimin keeps quiet, sketching a brief sign of the head before going back to whatever he was trying to write. Jungkook's excitement is immediately cooled by his lack of answer, so he puts his chin on his shoulder to try to read the words he was scrawling, or rather, the furious lines that were now darkening the page.

"Hyung, has anything-has anything happened ? It's because of yesterday, right ? I shouldn't have tried to keep you after school, when you would get in trouble for coming home late." A pout follows his words. Jimin subtly shivers when Jungkook's warm breath hits his neck.

The day before, Jungkook had insisted on taking him to town, despite knowing that Jimin's parents weren't okay with their son going to town and having fun without their authorization.

His parents were obviously furious, but nothing could compare to the powerless feeling Jimin had felt this morning, watching the boys tearing his exercices pages after pages, while the rest of the class was acting blind at the scene that was playing right under their nose.

"It's okay, don't worry. They will get over it, one day or another. They usually don't stay mad forever. And I had fun yesterday, so it was worth the trouble." Jimin comfort him, ruffling Jungkook's hair.

Jungkook hums as his fingers lightly scratch his scalp, the vibrations echoing on Jimin's skin. Somehow, the oldest felt bad, and it wasn't only because of how he was beaten up the same morning when he came to school.

His heart was currently aching, because of how close Jungkook was to him. He wasn't just his best friend, he was his goldfish, his security blanket during thunderstorms, the one with whom he had shared everything since he had learned to talk.

And lately, of course, his feelings were playing with his mind. Jimin tried his best to hide them the best he could, but Jungkook was too much of a child to even notice anyway, so Jimin wasn't worried. But he was disappointed, yes.

"Oh! The hyungs, they're here!" Jungkook gets up immediately to make big gestures to the boys he was talking about, who move in their direction, much to Jimin's displeasure. Hands sweaty, Jimin throws his textbook and pencil in his bag with haste, surprising Jungkook when he pushes him of his way to hurry inside the school.

When he sit, Jimin hides his head into his arms and let out a cry of distress. He was already feeling guilty for running away like a thief, Jungkook was surely angry at him for his behavior, when all the younger wanted was to introduce his favorite hyung to his new friends.

"Jimin-ah, it looks like your meal didn't go the way it should have." Jimin doesn't need to raise his head to recognize Yoongi's bored voice, but he does it anyway. The green and bright green colors of Yoongi's hair makes him blink a few times, blinded for a second. "Hey, hyung." Jimin mumbles.

Yoongi eagle's eyes are glued to his skull, even if Jimin tries his hardest to look in front of him. He couldn't even go eat in peace these days, because he would always be the target of some stupid kids, throwing food at him, so he just stayed in the bathroom with a slice of bread and an apple he had managed to steal.

"I guess you still didn't told him anything." Yoongi starts with caution, turning his chair to close the gap between him and Jimin. Who sighs strongly and shakes his head. "I can't tell him anything, hyung, you know as well as I do. I should be happy for him, he found friends that aren't me, it's great for him. He won't have to get stuck with the official scapegoat of this school anymore, from now on."

Jimin didn't know exactly when his nightmare had begun, nor for which reasons. He just had to stumble and to fall on another boy to find himself labelled as a horny homosexual, and the hits began soon after. If everyone was ignoring him and his problems, it was only because they didn't wanted to be involved in a fight. And he couldn't blame them.

Yoongi growled next to him, clearly angry. "I'm sure that he'd rather like to know the truth than to learn that you were lying to him all this time. Jimin, Jungkook sticks by your side since he's seven, do you really think he'll take advantage of your situation to dump you ? "

Jimin wince when he straightens his posture, a hand automatically going to his back. He knew without even looking that there were bruises, he was going to have to be careful around his mother. She always checked his uniform, and she would always steal glances under his clothes from time to time.

He doesn't have time to answer, when his chair is brutally pulled, and he collapses butt first on the ground. Jimin shrieks a bit when his elbow hits the ground. Around him, the guys that are currently making his life a living hell are laughing loudly. "Well then, Jiminnie. I never realized the ground was so low for someone so small."

Instead of fighting back, Jimin's eyes goes to Yoongi, whose fists are becoming white, pleading him to stay put. He didn't wanted anyone to have to deal with the same bullshit he had to. Jimin gets up, trying not to shake with fear, taking back his chair and putting it near his desk.

"You can at least answer us. Forgot how it works, here in Seoul?" When a hand circles Jimin's wrist to bend it and a cry of hurt spills from Jimin's lips, his eyes filled with tears, Yoongi snaps.

"Aren't you the repressed homosexual here ? Seeing the way you're bullying Jimin, I'd say you're jealous of his sexuality." Yoongis says, getting up with calculated gestures, the feet of his chair scraping unpleasantly on the ground. This time, the attention of all the class is drawn to them, because Yoongi had never interfered previously.

Jimin is the surprised one first. Yoongi was brave and it was well-known he couldn't put up with the amount of bullshit in this school, but he had nothing of a fighter. A single blow against his frail silhouette would make him collapse like a house of cards blown by the wind.

Jimin can see the boys taking a step forward towards Yoongi, and he almost wants to catch the leg of the closest boy to ask for their usual beating. Yoongi had nothing to do in this, he didn't deserved to be hit. He had flaws like every other human being it wasn't a reason for them to punch him.

Before his bully can take revenge on Yoongi for opening his mouth, the class's president appears without a warning, his glasses hanging on his nose and a pleasant smile on his lips. "The class is going to begin soon, the teacher is on his way. Unless you want to get detention, I would recommend you to return to your desks."

The boys seem to hesitate, just for a few seconds. But the idea of having detention seems enough to persuade them, and it's with insults for the duet that they go back to their places. "Son of a bitch." Yoongi swears, helping Jimin to get up with frowned eyebrows.

Yoongi had always been concerned by what Jimin was putting up with at school, and it was killing him to see that no one would dare to raise their little finger to help him. As if five brats could stop the world from spinning. "I don't care if you don't want me to do anything, I'm going to stop them. " Yoongi says, sitting back.

Jimin can't find in himself the strength to protest. His whole body feels numb, and when he opens his bag, it feels like his arms are going to tear themselves away from his chest. Jimin has to keep his head lowered into his notes to wipe his tears without anyone noticing.

Jungkook, oblivious as always, welcomes him with his bunny smile and an arm crossed around his shoulders. Jimin tries to resist the pain between his shoulder blades, caused by the weight of Jungkook's arm, but he finds himself wriggling to get free of his embrace on their way back.

Jungkook notices it real quick, releasing him with hurt in his eyes. "Hyung...am I disturbing you?" He asks with a low voice, stopping in the middle of the way. Jimin frowns, too tired to understand where Jungkook was going with this.

Jungkook shoots a pebble, thinking hard. "You didn't listened to me when I spoke to you, this morning. And whenever I touch you, you always find a way to push me away. Have I become too clingy ?" Jimin feels like the whole world is turning his back to him, as Jungkook's words sink in.

Jungkook had grown fond of Jimin, over the years, to the point he could share a bed with him and roll his legs and arms around the size of his hyung in his sleep. When they were young, it was innocent and childlish. Now that they were older, it had become everything but innocent, at least for Jimin, who blamed everything on his hormones.

Now that Jungkook had said such words to his face, his heart began to hurt, once again. " We're not nine year-old anymore, Jungkook. If you keep hanging only with me, what are people gonna think of you." Jimin answers, a bitter laugh following his words. He knows he should have told him anything else but this.

But if he couldn't bear the idea of Yoongi putting himself in danger for him, replacing Yoongi with Jungkook was just impossible in his mind. Jungkook sniffs noisily, scratching his nose with his fingers. His eyes find Jimin's ones and soften as soon as they do. Jungkook open his mouth to say something, when his phone ring. 

"Ah, hyung. Yes, I finished my classes, why ? Join you in town ? Ah, well, of course that I want to! It's just that, I have a friend to go back home with." Jimin's eyes opened wide at his words and he moves his hands to make Jungkook understand he could go back home alone. Jungkook bit his lips, glaring at Jimin before replying.

"Alright, I'll join you for sure. Yes, I'm on way." When he hangs up, Jimin has already made some steps without him. Jungkook had to turn back to catch the bus going to town anyway, he wouldn't be taking the same path. Jimin waited silently, Jungkook breathing with his mouth instead of his nose. 

"Hyung. I can...I can go away, if you want me to. A little." Jungkook says, catching up with Jimin to hand him his bag, which he had taken when they were at the school gate. Jimin wants to cry because the straps were going to rub his shoulders and make him suffer even more.

"Go find the others. We'll talk about this when we'll have time. I really have to go home right now." Jimin retorts, keeping his bag in his hands. He wasn't going to let Jungkook witness his pain when he'll put his bag on his back. Jungkook looks hurt once again, and Jimin can't help but feel guilty. Again.