Chapter Text
2016
Jimin faints during dance practice.
Jungkook thought his heart stopped when he heard the sickening thump from the side, saw Jimin collapse in the mirror. He rushed over to Jimin, blood draining from his face.
“Jimin? Jimin! Hyung!” He grabs Jimin’s shoulder, shaking him. Hands pull him back, and he hears Jin’s voice telling him to calm down, it’s okay-
It’s not okay. Jimin- Jimin fainted, what if he- it’s not okay-
Jungkook’s eyes haze over, and he can’t breathe. He’s never felt so panicked in his life. His hands shake, and he screams.
The same hands which pulled him back close over his chest, soothing him.
“Jungkook! Jungkook, breathe with me.” Jungkook can’t, he can’t breathe when Jimin is there, Jimin isn’t okay, Jimin-
“Jungkook, calm down.” Those hands push Jungkook onto the dance floor, and move to his shoulders, pressing him down. Another pair of hands join, and it’s soothing, it feels good-
He can feel cold palms pressing onto his warm forehead and neck.
He’s calm.
The mist in front of his eyes clear, and he can see. He blinks, and he can see Yoongi’s face hovering above his, worried. Hoseok’s face is there too.
He sits up, abruptly, then grits his teeth from the dizziness.
“Jimin- Jimin hyung,” he gasps. ‘Where-?”
He sees Jimin sitting against the sofa, head hanging forward onto his chest, eyes tired, but open.
He dashes over to Jimin, hands cupping Jimin’s cheeks. Jimin’s hand comes up to grab his wrist with barely any strength.
“Jungkookie- I’m okay.” He says, more air than words. “Don’t cry.”
Only when he says that does Jungkook feel the tears trailing down his cheeks, his face too close to Jimin, and if he just leaned a bit closer his lips would meet Jimin’s-
He lets go of Jimin’s hand to hug him tightly, his chin tucked into Jimin’s shoulder, body still shivering. He rests his forehead against the couch, and feels Jimin’s hands come up to stroke small circles on his back. It feels nice. Why hasn’t he ever hugged Jimin like this before?
He pulls away, wiping tears with the back of his hands, reaching out a hand to help Jimin up.
“I think you should all go home.” Their choreographer says, sounding exhausted and shocked. “Get some rest.”
Jungkook never takes his eyes off Jimin, and threads his fingers through Jimin’s, holding his hand all the way back to the car.
Not once does he see the rest of the members exchange bewildered but knowing looks with each other, silently understanding.
Jungkook sleeps in Jimin’s bed that night, and no one questions it.
x x x
Jungkook now understands the meaning of only knowing how much you love something after you almost lose it.
Jungkook almost lost Jimin, and now he can’t seem to leave Jimin’s side.
Jimin doesn’t eat again that night, and Jungkook can’t take it anymore.
“I’m only eating what you eat, when you eat.” He tells Jimin at dinner, stubbornly.
“No, Jungkook, you need to eat.” Jimin says, eyes wide.
He shakes his head.
He’s true to his word. He only eats when Jimin eats, and only eats what Jimin eats.
Jimin becomes worried about him, telling Jungkook to eat more, but Jungkook doesn’t let it go.
Soon, Jimin’s resumes a normal eating pattern in order to get Jungkook to eat, and Jungkook knows he’s succeeded.
x x x
Backstage, before his contemporary performance, Jimin changes into a flowing grey shirt and black tights. His sleeves hang over his fingers, and he clutches the fabric nervously.
Jungkook stands nearby looking at him while getting his mic fixed by one of the backstage crew. His expression is one of wonder, a half smile hanging of his lips, large doe eyes wide and bright.
“Hyung.” Jungkook says softly.
“Hmm?” Jimin turns to face him.
“You’re beautiful.” He says, almost entranced.
“Really?” Jimin turns to look at Jungkook, an expression of disbelief on his face.
“Really.” Jungkook smiles, a genuine smile, all teeth and bunched up cheeks.
x x x
It all happens backstage, when they get their win for Blood Sweat and Tears. Jimin’s happy, they’re all happy, and somehow it ends up with the two of them alone in the dark corridor behind the stage.
He can hear the girl group performing on stage, but right now nothing exists except for Jimin. Nothing but Jimin.
“Well, congratulations to us.” Jimin says. Jungkook can barely see his face in the dim light, and Jimin’s smile beams, bright and clear.
“Yeah.” Jungkook says thoughtfully.
Jungkook doesn’t know what he’s thinking when he leans down to press his lips to Jimin’s, sealing their mouths, his entire body on fire. He doesn’t know what he’s thinking when he moves his hand around Jimin’s back to press him closer.
He breaks the kiss with a gasp, face still right in front of Jimin’s, foreheads touching.
Jimin looks at him, eyes wide.
They stay a moment like that, not moving.
“What... was that?” Jimin speaks first, breath ghosting over Jungkook’s lips. His eyes roam all over Jungkook’s face.
Jungkook doesn’t say anything, just leaning forward to close the inch between their lips. He can feel Jimin draw in another breath.
“Beautiful.” Jungkook says once he pulls away, his voice unsteady.
“Yeah?” Jimin smiles.
“I like you, hyung. More… more than I should.” Jungkook looks down, almost embarrassed.
“Me too.” Jimin laughs. “Does it matter?”
When Jimin tiptoes to kiss him again, and Jungkook leans down to meet him halfway, they both know that-
No. It doesn’t matter.
2017
“You look good with pink hair.” Jungkook says when Jimin returns to the dorm, hair dyed soft pink.
“Really?” Jimin flushes, pulling a face. “I don’t like it. I look even more like a baby.”
“Maybe that’s why I like it.” Jungkook smirks.
“Can you take this conversation somewhere else?” Taehyung throws his empty paper cup at Jungkook, and looks at them, disgusted.
“But yes, Jimin, you look good with pink hair. Super good.” He says eagerly.
Jimin smiles. “Thank you, Tae.”
x x x
“Jimin is born with innocent mochi DNA, especially now with his pink hair!” Jimin reads out a comment from a fan. He can’t help but turn to smirk at Jungkook at the word ‘innocent’.
Jungkook flushes all over, the implication of Jimin’s sly smile clear. The other members’ smiles freeze, and Hoseok looks at them with a disgusted look on his face.
“Sorry.” Jungkook mutters. Jimin does nothing but smile.
2018
“Tell me again.” Jimin says, his eyes wide.
“Beautiful.” Jungkook says, his gentle smile obvious even in the dark.
“Again.” Jimin says, voice small.
“You’re beautiful.” Jungkook repeats, his hand rubbing circles against Jimin’s back.
Jimin shakes his head and presses himself against Jungkook, trembling slightly.
“Not a good day?” Jungkook says, feeling his heart hurt for Jimin.
“No.” Jimin’s voice comes out muffled against Jungkook’s shirt.
“It’ll be okay.” Jungkook whispers, pressing a kiss against the top of Jimin’s head.
It happens often; Jimin comes to Jungkook’s room in the dead of the night, feeling insecure about something that happened that day, or simply because he hasn’t found all his self confidence yet.
But unlike the past, he now has someone to come to.
x x x
“I love you.” Jimin mumbles.
“I love you more.” Jeongguk teases back, curling a hand around the nape of Jimin’s neck, bringing him closer.
“Goodnight, hyung.”