Work Text:
“Guk.”
“Hm.“
“Jeongguk.“
“Hmhm?”
“Jeon Jeongguk!”
Game over.
Dammit. Jeongguk looks up to face the responsible of his failure at breaking his new record.
“What?” He spats. He was so close .
“Woah, chill Guk. Jesus.”
Jeongguk almost rolls his eyes. “What do you want Jimin?”
Jimin looks annoyed for a second - just like he always does when Jeongguk forgets to add 'hyung’ at the end of his name - but then his face morphes to something more tired.
The same look is in everyone's faces, it comes with the package of full schedules and promotion weeks. Like a special combo just made for them. If you buy two weeks of non stop rehearsing and recording you can take with you brand new eyebags and sore bones for free!
He guesses it doesn't help that they're now on a plane headed to Japan for the next schedules. He knows he should be taking the few hours he has and sleep a bit. But his mind usually never stops during this times, and sleep suddenly is out of the question. That's why he chose to settle on breaking all the records in his phone, and he was doing a damn amazing job at it, until-
“You need to stop,” Jimin says signaling with his finger between Jeongguk and somewhere behind him as he perchs his elbow on the seat in front of Jeongguk’s. Jin hyung’s seat if he remembers correctly.
“What are you talking about.”
Jimin looks at him intendedly. “You know exactly what I'm talking about.”
No, he doesn't actually.
“No, I don't.”
“Yes , you do.”
He doesn't. “I don't.”
“Jeongguk.”
Okay, maybe he does.
“Why me?” he whines and throws his head back. “Why do I have to stop?”
“Because.”
“That's not even an answer.”
Jimin lets out a sigh and runs a hand through his hair, obviously exhausted.
“Gukkie, please,” he whines rubbing his temple.
Jeongguk looks down and fidgets with his phone, suddenly kind of ashamed because of how tiring this whole situation seems to be for Jimin. He never means to trouble anyone with his own problems. To be honest, he's pretty tired too. It's been five days already.
Jimin comes to crouch beside him. Both his hands grabbing the armrest and places his chin over them. He looks up to him, pleading. Damn Park Jimin and his Wet Puppy Pleading Look.
“Please? I know you can solve this. You know how stubborn Tae is. He won't budge this time”
Jeongguk just stares at him, weighting his choices. He really doesn't want to be the one who twists the arm. What started as a simple disagreement apparently has turned into a competition of who will give in first. It's more of a game really, and they're both really competitive. But Jimin looks tired. He knows how Tae and him get when they fight. They cling heavily to their hyungs, specially Jimin.
“Not for nothing,” Jimin continues at the absence of Jeongguk’s answer, “but Yoongi hyung’s getting annoyed. He's been complaining that I don't spend time with him anymore and he was really upset when I didn't sit next to him for this flight.”
This makes Jeongguk's will crack a little (a lot) more. If Yoongi hyung's upset that means this has gone too far. And he seriously doesn't want to cause trouble to his hyungs’ relationship.
“I really don't want him to be mad at me Jeonggukkie.” Jimin pouts. A low move if you ask Jeongguk.
“Okay, alright,” He says defeated. “I'll go and apologize.”
Jimin beams at this and gets up to let him pass.
“You're awesome Gukkie,” he hears him whisper when he walks past him.
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” he dismisses over his shoulder as he makes his way towards Jimin and Taehyung's seats.
Taehyung is seated next to the window as always. He has his earphones on, his eyes are closed and his head leaned to the side, resting on a pillow that Jeongguk gave him a few months back. He looks peaceful, Jeongguk takes note of the sharp line of his jaw, the way his closed eyes seem delicately painted by brush, his long eyelashes caressing his barely swollen cheekbones, his skin a little bit blushed, his soft and quite long hair covering his forehead like silk. He looks hauntingly beautiful, as always. Jeongguk's heart swells at the view, as always.
He drops his body on the seat next to him, Jimin's seat. Well, not anymore.
Taehyung doesn't even move, so he reaches over and softly squeezes his knee. He doesn't leave his hand there as he normally would, too soon.
Taehyung slowly stirs from his dream, blinking his eyes open. He turns his head to the side and his hooded eyes find Jeongguk's. He lets out a long sigh and melts into the seat, his cheek pressed on soft fabric.
They stay like that for a while. Just familiarizing again with each other's eyes after weeks of barely looking at each other. Jeongguk, as always, wonders how on earth did he managed to stay away from these eyes for so long. The emptiness and restlessness he felt before is suddenly gone.
Taehyung has always been his safe haven. It's always easy to let himself go next to the older, like the way you let yourself float in the ocean, the waves lulling you into slumber. He knows he could happily fall asleep right now, but first he needs to fix this.
He carefully reaches out and takes off one of Taehyung's earphones.
“Hey,” he whispers. Trying not to break the delicate intimacy they're in.
“Hey you,” Taehyung's deep voice sounds sore, but not without his usual tenderness and Jeongguk only wants to bring him close and touch the soft skin of his cheek.
Jeongguk purses his lips for a second, trying to figure out what to say next, but the truth is, he already forgot why he was mad in the first place. So he just lifts his hand with his pinky finger up and looks pointedly at Taehyung.
Taehyung chuckles and links his own pinky with Jeongguk's. They both smile as they push their thumbs together, sealing the promise. I'm sorry, it says, I love you even though you make me want to throw a chair at you sometimes. (Kidding, I just love you so much.)
Taehyung is still smiling when he releases the hold on Jeongguk's hand. He reaches his other hand up to Jeongguk's nape and leans forward to bring their foreheads together. Jeongguk feels Taehyung's sweet perfume fill his lungs, and he thrives on the little laugh that comes out of the older’s mouth.
“I missed you Guk-ah,” his long fingers playing with the hair on his nape.
“Mhm.” Jeongguk closes his eyes, eyebrows furrowing. Taehyung's warm fingers on his neck making his heart ache, the feeling of withdrawal that comes with not being able to touch each other for days kicking in all at once. His voice trembles a bit, “I missed you so much.”
They might have to talk about this some time in the future, about how these petty arguments are becoming increasingly common, but for now Jeongguk settles with a smile, his fingers wrapping around Taehyung's wrist, turning his head to nuzzle the tender skin.
Taehyung hums and pecks Jeongguk's forehead before leaning back to rest his head in his seat.
“Wanna play some games or you wanna sleep?”
Jeongguk rests his head back too and makes a face as in thinking. “I mean… I was pretty close of breaking our record in that game we downloaded last week”
“Oh really?” Taehyung laughs and takes out his phone from the front pocket of his sweater. “Let's see who breaks it first then.”
Jeongguk can't help but to smile widely as he opens the game in his own phone. Doing this with Taehyung is always better than doing it alone. He thinks maybe this principle applies to everything else in his life. Perhaps even living itself.
Jimin lets out a relieved sigh when he watches how Taehyung and Jeongguk smile at each other from the seat he's been hiding behind.
Finally.
He gets up and walks towards the first row of seats, letting himself fall ungraciously on the empty seat at the very end. To his side Yoongi lifts his head from where he'd been writing on his notebook.
“I’m guessing it worked then?”
Jimin turns to look at him and smiles softly. “Yeah, they're all lovey dovey again.”
Yoongi pulls out his fist and bumps it against Jimin's “Nice.”
“Yeah.” Jimin says, while looking for the seatbelt between the seats. He doesn't sound so convinced and Yoongi is already lifting an eyebrow at him.
“What’s wrong?” Half of his face is covered with his black mask, but Jimin knows he's pouting.
He considers his answer, before bucking up his belt and melting against the seat. His face stretched upward for a moment before turning his head to look at the older. He sighs and picks up Yoongi's hand from his notebook, pencil forgotten over the pages.
“I just hate when it ends up with you being the bad guy, hyung," he mutters stroking Yoongi's hand with his fingers. “I don't want them to think that way about you.”
Yoongi laughs at this. “Jiminie.“
“What? I'm serious, they’ll think you're like, possessive or something.”
“I am possessive though.” Yoongi nods nonchalantly.
Jimin glares at him. “You know what I mean.”
“I know,” Yoongi says, his eyes soft. “I really don't mind Minnie, I only care about what you think of me.”
Jimin turns more to his side to look straight I to Yoongi's eyes. “I think you’re amazing.”
“See?” Yoongi's eyes smile and he squeezes his hand. “Besides, my reputation already precedes me either way, so-” he shrugs.
Jimin wants to argue a bit more but he let's it be.
He hates how most people think that Yoongi's this heartless self-centered prick when the truth is he's willing to take the blame if it‘s for the sake of his friends. He wonders how much more does it have to take to prove that one can fit the whole universe in this man's heart.
Jimin nods reluctantly, feeling his heart pound with affection for his beloved. He briefly trails his eyes over Yoongi's face and then reaches up to pull his mask down, just enough to uncover the older's mouth. He leans in and pecks his rosy lips softly, earning a chuckle form Yoongi. Before he can pull back he feels a hand on the back of his head, bringing him close again. Yoongi kisses him deeply and then pecks him twice before he lets him go.
Jimin smiles widely and Yoongi returns the smile while he pulls his mask back on. His eyes two crescents over a sea of black.
The dancer shifts a bit so he can pull the blanket over his chest and winces at his suddenly sore neck.
Yoongi brings his hand up to caress Jimin's hair, the younger nuzzling into the touch. “Tired?”
“Yeah,” he sighs at the soft trail of Yoongi's fingers “But mostly mentally. I swear, they don't pay me enough to keep playing Dr. Phill between those two.”
Yoongi chuckles. “They really are something huh?”
“Yeah,” Jimin repeats, already done with the subject “Anyway, what were you doing?” he asks leaning closer so he can see what's on Yoongi's table.
“I was trying out some new rhymes,” Yoongi says lifting his notebook closer to Jimin and pointing the scribbling with his pen. “Tell me what you think about it."
Jimin's not over half of the page when Taehyung's voice interrupts his reading.
“-THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT STOP TWISTING MY WORDS!”
“YOU CALLED ME A CHEATER HOW CAN I POSSIBLY TWIST THAT?”
“YOU CALLED ME A CHEATER FIRST AND I WAS WINNING FAIR SQUARE!”
“ARE YOU FOR REAL NOW? DO YOU REALLY THINK I-”
Jimin groans burying his face into Yoongi's shoulder.
“Come. On.“ He whines.
He feels Yoongi's chuckle more than he hears it. The older pats his head condescendingly.
“I'll miss you baby,” he whispers.
Jimin lifts his head and glares at him. He knows Yoongi's trying to bite back a smile but he's failing miserably.
He can still hear Jeongguk and Taehyung's quarrelling two rows back.
"JIMINNIE!"
They definitely don't pay him enough.
____