Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Park Jimin knows he looks good. He looks better than good. He is dressed in his deep blue khakis and a beige knit collared polo. His brown belt compliments the brown sneakers he wears, and he knows that this combination makes his golden skin glow.  

He styles his hair loosely, making sure that it falls over his forehead in an I don’t care sort of way. Which is a gross understatement, because he does care a lot, and has put a lot of effort and product in his hair to make it look like the way it does.

A spritz of his favorite Blu De Chanel perfume and he is ready for the evening.  

He hears a low whistle behind him, and turns to see his roommate smile at him appreciatively.  

“Oh, who are we impressing tonight, Park Jimin?” Jung Hoseok asks. 

“I could ask you the same thing,” Jimin replies, making Hoseok laugh.  

Hoseok is dressed in what could be described as high-end street wear. He was wearing dark blue cargo pants, and a tight white tank with an oversized colorful shirt on top. He has his MiuMiu glasses on the bridge of his nose and looks like he has just stepped out of a fashion magazine.  

Hoseok comes over to stand with his flat mate in front of the large full-length mirror Jimin has in his room. It was a gift from his parents, and the two friends always make use of it for getting ready in the morning, or to take aesthetic Instagram OOTD pictures.  

“We look good!” Hoseok states. “Better than good.” 

“We look amazing,” Jimin agrees easily. It is the truth after all.

A few pictures later they are in their living room – if one could call it that. Jimin and Hoseok had lucked out by getting an apartment very close to their university.

It is a modest apartment on the second floor of a prominently red colored building. It has two bedrooms, a kitchen, a shared bathroom and not much else. The living room/ dining room/ general non-bedroom area is not as big as they had wished it would have been, but it is enough for the two of them.  

Presently, they are getting ready for a party on campus – the fall semester has just begun and that means that parties are in full swing. The sports season is right around the corner too, and although Jimin is not that interested in sports, he most definitely was interested in the people playing the sports.  

Hoseok had snagged a few bottles of cheap vodka from his older sister, which they decorated their kitchen cabinet with. For fun occasions such as this, a bottle of green apple flavored vodka is the drink of choice, and pre- gaming is mandatory.  

They have a couple of shots each, followed by a few slices of frozen pizza that they heat up in their microwave and then they feel properly ready for the evening.

“We’ll leave in 10,” Hoseok tells Jimin. “Seokjin will swing by, so we can all go together.”  

Jimin nods and takes a seat on the bean bag in the living room. They do not have a television, but they do have a Bluetooth speaker that they use religiously. Hoseok plays a slow R&B song and Jimin bops his head to the beats of the track. Hoseok always has the best taste in music, and his roommate loves the songs he plays.  

Seoul National University is one of the most prestigious universities in all of South Korea, and Jimin and Hoseok are two of its several shining stars. The SNU campus housed sixteen colleges, one graduate school and nine professional schools and orientation for most of the colleges was held on the same day. Jimin and Hoseok had met on their first day of orientation at the College of Music - Hoseok is majoring in Music Composition and Jimin is doing a double major in Contemporary Dance and Vocal Music.

They also have a background in dance and have known each other from the many competitions they had taken part in as school kids. So they naturally gravitated towards one another during their first day and had never ever drifted away.

Hoseok is from Gwangju, and Jimin from Busan, so the only options they had were to either stay at the on-campus accommodation provided by the University, or to rent an apartment close by. They had stayed on campus during their first year, but moved out the next to get a sense of independence.

Their degree is four years long, and with three years behind them, they're currently in their fourth year which started a few days ago in the apartment they call home.

They have taken care of and decorated the apartment with love. It is not overly crowded, but tastefully done with the help of their parents. They love their apartment a lot, and everyone who visits it, loves it just as much.

Jimin looks around and sees the many smiling pictures of the two of them hung across the walls. It is his final year of university and he knows he will miss all of this when it is time to graduate. Luckily, Hoseok and Jimin have plans to move to a bigger apartment once they’ve gotten their degrees.

Kim Seokjin is their friend from the College of Business Administration. He is one of the smartest people at the college and is Hoseok’s friend from school. Hoseok had introduced Jimin and Seokjin to each other a few days after orientation and the three of them had become fast friends.

Seokjin lives with his mother - they are from Seoul and live close to their university, so he decided to stay with her until he graduates. His mother is a kind hearted woman who loves Jimin and Hoseok as her own. They have monthly meetings at Seokjin's house where she cooks them a lovely home cooked meal so that the boys do not miss their homes too much.

They have a nice little life that they have made for themselves. Jimin adores every part of it.

He stretches his arms above his head, yawning once before opening up Instagram on his phone. And as soon as he does, the first post that pops up takes his breath away.

There is not much that impresses Jimin, and that is not said in a bad way. He is not a snob, nor is he pretentious. In fact, he is one of the most prolific students at his college. He is popular, he has many people that he could call his friend, and he is the co-president of the dance club that Hoseok and him had founded back in their freshman year.

Every time he walks across campus, people wave at him, and stop to talk to him. His professors adore him, and always speak highly of his discipline and high grades. Jimin is a star, but he was not easily impressed by people who pursued him romantically.

In fact, he has never even really been in a relationship before. Except for the one he is currently in. But he could not call it a relationship per se, it is more of a situationship at best, and one person ignoring the other at worst.

And the person being ignored is Jimin himself.

The thing is that there is someone who has impressed the great Park Jimin. It is another student at SNU, one who is Seokjin's classmate. Jimin had met him when they were all in their freshman year at college. It was an evening much like this one, and Jimin was getting ready for a party at his cramped college dorm.

He was wearing jeans and an old t-shirt, not really bothering to do anything with his hair. It was better than Hoseok, who was going to the party dressed in shorts and a “vintage” Lebron James tank top. Jimin cringes at the memory - they were still discovering their style, and were making do with what they thought was cool.

The parties at SNU were legendary, everyone who studied there knew about them and knew how amazing they were. Jimin was excited for his first college party and he wanted to make an impression on his peers and seniors. The party was at a fraternity house, the one that housed the varsity athletes of SNU. And although Jimin and Hoseok had no idea about college sports, they were invited to the party and were there to learn.

The party was great. There was tons of alcohol, great music, and half decent pizza. Jimin had stuck by Seokjin and Hoseok and had a pretty great time.

He wanted a refill of the stale beer he was sipping on, so he separated from them and walked into the kitchen, trying to find some for himself when he accidentally walked into another human being.

“Oh, I am so sorry,” Jimin had said. “I didn’t see where I was going.”

“No problem,” a voice said and Jimin looked up to see a boy with the biggest brown eyes he had ever seen. There was politeness in those doe eyes and a small smile on his face.

The boy was not that much taller than Jimin, but he was broader. He moved to the side and let Jimin pass. He had short hair, and was dressed in all black. He looked young, and Jimin assumed that he was a freshman too.

“Are you a freshman?” Jimin asked.

The boy nodded, and stretched out a hand. “Jeon Jeongguk. I go to the College of Business Administration.”

Jimin shook his outstretched hand, “Park Jimin. College of Music.”

“Oh, music,” Jeongguk said, with no hints of judgment. “Interesting.”

“Yeah,” Jimin said. “Are you from Seoul?”

“Busan,” Jeongguk replied.

“Me too.”

“Very cool.”

“Yeah.”

“So, I guess I’ll see you around, Park Jimin.”

“Yeah.”

Jeongguk hovered for a second, and then he was gone. And he had taken Jimin’s heart along with him.

Jeongguk is kind, polite and decent, and the more Jimin learned about him, the more he fell for him. He got to know about Jeongguk from Seokjin - who was only too happy to talk about the guy who had stuck on to him like glue, not that Jimin blamed him.

Seokjin is great too - he is funny, tall, handsome, smart but he is not Jeongguk. No one on campus is.

Jeongguk had gotten into SNU’s football team in the Spring Semester of their freshman year, and had quickly found a permanent place in the team. He had moved into the fraternity house on campus soon after and stayed there with the other players of the team.

He had also done very well in his classes and had made quite a name for himself in the university. He was not as popular as Jimin, but many people knew him. And nearly everyone who could be attracted to Jeongguk was attracted to him. But he kept everyone at an arm’s length.

Jimin and him barely shared any classes together but Jimin always kept an eye on him wherever he could, and whenever he could. He would go watch his matches, he would be at every campus party so that he didn’t miss Jeongguk. Hoseok called it being a stalker, but Jimin called it being up to date.

“What sort of a fuck ass one sided romance are you in, Jimin? This is horrible,” Hoseok had whined to him in their sophomore year. “If you like him so much, you should just go and tell him that.”

Jimin had just rolled his eyes at the suggestion.

His eyes go back to his phone and he sees a new post by Jeongguk. He looks different, good different. He has grown his hair out over the summer, it is longer than Jimin had ever known it to be. In the picture, he is wearing an SNU t-shirt and is smiling away from the camera. He looks amazing.

“Oh, God,” he hears Hoseok whine behind him and he can almost hear him rolling his eyes. “Don’t like that picture, Jimin! It was posted only 32 seconds ago.”

Jimin turns towards him, gives him a pointed look and double taps on the picture, a red heart appearing on it. “Oops.”

“You have such a big crush on the guy that ignores your entire existence,” Hoseok says. “Why do you do this to yourself?”

And Jimin wishes he had an answer to that question.

“Get ready. Seokjinnie is almost here,” Hoseok says and takes out another glass from their cabinet. And just as he does, they hear their door bell go off and Hoseok opens the door to a handsome Seokjin standing there with a smile on his face.

They head off to the party after Seokjin drinks four shots in one go. It is a short walk from their place to the frat house and they have a bit of alcohol in their system that gets them nice and buzzed. They hear the music from the fraternity way before they could even see it.

“Have a good night, my boys,” Seokjin says, putting an arm over Hoseok and Jimin’s shoulders. “And I hope we get lucky.”

“Seokjin-ah, you know that I will, and you might,” Hoseok says. “As for Jimin…”

“Hey! I can get lucky if I wanted to,” Jimin protests, slightly offended.

“You absolutely can. And there are people ready and waiting for you,” Seokjin says. “But only if you look at anyone except for Jeongguk.”

Jimin sighs. “We are not having this conversation again.”

“We know,” Hoseok replies. “But we need to drill this into your head.”

Jimin groans out loudly. “Can we just… Can we not?”

“He liked a picture Jeongguk posted within 32 seconds of him posting it,” Hoseok complains to Seokjin.

“32 seconds, damn. You beat your own record by 15 seconds,” Seokjin comments.

“I will turn around and go back home, you know.”

“And miss the chance to see your beloved?” Hoseok teases and Jimin hates how right he is.

“Whatever,” Jimin says, pushing Seokjin’s arm off his shoulder, and takes a few steps in front of them. “I am going to stay away from you two the entire night, so if you don’t find me at the end of it, you only have yourselves to blame.”

“I hope you get some, Jimin-ah,” Hoseok says loudly and Jimin turns around to flip him off. He hears Hoseok laugh loudly behind him.

They end up entering the party together. The frat house is a large beige and blue colored house. It has three floors, and nearly twenty rooms to accommodate all the soccer team players. There is loud music playing from the large speakers and the giant living room is teeming with people.

As soon as Jimin enters through the front door, he is hit with the overwhelming smell of beer, several perfumes and the very particular smell of a party in full swing. Anyone who recognizes him in the dim lights comes up to him and greets him - a side hug, a pat on his shoulder, kisses on his cheeks. And Jimin meets them with enthusiasm.

He sees Hoseok and Seokjin meet some people and walks to the couch, smiling at the center-back defender of the SNU football team who is lounging on it, talking to a cute girl.

Lim Jaebom gets up as soon as he sees Jimin and comes up to him, engulfing him in a large hug. “There’s my favorite dancer,” he says and Jimin laughs, hugging him back.

“Don’t let Hobi hear you say that,” Jimin says. “He’d lose his mind.”

“I can say it in front of Hobi, I am not scared of him,” Jaebom replies, his voice slurring a bit.

Jimin looks behind Jaebom. “Oh, here he is now.”

“Shit, wait, Hobi, I didn’t mean-” Jaebom says quickly, turning around and noticing that no one was behind him. “That was not funny.”

“I thought you said something about not being scared of him,” Jimin muses, making a show of thinking and placing a finger on his chin. The girl he was sitting with smiles at Jimin before walking away from the living room.

“Okay, fine, maybe I am a little scared,” Jaebom admits. “But you can’t blame me. You know how much of a hard-ass he was at the Winter Showcase last year.”

“There was absolutely no need for the soccer team to want to perform at the showcase,” Jimin says. “You guys brought that upon yourselves.”

“We are an inclusive team, in an inclusive university,” Jaebom comments with confidence. “We needed to show everyone that footballers can be dancers too.”

“Bad dancers, yeah.”

“We were not that bad,” Jaebom says.

“We were terrible,” Jimin hears another loud voice say and turns to see another member of the team, Jackson Wang, with two bottles of beer in his hand. “Hi Jimin, here,” he said, handing him the beer and giving him a side hug.

“Hi, Jackson,” Jimin greets. “Nice party.”

“And it's been going on for over an hour, so you better have a good reason for being late,” Jackson says.

“Seokjin,” Jimin states and the two boys in front of him nodded in understanding. It was not news that Seokjin was almost always late everywhere. He calls it fashionably late, but everyone else just calls it being tardy.

“Where is he?” Jaebom asks, looking around the house. "I haven't seen that asshole ever since the year started."

“We entered together,” Jimin says, looking around. “He must be with Hobi somewhere.”

“Okay,” Jaebom says and excuses himself to go find them.

“Let me get you something to eat,” Jackson says. “We got catering service from Yugyeom’s sister. She’s incredible and gave us a great deal. We have kimbap, cheese corn dogs…”

Jackson keeps listing out a bunch of food items that Yugyeom’s sister catering company had made, but it was all background noise to Jimin.

They were walking across the house, from the living room, to the kitchen. Right at the corner of the living room, in between the crowd of people that were there, Jimin sees Jeongguk. He is wearing an oversized black t-shirt, with black pants and combat boots. His long hair is freshly washed and Jimin knows that it is as soft as it looked.

He is talking to someone, a girl Jimin knew from the College of Literature and he is smiling at something she says. The house is dark - there were mood lights all around the place, strategically placed by the residents, but Jeongguk shines even in the darkness.

All of Jimin’s attention is on Jeongguk, but Jeongguk did not even look beyond the person he is talking to and just like that Jimin is in the kitchen.

“… so she said if we do really well in the upcoming games she’ll send us food for free and who are we to say no to a deal like that,” he hears the final bits of Jackson’s conversation and laughs on cue as his monologue ends.

“Well lucky for you, the team will do very well,” Jimin replies.

“That’s the hope, Jimin-ah. That’s the hope. Have you met the others?”

Jimin munches on a large piece of kimbap as he speaks to the party goers. They are his friends, but they were not as close to him as Hoseok and Seokjin were. And he knows most of the people here, so it is not like he is lonely even without his two closest friends. There are always things to talk about and people to talk to.

But his social battery is draining slowly, and Jimin needs a minute to himself. So, he walks back to the living room, keeping an eye out for Jeongguk as he does and sits down on the large couch that Jaebom was sitting on when he entered the house.

Getting a moment for yourself in a house full of drunk college goers is a big thing, and Jimin is happy to have this for himself. He opens his phone and scrolls through everyone’s stories on Instagram. Pictures upon pictures of the party come on his feed and he smiles as he taps through all of them.

“Mind if I sit?” a deep voice says and Jimin looks up from his phone to see the handsome face of Kim Namjoon.

“Please do,” Jimin says with a smile. “It is your house, after all.”

Namjoon shrugs and takes a seat next to Jimin, close but not too close. “Not for long.”

Jimin smiles and nods. "I know what you mean."

Namjoon is the captain of the SNU soccer team. He is tall, muscular and very good looking. Namjoon has led his team to success ever since he has been a part of the team. He is here on a sports scholarship, and has made a name for himself in Seoul. There were also rumors that several international teams were scouting him but he, deservedly, is being choosy about it.

Namjoon studies at the College of Business Administration and while Seokjin and Namjoon are close friends, Jimin and him are just acquaintances, maybe slightly more than that. But, Jimin did notice that Namjoon always goes out of his way to talk to Jimin. He appreciates it.

“How was summer break?” he asks.

“Good,” Jimin replies. “My family and I went to Thailand for a couple weeks. It was amazing. How was yours?”

“It was fun. I didn’t travel, but I did meet with some coaches to discuss my plans for the next few years.”

“Will you get me season tickets for your matches when you become a famous soccer player?” Jimin teases. “Don’t forget me when you do.”

Namjoon smiles and looks down. Jimin notices the deep dimples on his cheeks. Namjoon is handsome, there is no denying that. His dark brown hair falls across his forehead and he looks dreamy when he runs a few fingers through his hair, brushing them away.

“I could never forget you, Jimin,” he says and Jimin sees a tinge of red on the tips of his ears. "What are your plans for next year?"

"I have a few interviews lined up in the Winter, and I think they should go well."

"Oh, that means I need to tell you to not forget me, Mr. Famous," Namjoon teases and Jimin shakes his head.

“I need a drink,” Jimin says, more to himself than to the man sitting in front of him.

But Namjoon shoots up in a second and Jimin sees him rush to the kitchen. His own cheeks burn slightly, and he places a palm on his face to cool himself down. Jimin is human, after all. He's a few drinks down and a handsome man is flirting with him. It would get anyone worked up.

Namjoon is back with a beer in each hand, and he hands one to Jimin, clinking their bottles before taking a sip from it.

“Jimin-” he starts but is interrupted by the ding of Jimin’s incoming message.

“Sorry,” Jimin says and looks down at his phone.

jjk:
my room at 10.30?

The message stared at him and Jimin swallows.

Namjoon disappears, the party disappears, and it is only Jimin and the text that he had just received.

Jimin:
okay.

He replies, and when he looks back up, the whole world comes rushing back to him.

“Sorry about that,” he tells Namjoon, locking his phone and pocketing it. “You were saying something.”

Namjoon opens his mouth to say something but they hear a loud, “Namjoon-ah!” behind him. Seokjin grins as he comes up to his friend and engulfs him in a large back hug. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Where were you?”

Namjoon smiles and begins talking to Seokjin. They have known each other since middle school so they always have a lot to catch up on.

Jimin takes the opportunity to look around the house for the person who had sent him the message but fails to find him. He has an hour before he is due to meet him, so he walks to the kitchen, deciding to get something to eat, and to try and get some more alcohol in his system.

Yugyeom’s sister’s catering company has really done an incredible job with the food and Jimin makes sure to tell Yugyeom about that. He eats a bunch of the corn dogs, slurps on some cheese tteokbokki and relishes it all. He also moves on from beer to cheap whiskey and nurses a glass in his hand as he looks at the time.

It is nearly 10.30 and so he decides to slowly slink away from the crowd. They all are more drunk now than before so even if they don't see Jimin for the rest of the night, it would not be an issue.

He sends a quick message to Hobi telling him that he would be going over to his friend Taemin’s place for the night to work on something and receives a thumbs up in return. Jimin looks around the kitchen once more, making sure no one sees him and then exits it quickly, walking up the stairs right next to them.

The second floor of the house is sparsely crowded. The music is still loud and the base thumps, but things get marginally better when he reaches the third floor.

There is no one around so he quietly and quickly walks across the corridor and knocks on the door of the room on the far end. In a second the door opens and Jimin is pulled into it by a hand.

The room is much darker than the rest of the house. The lights are off, and it is only illuminated by the street lights from the campus below. Jimin is suddenly pushed up against the door of the room and strong hands come around his waist, holding him tight.

Jimin’s hands rush to cup the face of the person in front of him and he smiles as strong lips come over his.

Their lips slide together smoothly, in familiar movements and the touch is soft, comforting. They haven’t done this since before summer break, and Jimin has longed for the feeling of these soft lips against his own.

A bite on his lower lip makes Jimin gasp and he feels a sudden urge go through his body. He feels a wanton need for the man in front of him and he moans loudly when a tongue pushes its way through his lips and massages his own.

The body in front of him parts from him for a second, and then he finds himself being yanked by his shirt and being pushed on the bed that he knows is in a corner of the room. His body hits the mattress and before he can get comfortable, the familiar body covers his own and the mouth he knows so well begins to ravage his neck.

“Did you miss me?” Jimin teases as his breathy moans fill the room.

The other only laughs as he sucks a deep purple bruise on the side of Jimin’s neck.

“Oh, oh, fuck, unh,” Jimin moans and he feels his cock hardening under the weight of the beautiful man above him. “Jeongguk, please.”

“Do you like that?” Jeongguk asks, grinding down and Jimin feels the hardness of Jeongguk's cock against his own, their clothed erections causing friction and the right kind of pleasure that they love and crave.

“Yes,” Jimin breathes out. “Kiss me.”

It is a hard kiss that takes his breath away and blows his mind. It makes him dizzy and feel like he is floating away, with the only tether he has to this Earth being Jeongguk's lips on his.

His fingers find purchase in Jeongguk’s hair. It is longer than before, but still as soft as ever. Jimin groans against Jeongguk’s mouth when he feels the other’s hand underneath his shirt, pawing around his stomach, and moving slowly to graze his erect nipples. Jimin gasps when he feels Jeongguk’s fingers pinch the nub and rub it in between his index and thumb.

“So sensitive,” Jeongguk teases and Jimin’s face grows hot.

Jimin brings Jeongguk in for another kiss, and their tongues slide together. They know each other well enough to know what makes the other feel the best. Jeongguk pushes himself up just a bit, undoing the buttons of his cargo pants and then undoing Jimin’s. Jimin still has his shoes on and he toes them off, making them fall unceremoniously onto the floor of Jeongguk’s room.

Their lips never leave one another, and their breathing grows more labored as they quickly do away with their clothes. The light from the little college street below doesn't do much to illuminate Jeongguk’s room, but in what light does come through, Jimin sees Jeongguk’s beautiful face and smiles.

He is so close to Jimin, the closest he ever will be tonight, but Jimin loves it so much. He looks around his bed for the bottle of lube that he always keeps tucked into a corner and pops open the lid, squeezing some of it onto his palm. He coats his fingers, and smiles at Jimin as he hovers steadily over him.

“Ready?” he asks as his hand snakes itself down to Jimin’s opening.

Jimin smirks. “I’ve been ready since yesterday. Took care of myself before getting ready tonight. You don’t need to open me up.”

Jeongguk exhales loudly and buries his head in the space between Jimin’s neck and shoulder. “You’re driving me wild, Park Jimin.”

Jeongguk’s hand disappears and he coats the lube from his hand on his dick. “Turn over,” he tells Jimin, and Jimin complies easily.

Jimin’s heart races with the anticipation of what is coming next. Jeongguk’s long hair is something different. It tickles the nape of his neck when he comes close to Jimin. The heat of his chest burns Jimin’s back and he can feel his dick pressing at his own hole.

Jimin’s toes curl as Jeongguk slowly presses into him, stretching him wider as he bottoms out completely. The burn is slow and painful, but familiar. Jeongguk is big, but somehow he feels bigger tonight.

“Its been too long,” Jeongguk moans. “Three months without your ass,” he says, slapping it softly and Jimin gasps at the sensation. “Really unfair.”

“Jeongguk, please,” Jimin moans out, unable to think clearly and form a coherent thought while being stretched out on Jeongguk’s dick. “Just…”

“Just what?” Jeongguk asks. Jimin can hear the restraint in his voice. He wants Jimin to ask him to fuck him. And Jimin can’t deny him anything.

“Just fuck me.”

Jeongguk places a kiss on his neck and Jimin can hear his smile when he says, “I thought you’d never ask.”

Jeongguk slams his hips forward, and Jimin is not sure how he could fill him up more than he already has. Jimin breathes out. This is a feeling he feels in his chest, and the air in his lungs escapes with a loud sigh. His back arches as he feels Jeongguk hold on to his waist and begin thrusting.

“Oh, please, oh, God, Jeongguk,” Jimin moans out loudly, incoherently.

“You feel so good,” Jeongguk says. “Like you’re made just for me. All for me.”

Jimin nods, although he is not sure whether Jeongguk can see him or not. It doesn't matter. He is made for Jeongguk. He is Jeongguk's completely. Irrespective of whatever is going to happen when day breaks.

Jeongguk knows Jimin’s body. He knows the way he should move to get him to scream, and that is what he does when he navigates to his left, just an inch and Jimin nearly yells loud enough to alert the entire house.

He can feel the base of the music from the party downstairs thumping in Jeongguk’s room, and knows that no one would ever guess what is happening here currently, but the thought scares him. And Jeongguk too, in the way that he falls over Jimin and whispers in his ear, “Shh, shh. Slowly, baby.”

Jimin still moans loudly, bringing the back of his palm to cover his mouth to avoid being too loud. His cock is rock hard, leaking all over Jeongguk’s bed and he can feel tears prickling his eyes. Jeongguk is relentless. Being a soccer player comes with many perks, and the stamina of being able to fuck for a long time is one of them.

Not that Jimin is anywhere close to complaining.

There is sweat forming on his forehead, his back and shoulders but the warm puffs of air that Jeongguk’s breaths out cool him down a bit. Jeongguk’s large hands cover his waist easily and Jimin loves the feeling he gets when Jeongguk is all over him.

Jeongguk holds on to Jimin’s waist, touches his back, whispers soft nothings into his ears about how good he is feeling and Jimin slowly loses himself in the feeling of Jeongguk everywhere around him. It's his most favorite feeling in the world.

The sound of skin slapping against skin is like music to his ears and Jimin moans out in tandem with every thrust of Jeongguk’s hips.

He does not slow down, fucking with the intensity that comes with being away for summer break. But, Jimin can hear his labored breaths and how his hips falter just slightly, and Jimin knows he’s close. And that’s when Jeongguk really starts to fuck.

He pauses for a second, adjusts himself and falls further onto the bed, and into Jimin. He snakes a hand around Jimin’s waist, places his knees firmly on the bed and kisses him on his back as a warning. Jimin arches back, turns over and looks at Jeongguk.

He is beautiful. There are droplets of sweat on his forehead and his lips are parted as he pants softly. He looks at Jimin, and Jimin sees those big brown eyes that he loves so much. He gives him a small kiss and nods as Jeongguk asks for silent permission.

Jimin’s eyes close on their own accord, his own lips part and a soft moan escapes him as Jeongguk starts to drive his dick deep into Jimin. He fucks him fast, with passion and grunts as Jimin moans loudly. His own dick leaks and he knows he’s close. He just needs to hold on until Jeongguk says he is close and then they can come together.

Those words come moments later when Jeongguk whispers, “I am so close, I’m so close.”

“Me too,” Jimin whispers back.

His hand comes around his dick and he begins to jerk himself off. The precum makes the glide easy as he flicks his wrist hard and fast. A broken moan follows and Jimin sobs as his toes curl and he spills all over his hand and Jeongguk’s sheets. Jeongguk moans out loudly, biting Jimin’s shoulder as he comes inside Jimin.

“Fuck, oh fuck,” Jeongguk groans as he grinds his hips deep into Jimin. Jimin can feel the hot cum in his ass and he tries to blink away the tears and get his racing heart under control. They stay like that for a long time, trying to get their breathing back to normal and Jimin realizes how dry his throat is.

Jeongguk is not doing any better. He holds Jimin up, not wanting him to rest on soiled sheets but his legs shake as he waits for the aftershocks to pass. Jimin can feel his heartbeat and he smiles at the feeling.

“I have wet wipes in my nightstand,” Jeongguk says, his voice harsh and scratchy.

Jimin opens the dark chestnut wood drawer and hands him the pack.

Jeongguk slips out of him and he feels his cum dripping out of him, rolling down his inner thigh. A moment later something cool wipes away the cum and Jimin shivers. He turns over to see Jeongguk wipe him cum away, making sure to clean it as much as he can.

Jimin gets off the bed, and Jeongguk uses some of the wet wipes to clean his hand, going over his fingers meticulously and then wiping off the drops of cum that landed on his stomach. Jimin’s heart swells at the kind gesture and he tucks a loose strand of dark hair behind Jeongguk’s ear.

“I like your long hair,” he says and Jeongguk smiles. “It suits you.”

“The rest of the team made fun of me,” Jeongguk replies and Jimin can hear a pout in his voice. “They say it's too long.”

“I think it's perfect.”

Jeongguk turns away, dropping the wipes into this trash can. “You wanna use the washroom? I can change the sheets until then.”

Jimin’s pouts, a frown marring his face. “I am so sorry. I didn’t realize -”

“Hey, what are you apologizing for?” Jeongguk asks. “They’re just sheets. I’ll put them in the wash and they’ll be good as new.”

Jimin nods and looks around for his pants and shirt. Jeongguk does not have an en-suite bathroom, but there is one very close to his room. He usually uses it after their trysts, he just needs to make sure no one is around.

He puts on his shirt and borrows Jeongguk’s towel to tie around his waist. He opens Jeongguk’s door. The harsh lights of the corridor make him flinch, and peeps outside to make sure the coast is clear and then dashes into the bathroom. He cleans up quickly, washing himself as he does and looks at himself in the mirror.

His hair is a mess, the concealer he had applied on his under eyes has washed away, his lips are red and swollen, and he looks thoroughly fucked out. He loves it.

He splashes some water on his face, wiping away what he can with Jeongguk’s towel and smoothens out his hair with his fingers. When he thinks he looks presentable enough, he repeats his peeping process and then runs back into Jeongguk’s room.

The lights are on now and Jeongguk is bent over the side of the bed, tucking in the corners of his new bed sheet. He is shirtless, wearing only his dark black boxers. He looks amazing and Jimin’s heart skips a beat. He is dressed up, and Jeongguk stands up straight and smiles at Jimin. It's sweet, and kind and Jimin notices how beautiful he looks.

When he saw Jeongguk at the party, it was dark and Jimin could not fully make out the way Jeongguk had grown to look even more beautiful now than he did a few months ago. When they were having sex, the lights were low. But now, Jimin could see the way Jeongguk looked and he loved what he saw.

His broad shoulders, the rippling muscles in his biceps, the way his abs were carved out as if they were made of marble - Jeongguk is truly a piece of art. He had spread out a clean sheet on the bed, and the one that was soiled was rolled up and placed in his laundry bag.

“Do you want to watch a movie?” Jeongguk asks and Jimin smiles.

They usually spend time in this way - they would hook up, watch a movie and then drift off into sleep. It was usually Jimin who woke up first, and then he would run out the door as quickly as he could. There was no reason to stay back, they had not discussed the terms of their relationship. It was just sex, and nothing more. So there was no reason to stay back, according to Jimin.

And to be fair, Jeongguk had not brought anything up either. In fact, the only time Jeongguk even spoke to make any contact with Jimin was in the four walls of his room.

But it is fine. It is something that they both were okay with and that was that.

Jeongguk pulls out his laptop from his backpack and plays the second Captain America movie. They are bingeing the entire Marvel movie franchise and it is a good way for them to unwind.

🙡🙢

Jimin has no idea when they had fallen asleep but suddenly he wakes up to Jeongguk’s soft snores. The sun has barely risen, drenching the room in a soft yellow glow. Jeongguk’s warm body is snuggled against him. He is shirtless, wearing just a pair of soft gray joggers, while Jimin is wearing his outfit from the previous evening.

Jimin is on his back and Jeongguk has an arm thrown around Jimin’s waist. His head is near Jimin’s chest and he is deep in sleep. He looks innocent, not at all like the star player of the SNU football team.

But Jimin knows his time is up. If he could run back to his apartment, he knows that he will be up even before Hoseok has an idea about where he currently is. He gives himself the luxury of staring at Jeongguk for a few more seconds and then inches himself off the bed. His shoes are neatly kept by the door, so he puts them on, turns to look at Jeongguk’s sleeping form and then leaves the room quietly.

The house is quiet. It usually is when Jimin leaves Jeongguk’s room this early, and he would hate to run into anyone, so he is thankful for the silence. There are no phone calls or messages on his phone except for a few people sharing pictures, so he pockets his phone, and walks down the stairs.

There are bottles and bottles of alcohol all over the living room. There are a few people sleeping on the couch, and some of them are lying down on the floor. Jimin smiles at the seemingly passed out people and he opens the main door of the fraternity house and rushes out.

The campus is beautiful in the morning. The fall sun shines on him and the orange leaves on the trees give rise to a nostalgic feeling in his heart. He wants to stand and stare at the scene around him, but he needs to get home. He sprints quickly, getting out of the campus and reaching his apartment in ten minutes. He opens the door to his house softly, not wanting to wake anyone up.

Seokjin is snoring loudly on his couch. It helps to cover up the sound of the door closing. Hoseok’s room is partially closed but he can see the silhouette of his friend sleeping soundly. He has made it, and he quietly cheers for himself. Jimin opens up the door to his room, slips in and lets out a breath he did not he was holding in.

It's a Saturday and he has no classes for the day. So he strips down, wraps his own towel around his waist, pulls out a t- shirt and some sweatpants, walks out of his room and into his bathroom for a long hot shower. He washes the night away, cleaning himself completely and feeling refreshed and tired all at the same time.

He moisturizes himself, does some skincare, and puts on the clothes he had taken to the bathroom. He exits, hair damp and feeling clean, throws his towel into the dirty clothes hamper, and then plops right onto his bed, sleep taking over him in a matter of seconds.

He is woken up by the delicious smell of Ramen, or as Seokjin likes to call it - the breakfast of champions. It's a few hours after the first time he had woken up this morning and Jimin stretches loudly before heading out.

“Good morning,” he says to Seokjin.

“When did you get here?” Seokjin asks. “I thought I heard you but I wasn’t too sure.”

“Around three-ish,” Jimin lies easily. He got home around 6. “I saw you passed out on the couch and didn’t want to wake you. You know you can just sleep in my room when I’m not there.”

“I didn’t want to intrude,” Seokjin says. “Besides, I thought I was going to leave but I was too drunk to walk home.”

Jimin smiles, getting some banana milk for himself from the fridge. “Is Hobi awake?”

“Nope,” Seokjin says. “Do you want me to make ramen for you too?”

“Yes, please,” Jimin says with a smile.

They stay in their apartment for the rest of the weekend. Their classes have already begun and Jimin has a bunch of them on Monday. But the worst thing is the sinking feeling of their last year as undergraduates. It is awful. They all have some plans for the next year, but nothing is concrete yet.

Seokjin leaves soon after breakfast on Saturday and Hoseok and Jimin relax in their apartment. Their fridge is stocked, their class schedule is ready and they have the beginning of a plan for the end of year showcase. They had planned to hang out with their friends on Sunday, but ended up watching a variety show together, and texted their friends that they would not make it.

Monday morning brings with it a bright sunny day and a spring in Jimin’s step. He finishes his classes without a hitch and then walks with his friend Taemin to the cafeteria for lunch.

“Why didn’t you come to the Frat House on Friday?” Jimin asks him as he eats some kimbap. “I missed you at the party.”

“You know how the loud music irritates me, Jimin,” Taemin replies. “Plus too many people, too many lights. I just could not.”

“I get it,” Jimin says. “But it was a good time. Would have been better with you there, but I get it.”

“Did you meet your secret lover?” Taemin asks with a grin and a wink. Jimin rolls his eyes.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Oh, that means you did,” Taemin sings and Jimin laughs.

Taemin is the only one who knows about Jimin’s secret rendezvous with Jeongguk. He had spotted him exiting the frat house one morning and Jimin could not come up with a convincing lie. And although Taemin knew that he was hooking up with someone, he did not know who that was. So it worked well for Jimin, and it made for a good alibi whenever he had to disappear into Jeongguk’s room.

“Did you two have fun?” Taemin asks and Jimin nods.

“We were seeing each other for the first time after summer break. Of course, we had fun,” he says.

“And then you ran away in the middle of the night?”

“I did not run away!” Jimin protests. “We just… we have an understanding. It's just sex, and it works for both of us. We don’t want anything more.”

A loud laugh distracts Jimin and he turns to his right to see Kim Namjoon laughing loudly and right behind him he sees Jeongguk grinning at him. Namjoon seems like he was laughing at something Jeongguk had said and he pats his back a few times. They are wearing the blue SNU varsity jackets - the one with their names embroidered on its back. More than a few times Jimin had daydreamed about wearing the one with JEON written on it, but he knew better than to think about it much.

Jeongguk’s hair looks freshly washed, soft and shiny, and he smiled at how well the longer hair suited him.

“How could your lover boy not want anything more from you?” Taemin asks Jimin, bringing his attention back. “He knows you're fully in love with Jeon Jeongguk.”

Jimin’s jaw drops and he looks at Taemin offended. “I am not in love with him.”

“Is that what we’re saying these days? Are we still referring to it as your big crush on him?”

“Taemin-ah, please,” Jimin says, shaking his head. “Its literally just a crush. We’ve always called it that and we’re always going to call it that.”

“A crush that you’ve had for over three years on the guy that barely even looks at you.”

Jimin looks down. “He’s just busy with his sports and stuff.”

“Sure, Jimin. If that’s what you want to believe.”

Jimin looks back at Jeongguk as Taemin gets busy with his phone. He waits for Jeongguk to look at him, to acknowledge him in any way, but he doesn't. He just takes his lunch, and walks to an empty table, sitting across Namjoon with his back towards Jimin.

Namjoon waves at him and Jimin waves back.

It is fine. This is how it is, and Jimin is fine with it. No matter how much it kills him inside.

🙡🙢

Every time Jimin has to think, or if he wants to dissociate from the world and not think, he can be found on the fourth floor of the College of Music, in dance room no. 1. It is the very first room there, away from the stairs that lead you to the floor, tucked away in a corner. It's smaller than the rest of the dance rooms, but more than enough for him.

He stretches on the barre, making sure his muscles are ready for whatever he may choose to do. Although Jimin started his major as a student of Vocal Music, he has always loved to dance, that's why he decided to do a double major. He was trained in contemporary dance by a trainer back in Busan, and the discipline never really left him. Hoseok jokingly calls him a double threat - a singer and a dancer, and he is not wrong. Jimin is excellent in both. And so is Hoseok.

Hoseok and Jimin met at a dance competition several years ago. Jimin participated in the contemporary arts and Hoseok in hiphop. They had won awards in their respective fields and there was no competition between the two, only respect, which evolved into love and affection.

The Bluetooth from Jimin's phone automatically connects to the large speakers in dance room no. 1. He puts in a random playlist and his body begins to move in tandem to the rhythm of the song.

He dances for over twenty minutes in one go, taking a break and then continuing again. And when he finally stops, he pants, trying to catch his breath. He loves dancing, but it really gets every part of his body working, and causes him pain sometimes. He doesn’t care though, he lives for the happy pain it brings him.

And it keeps his mind away from Jeongguk, especially when he pretends that Jimin does not exist.

Jimin heads home after his dance practice. He has a few tests coming up in the next few months, and he knows that if he starts prepping them now, it will be easier for him in the future. Hoseok drags him out of his room for some dinner which they have while watching an old movie and when he goes to sleep, it's while he stares at Jeongguk’s Instagram page.

🙡🙢

The first football match that SNU has to play is against Yonsei University’s College of Engineering. Yonsei and SNU have a long standing rivalry - neither likes the other, in any aspect. Jimin knows that the entire team has been practicing constantly to get into the best shape possible to defeat Yonsei.

And he knows that Jeongguk is probably also practicing on the football field. And that is why he drags Hoseok by the arm to get him to eat lunch at the bleachers. He even got a meal delivered to him from a burger place he likes and Hoseok is not going to deny free food, so he accompanies his friend.

He also takes it as an opportunity to tease said friend.

“You know,” he says, while taking big bites of the burger that Jimin got him. “If you just talk to the guy, he might share his feelings with you.”

“What?” Jimin asks, sipping on the cola that came with the burger.

“Jeongguk,” Hoseok clarifies as if Jimin didn’t already know. “You literally bought me food just so that you could watch him practice.”

“I just like to watch the entire team practice, Hobi. Where is your school spirit?”

“Up my ass,” Hoseok retorts. “But I mean it. I thought this is just a little crush and it would go away, but it's been so long and it hasn't.”

“Have you and Taemin been talking?” Jimin asks. “He told me something so similar.”

“That’s because we all see the heart eyes you make for the guy. All sight and no action,” he says. “What’s the worst that can happen? He says no, and that’s fine. At least you’ll have an answer, Jimin-ah. It will be better than whatever it is that’s going on right now.”

Jimin swallows and looks at the football field. As soon as they had seen Jimin and Hoseok, nearly the entire team had put their hands up and waved at them. Jeongguk hadn’t. This bothers Jimin. He hates it, but he is used to it, so he tries to let it not bother him.

The Jeongguk that invites him to his bedroom whenever there is a party is a completely different being to the Jeongguk that he sees in the university everyday. And Jimin does not have the heart to ask him why he behaves like two different people.

The fact that Jimin has a crush on Jeongguk is not a secret, all his close friends know about it, and some of the people he is friends with also know that he is soft for Jeongguk. It's just that he cannot do anything more about it.

Jeongguk and Jimin started to hook up early in their junior year. It was at a party, much like the one that happened last week, and Jimin had accidentally walked into Jeongguk’s room while looking for the bathroom. Maybe it was the alcohol that gave him bravery and removed his inhibitions, but he took one look at Jeongguk and told him that he was the prettiest boy on campus.

Jeongguk had stared at him for a second, and in the next, he had his lips all over Jimin’s. It took Jimin three seconds to respond to Jeongguk’s kisses and it had been one of the best nights of his life.

He had slipped out of bed early that morning, making sure not to wake Jeongguk up. Things had remained the same after that - Jimin sought out Jeongguk, and Jeongguk ignored him if he saw him on campus.

But that same week, at another party on campus, Jimin’s phone buzzed with the notification of Jeongguk’s message, and he found himself tangled up in sheets with the man he liked so much.

And in bed, Jeongguk is kind, and sweet, and attentive and Jimin loves it so much that most times he wishes morning never comes.

And it was not like Jimin had never been in a relationship before. He was 19 when he had met Jeongguk, he was comfortable in the sexuality that he was still exploring, and he was charming as hell. So of course, he had been in a relationship before. It was back in school when he was in Junior High, and only lasted a month but it was something.

So what if Jimin had never been in a relationship after that? It didn’t matter to him, this thing with Jeongguk mattered more.

“Besides,” Hoseok says suddenly, breaking him from his reverie. “I know for a fact that Jeongguk is also single. So I don't see why two single people cannot date each other.”

Neither does Jimin.

“I wonder why that is,” Hoseok continues, and Jimin looks at him. “Why is one of the hottest guys on campus single?”

“How does it matter, Hobi?” Jimin asks, taking a big bite of the burger in his hand. “Let him be as single as he wants.”

“Of course you’d want that, wouldn’t you?”

“Stop it.”

“I will not.”

“You’re pissing me off.”

“I don't care, you’ll have to come home to me.”

“I will stop buying you food.”

“Then you’ll have to come to the football field alone.”

Hoseok has him there.

The thing is that there were not many occasions that Jimin and Jeongguk could interact with one another - they were pursuing different degrees, had different interests and ran in different friend circles.

So every time that Jimin wanted to accidentally run into Jeongguk, it had to be well timed. He had gotten into the habit of having lunches at the football field sometimes, or to purposefully take the long way home by crossing the College of Business Administration. All just to catch a glimpse of the cute guy he liked.

But the one place that he knows they can see each other was at the on campus parties. And that was why Jimin never even missed a single one. No matter how busy he was.

A few days go by and it is time for the match against Yonsei University. Jimin starts to get dressed in the SNU blue that he has grown to love. Dark black jeans, his university t-shirt and converse shoes are his go to today, and he is dressed very much like almost every other student on campus.

There is an ocean of blue by the time he reaches the football field. It is a home match for SNU and the cheers are loud and excitement fills the air. Hoseok and Jimin reach the stands and head to the front - the best views are saved for the seniors.

The sun is almost setting and it gives a beautiful orange hue to the field. There are a few students from Yonsei in the crowd, but they’re off to a corner. There is a party later in the evening at the frat house, and Jimin wants it to be one of celebration. He knows that no matter what there will be drinks and food, and hopefully something more.

The Yonsei football team is the first on the field, and are met with a few cheers and not many boos. There isn’t a rule against booing, the students just think it's not worth it to waste their breath on a team they do not like.

When Namjoon leads his team on the field, the entire crowd is on their feet. Jimin and Hoseok scream as loud as they can, cheering for their team and making sure that they can hear it. They clap and yell and when Seokjin joins them, he does the same.

Halfway through the match it is obvious that SNU is going to win, but there are 45 minutes left in the game, so they need to maintain their score. Jeongguk scores two goals with ease, and to Jimin it looks like he has not even broken a sweat. He glides through the field, as if he’s flying. There is barely any effort in the way he plays and Jimin realizes the reason he was chosen for the university team.

There is some chatter that there are scouts in the stands, everyone keeping an eye on the star players of SNU and Jimin smiles knowing that they have been impressed.

When Jeongguk scores his third goal, he screams out loud, and Namjoon runs over to him, engulfing him in a large hug and his entire team huddles on top of him in celebration. The referee whistles, signifying the end of the match and SNU are crowned winners of the first match of the season.

Jeongguk breaks into a run when he frees himself from his team members. He cheers with the crowd, flashes his smile at them, hugs his coach, and then turns around to sprint towards the locker room. He never stays on the field for too long after their match.

Jimin finds himself laughing at something Jackson says about what had happened during the match a few hours later. They had gone straight to the frat house, Jaebom dragging Jimin by the hand, and telling him that he didn’t need to change. Jimin had plans of changing into something else, but those plans had been thrown out the window.

“… and imagine if Jeongguk was not there. I thought we’d be fine with just two goals, but my man scored the third and we showed those bums where they stand,” he says with a grin and everyone around them cheers. Jeongguk is nowhere to be found. Jimin had spotted him on a call when he had entered the house, and had not seen him since.

They had ordered a pizza this time, making sure there was a steady supply of boxes from all over the city to feed the hungry students. Jimin is happily munching on a slice, listening to the stories that the football players are saying. They have to scream as they speak, the music is loud and there is no way for them to reduce its volume. A bunch of them are already dancing and Jimin wants to join them.

“Do you want to dance?” he hears Namjoon ask suddenly, his deep voice startling him just a bit. He looks from the dance floor to Namjoon and nods.

“I will never say no to that question,” Jimin says and extends an arm for Namjoon to take. Namjoon pulls him up from where he was sitting on a random chair near their large dining table and into the living room.

A low deep, R&B song is playing and Jimin knows it, he is just not able to place it at the moment. There are many people on the dance floor, all of them moving to the beats of the song. Jimin spots Hoseok dancing with Minatozaki Sana, a girl from his class and smiles at them.

Jimin looks at Namjoon who says something he cannot hear.

“What?” Jimin asks loudly.

Namjoon bends towards Jimin and asks in his ear, “Is Hoseok dating Sana?”

Jimin shakes his head. “They’re just classmates, I think. He isn’t dating anyone.”

“They look real close,” Namjoon says and Jimin turns to see that in fact, they did look very close to each other. “I didn’t know Hoseok swung that way.”

“He swings all ways,” Jimin says with a smile and Namjoon bites his lower lip and nods.

“And you?” he asks and Jimin reels back a bit to give him a look.

“Why are you asking?” he asks and Namjoon shrugs.

“I just want to know.”

“I’m pretty sure I swing all the ways too,” he says with a smile. “I’ve dated both boys and girls, and both have been great.”

Namjoon smiles softly.

“What?” Jimin asks.

Namjoon looks around for a second and then takes Jimin’s hand, pulling him softly to the backyard of the frat house. It's a large area and a bunch of the party goers are sitting there, talking. It's much quieter here than inside the house and Jimin is thankful for the little bit of quiet.

Namjoon takes him to a corner of the backyard. There is a small bench off to the side, and it faces the house. Namjoon sits there, and Jimin joins him, they look at the colorful lights of the house in silence for a while.

“I thought I was straight,” Namjoon says quietly. “I didn’t know I could be anything else but straight.”

Jimin nods. They are not looking at one another, but the closeness is nice to Jimin.

“You can be anything you want, Joon-ah,” Jimin says. “You don’t have to fit yourself in a box, you know? Sexuality is a wibbly, wobbly spectrum and the beautiful thing about it is that at any given point, you get to choose what or where you want to be in it. You don’t have to choose one and say that’s it for me. It can be either this, or that. It can be both. Or it can be neither. It can be anything you want.”

“Really?” Namjoon asks, looking up at the sky. The stars shimmer above them, the sky a deep dark blue.

“Yes, really.”

“Do I have to decide now?”

“Of course not.”

Jimin sees Namjoon swallow and then blink fast.

“Can I come talk to you about it whenever I’m having trouble with it?”

“Of course,” Jimin says with a small smile.

He hears Namjoon exhale loudly. “I need a drink. Can I get you one?”

Jimin opens his mouth to answer but he hears the familiar alert of an incoming message. “Not right now. I’ll come find you inside in a bit.”

Namjoon nods and gets up to make his way inside the house.

Jimin opens up his phone and sees the familiar text he was waiting for.

Jjk:
free to come over?

Jimin:
yes

And like he had done a couple of weeks ago, Jimin quietly escapes the crowd and walks slowly into Jeongguk's room.

🙡🙢

Jimin’s eyes glaze over, his pupils are large. He sees Jeongguk smirk at the way in which he looks.  

“You feeling good?” he asks and Jimin nods, enthusiastically. 

His lips are slightly apart, and his breathing heavy. Jeongguk loves that his body has this effect on Jimin and Jimin knows it.

“I saw you on the stands,” he says, his own voice heavier than he intends it to be. “You were cheering for me.” 

“I was… I was cheering for the team,” Jimin says, his breath hitching slightly.  

Jeongguk smirks. His room was getting hot, and he saw a sheen of sweat on Jimin’s body below him. Jimin looks away and scrunches his eyes shut.  

Jeongguk can hear the deep base thumping from below. He is glad that his room is on the top floor of the fraternity. It gives him the privacy that he needs and here, the parties do not seem as loud as they actually are.  

It also gives him the space he needs when he wants to spend time with Jimin.  

Jimin's moans are soft, but loud enough for Jeongguk’s brain to short circuit because that is what gets him going like nothing else. He loves hearing Jimin’s noises and he loves that he is the reason for them. 

He hates it when he sees Jimin having a good time with anyone who isn't him. It's unhealthy, having this level of attachment to someone he is not exactly attached to. But Jeongguk was always jealous when it came to things he considered his. Things, and people.

"That's right, baby," he whispers and Jimin preens in the pleasure that the term of endearment brings to him. His toes curl on the bed and his hand clutches Jeongguk's bedsheets.

He is lying flat on Jeongguk's bed, legs spread apart, jeans lying forgotten on the floor of Jeongguk's room. He is still wearing the SNU t-shirt but it is rolled up to his chest. Jeongguk is lying down close to him, on his stomach. He is half on Jimin, resting his weight on the dancer as his fingers open him up slowly, tantalizingly.

Jimin moans when Jeongguk adds another finger. He can see Jimin's leaking cock as it lays erect on his stomach. Jeongguk's lips find Jimin's nipple and he sucks on the erect bud softly, licking it and making Jimin writhe softly on the bed.

"Do you like it?" he asks and Jimin nods.

"You need to fuck me," he says, voice heavy. "I want to come with you inside me."

"And you will," Jeongguk replies. "But for now, let me make you feel good okay?"

"Want to make you feel good too," Jimin whines and Jeongguk places a soft kiss on his cheek.

"You already are," he says and starts to fuck him with his fingers. Jimin's eyes close on their own accord, and he looks away, trying to moan into his hand. He knows that Jeongguk is not going to let him go on for too long, but he feels empty. Although he has Jeongguk's fingers filling him up, he knows he needs his dick to satiate him.

And it seems like Jeongguk has the same idea because in a few seconds the fingers disappear and Jimin opens his eyes to find Jeongguk adjusting himself on the bed. He sees the bottle of lube open up and Jeongguk coats his dick sufficiently.

He comes over Jimin, stares at him with his big brown eyes and whispers, "Ready?"

Jimin nods and Jeongguk kisses him deeply as he aligns himself with Jimin's hole and then he pushes in. Jimin gasps and Jeongguk's tongue finds its way into Jimin's mouth.

Jimin's hands find purchase in Jeongguk's soft hair, keeping him in place as he kisses him, finally, finally, feeling full because of Jeongguk's heavy weight on top of him, his lips on top of his own, and his dick filling him up.

It does not take long for Jimin to come, but Jeongguk continues to fuck him until he comes with a loud moan. He falls unceremoniously on top of Jimin, and they laugh when he does. Jimin belatedly realizes that they have cum in between them but he is too tired to care.

"You're sticky," Jeongguk complains to Jimin, but makes no move to get up.

"Let's just clean up and then we can sleep, okay?" Jimin says but Jeongguk shakes his head.

"You're warm, and comfortable."

Jimin can feel Jeongguk's cum leaking out of him and that is not comfortable.

"Gguk-ah," Jimin whispers. "I just need to clean up."

Jeongguk raises his head from where it lay near in the space between Jimin's neck and shoulder. "Do you have to?"

He nods, and Jeongguk finally gets up. "We'll just have to use a condom next time," he says. "That way you won't have to go clean up."

Jimin scoffs as he gets up. "Do you think you can wait to go get a condom and put it on? Lately I've been feeling that you pounce on me as soon as I enter your room."

"Well, you look good enough to eat and I'm hungry."

Jimin laughs loudly. "I'll be right back," he says, wrapping Jeongguk's towel around himself.

When he returns, Jeongguk has cleaned himself up with the wet wipes he keeps in his room and has moved to a corner of his bed, leaving enough space for Jimin. Jimin takes his shirt off, keeping his jeans on, and quickly climbs under his sheets and into the space reserved for him.

"Good night, Gguk," he says, and closes his eyes.

Jeongguk doesn't reply, and he assumes that the football player is asleep.

🙡🙢

"Will you leave as soon as you wake up tomorrow?"

Just as sleep takes over, Jimin hears what he thinks is Jeongguk's voice. But he is so tired, so he can't be sure if it is actually him, or if it's his mind playing tricks on him.

🙡🙢

Jimin wakes up when the rays of the sun hit his face. He doesn't want to get up. Jeongguk is holding him from behind, close enough that he can feel his warm breath on the back of his neck. Jimin loves it. Some time in the night, he had removed his t-shirt, and the two of them were lying on their bed naked, save for their underclothes.

He isn't sure if he actually heard Jeongguk say something to him, or if he imagined it, but he doesn't give it any more thought. He needs to get up and head back to his house, but Jeongguk's hold around him is firm.

He slowly tries to pry his hands away, and Jeongguk fusses but doesn't wake up. He looks for his jeans, his t-shirt and quickly puts his shoes on and leaves without looking back at him. He makes sure no one is around and then dashes out of the frat house.

Something about his t-shirt feels different to him, but he doesn't bother too much with it. He jogs home, quietly opens the door to his house and slips into his room unnoticed by his flat mate. He goes to bed, but sleep does not come to him for a long time. He wonders why.

🙡🙢

"Jihyo, come on!" Jimin whines to his classmate. Park Jihyo had been helping him out with choreographing a routine for the Winter Showcase. It is something that Jimin always looks forward to, as the co-president of their college's dance club.

Jihyo is the vice president and the two are always at loggerheads.

"No, you always decide what is going to happen and I cannot let that fly anymore," she says, folding her hands coolly. "It's the Winter Dance Showcase, not the Jimin showcase."

"It was never the Jimin showcase," he says. "Although I would have loved that."

Jihyo smacks him on his shoulder. "Behave, Park Jimin."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Tell me, what do you have in mind."

Jihyo has the idea for them to perform Hamlet, but a modern dance version of it. She wants each scene to be choreographed as a song that relates to that scene, and for them to involve different styles of dance - contemporary, classical Ballet, hiphop, waltz, tango, even salsa.

Jimin wants to do it, but he knows the amount of preparation it will take and he is not sure if they will be able to pull it off. He wants to keep it simple - a few set dances on songs that they are aware of.

"If you don't get out of your box, you'll suffocate in there," Jihyo says to him.

"But what is wrong with my idea?"

"It's boring!"

"It's definite!"

"Dance cannot be definite, Jimin," she snaps. "It has to move you, it has to make you laugh and cry. It needs to make people feel everything."

"And Hamlet is the best way to do that?"

"Think about it," she says. "People will assume that we are going to perform something romantic - like Romeo and Juliet. But this is so much more heart-wrenching than that. We can show politics and family dynamics. We can show Ophelia's fate, perhaps give it a twist. We can show horror, pain, hurt, suffering. We can make people bawl, that is what I want."

"You are sadistic."

"And what about it?"

Jimin's jaw drops at her comment and he shakes his head.

"I will think about it," he says.

"You are not some professor for you to-"

"Jihyo, please," he says. "I care about the showcase as much as you. I want it to be the best too. I promise we are on the same side here. I will think about it, but we need to prepare so much for it. It's not going to be easy. So, I need to think about it before we can go forward with it."

That seems to satisfy Jihyo and she leaves dance room 1 with a threat of hunting him down the next day for his answer.

Jimin brings it up with Hoseok during dinner.

"I think it's a great idea," Hoseok says and Jimin drops his head into his hands.

"I think so too," he cries out loud. "But I can't let Park Jihyo know that she has won."

Hoseok laughs and ruffles his hair. "Do the dishes tonight. I'll get a load of laundry into the washer."

"Fine," Jimin says and behind researching for songs relating to Hamlet on Spotify.

He stands by the kitchen sink while a Taylor Swift songs start to play in the background.

"Do you think I'll have a fate like Ophelia?" Jimin suddenly asks Hoseok.

"What do you mean?" his roommate responds.

"You know, her heart was broken. She fell into water, and there is significant debate on weather she drowned, or she let herself be drowned."

"Min, are you okay?" Hoseok suddenly comes to him. "What are you-"

Jimin laughs, "I'm fine, oh my God. I didn't mean that I was going to off myself. I just mean… Do you think I'll ever find someone to love?"

Relief floods over Hoseok's face and he smiles. "I think you have someone you love."

Jimin sighs. "You think he'll love me back?" he asks in a rare moment of vulnerability.

"You should talk to him."

Jimin shakes his head. "We'll see."

Hoseok pats his back once before heading back in to do the laundry. Jimin starts to wet the dishes and soaps his sponge, there are several dishes that need his attention.

"Jimin-ah?" Hoseok calls out to him as he scrubs a pan.

"Yeah?"

"What size t-shirt do you wear?"

"I don't know," Jimin answers. "It depends on the brand, I guess."

"What size t-shirt do you buy from the campus store? The SNU t-shirts?"

"Oh," he says, keeping the pan away and scrubbing a bowl. "Are they making more shirts? Can they make them in a fun color this time?"

"Tell me what size, Jimin."

"They usually fit me really well, so I wear a size M."

He washes the sudsy bowl and Hoseok comes into the kitchen carrying a blue t-shirt.

"Then why is there an XL size t-shirt in my hand?" he asks and Jimin turns around to see him carrying the t-shirt in his hand.

Jimin pauses. His SNU t-shirt is a size M.

The t-shirt he wore when he came back from Jeongguk's room did not fit as well as his t-shirts usually did. Did he pick up Jeongguk's instead of his?

Jimin can't help but stare at the t-shirt in Hoseok's hand. A piece of Jeon Jeongguk's clothing is in his house and he has no idea what to do about it. Hoseok brings the shirt to his nose and breathes it in. He retches and pushes it away from his nose.

"Ugh, and it reeks. What the fuck?"

Jeongguk doesn't smell that bad.

"I don't know," Jimin manages to say. "It must have flown into the house."

"What?" Hoseok asks.

"I don't know where it came from," Jimin tries again. He knows it wasn't in his room because they have a habit of putting the dirty clothes in the hamper near their washer-dryer unit.

"Do you think it's Seokjin's?" Hoseok asks and Jimin exhales.

"Yeah! I'm sure it is," he says and goes back to washing the bowl. It hasn't been washed this well, ever.

He doesn't look at Hoseok, and picks up the spoons and chopsticks to wash.

"Hey did you leave your t-shirt here?" he hears Hoseok say and his eyes snap to the man. He is on the phone and dread fills Jimin's stomach.

"I found a stinky t-shirt in the laundry bin," Hoseok says. "No, Jimin said it's not his. I don't know. Why are you yelling at me? What the fuck-"

"What happened?" Jimin asks when Hoseok hangs up.

"He told me to keep it aside. He said he wants to come over and smell it or something," Hoseok says, making a face and keeping the t-shirt on their couch.

"That is so weird."

"It is, much like this very random t-shirt."

"It's just a t- shirt, we should just throw it out. It's neither of ours," Jimin suggests.

"Yeah, we can wait until Seokjin examines it, and then I'll throw it away." Hoseok walks back to do the laundry and Jimin feels like he is going to throw up. He quickly pauses doing the dishes and walks to the couch. The back of his couch is stuck to the wall, so he pushes it a bit, throws the shirt behind it and quietly readjusts the couch.

He listens to Hoseok pouring laundry detergent into the machine and is sure that he had not paid attention to what Jimin had just done. He quietly walks back to the sink and restarts doing the dishes.

Hoseok goes straight to his room, and when he comes back out, Jimin is finishing up with the dishes.

"Uh, what the fuck?" he hears Hoseok say.

"What happened?" Jimin asks. His heart is beating so loudly that he can hear it.

"The t-shirt," Hoseok says. "It's gone."

Jimin fakes a small laugh. "What do you mean it's gone?"

"Did someone come into the house?" Hoseok asks, looking around. Jimin comes close to him.

"No."

"I swear, I had kept the t-shirt right here," he says, looking around everywhere, except for the back of the couch. "It's… it's gone."

The bell rings and Jimin opens it to find Seokjin, sweating and panting. "I came as fast as I could. Where is the t-shirt?"

He enters the house and Jimin smiles at him, giving him a small wave. "It's gone."

"What do you mean?"

"Hobi says he kept the t-shirt on the couch, and when he came back from doing the laundry, it was gone."

"That's not possible."

"Jimin, you saw it right? You saw me keep the t-shirt here!" Hoseok exclaims.

Jimin shrugs. "I mean, you told me that you did. But there were so many dishes to do. I didn't pay attention," Jimin lies.

"So is there a t-shirt here for me to smell?" Seokjin asks, looking in between the flat mates.

"It should be here," Hoseok insists.

"Maybe you put it in the washer," Seokjin suggests.

"Maybe."

"Let it finish this cycle," Jimin says. "When you shift the clothes to the drier, you can check then."

"Yeah," Hoseok says, not at all trusting Jimin at the moment. He gives Jimin a look, but Jimin pretends to have not seen it.

"Do you have beer?" Seokjin asks. "I'm parched."

"Yup," Jimin says, hurrying to the fridge to give his friend what he requested.

Hoseok is as confused as ever when the famed t-shirt is not in the washing machine. They make a big joke about it, Seokjin and Jimin laughing at Hoseok who says he can bet his entire house on the fact that the t-shirt was right there.

Seokjin leaves soon after and when Jimin wishes Hoseok a good night, the other man doesn't reply.

Jimin hates how it makes him feel.

🙡🙢

The weekend sneaks up on them before they know it and Hoseok asks Jimin to go with him to the music room. He has some new beats he wants to test out, and asks Jimin if they make sense for the winter showcase.

The dance and music colleges had a big part to play in the showcase and they always do this together.

Jimin loves the track Hoseok has produced - a remix of one of the songs that Jihyo had sent to Hoseok. Hamlet had been finalized as the theme for the showcase and Jimin knew that with their dance moves and Hoseok's music, it was going to be a big hit.

Hoseok brings up the t-shirt once a day for the next few days, musing on where it went and Jimin always finds a way to divert the topic into something else.

He suspects that Hoseok knows something is up, but tries not to actively think about how he gaslit his best friend.

"I love it when you buy me lunch," Hoseok says, eating some sushi as they sit on the bleachers and watch the football team practice. "I hate how stalkery it feels, but I love the variety of food you bring me."

Jimin laughs, staring unabashedly at Jeongguk who dribbles the football with ease across the quad. He is so effortless, so light on his feet. Jimin could stare at him for hours. He is pretty sure that he has.

"Did Nayeon talk to you, yet?" Hoseok suddenly asks Jimin.

"Nayeon? About what?" Jimin asks.

Hoseok shifts slightly. "There's a party at her place on Saturday. I'm invited."

"I wanna go too," Jimin pouts.

"So, come with me!"

"But she hasn't invited me yet, Hobi. I can't just show up unannounced."

"Come with me as my plus one. It will be fun," Hoseok says.

"Yeah, it might be. I'll wait for her to invite me, though. I don't want to intrude."

"Its not an intrusion. I want you there."

"Why?"

Hoseok swallows and looks away.

"Hobi?"

Hoseok sighs. "Sana's going to be there too."

Jimin gasps and then smiles. "Oh of course! Sana's Nayeon's roommate isn't she?"

Hoseok grows red and smiles.

"So, come with me. Even without an invitation. Just come, be my wing-man."

"I saw you that night at the frat house, you don't need me to be your wing-man."

"Just… Fine, okay. I am going to ask her out," Hoseok said and Jimin's eyes lit up. "Be cool, Jimin. Please."

"Okay, I'm cool. I'm cool," Jimin says but he is most definitely not cool. His best friend might be dating someone soon and he is very happy about it.

"I don't want her and I to just hook up, or have a one night thing. I want to date her. I want to be with her," Hoseok says and Jimin smiles at him dreamily.

"Don't fucking look at me like that, Park Jimin."

"You're growing up," he says. "You're talking about monogamy with someone. I can't believe it."

"I will hurt you."

Jimin laughs loudly. "Yeah, right - oh!"

He says when he hears the ding of an incoming message.

Im Nayeon:
Hi Jimin! Sana and I are hosting a thing at our place this Saturday! We would love for you to come over!

He shows Hoseok the phone and grins. "Looks like I'm invited!"

🙡🙢

When Jimin had seen the address that Sana had sent to Hoseok, he wasn't sure what to expect. He was under the impression that college kids lived either on campus, or in small apartments that they could afford.

He was not expecting their Uber driver to take them to one of the most expensive areas in Seoul and stop in front of the biggest house he had ever seen.

"Are you sure we're at the right place?" Jimin asks Hoseok as they get out of the car.

"This is what she sent to me."

"Hobi, this is a mansion. Isn't Nayeon from Seongnam?"

Hoseok shrugs and they walk up to the large gates of the mansion. A guard comes up to them with a smile.

"Yes?" he asks.

"Hello, we are here for Im Nayeon's party," Hoseok says.

"Of course. Welcome, sirs," he says and opens up the gates. They enter and are greeted and directed to the right. "Please use the golf cart. You will be driven to the house."

There are four golf carts with drivers sitting in the drivers' seat and the two of them sit in one of them, dazed. The golf cart takes them up a pathway and Jimin hears the loud thumping of the music that is playing.

"Wow," Hoseok says, and Jimin's jaw drops.

Nayeon's house is electric - there are lights all around, drenching the house in a purple hue, there is a professional DJ, wait staff walk around carrying trays of food and drinks and he sees all of the people from SNU. He notices a few people from Yonsei as well and Jimin waves at a few of them.

"Oh, my God," Hoseok says as they get down from the golf cart, thanking the driver. Jimin was not expecting this big of a party but he was happy that he was here.

Nayeon spots them and squeals as soon as she does, running over and giving them a hug. "I'm so happy you could make it!"

"Nayeon, you didn't tell us you lived in a mansion," Jimin says.

"Oh, it's my uncle's place," she says. "He's in Hungary for some business so he lets me use the house. I just told him I wanted to throw a party and he arranged it for me."

"How can I make your uncle my uncle?" Hoseok asks with a smile and she laughs loudly.

"No wonder Sana likes you so much. You're so funny," she says, giving him a soft punch on his bicep, and Hoseok goes red. "Come on in, let me get you some drinks."

Several people walk up to Jimin, striking a conversation and sharing some drinks. Hoseok stays with him for a while but when Sana comes, he takes her hand and disappears somewhere deeper in the house. Jimin smiles at him as he goes.

A loud hooting near the front door makes him look and he sees the football team walking in. All of them look taller and bigger in the light and they have the same reaction that Jimin and Hoseok had when they entered. He spots Jeongguk right at the end, big brown eyes taking in the entire house and looking around in awe.

Jeongguk doesn't notice Jimin right away, but when he does, Jimin sees the smallest hint of a smile on his face. He blushes deeply and hides his face in the glass of whiskey he nurses. When he looks back up, Jeongguk has turned away and is talking to Yugyeom.

He wonders if any of the rooms on the top floor of the house are available for him and Jeongguk to fool around in. They have never done it anywhere except for Jeongguk's room, and the thought stirs something in his belly. He smiles to himself and waves at the football players who greet him.

"We need to meet outside of parties," Namjoon says as he walks up to him.

"Tell me when and I will be there."

"How have you been, Jimin?" he asks, a smile on his face.

"I've been good. Busy with the Winter Showcase, but I've been okay. How are you?"

"Good, good," he replies and moves slightly closer to Jimin. "Thanks for our talk back at the house. It really… it really helped me come to terms with things about myself."

"You do not have to thank me, Joon-ah," Jimin says, putting a hand on his shoulder and stroking it softly. Namjoon's rippling muscles feel hard under his palm.

"I know, but I want to. If you're free at some point next week maybe we could have dinner or something together?"

Jimin pauses momentarily. He isn't sure what Namjoon is asking here and he doesn't want to be dick by assuming something that might not be the case. Sure, Namjoon is handsome, and he is intelligent and he is one of the kindest people on the campus. But Jimin has not had any romantic feelings towards him. Maybe if they had met at another time, in another life, Jimin may have seen himself falling for Namjoon.

He looks beyond Namjoon and sees someone that he does have feelings for.

Jeongguk is wearing a tank top, and a deep red t-shirt over it. He is wearing loose oversized jeans and his signature dark boots. He runs his fingers through his dark hair and when he smiles, Jimin feels his heart stop and his stomach swoop.

He is talking to Jihyo, and Jimin swears that he looks at Jimin for a second, but looks away as soon as Jimin pays attention to him. He smiles at something Jihyo says, and replies to her and Jimin knows that he would never be able to feel this way for Namjoon. In fact, he is sure that he cannot feel this way for anyone else.

He knows he has been quiet for way too long because Namjoon calls out his name.

"I'm sorry, I was… distracted," he says. "Dinner…"

"As friends," Namjoon says quickly. "Just as friends."

Jimin exhales and grins. "Yes, of course. Yes. Let's do it. As friends."

Namjoon grins and Jimin sees the dimple on his cheek. He winks and says, "For now." And laughs when he sees Jimin's expression change.

They are interrupted by Jihyo, Nayeon, some dancers, and some of the football team players who randomly decide that it is the right time to play Never Have I Ever. The questions were sane enough, but they all got drunk fast and Jimin got up, wanting to pee, but asking them all to continue playing.

He stumbles through the house, trying to follow the instructions that Nayeon had given him to find the toilet and sighs in relief when he enters the right door. Quickly doing his business and washing his face makes Jimin feel immediately better. He smiles at the way he looks and wonders where Jeongguk might be. And then wonders where Hoseok might be too.

He exits the toilet with a smile, knowing that since both Sana and Hoseok were missing, it would be safe to assume that they were together.

He hears a few muffled voices close to him and despite himself, Jimin turns around to pay attention to it. The voices come from a room close to him and on any other day, Jimin would ignore it and be on his way. But something made him go to the door and listen to it. The door is slightly open, and he hears the conversation going on inside with ease.

"I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this, Jeongguk," he hears a girl's voice say and his heart races at the mention of Jeongguk's name. "What is your problem?"

The voice is familiar but he can't place who it belongs to.

"Nothing is my problem," Jeongguk says, voice calm but cold. "I just need you to leave me alone."

"Why should I?" he hears the girl ask. "I told you I like you. I am single, you are single. Why can't we be together? Why can't you just like me?"

"Because I don't, Jennie," he hears Jeongguk. "What is so hard for you to understand in that statement?"

"But why?" Jennie wails. "Why don't you like me? Everyone likes me. Why not you?"

"What sort of a question is that?" Jeongguk asks, clearly irritated. "Look, I have to go. My friends are waiting for me. Please leave me alone, and don't ever tell me crap like this again. My answer will not change."

Jimin can hear the footsteps of Jeongguk's thick shoes come closer to the door and tries to scramble away, but something he hears makes him freeze in his steps.

"Is it because of that Park Jimin?" he hears Jennie ask. He freezes at the same time that Jeongguk does.

Does Jennie know about Jeongguk and him? Does someone else?

"What did you say?" he hears Jeongguk.

"Park Jimin," she repeats. "You know that lovesick fool who chases after you at every occasion he gets? Your matches, your parties. He even just comes to the football field to watch you play. It's so creepy."

Was that what everyone thought? Was Jimin that obvious? And was he a creep?

"Don't talk shit about him," Jeongguk says, offended. "You are crazy, Jennie."

"Why are you defending him? Do you like him? Do you want to date him instead of me?"

Jimin's breath halts. Jeongguk is silent for a while. Jimin knows he should leave, but his feet are frozen.

"I do not like Park Jimin," Jeongguk says slowly. "I don't know him, and I don't care about him, and I most definitely do not want to date him. What he does is up to him and he can keep doing it if he wants. It does not bother me, because I do not care about him…"

Jeongguk keeps saying something else but Jimin's ears are ringing.

Jeongguk doesn't care about him. Jeongguk does not care about him.

He knows this. He's always known this. But then why does it feel like his heart has been crushed into a million pieces?

He walks away from the room that Jeongguk and Jennie are in and walks into the living room. His friends are still playing the game and they call out to him when they spot him.

"Jimin!" Yugyeom yells loudly. "Come back! We missed you! It's your turn now!"

"Yes," Jihyo said loudly. "Tell us what you never did."

His friends grin and laugh and Jimin hears the base of the loud music thumping around him. And he hates it. Everything seems like it's a blur and it moves in slow motion.

Do they all know that Jimin likes Jeongguk? Do they all think he is a creep? He doesn't know, and he doesn't want to know. He wants to leave this place. He feels ashamed, he feels extremely judged and he feels like throwing up.

"Hey," Jaebom's large body comes in front of him and he looks up at the football player. "Are you okay, Jimin? You don't look so good."

"I… I need to go home," he says.

Jaebom looks around. "Do you know where Hobi is? Did you two come together?"

"We did, but I don't want to bother him. I just want to go home."

"Okay," Jaebom says. Jimin must look like a wreck because Jaebom doesn't ask him too many questions when Jimin makes a way to leave Nayeon's house. He orders an Uber for himself and one of the golf carts takes him to the gate. He gets into the car and sits in a daze as he is being driven home.

His phone is bombarded by calls and texts from his friends, but he ignores them all. He switches his phone off and looks at the city as it passes him by. He reaches his place, pays the Uber driver, strips and heads into the shower as soon as he gets home.

It's not late at all, but the shower helps put his mind to rest and the hot water beating down on his body makes him feel a little better.

He towel dries his hair, puts on a pair of his old soft sweatpants and lays down on his bed, waiting for sleep to come to him.

It never does.

He hears Hoseok stumble in late at night. He hears him use the shower and he hears him talk sweetly to Sana on the phone and they make plans for her to hang out at their place the next day.

He wakes up to the sound of their vacuum cleaner and feels emptier than he ever has. The things Jennie and Jeongguk said last night run over and over again in his mind and it takes him everything to not cry. The vacuum cleaner suddenly stops and Jimin wears a t-shirt that does not match his sweatpants and walks out to his living room.

Hoseok is standing next to their couch, vacuum cleaner in hand and he stares at something he sees. The couch has been moved slightly from its place against the wall and Jimin looks at him once before heading to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

"Jimin?" Hoseok and Jimin hums. He rinses his glass and places it on the drier rack, walking back to the living room.

"What was this t-shirt doing behind the couch?" Hoseok asks, holding Jeongguk's blue SNU t-shirt.

Jimin swallows, eyes not leaving the piece of clothing in Hoseok's hand. He remembers the time he wore that t-shirt. He remembers the way Jeongguk held him as they slept in his room. His lower lip wobbles and he bites it to keep his tears at bay. Hoseok notices, throwing the shirt away and rushing towards his best friend.

"Hey, hey, hey, Jimin-ah, oh my God," he says, cupping his face. "What is it? What happened? Jimin, what happened?"

Jimin looks up at Hoseok and the dam breaks. He weeps into his best friend's arms, telling him everything that had happened with Jeongguk and him ever since that one evening in their sophomore year. Hoseok listens with love and care, and calls Sana to cancel their date for that day, telling her that Jimin needed him.

Sana understands and sends him her love. When Jimin goes to bed that evening, Hoseok decides to make it a sleepover and shares the small bed with his best friend, not wanting to leave him alone when he needs him the most.

🙡🙢