To the paradise city;

ccjeongguk:

Jeongguk’s heart shatters as he watches Jimin, seeing the way tears start to well up in his eyes again. He never wants to be the reason Jimin cries, but here he is, causing it all over again. He almost expect Jimin to lash out at him or push him away, but then Jimin fixes him with those beautiful eyes of his and Jeongguk can’t bring himself to look away.

He’s always been so, so weak for Jimin. Jeongguk would do anything for him. Anything.

And Jimin is apologizing.

“Hyung,” Jeongguk mumbles softly, distraught, listening to Jimin ramble on his apologies. At this rate, Jeongguk might cry with him– he doesn’t want Jimin to apologize, he has no reason to, this isn’t right. “Baby, no, don’t talk like that. Do you have any idea how important you are to me? You’re not– don’t call yourself that, you aren’t an object. You are more than that. Anyone who treats you like you aren’t doesn’t deserve to see the light of day.”

With Jimin opening up in front of him like this, Jeongguk can’t hide it anymore– the raw adoration he has for him, just how much he cares about him, those feelings he tries to keep locked up so often whenever they see each other. He’s not even worrying about it, when Jimin is sitting in his car crying and trying to thank Jeongguk for treating him like a human being and not leaving him behind to the wolves. There’s a painful throbbing in his chest when he sees tears start to slip down Jimin’s face, and he can’t help it when he reaches up to wipe it away, cupping his face.

“I want to you to feel safe with me,” he murmurs, cheesy as it sounds. Jeongguk isn’t even paying to what he’s saying anymore. “The second you need anything, I’ll always come running. It doesn’t matter what it is, I don’t care. I–” his voice catches in his throat, and Jeongguk wills away his own sadness from welling up. “I’ll always be here to protect you. And if you don’t want to be protected, that’s okay, too. But I’m here for you. In… in any way you need me. I just want to make you happy.”

It’s easier for Jeongguk to lie to Jimin than it is to try to lie to himself that this is enough. This is fine, right? Of course.

God, Jeongguk wants to kiss him.

Everything that Jeongguk is doing, every gentle touch and soft tone he gives him is so far from how he’s been treated the whole night, but then he’s giving him sweet words right along with it all. 

And the worst part of it is he’s absolutely serious. 

It clicks into focus in that second, from all the way back to the beginning when he asked to meet him for lunch to now. Jeongguk never once used false niceties to get anything physical out of Jimin. He never called him pretty with only the intention of getting him undressed and he never once looked at him with anything less than respect and adoration in his eyes. 

Jimin was just too blind to see it until now. 

“Oh my God.” He sobs, hands coming up to wrap shaky fingers around Jeongguk’s wrists. He was so fucking stupid. 

He was so stupid and so gone for this boy. A year into his relationship with Baekhyun and he wasn’t feeling nearly as strong for him as he does for Jeongguk. Jimin has never felt so strongly about anyone and it almost makes him want to throw up. He’s never had such strong feelings bubbling in his chest and it makes him want to spit out every word of content and dare he say it, love, to Jeongguk that he can think of. 

So he does. 

“I can’t... I can’t believe you.” Or something like that. 

In his lap, Danny pulls his face out of Jimin’s ice cream cup and doesn’t even hesitate to dive face first into Jeongguk’s. “I-- I mean, like...” 

But he isn’t quite sure how to say it without spilling his heart onto the nice leather of Jeongguk’s car seats. Sniffling loudly, he reaches one hand to curl in the material of Jeongguk’s shirt, unsure what to do with it before he’s nodding the best he can with his face still in the other’s grip. 

“He definitely seems more well-mannered in your arms, so that’s not surprising,” Jeongguk agrees, seeing the way Jimin just lets the cat climb all over him upon seeing the ice cream in his hands.

Maybe he could bribe Danny into liking him with food. Maybe.

At the mention of another name– Taehyung– Jeongguk stiffens.

His first thought immediately goes to the redhead, the one who hated his own name and half the damn world, and Jeongguk’s jaw stiffens for a few moments before he forces himself to relax, clearing his throat and looking away. Taehyung was a common name. Sure, Jimin was a magical hero too, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they did know each other, but– it was a common name, and the Taehyung that Jeongguk knew didn’t even introduce himself as that anymore.

It was someone else, most likely. He needed to calm down. It would be fine. It had to be someone else.

(Jeongguk has yet to touch his own ice cream.)

He stares out of the windshield while Jimin speaks again, the engine humming as the car continues to run, keeping the interior warm against the harsh cold outside. Jimin was– thanking him. Jeongguk couldn’t– shouldn’t ignore that.

Not over Taehyung. Jeongguk promised himself he wouldn’t let Taehyung ruin anything else for him, ever again.

“I wanted to, so I did,” Jeongguk blurts out, looking over at Jimin with those big, earnest eyes of his whenever he’s startled himself by being honest. “I mean, I– I want to help you, you know. I want to be here for you. We’re…” Don’t fuck this up, Jeongguk. Don’t do it. “We’re–… you’re important to me, and I don’t have a whole lot of people in my life, so I don’t want to lose you or watch you suffer for no reason. If I can do something to help, I’ll do it. That’s all.”

(The truth is, he loved him, but he didn’t know that yet. Neither of them did.)

The tiny ounce of warmth flushes from his face at Jeongguk’s words and the only thing he can muster is a small. “Oh.” 

Jimin trains his gaze on Danny. He wasn't going to get any of this ice cream, but that was fine. He didn’t really care about it right now. He was more concerned with how Jeongguk was so sincere with his words-- how there wasn’t ever the tinest bit of deception in his voice. He was more focuses on the fact that Jeongguk had just told him that he was important (something he didn’t exactly feel right now. It was more along the lines of a burden.) 

He inhales a shaky breath-- he’s not going to cry again. He’s not. 

So instead, Jimin risks it and turns toward Jeongguk with his sincere tone and his pretty eyes and all of his kindness. “No... no one’s ever said that before.” And there it is again, that break in his voice that hints at tears. 

Setting the cup down in one of the cupholders, Danny follows it and Jimin lets him. He’s not concerned with it right now. 

“No one’s ever... I’ve never called anyone. Not even when I was dating. I just... I dealt with it and I didn’t mean to call you.” The words just come out-- rushing with no filter because why would he need one now? He’s safe with Jeongguk-- Jeongguk who wants to protect him and take care of him. There isn’t a reason to worry now, right? 

“You had already picked up... before I realized what I was doing and I didn’t expect you to... I didn’t expect you to drop everything and come.” No one else has, he adds to himself. “We just-- I’m just... something to fuck and you treat me like I’m so much more--” 

The hand not holding Danny steady creeps forward, slowly, but surely to curl shaking fingers into the other’s sleeve and there are more damn tears in his eyes. 

“He definitely seems more well-mannered in your arms, so that’s not surprising,” Jeongguk agrees, seeing the way Jimin just lets the cat climb all over him upon seeing the ice cream in his hands.

Maybe he could bribe Danny into liking him with food. Maybe.

At the mention of another name– Taehyung– Jeongguk stiffens.

His first thought immediately goes to the redhead, the one who hated his own name and half the damn world, and Jeongguk’s jaw stiffens for a few moments before he forces himself to relax, clearing his throat and looking away. Taehyung was a common name. Sure, Jimin was a magical hero too, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they did know each other, but– it was a common name, and the Taehyung that Jeongguk knew didn’t even introduce himself as that anymore.

It was someone else, most likely. He needed to calm down. It would be fine. It had to be someone else.

(Jeongguk has yet to touch his own ice cream.)

He stares out of the windshield while Jimin speaks again, the engine humming as the car continues to run, keeping the interior warm against the harsh cold outside. Jimin was– thanking him. Jeongguk couldn’t– shouldn’t ignore that.

Not over Taehyung. Jeongguk promised himself he wouldn’t let Taehyung ruin anything else for him, ever again.

“I wanted to, so I did,” Jeongguk blurts out, looking over at Jimin with those big, earnest eyes of his whenever he’s startled himself by being honest. “I mean, I– I want to help you, you know. I want to be here for you. We’re…” Don’t fuck this up, Jeongguk. Don’t do it. “We’re–… you’re important to me, and I don’t have a whole lot of people in my life, so I don’t want to lose you or watch you suffer for no reason. If I can do something to help, I’ll do it. That’s all.”

(The truth is, he loved him, but he didn’t know that yet. Neither of them did.)

The tiny ounce of warmth flushes from his face at Jeongguk’s words and the only thing he can muster is a small. “Oh.” 

Jimin trains his gaze on Danny. He wasn't going to get any of this ice cream, but that was fine. He didn’t really care about it right now. He was more concerned with how Jeongguk was so sincere with his words-- how there wasn’t ever the tinest bit of deception in his voice. He was more focuses on the fact that Jeongguk had just told him that he was important (something he didn’t exactly feel right now. It was more along the lines of a burden.) 

He inhales a shaky breath-- he’s not going to cry again. He’s not. 

So instead, Jimin risks it and turns toward Jeongguk with his sincere tone and his pretty eyes and all of his kindness. “No... no one’s ever said that before.” And there it is again, that break in his voice that hints at tears. 

Setting the cup down in one of the cupholders, Danny follows it and Jimin lets him. He’s not concerned with it right now. 

“No one’s ever... I’ve never called anyone. Not even when I was dating. I just... I dealt with it and I didn’t mean to call you.” The words just come out-- rushing with no filter because why would he need one now? He’s safe with Jeongguk-- Jeongguk who wants to protect him and take care of him. There isn’t a reason to worry now, right? 

“You had already picked up... before I realized what I was doing and I didn’t expect you to... I didn’t expect you to drop everything and come.” No one else has, he adds to himself. “We just-- I’m just... something to fuck and you treat me like I’m so much more--” 

The hand not holding Danny steady creeps forward, slowly, but surely to curl shaking fingers into the other’s sleeve and there are more damn tears in his eyes. 

It does hurt to just– let Jimin cry, like that, without comforting him. But where Jeongguk was willing to pull him into his arms and let him cry it out, there’s that barrier there stopping him from reaching over and doing what he wishes he could.

And it’s not the cat, as much as he’s sure Danny might think it was.

No, it was the reminder that Jimin wasn’t his– would never be his– and didn’t want to be, and that they were only friends. So he drives in silence, trying to ignore the sounds Jimin was making. Jeongguk was– he would ignore it, and if Jimin wanted him, then he would give him anything he wanted.

(But he knew he wasn’t.)

“He was about as upset as any other cat might be if a stranger intruded on his home and tried to shove him into a pillowcase to take him somewhere unknown without his owner,” Jeongguk says gently, ignoring the scratches stinging in disagreement on his skin. “He probably doesn’t like me, but it’s alright, I don’t blame him. What matters is that you have him now, right?”

By the time Jeongguk finishes talking, he’s pulled up into the drive-thru of McDonalds, and he glances at Jimin for a moment before quietly ordering neutral flavors of ice cream for each of them, handing Jimin the cup later once he’s parked in the parking lot with his own sitting in his lap.

“Danny can have some too if he wants,” Jeongguk adds, vainly trying to cheer him up a little with humor. “I’m pretty sure cats can have ice cream, right?”

His own ice cream continues to melt.

Jimin hums in understanding. “He... doesn’t really like anyone except me.” He watches as Danny perks up at the lights of the fast food restaurant, the smell of french fries and grease wafting through the drive through windows, making him meow in interest. “And food.” 

Admittedly, Danny was his safe haven. The cat would always be there for Jimin (Jeongguk too apparently, but he’s trying to ignore the implications of that because he isn’t quite ready to face those facts yet.) Instances like this, when Jimin comes home battered and bruised with a tub of ice cream he spent important money on, Danny always climbs in bed with him, lets the boy cry into his fur before they both binge on a small tub of rocky road. 

The only difference now, he’ll be in Jeongguk’s bed soon enough and it’s vanilla, not rocky road. 

The second Jimin gets the cup in his hand, Danny is already shoving his nose into the ice cream, completely content as Jimin babbles on to create some sort of distraction for himself. “Don’t take it personally. He only likes one other person-- this Taehyung guy that I was sleeping with a while ago. But no one else. Not even my ex.” It would be amazing is he had the energy to find it so. 

Glancing at Jeongguk, Jimin chews on his lip. 

Why did he leave work? Why did he come all that way-- why was he ready to practically murder the guy, all for jimin? He just couldn’t wrap his head around it. 

Jeongguk doesn’t expect to see Jimin leap out of his car like that– not when Jimin had been so adamant on not leaving the car before until Jeongguk returned, and his heart leaps into his throat for a few moments. Maybe it was– maybe–

Of course not. Jeongguk tries very hard to ignore the crestfallen feeling budding in his chest. Of course not. His heart had to stop doing tricks on him like that.

It’s a bit mystifying, though, to see Jimin break down right there the moment his (demon) cat was in his arms– Jeongguk finds it hard to connect this Danny with the same one who fought him tooth and nail to leave the apartment, but it’s the same. He stands there for a few long moments, looking on at them awkwardly with empty hands and words he’s not sure how to say on his lips, but he just closes his mouth and gently shuts the car door. Jimin would– hopefully– feel better with this, and that’s what mattered.

Jeongguk slips back into his side of the car and lets the car run idle while he fishes out his phone, checking his notifications. (He ignores the audible sobs from Jimin’s side of the car, knows better now than to try and comfort him now that his head isn’t clogged with concern and affection. They were just friends, that was all. Jeongguk had overstepped earlier– he would apologize… soon. But not yet. After Jimin calms down.) There’s several missed calls from his agent– and he just sighs, pocketing it again before smiling over at Jimin.

Keep it together. He’ll be fine. Jeongguk’s knuckles are tense around the steering wheel regardless.

“Are you still against getting some ice cream on the way home, hyung?”

It feels like he’s sat here sobbing for hours when Jimin knows it’s only been a few minutes. He just can’t help it. This is how it always ends up-- he’s strong for however long he needs to be, but as soon as he has Danny in his arms, all concerned and soft like only a cat can be to their owner, he breaks. 

Everytime. 

He doesn’t know how long it’s been, but by the time he’s finally trying to take deep breaths, to calm himself down, he’s again, only half registering what Jeongguk is saying to him. The only thing he honestly cares about at the moment is Danny pawing all over his lap. 

Jimin sniffles, loudly and scrubs at his cheeks with his sleeve. He honestly feels a little bad putting all of this on Jeongguk. He’s been able to take care of himself in the past so it really shouldn’t be any different. 

Little, weak sobs leave his lips-- to which Danny gives a response each and every time, but he’s nowhere near hysterics like minutes ago. Risking a glance at Jeongguk, his grip around Danny tightens, the cat squirming a little and shrugs. 

He has to distract himself. Distract himself from what happened and just forget about it-- just like he always does. 

“I-I don’t mind.” He pointedly ignores how weak his voice it. “Did... Did you have any trouble getting up there?” 

Probably not. Why would he? 

Jeongguk sees the way Jimin looks outside the window, sees the way he sinks into the seat despite the fact that this should feel like home to him.

He should feel good. Safe. That’s not what he’s seeing.

But he finally gets Jimin’s attention, and Jeongguk watches with a soft expression as Jimin tries fumbles through his words, not wanting to speak in case he shattered the fragile respite they’d gotten now that he’d finally calmed down enough to talk to him. Jeongguk can’t help but stare at his bruises, though– the ring of purple around his neck, the splotches of blue painting his collarbones and one spot on his cheekbone. He tries not to be too obvious about it, but it’s awful, the fact that Jimin– looks like this, that someone did this to him.

The way Jimin’s voice shakes as he explains the fact that Jeongguk might not even need the keys is more than enough to bring that anger back again, but he quells it. This wasn’t new for him. This wasn’t unusual. And he felt scared going to his own fucking home.

“I’ll be in and out as fast as I can, I promise,” Jeongguk says softly, taking the keys and then leaning over to tilt Jimin’s face toward him and press a gentle kiss to his lips. He leaves the car keys in Jimin’s hand as he pulls away, trying to smile for him. “You can lock the door until I get back, if that helps. I’ll be down with Danny and enough clothes for a few days in just a little bit, okay? You can play some music or turn up the heater if you want until I get back, so just sit tight. You’ll be alright.”

It’s not like he wants to leave Jimin alone, but it was obvious Jimin wasn’t going to come up with him– and possibly for a very, very good reason. It makes sense that he wouldn’t want to go back to someplace where he could be assaulted again without protection because he was too poor to afford security.

Jimin wasn’t joking when he said he’d be able to go right up– it’s easy to get into the complex without any attention, and even easier to head up to Jimin’s apartment without any hassle. The lock isn’t kind to him, but he makes it work, and he steps into the apartment with a mission.

Jeongguk sees a puffy, blond tail and narrows his eyes at it. He didn’t expect to get the cat first but, well, he would do what he had to.

“Hey, Danny,” he says gently, leaning down. Jimin’s apartment was a mess, and not necessarily because of how low end it was– he would talk to him about that… later. But there’s a pillow conveniently sitting on what Jeongguk can only assume is either his couch or some type of bed, and he inches toward it carefully while keeping an eye on the cat. Cats rarely liked him– it was better to be safe than sorry. “I’m just a friend. Let’s try to get along, yeah?”

Needless to say, it could’ve gone worse.

Amazingly, Jeongguk’s suit is in tact, but he does have a nasty scratch on the side of his neck and a bite mark on his hand that’ll probably get infected if he doesn’t treat it as soon as he gets home. But he has bag of Jimin’s clothes (he grabbed everything he could think of that Jimin would need– excluding his, uh… prettier garments. Some of those made it in there anyway, but that was just because Jeongguk was too embarrassed to pull them back out.) and Danny throwing a fit in the pillow case, and he locks the door behind him as he goes down the stairs again, getting a strange look from one shady fellow taking the stairs up past him.

When he gets to the front of the apartment complex, he pads over to Jimin’s side of his car, waiting patiently with an armful of cat and Jimin’s bag of clothes.

It really, really could’ve worse.

“Okay. Okay, I’ll be fine.” Though he says that, as soon as Jeongguk is closing the car door, Jimin is hitting the lock button probably quicker than he needs to. 

He’s already had one problem tonight and the men around here know him just as he knows them. He doesn’t want something else to happen someone figures out it’s him sitting in this stand out car. 

He wasn’t looking to add to his bruises. 

He spends fifteen minutes-- maybe not even that, sitting in this car. He doesn’t exactly want to turn on the radio and have to suffer through bubble gum pop girls singing about their Mr. right. 

So he just... sits. 

Jimin leans this way and that to peer out the windoes, sinking lower in his seat when a group of rowdy teenagers pass to make their own way inside, making comments about the car, about him and he only relaxes when the street is empty again. 

Though it’s not for long as Jeongguk is appearing in the next moments. 

He nearly meets him half way, if he was faster, but as it is, he’s opening the car door after scrambling at the lock and haphazardly tossing the bag into the car before grabbing for Danny. 

“Ah-- my baby.” And just like that, tears are welling up again as he plants himself back down int he car without giving Jeongguk so much as a second glance. He doesn’t even bother making sure the door is shut-- Danny won’t run from him. He knows. Struggling to find the opening, he’s quick to get frustated, almost giving up and letting the cat do it himself, but then a pink nose is poking out of the white sheet and two big eyes and perked ears follow. 

“That’s fine. I’ve never owned a cat myself, but my aunt owned a cat and when she moved from Busan to Gwangju, she carried the cat out in a pillow case so that it would’ve freak it out– I’m sure that’ll work fine for Danny, too.”

Jeongguk is trying to sound strong, confident, sturdy for Jimin– and it’s not necessarily hard, since transporting a cat wouldn’t be that hard, right? “Personally, I’m more of a dog person myself, but that’s just because most cats just don’t like me for some reason.” A little laugh. “I like them, but they think I’m the devil’s pawn, or something. Maybe they don’t like the smell of my perfume.”

He’s mostly just talking to fill the empty space between them, only detaching his hand from Jimin’s when he had to before returning it immediately. It’s nice– if he ignores the fact that Jimin is bruised up purple and blue and crying his eyes out, Jeongguk can pretend they’re just going for a night drive. He can pretend Jimin cares for him back. That everything is fine.

(Jeongguk has never been good at pretending.)

At one of the stoplights not far from Jimin’s apartment complex, he senses are card to their left and looks over, locking eyes with a woman who knows she’s been caught.

One heartbeat. Two heartbeats. The light turns green and Jeongguk looks away, turning onto the opposite road and leaving the card behind. If Jimin wasn’t here with him, maybe he would take care of it– but not tonight. Jeongguk wasn’t a hero tonight, he was just a b– …a friend. A very concerned Friend.

“We’re here,” Jeongguk says softly, when they pull up to the apartment complex Jimin lives in. He’s only been inside once– and never inside Jimin’s home, only stood outside in the hallway while he grabbed his things. He turns up the heat a little and pulls out the keys, leaving the car running for Jimin’s sake. “Will they just let me in normally if I show them your keys?” Some places– especially sketchier places– could be a little leery about strange visitors, sometimes. And some places weren’t.

“Which I need, by the way,” he adds helpfully, clearing his throat. “Your keys, I mean.”

Good going, Jeongguk.

Jimin only half listens to the younger. He is only half aware of things right now. His main thoughts are getting Danny and getting to curl up in Jeongguk’s bed. One thing is for sure and that there are no if, and's, or but’s that he’d calling into work tomorrow. 

He’ll deal with his boss later. 

The apartment building looms over him and while that isn’t outright the problem, he still shrinks back in his seat at the thought of his apartment a few floors up, empty and much too easy to get into if someone really, really wanted to. 

In fact, Jimin is paying such little attention that he nearly misses everything Jeongguk says. 

“Uh--” Ripping himself out of his suffocating thoughts, he looks towards the younger, a little lost for a second. “No.. uh... yeah. Well...” 

This really wasn’t what he was wanting to say. This would do nothing to help the situation. “The locks stopped working. The owner hasn’t replaced them and-- w-well, you can just go on up.” 

With shaky hands he digs through his jacket pockets in hopes his keys are actually here and a sigh shaky sigh of relief leaves his lips when his fingers meet cold metal. “The apartment is... really old so it’s still these kinds of keys. You know... what floor. The elevator stopped working too and... my lock is being kinda funny s-so you’ll have to... mess with it. It might not even be locked.” 

He has his eyes trained on his hand, shaky as he holds his keys out. 

He doesn’t even want to look at Jeongguk. 

Jeongguk never thought that Jimin would manage to break his heart this way. He expected rejection, eventually– to be cast away, shut out for expecting too much from someone who didn’t want the same thing. Not this. Not breaking down like this and trying to pretend things were fine when they weren’t. They weren’t fine, and Jeongguk didn’t want Jimin to put up pretenses around him. Ever.

“Jimin. Jimin hyung, listen to me. You crying has no impact on how I feel for you, except that I only want to hold you more and make sure no one ever makes you cry like this again. That won’t push me away, I promise. It’s not that easy to get rid of me, and a beautiful boy crying isn’t going to change that.”

Sometimes, Jeongguk really has his moments. He’s terrible with words and has to think them over and over dozens of times before he can get them right, stuttering through half of his sentences– but sometimes, he really does have his moments. And he doesn’t even realize it, just leaning over to press his lips to Jimin’s forehead and then his cheeks, kissing the tears away to make him feel better, one hand already entwined with his again.

He’s gentle when he pulls away, giving Jimin a tiny lopsided smile while he strokes his knuckles again before finally starting the engine. “Danny is your cat, right? Do you have a cat carrier for him? I think it’ll be easier to carry him down in one of those instead of in my arms, especially in this… suit.”

Not that Jeongguk would actually mind. He’d throw a billion dollars into a volcano to make Jimin happy, one over-expensive suit didn’t make any difference to him. “We can also pick up some food on the way. Do you want anything? Ice cream, maybe?”

Ice cream always made him feel better when he was younger, and he waits for Jimin’s answer at one of the spotlights, his free hand attached to Jimin’s. Everything would be okay.

It’s so unfair. Every second that Jimin spends with Jeongguk is just him proving how much better-- how much safer it would be to just give in and admit things outright. 

But he was stubborn and suspicious of everything. 

So even if Jeongguk is sweet, kissing his cheeks softly, speaking so, so kindly and holding his hand so gently, Jimin is forcing those walls up. 

A little nod as he leans back in his seat, his free hand picking at some stray lint on his pants. “Yeah.... he’s mine.” Usually, he would give a warning-- Danny is actually a tiny devil or something worse, but Jeongguk would figure that out for himself. He just didn’t have the energy. “I’m allergic to dogs, so I... have Danny and I don’t usually let him out or take him anywhere...” 

By this point, his tears have slowed-- not stopped completely but there’s not a total hitch in his voice and only a few slide down his cheeks, tears that he quickly scrubs away with his free hand. “So I don’t have a cat carrier. I’m... sorry.” 

He was being the biggest burden tonight and it felt awful. Jimin hated feeling weak and he didn’t have a single idea why he was getting so worked up over this one single time. 

(That same helpful voice from earlier snuck in the idea that it’s because he actually has someone to care about him now, but Jimin aggressively ignores that voice.) 

If Jeongguk was a weaker man– if he was more prone to acting on his emotions and nothing else– the moment Jimin said hit me he wouldn’t left him right there and pulverized that fucker into the pavement where he was standing, that’s how angry he was.

But he wasn’t weak, not to that. Jeongguk was indecisive, wavering even as Jimin was starting to beg him not to go over there– because the man was staring right back at him, as if daring him to come over there and give him what he deserved– but he couldn’t say no to Jimin, not when he was starting to yell. Jeongguk tore his gaze away and looked down at Jimin, tears streaking his face, and all his determination melted in an instant. He was still angry– of course he was– but Jimin was right there, clinging to him and begging.

Jeongguk gets in the car and shuts the door. His hand finds Jimin’s without thinking and he squeezes it tight, staring through his windshield at the empty street, shaking a little himself. What is he supposed to say? What does he say in this situation? They aren’t dating, as much as Jeongguk wishes they were, his lurching a little at the reminder that they weren’t together, and probably never would be.

And yet he was still here, more than ready to gather Jimin into his arms and commit assault in a heartbeat, even if he got nothing in return.

Fuck.

“Where do you want to go, baby,” he finally says softly, running his thumb over Jimin’s knuckles and swallowing hard– the endearment slips out unintentionally, but Jeongguk doesn’t care, not right now. He looks over at Jimin, heart squeezing tight at the sight of him, hand detaching from his to cup his face and wipe some of the tears away. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, baby. Where do you want me to take you? We can go wherever you want, he can’t hurt you anymore. No one will ever hurt you when I’m here, okay?”

It won’t be until later that Jeongguk realizes just how much of his heart he was baring to Jimin in those few words, just how obvious it was that he would do anything for him.

But he’d already handed his heart over to him all the way back when they went on that first date, so it was no surprise– none at all. He was a little too good at falling in love with people who didn’t treat him the way he did them.

It was just in his nature.

And just like that, all of the energy in him seeps out and he’s slumping in his seat– letting jeongguk paw at him and giving in. He doesn’t have the will anymore. Now that Jeongguk is in the car, in Jimin’s grip, he can only just sniffle, a whimper passing through softly because he’s trying so hard not to break down.

He had cried silent angry tears in the elevator, almost broke down in the lobby and nearly started sobbing on the street. He was going to break any minute and Jeongguk’s soft touch was doing nothing to help that.

When gentle hands cup his face, he wraps small fingers around the younger’s wrist and that was that. “I-I don’t care.”

It was a rule of his- never cry in front of someone who pays you (even if Jeongguk isn’t exactly paying him as much money and instead offering him bigger gestures– like leaving work for him.) but he still didn’t want to look so…weak in front of the other.

But the tears had started and it was a while before they would stop.

“Home– your place. I wanna go to your p-place.”

Honestly, he didn’t care. He just didn’t want to be here.

His voice was small when he spoke, pulling out of Jeongguk’s grip to sniffle loud and unattractive, wiping his nose on his sleeve again. At this point, Jimin just didn’t care.

“I don’t wanna be alone–”

Although he hated admitting that, he didn’t. He shouldn’t. Being alone in his current mindset would be disastrous. He needed someone to distract him. “But you can’t stop liking me because I’m an ugly crier. Danny doesn’t judge– and I want him. I wanna go get Danny. P-please.”

Falling silent just for a second, Jimin seemed to sink into the seat, as if telling Jeongguk this would cause him to shout or be angry at Jimin– even if he knew that the younger would never.

It’d be an understatement to say that Jeongguk is pissed– he can see the way Jimin is shaking, that something clearly happened to him. Someone left Jimin battered and bruised and he’s still fucking here– and Jeongguk is livid.

Especially when Jimin looks back and starts shaking that much harder. He recognizes the expression on his face when Jimin looks back at him– it’s panic, Jimin is panicking, the fucker must be right there. He can feel Jimin pushing against him, trying to get him to move, he knows Jimin is talking to him, but he’s so angry that there’s just ringing in his ears. And if he follows Jimin’s gaze to the man he was looking for– trying to run from, then–

Please, Jeongguk.

He locks eyes with Jimin again. Jeongguk could never say no to him, never.

“Come on, it’s warmer inside,” Jeongguk says, even though his voice is icier than frost as he keeps his eyes planted on the man he knows is responsible for this. It’s too easy to gather Jimin close and usher him into the passenger seat of his car, but it feels like pulling teeth when he hesitates to get into the car himself, still staring at the man with obvious venom.

“Jimin.” He says it as a statement, not a question, but they both know what Jeongguk is asking for. “I can make him pay for it.”

And it’s not like the man would know Jimin was in the car– he hadn’t seen Jimin slip into the passenger seat, couldn’t see him past the tinted windows, and he had no idea that was who Jeongguk was here for. It wouldn’t have anything to do with Jimin at all, after that.

“It’s my job, Jimin. Let me take care of him.”

Please, Jimin.

Dammit. Dammit. His hands were shaking so bad that his fingers fumbled on the seat belt and before he could even get it buckled, it was left abandoned as he leaned over the console to reach for Jeongguk. 

He was nearly sobbing, a few tears spilling down his cheeks. 

“Just let it go. It-- it’s not really that bad. I just... over reacted. He didn’t hit me that many-- shit, Jeongguk. Please just get in the car.” 

His voice was wavering and if the younger didn’t climb in this car in the nest second Jimin would leave. He would get right out into the cold and walk his way home. (He didn’t have a cent to pay for a cab because this client was a familiar face at the club so he trusted to let him pay afterwards. He should have known it would end up like this-- handsy during a lapdance meant no sense of morals in the bedroom.) 

He just wanted to leave. He wanted his cat and Jeongguk and nothing else all night. He was too sore for anything else all night. 

“Jeongguk!” Voice raising a few octaves and notches in volume, Jimin was pleading at this point, tears dripping onto leather seats as he stretched to hook his finger’s in Jeongguk’s belt loops, hoping that’ll keep him in place. “Please! Forget it! He’s not important. I just want to leave--” A pause for a loud sniffle and he’s wiping his nose on his sleeve. 

“It’s your job to protect people, not beat them up. He hasn’t paid for anything and you’re not about to make him. Please!” 

Jeongguk isn’t sure what breaks his heart more: how fragile Jimin looks, standing there in the middle of winter with barely anything on and too many purple marks on his body and nothing to cover them, or the way Jimin comes to him in a heartbeat. There’s no hesitation, and Jeongguk opens his arms to him immediately, the force of the impact just enough to make him step back and collide a bit with his car, but he doesn’t care. Jimin is here and solid in his arms and hurt.

Some fucker hurt him.

He doesn’t have the chance to say anything, though, because Jimin’s already pulling away and putting his walls back up as he starts to ramble something about you were working and rough night. Jeongguk wants to pulverize something. (Not Jimin.) No one should ever make Jimin feel like this, and Jimin shouldn’t feel bad for calling him. Never.

“Don’t worry about it, just come here, you’re freezing,” he says softly, pulling Jimin in again and wrapping his arms around him for warmth. In just a moment, they’ll get in the car– he’ll have no reason to touch Jimin the moment he lets go and they’ll likely drive in silence– but he wants to be selfish, for just a few seconds, even though Jimin’s shaking in his arms from more than the cold. “It’s okay, I’m here now. I’ve got you. It’s alright.”

He does hesitate to pull away, though. He hesitates, but Jeongguk pulls back anyway, looking down at Jimin and taking in the marks around his neck and the bruises on his arms and all that anger wells up again. “Tell me, Jimin. Were you with a client? Did a client do this to you?” It takes all his energy not to tighten his grip around Jimin’s shoulders– no, that would just hurt him. “Is he still in there?”

And there’s that unspoken question: do you want me to take care of him for you?

He feels bad. He feels absolutely awful. Not only has he pulled Jeongguk away from his work, but he’s causing him to get so worried over nothing. He’s just gotten a little shaken up. It’s not like he hasn’t had a rough client before (a voice in the back of his mind tells him that he’s never said no and been hit for it) so he feels overall like he over reacted. 

“I-- yeah. Most of my clothes are still... upstairs.” Jimin had just yanked on the bare minimum in order to bolt out of there as fast as he could-- sweatpants and his thin jacket. Everything else-- underwear, shirt, his winter coat, everything is still up in the room and he had no desire to go retrieve them. 

He was fine just leaving them. 

“B-but it’s okay.” Insistent hands tugged at Jeongguk’s jacket. He just wanted to leave. Glancing back at the hotel a familiar, furious face was exiting the elevator, plain at say through the propped open door and his breath hitched in slight fear. 

Jimin was jerking his gaze back to Jeongguk, hands sliding to push on his chest in an attempt to get him to move. “Please. Please, Jeongguk. I want to leave.” He didn’t dare look back in case the man had as little brains as to walk right up to him. (He probably would have.) “Forget it. I’ll-- I’ll report him to boss. He’ll be banned from the club--” They both knew Jimin wouldn’t for risk of getting his pay cut or a worser punishment from the man. 

“Let’s go. I wanna go. Take me home-- or your place. Anywhere, but here. Jeongguk.” 

And as stupid as it was, Jimin snuck a glance out of the corner of his eye, the guy just standing on the street-- as if looking for him. 

How could Jeongguk ever, ever tell Jimin no.

The moment he gets the call– the very second he hears Jimin’s voice shake over the phone, when he hears the ‘please’– he’s up and already pulling his things together, despite his bewildered client asking where are you going?

Jeongguk has walked out on jobs before, but only when he couldn’t morally put up with guarding the person paying him anymore, and most of the time if that was the case then he didn’t go without leaving a few bruises. But this was different– sure, this guy was testy sometimes, but they’d never had any problems. He was one of Jeongguk’s regular hires. So when Jeongguk simply said “something came up,” he knew he’d be hearing about it later. It wasn’t as easy to walk out on jobs that he didn’t have to.

But he wasn’t going to dwell on it, not when Jimin was waiting for him. His hands were shaking while he was driving, because fuck– fuck– what could panic Jimin that much? He knew Jimin could take care of himself, had seen him take down plenty of cards in the months they’d known each other, and he knew (from personal experience) that Jimin packed a painful punch. He was more than capable of defending himself. It couldn’t be…– he was working tonight, Jeongguk knew that. And if that was the case, then–

No. No, he wasn’t going to assume anything until he could see Jimin himself. Jimin had to be fine, maybe just shaken up by a familiar, or something. That was probably why he called Jeongguk– just hero business, right? That was the only reason why he ever did call, except maybe for sex and free lunch. And Jeongguk… even if they were nothing to each other–… even though Jeongguk was nothing more than a fuckbuddy to Jimin, he would always come to him.

He always did.

Jeongguk waits in his car for a few long moments before stepping out, and he immediately knows he looks out of place in his too-expensive suit and clean hands. But he doesn’t care. He needs to confirm the situation with his own eyes. He’s only here for one thing, one person, and that person is–

“Jimin?”

And the moment Jeongguk lays eyes on him, ice coats his throat.

“Jeongguk” He breathes the name as more of a sigh of relief than anything. He was edging towards the assumption that the guy would come down here and drag him back up, but then again he was hoping his ‘hissy fit’ as it was dubbed, and big ‘fuck off’ had gotten the message across. 

Jimin is rushing to him in a second, not even hesitating in seeking out his warmth and his touch-- something that always calmed him down. And he must be a sight, he knows that’s a fact already. Even if it hasn’t even been an hour since he walked out, Jimin has always bruised too easily and from just the way passer-bys were giving him odd looks, his neck was probably not a pretty sight. 

(He’s a little worried to look in a mirror, honestly. He hasn’t had someone this rough in a while.) 

Leaning back, it takes all of a second to make him feel even worse because Jeongguk is still in his suit-- his work clothes and that meant-- “You were working, weren’t you?” 

Of course, he was. He was and Jimin had dragged him away. 

“You were working. Why didn’t you tell me you were working.” He still had tears in his eyes and his nose was running from his bout of crying and from standing as long as he did in the bitter wind-- in nothing but a too thin jacket. 

Jeongguk is in the process of mentally wishing his own death on himself when Jimin starts laughing– and for a few moments, he’s even more mortified, that Jimin was laughing at him. He fucked up. He pretty goddamn royally fucked up.

When he does glance up, though, he’s greeted with a sight that’s worth fucking up for.

Really, it’s cliche– romcom writers would be falling over themselves to jot down notes if they saw the expression that flickers across Jeongguk’s face when he sees Jimin laughing, that’s how bad it is. But Jimin is cute– god, he is so cute, that Jeongguk swears his heart actually skips a beat, no longer certain his face is red because of his own silly mistake. He’s pretty sure he’s witnessing the sun itself personified laugh at him, and Jeon Jeongguk is too much of a romantic to fight the affection that wells up from it, struck dumb from that alone.

Maybe it’s not love, sure. Not yet. But it sure as hell is something, and it all starts with Park Jimin.

“It’s… fine,” he mumbles, looking a little lovestruck, not even really processing Jimin’s own slip in favor of just getting this dumb smile when Jimin ducks his head like that. He shouldn’t be falling for a total stranger like this, he shouldn’t, but Jeongguk’s heart has already left him. “It’s fine. You can laugh at me all you want, because that’s even cuter.”

Their back and forth sounds shallow at this point, but really, Jeongguk’s just too far gone to really give a fuck anymore. “You should laugh more often, it’s amazing. Your laugh is amazing, wow.”

Jeongguk is about to say something stupid, something that will fluster Jimin and have him searching for a way to respond that isn’t awkward and doesn’t give away how unfamiliar he is with genuine compliments that aren’t about his ass or dick sucking abilities. He opens his mouth to stop it-- interrupt him or something, but it’s too late. 

He’s already letting Jimin have it. 

It takes him a good minute to respond. He sits there, looking down at his hands and then back up to the boy still wearing that look. What a little sap. Shifting in his seat, Jimin clears his throat, takes his time with a long gulp of water and come back with an eloquent, “Shut up.” His voice cracks. 

“Stop trying to butter me up, would you?” How many times was he going to warn this kid. “If I can’t make any vulgar comments then why do you get to make these sappy ass, hopeless romantic comments? It’s not fair.” And he crosses his arms, drops his chopsticks to the table, crosses his arms, and acts very much unlike the adult he’s wanting Jeongguk to believe he is. 

@ccxjimin

Maybe staying in what could only be described as ‘an Olympic village, but for magical people’ wasn’t exactly what Jeongguk had in mind for how to spend his birthday, he certainly couldn’t complain about it. Sure, there were some unexpected faces he saw around– he swears that one girl who just passed by was in his algebra class back when he was still in school– but he often took them with stride, even the most surprising ones.

And, okay– maybe it wasn’t really his birthday yet, not in the ‘real world’ or whatever, but his phone calendar still dinged and announced the date to him anyways. (He wonders if Aku even bothered to take mobile technology into consideration while dreaming up this mess. Knowing him, he either didn’t bother or didn’t remember to not bother.) So, it was his birthday. He was nineteen. He wouldn’t celebrate it for real until later on, when the real world caught up and all that, but it would’ve probably been a lonely celebration anyways. It’s not like he has a lot of friends.

But he does have some, at least. Some he’s noticed were wandering around much like he was, not phased by their surroundings at all– some like Park Jimin, to be exact.

“Hey,” he calls out in amusement as Jimin walks past him for the third time in the last twenty minutes without seeing him. “Funny seeing you here.”

With hands shoved in his pockets he’s been wandering around for the better part of an hour. There are faces he knows-- some a little bit too well. 

God, he hates himself for agreeing to this. But then again, did he exactly have anything better to do? Getting felt up my creepy old men was probably just as bad as participating in these silly little show of power games. At least Yoongi was here so he has someone to harass. Taehyung had shown his face too and it was nice to know that Jimin wouldn’t be so high and dry for the duration of it all. 

He just hopes Jeongguk will survive without him. 

The same exact Jeongguk that calls to him and has Jimin skidding to a halt, head swiveling in his direction with wide eyes. 

Jeongguk pauses in what he’s doing (which was wrapping some bulgogi for himself, chopsticks stilling over the meat) to listen to Jimin talk further, eyebrows furrowing in disapproval. “Jimin, I don’t expect anything from you except a nice lunch and a conversation partner. You’re already doing wonderfully at both. I promise, you’re fine.”

But he doesn’t press the issue as Jimin continues to eat himself, lips quirking up a little in amusement when Jimin (begrudgingly) admits he’s right about the taste. He stirs his lunchbox some before taking another bite, watching Jimin talk, happy to drop the upsetting topic from before. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk about it– it was that Jimin didn’t seem too happy to, and Jeongguk wasn’t going to make him put up with that if he didn’t want to. He wanted to know about him, but he didn’t want to cross any lines he shouldn’t be.

“It’s cute, though,” he says without thinking, words spilling out of his mouth before he even considers what he was about to say. “You’re cute. I like feeding you.”

Oh, god, Jeongguk, what the fuck. It takes a moment for what he said to sink in before the smile is gone and his face is heating up, chopsticks clattering to the table, because even he didn’t think he could say something like– like that. (He’s much smoother than takes himself for, and quite frankly, he should give himself some more credit.) “U-uh– sorry, fuck, that was too m-much, sorry– um–”

He’s furiously dabbing at his face with a napkin again for an invisible piece of food as an excuse to try and salvage his pride. Hint: it’s not working.

“I, uh, y-yeah, I usually, um. Come here for lunch. Yeah.” Jeongguk wants to go dig a hole and die in it. Just die, right there. He cannot believe he seriously said that to Jimin, let alone on their first date.

But then again, is he really going to put that much effort into something that will no doubt fizzle quicker than a middle aged man with performance issues? Probably. Maybe Jeongguk really is interested in him, but only for a quick second. Probably only long enough for him to figure out that he can’t pull him out of the hole he’s got himself in-- to figure out that Jimin doesn’t want pulled out. 

He doesn’t need saving and his life isn’t going in such a downward spiral that he needs someone to turn it around for him. Jeongguk will realize that soon enough-- he’s sure. He’ll leave eventually. But for now-- well, this lunch wasn’t too terrible and he was still pretty.... 

And knew how to put his foot in his mouth obviously. 

It takes him a moment to react, but soon enough, Jimin’s dissolved into giggles, slumping a little in his seat and covering his mouth with one hand. 

“You know, watching you flounder about and shit is kind of cute.” The kid got so worked up over something so innocent. He called Jimin cute. And now he’s getting so flustered by such a simple thing. 

“Don’t worry. I think you look cute feeding me, I just don’t need you to do it.” 

Chin pillowed in his palm, the corner of his lips are quirked up and there’s an obvious smile in his eyes, so different from the boy who just told him that he wasn’t what Jeongguk wanted. (He still wasn’t, but it wasn’t something Jimin was going to dwell on. Enjoy this while it last. Enjoy it while it’s happening.) 

“You’d look cute feeding me your dick too.” 

An accidental slip of the tongue-- a true accident. Jimin is so hard wired to speak in vulgar tones to vulgar men it’s a terrible habit. “I--” And now it’s his turn to look a bit sheepish, ducking his head, stuffing some food in his mouth and mumbling, 

Honestly– Jeongguk felt horrible about it, especially at the fact that this was bad enough to the point that Jimin couldn’t even accept sincerity when it was right in front of him. Who the hell wouldn’t feel sorry? Anyone who wouldn’t can square the fuck up– Jeongguk will fight them, right here, right now. Abusive assholes deserve a good dent in their face.

Well, maybe he’s exaggerating. Just a little bit.

(Not really. Not at all.)

It’s cute, the way Jimin pops the food into his mouth and chews slowly, keeping their eyes locked as he thinks about it. It’s cute in that Jimin is even trying– really, honestly trying– and Jeongguk is far too susceptible to giving his heart away not to be a little endeared by it.

“Decent is an understatement, but I digress,” he laughs, nose scrunching up slightly as he does before sitting back to find something else for Jimin to try. “The bulgogi– have you tried the bulgogi yet? Here, let me get you some,” he says gently, and Jeongguk’s taking the time to actually put it on another plate for Jimin, setting it down in front of him. “Look, if you try that and tell me it isn’t some of the best bulgogi you’ve ever had, I will empty my wallet it your hands.” This is nothing to laugh at. Jeongguk has at least a thousand dollars in hundreds in his wallet at the moment, only because he planned to go out and buy a new watch this evening at a cash-only seller. If only Jimin knew.

“You don’t.... you don’t know the half of it and I know you say you care and have an interest in me and everything, but just... don’t lie to yourself. Don’t get your hopes up, because I promise you.... I’m not what you want.” his words dropped off into a mumble as he picked up his own chopsticks, shifting in his seat and slumping a little. 

Why couldn’t this kid just see? 

But still, Jimin chewed at his lip for a minute, stared down at the plate put in front of him and gave in. “Fine. I’m sure it is the best--” And before he even put the food in his mouth, he knew it was the best. 

Of course it was and of course Jeongguk was offering him all the money in his wallet or a take out box or whatever. Of course, he was. 

“It’s good. It’s really good. You’re right, but I don’t want a takeout box. If I want any to take home I can order it myself.” He probably couldn’t. All of his money this week went to paying his backed up rent (damn landlord for finding a shit reason to spike it up again.) 

It took him a minute-- to finish the what was on his plate, before he was reaching for more because, “You don’t need to keep feeding me. I’m pretty sure I’m capable of doing that much at least.” 

It was a little bit of a mystery how Jeongguk managed to be so casual about this all-- how well he managed to brush over Jimin’s comments and warning completely and act like this was a normal do-well date. Speaking honestly, he was a little impressed.