It’s 1 in the afternoon, D-day. The weather is crisp, the sun shining down on them as Jungkook, Yoongi, and Jimin step out of the car into the parking garage of the airport. Jimin clicks open the trunk and reaches for the luggage, but Yoongi quickly sidesteps him and beats him to it, taking it right out of his hands. Jimin opens his mouth to protest, but Yoongi’s already rolling it away as Jungkook locks the car.

 

Jimin bites his lip. It’s not like he ever carried Yoongi’s luggage on their countless business trips. Sure, he took care of their boarding passes, baggage claim tickets, arranged the transportation, lodging, and remembered the takeoff time, the layaway time down to the minute. But Yoongi’s a grown man capable of rolling his own luggage, and Jimin wasn’t his mother (though he did nag like he was).

 

But as his hands close around thin air as the man he’s been slightly infatuated with for four years takes the bag away from him,Yoongi’s faint cologne making his breath stick in his throat, he wants to stop time and forget this moment for the rest of his life. The last thing he would have done as Yoongi’s secretary rolls away with the crunch of gravel, and he knows it’s ridiculous, but he feels hollow knowing that the last reason he has for following his unrequited love around is gone. Like the cutting of a string, their business connection will be severed in the next hour, and it makes Jimin sick to his stomach.

 

He walks quietly behind the two men, Jungkook going over Yoongi’s plans for the second time in the last hour and Yoongi smiling slightly at his younger brother’s over attentiveness. Jimin’s barely there as they ride the elevator down to the ground floor, as they stand in line, as they check in. Jungkook makes plenty of conversation on his own, though he inevitably ends up reverting back to business talk and worrying over Yoongi.

 

“Hyung, you should go. Your flight leaves in 30 minutes and you still need to get through security,” Jungkook frowns. Yoongi rolls his eyes.

 

“Yah imma, I can tell time,” he laughs. Jungkook flushes a bit in embarrassment but Yoongi’s already pulling him into a hug, telling him that he’ll be fine, that Jungkook will do fine, that he needs to stop worrying so much and have fun. “Go out and have a drink once in a while for heaven’s sake.”

 

“Jimin?”

 

Jimin blinks, waking out of his daze as his eyes focus on Yoongi standing in front of him. He turns around but Jungkook is nowhere in sight.

 

“He went to the bathroom,” Yoongi says when he notices the confusion that sets in on Jimin’s face. “You okay?”

 

“I’m fine,” he replies automatically. Yoongi clicks his tongue, clearly not believing him. Before he knows it, Yoongi’s wrapping his arms around him, enveloping him in soft cologne and warmth and making his heart leap into his throat.

 

“You know I’ll call, right?” Yoongi murmurs against his cheek. Jimin swallows. “You know I’ll miss you, right?”

 

Jimin’s eyes prick with tears as he presses against Yoongi tighter.

 

“Yah, Jimin-ah, don’t cry,” Yoongi says, patting his back.

 

“I-I’m not crying,” he mutters, blinking away his feelings as quickly as he can. He was done falling apart. ‘No more,’ he told himself. No more.

 

“I have a favor to ask,” Yoongi says slowly, stepping back slightly with his hands still resting on Jimin’s shoulders.

 

Jimin quirks an eyebrow and waits for Yoongi to continue, wondering what there could be to ask mere minutes before his departure.

 

“Take care of Jungkook.”

 

Jimin makes a surprised noise and Yoongi takes his hands off Jimin’s shoulders to run them through his own hair.

 

“I mean, I worry about that kid, Jimin. He thinks he’s got it all figured out, that he knows exactly what he’s doing, but he’s still just a kid, you know?”

 

“I noticed,” Jimin replies wryly. “And I will, hyung. You know I will.”

 

“Of course,” Yoongi says, managing a relieved smile. “I know you will. I trust you.”

 

“Yoongi hyung--”

 

“Hyung, why are you still here?” Jungkook groans, walking swiftly over to them, eyeing Yoongi disapprovingly. Yoongi glances at Jimin, waiting for him to finish, as Jungkook finally reaches them and tugs Yoongi’s sleeve.

 

“Have a safe flight, hyung,” Jimin finishes lamely, swallowing the I’ll miss you too, I love you, you know that hyung? with the lump that’s formed in his throat. He forces a smile, and any other time Yoongi would have noticed Jimin’s deflated tone and downcast eyes, but Jungkook is nagging again, and Yoongi is busy trying to get the younger off his case. He mouths a thank you over his shoulder with a grin and finally shrugs off Jungkook, flicking him on the forehead.

 

Jungkook makes his way back to Jimin, rubbing his head and muttering. They watch Yoongi’s bobbing head in silence until he disappears into the crowded security line.

 

“Jimin-ssi, do you want to get lunch?”

 

Jimin can’t right now. His eyes are still trained on the security line where Yoongi’s disappeared into, and all he knows is that it’s over and Yoongi isgone, Yoongi is gone. He blinks and turns to look at Jungkook, who is searching his face for an answer. Jimin opens his mouth to tell him that no,he absolutely cannot stomach anything right now, but stops short, a bit guiltily, realizing this was business, this was his job. Jungkook was his boss after all, and it didn’t seem very polite to reject a generous offer - especially the first one Jungkook was extending. So he finds himself saying yes, despite wanting to sleep (and cry) for an eon.

 

They walk back to the car, making conversation about what, Jimin doesn’t really pay attention. But it’s easy enough. Jungkook was born to be a businessman. The way he speaks is confident, flowing, and persuasive, and the situation isn’t as awkward as Jimin had thought it would be, with Jungkook leading the conversation and actually making him interested (or as interested a lovesick man could be in this situation) in topics that he would have otherwise thought mundane.

 

Jungkook asks him if there's a particular place Jimin has in mind, but Jimin doesn’t know, doesn’t care, food is the last thing on his mind. Jungkook just shrugs at Jimin’s lame answer, glancing sideways at the elder who is currently staring out the window. The weather, as if tuned to Jimin’s depressed mood, has turned from sun-shiny to downright cloudy. Jimin shifts, frowns, runs his hand through his hair, and won’t stop ing moving , and it’s at about the 126th sigh that Jungkook asks Jimin if he’s okay. The man is obviously not but what else is Jungkook supposed to say?

 

“What was that?” Jimin says, looking up at him apologetically.

 

Annoyed. Jungkook is annoyed. He can’t tell if it’s because

He misses Yoongi and he’s already a little apprehensive without his brother by his side, He’s only the tiniest bit a spoiled brat and hates it when people aren’t listening to him, or Oh. oh.

 

Park Jimin is very cute.*

*Emphasis on the very.

 

Okay so 3 is definitely not the reason.

 

‘But while on the topic, why don’t we overthink everything,’ Jungkook’s mind decides.

 

3a. Why did he not notice this when he was on the rooftop the other day?

3b. Why is he realizing this very distracting fact at this very moment?

3c. Why is he checking out his secretary?

3c. Why is he checking out his secretary who he doesn’t know anything about?

3c. Why is he checking out his secretary who is sad, vulnerable, untouchable, and in love with his older brother?

 

“Dammit…” he murmurs, snapping his eyes back to the road and rubbing his temple. Jimin frowns, obviously completely misinterpreting his annoyance for one that’s directed toward him.

 

“I’m sorry, Jungkook-ssi, I had something on my mind,” he sighs, looking defeated.

 

Jungkook waves his hand at him, tells him it’s nothing, he was thinking of something ( someone) and had gotten momentarily annoyed (flustered). It had nothing to do with Jimin. (It did).

 

The rest of the ride is quiet, leaving Jungkook to drown in his thoughts. He’s only low-key panicking at this point because he really doesn’t have the time to be thinking about Jimin like that. His assistant.. Someone he honestly doesn’t know that much about. Someone in love with my ing brother. What is wrong with me .

 

Jungkook turns into the parking lot. He has no problem picking up pretty girls, pretty boys those nights he really wants company. He gets out and Jimin follows quietly behind. Though he hasn’t been out in the past six months? year? Doesn’t remember, he’s too busy.

 

“Italian?” Jimin asks, sliding out of his seat and shutting the car door.

 

He doesn’t think anything is cute, especially not people