“I just can’t do this anymore Jimin!” Krystal whined

“What’s wrong? What did I do?” Jimin pleaded. His girlfriend simply pouted and turned away.

“Krystal~” he reached out to hold her hand but she slapped in away, startling the boy.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!” she screeched. “I DON’T KNOW WHAT ELSE THOSE HANDS HAVE TOUCHED!”

“Krystal, what do you mean?” he asked weakly.

“Don’t play stupid with me Park Jimin.” she said, gritting her teeth together and pointing a sharp finger at Jimin’s chest. “I see the way that you look at Yoongi and I see the way he looks at you. You hug and cuddle and it’s ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING!! I’VE BEEN PUTTING UP WITH THIS FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR!! I’M FINISHED!”

“Krystal… it’s not like that. Yoongi is my best friend! We’ve known each other for almost our entire lives-”

She then slapped Jimin hard across the face. He stumbled back a little bit and surrounding students stared in shock. Some were laughing quietly to themselves.

“Didn’t you hear me the first time ? I SAID WE’RE DONE!” with that, she stomped down the hall. Jimin stood vulnerable in the middle of the hallway. Students were gossiping to each other and looking at Jimin in disgust.

“He’s gay?”

“No wonder Krystal broke up with him”

“He can’t even defend himself against a girl”

“What a loser.”

All these words penetrated hard through his chest. Tears began to well up in his eyes. He couldn’t take the pressure so he ran. He ran as fast as his legs could take him. Once he stumbled outside, he pressed his back against the hard wall and fumbled with his phone. He pressed the button and the phone started to ring. As tears flowed down his face, he begged softly, Please pick up.

Yoongi sat at his desk. He was totally stumped. It was his first year of college and it was definitely a whole new ball game. He had to commute back and forth for classes and his job so he was at the point where he was about the rip his hair out.

In the midst of his frustration, his phone began to ring. He set aside his current issue and picked up the phone.

Jiminie

“Jimin? Why are you calling me? Shouldn’t you be at school-”

“Hyung…”

Yoongi froze. Jimin sounded so broken.

“Jimin? What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Just come and get me, pl-ease…”

Yoongi grabbed his keys. “Stay where you are. I’m coming to get you.”

Yoongi pulled up to the front of the school and hopped out of the car. He searched wildly for Jimin. He then spotted him curled up against a wall. He ran to him immediately.

“Jimin!” the boy looked up and Yoongi’s heart seized. His eyes were swollen, tears falling down his cheeks. Yoongi kneeled down and the boy instantly clung to him like a baby koala.

“Hyung…” he whispered.

“Shh it’s okay Jiminie. I’m here.” he wrapped the younger in his arms protectively, making sure that no one could come near. He pressed gentle kisses in Jimin’s hair. “Come on let’s get you out of here.” he helped the poor boy to his feet and lead him to the car. They then got in and drove away.  

“Here.” Yoongi said as he lifted Jimin out of the car. The younger rested his head on Yoongi’s shoulder and held on the the base of his neck with his small hand. The older carried him inside his apartment and set him down on the bed. He sat down next to Jimin and laced their hands together.

“Jiminie, what happened?”

The smaller boy leaned his head so it was resting on Yoongi’s shoulder.

“She dumped me in front of the entire school. She slapped me too.” He said with zero emotion whatsoever. The tears were no longer flowing, but merely stained his cheeks. Before Yoongi could say anything, the boy continued,

“I'm tired hyung. I’m so tired of crying. I don’t want to do it anymore.” his voice this time sounded weak and vulnerable. Yoongi leaned his head against the younger’s. He pulled their laced fingers up to his face and kissed the back of Jimin’s hand. The boy only stared up at Yoongi, his look not shocked, but rather a bit flustered.

“I can’t promise that won’t happen to you again, but I can promise that I will do all I can to protect you.” The older’s voice was serious but gentle. Jimin smiled a little.

“Thank you hyung.”

“Get some rest Jimin. If you need me, just call me okay?” he said, helping Jimin under the covers and tucking him in.

“Okay.” Yoongi kissed the boy’s forehead and exited the room, turning off the lights.

~*~

Jimin was very confused. Thanks to the permission he received from his parents, Jimin got to spend the week with Yoongi. And the more time he spent with him, the more he felt that weird feeling in his chest. It was a feeling that surfaced when Yoongi would do simple things to reassure him that everything was okay. The kisses on the head. The kisses on the hands. The hugs they shared. The cuddle sessions. Whenever Jimin needed him, he was there. He was ready to protect Jimin’s still growing body with his own. Yoongi was always there for him, no matter the situation.  

So as Jimin sat alone on the couch, he ran a hand through his brown hair and tugged on it a little. It was silent throughout the apartment because Yoongi was off in class. What was this feeling that he was feeling? There was only one person he could ask.

“Jiminie? Is everything okay?” Jongdae, his father, asked though the phone.

“Everything is fine Dad, I just need your help with something.”

“Sure thing. What is it?”

“I’ve been feeling something weird lately. It’s hard to explain. It’s like my chest squeezes but it’s not in a bad way. It actually feels kinda nice. It only happens when hyung is around-”

“Awww~ Jimin I know exactly what it is.”

“Really?”

“Of course! I’ll give you a hint. I felt the exact same way when I was best friends with your Appa. It was like there were butterflies dancing in my stomach and I felt kind of energized when he did nice things for me.”

Jimin froze. Realization slapped him in the face.

“You figured it out didn’t you?”

“Yep. Thanks Dad! I-I gotta go!” he quickly hung up the phone. He ran to the bathroom and splashed some water on his face. Looking at his reflection, the words of realization ran through his mind,

He loves Yoongi.