Jimin woke me up one night. Or early morning, I suppose. He’d been practicing all night; Bangtan was going to put out new music soon. He tried to let himself in quietly, but he tripped over something and let out a loud curse, startling me from sleep.

I found him in the kitchen, munching on carrots. Mussed blonde hair, cheeks stuffed with food, a large black hoodie hanging loosely on his muscular frame.

I went over and sat in his lap. He wrapped his arms around me and placed one soft kiss on my shoulder.

“You want a carrot?” He offered, shaking the bowl invitingly. “They’re delicious.”

I buried my face in his neck, inhaling deeply. “I’m good, thanks.”

Jimin’s hand my hair. “Did you miss me or something?”

“Mmhmm.” I yawned sleepily.

“Cat yawn.” Jimin said. “Cute little cat yawn.”

“You wanna get a cat?” I offered, kissing his neck.

“Well, I do love cats. But you are allergic, so I don’t think it’s the best idea.”

“I can take medicine. They have lots of medicines for cat allergies.”

Jimin took another bite of carrot and talked to me through a full mouth. “Alright. We can get a cat, if you want. We can get that kitten back from Daisy if you want.”

“Oh, that little baby you got me all those years ago! That kitten’s a cat now, though. Too attached to Daisy and her family.” I nuzzled my nose against his cheek. “We can go to the shelter and get a cat. What do you think?”

“I wonder if Haru’s allergic.” Jimin said thoughtfully.

I pondered for a moment. “I don’t think so. She never sneezes when we’re at Daisy’s house.”

“That’s true.” Jimin gathered my hair in his hands and ran it through his fingers. “Wanna go get a cat tomorrow?”

“Yeah.” I pressed my forehead to his and kiss his nose. “I wanna get a cat and a kitten. And a puppy.”

“No puppies.” Jimin rubbed our noses together. “A cat or a kitten.”

“Or a cat and a kitten.”

“Or two cats. We could buy friends.”

“Yeah! Cat pals.”

“Or siblings.”

“You really love cats, huh?” I kissed him.

Jimin spoke against my lips. “Yeah. I love cats and I love you.” He touched the lightest of kisses to my lips.

I smiled. “I think we’ve done excellently with our homework this week, Mr. Park.”

“I wholeheartedly agree, Mrs. Park.” Jimin’s mouth curved into a wicked smile.

“I’ll let it slide. Just this once.” I tapped his nose with the tip of my finger.

Jimin turned his head to eat another carrot, his arm wrapped securely around my waist.

“How are you feeling right now?” I asked him. “About us, I mean?”

“Well, I’m planning on getting some cats with you, so I think that shows a strong level of commitment.”

“Much more than marrying me and having two kids with me.” I joked.

“You’re not wrong.”

He chewed thoughtfully, chubby cheeks puffing out. I impulsively kissed one and he squeezed me affectionately.

“I feel…” Jimin began, “I feel appreciative that you are out here hanging with me instead of lying in bed feeling upset because I came home late.”

“Mmm.”

“And I feel thankful that you put the kids to bed by yourself.” Jimin rested his head on my shoulder. “And you smell good, so that’s always a bonus.”

I kissed his hair. “Well, Chim, I feel thankful that you made a point of texting me ahead of time to tell me you were going to be late, so I wasn’t left lying awake in bed wondering when you would come home.”

Jimin tugged me closer and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “There was a package for you at the mailboxes. Did you not go outside today?”

“Nope.”

“What about Yukon?” Jimin ran his thumb along the side of my face. He dragged it over my lower lip and I puckered my lips, just grazing his callused skin with a kiss.

“Um…someone stopped back and took him out.” I answered vaguely.

“Ah.” Jimin nodded his head in understanding. “And Jin didn’t bring up the mail when he came by to ‘just check on you?’”

I flushed. “Jimin, I can’t control whether or not he comes over.”

“Yeah, but you could, like, get upset about it so he would stop wanting to come over.” Jimin pouted at me.

I threw my arms around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder, hoping to garner sympathy by acting pathetic. “I can’t be mean to Jin. He’s so…”

“Pretty.” Jimin finished. “You feel like you’re being rude to one of God’s favorite creations if you’re mean to him.”

“Exactly!” I cried. “That’s exactly it. Plus, he brought me a double cheeseburger with extra onions and pickles and cheese fries.”

“Baby! You’re on a diet!” My husband exclaimed. “You’re on a diet and you’re eating cheese and meat? And fried potatoes?”

I pulled away from his neck and pouted at Jimin. “But…it tasted so good.”

Jimin poked my stomach. “I bet it won’t feel good when you’re stuck in the bathroom tomorrow morning.”

“Shut up. If I wanna eat meat and cheese, I’m going to eat meat and cheese. And friend potatoes. With cheese on top!”

“Sure. You gonna work out more, then? Start hitting the gym with me more than once every two weeks?” Jimin leaned in and kissed the soft skin of my arm. “Or we could, you know…do yoga together.”

I immediately perked up. “You wanna do yoga with me?”

He tangled his fingers in my hair and drew me close for a kiss. “Yeah. It could be fun. Besides, it’ll help keep me limber and flexible.”

“Mmm.” I smirked at him. “Things I enjoy about you.”

Jimin smiled back at me and we kissed for a little while. I swung my leg so that I straddled his hips. Jimin’s hands cradled my head and he pulled me closer, so that our chests were pressed up against each other’s.

One of his hands slipped under my shirt while the other slid into the back of my leggings. Things were getting heated between us when Jimin pulled away for a brief moment to pull off his black hoodie, revealing a tight fitting black tank top that looked oddly familiar.

I pushed him away as he moved in for another kiss. He looked dazed and slightly confused when he tried again and I repeated the action.

“Is that…is that my Justin Bieber tank top?” I asked, eyebrows furrowing.

“Uh...” Jimin looked down at himself. “Yeah.”

I lifted my eyes from the shirt emblazoned with “Justin Forever” and stared at him in confusion. “Babe, why are you wearing my Justin Bieber shirt?”

“I, uh, I don’t know.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Jimin! You know that’s my favorite shirt!” I plucked at it. “And you wore it to practice all night in?”

“I wasn’t practicing.” Jimin mumbled. “I was in the studio.”

“No way, you had practice before that, I know you did. You guys are rehearsing new songs.” I leaned in and sniffed it. “And you got it all sweaty!”

“Yeah, I did!” He said defensively. “I hate this shirt! How can you wear a shirt with another guy’s name and face on it? Justin Forever? Really, baby? Plus, it’s got his beautiful face on that back. What the hell?”

“I love him.” I replied. “You know I love him.”

“Just love me!” Jimin cried. “Just be my fan. You can only like me, okay?”

I pretended to consider for a moment.

“Only like me.” He repeated in a cutesy voice. “Only like me, baby girl. Hmm? Only like me.”

I laughed and curled my fingers into his hair. He responded with a blinding smile and leaned in to kiss me. I turned my face away at the last moment.

“Uh-uh, honey. You’re not getting any more kisses tonight.”

Jimin gasped. “How can you say that?! I’m your husband!”

“Yeah, my husband who stole my Justin Bieber shirt.” I muttered. “And sweated in it.”

“I’ll give it back.” He pouted, cocking his head at me. “Come on. Kiss me.”

“Hmm.” I traced my fingers over his lips and Jimin pretended to bite me. “Ouch, you freak. Listen, I will forgive you only if you sing and dance to ‘Sorry’ and record it for your fans. And me. And then you have to do a shout out to me and apologize for wearing my shirt.”

Jimin scoffed. “I’m not doing that. Bull.”

“Fine.” I hopped off of his lap. “Then, I’m going to sleep.”

I turned and lifted my arms above my head, so that my shirt rose and exposed the curve of my backside. Jimin let out an audible, lustful sigh behind me.

I heard his chair scrape the kitchen floor and scampered out of the room, anticipating his next move. I’d been captured and scooped up into Jimin’s arms way too many times not to develop some defense tactics.

“Baby, wait!” He whisper-yelled. The kids were sleeping, after all. Had to be quiet.

Jimin followed me into the bedroom and flopped down on the bed next to me.

“Babyyy.” He cooed, putting his hands on my hips. “Just kiss me.”

“Shh.” I put a finger to his lips. “We have to sleep. Sun Jae should be up in about forty-five minutes waiting to be fed, and I am exhausted. Take my shirt off of your sweaty, unwashed body and go to sleep.”

“You take it off.” Jimin said stubbornly, puffing his chest out. “I’m not taking it off.”

I knew it was a trap. But, I loved my shirt too much to let him sleep in it.

Surprisingly, Jimin let me take the shirt off of him with no protest. I tossed it onto the floor and smiled at him.

“Ah, now I get to snuggle with you like this all night long.” Jimin threw his arms around me and crushed me to his chest. “Hahaha, baby. You lose.”

I pretended to pout, but in reality, snuggling up close to a shirtless Jimin was definitely an excellent way to fall asleep.

A couple of days later, Jimin came home around dinnertime. Haru ambushed him at the door in her usual euphoric ecstasy. I waved hello from the couch, where I was nursing Sun Jae.

Haru and Jimin wrestled on the floor for a while. Sun Jae looked up at me with his bright brown eyes and pulled on my hair. I gently tugged it out of his grasp, but he reached for another strand.

“Hey, Jimin? Can you tie up my hair for me?”

“Sure.” He tried to extricate himself from Haru, who had a firm grasp on his leg, and gathered my curls in his hands. Haru tugged at him and threw her head back, laughing manically.

“I got you something.” Jimin said softly to me. “A little gift.”

“Ooh! Can you bring it to me? I’m too excited to wait until he’s done eating.” I gestured to Sun Jae.

“Yeah.” He crossed the room and tossed me a bag with a shy look on his face.

“You gotta open it, too, babe.” I grinned at him.

“Oh, right.” Jimin sat down next to me and carefully began to open the package.

“Wait! Wait for me!” Haru climbed onto his lap. “I wanna see Mama’s present!”

Jimin patted her head, then ripped open the bag. He shook out a black tank top with some print on it.

“What’s that say?” I squinted. “Does that say what I think it says?”

“Ha, yup. It does.” Jimin’s cheeks looked a bit flushed.

“Jimin’s Forever?” I raised my eyebrows at him. “Seriously, Jimin?”

“Look at the back.” He prompted, flipping it over.

A rather y picture of him was on the back. It was from a few years ago; he sported brown hair, a Metallica muscle shirt, and a red bandana tied around his neck. He looked hot, no doubt, but also so young.

“Is that…Jimin, is this picture from the summer we started dating?”

“Uh, yeah.” He set the shirt down on the couch between us. “It is.”

“Did you have this shirt made especially for me?” I asked him with a smile on my face. More like a smirk, actually.

“Yeah, I did. So now you don’t have to wear that stupid Justin Beiber shirt.”

I kissed his cheek. “Stupid jealous fool.” I whispered.

Haru smushed herself in between us and kissed both of our cheeks.

The next day, Jimin had a concert. Ji Eun offered to babysit the kids so Jimin’s parents could go. She said she’d been to enough Bangtan concerts and didn’t feel like dealing with the drama with Taehyung, which was apparently still happening.

Before he left, Jimin suggested that I wear the new shirt he’d given me. He left before I got changed, though, so he really had no choice in the matter.

“Mama, whatchu gonna wear?” Haru sat perched on the edge of my bed, swinging her legs. Ji Eun sat next to her, cradling Sun Jae. He gurgled happily and frequently touched her face, which made her smile.

“I don’t know, sweetheart.” I shuffled through my closet. “Maybe one of Daddy’s Stussy shirts?”

“No man clothes!” Ji Eun booed.

“No, Aunt Ji Eun, ladies can wear man clothes and mans can wear lady clothes.” Haru corrected her. “Mama can wear mans’ clothes.”

Ji Eun laughed and kissed Haru’s hair.

“Or I could wear this dress?” I pulled out a simple black t-shirt dress. “With a flannel around my waist. And my white Adidas?”

“That’s cute.” Ji Eun agreed. “Or you could wear the shirt Jimin made you, since he seemed so keen on it.”

“Ah, that thing.” I said dismissively. “He’s so young in that picture. It feels weird to wear.”

“You love it.” She smirked. “You love it and you’re embarrassed to admit it.”

“I do not!” I said hotly. I snatched up my Justin Bieber shirt from the floor and threw it on. I paired it with skinny jeans, a red and black flannel, and my Timberlands. To top it off, I snagged a black beanie of Jimin’s and fitted it over my curls.

“He’s gonna be so mad at you.” Ji Eun warned me.

“Good. I like when he’s mad over petty things like this. It usually leads to,” I glanced at Haru, “well, you know, Ji Eun.”

“.” She mouthed to me.

“Mama, I wanna come.” Haru whined. “I wanna see Daddy.”

“Oh, love, I know you do.” I leaned down and scooped her up into my arms. “I’ll miss you.”

“Can I have ten kisses?” She asked me innocently.

“Of course, baby.” I kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her chin, her ears, and her nose. “Ten kisses for my baby.”

“Wah, wah.” She imitated a baby’s cry with a smile on her face. “I’m a baby.”

Sun Jae actually started to cry and I began to lactate, wetting my bra.

“Damn it.” I muttered. “Ji Eun, I’m about to get kind of in here, just so you know.”

“Nothing I haven’t seen before, toots.” She waved dismissively.

I slipped out of my bra and shirt and took Sun Jae from Ji Eun. He patted his little hand against my chest as he ate, staring up at me.

“He’s gonna be four months soon.” Ji Eun played with his foot. Sun Jae kicked out at her.

“Not really. Don’t rush him.” I Sun Jae’s forehead and his eyes fluttered close. “I want my baby to stay a baby.”

“So when’s Jimin go back to California?” She flicked her hair over her shoulder and rested curious eyes on me.

“He goes back next weekend. But he didn’t book a return flight, so who the hell knows when he’s coming back.”

“You sound a little bitter.” Ji Eun sniggered. I shot her a look.

“You try being married with two kids and having a husband that jets off anywhere at the drop of a hat.” I muttered. “And honestly, why did BigHit decide it was a good idea to schedule a concert last-minute? Who does that?”

“They sold out, though. Perks of being famous.”

I merely grunted in response.

Silence fell between us as we watched Haru dance around on the floor, singing a nonsense song about turtles.

“I should probably get going.” I said after Sun Jae finished feeding. I burped him and handed him to Ji Eun, who watched me get dressed with a funny expression on her face.

“What?” I asked, feeling self-conscious.

“Are you really gonna wear that shirt? Jimin’s gonna be mad.”

I tied my flannel securely around my waist. “You think so? Like, we’ll fight about it kinda of mad? I don’t think he really hates this shirt so much.”

Ji Eun picked up the shirt Jimin had made me and threw it at me. “I think he’ll be hurt that you didn’t wear this one.”

I ruffled my hair with both hands, knocking my beanie askew. “How can he ask me to wear that kind of thing in public? So embarrassing!”

She raised her eyebrows at me. “You eagerly jump at the chance to wear a Justin Bieber shirt, but you can’t wear one with your own famous husband on it? I don’t get it.”

“Listen, I’m a fan. A JB fan, not his wife. There’s nothing super personal about my love for him or his music. But wearing this shirt…with this picture on it, is just hard. It’s so private, like, ‘hey, here I am, announcing my super personal and deep love for my husband.’” I could feel my face growing hot and lifted a hand to fan myself.

“I don’t get it.” Ji Eun repeated. “What’s the big deal?”

“Nothing.” I muttered, yanking the Justin shirt off. I pulled the Jimin shirt over my head, mumbling curses to myself. “It’s just embarrassing, okay? I’m not good with public declarations of love, especially in front of all his adoring fans.”

“Just shut up and get out of here.” She waved me off. I bent down to give Sun Jae and Haru kisses, then grimly made my way to the concert.

They were practicing on the stage when I got there. Not a real practice, just a quick little dress rehearsal. Jimin looked as gorgeous as ever in his stage clothes and makeup. He didn’t see me at first, so I hung in the back with one of the stylists, Joyce. We’d become casual friends over the years; she always gave me makeup tips and I shared whatever food I’d brought for Jimin with her.

“Wow, you look amazing.” Joyce gave me a once-over. “Did you really just have a baby?”

“Ah, you know, Jimin’s been helping me work out. And he has me on this awful vegan diet. It’s terrible. I miss meat.”

“Mmm, I know what you mean. Vegetables are delicious, but after a while, I need some pork or beef.”

“Well, Jin brought me a cheeseburger the other day, so I cheated a little.” I smiled, looking to the stage to find Jin. He looked like he was concentrating very hard on his dance moves.

Joyce followed my line of vision. “You know, I haven’t seen his girlfriend around for a while. I wonder if they broke up.”

“Nah, she’s in India for a few months. She should be back soon, I think.”

Joyce glanced at me. “Hey. You want me to do your makeup for tonight? Knock the socks off of Jimin?”

“Hell yes!” I cried excitedly.

The members came shuffling back into the dressing room just as I was finishing up my makeup. Joyce had styled my hair into two long, thick braids that fell to my shoulders. The beanie on top finished the look. I had to admit, I looked gorgeous.

Jin walked in first, stopping still in the doorway as his eyes widened in surprise.

“Wow.” He breathed. “You look…you look amazing.”

“Uh, th-thanks.” I replied, stuttering awkwardly. The heat rose to my cheeks as Jin continued to stare at me.

Yoongi and Namjoon pushed their way past him, raising their hands in greeting to me.

“Hey, sunshine!” Taehyung chirped upon entering the room, Jimin following close behind.

My husband’s face perked up at the mention of my name. He caught my eye and immediately broke into a broad, pleased smile.

“Who’s this gorgeous girl?” He asked in a gushingly affectionate voice. I cringed, but felt so pleased on the inside. “Is that my wife? Can’t be. She barely likes to put on clothes anymore.”

“Not a visual I needed.” Hoseok commented as he walked into the room. Jungkook smirked and winked at me.

“Hey, not like that! Just because she’s lazy. She wears clothes, okay?! Just, like, wrinkled, babyproof ones.” Jimin said defensively.

“Gee, thanks.” I mumbled.

“I think you always look beautiful.” Jin said loyally. Joyce nudged me with her elbow, her eyebrows raised.

“What a compliment from the prettiest person I’ve ever met!” I cried, playing it off as a joke. He grinned at me and sat down to get his hair fixed.

Jimin sat himself down in my lap and gently kissed my nose. “You really do look beautiful.” He murmured.

“All thanks to Joyce!” I grinned at him.

“Nice shirt.” He whispered in my ear, bending his head to kiss my neck. “I didn’t think you would actually wear it.”

“Are you happy?”

“The happiest.” Jimin replied, lifting his head to flash me a blinding smile.

“I brought you some kimbap.” I pointed to my bag. “Enough to share.”

“Homemade?” He asked, nosing around in the bag. He crowed when he found the foil wrapped packages. “Looks homemade!”

“Yeah. I made it. Ji Eun helped, don’t worry. It’s edible. Actually, it’s pretty delicious, if I do say so myself.”

“Well, I’m glad you do say so.” He unwrapped the foil and popped one into his mouth. “Ah, pretty good. Hey, who wants some of my wife’s homemade kimbap?” He offered, pulling out several other wrapped rolls. “It’s good.”

Everyone looked rather hesitant, except Taehyung, who gallantly stepped forward and took a roll.

“Ji Eun helped, you said?” Taehyung asked, opening the package and taking a piece. “She makes good kimbap. I’m sure yours is just as delicious.” He took a bite and smiled. “Delicious.”

Soon, we were all munching on my cooking (which was a first), Jimin and I sharing kisses in between bites.

“Look who’s all lovey dovey again.” Yoongi muttered an aside to Hoseok, who agreed quietly. “Nice to see them happy.”

“Yeah, although I could do without all the kissing.” Hoseok grumbled. “Always all over each other, those two.”

A knock sounded on the door and soon a figure entered. Jin’s face lit up in a radiant smile.

“Anjali! You came.” He jumped to his feet and kissed her cheek, then led her to a quiet corner. The two of them sat close together, knees touching as they whispered. He leaned in to kiss her, but as their lips met, he looked up and caught my eye.

I felt a twinge of something, but Jimin’s soft lips soon distracted me.

“We’re going on soon.” He kissed my cheek. “Be sure to cheer for me.”

“Of course.” I smiled at him. “I’m your biggest fan, of course.”

He scoffed. “I must have some pretty ty fans if you’re the biggest one.”

“Hey! I’m wearing the shirt, aren’t I?” I teasingly pinched his cheeks, then dropped my voice to a whisper. “And I’m sure you’re going to love taking it off of me later.”

“Oh, .” Jimin’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. I grinned mischievously at him.

“I’ll sing you Aquaman by Jay Park.” He offered.

“You’re only allowed to sing it if you actually deliver on those promises.” I grabbed onto his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss.

Anjali and I ended up watching the concert together with Jimin’s parents. They were so obviously proud of Jimin. His dad kept commenting on Jimin’s dancing and singing, saying how much he had improved.

During a break between songs, Anjali turned to me. “I like your shirt.”

“Uh, thanks.” I replied, looking down at my outfit. “Jimin made it for me.”

“Right.” She nodded. “Because it seems like some people have been confused about who you really belong to.”

I flushed angrily. “First of all, I belong to myself, thanks. I’m not Jimin’s possession. And if you wanna get technical, we belong to each other. That’s what marriage is.”

She rolled her eyes. “No need to be so sensitive. Besides, you know what I was really trying to say.”

I pursed my lips and cast a sideways glance at my in-laws. Could they hear this conversation?

Anjali leaned in close to whisper in my ear. “I know that Jin’s in love with you. Any moron can see from the way he looks at you and prioritizes you over me, his girlfriend. I don’t care if he loves you for now. I’ll make him forget about you.”

“Good. I hope he can be happy.” I tugged on the end of one of my braids, flustered by this conversation.

“Even if you do love him, I won’t let you have him.” Anjali continued.

“I don’t love him.” I mumbled.

She laughed. “Right. That’s why you’ve done nothing to discourage him. Because you don’t love him.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but she spoke first.

“Fine, maybe you don’t love him. But you sure as hell love the attention.” She smirked at me. “Just because your marriage has gone to doesn’t mean you can up my relationship. Remember your place, .”

I sat quietly for a little while, staring at my lap and thinking over what Anjali had said.

“You’re right.” I admitted. “I do like the attention. And my marriage is going through a hard time. Jin is…he’s always been a comfort to me.” I looked up at her. “I care about Jin deeply, you know. I don’t want to be romantically involved with him, but I haven’t discouraged him the way I should. It’s hard, because he’s a friend and I don’t want to hurt him.”

“You’re hurting him more by not straightforwardly rejecting him.” Anjali interrupted.

I nodded. “I know.” I paused and bit my lower lip. “I know I am.”

She looked back at the stage, where Jimin and J-Hope were doing a special choreography. I’d stopped by the studio a few days before to see them practicing. Jimin looked graceful and gorgeous. My eyes wandered to Jin, who stood awkwardly in the stage corner, speaking aside to Yoongi.

“I like Jin.” Anjali said suddenly. “He’s a good person. He’s caring and affectionate. Manly. When he holds me, I get nervous fluttering in my stomach. I’m not the kind of person who gets nervous around men.” She rested her chin in her hand and sighed. “I know I’m being mean to you, but I don’t like that he loves you. I want him to love me.”

After the concert, we all went backstage to the dressing room. Jimin stood off to the side talking to his parents. Anjali excused herself to go to the bathroom and I was left sitting alone, wondering if Jimin wanted to take his parents out for a meal.

Jin plopped down next to me, his broad shoulders knocking against mine. I looked over at him with a smile. He leaned forward and smiled prettily back, sweaty hair hanging down in front of his face.

“Did you have fun with Anjali?” He tapped his fingers against his knee, all nervous energy. A shock, really. Normally Jin was the first to collapse onto a chair due to exhaustion after a concert.

“She really cares about you, Jin.” I ruffled his hair. “You found a nice girl.”

Jin glanced behind me before grabbing my hand and tangling our fingers together. “You’re the nicest girl.” He whispered, lips close to my ear.

“Jin, seriously. You need to stop this.” I took my hand from his. “I’m never going to be with you.”

He tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear. “Yet I keep catching you watching me. Noticing me. You’ve got quite the pair of lingering eyes, sunshine.”

“Jin, stop!” I hissed. “Stop doing this kind of thing.”

He laughed, a deep, spine-tingling laugh. “Do you really want me to stop, baby?”

“Don’t call me baby.”

Jin moved his thigh so it pressed against mine. I felt so aware of his body heat, of the gentle pressure of his clothed leg touching mine. His fingers gently traced the inside of my arm and he whispered that he thought I looked beautiful.

I glanced up to see Jimin’s worried eyes resting on me.

What the hell was I doing?

I jumped up guiltily and strode across the room towards Jimin, Jin’s satisfied laughter ringing in my ears. What had happened to my sweet friend? Why was he acting like this?

The answer was clear to me, but I didn’t want to admit it.

Jimin’s eyes stayed on me until I stood by his side. He wrapped his arm around my waist and glanced between me and Jin, frown lines etched between his eyebrows. I didn’t like him looking like that. I didn’t like making Jimin feel worried and sad.

I didn’t like feeling worried and sad myself.

Jimin didn’t take off my shirt later that night. Instead, we went out to eat dinner with his parents. He was strangely quiet throughout the meal, and when we came home. I tried to talk to him, but he just absentmindedly kissed my forehead and went to take a shower. It was a long shower; Ji Eun stayed and chatted for forty-five minutes and Jimin still hadn’t gotten out by the time she left.

I changed into some pajamas and kissed sleeping Sun Jae’s forehead before climbing into bed.

I must have drifted off, because the next thing I knew, Jimin was lying next to me, speaking softly into the phone.

“I don’t know. Did you hear what they were talking about?” He asked worriedly. “Tae, I’ve never seen her look like that before. Like she was scared of Jin.”

He paused and his lips, listening to what Taehyung had to say.

“It’s so unlike him, though.” Jimin scratched his head. “He’s like, sweet and . Not the type of guy who would come onto a girl who clearly didn’t want it.”

A long silence followed his words. I couldn’t hear what Taehyung said, but I peeked up at Jimin’s face to see him staring down at me.

My heart leapt up into my throat as Jimin’s eyes narrowed.

“Tae…I’ll call you back.” He said slowly.

His thumb pressed the “End Call” button as he continued to stare down at me, his gaze unwavering.

We stared at each other in silence for what felt like an excruciatingly long time. I could hardly see him in the dark, but his eyes were clear and bright.

“How much did you hear?” He asked finally.

I swallowed. “Um…not that much. Just from when you asked Tae if he could hear what we were talking about.”

“What were you talking about?” Jimin asked.

“Nothing, really.” I said nervously. I my lips as Jimin tensed noticeably. Obviously that wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear.

“Nothing.” He echoed hollowly. “Alright, then.”

Jimin suddenly snatched me to him, burying his nose in my hair and holding me so tightly it hurt. I tentatively placed my hands on his waist and kissed his neck.

He clung to me in the darkness, soft, strained breaths mussing my hair.