Jimin must have been freezing; his shivers were so audible that they distracted Yoongi from what he was trying to say. 

"And apparently the game's release is being delayed til- Jimin, are you sure you're not freezing your off?" Yoongi sighed. 

" 'm fine." Jimin managed to get out between the chatters of his teeth. "I think I- I lost all rights t-t-to complain when I decided-d to wear a sheer t-top."

Yoongi would've rolled his eyes, if he was prepared to risk looking away from Jimin for even a second. Jimin's sheer long-sleeved top, dangerously thin and a mostly transparent material that was a midnight shade of black, hugged his figure provocatively. Yoongi's main focus, however, would have been Jimin's cute little belly - if he had been staring, which of course, he hadn't been. Never. 

Just like how he hadn't been staring at the way the top was tucked into Jimin's black skinny jeans, accentuating the dip in his waist and the way he was basically 80% legs. Alternatively, just like how he wouldn't dream of staring at the silver flecks of glitter that Jimin had adorned the undersides of his eyes with. Or the way his fringe curled over his forehead in almost a heart-shape, making his face look even softer and more kissable-

"Just..." Yoongi shrugged off his leather jacket. "Put this on. We're halfway to Jungkook's, so you can wear this for the second half of the way."

Jimin's scattered whines were muffled by Yoongi's forceful shoving of his jacket onto Jimin's back. 

"If this jacket drops to the floor it'll get muddy and I won't be happy, so put your arms in the arm holes, okay?" Yoongi grumbled, and Jimin sighed but obeyed. 

"You're too nice to me, Yoongi." Jimin pouted and adjusted the collar of the jacket, but Yoongi didn't miss the way the edges of his pout curved into the hint of a half-grin. 

Yoongi was wearing a black turtleneck under his jacket, so his arms weren't exposed to the cold even after removing it. In any case, he knew that Jimin was more sensitive to the cold than he. And letting Jimin shiver and suffer wouldn't make him feel too good anyway. 

Regardless, Jimin wrapped his arms around Yoongi's shoulders all of a sudden, and clutched him close. 

"Don't worry, I'll keep you warm!" Jimin giggled, and Yoongi sighed, finally rolling his eyes and bringing his hands to Jimin's arm. He lightly rubbed at his own jacket over Jimin's body with his thumb, wishing he didn't enjoy the feeling of Jimin's body pressed against his. 

But he did. He enjoyed it so badly. 

It wasn't until they arrived at Jungkook's obnoxiously modern and impressive-looking house that Jimin peeled himself away from Yoongi. He went to remove the jacket, but Yoongi pressed a hand on his chest to stop him. 

"I'm boiling in this turtleneck, you can feel free to keep the jacket." Yoongi said quickly. "It won't be too warm on you, considering you're basically wearing the thinnest material in the worl-"

"My Jimin!" Jungkook darted through the close-knit cluster of people in the hallway and threw his hand forward, clutching the front of Jimin's shirt and yanking Jimin forward into a kiss. 

Yoongi was amazed that he didn't throw up in his mouth when he heard the small grunts of Jungkook against Jimin's mouth. But that didn't mean that he felt entirely comfortable. He knew he was there to take care of Jimin, but.. he couldn't deal with this all night. Couldn't go from his easygoing walk with Jimin under the night sky, just the two of them, to this claustrophobic place, watching Jungkook place his hands all over Jimin's body. Jungkook's Jimin, apparently. 

"Hey, the hyungs are in the lounge, with all the alcohol," Jungkook laughed as he finally pulled himself away and let Jimin breathe, "Why don't you come through with us?"

There it was. The flinch in Jimin's stance in the same moment that alcohol was mentioned. The subtle way his arms drew back from Jungkook's waist. And although Jimin had his back to Yoongi, Yoongi noticed his shift in demeanor instantly. He couldn't leave him, not when his sole reason for coming to this stupid party was to protect Jimin from peer-pressured drinking. 

He didn't need much convincing, as the sight of Jimin extending his arm backwards to reach for Yoongi, wordlessly asking for him to join him, was enough. He took his friend's hand, and allowed him to gently usher him through the open doorway, to where Hoseok and Seokjin were sprawled on opposite ends of the sofa against the back wall facing the door. Their shoes, faded white to grey with flecks of mud staining them, were resting on the black leather of Jungkook's sofa. 

These people... no manners... Yoongi thought. I thought Namjoon would be classier- wait. 

He was suddenly struck by the absence of Namjoon. That noticeable guy with such a commanding presence... wasn't with his usual posse. 

"Namjoon-hyung upstairs or something?" Yoongi commented. 

Jungkook turned at once, looking shocked and then immediately put out - he was probably not expecting nor wanting Yoongi to join them in this room - and sighed. 

"Namjoon snapped just before the party." Hoseok smirked with a cocky tilt of his head. "We think he's gone to get off with Taehyung - Taehyung fought with Jungkook over-"

"Namjoon didn't like that I was saying some... hurtful things about Taehyung." Jungkook interrupted as he lowered his head. "I was being a bit mean about him, truth be told."

There was a pause, and then Jimin intertwined his fingers with Jungkook's. "So you should." He said. "That Taehyung tried to take you from me... I'm glad you're making it clear you want nothing to do with him." 

Yoongi couldn't put into words why he felt so... off, all of a sudden - he just did. Something about how quickly Jungkook interrupted Hoseok with a voice that was just shy of convincing. But then again... if Jungkook had the most conviction out of anyone he'd met, would Yoongi believe him even then? His lack of decisiveness on this irritated him. 

"Anyway," Jungkook's voice, as usual, was a disruption to Yoongi's thoughts. "What about this alcohol, then? What do you say, Jimin, some beer? Or actually, you love cider, don't you?"

Yoongi practically felt his ears spike up in panic, and he opened his mouth for a protest he hadn't quite formulated in his mind yet, when Jimin spoke up. 

"Maybe later, I've only just got here!" He giggled. "You're so keen, Jungkookie!" He covered his mouth with his hand in that oh-so adorable gesture, and fell sideways into Jungkook, who propped him up like he was so used to having Jimin fall into his arms, and looked down at him with a fondness that made Yoongi's stomach turn. While he liked to see Jimin stand up for himself, the "maybe later" part of what he said, worried Yoongi. 

The night didn't go by quite as slowly as Yoongi had anticipated. It was... alright, in spite of everything. By 'everything', he was referring to the way in which Jungkook's hand never left Jimin's thigh, and the constantly-on-edge vibe he felt every single time Jungkook's hand reached for a glass of alcohol, terrified he was about to offer it to Jimin. But, he never did. He probably knew not to push his luck with pestering Jimin, but that thought didn't exactly calm Yoongi. He couldn't shake the feeling that maybe a reasonable Jungkook, who was considerate of Jimin, was even more of a threat than evil, cheating Jungkook. 

Because a reasonable Jungkook was easier for Jimin to defend, and stay with. 

To ensure he kept level-headed (and also to prevent Jimin from feeling left out as the only sober one), Yoongi had spent the night drinking only the mixers available, mainly the coke. And after around an hour and a half of sitting with his classmates, watching Hoseok show off dance moves and Jimin giggling into the crook of Jungkook's neck, he finally felt that unsettling feeling that meant he couldn't sit still. 

"I really gotta pee - I'll be right back, alright?" Yoongi jumped to his feet. Jungkook looked up, and gave him a smile. A genuine-looking one, where his eyes seemed to smile too. 

"Sure thing. Uh, if you can't find it, it's upstairs then second door on the left." Jungkook informed him with a nod, and Yoongi returned his gaze to Jimin, whose eyes were wide, like he was slightly shocked to see Yoongi leave even for a moment. However, Jimin took a deep breath and nodded, like he had to make himself at peace with Yoongi leaving the room. Like he was gonna... miss him. 

Yoongi didn't want to kid himself, so he turned and walked around the huddle of people blocking the door, squeezing behind someone who kept bobbing forwards and backwards against the doorframe, half-blocking Yoongi's way. He'd get frustrated if he wasn't so, well, complimented by Jimin's reaction to him leaving. 

After using the bathroom, Yoongi was on his way back to the lounge, when suddenly he felt something heavy against his shoulder, and his other shoulder collided with the wall next to him. 

"Aah - what's the big idea- Hey, you okay?" Yoongi placed a hand on the chest of the guy who'd just collided with him. He was stumbling backwards into the opposite wall, with a face so flushed it clashed with his red jacket. His eyes were glazed over, and his hands were shaking at his sides. 

"Oppa!" A girl suddenly appeared between them, and cupped the other guy's face with her dainty hands. "Ah..." She turned to face Yoongi with gritted teeth and an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry... my boyfriend drank too much..."

"Ah, don't apologise, stuff happens." Yoongi rubbed at his shoulder, which only ached dully now. "Uh... no offence to your boyfriend, but he really looks like he could do with going home. I mean, he's shaking."

The girl just sighed. "I can't drive yet, and my phone died so I couldn't order a taxi, and I was trying to ask if anyone else had a phone when oppa just walked off..." 

She sounded seriously worried, as she clutched the waist of her boyfriend. Without really thinking about it, Yoongi pulled his phone out of his jeans pocket and checked - yes, he definitely had enough battery. 

"Here, use my phone." Yoongi passed his phone over to the girl, who gasped, wide-eyed, and thanked him 5 times before actually taking the thing from his hands. 

Yoongi and the girl escorted the drunkard outside to wait for the taxi, and the cold wind brushing against Yoongi's face was actually quite welcome considering how hot it was in that crowded house.

"Okay, looks like the taxi's 3 minutes away." The girl studied the app on Yoongi's phone. "Oh - one of your friends seems to be texting you. You have a message from 'Jimin' asking where you are? Not to pry - the notification just appeared onscreen-"

"Ah, reply and say I'll be a few minutes, just helping someone out." Yoongi wiped some sweat from his upper lip. it felt good to be stood outside, and now that he was out, he wasn't much looking forward to going back in. 

He waited with them for the taxi to come, and when it did he helped to pick the boyfriend up from the floor and put him in the taxi. 

"Thank you so much, you were a big help!" The girl embraced Yoongi before returning his phone to him and joining her boyfriend in the taxi. 

Yoongi turned back to the house, the heavy music beating from within sounding not too enticing... but then again, he knew he should probably return to Jimin. 

The heat, the music, the crowds, they all enveloped Yoongi when he returned, dragging him back into the stupid party. He groaned at the claustrophobic atmosphere, and stepped back into the lounge, which seemed emptier than before - 

- giving him a clear view of Jimin. With Yoongi's jacket pushed off his shoulders to his elbows, allowing Jungkook to lazily mouth at his exposed collarbone. Jungkook had one hand gripping Jimin's thigh, and the other running down Jimin's thinly-covered chest, until it reached his crotch, which Jungkook carressed, disgusting Yoongi who would have looked away if he didn't notice where Jimin's hands were. Normally Jimin used to wrap his arms around Jungkook, or anyone he was embracing. With Jungkook, he usually draped his arms over his shoulders. He was clingy, and held tight anyone who wanted to hold him. 

But this time, Jimin's hands were pressed against Jungkook's chest. His palms were flat, and Yoongi only had to watch for one more moment before Jimin finally managed to shove Jungkook off of him. And when Jungkook's head was away from Jimin's neck, no longer blocking Yoongi's view of Jimin's face, Yoongi saw all of a sudden how distressed Jimin looked. His eyes were wide, panicked, and - just like the drunk guy Yoongi encountered in the hallway - his cheeks were flushed. 

Yoongi felt anger spike in his body. He only left for a few minutes - how did this happen?

"Jimin - did you take a drink?" Yoongi demanded above the noise of the music, prompting most people in the room to turn their heads towards him, wondering what had gotten this guy so heated. 

Jimin rocked backwards and forwards, his cheeks looking shiny with a streak of tears on either cheek. "Yoongi." He whined, his wide eyes pleading. "I'm sorry - I told him about my meds, I told him I couldn't drink, but-"

"Look, one drink didn't hurt, you're just overreacting, kitten." Jungkook leant forwards again, attempting to capture the skin of Jimin's neck with another kiss, but Jimin yelped, shoving his fists against Jungkook's chest - Jungkook managed to grab his wrists, but Jimin kept struggling, thrashing against the sofa that Jungkook was trying to pin him against. Even Hoseok and Seokjin looked freaked out by what was happening. 

Yoongi darted forward and acted on instinct. His most powerful instinct to get Jimin the hell away from that guy. He pulled his arm back, before shoving his fist in the direction of Jungkook's cheek. It connected with a satisfying bash, and Jungkook fell backwards, his back hitting the arm of the sofa. His hand darted to his face, and his face morphed into absolute anger as he just stared down at his lap, probably in shock. The entire room gasped and cursed, but Yoongi didn't regret doing that. Not one bit. 

Jimin half-heartedly shrugged Yoongi's jacket back on his shoulders, and scrambled to his feet, clutching his head with one hand while the other hooked around Yoongi's waist, pulling him close. Yoongi wrapped both his arms around Jimin's shoulders, holding him as close as he could without squeezing him as he glared at Jungkook with a horrified expression. 

"He put vodka in my drink... I think he gave me a lot." Jimin mumbled against Yoongi's chest. " 'm sorry... my head..."

Yoongi was determined not to waste another second tonight. Keeping both hands on Jimin's shoulders, he turned and walked him across the hallway and up the stairs, his eyes darting from ahead of them to Jimin's feet to ensure he didn't trip, and made a beeline for the toilet, pressing a hand on the bathroom door the second he saw someone exit it. 

"Hey, I've been waiting!" One girl who was stood outside the bathroom whined. 

"My friend's sick." Yoongi grumbled, and gently shoved Jimin into the bathroom before following him and locking the door behind them. The second he turned around, Jimin was on his knees at the toilet, his body convulsing as he retched into the basin. 

"Wanna throw up." Jimin cried, sounding frustrated when nothing came up. "My head... I feel so ing nauseous, Yoongi..." The whining quality of his voice reached a peak at Yoongi's name. "The doctors... they said my medication was helping my head... if that vodka hurt my head... , I don't know, I don't know what's gonna happen, what the hell's he done to me?"

"Jimin, shh. It's okay. Just breathe for a moment." Yoongi knelt next to Jimin, and rubbed at Jimin's back. Jimin let out a little hum at the touch, closing his eyes and furrowing his eyebrows. 

"Can you... sorry... can you do that again?" Jimin muttered, opening his eyes to stare down the toilet basin. "It, it helped, I think. Sorry." 

Yoongi shushed Jimin's apology softly, and obliged, rubbing his hand over Jimin's back. Seeing Jimin calm down a little was a small relief. He wasn't sure how much vodka Jungkook managed to sneak into Jimin's drink, and if it was such an unhealthy amount that it needed to be thrown up, or if Jimin was just paranoid about the alcohol damaging his head more than it actually would, and was now making himself sick with the panicking... either way, keeping Jimin calm and allowing him to sit here, away from the party, was all he could do right now. 

With a jarring movement, Jimin's arms dropped from where they were braced against the toilet, and he fell to the side against the bathroom wall, a devastating sob escaping his lips. "Won't come out... nothing's coming out..." Jimin whined. 

Jimin wasn't just panicking - he was seriously upset, and the way his body twitched as he groaned and rubbed a small hand over his belly and the other hand over his sweating forehead told Yoongi that he was in actual pain. Yoongi had to step up and calm him down. 

"Jimin." Yoongi crawled over to Jimin, and cupped his cheeks, wet and puffy from crying, with his hands. "You're getting yourself worked up. You'll be okay, just breathe for me, okay?"

"Feel sick..." Jimin dropped his hands, and lolled his head forward slightly, inching forward, nudging his exhausted-looking face closer to Yoongi. Yoongi wanted to oblige, to just hold him, but honestly he just had to get Jimin out of there. That was the priority. 

"I'm gonna call a taxi, okay?" Yoongi said with as much calmness as he could gather, and lightly pressed Jimin back against the wall of the bathroom. "Just, try to sit up straight and breathe slowly, okay? You'll be okay, you'll be fine..." 

The sound of Jimin's ragged breathing broke Yoongi's heart with every wavering breath, but that was soon drowned out by the yells and confused loud murmurs as Yoongi carried Jimin downstairs and across the hallway. He had one arm around Jimin's waist to prop him up, and he felt the soft strands of Jimin's hair tickle against his neck as Jimin's head flopped against him, heavy and applying pressure against his collarbone. Thankfully, he never laid eyes on Jungkook on the way out. 

Somewhere along the way of sitting on Taehyung's bed (they moved from the sofa to "get comfier", according to Namjoon) to watch a film, Taehyung had ended up sat in-between Namjoon's outstretched thighs, his back pressing into Namjoon's chest. He thinks he remembers there not being enough room for them to sit side by side and both see the small laptop screen, and Namjoon taking up all the room and Taehyung just... sort of trying to clamber over one of Namjoon's legs, and Namjoon pulling him in front of him by the waist. 

"You okay, Taehyung?" Namjoon asked, his voice so close to Taehyung's ear. "You still okay me staying?"

Taehyung replied only with a quiet hum, and let his head fall back slightly, just enough that he could tell that the curls of his hair were brushing against Namjoon's cheek. 

"Hyung." Taehyung forced the word out so he couldn't avoid speaking. "Do you think Jungkook cares about me at all? Like, on any level?"

The silence that followed made Taehyung suddenly not want an answer. He shifted so he could turn around and look Namjoon in the eye, from a small distance. Namjoon held his gaze, which only further tightened the knot in Taehyung's stomach. 

"I think you could do better." Namjoon finally said - and those words, somehow, were enough to make Taehyung forget about Jungkook. 

Before Taehyung could muster any reasons to stop himself, he leant forward and pressed his lips on Namjoon's. It just felt like... the right thing to do. And he must have been right, because Namjoon's fingers were quickly curled around the back of his neck, a reassuring touch to show that he wanted to keep him close. 

Taehyung's back was pressed against his mattress and his mouth was moving against Namjoon's before he had any time to process it, and it felt... different to how it felt with Jungkook. The way Namjoon gave little reassuring rubs of his thumbs against Taehyung's skin, the way he completely melted into the kiss... it was like he was actually enjoying it. Of course, Jungkook seemed to enjoy kissing Taehyung too, or so Taehyung had thought, but Namjoon felt different. Better, perhaps. Like he wasn't as confident as Jungkook was, but he cared more about the fact that Taehyung was enjoying it. 

Taehyung couldn't explain it. 

But then again... it still didn't feel perfect. And it should have done. There was still something off - 

"Hyung." Taehyung was taken aback at the fact that he didn't have to struggle too much to move his face and stop the kiss. The second he flinched, Namjoon pulled away and stared down at him, looking concerned but not in a way that made Taehyung feel guilty for stopping the kiss. 

"Whenever Jungkook and I... it's always only so he can have with me to shut me up and leave me and run back to Jimin." Taehyung spoke quickly, not wanting to dwell on the shame. "So can we... not go that far right now? Just... just hold me and watch the film?" Taehyung knew he was risking whatever was going on right now by acting so vulnerable so early, but he needed to know that he could trust Namjoon. 

"Oh..." Namjoon's face softened. That smile... that smile was so warm. "I didn't mean to make you feel like you were being forced into- I wasn't assuming- Taehyung-ah, of course we can just watch the film. But... am I allowed to keep kissing you?"

Taehyung's worried face broke into a wide smile, and he giggled. He felt so giddy, all of a sudden. So, in response, he pulled Namjoon back down by the back of his neck and continued to kiss him. 

Jimin finally managed to throw up into Yoongi's toilet once Yoongi got him home and muttered an apology to his mum. Yoongi decided he'd just sleep on the sofa when he lowered Jimin onto his bed, running a hand down Jimin's face as he stared down at his friend. Groaning and wincing and occasionally splaying a hand over his aching belly, Jimin looked so ill. Yoongi wanted to murder Jungkook. 

"Your stomach... it still feels bad?" He asked, rubbing at Jimin's arm that was thrown over his tummy. 

Jimin nodded with a soft grunt. "Yoongi... Jungkook made me drink. I told him I couldn't, that I'd get ill, but he-"

"Shhh." Yoongi hushed him, and carded a hand through his hair. "You're okay. You're away from him now. It'll be okay."

"The thing that feels the saddest is that I'm almost not even shocked that he acted like that." Jimin said blankly. "He's my boyfriend, and he didn't listen to me and he put me in danger, and you're the one looking after me - again. It just feels too familiar... being hurt by him and taken care of by you."

Yoongi wasn't sure what to say to that, so he just glossed over it. "You're all cleaned up now, okay, and mum's put a bowl next to the bed so if you feel sick during the night..." Yoongi said as softly as he could, getting down on one knee to grab a throw blanket from under the bed. As quickly as he averted his eyes from Jimin to search for the throw, he felt Jimin's small hand grab his arm in a sudden motion. 

"Jimin?" 

Jimin stared at Yoongi for a few seconds, his eyes wide and somewhat scared. 

"Yoongi." Jimin said in a small voice as his hand travelled up Yoongi's arm, and he propped himself up on his elbow to sit up slowly. Yoongi fought the urge to pull back when Jimin stared, leaning in, his eyes slowly closing as he pressed his pillowy lips against Yoongi's.