Jimin's eyes were closed as he kissed Yoongi, and they didn't open once he pulled away. His body drooped back down to Yoongi's bed and... well, that was him asleep, apparently. 

Yoongi's eyes shot open the second he felt the touch of Jimin's lips on his cease. He stared at him, his sleeping form, not sure what to think or feel, and then anger was the emotion that came to him first. 

He doesn't get to just do that. He doesn't get to just kiss me then fall asleep and leave me wondering what the hell that was or what it meant. Was he delirious? Still drunk? Or did he mean that kiss? Was it something he'd been wanting to do for a while - if so, when? Why did he have to pass out instead of giving any useful answers?

Yoongi was about to raise a hand to his head, to run his hand through his hair in stress, but then he felt the corner of the throw blanket that was still held in-between his thumb and pointing finger, and remembered he was about to tuck Jimin under it before - that - happened. So, with a shaky exhale, he lifted the blanket up with both hands so that it went flat, and pulled it down so it billowed and fluttered over Jimin's body that snuggled into the mattress and let out little grunts and made Yoongi want to kiss him before he realised that he had in fact already kissed Jimin.

He'd kissed Jimin. Well, it was more accurate to say that it was Jimin who kissed him, but that was even weirder to think. 

Even looking at Jimin, at his beautiful little face that he was so puzzled about because that was the face that kissed him, was making his head ache with all the thoughts that jumped around inside of it. Without the energy to let it continue, he spun around to leave his bedroom and stomped downstairs, not even caring about inadvertently waking Jimin up. He carelessly fell onto the 2-seater sofa and pulled the blanket down that was covering the back of the sofa, so that it covered him. It was thin, but Yoongi's skin was too hot for him to care about being too cold overnight. He lay on his side, staring at the flashes of blue that came from his games console hooked up to the TV, until his eyes stung with the pain of having to stay open and he had to close them. 

Yoongi's nose must have been twitching before he was awake and conscious of it. A sweet and rich smell tickled his nostrils, but he kept his eyes clenched shut. Whatever time it was, it was too early to get out of bed. Under some sort of sizzling noise, he could hear some sort of soft humming, but he still couldn't bring himself to open his eyes and potentially see sunlight and realise that he'd slept in for too long and be forced out of bed. 

The humming abruptly stopped. 

"Yoongi?" 

Yoongi was pulled to his senses when he heard Jimin's voice. Oh, that was right, Jimin stayed over, and Yoongi was on the sofa, not in bed. And... it was the morning after they'd kissed. 

Yoongi rolled onto his side, dropped his feet to the floor and pushed himself up, rubbing his eyes and cursing himself for not replacing his turtleneck with a more light-fitting garment like a t-shirt because now he was all sweaty. He paced around the sofa and was met with Jimin, who was stood next to the kitchen island, a plate of pancakes drenched in syrup in his outstretched hands. 

"I thought... we could share." Jimin said, and apprehensively stepped forward, offering the plate to Yoongi. "The sugar will give you energy. Perfect after last night." One corner of his mouth twitched as if hinting at a smile, but he evidently thought better of it. Yoongi decided that was a wise decision. 

"Thought you were sick?" Yoongi grumbled, staring past him at the fridge. He was determined not to look at him, or at his stupid peace offering. , Yoongi should be happy right now. The boy he was in love with actually kissed him, by choice, had stayed overnight and made him breakfast, and yet he was just too confused to enjoy it. He couldn't help thinking that maybe it was because he just didn't want to get his hopes up. One kiss was just that. And those doubts and those confusing fears, they all just manifested in anger and an urge to act difficult. 

"I did feel sick." Jimin nodded, shifting over to the table and placing the plate of pancakes in the very centre with a delicate hand. "But getting a good night's sleep here really did me the world of good. Thank you, Yoongi." He stepped towards Yoongi, and took his hand in both of his. "For taking me here with enough time to let me have a good night's sleep, and letting me sleep in your bed." 

The polite, courteous little face Jimin pulled made Yoongi reel back. He yanked his hand out of Jimin's hold and stepped back, watching Jimin's lips part in a silent gasp. 

"Jimin... is that all you remember from last night?" Yoongi asked, staring Jimin down despite his nerves. He'd spent the last few years crushing on Jimin, feeling like he couldn't make a move, but when it was convenient for Jimin they kissed, and now Jimin was giving himself the luxury of not bringing it up, of waiting for Yoongi to bring it up, after Yoongi had spent the last few years unable to bring up his feelings. 

"Well..." Jimin shrugged. "Yeah. I got... drunk, felt sick, and you took me home and we went to sleep." 

Jimin didn't sound like he believed his own words. He didn't look it, either, with his wide, panicked eyes that were suddenly avoiding any eye contact with Yoongi's. Which Yoongi wanted to be relieved by - it meant that he did remember kissing Yoongi, so he wouldn't be able to deny it forever. But that still raised the question of why he was so blatantly avoiding it if he was willing to kiss Yoongi in the first place. 

"You didn't 'get drunk', Jimin." Yoongi stated firmly. "Jungkook spiked your drink. And I didn't just take you home and put you to sleep, we both know something else happened." This feeling of just telling it to Jimin straight was new, but Yoongi was too frustrated right now to take the time to savour it. 

"I... I don't remember anything else happening, okay? I was drunk and sick and scared, please, can we just pretend nothing happened and I didn't go ahead and act selfish and ruin everything?"

Okay, Jimin wasn't that drunk. There was no way he just didn't remember the kiss at all, that was bull. He was a terrible liar, anyway. And - Ruin everything? What did that mean?

"Jimin, you're not... selfish..." Yoongi struggled to find a reply, especially because he wasn't even sure what Jimin wanted to hear. He couldn't tell what Jimin was thinking, and that felt too scary and unpredictable. 

"Yes I am!" Jimin insisted through a gasp. "I betrayed Jungkook, I just went ahead and did whatever I wanted-"

"Oh, Jungkook this, Jungkook that!" Yoongi's voice rose higher than he was expecting it to. "And 'whatever you wanted'? Did you want to kiss me, then, and if so why are you pretending not to remember it at all? Stop blaming anyone but Jungkook for Jungkook's actions, and stop lying when I am asking you, directly, why did you kiss me?"

Jimin's eyes looked lost, desperate, but Yoongi wasn't given time to shake him out of his frozen state, because there was a series of urgent knocks at the door. 

Yoongi shot Jimin a look to say, this conversation isn't over, before storming over to the door. 

"What?" He groaned, as it opened to reveal the figure of Kim Namjoon. 

"Yoongi. I heard from people at the party that you took Jimin home. Is he here with you?" Namjoon wasted no time in asking. Yoongi's eyes rolled and he opened his mouth to begrudgingly say, yes, he's here, and no, he doesn't want to see your friend Jungkook, when a tuft of dark, curly hair emerged from behind Namjoon - and Taehyung stepped out. If this was some way to beg Jimin to take Jungkook back, there's no way Namjoon would insult Jimin by also bringing Taehyung along... so there was more to it. 

Without giving away any sort of curiosity or annoyance in his expression, Yoongi nodded and stepped back to allow Namjoon and Taehyung to enter his house. 

Everyone but Jimin sat on the high chairs in Yoongi's kitchen. Jimin stood at the head of the table, pacing around a few steps, shifting his weight between each foot with unease, although the steely glare on his face - which was directed straight at Taehyung - was firm and unmoving. 

"Jimin." Namjoon broke the silence with a soft lilt. "Are you feeling okay after last night?" 

"ing get to the point, then explain why Kim Taehyung is here." Jimin snapped as if it was his own house that Namjoon had just entered. 

"Fine." Namjoon replied with no shocked reaction at Jimin's temper, save for a pointed raise of his eyebrow. "Taehyung and I saw on social media what happened last night. Jungkook spiked your drink, despite you telling him only a few minutes earlier that you were on medication and it was dangerous to drink. He could have hurt you. He then started kissing you and touching you even when you looked clearly uncomfortable-"

Jimin looked uncomfortable right now too, Yoongi noticed. His hand twitched into a fist and his wide eyes looked like he was set to explode. 

"He crossed a line, Jimin." Taehyung interrupted with a firmness to his voice that Yoongi wasn't familiar with. Taehyung must have noticed how angry Jimin looked at being reminded of last night. "Namjoon and I were already getting concerned at his behaviour, but he went too far last night. He could have made you seriously sick."

"What right do you have..." Jimin drawled slowly, carving out every syllable with a shake in his breath like he was making himself stay calm. "to suddenly decide that Jungkook's a bad person, after you're the one who ruined our relationship in the first place?"

"It's true, I'm the one who Jungkook cheated on you with." Taehyung nodded. "But I'm not the one who ruined your relationship; that's not giving Jungkook enough credit. There's something you should know."

"Jungkook told Taehyung that he was single, the day the two of them hooked up for the first time. He wasn't seduced, he invited Taehyung over with the intent of a quick before his date with you." Namjoon spoke quickly, blazing past any chance Jimin or Yoongi had to interrupt. 

Yoongi stared at Taehyung. He needed to know if this was true - was the situation with Jungkook and Taehyung even worse than he thought? As much as he didn't want this to be true, for Jimin's sake... he kind of needed this to be true. Cheating on Jimin was already a terrible thing; if it was something Jungkook planned instead of a stupid mistake, well, maybe that would be the push that made Jimin actually leave Jungkook. 

Yoongi stole a glance at Jimin, dying to know what he was thinking. But that was hard to tell; Jimin's face was still stern, with a deliberation not to show what he was thinking or feeling. Without removing his stare into Taehyung's eyes, Jimin retrieved his black mug from the table and began to sip his coffee. As he did, Yoongi looked back at Taehyung, not wanting to stare but desperately needing him to say more. Taehyung couldn't just leave it at this - this would break Jimin. 

"Is that all?" Jimin mumbled, pursing his lips and finally looking away from Taehyung, suddenly blinking. A lot. Blinking back tears, Yoongi suspected, so he removed himself from his chair and went to stand next to Jimin, resting a hand on his forearm. His previous frustrations at him couldn't stop his urge to comfort him when needed. 

"No." Taehyung said. "Actually, Jungkook and I have still been having an affair behind your back. He's really, really bad news, Jimin, and you need to leave him."

There was a crash, and Jimin's black mug was on the kitchen floor in at least 5 pieces. With a shallow gasp, Yoongi stepped back. Taehyung couldn't be serious - why would he continue to date Jungkook if he was so desperate to prove what a bad guy Jungkook was? Did something happen between them to change Taehyung's mind?

"You expect me to believe you?" Jimin grumbled. "After what you did with Jungkook, you expect me to just-"

Taehyung slid his phone across the table, displaying it to Jimin. Jimin leant forward immediately, glaring at the phone. Yoongi couldn't see from this far and with Jimin obscuring his view, but it looked like the phone showed a chain of text messages. 

"These are texts between Jungkook and I." Taehyung explained as Jimin ran his fingers across the screen. "Check the number if you want, it's definitely his. And scroll through as much as you want, I don't care. I know what I've been doing is wrong, but-"

"But what's done is done." Namjoon said. "Read between the texts, Jimin. As you can see, Jungkook has been charming and manipulating Taehyung in exactly the same way he's been doing to you. He's been using Taehyung, keeping him sweet and pliant, to keep him quiet about the truth behind that day you caught them ing. You're both victims here. You're the same-"

"I'm nothing like him." Jimin snarled. His hands were shaking where they were braced on the table, and he leant low over Taehyung's phone like he was ready to pounce across the table and scratch someone's eyes out. "You're disgusting. You... you my boyfriend behind my back, multiple times apparently, and then you come over and show me the proof? Did you just want to ruin my relationship? Did you want to TORTURE ME?" 

Taehyung recoiled in his seat as Jimin slammed a fist down on the table. In that exact instant, Yoongi noticed a small but telling action. One that gave him a tidbit of information on what was going on here. 

Namjoon's hand had shot out in front of Taehyung's chest. It was only a small, subtle action, but nonetheless a reflex to protect Taehyung from Jimin. A protective action over Taehyung. Accompanied by a slight shift to the right as Taehyung pivoted ever so slightly in his chair to face Namjoon. 

Oh. So that was what changed. Nothing had changed between Taehyung and Jungkook - but something had changed between Namjoon and Taehyung. They liked each other, and they'd probably spent last night together. After all, neither of them were at the party, and Yoongi remembered what Namjoon had said: Taehyung and I saw what happened on social media last night. 

Their hair was unkempt, their clothes looked creased as if they'd slept in them... okay, that made things clearer for Yoongi. Namjoon's feelings for Taehyung had given him a reason to stand up against Jungkook, the guy who was messing around with the guy Namjoon liked. And Taehyung's feelings for Namjoon had made Taehyung realise that he could do better than Jungkook, and given him the impetus to tell the truth to Jimin. As well as the fact that he wasn't at Jungkook's party - he must not have been invited, for obvious reasons, and that must have made him feel even more neglected and encouraged to ditch Jungkook. If they were telling the truth about this ongoing affair, of course.

And seeing Jungkook seriously endanger Jimin's health like that last night was the final straw that made them want to physically take action to stop Jungkook. Okay, so the truth about this affair still didn't make them good guys; after all, Taehyung had only just decided to tell Jimin the truth now after all this time, but this could still work. This could still make Jimin leave Jungkook... 

Yoongi internally cursed himself. He had just found out that his best friend's boyfriend was even more of a jerk than he thought, and his first honest emotion was relief. Followed by a hope that Jimin would leave Jungkook. Not sadness for Jimin, or grief for his failed relationship that he adored so much. Maybe Yoongi was a bad person for thinking in this way, but he just didn't have the space, emotionally, to ponder that right now. 

"We know we've been jerks for keeping Jungkook's secrets until now." Namjoon said calmly, his hand in front of Taehyung now reaching out in front of Jimin. "But after we saw what Jungkook did to you last night, we want to help you take him down. We have a plan to teach him a lesson. But we want your help." 

There was silence. Then laughter. Jimin's laughter filled Yoongi's kitchen. He bent over the kitchen table, his eyes clamped shut and his squeaky laugh that Yoongi used to find adorable now seemed... sad. Foreboding. 

"Of course." He stood up straight and said with a sad smile. "I've been lied to, manipulated, hurt, and the one time I think someone's actually trying to apologise to me and make honest amends and not talk their way out of it, like Jungkook always does, it turns out all you want is my help!" He raised his hands, and dropped them to his sides, looking comically exasperated. "I'm sick to death of it, you know that? I'm sick to death of everyone manipulating me into doing whatever they want and feeling whatever they want me to feel! And I'm especially sick to death of the way you've been ing my boyfriend behind my back, and you're only telling me now because it's convenient for you and you want my help!"

Jimin darted around the table and flung himself at Taehyung. Namjoon tried to push Jimin off of him, but Jimin leant his arm onto one side of the table and gripped onto the edge to give himself something to push off of and elbow Namjoon away, before reaching out and grasping onto Taehyung's collar. 

Yoongi forced himself to unfreeze - he'd never seen Jimin snap like this - and threw himself onto the screaming and grunting pile of Jimin and Taehyung that wrestled each other on the floor. Eventually, he managed to find his arms wrapped around Jimin's waist, and he used every ounce of strength he had to pull Jimin away. With Jimin's back pulled tightly against his chest, he backed away on the floor, kicking his legs out to crawl away from Taehyung in spite of how Jimin tried desperately to pull Yoongi's arms off him and kicked his legs around with angered grunts. Namjoon saw his chance and yanked Taehyung from off the floor, trading gentleness for urgency. Yoongi noticed three parallel scratches running down Taehyung's cheek, and would have mouthed an apology if he didn't have Jimin thrashing against his body. 

"Think about it, Jimin." Namjoon said quickly, before escorting Taehyung out the door. Once they were gone, Yoongi felt Jimin's body finally go slack in his grasp. The two boys sat there, on Yoongi's kitchen floor, panting for a few minutes. Jimin's body trembled against Yoongi's, his hands gripped his arms, his lips let out pained and heavy breaths, until Yoongi decided to speak. 

"Let's go and sit on the sofa, alright, Jimin?" 

"I'm sorry I snapped like that." Jimin said as he gazed upwards through his eyelashes at Yoongi, who handed him a damp towel. Jimin pressed it against his bottom lip, where a bruise was forming, and gave Yoongi a relentless apologetic look as Yoongi sat down next to him. "I just... Taehyung knew about Jungkook's lie, and about the affair, for all that time, and I'm just expected to, what, join forces with them and bring Jungkook down, before I've had a chance to mourn my relationship?"

"Jimin." Yoongi decided that if there was ever a time to just tell Jimin exactly what he thought, it was now. Emotions were running high, and he may as well take advantage of this high before he lost another opportunity to say these things. "You seem to be taking it out on Taehyung instead of Jungkook. And... mourn the relationship? Jimin, your relationship was doomed the moment Jungkook let Taehyung him. Whether it was planned or not doesn't change anything. Jungkook is a cheater. Why do you always ignore the bad things he does? Why did you feel guilty after kissing me, when Jungkook's done far worse? And why did you kiss me, only to pretend to forget?"

And there it was again - that terrified look on Jimin's face at the mention of their kiss. "Yoongi, why do you keep going on about that stupid kiss-"

"Because it got my hopes up." Yoongi blurted out, the words in the air now and unable to be taken back. Not that he wanted to. He was way too tired to regret telling Jimin anything now. "You got my hopes up by kissing me, making me think that you like me too, and then you completely ignore it and seem to care more about your stupid failed relationship with Jungkook!"

" 'Too'?" Jimin whispered. "You said... 'making me think that you like me too'. Yoongi... do you also... have feelings for me?"

Also have feelings for me. What the ? This felt like a weird thing to have to question after being kissed by the guy, but was it perhaps the case that Jimin had actual, real-life, feelings for Yoongi?

"Jimin - you like me?" Yoongi asked, feeling his anger, his walls, the way he was trying to be so stoic and firm right now, all break apart and shatter on the ground right then and right there. "Jimin, I've liked you for a long time now, okay? I really have. So, tell me how you feel about me, explain the kiss, explain why you keep running after Jungkook, and explain it all as honestly as is humanly possible. Please, don't play with me right now. Just tell me."

"For a while, it was only Jungkook." Jimin started immediately, much to the relief of Yoongi. "I loved him, and no-one else. But... every time he broke me, you were there to put me together again. In a sick sort of way... I enjoyed the way it all worked. Him hurting me, you looking after me. It's ed up, but I liked the way you looked after me when I was hurt. This... this hasn't been going on for too long, I swear. Just... since I got injured when dancing, I guess. I started to feel... safer with you. I started to find myself looking at the clock anxiously whenever I was at your house and about to go to Jungkook's. I guess I kinda... started to prefer your company to Jungkook's. Like, when I just got back from the hospital and you invited me over and basically rescued me from him... I started to want rescuing from my own boyfriend. And when Jungkook was making me drink and he was touching me like that, I wasn't scared anymore - I was just disgusted, and when you were looking after me after I got sick... I didn't wanna fall asleep, because then I'd wake up and maybe feel better and you wouldn't be taking care of me anymore and I'd have to hear Jungkook's excuses and half-assed apologies... so, I just - I kissed you. To keep you there, and to see if I really had feelings for you, or if I just felt safer with you." 

Jimin stopped there. That was a lot to take in at once, and Yoongi was aware that if he looked half as petfrified in shock as he felt, he must not have looked ready to hear anything more. 

"And?" Yoongi pressed. "After you kissed me... did you find out? If you had feelings for me?"

Jimin's face grew closer to Yoongi's, and he tilted his head, getting ready to kiss Yoongi - 

"No. Reply with words." Yoongi insisted. "You've just been running after Jungkook for so long, driving me mad, you can't just kiss me and have me believe that you're completely over him now. You chase after Jungkook even when he wrongs you, so I need to know that you're definitely not gonna run to him again. And that you kissing me isn't another rash decision like your thoughtless decisions to stay with Jungkook. You like me for me, not because you want to be looked after. You have to make me believe that this is healthy for you."

"I know that I fall for people quickly." Jimin said. "And that I'm emotional, and choose the wrong men. But falling for you... I never expected it to happen. I never wanted it to. You're the most wonderful friend I've ever had and I'd die before I ruined it and lost you because I couldn't control myself. But I fell for you anyway. I know I have bad taste, but you're different. I feel it. I know you well enough. Jungkook begged and emotionally blackmailed me into staying with him, and I pretended not to notice. With you, I'd be the one begging. Running to you whenever Jungkook hurt me, that was unhealthy. But I realise that now. I've been slowly realising it for a while. And I never want to be hurt like that again."

"What would you do if I hurt you, Jimin?" Yoongi had to know. He had to know that he wasn't about to take advantage of someone who was still damaged. If he was going to make things work with Jimin, he had to know that Jimin wouldn't let him get away with hurting him. Jimin was too obedient towards Jungkook, and Yoongi would hate himself if he let Jimin be too obedient towards him as well. He loved Jimin, but he wanted to date an independent, assertive Jimin, not a Jimin who'd just let Yoongi do whatever he wanted to him. 

"I'd leave you." Jimin gave the perfect answer. His hands crept up to Yoongi's neck, and he leant in further, his teeth grazing Yoongi's neck as he whispered, "I'd dump you so ing quickly, and I wouldn't run back to you. You said you wanted me to make you believe me? Well... believe this..."

Yoongi's eyes rolled to the back of his head as Jimin grasped the skin of his neck between his teeth, marking him up with one long, aggressive bite, before he , sniffing Yoongi's neck before pulling away only enough to admire his work. This was a Jimin that Yoongi was ready to love. 

Yoongi grabbed Jimin's hair to pull him up to face him, and there was a brief moment of silence between them, as if commemorating the death of their friendship, before Yoongi pressed his lips against Jimin's, and pulled him down on top of him. Jimin straddled Yoongi, and let out small moans - more delicate than the ones Yoongi used to see Jimin give when Jungkook kissed him, but not as whiny or strained - as they kissed on Yoongi's sofa. 

Their kisses were soft, slow, like they were savouring every second of taste of each other, and wanted it to be just right, not end too soon. But while their lips where careful on each other's, their holds on each other were not. Yoongi gripped onto Jimin's waist, wanting to leave marks - marking him as his, not Jungkook's anymore. His hips grinded against Jimin's as he kept pulling Jimin closer to him, over and over again. And Jimin's nails dug into Yoongi's cheeks as he eventually opened his mouth for Yoongi, letting a small smile flash across his face as he kissed Yoongi deeply. 

"Yoongiiiii..." Jimin sighed, letting his face fall to the crook of Yoongi's neck as they grinded against each other, too desperate to take their clothes off or anything, just needing to feel their bodies against each other. The two boys lay like that for a while, rubbing against each other and kissing each other slowly and hungrily... but without any need to do much else. They didn't want to ruin this perfect moment by moving too fast, and as Yoongi splayed one hand on the back of Jimin's head to keep him firmly latched against his neck, he made a promise to himself right there to take care of Jimin. All that pain that Jimin had gone through would be undone, made up for. He would make sure of that if it was the last thing he did.