warnings: rated

~

“Holy .” Jungkook blurted. He promptly cringed at the pitch of his voice and desperately wished he’d downed the rest of the spiked punch because he honestly didn’t want to suffer through what this ordeal would be.

“Wh... what?” Jimin asked, exasperated.

“No, um, nothing. Fifth year, Park Jimin, right?” Jungkook asked. He heard Jimin cough, almost in amusement.

“And... How do you know me?”

Oh, . Jungkook could feel the awkwardness radiating off him, and it didn’t help that Jimin was less than a few feet away. Jungkook could only vaguely pick out Jimin’s features, but he looked the same, better even. His hair was mussed from struggling against their attacker, but his jaw line was still sharp and he was wearing a shirt that did nothing to hide the body underneath. Jungkook gulped.

“I know it’s weird, but you bumped into me at the start of my third year and made me drop my stuff and like—I dunno, I remember that for some reason.”

“Third year? Ah, so you’re a lot younger than me.” Jimin said, and Jungkook could hear the superiority laced in his tone.

“You’re older than me, and yet can’t figure out who I am, hyung.” Jungkook replied defensively. There was a brief silence, before Jimin barked out a laugh.

“Well, dongsaeng, I must’ve been working so hard that I forgot you.” He said, an edge creeping into his voice. Jungkook’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch into a smile.

“When I met you, you rushed off because you had to go copy up homework. Don’t lie, hyung.” Jungkook chuckled. There was another beat of silence before Jimin huffed a real laugh, the tension breaking up between them.

“Fine, fine. You caught me there.” Jimin surmised. He started to lean back against the door of the closet and suddenly Jungkook remembered just how small the broom closet was. He could easily reach out and touch Jimin. “So, nameless one, what do you like to do?”

Jungkook felt taken aback, grappling for an answer. “Um, you mean like? In... school?”

“Whatever you want.”

“I, um... I like...”

What did Jungkook like? He liked a lot of things, he liked wasting time, he liked talking to his friends in between classes, and he liked strawberry ice cream. He liked a lot of things – he had even been hiding the fact that he liked boys. Jimin posed the question in such a way that Jungkook felt like it was important to answer it. After all, Jimin still didn’t know who he was.

“I like singing.” Jungkook answer firmly. “I like singing, and drawing and dancing.” He wanted to say I like boys. I like boys all because of you, and you can’t even remember me.

“Dancing, huh? I like that too.” Jimin hummed. Jungkook wanted to say I know, Hobi hyung dances with you. "You should join the dance department. And the music department."

"I should." Jungkook answered quietly. The truth was, he hadn't joined the dance department because he was afraid of bumping into Jimin, and he hadn't joined the music department because he wasn't sure if he was up to par, despite Taehyung's insistence that he was way better than anyone there. But he didn't divulge that information, it would just burden Jimin.

Just like the fact that Jimin had been the catalyst to him realising he liked boys.

God, he liked boys.

The silence grew before Jimin spoke again, gently coaxing Jungkook. “Is that all? You sound... I dunno. You sound as if you’re holding back.”

“I—“ Jungkook blurted, before taking a deep breath. He was in the dark, with someone who considered him as good as a stranger. This could be his first shot at telling somebody. “I. I—Oh, man. You—you won’t—“

“I won’t tell anyone, don’t worry.” Jimin consoled softly, as if he already knew. Jungkook took another deep breath. Jimin didn't even know him, which was even better.

“I’ve figured out that—that I, um, like boys.” He rushed, voice strung high. “And I—I still like girls, but. I don’t know. It’s like this whole other thing has opened up to me and it just feels weird. But I’m... I’m just worried how people would react if I told them. I... I don’t know.”

Suddenly there were hands rubbing briskly up and down his arms, startling Jungkook back into the current situation. Jimin carried on silently, and Jungkook felt as if he was on the brink of tears.

“It’s okay. I don’t think any more or little of you.” Jimin murmured.

“Thanks.” Jungkook warbled and then laughed at the state he sent himself into, sending Jimin as far as comforting him. He blindly felt for Jimin’s hands and they slowed to a stop as Jungkook took them. They paused. Jimin’s hands were hot to touch Jungkook just suddenly wanted to hold them. Jimin twined their fingers together, sliding both of their hands down and off Jungkook. They hung there, suspended for a moment, before Jim