In which Jimin is afraid and his girlfriend doesn't like it.

Request by: kimtaehynq 

  "You'll look amazing in this, I promise," you comforted, pulling a gray cardigan over your boyfriend's shoulders. Even though the two of you had been dating for weeks now, your heart still went on overdrive whenever he looked at you, and this was not an exception. Your close proximity and the feeling of his arms underneath your hands only made things worse.

  It was his birthday, and as a gift, you decided to take him shopping after the celebration. This trip was only half of the gift, however, and the other part you'd planned on giving to him before you parted ways at the end of the day.

  "Are you sure?" Jimin's voice snapped you out of your trance, and you looked up to find him turning side-to-side before the full-body mirror nestled between two shelves, eyebrows scrunched together. "I look kind of fat in this..."

  Your palm collided with his arm as you attempted to smack some sense into him. "Yah."

  "What?" He huffed in frustration. "I do look fat, don't I? I mean, just look at this. And-"

  "Park Jimin, look at me." The pitch of your voice lowered as you grew serious. Planting a hand on either one of his shoulders, you spun him around so your noses were almost touching, and his warm, deep eyes were the only thing you could see. If you just tilted your chin up slightly, your lips would collide.

  Shaking your head mentally, you dismissed that thought. When he first asked you out, he said he wanted to take it slow. Although 'taking it slow' was excruciatingly painful for you, you had to comply. After all, you were grateful he was even your boyfriend.

  Despite this, you couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of disappointment whenever he kissed you on the cheek instead of the mouth, whenever he pulled his hand out of yours and walked a bit too far from you.

  Was it a sin if you wanted him to be the one initiating all the skinship and not you?

  "Park Jimin," you repeated slowly and softly, relaxing your grip on him, "you are possibly the most perfect human being I've ever met. If you are fat, three quarters of the human population is obese. Do you understand?"

  He huffed again. "Yes," he muttered.

  You pulled away. "Good." Turning away from him, you began scanning the rack of clothes before you. "And put that in the shopping cart," you added. "I am definitely buying that for you."

~

  Hesitant, you knocked gently on the door, the painted metal smooth and cool underneath your knuckles.

  "Taehyung?" you called softly. "Can I talk to you?"

  The gentle guitar music came to an abrupt halt, and moments later the door to the music room swung open to reveal your messy-haired friend. "Sure, come on in," he said, stepping back with a flourish of the hand.

  You nodded at him gratefully before entering the room, making directly for the back wall where chairs were stacked in piles of ten. Setting your backpack down, you attempted to remove a chair from one of the stacks, only to fumble a bit and make the whole structure sway dangerously in front of you.

  "Here, let me do it," Taehyung said from close behind, reaching his arms over your head to grab the chair. Setting it down across from the one he'd been occupying before, he patted the seat encouragingly before sitting down on the other one.

  Sighing, you obeyed. "Why can't he be more like you, Tae Tae?" you asked.

  Although, to be honest, you knew you were being unfair to the boy you were talking about. Taehyung's recent act of chivalry wasn't surprising; in fact, he did it quite often. You couldn't expect someone you'd only been dating for 25 days to be as comfortable with you as someone you'd known for more than a decade.

  Your friend nodded in understanding. "This is about Jimin, isn't it?" he asked.

  You nodded back with another sigh. "When he first asked me out on a date," you explained, "I was really excited. I guess I kind of misjudged him, though, because I thought he was more experienced in the dating field. I mean, with a face like that, how couldn't he be, right? But so far, I've been the one initiating all the skinship, and sometimes it feels like we're more like new friends than a couple."

  Finished with your mini-rant, you lifted your head to find him staring off into the horizon, a thoughtful look in his eyes. You allowed him some time to think, and for a while, the ticking of the clock and far-off shouts of the practising soccer team were the only two sounds in the room.

  After a few minutes had passed, he snapped his fingers and turned his head sharply to look at you. "I got it!" he said excitedly.

  You grinned at him, not at all surprised by his sudden mood change. "What is it? Tell me," you urged, equally excited.

  "From now on, hang out with me more often. I know it's gonna be kind of hard, but try, alright? He's bound to get more protective of you because he's going to start seeing me as a threat. And if he doesn't, well," Tae shrugged sympathetically, "then he's not the right guy for you."

  Frowning in thought, you contemplated this plan. Taehyung was right- it was going to be hard, avoiding Jimin purposefully. But it was the only plan you had.

  Deciding to trust your friend, you smiled at him brightly. "Let's do it," you said. "So, library tomorrow, during free period?"

  He burst out laughing, leaning forward to ruffle your hair. "Gosh, you're such a geek," he teased. "How about we go somewhere? I know a good cafe that's pretty close to the school."

  "Sure." you shrugged in compliance. "See you tomorrow, then?"

  "See you tomorrow," he agreed, standing up to shoo you out the door so he could resume his practice.

  As Taehyung practically shoved you into the hallway, you thought you saw a faint trace of black hair lingering around the corner. Furrowing your eyebrows, you leaned to the side a bit, trying to get a look at the person's face. Getting only a bit of white shirt instead, you leaned a bit further. You could almost see-

  "Hey! You forgot something!"

  Turning around, a backpack was suddenly shoved into your hands, the one you'd accidentally left in the music room. "Whoops," you grinned sheepishly, looking up at the amused expression covering Taehyung's face. "Thanks. For everything," you added as an afterthought.

  "No problem." Up close, you began noticing that your friend was really, really good looking. Not that it meant anything to you. "Anytime."

  When you turned back around, the mysterious person was gone, disappeared without a trace down the corridor.

~

  "How come you never told me about this place before?" you asked in mock-anger around the straw lodged between your teeth.

  Taehyung shrugged. "You never asked."

  Rolling your eyes at his over-used reply, you directed your attention at the brightly colored trees leaning their branches over the leaf-strewn sidewalk. Yet another reminder of why October was your favorite month of the year.

  "Anyways," you continued, watching a group of friends pass a football between them, "what was up with you and that guy manning the cash register?"

  "Oh, him?" He was trying so hard to sound casual, and failing so miserably, you had to stifle your laughter with your sleeve. "That's Hoseok. We're, uh, friends."

  "Uh huh. Because friends totally whisper sweet nothings in each other's ears," you teased. "Admit it, you have a crush on him."

  He didn't even try to deny it. "Fine. So maybe I do. What are you gonna do about it?"

  "Yo, Taehyung!"

  A deep, mildly familiar voice accompanied the sound of running footsteps. The two of you turned, you slowly rotating, him whipping around so quickly he bumped your arm and you almost spilled your drink.

  "O-Oh, hey Hoseok," he managed, ignoring the death glare you shot him. "What's up?"

  The cashier at the cafe you'd just exited ran up to him, offered you a brief but cheerful hello, then turned to the trembling figure beside you.

  That's right. Kim Taehyung was trembling because of this guy.

  "Man, you guys walk fast," he panted, pausing for a moment to rest his hands on his knees and catch his breath. "You forgot your phone on the counter."

  "Oh, th-thanks," Tae stuttered, his inability to form coherent sentences amusing you to no end. A flicker of relief passed in his eyes as he took his precious iPhone from Hoseok's outstretched hand, their fingers brushing for just a fraction of a second. From the way his body tensed beside you, the interaction definitely did some damage to his heart rate.

  After a barely understandable explanation about how screwed he would be if he stayed any longer, a rushed goodbye and a prolonged look at Taehyung, Hoseok his heel and left just as quickly as he'd come. Still as stone, the two of you stood in silence, watching him flash a bright-as-sun smile just before he disappeared behind the Open sign of the cafe down the street.

  You waited until you were sure your friend was breathing again before launching your attack. "So," you grinned, "that was quite interesting."

  "He added his number to my contacts," the stricken boy mumbled. "Under the name 'Hobi'. Why did he put 'Hobi' instead of 'Hoseok'?"

  "That's a good sign," you assured him. Placing your hand on the small of his back, you forced him to resume walking. A peaceful silence fell over the two of you as you gave him time to muse, taking the time to admire the scenery around you.

  You'd just turned the corner onto your neighborhood when you decided to voice the question that had been bouncing around your head for quite a while.

  "Taehyung?"

  He didn't even jump. "Hm?"

  "You left your phone there on purpose, didn't you?"

  "Not a word."

~

  You sighed, banging your head repeatedly against the edge of your desk, ignoring the concerned looks people were giving you. Stupid, you cursed at yourself. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

  It had been a week since you and Taehyung started carrying out the plan, and although traces of disappointment could be seen in Jimin's eyes whenever you excused yourself, he still made no move to get closer to you. Maybe you were just being selfish and pushy, maybe something would work if you continued on with the plan, but every time you saw your boyfriend in the hallway, Taehyung's words started ringing in your head. If he doesn't, well, then he's not the right guy for you.

  You couldn't help wondering - what if he was right?

  "Hey."

  A soft voice broke your self-destructive rampage, ringing clearly through the half-empty room. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

  You looked up, and sure enough, the boy who'd been occupying your thoughts up until a few seconds ago was standing in the doorway. Just seeing him banished all thoughts of him not being the right guy. Even after a month, he still had the power of summoning butterflies to plague your stomach. Not to mention the slightly crestfallen expression he wore on his gorgeous features that made everything so much worse.

  "Sure." The chair screeched against the floor as you stood up, making a move to grab your stuff then deciding against it. It probably won't take that long, you thought to yourself. He's probably just gonna ask me for help on an assignment.

  You made your way across the room, trying not to drag your feet in trepidation. Once you were out of the classroom, Jimin quietly closed the door behind you, careful not to disturb the other students that were studying, sleeping or otherwise.

  The moment the door closed, he took a deep breath and launched right into it. "What's up with you and Taehyung?"

  "Hm?" You were slightly surprised at his question. Before, he wouldn't have asked something like this.

  Which led you to wonder: Before what?

  "Nothing," you answered reassuringly, tilting your head upwards to look him in the eye. "We're just friends."

  "Are you sure?" The way his eyebrows scrunched together was kind of cute. Plus his nose - why were you feeling this strange urge to bite his nose? "'Cause you seem pretty close."

  "Yes," you smiled up at him. "I'm sure. Besides, if you still don't believe me, he's gay and has his eyes on someone else."

  His face relaxed immediately after you said those words. "Good," he said agreeably, letting a little puff of air escape his lips. "I'm glad to hear that."

  You raised an eyebrow. "Are you... jealous?"

  "What? No!" His utter failure in trying to conceal his embarrassment and the flush that colored his cheeks made you want to pull him into hug, he looked that adorable. Not that he'll let me. "It's just, I saw you talking after school and-and..." he lowered his gaze to his black Converses. "...the two of you seemed pretty comfortable with each other. More comfortable than you are with me, for that matter. And it just-"

  "Jimin, we've known each other for thirteen years, Taehyung and I," you told him. "I've only known you for a year or so. Please don't compare our relationship to the one I have with him. Besides, I don't..." Don't feel about him like I feel about you.

  "Don't what?" His gaze was intense.

  When you didn't answer, he exhaled slowly. "Seeing as how you're not going to answer me, I guess I have some explaining to do."

  Your head snapped up, a hopeful feeling leaking into your heart. Is he finally...?

  "The reason I've been so, well, uncomfortable around you is that... I really like you," he blurted out. "You're just so pretty and amazing and smart and you're always nice to everybody... And here I am, this short, weird guy with more flaws than he has friends." A chuckle escaped his lips. "When I asked you out, and you said yes with so much enthusiasm and eagerness, well... I started thinking of our soon-to-be relationship as a fragile thing. On our first date, I wanted you wrap my arms around you as a greeting. I wanted to kiss you goodnight. But I was afraid you would be uncomfortable and not want to date me anymore. I just.." he faltered a little. "I just really, really like you, and I don't want to lose you."

  He finally lifted his head to look at you, and you had to smile at how wide and innocent his eyes were. "Forgive me?" he asked.

  "I like you a lot more than you think I do, Jimin," you told him. "I would never consider leaving you because of something like that-"

  Your sentence was cut off by a pair of sculpted arms wrapping immediately around you, engulfing you in a hug that sent shivers down your spine-in a good way, of course. You were a bit smaller than the average person, so your head fit perfectly against his chest and you could hear his heart beat beneath his clothes. And he smelled so good - like coffee beans and warm milk. A weight pressed down on the top of your head, and it took you a moment to realize that he was resting his chin there.

  If only he hugged you like this every day.

  After a few heartbeat-skipping moments that passed way too quickly, he pulled away to look at you. The sweet, adoring look in his eyes made you want to melt into a puddle of feelings on the ground and stay there until he averted his gaze.

  "Can I kiss you?" he asked breathlessly.

  "I really wish you would," you replied, equally breathless.

  And so he did.

~

  A peaceful smile covered your face as you walked hand-in-hand with your boyfriend down the street, admiring the autumn leaves. Beside you, Jimin whistled merrily, fingers interlocked with yours, arms swinging in time with your footsteps. A large, chunky camera hung from your neck, bumping gently against your chest. A sweet silence basked both of you; neither of you wanted this moment to end.

  But end it did, with a sudden clearing of your throat. "So... how did you like your birthday party?"

  You turned your head to look at him, smiling brighter than the sun. "It was amazing," he answered sincerely. "Especially since you're with me."

  You shook your head, a soft chuckle threading its way through the air. "You need to stop with the cheesy one-liners."

  "You know you like it."

  "Hm." You pretended to be thoughful. "I don't think I do."

  His smile transformed into a pout before your eyes, and you couldn't help but laugh at his cuteness, lifting a hand to pinch his cheeks. Your action only caused him to pout more, making him look even more adorable in the process.

  "Aigoo," you teased, hitting his shoulder playfully. "You have no idea how cute you look right now." To emphasize your point, you stepped away from him and fumbled around with your camera, turning it on and holding it up. "Say kimchi!" you called.

  "How did it turn out?" Jimin asked rather anxiously as he moved to pull you closer to him. When you showed him, his cheeks colored pink almost instantaneously, and he yelled at you to delete it. When you refused, he attempted to do it himself, lunging for the camera you held in your hand.

  "Delete it now!" he commanded.

  Turning slightly away from him, you stuck your tongue out teasingly. "No."

  "Come on, please!" he protested. "I look so bad..."

  "You look perfect," you reassured him, going on your tip toes to give him a quick kiss. He didn't shy away anymore; after that confession in the hallway a few months ago, the two of you had been much more comfortable with each other. You were extremely grateful to Taehyung for his help, and seeing how well his newly formed relationship with Hoseok was going, your advice for him had worked well. What could you say? You were happy for him. You were happy for Hoseok. You were happy for everyone enjoying the weather with you, finding time to take a break from their busy lives.

  More than anything, you were happy for yourself as you resumed walking down a sun-bathed street in the middle of fall, hand-in-hand with the most amazing boyfriend a girl could possibly ask for.

-------

A/N: Holy crap, 3K words. That's definitely a record.

  Anyways, hope you liked it and that I didn't stray too far from your request! I tried to add a little bit of Jimin cuteness at the end because my angsty self was showing again, but as you can see, it didn't work out so well X( Oh well, at least I tried, right?

  Comments are welcomed and appreciated! Thank you for finding time to read my story!

  Finishing it off with a gif of Jimin being the cute little he is XD