—

What emotion was Jungkook feeling right then?

Jimin had set a pile of clean clothes on the bathroom sink, and had left awhile ago now to allow the younger boy to shower. The cold droplets of rain were replaced by the warm shower running down his skin, stinging in all of his cuts and bruises.

Jimin had changed, that was a fact that was undisputed. He was so much more understanding and forgiving than he had once been, and Jungkook could feel a bond between them that hadnt existed before. Jungkook had known this for a little while now, after all - it had been his goal to chip away at the older male's cold exterior.

He just didn't think it would actually work.

There was another thought though, that had been occupying Jungkook's mind. A scarier one.

The more Jimin warmed up to him, the more Jungkook's brain became more and more frazzled. He wasn't sure what it was now, that made him squirm when Jimin touched him or turn red when Jimin complimented him.

Jungkook sighed softly, rubbing his face with his hands as the hot shower beat down onto his back. It was so stressful, because Jimin was just a room away from him, and he knew that as soon as they came face to face his thoughts would come to fruition again.

He had thought about it all night after he returned from his outing with Jimin. He had thought about it the whole week after, and he was thinking about it now.

Thinking about they look on his face when Jimin saw him all dressed up for the first time. He was thinking about Jimin's arm around his waist, and his hand ruffling his hair. Jimin's laugh, and they way his features were so soft and welcoming under the touch facade he kept up.

But the way Jimin looked at him. That's what he had thought about the most. No one had ever looked at him, they way Jimin did. Under Jimin's gaze he felt like he was constantly being picked apart, every part of his appearance being observed and noted.

Jimin looked at Jungkook like he never wanted to forget him, and it made the younger boy's heart race.

Jungkook looked down at his hands, studying all of the fresh wounds that were painted across his knuckles. He wanted to know why Jimin had given him a chance, why he had grown so fond. Every time he asked, Jimin would simply reply that Jungkook was somebody that he just couldn't leave behind. He was "too interesting", Jimin would say.

In Jungkook's mind, that just didn't make any sense. Out of the two of them, he was not the interesting one - so why was Jimin so fascinated?

His heart thudded in his chest, and he brought his hand up to his chest to feel it beat beneath his fingertips. His pulse was quicker than normal, and he gulped, taking in a shaky breath. Why did Jimin have this kind of effect on him? And why was he thinking about it so much?

So many questions, but he was far too scared of the answers to look for them.

Jungkook shut off the shower, shivering once the heat and steam from the water was replaced with the cool air of the bathroom. He stepped out, grabbing a tow off of the rack beside him and using it to dry the droplets of water off of his body. He couldn't help but notice all of the bruises and scars that littered his skin, looking up into the mirror to see himself better.

Jungkook smoothed his thumb over a new scar on his cheekbone, and his lips involuntary twitched up into a slight smile when he remembered that it was from when Jimin and him had fought for the first time.

Just another reminder of just how far they'd come, and another reason for Jungkook's heart to ache when he thought too much about it.

He breathed out a deep breath before drying his hair off, then picking up the pile of clothes that Jimin had given him. They were the older male's, that was certain because the black sweater was one that Jimin often wore. It was oversized for Jimin, so it was perfect for Jungkook, and the brunette was smiling when he pulled the soft material over his head. The sweatpants were a different story, the height difference between them becoming apparent when Jungkook noticed how short they were on him.

In any other situation, he would have felt ridiculous, but something about the fact that they were Jimin's had him never wanting to take the clothes off.

It was so weird. All of these thoughts and feelings in his head, and all of the aches in his chest. He paused for a moment, halting his actions and observing himself in the mirror. Did he have a crush?

Jungkook watched his face turn red in the mirror the moment the thought had popped into his mind. He brought his hands up to his face, the coldness of them cooling down his skin. The idea of having a crush on Jimin certainly wasn't absurd - he had had crushes in elementary school before and they had felt much the same. The butterflies in his stomach, the fact that he just wanted to bury himself in Jimin's sweater and never leave, and all of the blushing. It was a textbook crush, Jungkook had just been in denial.

And maybe, denial was better, because now Jungkook found himself rooted to the ground where he stood, a lump in his throat as he thought about being face to face with Jimin once more. He just couldn't do it, he couldn't face Jimin now that he had come to this conclusion.

If he had been acting weird before, then he would be unbearable now. Too embarrassed and frazzled to even think properly, Jungkook leaned himself up against the bathroom counter and rubbed his temples. What should he do? He couldn't just avoid Jimin forever, he was currently in his house after all.

Finally, one thought appeared in his brain that wasn't completely revolves around Jimin - and his eyes darted to his soaked pants that still lay on the bathroom floor. He quickly moved over to it, and Jungkook reached into the back pocket.

Jungkook wanted to jump with joy when his fingers closed around the plastic bag that he had been hoping they would, retrieving it to get a better look. It was a joint that Taehyung had rolled for him before he had left earlier that day, protected by the plastic bag and still completely dry. He had forgotten to smoke it throughout the day, and he couldn't think of a better time than now.

He took it out of the bag and threw the plastic in the garbage can in Jimin's bathroom, breathing out a sigh before he pushed the door open and was met with the sight of Jimin's bedroom. He hadn't taken any time to absorb it when the older male had walked him through earlier, but Jimin's room was cool. The walls were a dark blue, and the room was extremely tidy.

Books lined the walls of the shelves, along with sparse posters here and there. There were a few indoor plants near the window in front of his desk, and Jimin sat on his bed - like a centrepiece.

His eyes scanned across Jungkook in his clothes, heart tingling as he took in the sight of the younger male wearing his favourite sweater. His hair was still wet from his shower, curling up at the ends as it dried slowly.

There was that look again.

Jungkook smiled softly, stepping into Jimin's room and shutting the bathroom door behind him. He met Jimin's gaze, holding up his left hand to reveal the joint in his hand to the older male in front of him.

Jimin's eyebrows shot up, a mix of surprise and amusement swirling together on his features as his gaze darted between what was in Jungkook's hand, and the younger boy himself.

"What's that for?" He asked, laughing softly and watching as Jungkook slowly made his way over to sit next to him on the bed. The younger boy shrugged, placing the joint between his lips and catching Jimin's gaze once more.

"To share." Jungkook replied, removing the joint from his lips and wiggling it between his fingers a few times. His heart was racing, it had been before he had even stepped out of the bathroom, but he just couldn't let Jimin know that. "Do you want to?"

He watched as Jimin thought for a moment, evident that there were multitudes of different ideas racing through his brain. In all honestly he expected Jimin to say no, and that would be it - Jimin would most likely end up going to bed, he would smoke by himself, and then probably end up taking the couch to sleep on.

Jungkook should have known by now though, that Jimin wasn't often one to do what was expected of him.

"Why not?" Jimin's words were soft, and his fingers were cold as they brushed against Jungkook's when he reached up to take the joint out of the younger boy's hand. He observed it, a faint smirk on his face as he brought it up to it nose to smell it. "Where'd you get this?"

"Taehyung." Jungkook answered, sitting down on the end of the bed next to Jimin. He accidentally brushed his knee against the older male's, and had to ignore the jolt in his chest when they made contact. Jimin hummed, handing the joint back over to Jungkook and meeting his eyes once more.

"We've done a lot. Especially you. I know how hard I've been pushing you." Jimin spoke, leaning back on his elbows. "I'm okay with taking a break for a little while, if you are."

Jungkook was. His favourite experiences with Jimin were always the ones where he had nothing to learn or prove. Just him, and Jimin in each other's presence. Sometimes he found himself forgetting how he and Jimin had actually met.

Jungkook smiled softly and nodded, brushing a few strands of hair out of his eyes.

"I'd like that."

—
a/n:
mostly just some emotional development in this chapter but friends.. next chapter... spice

- Charlie