Archive of Our Own ^beta

It starts at the beginning of the semester.

Jimin has been choosing a handful of classes to take. He is on the homestretch, almost ready for his residency in internal medicine. He has spent so much of his time in clinical hours, logging minutes at the hospital, gaining experience wherever he can. When it comes time to choose his final classes, he thinks he should give himself a little break.

Business Management.

That’s what the class is called, and it’s not exactly Jimin's forté, but he’s glad to read that the lectures are all pre-recorded. He can watch them in his downtime, between clinic shifts and the overtime hours he is picking up to make a bit of extra cash for Christmas. He can watch them when one of his occasional bouts of insomnia hits, rather than wasting away the night flicking between YouTube videos and Netflix shows he's already binged.

Plus, there is absolutely no way that Taehyung will take the class. That is a definite added bonus.

Taehyung hated every minute of the business module they'd had to do in the first year of their medicine degree. That's when Taehyung and Jimin had been on, hot and heavy, and Taehyung would take every opportunity to complain to Jimin about the course subject matter. As Jimin is registering for his last semester of classes, this one feels like a safe choice for continued avoidance of Taehyung.

It has been almost two years since Jimin has seen Taehyung. Well, he has seen him in the Health Sciences library a couple of times, and at the cafe on campus from afar, but they've kept their distance and done each other the courtesy of looking the other way. The only time Jimin has heard from him over the last couple of years is when Taehyung had messaged him birthday and holiday wishes. And though Jimin had appreciated the sentiment, he couldn't bring himself to return the favour. Regardless, in a few months, Jimin would not have to worry about running into Kim Taehyung on campus ever again.  

Halfway through the semester, Jimin realises he has given his bouts of insomnia way too much credit. There is no way he is watching management lectures at three in the morning when he has clinic hours to wake up for at six. So, Jimin does what any normal student would do - procrastinates looking at any shred of information about the class until December rolls around. 

Luckily, he doesn't have exams to study for this term, which leaves his December schedule blessedly blank. But when he opens the syllabus to scan it through, thinking a week into December is probably pushing the procrastination boundaries, he sees that there is a class project listed. A class project that’s due in a week. A class project with a pre-assigned partner.

Jimin groans. He despises relying on others when it comes to his grades. He has carefully developed the perfect balance between procrastinating and panic-fueled work marathons. He's found the sweet spot, the target zone that gets him the best results, and he is loath to leave his fate in the hands of anyone else at this stage in his academic career.

He scrolls his unread emails to find the details on the project. The partners are to construct a business plan to be presented virtually to several of their professors and to the Dean of the College of Business. The best business plan in the class even gets some type of award and serious consideration for a monetary grant. Jimin’s interest is piqued, though he knows that the students who were serious about this class must have started work on their business plans ages ago. Still, even if he leaves things until the last minute on occasion, Jimin is not the type to do things halfway. He knows he has a shot to have the best business plan in the class, because he always has a shot to get the best grade in the class. 

The next email from the professor is a list of the pairings. Jimin briefly wonders who his absentee partner could be. Not a single email about the project has come from them, and he thinks it's peculiar. It’s not often that he finds someone who matches his procrastination level. Odd indeed. 

That is, until he opens the document and sees his own name, side-by-side with his partner's.

PARK JIMIN -- KIM TAEHYUNG

Jimin exits out of his email, as if maybe he could pretend to have not seen it. As if, if he hadn't seen it, it might actually not be true.

Is it true?

He clicks open the app again, finds the document.

PARK JIMIN -- KIM TAEHYUNG

Fuck.

It is still there, the absurdly disastrous pairing of names, and now he knows why his partner has been MIA.

It makes so much more sense now. Taehyung was always just as prone to procrastination as Jimin. And if it’s not procrastination, it’s avoidance. There’s a chance that Taehyung hasn’t contacted him because he doesn’t want to talk to Jimin, doesn’t want to see him. Jimin can’t be sure either way. 

Taehyung's email address is displayed beneath his name. Jimin supposes this is as good a way as any to try to reach out. He makes it as impersonal as possible; a short sentence asking Taehyung whether he has started the project, whether he wants to get together to work on it in the coming week. Then he exits his email again, dialling Jungkook's number without hesitation.

They meet at the pub next to campus thirty minutes later.

"Did Taehyung tell you we're partners?" Is the first question from Jimin's lips as Jungkook approaches his booth.

"What? Partners?" Jungkook sits, grabs a menu. 

"He didn't mention it? Hmm. Maybe he really is just procrastinating. He did tend to do that sometimes."

"What in God's name are you talking about, hyung?” Jungkook closes the menu again, sighing.

Jimin echoes his sigh. "Taehyung and I. We've been put together for a project. I guess we're in the same online class, Business Management. We have to create a business plan, the damn thing is due in a week, and we haven't even started."

Jungkook's lack of amusement is laid plain in his eye roll. "This doesn't sound like it is going to end well. But, no, Taehyungie hasn't mentioned it. And, trust me, if he had any idea that you were his partner, I would not have heard the end of it."

"Really?" Jimin shifts in the booth. "He still talks about me?"

"I would bet my meagre bank account contents that it was a mere matter of minutes between you finding out that Taehyung was your partner and you dragging me here to bitch and moan about it. You two talk about each other."

Jimin scowls as their first round of beers arrive.

Jungkook chuckles, clinking the neck of his beer bottle to Jimin's, and opening the menu again. "Text him. His number hasn't changed. Now shut up about Taehyung already, I’m fucking starving."

When Jimin gets home, he spends an extraordinary period of time staring at his phone. Taehyung has the same phone number. Jungkook has confirmed it. 

He scrolls through his contacts to "T". There he is. Tae. He used to be saved under TaeTae. Maybe with a couple of heart emojis beside it. But now it's just Tae.

Dec 7 • 10:21pm

Taehyung?

Kim Taehyung?

I don't know if you still have my #, it's jimin

Park Jimin

Anyway sorry to bug you but

It's for school

We are partners for a project

Not sure if you've seen that

For the business plan

Do you want to get together?

If not, we can do it virtually or something

Over the following week, Jimin sends a total of twenty-four separate texts. Jungkook confirms the phone number once again, so Jimin knows that Taehyung has received every single one of them. 

Dec 10 • 7:13pm

Hey, it's been a couple of days

Let me know whst you want to do

Dec 12 • 11:53pm

Tae???

Are you getting these messages??

🙄

At least acknowledge it if you are

Dec 14 • 2:44pm

It's been a week

Do you want to do the project or not??

Fuck, Tae

Whatever happened between us… 

I need to finish this project 

So if you'd stop being an ass, that'd be 👌🏻

😑

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

The project due date sneaks up rather quickly. Jimin emails the professor, who must be feeling the Christmas spirit, because he grants Jimin a one week extension. Jimin forwards the email to Taehyung.

"I'll give you two days…" Jimin mutters to himself as he texts Taehyung once again. 

Dec 15 • 3:19pm

Project was due today

I got a week extension, in case you care

I work the next 2 days

If you don't answer by the end of Dec 17

I'm doing the project alone

And I'm not putting your name on it

It's up to you 

"Your friend," Jimin says, poking an accusatory finger into Jungkook's shoulder, "is a useless brat."

Jungkook rolls his eyes as Jimin brushes past him and enters his apartment. "What now, hyung?"

Jimin whirls on Jungkook. "What now is that he won't answer a single fucking text message to get this project done. I warned him this afternoon. If he doesn't text back by the end of my shift on Friday, I'm doing it without him. Fuck that guy."

Jungkook shrugs, hands in his pockets. "Hyung, I don't know what to tell you."

"Has he mentioned it to you yet?"

Jungkook laughs dryly. "Mentioned it? I'm surprised he hasn't barged into my apartment yet. He has every other time you've messaged him."

Jimin sighs. "What the fuck is his problem? Does he not care if we get the project done?"

Jungkook bites his lip, sits on the arm of the sofa. "It's pretty simple. He's hurt. He doesn't want to talk to you, hyung."

Jimin rolls his eyes so far back in his head that it hurts. He barely suppresses the urge to scream. "Does he think that I want to talk to him? Because I most certainly do not," Jimin says through gritted teeth.

Jungkook nods. "I know, Jimin-ssi. I know." 

“Really, it’s my own fault. If I would have looked at the partner list sooner, I could have begged the professor to swap partners.” Jimin can feel a headache coming on above his eyelids. “It’s my own fucking fault I waited until December. Fuck.” 

"Hyung?"

"Yeah?" Jimin rubs his eyes.

"Will you at least tell me what happened between the two of you? Look at what I'm putting up with. I deserve to know."

Jimin examines Jungkook's earnest, doey eyes.

"Nothing happened," Jimin grunts. "We fizzled out, that's all."

"So you were together?"

"No! I mean, not exactly."

"Friends with benefits?"

"I guess," Jimin massages his temples. "I don't know what we were, Kook-ah, okay?"

Jungkook nods quietly. "Okay, hyung. I just don't understand the animosity."

If Jimin looks at things on the surface, he doesn't understand it either. But when he starts to peel back the layers, deeper and deeper, he can remember. He can recall the ferocity of the passion between him and Taehyung.

Yes, when Jimin and Taehyung were on, they were on. They would orbit each other, circling, circling, until they crashed together all at once. It was fiery, sultry. It was a constant, unyielding force of attraction. Taehyung had learned Jimin like no other lover ever could. 

But just as fierce was their bitterness when things went south. Taehyung had learned Jimin's sweet spots as well as his most tender. And he knew very well how to push into both, make it sting and ache and swell. When they came back together after those petty quarrels, they would ignite even brighter, burn even hotter. 

They went on this way, swinging from burning hot to freezing cold, until one day, Taehyung had cut Jimin off completely. He stopped answering Jimin’s calls and texts for weeks, never calling back. Jimin had been so confused that he'd kept half-heartedly trying for a couple of months before growing angry and bitter. Then the summer was coming to a close, a time that Jimin had looked forward to spending with Taehyung. Instead, it had all been wasted on waiting for Taehyung’s call with a one-sided pining that left a bitter taste in Jimin’s mouth. 

They'd agreed to not catching feelings in the beginning, after the first time they’d slept together. Neither of them had the time or the energy for a serious relationship. Taehyung was apparently holding up his end of the bargain by dropping Jimin when it became inconvenient to see him, true to their verbal contract. Jimin was apparently the one not living up to their agreement by getting his heart broken by Taehyung, the man who had made him feel the extremes of emotion in droves.

"It was intense with us. We’d fight and fuck and eventually Taehyung ghosted me." It’s all Jimin can volunteer as an explanation.

"I can tell that much. But haven't you ever thought you should bury the hatchet?"

Jimin snorts. "Impossible. Have you met Kim Taehyung?"

"I've gotten to know both of you quite well over the last couple of years. That's why I'm suggesting it. I think you both deserve it."

"Taehyung stopped calling. Taehyung stopped texting. He made it clear that he was done with me, and I'm not about to beg someone to have sex with me-"

"Did I say have sex? I said bury the hatchet. And if you aren’t going to listen to my advice after you dump all over me about Taehyung, leave me out of it, hyung."

Jimin groans. “I’m sorry, Jungkook-ah. I know I’m an ass about it. Kim Taehyung brings out the ass in me.” He sits next to Jungkook, lowering his voice and intensity level as best he can. “Honestly, I can’t understand what happened between us. We agreed that neither of us wanted a serious relationship, so it was all fun and games for a while. Really, really sexy fun and games. It almost felt like a challenge, seeing if I could make him fall for me before I fell for him. I know that sounds so stupid and immature-”

“Yup. It does.” 

“Yeah. I know. Which is probably why I deserved it when I was the one that ended up catching feelings, after all of the times I harped on him about keeping things casual. When he moved on and ghosted me, I couldn’t handle it. And the anger and hurt has festered into this - this bitterness.” 

Jungkook puts a hand on Jimin’s shoulder. “Hyung. I’m sorry it happened that way. I truly think that if you two took the time to talk, you would realise that you’ve both been hurt. I’ll try my best to talk to him, but as you said…” 

“He can be hard-headed,” Jimin smiles, “I know. Thanks.” 

Jimin throws himself into his work at the hospital with extra exertion over the next two days. He's completely and utterly exhausted when he gets home in the evening, unable to do anything but cook some instant ramen and collapse onto his sofa. The physical exhaustion is healing and distracting, helping him avoid thinking about the fact that Taehyung still hasn't messaged him back. 

Friday comes and goes without a word from Taehyung, and Jimin's resolve to do the project without him holds steady. But he wakes up so exhausted on Saturday morning that he turns off his alarms, pulls the blankets back over his head, and sleeps. Sleeps.

Jimin’s phone ringing wakes him up. He blinks up at the round wall clock over his closet. It’s past five in the evening. Still, he lets his phone ring to voicemail, rolling over with a pillow cradled into his stomach. His eyes are drifting shut again when the bing! of a text message comes through. Then another. Reluctantly, he pushes the soft blankets down, shivering a bit in his underwear as he grabs his phone from his dresser. 

Jungkook has called him twice. He must have slept through one of the calls. And both texts are from Jungkook as well.

Dec 17 • 5:20pm

i’m almost at your place, hyung

unlock the door, i’ll be there in two minutes

Jimin dials Jungkook’s number, groggily stumbling out of his bedroom. Jungkook answers on the first ring, not bothering with pleasantries.

“Hyung. Come outside your apartment.” 

“Kook-ah? What are you talking about?” Jimin says, putting his phone on speaker and pulling on a T-shirt and shorts. 

“Come and unlock your door, I’m here. Now.” 

The beep-beep-beep of Jungkook killing the line follows, and Jimin is as confused as ever with the urgency that seems to be in his friend’s tone. So, he hurries to the door, throwing it open to indeed find Jungkook waiting in the hallway. 

"Jungkook-ah - why are you - oh."

Jungkook isn’t alone. Jungkook has a friend with him. 

And that friend is none other than the elusive Kim Taehyung.

Taehyung gawks at Jimin, who is frozen halfway through opening his door. Jimin feels small, framed in the doorway and backlit by the lamp in his apartment living room. 

It's strange and a little surreal to see Taehyung again up close. His hair is a fluffy mop of dark curls. He's dressed up more than he ever used to on a regular day, dress slacks and a green cashmere sweater. Jimin feels suddenly acutely self-conscious about his oversized T-shirt and basketball shorts and his overgrown, unkempt locks, especially when he sees Taehyung’s appraising eye rake over him from head to toe. At least Taehyung appears to be just as surprised with this development as Jimin, judging by the way his mouth hangs a bit open in apparent surprise, the way he is shuffling his gaze between Jimin and Jungkook. Taehyung was clearly taken aback when Jimin had opened the door, having never been to the apartment that Jimin had moved into only this past summer.

Jungkook smiles a wry smile and gives Taehyung a small shove toward Jimin. There’s a glint in his eye that looks unapologetic, which is mirrored by his tone as he starts to speak.

"You two hyungs are the worst. The absolute fucking worst. I've had enough. I have had enough of you both. You’re going to get this project done tonight and I am going to stop having to hear about it, or my name isn’t Jeon-motherfucking-Jungkook.” 

Jungkook drops a heavy-looking canvas bag to the carpet with a loud thud. He kneels, pulls out a battery-powered electric drill. Jimin shrinks back slightly as Jungkook experimentally squeezes the trigger, the zzz-zzz! startling Jimin in the otherwise stifling silence of the hallway.

"What on earth are you-" 

Jungkook cuts Jimin off. "Both of you inside the room. I'm locking you in there."

Now it's Jimin's turn to gape, wordless. 

Taehyung makes an unintelligible squeak. "Jungkook-ah, I - that - it must be against - against fire code or-"

Jungkook straightens to his full height. His full breadth. Jimin suddenly recalls how often Jungkook has been hitting the gym lately. 

"Get in," Jungkook orders them from between clenched teeth. "This ends tonight."

Taehyung takes a step backward, and Jimin follows suit. Jungkook bends over, rifles through his bag, and pulls out a silver sliding lock. When they’ve both retreated far enough into the apartment, Jungkook reaches in, grabs the doorknob, and slams the door shut in front of them. 

Jimin sits on the arm of his chair, staring at the closed door. Taehyung is standing beside him, close enough to reach out and touch. There’s a knocking sound and then the din of the drill as Jungkook installs the lock. 

“He’s actually serious,” Jimin breathes out, eyes not leaving the door. 

“Fuck.” Taehyung strides to the couch, sits, rests his head in his hands, and stills. 

Jimin looks at him, unsure what to do. A couple of minutes of noisy handiwork later, Jimin can hear Jungkook’s steps retreating. Jimin waits a beat, then rises to the door. The knob turns and the door hits the lock, protesting his escape. Jimin curses, sits back in his chair. 

Jimin doesn’t know how long they sit there, Jimin sulking and desperate to not talk to the other. He refuses to check the clock on his phone, refuses to look at Taehyung, refuses to be the first one to move or make a peep. Jimin has splayed himself out on the chair, head over one arm and legs over the other, staring at the ceiling and wishing he could teleport to anywhere other than his own apartment. 

He hears Taehyung shift slightly after what could be ten minutes or an hour; Jimin has no concept of time at this point. There’s another torturous pause of minutes upon minutes. Then Taehyung shifts again. Jimin hears him stand from the sofa, and a moment later, he appears in Jimin’s line of vision, hovering over him on the chair, coming between him and his view of the ceiling. Jimin shuts his eyes upon seeing him. 

“Jimin-” 

“I can’t do this,” Jimin interrupts. 

Taehyung sighs dramatically. “Let’s get this project over with, call Jungkook back, and get the fuck out of here.” 

Jimin reluctantly sits up, glaring. The sound of Taehyung’s rough and deep voice sets off a quiver in his heart that he immediately stifles with renewed anger at his situation. “I need this class, you know.” 

“So do I!” 

“How could you leave this project until the last minute like this?”

“How could you?” Taehyung retorts. 

“I wasn’t planning on it being this late. You’re the one that wouldn’t return any of my messages, like a pouting man-child!” 

Taehyung laughs, a cold and high-pitched trill. "You know, part of me thought you did this as some kind of sick joke. Asked the professor to pair us together."

Jimin scoffs. "Are you joking? I literally chose this class because I thought it was the last one you'd ever take."

"Wow. Flattered you still think of me so much. Plan your whole life around me."

Jimin rolls his eyes. “Look. Let’s get this assignment over with, like you said. The sooner we bang something out, the sooner we can get the hell away from each other.” 

He stands, crosses to where he’s stored his materials on his bookshelf. He pulls out his notebook and pen, opens his laptop, sitting cross-legged on his chair and sighing deeply. 

“Do you have any ideas for a business?” Jimin says, sounding coarse on purpose. 

“You don’t sound like you really want to know,” Taehyung mutters under his breath. 

“I don’t ask questions unless I want to know the answer, asshole,” Jimin huffs. 

“Fine!” Taehyung holds up his hands. “Fine. I had one idea. It was a multidisciplinary primary care clinic.”

There is silence for a beat. “Care to share any more details, or is that it?”

“I haven't chosen the neighbourhood yet, but I imagined it to be in a hard-to-reach area of the city. I thought we could have a doctor, a nurse, a social worker, and maybe some others. Maybe even get some university students involved in the project, like a volunteer job type of thing.”

Jimin loves it; he loves Taehyung’s idea a lot as soon as he hears it, knows it is a wonderful idea for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that the professor will be happy to see such a philanthropic plan. It will certainly earn them some grace, especially since their project will be extra late. But he can’t admit it out loud, at least not so quickly. He stays quiet and focused on the cursor blinking on the blank word document he’s opened on his laptop, doesn’t look at Taehyung as he continues. 

“It would be a walk-in clinic, no appointments needed, but limited hours. A couple of nights a week, maybe one day per weekend, something like that. It would be a team-based approach; the patient would have an initial screening, then get triaged to the healthcare professional that can help them the most. There are some areas of the city with a lack of accessibility to healthcare as well as fresh food, so I was hoping we could get donations from local grocery stores. We could have a kitchen to prepare free, healthy meals on certain evenings. The practitioners would all volunteer their time and expertise, and it would be a perfect opportunity for students wanting to get their feet wet. I also think it would be important to have childcare available for those with kids if they need to see the social worker or doctor.”

Jimin absorbs it all, head racing with the idea. “It’s a good idea, Tae,” he finally says quietly. "It's really, really good."

“I know it is,” Taehyung says gruffly. 

Jimin remembers now that Taehyung had always had a kind, giving heart. He always had an admirable desire to give back, having come from humble roots. It’s something Jimin had forgotten about him, or at least pushed to the back of his mind, obscured behind all of the bullshit that had happened between them. Jimin doesn’t doubt that this is a concept that Taehyung has been mulling over for quite some time.  

“It’s something I really hope to do one day, maybe,” Taehyung adds. “If I play my career cards right.” 

“Are you sure you want to use the idea for this project, in that case?”

“What do you mean?” 

Jimin pauses, chewing his lip. “I mean… because I’ll be involved in it. I wouldn’t want to ruin it for you. If it is something you seriously want to pursue in the future.” 

Taehyung snorts. “You won’t ruin it, Jimin.” He sits back down on the couch. “It would be nice to have another perspective on it, to be honest. A perspective that I trust.” 

Jimin can’t help it, he laughs. “You trust? Do you expect me to believe that you trust me?” 

Taehyung shrugs. “I do trust you. In matters of business and our line of work, there's no other opinion I’d rather have. You’re sharp and you’re going to be amazing when you graduate, whatever you decide to do with your career. That part has nothing to do with - to do with-” 

“Us,” Jimin finishes. 

“Right.” 

Jimin taps his pen on his notebook. “Where do we start?” 

They start with the executive summary, which leads them to the budget, and then to logistical discussions about how the project could really go forward, legally and monetarily. There are admittedly many angles to consider, but most of them have already been conceptualised by Taehyung. 

"Colour me impressed," Jimin admits after a few hours of unexpectedly smooth teamwork and the annihilation of all of the snacks in Jimin’s cupboard. "You've thought of everything, really."

"You always were impressed with me," Taehyung replies, left eyebrow raised. 

"Ha! Hardly."

The silence that follows is unexpectedly warmer between them. It's actually starting to make Jimin a bit hot around the collar. He can't tolerate it, can't admit to heating up toward Taehyung, so he blurts the first thing he can think of to cool things off again.

"Why didn't you answer any of my messages?"

Taehyung's smile dissolves. "Jimin-ah. C'mon. You know why. I don't have to explain that."

"I'm asking for an explanation." 

"The same reason you left the campus cafe as soon as you saw me a few months ago. The same reason you didn't message me on my birthday or Chuseok or any other day." 

“Jungkook-ah said…” 

“What? What did he say?” 

“He said you didn’t want to talk to me. He said that you were still too hurt.” 

Taehyung shrugs, but the rest of him does not appear to be indifferent. “Those are his words.” 

“What are yours?” 

“Like you fucking care, Jimin,” Taehyung says, blazing eyes turning on him. 

Jimin allows himself to be satisfied with the fire he has successfully stoked in Taehyung. “I did! I mean - I do! I told you before, I don’t ask questions if I don’t want to hear the answer. Don’t act like I didn’t care, Taehyung.” 

Taehyung throws up his hands. “Really? Because that’s exactly what it felt like, Jimin!” 

“You stopped calling. You stopped texting. That wasn’t me, in case you don’t remember.” 

“I couldn’t do whatever it was we were doing anymore! You told me over and over again how terrible it would be if we ever took things beyond sex, and - well, there was nowhere else to go! I liked you - I liked you a lot. And I couldn’t do just sex anymore. Not if you didn’t want me the same way. So tell me again how it was me that didn't care, huh?" 

“Bullshit!” Jimin says, feeling the fire building in his own chest now, taking steps to breach Taehyung’s personal space. “Bullshit! I always wanted you, Tae! I never fucking stopped! You never bothered asking, did you?” 

Jimin feels like he’s punched in the gut as Taehyung’s voice drops in volume, in pitch. “What do you mean? You always wanted me?” 

Jimin is shaky, all of him is quivering with anger and unresolved tension and nervousness about where this is going to go when it all comes crashing down. 

“I always wanted you,” Jimin says again. "It means exactly what it sounds like."

Taehyung drops his phone onto the chair, and he’s next to Jimin in two short strides. His hands come up close to Jimin’s face. When Jimin doesn’t flinch, Taehyung’s fingers ghost over Jimin’s jaw, finding his hair and tangling there. Their foreheads meet. Taehyung’s eyes are closed and he is breathing deeply, and Jimin notices that he, too, feels out of breath. Jimin’s hands have gathered up bunches of Taehyung’s sweater, pulling their bodies flush together. They stand this way for a while, only breathing each other in, ragged and charged and dizzying. 

“Still?” Taehyung murmurs against Jimin’s cheek. 

Jimin nods, knowing Taehyung can feel it against his mouth. 

And, God, he wants Taehyung, he is realising all at once. The way things had ended between them all of those months ago. So many words left unsaid, so much longing left unexplored.

Taehyung pulls back, searches Jimin's eyes. Jimin can count his long lashes and the faintest freckles scattered across the bridge of his nose. He can see the ridges and grooves on his lips, the tiny lines around his mouth. It's all so familiar, but the familiarity has blurred at the edges over time. Jimin longs to sharpen that focus again, to bring it all back. He wants Taehyung.

Taehyung's nose brushes against his. Then their open lips barely touch. This breaks the dam, the two of them both collapsing into a kiss that makes Jimin's heart rate triple in speed. They're all closed eyes and sighs and giving in.

Jimin’s arms are resting on Taehyung’s shoulders, fingers tangled together behind Taehyung's head. Taehyung is holding Jimin up as his knees start to go weak. Then Taehyung's fingers are drifting down his spine, back up again, trailing beneath his shirt. Taehyung's lips taste sweeter than Jimin remembers, but he doesn't have time to savour it with the urgency blossoming between them.

Jimin licks over Taehyung's bottom lip, teasing, sampling. Taehyung's mouth opens and their tongues are finding each other. Jimin busies himself undoing Taehyung's pants. Taehyung grunts and pushes his hips forward, Jimin's cock pulsing to life as he feels Taehyung's hardness on his thigh. Taehyung grabs Jimin's leg up with one hand, and he leaves his mouth open for Jimin to lick into as he mashes their hips together and they fall onto the sofa, searching for pressure, pleasure.

"Shit, missed you," Taehyung says from where he's pinned beneath Jimin. 

"Mmm," Jimin manages shakily as Taehyung rocks their hips together again, holding Jimin in place. 

"What do you…" Taehyung begins.

"Wanna suck your cock," Jimin answers without hesitation. He's admittedly surprised at the desperation in his own voice. "Can I?"

"You…" Taehyung swallows, eyes wide. "Yeah. Yeah, okay. Really?"

Jimin crawls over Taehyung with a giggle, sliding his pants down with some difficulty. There's a tent in Taehyung's boxer briefs. "Really. Do you not remember?"

Taehyung remembers very well, Jimin can tell. He pulls off his underwear, Jimin pushing him back down by the shoulders to a reclining position against the arm of the sofa.

"Remember how much you loved sucking me off? Kinda hard to forget those kinds of details." Taehyung pulls Jimin by the collar for a kiss before taking off Jimin's shirt. "Every time I look at these pretty lips, I remember."

Jimin giggles. "Pretty wrapped around your cock?"

"Never seen prettier, baby," Taehyung laughs back, nipping Jimin's bottom lip before Jimin eases away from his mouth.

Jimin doesn't have the patience to be gentle as he moves his way down Taehyung's body. He pulls up Taehyung’s sweater to leave marks over his chest, not bothering to pull the shirt off completely. Something about all of this feels strangely healing, like maybe a hookup with Taehyung can be a remedy for every negative emotion he’s felt toward him. It goes against everything Jimin has learned about healthy relationships, but something was always different between him and Taehyung. Their relationship wasn’t one to abide by the rules.

It's messy, too messy, but Jimin doesn't care. He needs it, needs it too badly to worry about how he might look, throwing himself over Taehyung and tonguing over the length of his cock. Such a delicious cock, his favourite cock ever, if he's being honest. He's wanton and needy as he sucks and slurps. Taking the head of Taehyung's cock into his mouth and swirling his tongue around it, warm and smooth in his mouth. His lips are puckered and wet red around Taehyung. He hums with pleasure as he looks at Taehyung, blinking prettily up at him, knowing it drives him wild. And Taehyung is looking back at him now, eyes glazed over and so dark that Jimin could swear his irises have turned black.

"Did you really take this class to avoid me?" Taehyung says, following up with a moan as Jimin sucks pointedly on his cock as he pulls off to answer.

"Yes," Jimin says firmly. 

"You're the worst - oh - oh God."

Jimin remembers how he likes it. And he knows before Taehyung says it, knows he doesn't think that Jimin is the worst at all. 

"Ah, fuck, Jimin - you're the best."

Taehyung's cock is slick with saliva and pre-cum, and Jimin wraps his fingers around what won't fit in his mouth, bobbing and stroking with no particular rhythm.

"God, you taste good," Jimin says. 

He digs his tongue into the slit of Taehyung's cock, licking it clean. Taehyung takes a handful of his hair, pulling him back.

"You'll make me come if you don't stop," he says. "And I intend to come with my cock in your ass."

"Mmm, sounds so good, please," Jimin groans.

Taehyung pulls Jimin back to his mouth. "Your bed," he says between long sucks of Jimin's lips and tongue.

Taehyung goes straight to the side table. It may be a different apartment, but the condoms and lube are in the same drawer. Jimin takes the opportunity to remove his clothes.

Taehyung grins wickedly as he pulls out the supplies, holds them up. "These are still the ones I bought. They’re almost expired, Jimin." 

"So?" Jimin says, taking them and throwing them on the bed.

Before Taehyung can answer, he's got his sweater pulled up again, affixing his mouth to Taehyung's nipple. 

"Ohhhh," Taehyung sings, but he still manages, "was there anyone else?" 

Jimin tugs the sweater over Taehyung's head, pushing him on the bed. "No. For you?"

Taehyung pulls Jimin to his lap, their naked bodies pressed together. The sensation of their skin touching feels like bliss.

Taehyung rolls them over, has Jimin under him as he shakes his head, "No. God, that's kinda hot." 

Jimin giggles, is about to tell Taehyung to shut up, but Taehyung is pulling his legs up, taking a good look at his ass. He presses a finger lightly to Jimin's rim, stooping to tongue over the head of Jimin's cock.

Taehyung is gentle as he opens Jimin up. He takes his time, his fingers exploring Jimin and stretching him sweetly. 

"So fucking beautiful," Taehyung says, two fingers deep in Jimin's hole, setting a pleasing pace.

Jimin looks up at him, peeks from beneath the arm he's thrown over his eyes. "Too romantic."

Taehyung squeezes his ass cheek with a chuckle. "Fine. Can't wait to have my cock buried in this tight little ass. Better?"

"Much. Now do it."

Taehyung does. He lifts Jimin's legs, bringing one to rest on his shoulder and the other he keeps in hand. His other hand guides his cock where it needs to go. He sinks deep into Jimin all at once, Jimin squirming beneath Taehyung, who holds him steady.

"I almost forgot how good you feel," Taehyung says, stilling his hips, shutting his eyes.

“Almost?” Jimin coos, looking up at Taehyung with a sly grin. 

“Almost,” Taehyung agrees. “Could never forget an ass like this completely, baby.” 

Jimin reaches up, guides Taehyung back down for a kiss. "Really?" Jimin says into Taehyung's mouth.

"No one ever compared," Taehyung replies.

He's quiet, motionless, except for the hand that's stroking Jimin's hair back.

"You were never this sappy before."

"Yeah, well," Taehyung says, rolling his hips forward into Jimin now, smirking as he moans, "people change."

"I like you better - ah - when you stay quiet," Jimin says.

"Liar."

Jimin doesn't respond to that. He is a fucking liar, and Taehyung knows it. Jimin has always loved Taehyung's way with words.

Taehyung looks so goddamn sexy this way. His hips rolling forward, a glint on his honey skin from the thin layer of sweat. One hand wrapped around Jimin's erection, stroking and pulling. His other hand mindlessly trailing up and down Jimin's leg. His brow furrowed with concentration or pleasure or both. 

"Harder," Jimin demands. "Fuck me harder."

Taehyung is fucking him with a bruising speed. Literally. Jimin might not be able to walk straight tomorrow and Taehyung's grip on his leg is aching already. He's crying out with each slap of skin on skin, Taehyung practically folding him in half as he bears down on him.

Jimin strains to roll them over, palms on Taehyung's chest. His rib cage moves, up and down, up and down, as he tries to catch his breath under Jimin's hand. He can feel the thumping of Taehyung's heart and he swears it's beating in sync with the same ridiculously quick rhythm as his own.

Taehyung's hand finds Jimin's cock. A gentle touch at first, but soon he's stroking Jimin as he bounces, and Jimin is leaning back, gripping onto Taehyung's thighs to balance himself. 

"So sexy riding me," Taehyung coos, reaching up to flick over Jimin's nipple, rolling it between his fingers.

"Ah, Tae, m'close," Jimin whines. "Baby - I - fuck-"

Saying it aloud, hearing himself broken and calling Taehyung by his old bedroom pet name makes the familiar pressure and warmth reach a head. He comes over Taehyung's hand and onto his belly, hips rolling through the release, clenching around Taehyung with each wave of pleasure. Taehyung is not far behind, clenching his abdomen, grabbing hold of Jimin’s hips as he cries out through his own orgasm, Jimin doing his best to rock his hips through it, make it feel even better for him. 

It's a minute before Jimin realises he's whimpering with each breath. Taehyung is panting underneath him, arms wrapped around Jimin.

"God. I knew it would be good, but that - that was…"

"Phenomenal? Mind-blowing?" Jimin suggests, peeking up at Taehyung from where he's collapsed onto his chest.

"I was going to say 'better than good', but yours sounds nicer."

Taehyung is softening, sliding out of Jimin. 

"Let's clean up," Jimin says. 

Taehyung goes into the bathroom first. When Jimin follows, he looks at himself in the full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door. There are several red patches on his neck, his ass, his legs. His lips are swollen and pouty and his eyes look big and round. His dick is still dark pink and half-hard, still wet at the tip. He's pleased with how he looks - like he's been bedded well - but the sight of himself also sets the gears turning in his head.

Had they been too young, too green, when they had first started? Could a couple of years make any difference in the turmoil that was their dynamic?

He cleans up, goes back to the bedroom to fetch clean sweatpants and a t-shirt. Taehyung appears in thought, and the idea that both of them are analysing what has just transpired scares the shit out of Jimin. 

"Did you ever wish we were more?"

Jimin knows what Taehyung is getting at, having just been thinking along the same lines. But he finds himself playing dumb. "How do you mean?"

"Back then. Did you ever wish we were more than whatever we were?"

Jimin pauses, pulls his t-shirt over his head, over his torso. Hearing it come from Taehyung makes it altogether too real. "Can we finish our marketing plan?"

Taehyung stares at him significantly, disappointedly. But then he nods and slides off the other side of the bed, dressing unhurriedly.

They work. Minced words. Short and to the point. Jimin makes a pot of coffee when it gets late enough to be morning. Taehyung drinks a cup without a word, though he usually hates coffee. Or at least he used to, back when Jimin knew him. Who knows what he likes now.

"It looks great," Taehyung says when they finish reading their business plan. “All we have to do is record our presentation.” 

Jimin saves their documents. "Well, I guess we’re finished for today.” 

The only sounds to be heard are the gentle click of Jimin shutting his laptop, the refrigerator buzzing faintly in the kitchen.

"I'll text Jungkook-ah," Taehyung finally says, holding up his phone. 

"Shit. I almost forgot he locked us in here," Jimin giggles. 

"Can you believe that we broke him?" Taehyung says, twinkle in his eye as he sends the text.

"Yeah. I really can. We were pretty insufferable."

"True," Taehyung concedes, finishing his message to Jungkook. "Are we not anymore?"

Jimin shakes his head. "No. Truce." 

He holds out a hand. He feels a little ridiculous after having sucked Taehyung's cock only a few hours earlier on this very sofa, but he extends the official olive branch handshake just the same. Taehyung takes his hand in his own warm fingers. One pump of his hand and then Taehyung grips his hand, bringing it to his lips. His eyes don't leave Jimin's as he places a kiss on the back of his hand, then on his wrist.

"Truce," Taehyung murmurs. 

Jimin is pulled gently forward by Taehyung’s grip on his wrist. Taehyung’s finger nudges Jimin’s chin up, and he places a sweet kiss there. Jimin leans into it. They kiss this way for a while, soft and lazy, and Taehyung is so delicate with him that Jimin wants to cry. They’re close, so close, touching along the length of their bodies, cosy and warm, but neither of them make the move to round the bases. They’ve never kissed like this before, Jimin realises, and that revelation makes him feel giddy with delight. 

They hear Jungkook's footsteps, the bag of his tools hitting the hallway floor again. They pull apart, Taehyung planting one last, ticklish kiss in the crook of Jimin’s neck. The din of the drill, the tinkle of a couple of screws dropping and rolling. 

Jungkook opens the door a crack. His head cranes around the corner.

"You two both survive the night?" Jungkook asks with a smile as he takes them both in.

"Even finished our business plan," Jimin answers.

"Even got my cock-" 

"Whoa!" Jungkook throws up his palms, two stop signs, and shuts his eyes. "Whoa, whoa! Don't need to hear it, but thank fucking all that is holy."

"Did you say holy? Because I could swear I heard angels sing when Jimin had his tongue on my-"

"Lalalalala! See you later, hyungs! My work here is done!"

Jungkook proceeds out the door, hands over his ears. 

"Fuck, Taehyung. You ever heard of not kissing and telling?"

"You're a prude."

"And you're naughty."

"Only for you, baby." Taehyung is smiling wide until he looks toward the door, as if leaving wasn’t really part of his plan. His expression sobers. “Okay, Jimin-ah. I’ll see you around?”

“I - yeah, I’ll see you around, Tae,” Jimin says robotically. 

Taehyung gives him one last thin smile before slipping on his shoes, turning toward the door.

Jimin grabs him by the wrist. "Wait."

Taehyung waits, but doesn't face Jimin. Doesn't look him in the eye or say a word.

"I wished that all the time, Taehyung. That we could be more. All the time."

Now Taehyung swivels, Jimin letting go of his grip on his arm to let him turn in the doorway.

"Seriously, Jimin? Why are you only now telling me?"

"I don't know." Jimin stares at the row of buttons at the top of Taehyung's shirt. "Why did you only ask me tonight?"

“Oh, gee, I don’t know. Maybe because you always insisted on no strings attached, and then you hated my guts?”

"I hated your guts because I wanted you to love me."

Taehyung sighs heavily. "That makes absolutely zero sense and that's exactly how I felt about you, too."

Jimin can't help it. He laughs. "What a pair we are, huh?"

Taehyung shakes his head, but soon he's smiling along with Jimin's laughter. 

"Taehyung?"

"Yeah?"

“Are you ready for feelings now? Are you ready for feelings between you and me?” 

Taehyung steps closer, places a kiss in Jimin’s hair. “Doesn’t matter if I’m ready or not. They’re already here to stay. You?”

“They’ve been there for a while. I think they’re just a part of me now.” 

“A part of you? I love the sound of that,” Taehyung grins, placing a kiss under Jimin’s ear.

"Don't go yet," Jimin whispers into Taehyung's curls.

"Don't go? But I thought we were finished the-"

"Not the project, you goof." Jimin steps forward, takes Taehyung's free hand from where it's hanging at his side, links their fingers together. "Don't go. Stay."

Another kiss under Jimin’s ear, on his cheek, on his nose. Another kiss on Jimin’s lips, turning to something fuller within a few seconds. "Okay. Okay, Jimin, I'll stay."