It was Thursday morning and I had just showed up at work. My shift hadn't started yet, I decided to come a bit earlier to get some breakfast. Daemi had been there since the opening at 5 am. My shift would start at 9.

As I finished my breakfast, I grabbed my bag from the floor and went to the dressing room to change into my work uniform. I sat down on the bench in the dressing room and opened my bag. The first thing that caught my eye was another small yellow folded paper.

Unconsciously a smile grazed my lips as I picked it up. The butterflies inside me completely shoved away my thoughts about how Jimin had gotten it in there. We went for a walk after my shift the other day, he might've put it in the bag then while I was distracted.

I opened the folded paper, and my eyes ran over the words.

After reading it, I quickly changed, noting my shift had already started. I almost ran out in the front, "See Daemi!! He did it again!" I exclaimed. I didn't know whether the energy boost came from the breakfast I ate or the note I had read. Thursday mornings were one of the less busy days luckily, so no costumers were in queue.

"What?" Daemi questioned, less enthusiastic. She yawned as she waited for my answer.

"Jimin, he left me another note." I said and waved the note in front of her eyes.

Her eyes widened and she reached for the paper and took it from my hand.

"Can I read it!?" She asked excited, already opening the folded paper before I nodded.

Wow Peaches,

She read it out loud, but stopped already there, "Peaches? What cringy nickname is that?" She uttered.

I nudged her shoulder, pretending to be offended, but really I couldn't blame her. I had the same reaction as she did when I read the first letter. But after re-reading it a hundred times, I had grown to like it. I knew it was Jimin who had written it, so I couldn't help but adore the nickname.

"Stop, it's cute." I huffed. I tried to grab the note from her hand, but she dodged my attempt.

"Whatever you think." She shrugged and turned to continue reading the letter.

Wow Peaches,

I didn't know you were so wild. I saw you outside a door the other day. You're a pretty thing for sure, be careful.
- JM

"What does that even mean?" Daemi scrunched her nose and I noticed her eyes running over the words one more time.

"I'm not sure." I shrugged, "Maybe he's trying to be poetic?"

Whatever it meant, a tingle spread in my body as I read the words. I imagined him saying it in the low, husky voice he had when we made out at his apartment last Friday.

I hadn't seen him since then. We'd texted a lot and Jimin had even FaceTimed me, saying he missed my face. It was cute, I thought, and it made me wonder if what Daemi had said was right. We hadn't known each other for long, yet I felt like a little girl inside just by the thought of him.

"He called you a thing?" Daemi interrupted my hallway of thoughts and looked up from the note.

"Daemi!" I slapped her on the shoulder, harder than before, "I call you my favorite thing, Isn't it the same?" I reasoned, scoffing at her remark, "Obviously he doesn't mean it like that. You don't know him, he's not the guy to say that!"

"Okay sorry Y/n..." She put her hands up defensively, "I just worry about you, I don't want you to get hurt." She said.

"Get hurt?" I repeated and huffed. I felt a pang in my heart. I was hurt. I hurt so much, my heart hurt so much. If Jimin was the only person, who could make me feel as if my heart was healing again, I was willing to take the risk. I knew my brother wouldn't want me to be in pain like I was.

"I've seen you go through all of this Y/n and I—"

"Jimin is not gonna die." I said, my voice cracking in the middle of my sentence.

I felt a lump in my throat, keeping me from saying more. My gaze fell to the ground. I felt the tears pressuring behind my eyeballs, but I restrained them from escaping.

"I didn't mean it like that, I—" Daemi said, but stopped mid sentence.

I felt her arms wrap around me, placing her chin on my shoulder. We were about the same height, and her hugs always felt the best.

"I'm sorry Y/n, I didn't mean for it to come out like that." She whispered.

Her voice was genuine and I knew her—she only wanted to protect me. She'd been the one person that I'd let closest to my heart since my brother passed away. Crazy how I chose my co-worker over my best friends. I pushed them away, while I kept her.

"Don't be sorry, I know what you meant." I pulled away from the hug and smiled at her.

She smiled back wistfully. I could easily tell how bad she felt for what just happened, but really I wasn't mad. "I love you." I said cutely, nudging her shoulder.

"Ahem." A voice next to us faked a cough. There was a costumer waiting and he took us both aback as we were just in the middle of a friendship moment.

"Right, fuck—sorry, right... What do you want?" Daemi stuttered as she searched for the track she needed to get back on.

I chuckled at her and went ahead and helped her, "What can we help you with sir?" I said, gaining his attention and removing it from Daemi who was slightly out of it.

As the costumer left, we both laughed at it for a while.

Jimin greeted me with a hug, as I entered his apartment. It surprised me, but it didn't take long for me to relax into the hug and enjoy it. His body was warm, his chin rested on top of my head and his arms around my waist. I felt his chest rise and fall and I could almost sense his heartbeat which seemed calm and steady, way opposite of mine.

"It's been long." Jimin said and pulled away from the hug.

It left me feeling cold and yearning for another one of his hugs, but I didn't say anything.

"Yeah, you've been busy." I said, blaming him.

"Well some of us actually have careers." He reasoned.

I scoffed, pretending to be offended, "You don't know my story so don't talk about it." I replied, not thinking much of my words other than justifying that I hadn't started college yet, "Besides, you didn't even go to college!"

"As if you are to talk." He laughed, clearly enjoying this little argument.

"Well I'm young, I still have time left." I said proudly. He was two years older than me, I still had time to consider college.

"Right, I'm older, so speak to me with respect." He said and I immediately slapped my hand over my mouth. I just realized I almost yelled at him and without honorifics.

Jimin laughed at my reaction, walking past me and into the kitchen. I stood still at the entrance, feeling humiliated by my ignorance.

"It's fine, you can speak to me casually." He called from the kitchen.

I turned around slowly and made my way to the kitchen. I sat down on one of the bar stools in front of the counter, "I can?"

Jimin nodded, and showed me one of his smiles—those where his eyes almost disappears. It made my heart flutter. Both the fact that we'd speak casually now, but also the way his smile seemed to attract me even more.

Jimin brought out a few things from the fridge. He'd invited me over, saying he'd make me dinner himself. I gladly accepted. I loved food, but making it wasn't my favorite things, so if Jimin was a good cook, he'd literally be my dream guy.

"I'll head to the studio." A voice behind me spoke and I turned around to see Hoseok exit his room, "Oh, hi Y/n." He smiled.

"Hi Hoseok." I smiled back and waved shortly. I noticed the smirk Hoseok gave Jimin and a weird feeling erupted in my stomach. I suddenly felt awkward. Hoseok walked in on me and Jimin making out last week. He actually seemed quite used to it, it made me wonder if Jimin usually brought girls home to their apartment.

"See you later." Hoseok greeted his farewells.

"Bye Hyung." Jimin called out before turning his attention back to the food in front of him.

I was quiet, looking at the counter top where my hands fiddled with my rings.

"He's my boss too, it's weird right? The owner of the dance company I work and train at, my roommate and my best friend." Jimin rambled, as I didn't say anything.

I stayed quiet, my mind busy with many other thoughts.

Was Hoseok really used to Jimin bringing girls home? Did he do it often?

Was I just one of them?

"Y/n, is anything wrong?"

I looked up from my hands at the mention of my name. Our eyes met and he smiled, but one that faded slowly as he realized something was bothering me.

"What's up?" He said, putting down the kitchen knife he had in his hand.

Why did I feel so shit being with him then, when earlier the same day I'd felt lightheaded when I read his little note.

"Y/n?" He called out. My gaze had fallen again and he bended down in his knees, tilting his head to search for my attention.

"Last week..." I voiced, looking at him across the counter.

Jimin stayed silent, waiting for me to continue.

"You said something about Hoseok being a cockblock." I reminisced his words from last Friday.

"I did?" Jimin let out. It sounded as if the topic had taken him aback.

"You did." I confirmed, "And... I don't know, it's stupid." I interrupted myself.

"Nothing's stupid when coming from your mouth." Jimin said, walking around the counter.

His words came out so smoothly—as if they rolled over his tongue with ease—as if he'd said them millions of times before.

He said down on a chair beside me, taking my hand and stroking his thumb over it.

I removed my hand, which made him look at me with wrinkled eyebrows.

"What's wrong?"

"That night at the bar, you said you weren't trying to get in my pants. Last Friday, Hoseok seemed to find it normal finding you in your apartment with a girl. You called him a cockblocker, which meant you expected sex from me." I rushed the words out, making sure I wouldn't stop myself.

Jimin let out a chuckle, which came to my surprise.

"Why are you laughing?" I looked up into his eyes.

"Y/n... I'm not just trying to get in your pants. Hoseok is a quick-witted guy, and he respects my privacy."

"Just?" I remarked.

"Well, you can't have a relationship, without sex, can you?"

"Jimin!" I bursted, nudging his shoulder. I felt my cheeks grow hot at the topic.

A short silence fell over us. Jimin got up from the bar stool and walked a step closer to me. I tilted my head backwards and looked up at him, as he looked down at me. "You're quite cute when you're flustered."

I scoffed and looked away. But Jimin's hands cupped my cheeks and made me look up at him again.

"Y/n, I'm sorry I made you worry about such things. I'm serious about this. I have no idea why, but I just can't stop thinking about you. It's weird because yes, I have been with a few girls before..."

"I've been with a man before too." I interrupted, poutingly. I couldn't keep it in when he mentioned he'd had sex with other girls.

Maybe, I wanted him to be jealous.

Jimin chuckled, "There's my answer to that question..."

"But you just stick out somehow, and I don't know why."

I stayed quiet as our eyes were locked on each other. Jimin bend down and left a simple peck on my lips. The gesture made me take a deep breath as I felt the butterflies erupt in my stomach again.

"If only I wanted sex, I think I would've gotten it already." He said, making me flustered again by the topic.

I scoffed, slapping his hands away from my face, "Keep telling yourself that and you might believe it some time."

"Baby, don't lie to yourself." He smirked, before walking around the counter again.

"I'm not." I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest.

"And about that cockblock incident..." He said, while casually grabbing the knife and the squash in his other hand, "Quit your angel act, I'm pretty sure the gods know you wanted it too." He said, and looked down himself before looking back at me.

I followed his gaze, my eyes landing where his crotch is, "Jimin you perv!" I exclaimed, hoping that denying it would rinse my brain from all the thoughts.

Jimin brought the spoon to his mouth, blowing on it as it was burning hot. He'd made kimchi jjigae and ramen, two things I really liked. I waited for him to taste it first, as he picked up his spoon so eagerly, telling me to wait. But as he'd blown on it for a while, he brought the spoon to my mouth, holding his hand under it so it wouldn't spill and stain any clothes.

I looked at him for a moment, hesitant about taking the spoon in my mouth. He looked concentrated on the spoon, making sure to not spill, before he looked at me, "Taste it." He said, bringing the spoon closer to my mouth.

I obeyed and wrapped my mouth around the spoon. I focused on the taste, running through my mouth and down my throat as I gulped it.

Jimin didn't say anything, but looked at me with big eyes. It was the first time I'd seen him so naked, rhetorically. He seemed so humble, less arrogant and maybe nervous. It suited him to be less modest and more on edge. It was cute.

"It tastes just the way I like it!" I said, smiling at the surprisingly good kimchi jjigae he'd made. It had been so long since I had kimchi jjigae last.

"Don't sugar coat it?" He asked. I could tell he was still slightly unsure by his eyes.

"I'm not. It's really good, Jimin." I reassured him and grabbed my own spoon to start eating.

"I knew I was a good cook." He muttered to himself proudly before he turned to his plate again.

And then the humble guy disappeared again.

I chuckled at him, before blowing on the soup, taking another bite. I hummed, the food being very delicious. I sensed Jimin's proud smile from beside me before he himself took a bite.

He put down his spoon after and grabbed one of the two small bowls on the table and filled it with ramen, "Eat well." He said and placed the bowl in front of me.

"Thank you." I said, observing him as he filled the second bowl and placed it in front of himself.

Just the littlest things he did would make my heart skip a beat. I felt warm inside. He gave me food first. He seemed so caring. For maybe the first time, I found that I didn't just want to kiss him for my own pleasure. I just wanted to be in his presence.

"Earlier," Jimin said, grabbing my attention, "you said something about me not knowing your story."

"You judged me based on no grounds other than I'm not in college, which you're not even yourself!" I spoke bluntly, reminded of how I felt attacked by his accusation of my career-less life.

"I know, I'm sorry. I joked around and you clearly didn't find it funny. You seemed agitated."

"I was."

"Why?"

"I already said so, you judged me without even knowing my story."

I pointed at him with the spoon, the sizzling feeling inside me appearing again—It was quite funny how he'd make me flustered one second and angry the next.

"What is your story?"

His voice was calm, despite the way I had raised my voice slightly throughout our conversation.

I calmed myself, putting the spoon in my hand down, letting my shoulders fall and took a deep breath, "Are you sure you want to know in the middle of our dinner?" I said, knowing how it could ruin my mood. But somehow, I didn't feel hesitant about sharing my story with him.

"I can't wait to get to know more about you."

It sounded stupid. He couldn't wait to know more about me? Why? Why was I so interesting to him? 

Yet, the expression on his face showed nothing but a genuine curiosity. His eyebrows were raised, which I had found to be a habit of his when he really listened.

"I grew up in a family of four..." I started but quickly paused, taking a deep breath before continuing "...My parents, me and my brother. My brother was born first, he is two years older than me." I smiled, but felt a pang in my heart when I realized my words.

I hadn't talked about my brother with other than my parents. I still hadn't grown accustomed to talking about him in the past tense.

"He was two years older than me." I corrected myself.

A lump formed in my throat. I picked up the spoon and started stirring the soup on my plate.

Don't cry Y/n

He wouldn't want you to cry

"Was?"

I nodded and kept stirring the soup. The lump grew bigger and more uncomfortable. My neck felt tightened and I felt as if it would cramp soon.

He's probably looking down at me now, rooting on me to open up for the first time in months

Or, he's trying to convince the god of humans to get Jimin away from me right here and now, as the overprotective brother he is

A chuckle left my mouth at the thoughts running through my head. He would be calling me constantly if he knew I was hanging out with a boy, alone.

A little tear escaped my eye and trickled down my cheek ever so gently, grazing it and leaving a warm stream down the side of my cheek.

"He passed away a few months ago." I gulped, blinking my glossy eyes so the tears would go away.

An oh left Jimin's mouth as he reached for my hand that was stirring with the spoon and grabbed it, rubbing the back of it with his thumb.

"It was a car accident. Slippery roads or something..." I scoffed at the reason of his death. How could roads be slippery enough to kill a human inside a vehicle?

"That's why you don't like cars?" Jimin let out in almost a whisper.

I nodded weakly, observing the edge of the plate my food was on.

I gulped again, trying to make the lump disappear. I took a deep breath before looking at Jimin with a smile. I smiled, trying to hide the sadness buried within me and burned on my inside, but it must've looked forced.

"I couldn't bare the thought of starting college, only a month after he passed, so instead I took another year off school."

Jimin cleared his throat, as he grabbed my hand tighter, "I'm sorry about what I said..."

"It's fine." I replied quickly, "That's also why I love alcohol so much. I've been going to the same club we met at almost every weekend since he passed. I did, so I could drink until I would fully lose control over my body and release my brain from its suffocating thoughts."

I held a break. I kept looking at him, as his eyes had fallen to my hand that was engulfed in his.

"I've distanced myself from my friends, which I of course regret, but I couldn't have done it over even if I tried... Before I met you, I rarely left my room for other purposes than work and drinking at the club." I let out a chuckle, finding myself ridiculous.

I really did hide away.

My parents didn't want me to hide away.

Every weekend, they thought I was out partying, eating or just hanging with my friends, when I really was all by myself in a room full of people. They knew I missed him, but to them, I seemed to be doing better.

"And after?" Jimin asked. He still didn't look at me, but at our hands on the table. He brought my hand to his lap, caressing it with both of his hands now.

"After..." I sighed, "I'm not sure, but I know that this is the most time I've spent with people outside my family since the day my brother passed."

A genuine smile grazed my lips and I felt lots of mixed emotions mix inside me. Misery, because I missed my brother. Regret, because I had hidden myself away. Shame, because I knew my brother didn't want that for me. Joy, because Jimin was here, holding my hand.

"You've made me smile more than I've smiled in a long time." I admitted, placing my other hand in the middle of his as he engulfed both of mine.

"I'm so sorry for your loss." Jimin said in a low voice.

"Don't be, it's not your fault."

A silence fell over us, a comfortable one. Jimin was quiet as he didn't know what to say. It might've shocked him how honest I was. He might've not expected what I said.

I observed him, as his eyes ran over my hands while he played with them. I smiled again, which made me realize how I wasn't crying. 

I had just talked about my brother, without breaking down in cries. I actually felt good, talking about him, telling Jimin about my story. Jimin made me feel better somehow.

"My brother would've liked you." I confessed, my voice cracking throughout the end.

Jimin found my eyes again and as he did, another tear trickled down my cheek. He placed his hand on my cheek, cupping it and wiping away the tear with his thumb. He gave me one of his closemouthed smiles. It seemed wistful, but it made me feel so cared for.

"Tell me about him."

I took a deep breath as I considered his words. I looked into his deep brown eyes, finding them ever so comforting to look at.

"Well, he's my big brother. When we were little we spent a lot of time together as siblings. He raised me and I looked up to him more than anyone else. As we grew older we became best friends. We grew so close, even my friend group and his combined, despite the age gap from the youngest to the oldest being 3 years. Our group clicked so well together, and it only made my brother and I closer. We glued them together and we were proud of it."

I took a break, realizing how I'd talked for long. It was crazy how natural it felt to talk about my brother with Jimin. The words came out at ease and I felt the sadness disappear as I kept talking about him.

"He was always very overprotective. Believe me or not, he scared my first boyfriend away." I chuckled at the memory once again and so did Jimin. It was nice how Jimin laughed with me, instead of staying sad about the topic.

"I'm sure he wouldn't let me be alone with you right now if he had a choice."

"Awe, I'm not that bad." Jimin joked.

"I know, and I'm sure he'd see that right away if he got to know you." I told him, genuinely.

My brother was overprotective indeed, but I knew he'd accept it when I found someone who was right for me. And Jimin felt so right for me.

a.n.

this was a quite long chapter... care to give it a little, small and tiny vote?♡