Yoongi was nervous. He didn't know what he was going to do with Jimin for an entire day. He was afraid that if he wasn't careful, Jimin would see through him in an instant and know all the things Yoongi didn't want anybody to know.

That he'd been scared that they would never find Jimin.

That he'd been scared that Jimin was dead.

That he'd been scared by how much he'd missed Jimin.

He didn't want Jimin to know because he was Jimin's older brother. He was supposed to be strong and tough. But then again, he was supposed to protecting his little brothers, and he hadn't done a very good job at it, even if Jimin's abduction wasn't something he could have stopped.

But he wanted Jimin to think that he was strong, because even if he didn't feel particularly strong, Yoongi knew that Jimin needed to feel safe. Yoongi had to make him feel safe. And letting Jimin know that he'd been half-expecting a different ending to this story wouldn't make Jimin feel safe.

So the next morning at the breakfast table as Namjoon got up to leave with the others, Yoongi stopped him with a tug on his jacket sleeve.

Namjoon immediately stopped and turned, shocked but trying to hide it because Yoongi had barely touched him in 5 years, if at all. He wouldn't even take goodnight kisses anymore. "Yes, Yoongi?"

"Can Jimin come to school with me?"

Namjoon was shocked. "But don't you want to play here? I'm giving you the day off."

Yoongi shook his head. "I want..." He tried to think of a logical excuse. "I want Jimin to meet my friends."

"All right...but if you're talking about Kihyun and Wonho, hasn't Jimin met them before? Their dad drove you all home once, remember?"

Yoongi stood for a second with his mouth open. "W-well, they've changed."

Namjoon hesitated before sighing and nodding. "I'll call the office to let them know. I'm sure they'll be fine with it, given our circumstances."

Jimin watched the whole encounter with wide eyes, looking back at Jin every few seconds, and Jin smiled back at him warmly. It was as though their relationship had been repaired in one day. Jimin hoped he could do the same with the rest of his brothers.

Yoongi turned to Jimin for the first time that morning, and Jimin stared at him earnestly, wanting to please Yoongi somehow even though Yoongi appeared to be disinterested in him. "You're coming to school with me, so get dressed."

Jimin nodded and ran off to his room, going through his dresser and searching for something, anything. I get to go to school with Yoongi. But he doesn't look very happy about it...Does he not like me?

Regardless, Jimin threw on a fluffy pink sweater and pants, running back to the kitchen. "Is this okay, hyung?"

Yoongi stared at him for a second before nodding and looking away.

Is he disappointed? Am I going to embarrass him wearing this?

But Yoongi didn't say anything about it. "Let's go."

Jimin nodded, following Yoongi closely, and when Yoongi stopped at the door, Jimin ran into his back. Yoongi turned around quickly but, upon seeing Jimin was unharmed, he put on a mask of indifference and waited for Namjoon.

***

Half an hour later, Jin got out of the front seat and waited for Yoongi and Jimin. Yoongi looked back once to verify that Jimin had indeed followed him before he started walking.

Jimin hesitated, staring at Yoongi's back as he got farther away, and he felt somewhat crushed until Jin smiled sympathetically at him and took his hand.

"He's just a little rough on the outside," Jin said, patting Jimin's hand before leading him into the school. "Don't worry about it. He just has a hard time figuring out what to say and how to show what he feels."

Jimin nodded, and Jin smiled and ruffled his hair as he dropped Jimin off outside Yoongi's classroom.

Jimin went in nervously, scanning for Yoongi, and spotted him sitting in the back. Jimin bit his lip before walking over to Yoongi and standing by his desk, pulling his sleeves past his fingertips and fiddling with them hems.

He stood for about thirty seconds before swallowing and speaking up. "Um, Yoongi?" he asked softly, not wanting to draw attention to himself.

Yoongi looked up slowly, and Jimin felt himself shrink down a little bit.

Maybe he really doesn't want me here.

Maybe he really is embarrassed by me.

Maybe he really didn't want to spend the day with me at all.

"What?" Yoongi asked.

"Where should I sit?"

"Oh." Yoongi was quiet for a moment before shrugging and pointing to the desk next to him. "This one is empty."

"Oh. All right. Thank you, hyung."

Yoongi flinched when Jimin called him hyung, and Jimin was left with the feeling like he'd done something wrong. They sat in silence for several minutes until a pair of boys entered the room.

"YOONGI!" the one with large ears said, grinning. The one next to him swatted his shoulder and rolled his eyes.

"Relax, Wonho. We see him basically every day."

"I can still be happy, Kihyun!"

"Just turn it down like 5 notches."

They settled into the two desks in front of Yoongi and Jimin, still arguing lightly, but Jimin could tell that they weren't really serious.

Immediately after sitting, Wonho turned around in his seat to grin at Yoongi. "Sooooo, did you miss me?"

"Hardly," Yoongi deadpanned, staring at Wonho blankly, who just laughed after pretending to be lowkey wounded.

"Told you he's sick of you," Kihyun shot back at Wonho before nodding toward Yoongi. "Yo."

Yoongi nodded back, and Wonho turned to look at Jimin.

"Hey, who's this cutie?" he asked, reaching out and pinching Jimin's cheek lightly. "Transfer student?"

"Don't just go touching people without their permission," Kihyun said sassily, and Wonho sighed but removed his hand.

Jimin was quiet, looking over at Yoongi.

Does he want me to pretend that I don't know him or something?

"This is, uh, my brother," Yoongi said after a moment, and Jimin's eyes widened slightly in pleasant surprise.

"Nice try," Wonho said, crossing his arms. "I know all of your brothers, and this isn't one of them."

"Uh, no, he really is," Yoongi said, unsure of how to say it, and Kihyun was silent for a few seconds before he snapped his head to look at Jimin.

"Woah. You're...Jimin?"

Wonho punched Kihyun in the arm, frowning. "That's sick, Kihyun. Stop being such an asshole."

Jimin just kept eye contact with Kihyun for a second before looking down and nodding.

Wonho's mouth fell open before he looked back to Yoongi. "Holy shit..." He looked back at Jimin, staring closely at Jimin's face. "Well, I've only met you once, but I mean...I can see it now...Holy shit," he repeated, shaking his head before grinning and sticking out a hand. "You probably don't remember me but I'm Wonho! I'm sure Yoongi's talked about me a lot."

Yoongi snorted and muttered under his breath, "All bad things, all bad things."

Kihyun snickered but Wonho ignored them as Jimin hesitantly raised his hand to Wonho's and shook it gently.

"Oh my gosh, your hands are so tiny!" Wonho exclaimed, and Jimin quickly took his hand back, hiding it under his desk, his cheeks red with shame. "Oh, no no no, I didn't mean it in a bad way, I just think it's adorable."

Jimin just sat in mortified silence as Yoongi glared at Wonho. "Knock it off, Wonho. Stop being so touchy. Just leave him alone."

"But I want to make more friends!" Wonho said. "It's my supreme goal in life to be popular!"

Yoongi and Kihyun rolled their eyes as Jimin smiled shyly.

"Ignore my idiot brother," Kihyun said, pushing Wonho lightly. "I'm Kihyun."

Jimin smiled hesitantly, but Wonho interrupted the moment. "We're friends now, right? You don't hate me, right? Please be friends with me!"

Jimin, taken aback found himself nodded just to soothe Wonho, who grinned and gave Jimin a friendly punch in the shoulder.

Then the teacher answered, and with every passing minute of hearing about math he didn't understand, Jimin felt himself growing more and more tired before his head slowly kissed the desk, his eyes fluttering shut.

Yoongi watched him and sighed in relief. He just didn't know what to do with Jimin.

***

Lunch time came, and Wonho was practically hanging off of Jimin's shoulder. Yoongi was all right with that, because at least if Wonho was being so close with Jimin, then he didn't have to.

But Yoongi drew the line when Wonho started feeding Jimin. "Okay, that's enough," he snapped, glaring at Wonho, who looked over in surprise.

"What? It's not like you were being very nice to him. I'm just trying to help out as Jimin's new best friend since you're doing a bad job."

Yoongi flipped Wonho off before looking at Jimin, folding his arms. "Come over here. You're sitting next to me."

Jimin hesitated before nodding slowly and getting up, moving his lunch across the table and sitting down uncertainly next to Yoongi, who nodded in satisfaction.

They ate in tense silence for fifteen minutes before Yoongi left to go to the bathroom, and then Wonho leaned forward, looking at Jimin. "Well?"

"Well what?" Jimin asked, tilting his head slightly.

"You've been awfully quiet. I was just wondering what you've been thinking about."

"Oh." Jimin hesitated, looking down and playing with his sleeves. "I...I don't think Yoongi-hyung likes me."

Wonho just gaped at Jimin, but since Jimin was staring down, he didn't notice.

"I think he's embarrassed of me or something. He doesn't talk to me, he doesn't wait for me, and he won't touch me at all. Not-" he hurried on, anxious. "-that I need for him to be overly affectionate. It's just that, Jin-hyung holds my hand and hugs me and Yoongi barely even looks at me. I think he doesn't like me."

Jimin looked up to see both Wonho and Kihyun staring at him in shock. "What?"

Wonho just laughed, and Kihyun shook his head. "Trust me," Kihyun said. "I've seen what happens when Yoongi doesn't like people, and this isn't it."

Jimin frowned uncertainly. "Are you sure?"

Wonho nodded intensely. "Yeah, he doesn't hate you. Kind of the opposite. Yoongi is just a tough cookie. But don't tell him any of this, okay?"

Jimin nodded, and Yoongi got back to the table, looking down at Jimin's lunch. "You've barely eaten. Eat more."

Wonho gave Jimin a small smile of encouragement, and Jimin nodded at Yoongi before he started eating again, taking small bites as Yoongi watched him to make sure he ate.

***

The rest of the school day passed quickly. Jimin fell asleep again in the afternoon classes, and Wonho and Kihyun said goodbye to Yoongi and Jimin before leaving with their dad.

Then Yoongi took Jimin to meet up with Jin. He didn't hold Jimin's hand, but he held on to the corner of Jimin's shirt and pulled him along.

Jin found them and grinned, waving as he threaded his way through the crowd to meet them. "How was school?" he asked, looking at Jimin, who shrugged.

"I feel asleep," Jimin admitted, flushing slightly, "but I made friends with Kihyun and Wonho."

"Did Yoongi take good care of you?" Jin asked, and Yoongi smacked him on the arm, but Jimin just smiled.

"Uh huh," he said, smiling at Yoongi, who stared back, confused.

Yoongi knew he hadn't done a very good job. He'd basically pawned Jimin off on his friends. So why was Jimin lying for him?

Jin smiled but suddenly realized that he'd left his book in his classroom. "I'll be right back! Wait here!" he yelled before dashing off.

The hallways slowly emptied, and then Jimin was alone with Yoongi.

"Why did you lie?" Yoongi asked after a long moment.

Jimin blinked. "Lie? When did I lie?"

"About me taking care of you. I didn't do anything."

Jimin just shrugged. "I thought that you didn't like me anymore," he began, and Yoongi's eyes widened. He wanted to correct Jimin, but the younger was already going on. "But Wonho and Kihyun said that it's just how you are." Jimin smiled uncertainly at Yoongi. "And I think that if you didn't like me, you would have been mean to me or left me alone at home, but you didn't."

Yoongi exhaled slowly. "I don't...not like you, Jimin. I'm sorry for making you think that. I just..." Yoongi dragged a hand through his hair angrily. He was frustrated that he could never find the words to express himself without feeling stupid. "I'm just not good at this sort of thing. Being nice and whatever."

"I know," Jimin said, still smiling. "That's okay with me, hyung. You don't have to be nice to me. I don't mind."

Yoongi sighed. "That's not what- Look, Jimin," he said, daring to glance over at his dongsaeng to find Jimin looking at the ground and kicking his feet with a slightly disappointed look on his face. It was then that Yoongi realized that he wasn't going to find the words to convey his feelings, not now, maybe not ever.

Words weren't enough.

He inhaled deeply before reaching out and grabbing Jimin's hand.

Jimin flinched, looking up suddenly in shock, and Yoongi tightened his lips, looking away.

"My hand was cold," he muttered. "And your hand looked lonely."

Jimin's face lit up in a smile, but he tried to hide his happiness for Yoongi's sake because he obviously wasn't comfortable with big displays of emotion. "Thanks for noticing, hyung."

"No problem." Yoongi forced himself to breathe in and out steadily.

He saw Jin turning the corner, and he quickly slipped his hand out of Jimin's. "It got too hot," he defended lamely, and Jimin just nodded, happy for the small period of physical comfort.

Jin smiled as he approached before patting his backpack pocket, his eyes widening in shock. "Aish! I'm so sorry! I forgot my water bottle!" He ran off again, and Yoongi almost swore after him as the awkward, uncomfortable silence between himself and Jimin grew.

While trying to find other things to think about, Yoongi thought back to when Lisa had questioned him, back when Jimin had first gone missing.

How he would do something to make Jimin sad before giving Jimin a hug, and after the hug, Jimin would have completely forgotten about the rest.

Maybe that was something that hadn't changed.

Yoongi took a deep breath before mechanically opening his arms and stepping closer to Jimin.

"Hyung? What are you-"

Yoongi closed his arms and squeezed, taking in the weight of Jimin, the size of Jimin, how Jimin felt in his arms. All new but somehow familiar. After a long moment, he let go, looking away so he couldn't see Jimin's expression.

"Don't think about it too hard," Yoongi said, his voice rough, and Jimin just bit his lip to keep from smiling.

Jin, who had gotten back early and had hid around the corner, had seen the hug and waited until they were separated before he ran up. "All right, I found it! Daddy's probably waiting outside."

"You're the only one who still calls him that," Yoongi muttered, rolling his eyes. "Just Dad. Be normal for once."

"I'm your hyung! I can do what I want!" Jin defended before easily taking Jimin's hand in his own.

Jimin grinned. It made more sense to him now. Just because Jin liked skinship didn't mean Yoongi would. He would just have to get used to it again.

Really, he was just glad that Yoongi didn't hate him. The idea hurt his heart.

He felt stupid now for ever thinking it, however. He'd figured out a lot about Yoongi today, how he put up a wall around himself, a shell to hide in, but Yoongi was still in the middle, soft and vulnerable.

Jimin smiled, and as he got into the car, he felt Yoongi's hand on his back, helping him in, and he felt warm.

our little yoongi :)