Wʜᴇʀᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴋ ᴊɪᴍɪɴ ʀᴇᴀssᴜʀᴇs ᴊᴇᴏɴ ᴊᴜɴɢᴋᴏᴏᴋ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴇ's ɢᴏᴛ ʜɪs ʙᴀᴄᴋ

A/N: Song recommendation - At my worst.

"Y'know, ten years ago, you used to be so confident. What happened to you?" Jimin asked Jungkook over the phone. This boy used to be his infatuation, his biggest ever crush, but Jimin never admitted it for two reasons. To start with, he was in the states at the time, hustling to become a notable singer. Further, Jungkook seemed to be someone who wouldn't do long-distance relationships and waste his teen years like that as he used to get hit on by many people five times a day.

Jungkook felt a comforting warmth spread throughout the air as he turned off the lights and laid on his bed after calling it a day. Cool air landed on his skin through his light muslin summer shirt. Coincidentally meeting Jimin today in the parking lot of the mall brought many memories of the times when they used to be crazy and young. "I think I am still confident, but life happened. I can't be that bubbly self as I am an adult now." He replied without a smile.

"Do you remember your love language?" Jimin asked, he could tell the boy was tired and wanted to get it over with.

"What's that?" Jungkook's interest peaked.

"Did you forget we took personality tests online and I had made you take your love language test?" Jimin asked, but didn't hear anything from Jungkook. "The one that told you how you are to be loved."

"Oh yes, I remember. We did take the test together, huh." Jungkook's lips found a small, pretty smile. If Jimin was there, he would have complimented Jungkook to make that smile stay. It dispersed all too soon.

"Act of love, an act of service, words of affirmation, physical touch, and gifts."

"You remember the whole thing?" Jungkook sat upon his bed. "How are you so good, Jimin?" The boy had been losing his shine lately. He couldn't help a thin layer of moistness in his eyes just by the fact that Jimin remembered the results of some random test they took online years ago that he totally forgot about.

"Of course, I do. What kind of a friend would I be if I didn't? I asked to take you that test so I know how to love you, buddy? You seem too depressed to me now. What do you say we meet tomorrow? I can take a day off and you work from home anyway, so it shouldn't be a problem. What say?" Jimin asked and hoped Jungkook say yes, but he again didn't hear anything except the sound of soft sniffling. "See, I gave you words of affirmation, and asking you out is my act of service. I can give you a hug so physical touch is also done. What remains?"

"Love and a gift," Jungkook stated slowly.

"Yeah, I will bring a gift filled with my love." Jimin tried to chuckle so the younger would follow but Jungkook didn't.

"How are you so kind, Jimin? I haven't even remembered your birthday all these years and you made a point to wish me on my every birthday. How... Just how do you do it?"

"Because I am older than you. I love you and care about you more than you have ever thought."

"I feel awful about it."

"Stop feeling anything else but good. You deserve to feel good. No one remembers anyone's birthday these days. It comes up in the calendar or in other apps. So no one really tries to remember it like the multiplication table or a periodic table. What I am saying is, it's okay. You are just fine, Popo."

Jungkook broke down on hearing the nickname the older used to call him by.

"Shh... don't cry, Jungkook. Why are you crying?" Jimin felt uneasiness take over him and he couldn't lay straight after that.

"But you said you didn't put my birthday in your calendar. You made me feel terrible." Jungkook complained while crying and it was the cutest sound to Jimin's ears, yet his heart ached for the pain the younger was going through.

"Forget tomorrow, I am coming to you right now. Send me your address." The man walked towards the wardrobe to pick a jacket and found his wallet and keys from the cabinet.

"I am fine, Jimin... Don't worry." Jungkook wiped his face.

"Too late, I am already in the elevator."

"Really? Are we doing this?"

"Why not?"

"Okay," Jungkook sighed sharply, putting the phone on the speaker as he typed his address and hit the send button.

Jimin tapped his feet on the floor, storm rising in his stomach, head, and the biggest in his heart. Taking a minute to read whilst Jungkook remained on the line, Jimin brought his phone back to his ear. "It's not far, I will be there quickly. You can stay on the line, I will connect Bluetooth." Jimin convinced the boy who nodded but got on his feet.

Running around, he fixed his messy room quickly in case Jimin decided to come in while he continued to half-heartedly talk to Jimin.

"What did you eat for dinner?"

"Eggplants," Jungkook replied as he ran to put his shoes over the rack. Taking liberty, he also brought the paper sheets from the floor to his writer's table.

"Where did you order from?" Jimin chuckled, already driving.

"I learned to cook in 2019 Covid lockdown," Jungkook replied defensively.

"I would love to taste eggplants cooked by you," Jimin grinned, a proud smile creeping up to his lips and his eyes shone just as brightly as they did every time he was up on the stage, taking people's cheers in, feeling that he was recognized, loved, and respected. He just loved Jungkook that much, more than love, he knew it was care.

"Come on down, I am pulling over."

"Already?" Jungkook ran to the balcony to see the car outside his building.

"There was no traffic."

Jungkook changed his shirt and put on his sneakers. Checking his face, he tucked his tousled hair behind his ears and combed them through his fingers. He panicked so much that he left everything behind, including his wallet and defiantly his sheet of writing that he wanted to show Jimin.

With the biggest smile, Jimin stood outside his car with a bouquet of Azaleas. Jungkook, who was running his way out in cold, slowed down as he looked at the beautiful face. "There was no need for them."

"Don't tell me that you didn't need this too," Jimin stepped closer to Jungkook and engulfed him in a big hug. Jungkook didn't resist and he didn't pull back from the warmth either. "I am something different, Popo. You can't compare yourself to me. You are superb on your place, and I, mine. I can't do things you do, and you can be me but I can't be you, because you have me and I can't have myself. So you didn't have to remember my birthday. Makes sense?"

Jungkook broke out a grin, feeling secure inside the safe hold, like armor protecting him as he slowly pulled away. "I am going to write a book about what you just said."

"Really?" Jimin smirked and wriggled his brows cockily. "I totally deserve a stand-alone movie, I mean."

"Well, what would you say if I tell you that I have written a story and the character is close to you?" Jungkook questioned and walked when Jimin opened the car door for him.

"I would say show me," Jimin replied when he got in too and closed the door.

"Ah, no. It's a rough draft and it's all over the place and it's just... I can't right now." Jungkook's face flushed into embarrassment.

"Kkyu, your insecurity is like a condom for you." Jimin didn't start the car yet and the security guard of the building just watched the two squabble.

"W-why condom?" Jungkook's eyes fluttered with his little stutter.

"It is preventing something... The craziness, beautiful crazy thing to grow out of you." With the remark, Jimin burned the ignition and sped away like a fleeting moment trying to hold the air.

"Men don't get pregnant."

"But aren't you the writer? I see many people writing about that male pregnancy thing." Jimin kept stealing glances at Jungkook and also focusing on the road into the darkness lightened up by the lamposts.

"You mean the ABO universe," Jungkook was surprised Jimin knew that. "Yeah, but I don't write that genre. I know it's famous and all and people love reading cringy shit. It's just not me. I feel I would be bending my morals." The disappointment was clear as the day in Jungkook's voice.

"Sometimes you need a kickstart, Jungkook. Maybe one cringy story will increase your reachability, there is no harm in trying new things." The older wanted Jungkook to talk and open up.

"Whatever," Jungkook looked outside, pretending to not care. But hell, did he care? He teared up every time he found shitty writers growing because they wrote about things that he didn't really like, or when he found out that the bookseller of the month went to a girl who derived her inspiration from an established work and just adapted. He hated every bit of it, but he couldn't quit writing as it was the only thing he knew how to do well. It healed him, made him empowered to put his feelings into words and share them with the world.

"Popo, when do you think we started talking?" Though Jimin wanted Jungkook to talk, his second reason to take him on a drive was to give him a break from it all, to let him breathe and enjoy the night.

"Maybe 2012?" Jungkook guessed.

"And you still don't feel like to open up to me after all we have been through. You should know better and just talk. I won't ever judge you." Disappointment crept.

"I have nothing to say, I just don't feel like talking at all, not just with you." Jungkook politely refused the kind offer, but Jimin was Jimin, and he had trucks full of kindness in him that it would never run out of stock.

He pulled the car in front of an ice cream store and brought Jungkook's favorite to him before driving a little ahead only to stop on an empty road. "You remembered." Jungkook smiled sadly, looking at the mint chocolate serve.

"No, no, no, take that pout somewhere else. I came here to see your teeth." Jimin enunciated and got out, never having shown his affection in a romantic manner, but in a cute way. He still was doing the same thing.

"Only teeth?" Jungkook followed the older out as he grinned and they stood by the bonnet.

"Yeah, I mean it's not like I will get to taste your eggplant."

Jungkook took out his phone and showed the picture of food he cooked to him. Jimin remembered that when Jungkook started writing at fifteen, he would show his drafts to him and ask him his advice. Jimin always promoted the boy and told him how beautiful his writing was. "Perfect, I am proud of you. See, you have grown so much now." Jimin emphasized.

"I am kinda proud of me for this too. One might think that it's not that big a deal, but it is for me."

Jimin wiped the ice cream from Jungkook's corner of lips, dolling him. "And I love you for admitting that you did something awesome even though a lot of people think it ain't that big a deal, specially for so-called open-minded but conservative society." Jimin was sincere with his words that Jungkook looked down, his brows furrowed before he took in a quick and sharp inhale of air.

"You know, Jimin... I am someone who needs a lot of love and I need validation on small things. When I cook something or edit a video, be it a very simple one, and if I show it to someone and they hype me for what I did and who I am is what I love," Jungkook said by keeping eye contact with Jimin. "But you already know that." He suddenly realized that Jimin knew him like a mirror. Albeit things changed now, deep down, Jungkook was still the same boy.

"Why are you here, Jimin? These flowers," he pointed at the Azaleas with a jut of his chin inside the car and then looked down at the ice cream. "This ice cream, and this drive. For what?"

"As I said, I love you more than you can ever imagine," Jimin shrugged.

Jungkook hugged the man so suddenly that Jimin had to put his hands away to not drop the ice cream on him. "Thank you," Jungkook mumbled and Jimin smiled, feeling relieved that he could share some of the younger's worries. "Let's go back to my place. I want to show you what I have read."

**

As they arrived at Jungkook's place, Jimin looked nervous. Jungkook was too, but he hid it well. When Jungkook began unlocking the door to his flat, Jimin felt proud again, looking at the little boy living on his own, living his dream, sure Jungkook wasn't little and things were a bit tough now, it wasn't the end of the world and for Jimin, Jungkook would always be little.

They sat on the bedroom floor carpet, reminiscing, smiling, talking, and just being themselves. When three hours passed, they couldn't discern. Jimin peered at the clock and stood up. "I should go now," he told the younger. "But I am in Seoul now, so don't think before calling me, be it any time. I will be there for you whenever you need me."

Jungkook's face contorted into sadness, he really didn't want to be alone right now. "Can you please stay with me tonight?" He asked.

"Umm... Yeah, why not?" Jimin chuckled, looking back at the bed and knowing that Jungkook only had one in the house.

"Don't worry, I don't kick in sleep anymore." Jungkook realized what Jimin might be thinking.

"It's not that, Nevermind... I want to take you to this killer brunch buffet place, but if we don't sleep now. I am afraid we won't be able to wake up on time."

Jungkook was still looking up at Jimin from the ground, he slowly nodded and stood up. Giving Jimin a pair of clothes to change, they got ready for bed.

Jimin was laying when Jungkook returned after his night skin routine. The older spread his arms for the younger cutely and Jungkook climbed on top of Jimin.

The older didn't think it would happen, but neither he nor Jungkook could breathe anymore. "Jungkook," Jimin called softly when he realized his boner coming to life, and he didn't want Jungkook to feel unsafe with him. "Come down, Kkyu..."

Jimin felt Jungkook shake his head in the crook of his neck.

"Please?"

"No," Jungkook was adamant and he used his voice this time.

"Understand, Jungkook-" The older was trying to squirm his way out when Jungkook suddenly kissed his lips. Jimin's eyes widened and he couldn't decide whether to move his lips and return the kiss or push the boy down.

Yearnings and long smothered feelings kicked in and he wrapped his hands around the younger before he kissed back. The calm and soft kiss deepened when Jungkook dominated it and Jimin let him have his way. When they pulled away, Jungkook wasn't regretful, embarrassed, or awkward.

"I didn't think this would happen." Jimin breathed out as he looked at the boy daringly peering at him.

"Do you still have a tattoo of my name on your skin?" Jungkook asked instead.

"Of course, I didn't get it to remove it later," Jimin replied, pulling up his pajamas to show his calf that had a crossword puzzle black ink letters and line tattoo with all of Jimin's close friends' names in it.

It took him a year to get that tattoo completed and when he was starting it, he first put Jungkook's name and that too in the middle. Jungkook traced the skin with his fingers and noticed the goosebumps he had caused to explode on Jimin's skin. "Are we going to talk about what just happened or are we pretending like it was nothing?" Jimin pulled his leg away and sat up on the bed.

"We are...When you take me out on the breakfast date tomorrow." Jungkook pecked Jimin's cheek and turned away to hastily lie down.

Jimin touched his cheeks and lied beside Jungkook, unsure if he could sleep at all after this. He didn't know what was going on in Jungkook's mind. Did he kiss him because he felt alone? Or was it just the heat of the moment. Hesitantly, he put his arm over Jungkook's waist. "Can I spoon you, Popo?"

"Mm..." Jungkook nodded and pushed his body back into the older, immediately realizing something hard touching his buttcheeks. "Or we can just stay awake the whole night." Jungkook turned around and offered with his blushing cheeks.

"Jungkook, I don't think you know what you are doing..." Jimin sat up, stammering a little.

"No, Jimin, I don't think I have ever written a character based on anyone who isn't you. So please don't think for a second that I don't know what I am doing," Jungkook's words had a bit of anger to them.

"I- I don't understand."

"For how long are you going to stay quiet? I know what you feel for me, and I was stupid to not have reciprocated it when I should have. I was greedy and needy. I needed people to stay around me and I knew you couldn't be with me all those years ago. I have been living in an and off dilemma that I have feelings for you but now I know for sure that I have," Jungkook's eyes brimmed, and so did Jimin's. "So will you please just stop thinking whatever is stopping you and kiss me?"

❤️

Fluff, Flirting (Kinda, maybe).

This one is very close to my heart as Jungkook's character here reflects me in many ways.

4 Jan 2022

Age gap - 1 and a half years (JK 27, JM 28.5)

IDK, this comment on ao3 on this one shot gave me hope of some sort.