052221. jimin & jungkook.

[lovestrippedbare]

SPRING.
May 22 2021.

WHO jimin & jungkook
WHAT checking in

WHERE the beach
TIMELINE cycle 6

JIMIN It’s a weird day. So much of it is familiar, the scent of the ocean carrying Jimin away to so many good memories of days just like this one, memories of laughing and running through the waves with Taehyung, of picking up shells with Jungkook and following crabs with Namjoon.

There’s no escaping how much has changed since then and now though, no matter how familiar it may all feel.

Somehow, it’s worse once the sun sets and they’re all huddled around the bonfire. Jimin forces a smile as he settles in close to Hoseok, forces himself to pretend he understands whatever everyone else is talking about when they mention their classes and their families. There’s so much Jimin’s missed in the past year and a half, so much he never thought he’d be a part of ever again. His gaze skitters over his hyungs, catching on the glimmers of familiar expressions and flickering away at the new shadows made from sharper cheekbones and slimmer jaw lines.

In one moment, Jimin feels as though he’s surrounded by his six closest friends again, the ones he never thought he’d see again.

In the next, he’s surrounded by strangers.

Pulling in a sharp breath, Jimin quickly pushes himself up to his feet, the cool ocean air nipping at the side no longer shielded by Hoseok. “Bathroom,” he murmurs quietly with a ducked head as he quickly steps away from the fire and into the darkness.



JUNGKOOK Jungkook wouldn't say that he's been hovering, exactly, but there's no other word that quite fits what he's been doing over the course of the night. There was a part of him that wondered, from the start, if it was too soon for them to take a trip together like this - too soon after Jimin finally escaped the hospital, too soon with Yoongi's burns still healing. But he understands why all of them work hard to make it possible, anyway. The bonds that hold them together feel so tenuous today, even though there are smiles, even though so many of them fall back into that soft familiarity of touch, with arms draped over shoulders and knees bumping against knees. Underneath it all, Jungkook can feel how strained some of the connections are, worn over time. The differences are, no doubt, jarring for all of them.

But for Jimin most of all, Jungkook can only imagine how challenging the evening must feel. It's dark out here in a way that the hospital never quite is, and the conversations overlap one another, weaving to and fro until even Jungkook has difficulty keeping up. So Jungkook keeps an eye on Jimin, though he does so mostly at a distance, knowing that he's probably not the only one focused on Jimin's recovery.

They don't discuss it much - the possibility of Jimin going back to the hospital. But Jimin himself has put the thought out there, a seed planted that too easily took root.

When he gets up and leaves, Jungkook waits a minute before he gets up from his own seat and follows, slowly approaching the bathroom with his hands stuffed deep in his pockets. There's a chance that Jimin will want the space even from Jungkook, once he emerges. But it feels important to at least let Jimin know that he hasn't been forgotten.



JIMIN There’s a little porta-potty along the break in terrain, several meters from where they’ve been gathered, nestled right where the sand makes way for weeds and grass. It smells terrible and there’s no toilet paper, but Jimin thankfully doesn’t need any and he does his business quickly before stepping out into the fresh air.

He’s not expecting to find Jungkook waiting for him.

His breath catches at the sight of Jungkook’s broad shoulders and he clutches a hand to his chest before scowling faintly.

“Are you following me?” he asks. There’s no venom in his voice at all, no barbs. He doesn’t have the energy for that tonight anyway. But he feels defensive all the same, unsure if Jungkook’s followed because he’s worried that Jimin can’t look out for himself or because he’s noticed how weird and awkward Jimin’s been all night.

Or, a tiny voice in the back of his head tells him, maybe Jungkook just needs to use the bathroom too. Somehow he doubts it.



JUNGKOOK With the way Jimin's eyes narrow, Jungkook suspects that he doesn't appreciate being trailed. Maybe that shouldn't come as a surprise. Lately, Jungkook finds himself checking up on every single one of his hyungs more often, trying to make sure that all's well, that no one is at risk of leaving - at least, not without prior notice. He's not very subtle about it, and almost everyone puts up resistance.

But Jungkook isn't sure how to let go.

He also knows that he's not the best of liars, so he doesn't try to hide; instead, Jungkook's shoulders raise slightly around his ears, hands still stuffed deep in his pockets. He pulls in a deep breath, then nods. "Yeah," he admits, chewing at his bottom lip. "Just... in case." In case you needed help. In case you wanted someone to talk to. In case all of us are too much, but you don't want to be alone.

The thoughts continually swirl through Jungkook's mind, too many to put into words.



JIMIN Weirdly, he’s not expecting Jungkook to actually admit to it and the response leaves him at a loss, blinking stupidly as he tries to figure out how to respond to that, tries to decide whether to be irritated or defensive or… something else entirely.

There’s a weird silence between them, a stilted pause that seems to fit in with the rest of the night’s awkwardness before Jimin roughly clears his throat.

“I wasn’t really planning to go back right away,” he says, rubbing a hand across his cheek. It comes out like an apology, or like a door left open for Jungkook, an escape opening. “Just. You know.”


CODE BY TESSISAMESS