For You, I Could Pretend To Be...

In Love (But It's True)

Jungkook was happier, Jin noticed. Yoongi was returning to his old self and he hadn't given up the makeup. Jin was glad, it was obvious he enjoyed it.

Jimin on the other hand....

Jin had spent a lot of his nights talking to Namjoon about Jimin.

Neither of them knew how to approach him, so Jin thought that it was lucky that Jimin approached him first.

It was late at night and Jin was cleaning the dishes. Most of the other members had retired to their rooms, or gone to the studio to do some work. Jin wasn't sure who was still in their apartment, but he figured it didn't really matter because he was almost done with the dishes anyway.

"Jin hyung." Jimin was standing in the center of the living room.

Jin nearly jumped out of his skin. "Aish! You scared me, Jimin-ah."

"Sorry. I'm sorry." Jimin mumbled.

Sensing that this would be a long conversation, Jin set the plate he was washing down and sat on the sofa.

"Come sit. Tell your hyung what's wrong." Jin smiled.

"I'm sorry." Jimin repeated. Jin gently took his hand and pulled him onto the sofa.

"Hm? What brought this on?"

"Jungkook is happy now... and I'm just... I can't move forward. You're all... so far ahead and I feel like I can't catch up." Jimin paused and Jin waited for him to continue. "Was I wrong?"

"Wrong about what?"

"Before all of this. I... was what we were doing wrong? We wore makeup, danced... hugged each other... were we wrong?"

"Why do you think we were?" Jin asked.

"B-because we're adults! We shouldn't... we don't need to...."

"At the time, did you think it was wrong?"

"No... yes... I don't know." Jimin wiped his eyes angrily. "Shit. I don't want to cry."

"Why not? Crying is important, you know."

"Because I can't. It's not right... I shouldn't need to... I don't know."

"Aish. Jiminie, come here." Jin pulled Jimin into a hug. "Cry if you want. I'm not looking."

Jimin snaked his hands around Jin's waist and cried. He didn't make a sound when he cried, it wasn't like before when Jimin crying would eventually lead to heaving sobs.

Namjoon froze in the doorway. "I'll just... yeah...."

"Come here, Joonie." Jin reached his hand out to him.

"Hyung, no-"

"Kim Namjoon, get over here." Jin huffed. Namjoon clicked his tongue and complied.

"I'm sorry, hyungs." Jimin's voice was muffled but they both heard it.

"It's alright. You should talk to Jungkook though." Namjoon reminded him.

Jimin nodded.

Jin pet Jimin's hair and sighed. Crisis averted. For now.

"Hyungs?"

"Taehyung-ah!" Jin grinned. "Come here!"

Taehyung's eyes lit up and he shuffled over. He joined them on the couch and rubbed Jimin's back.

"I'm sorry, Taetae." Jimin apologized, sitting up properly.

"It's okay! After all, we're soulmates!" Taehyung beamed.

"Yeah." Jimin wiped his eyes and gave Taehyung a teary smile.

~~~

By the end of the next day, Jimin had apologized to everyone but Jungkook.

He made plans to apologize that night.

Jimin took a few deep breaths to steady himself and knocked on Jungkook's door.

"Hm?" Jungkook opened the door with a smile which soon became strained when he saw Jimin. Jimin wet his lips and offered Jungkook his best smile.

"I uh... brought banana milk?" He offered.

"What do you need, hyung?"

"To talk to you." Jimin crossed his fingers in hope that Jungkook would let him in.

"I'm busy."

"This won't take long, I promise!"

Jungkook frowned. "You promised a lot of things."

"I know I did." Jimin nodded a little nervously, "And I'm here to uh... remedy that."

Jungkook raised an eyebrow but let him in.

Jimin took another deep breath and stepped into the room. The bed was made and the floor was sparkling. Jungkook must've cleaned recently.

"Uh... okay." Jimin inhaled. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry for what I said. I was wrong to say that we were wrong, and I can't believe I would ever say something that would make you believe that who you are, what we were was wrong. But I did and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Jungkook-ah."

"Hyung."

"Let me finish, please." Jimin almost begged. Jungkook didn't say anything more. "I was an idiot. I was a big fool, Kook. I was insecure and confused so I took it out on you and that's on me. You have such a big heart and I want you to be happy. I really do. I never want to say anything like what I said again. I'm sorry you had to hear that and I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you about it sooner. I know who I am now, and I'm not going to let anyone take that away from me. Just like I shouldn't have thought that I could do that to you."

"Jiminie... tell me... who are you?" Jungkook asked. His eyes had lost the shadows that had been there.

"I'm Park Jimin. Makeup makes me comfortable and I like to wear frilly outfits. Singing and dancing are my passion, and I wouldn't give them up for anything. I'm pretty, not handsome, and I'll say this as much as I need to: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm-"

Jimin was cut off by Jungkook engulfing him in a hug. "I missed you."

"Yeah. I missed you too." Jimin smiled.