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-', (chapter twenty three) ꒱ ↷🦋🥛
THE SAD HOURS WERE REAL BETWEEN EDEN AND JIMIN, neither of them being able to find any luck in their love lives. Both of their relationships that had never been came to a premature close, leaving them both lonely and a little heartbroken.
Jimin had called Eden after waking up. He had cried himself to sleep, eyes red and raw from sobbing. His mouth felt dry. But he went ahead and called her and told her everything, the obvious flirting, the kissing, Yoongi saying that it was a mistake. Then he cried some more.
The next day, after class, they went to Jimin's job as customers to sit over a cup of coffee and hot chocolate for Jimin. Hot Chocolate was his comfort drink. Even in hot Santa Barbara, he drank it like a chilling cup of iced tea. In the winter, when it would get a little colder, but only enough for a slightly thicker jacket, he pretended like it was snowing outside and curled up with a fuzzy blanket and drank hot chocolate while watching Christmas movies.
But now he used it to ease his aching chest, the painful sting in his heart.
He wore ripped jeans, a black hoodie, and a jacket over that. An outfit certainly not built for 67° weather. The only article of clothing that seemed to fit was the sunglasses he had on to cover his eyes. He put a warm rag over them to ease the swelling, but he'd have to do it again later.
"How are you feeling?" Eden asked, watching the boy wearing too many clothes for this sunny weather, hunched over a steaming cup of hot chocolate that wasn't making the heat any better.
Jimin's lips, dry and lack of that normal lively pink color, pinched softly. "Like burning down a building and screaming at everyone." He grumbles lowly, almost inaudibly over the clamor of customers in the cafe.
He wanted to go to Yoongi and yell at him some more. And then kiss him. And then slap him. And maybe kiss him again. Emotions were a complicated thing. Jimin had spent so much time crushing over a straight man only for his heart to get broken.
"The worst part is that I just really want to make up and apologize." For something that wasn't his fault. How could that moment have been taken any other way? He flirted with Jimin brazenly and when he kissed Yoongi, the man held no objections. He didn't push Jimin away. He didn't lean back.
Sure, Jimin has always been a bit presumptuous and maybe he should've asked him first before kissing him. But Yoongi pulled him back in. He wanted more. He wanted Jimin.
And all of that meant nothing.
Eden looked rather empathetic towards her friend. Of course, she could relate. The complications of emotions were complex and chaotic and it abides by no rules. You could get your heart completely obliterated and you still swept up the dust left behind to give it back to them. All against the will of your mind.
Logic held no torch to the scorching bonfire of love.
Eden reached over and out her hands over his. Her eyes were warm and sympathetic behind the clear, shiny lens of her glasses. "It's normal to still have feelings, Chim. It only happened yesterday after all. He's just an asshole."
Jimin can't change Yoongi's sexuality. He can't demand that he be gay, to be who he wants him to be. That would make Jimin a hypocrite. But for Yoongi to flirt with him, allow Jimin to kiss him and kiss back. Only to drop him and say that he wasn't into it.
It was almost cruel.
"Are you still on no speaking terms with Tae?" Jimin asked her, watching the way she sips on her coffee with care as opposed to him who drinks his hot chocolate like he'll find happiness at the bottom of the cup.
Eden shook her head. "Not really. But I guess I should try to reconcile. It's not like he meant to hurt me. I just don't know if I'm ready for that." She honestly never got near enough to Taehyung to talk to him. Whenever he grew near at the skatepark, Jungkook looked like he was about to throw his skateboard at his head.
He was protective, like a Doberman on watch, staring down people who come too near, though she would describe him more like a Pomeranian yapping at people and biting ankles.
But he just wanted her to be okay. He wanted her to smile and not think about the hurt. Eden didn't know how to tell him that she wasn't all that hurt. That she couldn't be when the butterflies clouded her thoughts when he hugged her or kissed her head.
She just kept it to herself.
It seems as though both of their luck has been down lately.
But Eden had hope. She had a guy who was undoubtedly in love with her, following her around like a lovesick puppy. They were just afraid to take that leap forward. Mostly because they're oblivious to each other's emotions.
Instead, they both elected to ignore the feelings, though it would be so so easy for them to just out with it and find out that they felt the same. So close but so far away. It was frustrating.
Jimin just wanted to tell her to go for it, that they could be happy, but he couldn't. He didn't know the complexities of their relationship like Eden did, the inner workings of how they interacted.
It wasn't his business anyway. He'd leave the lovers to themselves and eventually they'd figure it out. He had his own love life to worry about.
The next day in class. Jimin and Yoongi sit on opposite sides of the room with their backs turned to each other. They don't try to look and Jimin had no desire to talk to him anytime soon. All that time he had spent in blissful daydreams was wasted and he refused to spend any more of his precious time.
But he can feel Yoongi's eyes on him, burning holes into his back from across the room. Jimin refused to meet his gaze, not even once. His heart pumped hard in his chest and his fingers tighten around his pencil. He feels like crying again, just being in the same room as him.
Fuck him and his soft lips. Fuck him for pulling Jimin close. For leaving handprints on his skin in clay. Fuck him for leaving Jimin to think about their kiss on repeat over and over and wanting more.
At the end of class, Jimin grabbed his bag and made for the door to get to work, though along the way he'd have to cross paths with Yoongi.
He hoped the man would try to talk to him again, just so Jimin could tell him off again. Just so he could throw it back in his face and solidify in his mind that he was done and this was over. To convince himself.
But much to his disappointment, Yoongi didn't say anything. He kept his head straight and his lips sealed tight as they walk out of the door. Jimin only looks at his feet, his plain shoes as he put no effort into his outfit today. He wasn't in the mood to get excited about shorts and shirts and cute socks. Just a grey sweater and blue jeans and plain white Reebok's.
They were reduced to strangers. Their days meant nothing. Their texts meant nothing. Their flirting and their kiss meant absolutely nothing.
The two turn down different halls. Jimin goes right and Yoongi goes left and not once do they look back at each other.
Strangers are how they will stay.
*.✧ Kᴀʏs Eɴᴅɪɴɢ Nᴏᴛᴇs
Another shorter chapter but once again, the next on will be longer. This will probably be the last full chapter that focuses on strictly Jimin and Yoongi's relationship, but don't worry, it will still be mentioned and they're still a part of the story.
Thank you all for reading. I hope you guys enjoyed and I wish you all a wonderful day/night.
