And The Games Begin

Chapter 22

" You're that confident?" he echos, voice wobbling, and if Jungkook notices she doesn't mention it.

He whines. " Stop teasing me."

" But it's so easy."

Jungkook let go of Jimin's hand and touches his cheek instead. "'yeah. Really easy." He doesn't say anything else before he starts to lean in, Jimin meeting him in the middle.

It's really slow and gentle, this kiss, not like any of the other ones they've shared thus far, and Jimin melts into it. Jungkook's hands are in his hair, on the back of his neck, dragging up and down his arms, and just like that, Jimin believes him when he says he's his to take care of.

He pushes into it more, climbing up into his knees, straddling Jungkook's lap, and Jungkook exhales harshly, pulling Jimin into him, mouth opening more to taste one another. He's impatient, wanting something he can't have, and that, in turn, causes him to be a little bit more bitey, a little too harsh with his movements, but it only seems to encourage Jungkook. His own movements becoming frantic, hands moving up underneath Jimin's shirt, digging into his skin, and Jimin has to actively hold back a moan when he accidentally grinds down just right, Jungkook's hips bucking up into it, murmuring Baby against his lips.

They both pull back at exactly the same time when they hear someone coming up the stairs, and Jimin scrambles of Jungkook's lap, his heart racing. This has to be the cruelest situation he's ever been in, and by the time Jay's head had popped up from around the corner, Jimin had already thought of four ways to kill him. Painfully and slowly.

" Hi, Jay." Jungkook says, voice strangled. " Min, I'll see you downstairs?"

" Yep, I'll be down there." Thinking about cutting of Jay's limbs one by one with rusty scissors. Wouldn't want it to be quick and easy.

" Okay, I'll see you in a bit."

Or maybe I can throw him into a stampede of wild animals. I'll Mufasa him. " Yup. See you then."

Matt gets the group date rose, Jungkook explaining that he was such a good sport when he had clearly never tried it before, either, and as Jungkook pins the rose to his jumper, Jimin slouched back into the chair, closing his eyes.

Forget Jay. He's gonna Mufasa himself.

The rest of week four positively blows. There's another one-to-one date, this time with Derek, and through a game of telephone, Jimin finds out they've spent the day at a vineyard before having dinner overlooking the mountain.

He lifts weights with Cam and Bryce to occupy his mind, imagining his muscles are now so big after one season that he can crush Tae with a single punch for putting him in this situation.

Two days later, the group date card is dropped off, and Jimin presses his palms into his eyes when his name isn't called, even though he hadn't expected to be, seeing as he just went on one a few days prior. It's just.

It's shit, is what it is.

It's ridiculous, really, that he feels this impacted by all of it. Coming into this experience, he knew a lot of it would be awkward, a lot of it would be staged, a lot of it would be boring and stupid not him. It doesn't make it any easier though, because truly, he wasn't prepared. He has to bribe Lydia to let him call Tae, saying it's a medical emergency.

She can tell it's a lie, based on the way she rolls his eyes, but the urgency in his voice must set something off inside of her, because she hands him the private phone, anyway.

Tae answers on the third ring.

" Hello?"

" I don't understand what's happening to me."

" Min! Haven't heard your voice in four weeks. It's been amazing."

" Piss off."

" How's it been so far?!"

" Oh, lets see," Jimin hisses into the phone. " I went on three dates with some guy I hardly know and I'm already in so deep, I want to lay down in traffic because of it, and it's all your fault."

Tae laughs. " Walk me through it."

He huffs out a frustrated noise. " I don't get it, I knew we'd be compatible, at least as friends, if anything, but it's really intense! It's been a month and that shouldn't be enough time to feel like I'm coming out of my skin like this, and I don't know if it's because I can't fully have him and it pisses me off...." He pauses and looks down at the floor. " It doesn't feel like a game anymore. And I feel like an idiot. I'm smarter than this, right?"

" Min, you're not stupid. Jesus, you're one of the smartest people I know. Just relax, okay? You're working yourself up over nothing."

" It's not nothing, Tae, If Jungkook was a Guy I met in Chicago under normal circumstances..." He doesn't know where he's going with that sentence. He takes a deep breath. " It's just frustrating to go on a few insane dates and have an incredible time and then have a go through radio silence I don't want to play by the rules, I want to do it my way."

" Okay, but these aren't normal circumstances."

" I know."

" This isn't you, Park."

" I know."

" Get your shit together, okay? Jungkook isn't going to want some whiny bitchy brat."

" Nice pep talk, thank you."

" You can always send yourself home if it's too much, you know."

Jimin switches the phone from his left ear to his right. " Absolutely not."

" And you think that this compatibility  goes both ways?"

" Yes," he's sure of himself, even with 13 potential dates. He's sure their good together, so good. But. " Wait, what if he's better with someone else and I just have no idea!"

" This is exhausting."

" Yeah, try being inside my mind."

" I'll pass. Just....don't build up anything in your head, go with the flow, and be yourself. Be Jimin, okay? You'll be better than fine."

Lydia taps him on the shoulder.

" Alright, Park, all done."

He sighs. " Tae, I gotta go. Satan's here."

" Oh, very funny, give me the phone."

" You'll be fine." Tae repeats into the phone. " Call me again when you can. And Min?"

" Tae."

" You don't have to play by the rules." He hangs up.

Jimin hands the phone back to Lydia.

" Your majesty."

" Get our of here."

He heads upstairs, feeling a little better, and walks into the empty bedrooms, four guys missing, out in their date with Jungkook. He walks around the room, repeating Tae's words in his head. Be yourself. He doesn't give it much more thought than that before he starts grabbing random items and hiding them in closets, various duffel bags, under beds and in between mattresses.

It makes him feel minisculey better, especially when the guys arrive home later, and no one can find any of their things, confused and somehow missing Jimin's laughter from his bunk bed.