And The Games Begin

Chapter 33

One drink turns into two, and two turns into seven.

He more than a little tipsy when he finally works up the courage to drag Jungkook away from the rest of the group, and his legs wobble a bit as he tries to situate himself up against the fence. Jungkook's staring at him with a shit eating grin on his face because he can totally tell Jimin is teetering on the edge of too drunk for a child's birthday party and Jimin wants to punch him, and possibly himself. But first, he needs to sit.

He slides down the length of the fence, the grass damp underneath him. Jungkook sits down, too, their knees knocking together.

" You should drink more often. Love how pink your cheeks get." He reaches over to touch Jimin's skin, but Jimin knocks his hand away.

" Okay, it's time to talk."

" About what?"

" We kinda started to discuss it on the boat, but I told you later." He looks up at Jungkook, and then back down again. " Later is now."

" Oh." He puts his hand on Jimin's knee. " Okay. Good."

Jimin ignores the way Jungkook's palm feels, the way the cameras are aiming directly at his face, the way Tae is doing a poor job at concealing the way he's blatantly staring at them from across the garden. Instead, he only focuses on the words that are stuck on the top of his tongue. " I don't think I'm ready to tell you every single thing that's on my mind."

" That's fair."

He nods. " Jungkook, I'm seriously so crazy about you, you know that, right?"

Jungkook squeezes his knee." It's good to hear."

He smiles briefly, trying not to feel uneasy. " I love the idea of a future with you. It's like....not far fetched anymore, is it?"

" No it isn't."

He nods again. " I want it. You and me." He squints his eyes, trying to ward off his impending headache.

" But it really freaks me out thinking that you could have an idea of a future with other people, too."

Jungkook doesn't say anything for a minute, just drags his thumb across the rip in Jimin's jeans at the knee.

" I don't want you to be nervous. I'm completely crazy about you too." Jimin drags his fingers through the grass and pulls out a clump, making a small pile, not being able to look up at Jungkook. He continues. " It's important that this is mutual because it's really difficult to read anyone in this situation and we have to be open and honest and fearless. It's a two way street, Min. We have to pick each other in the end, right?"

" Right." It's all he can manage to choke out, but Jungkook doesn't ask him to say anything else, content to wrap his arm around Jimin's shoulders and pull him close, kissing the skin right below his ear.

They don't say much after that, and it's not like what either of them said was a heavy admission, really, but Jimin still feels a bit better. He's now verbalised that he's imagining this to be a permanent situation, and now Jungkook knows.

He looks up at Jungkook after a while, who's staring at the ongoing party with a lopsided smirk on his face, and Jimin pokes him on the chest. " What do you think? Of all these people?"

He grabs Jimin's finger to get him to stop poking. " These people are outstanding, Jimin."

" I think so, too."

" Like, I want to adopt Jackson."

He laughs. " We all do."

Jungkook brushes his hands on Jimin's thighs. " Wanna go back and be social? I'm only here for another hour or two before I have to leave."