And The Games Begin

Chapter 46

Their watching Jungkook on his date with Jonathan, at an ice rink somewhere in LA, and Jimin puts his plate of chips down, scooting in closer to Jungkook. He crosses his legs and drapes them over Jungkook's lap, his worn, cotton tracky bottoms bunching up at the ankles, and Jungkook reaches down to trace along his ankle bone.

He looks up at Jungkook. " I know, baby, we made it."

" And now we're watching you cheat on me, essentially."

He laughs. " Do you want to turn it off?"

" No, it's all good. I know I'm the one you go home with."

Jungkook leans down to kiss Jimin's jaw. " We live together."

" Did you just realise this?"

He can feel Jungkook smirk against his neck. " No. Just. We always get to come home to each other. It's nice. I've never had this before. I love it."

Jimin nods. " I've had it before."

" How am I comparing?"

" How are you comparing to my lying, scumbag ex-boyfriend?" He shrugs.

" Eh, its a tie, so far."

" Lovely."

He smirks, and hurried his head into Jungkook's shoulder. " It's, like, I thought I knew what it felt like to come home to the love of my life, but I now realise just how very fucking stupid that was, because he was waiting for me here in California and I'd never actually come home to him before." He looks up at the TV right as Jungkook is kissing Jonathan. " Okay, we can turn this off, now."

" Thank you for doing all of my laundry."

" Even trade, it seems."

Jimin sits up to kiss Jungkook properly, and it's too heated considering they're in the middle of a conversation, but Jungkook curls into it, anyway. " Yeah," he mumbles against Jungkook's lips before kissing him again. " Even trade."

At some point turning off the TV doesn't work anymore.

Jimin knows that on that blank screen, every Monday night at eight, Jungkook is falling for multiple guys, kissing them and touching them, and he knows he's included on that list, but the fact that there's even a list is what's getting to him.

" I'm not strong enough for this." he says into the phone late one night.

" Like, this is so, so shitty."

Tae scoffs. " What did you expect, Min? You knew he was actively dating the other guys too. This is the third time we've had this conversation this week, and it's one in the morning here. Can I go now?"

" Yeah, but there's a difference between knowing and actually seeing; he says, ignoring Tae's request. " Why did you allow this to happen. You're not going to be the best man at my wedding anymore."

" Yes I am."

" No you're not."

" Yes I am. And guess what?"

" No, piss off."

" I'm gonna be your best man at your wedding with Jungkook."

Jimin scratches his stomach. " What's your point?"

" My point, Captain Oblivious, is that you're marrying Jungkook. None of these other guys matter, because it was you in the end."

" Oh." He looks over his shoulder and peers down the dark hallway where he knows his fiancé is sound asleep, probably snoring, maybe even drooling a little bit. He smiles. " Fuck, I hate you when you're right."

" So, you always hate me?"

" Oh my God, goodbye." He hangs up before Tae can get another word in, taking off how glasses and rubbing his eyes. Sleep sounds good. Sleep with Jungkook sounds even better.

He pads into the bedroom, creaking there door closed so that Jungkook doesn't wake up, and places his phone on the nightstand as he slides underneath the covers, pulling them up to his chin.

He lets himself settle deeper into the mattress, pillow already warm and eyes already slipping shut, and Jungkook rolls, wrapping his arm around Jimin on instinct, holding him close, holding him tight.

Thank you, Tae.

It buzzes in his hand moments later.

I'm so happy for you. Now go to sleep and leave me alone.

He does.

They're down to the final episode of the season, and Jimin knows tonight is the episode of his screaming match with Jungkook, of his breakdown on the beach with Lydia, and he still hasn't told Jungkook about why their fight escalated so quickly, still doesn't even know about the mess that occurred after he stormed out of his own hotel room. Every time he tries to get the words out, he freezes, choking on his own thoughts. And Jungkook hasn't asked, hasn't pried. But now, Jungkook is sitting on the couch with his feet wedged between the cushions, beer in hand, about to find out, the same time as the rest of the country.

He's extremely on edge, about ready to fly out of his seat, could scream at any minute.

They watch about half of the episode together, Jimin fidgeting and looking at the time on his phone every 20 seconds, and when Chris Harrison's voice comes through the speakers, saying, " Coming up," Jimin all but jumps off the couch, yanking at his jumper, suddenly way too tight around his neck.

Jungkook looks up. " You okay?"

" Yes. No. I don't know. I'm gonna go for a walk."

He furrows his brows. " Now?"

" Yeah. Need to, like, walk."

" So you've said."

" Do you need anything? At the shop?"

" No...Jimin, what are you doing?"

" I'm just gonna walk to the shop and come back, okay? No big deal." I just can't fucking watch this.

" Right." he says slowly. " No big deal."

Jimin slips on a pair of Adidas sandals, socks still on, and heads out the door, not bothering to lock it behind him.

He walks for a while, long enough that he's sure the episode is over and that he doesn't feel like he's going to vomit anymore. The streetlights along the way dim, and he keeps tripping over cracks in the pavement, unable to see them, guessing now that he probably shouldn't have worn fucking sandals. He doesn't want to walk anymore. He just wants to be in his home.