value || jikook

eleven

not that much time had left them until jimin decided to help jungkook treat his wounds.

he disinfected his scratches, tensing at the hisses of pain coming from jungkook's mouth, and patched them up with bandages. jimin was on the last wound that had been marked upon the others body, his calf. he circled a roll of bandage wrap around his leg; all the while glancing back and forth from his action to jungkook's face.

"you don't have to be so defensive all the time you know," jimin told him. jungkook didn't reply immediately. he hated seeming like a child or even vulnerable at any time so it had become a habit of his. keeping his guard up in all aspects.

"and you don't need to worry about trusting people all the time either." jungkook just listened to him talk. "maybe you should let someone in, it might do you some good."

at this, jungkook felt his teeth subconsciously clamp together, grating together to make a creaking sound so quiet only he could hear. the last time he did that, let someone close, he was left alone in the dark.

"why do you care? you barely know me,"

"stop saying that jungkook! you can admit we know each other a little and i–" jimin stopped. his breath had stopped and he was a bit perplexed. why did he care?

jungkook had narrowed eyes and with them, he challenged jimin. tossing the words answer me at him with merely his gaze. jungkook really wanted to know. "well?" jungkook spoke, his tone demanding as well as firm.

"do i need a reason to care?" jungkook's mouth dropped open, and then closed. "what if i just do? because im a human being? what if i just want to?"

jungkook averted his eyes. a nervous and edgy habit of his, jimin had noticed. another thing he had noticed was that no matter how hostile jungkook tried to appear, he was only anxious and defending himself from what seemed to be the whole world. he didn't want to be hurt. no one did. but that was a part of living, and like everyone else, you must learn to live with it.

"jungkook," jimin sat beside beside him, his rump on the edge of the couch while jungkook sat pressed against the side arm also on the edge of his seat, "look at me."

jungkook finally turned his head and had to lift his eyes upward to meet jimin's because he was so close. for a moment, jungkook wanted to cry. jimin's smile was too soft and too caring to be for him. whoever jimin was, jungkook knew that this guy couldn't be so willing. he had to have a bad side. all people do. the question was, would he encounter and endure it?

"let me be your friend, mm?" jimin prodded at his shoulder. jungkook suddenly leaned back, his ears burning. their faces had been too close for a moment and he needed to keep himself from crying as long as possible. all of the bottled up emotions were rising up and he could not let them out. not here.

there were few he could trust in this world. but the ones on his list of worthy beings were yoongi, hoseok, jin, namjoon, and tae. they were the ones who held him up. like a body held in the air by joyous teammates scoring a victory, out of nowhere, but willing to provide endless strength against his supposed fall.

but maybe.. adding jimin to that list wasn't a bad idea.

he was doing exactly what his hyungs had. appear out of nowhere and suddenly become part of his life. yet jimin was a bit different... and jungkook didn't know why.

should he let someone so different stick around? or drive him off?

jungkook's eyes swiftly moved back to jimin's face where he saw him still questioningly, yet simply asking of him to let him in. though they barely knew each other, jimin was trying to dig closer to jungkook's walls and let himself in. because he wanted to? jungkook didn't know, but it had never been done to him. no one had ever tried.

so why not?

"sure." jungkook breathed. his throat rasped just a bit, adding a husk to his words than almost made them hard to decipher. jungkook cleared his throat and spoke once more, "sure."

jimin tackled jungkook with a hug, making jungkook yelp. the grip of jimin's arms around his body was solid. as if to solely keep jungkook there, jimin used his shoulders to make what was simply a hug, become something that filled jungkook with a sense of warmth and safety.

and it was odd to him, he had never felt this way because of anybody. or rather because of a hug. but here it was happening.

"thank you," jimin mumbled. unbeknownst to jungkook because jimin's face was hidden from his field of view, but the older was smiling. smiling so wide his cheekbones were for sure visible on his cheeks.

just because jungkook had accepted him maybe, but possibly also because jungkook seemed to take a bit of his defenses down. and it made jimin happy to see he was trying.

"you're welcome," the younger mumbled shyly. he didn't know if he'd regret this or not.

and jungkook couldn't help him let a bit of a small smile creep across his face. he was actually pretty happy at this predicament. of course what was a kidnapping, okay not necessarily a kidnapping but a forceful taking of himself, had begun to seem ever so slightly beneficial. jungkook wanted to glare inwardly at the little imp pouting in the back of his mind at his change of heart towards jimin, because he really was reluctant, still, to let himself gain another friend.

but right now, things looked to be in his favor.

after all, he hadn't been cared about this much in awhile. it made feel like he was actually... worth something.

and maybe there was a chance that he was. since he didn't often feel that anyways.

//y'all Beyoncé and Jay's new album is so goooood omg