KLEPTOMANIA (YOONMIN)

TWENTY-THREE

"What's the matter, Jimin?" Jimin's grandma asked as he sat back on the bed, fidgeting with his clothes as he sniffed.

"I don't know, I just..." Jimin wiped his eyes as he took a breath, trying to formulate what to say in his head before speaking. His grandma waited patiently. "I don't know what to do, and I'm scared."

"Scared of what?" His grandma spoke softly, her voice soothing him slightly. While unable to speak to his mother about things, Jimin felt closer to his grandma and felt like he could trust her properly. He still, of course, didn't tell her everything.

"The dark, and falling. I'm scared Yoongi's not going to be able to save me and I'm going to fall, and that the darkness will take me. Grandma," Jimin inhaled a shaky breath. "The darkness scares me."

After having watched Jimin grow up and know he had no problems with the literal dark, Grandma Park assumed that 'the dark' meant something different to Jimin. And when she thought about it, she wasn't sure she liked what it could mean.

"Jimin, I don't know who this Yoongi is, but I promise you you won't fall. No darkness will take you anywhere, okay?" His grandma said, sounded more certain than she felt as she spoke. As much as she didn't like to think negatively about her grandson, she knew he had issues and she worried one day they might cause him serious, irreversible harm. She'd tried speaking to her daughter, but as much as it was obvious, Ms Park saw it as a sign that she was a bad mother and didn't want to think there was something wrong with her son or that she'd failed.

"Yoongi's my boyfriend, I think. But I'm not sure yet..." Jimin sighed. "He says I'm his boyfriend, and I told him I'd give him a chance and he's nice but I don't want to trust him and have him leave me like everyone else."

"Jimin, listen to me. You can't keep focussing on one bad experience. Only one person has ever left you, and that's because he didn't understand what was wrong with you. Everyone else you've either pushed away or simply not let close to you." Grandma Park paused for a second, letting her words sink in. "Let this boy in, and if he leaves you then I'll personally come and teach him why he should never mess with the Parks."

"Okay. Thanks Grandma." Jimin said as he wiped his eyes again. Although he didn't feel completely better, it was definitely an improvement from before.

"And Jimin, don't hesitate to call me if anything like this happens again. I'm always here for you."

"I will. Good night." Jimin then hung up, and put his phone back. He then sat on his bed, not wanting to turn off his light and still not wanting to go to sleep.

-

"Hoseok, I like you." Namjoon said as they walked back to their room. Hoseok frowned as he looked up at him, adjusting his books in his arms. "You're a good friend."

"Are you joking or something?" He asked, and Namjoon shook his head.

"No, I just felt like saying it." Namjoon shrugged and shifted his books so he could unlock their door. "I feel like people probably don't say it to you much." Hoseok said nothing as he walked into the room and placed his books on the desk. "Do you still like Yoongi?"

"No." Hoseok answered coldly, taking off his tie and placing it over the back of the chair.

"Sorry, I was just wondering." Namjoon took his own tie off and began to unbutton his shirt. Hoseok didn't look at him as he looked through his drawers for some clothes to wear. "Hey Hoseok, what would you do if someone liked you?"

"Tell them to see a doctor." Namjoon laughed slightly, taking his shirt off and walking over to his own drawers. "Why?"

"Just wondering."

"You wonder a lot, you should stop." Hoseok looked up briefly, before looking back down when he realised Namjoon didn't have a shirt on.

"Would you ever date me? Like, in a life or death situation or something?" Hoseok frowned, but didn't risk looking up.

"Well, if my life is on the line, yeah... Namjoon, is something wrong? You're acting stranger than usual." By now, Namjoon had put his shirt on and Hoseok looked back up. Namjoon shrugged.

"I'm alright, I think. I'm just curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat." Namjoon grinned at Hoseok, who stared blankly back as he walked past Namjoon.

"Good thing I'm not a cat."

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