SOULMATE

2. Beautiful

"We're gonna be in my room." Jimin announced after finishing his food and both, Jimin and Taehyung, got up from the table.

"Delicious as always, Jimin's mommy." That's the way Taehyung had called her since he was a child. She smiled and nodded saying thank you.

"What are you going to do?" She asked, feeling uneasy. Jimin looked surprised for a moment, she'd never asked what they're up to so he just shrugged.

"Don't know. Play some games or watch videos, the regular stuff."

"Alright." She finally said, feeling a little relieved, and went to wash the dishes to clear her mind about her son.

After playing for a few hours in his room with the door closed, Taehyung got bored and climbed on Jimin's bed, where he had slept countless times.

"What are we doing tomorrow?" Jimin asked.

"Don't know. You wanna go to the river? We haven't been there for a while.

Jimin nodded in agreement and climbed his bed to place his head on Taehyung's chest, which was very different from Jimin's chest, since Jimin's body was still so thin and his face screamed 'I'm fifteen years old'. And, even though Taehyung's face looked as young as Jimin's, his body was not so thin, he looked strong and big and Jimin liked the way he looked, but he also felt a little envious of him. He wanted to grow up manly like Taehyung.

"I like your muscles." Jimin said as he rubbed Taehyung's chest. He never had filter with Taehyung, he always spoke his mind and that had earned him a few awkward glares from people sometimes. But Taehyung was also bluntly honest with him.

"I like the way you're rubbing my chest." Taehyung smiled and Jimin did the same. Without thinking first, he slid his small hand under Taehyung's white shirt. Taehyung closed his eyes for some minutes until he heard his friend's voice.

"You have hairs here." Jimin stated when he felt a few hairs on Taehyung's body.

"Yeah, I don't like them. My body is changing a lot lately."

"Mine isn't." Jimin frowned.

"You're beautiful the way you are right now."

"But I want to look manly, just like you."

"You'd look beautiful any way. Manly Jimin, small Jimin, Jimin being Jimin. Beautiful either way."

Jimin lifted his head from Taehyung's chest a little to watch his friend's features.

"You think I'm beautiful?" Jimin asked.

"Of course you are." Taehyung looked at him in the eyes.

"Because you're my friend?"

"No, silly. Because you're just beautiful. Your body is beautiful and your face is cute." He smiled. "And you're just a baby." He went to grab Jimin's cheeks, the latter complained and hit Taehyung on the chest.

"Ugh, drop it already!" Jimin was dead serious.

"Why?" Taehyung seemed hurt. "Why you don't like me being nice to you anymore?

"I-I." Jimin panicked whilst Taehyung was expecting his answer and looking down. "I do like it."

"You're lying. Are you ashamed of me babying you? Is it because of our age?"

"I- uhm. No. I just don't- uh."

"Tell me, baby." Tae comforted him as he passed his fingers through Jimin's natural black locks. And this time, Jimin didn't mind the pet name.

"You'll get angry."

"I couldn't get angry at you."

"Not at me..."

"Then?"

Jimin told him everything. He told him who were insulting him and even told him the names they called him.

"But I don't know what they mean." Jimin admitted, but Taehyung knew what those names meant and he was furious. "Taetae, don't hurt them, you'll get into trouble because of me again."

Taehyung tried to convince him that everything was going to be alright, when he was actually planning how he would punch those bastards. And he did. The next day Jimin couldn't find Taehyung anywhere and it was time to go home. He kept looking for him until he saw it.

Taehyung's hands were covered in blood, his school shirt as well, but he couldn't care less. There were five boys on the floor, looking as if a whole gang had punched them, but it was just Taehyung, who frightened Jimin for the very first time in his life because of that mad expression he had on his face.

"Don't you dare" Taehyung gritted his teeth. "to call him. that. again." He punched him with each pause. That boy was looking worse than the others because Taehyung paid special attention to him. He was the one who even tried to harass Jimin once, but he surely wouldn't try it ever again after that.

Taehyung was barely stopped just because Jimin interfered with all the courage he had.

"Stop." Jimin stopped Taehyung's fist and got closer to him. "Stop. Stop please." He pleaded, but Taehyung wasn't listening and he was ready to throw more fists until he felt it. Jimin arms wrapped around him and his soft voice whispering right in his ear. "Stop, babe. Please, stop."

And Taehyung did.