Work Text:
‘Jimin?’
‘You know.’
‘I know.’
Yoongi turned away quickly.
***
Yoongi
What the hell had Jimin meant? After the shoot, Yoongi had returned to the dorm hoping for a nap. Instead, he had just spent a couple of hours, lying in bed, staring at the ceiling and going over that exchange between him and Jimin. What was he supposed to know? It was likely a joke but ... Jimin wasn’t the sort to joke when it came to birthday greetings. Also, his face when he’d said ‘You know’ ... Yoongi shivered involuntarily. WTF, Yoongi, get a grip!!
He got up from his bed and wandered out of the room. The dorm was quiet — he wasn’t sure where the others were, where Jimin was. There had been talk of a dinner to celebrate his birthday but he had said that the best birthday present would be if they allowed him some shuteye. That and the sweater Jimin had given him. He was still wearing it and he wondered if he would ever take it off. His heart warmed at the thought of Jimin saving up to buy it for him. What a sweethear—
‘Hey hyung!’
Jimin was drinking tea in the dorm’s open plan kitchen, sitting on a bar stool. Yoongi had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he would have walked past without noticing. As it is he leapt back in alarm, his previously warm heart stuttering madly in his chest.
‘Fuck, Jimin, you made me jump!’
The little mocha scrunched up his nose and hummed into his mug. ‘Sorry, hyung.’
Yoongi gave him a smile. Dammit why did he feel almost embarrassed.
‘Happy birthday, hyung,’ said Jimin, smiling sweetly back.
‘Umm you already wished me.’
‘So what? I wanna wish you again! Happy birthday, Suga!’ Jimin wrinkled his nose again and giggled adorably.
‘Umm ...’ Yoongi gave an awkward laugh. ‘Well, Jimin, as we’re on the subject of my birthday ... erm ...’
Jimin sat straight up on the bar stool. ‘What is it, hyung? You look worried.’
‘Nah, I’m not worried,’ said Yoongi hurriedly. ‘I—I j—just wanted to ask you, Jimin. Umm ... I mean ... what did you mean—earlier, you know?’
Jimin was watching him with wide eyes, a tiny smile on his rosebud lips.
‘What is it, hyung? I don’t understand.’
Yoongi gulped. ‘What did you mean by “You know”?’
Jimin stared at him for a second before collapsing in giggles on to the bar top in front of him. He clutched at his stomach, ‘OMG, hyung!’
‘What? Is it some joke I’ve forgotten?’ Yoongi stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets and shifted nervously from foot to foot.
‘OMG, hyung!’ Jimin wiped his eyes. ‘You don’t know what I meant? Truly?’
Yoongi shook his head slowly.
‘Then why did you say you knew?’ Jimin started laughing again.
‘Oh—that!’ Yoongi rolled his eyes. ‘Sorry, I panicked. I—I—didn’t expect you to say that and “I know” just popped out.’
‘Hmm.’ Jimin chewed at his thumb nail thoughtfully. ‘I see.’
‘Well ...? I mean, are you gonna tell me what you meant, Jimin?’
‘Oh!’ Jimin looked surprised. ‘Oh, no, I don’t think so.’
‘Why not? Come on, Jiminie. Tell hyung.’
‘No,’ said Jimin firmly. ‘It’s not something to tell. Either you know or you don’t.’
Yoongi frowned. ‘Do you even know what you meant—’
‘Of course I know,’ cried Jimin indignantly.
‘Then why can’t you just tell me. Maybe you were just trolling me, huh?’
‘I swear I was not!’ Jimin smiled and shook his head.
‘So you thought I would know what you meant?’ Yoongi looked disbelieving.
Jimin shrugged and pouted. ‘I guess I was wrong.’
*
Jimin
Truth is, Jimin had panicked too. He had so much to say to Yoongi that he didn’t know where to begin, and Yoongi had asked for something short. Maybe ‘I like you, hyung’? Jimin thought the light-hearted atmosphere of Yoongi’s birthday celebrations and the public aspect (the proceedings filmed for ARMY) would allow him to pass off such words as a joke, or as just the affectionate declarations of a dongsaeng for his hyung. However, when it came to the crunch, all he could say was ‘You know’.
‘You know how much I like you because god knows, although I’ve tried to hide it, I’ve been shite at it and you’ve been so cool about me being an adoring fool for you. You always humour me; you’re never impatient when I follow you around like a devoted puppy; you always, always answer all my questions and listen to me talk about my problems and worries; you never tire of reassuring me when I feel down about my progress in the group. How could I not like you best of the other members, and of anyone I’ve ever known? I like you so much, Yoongi hyung. You know this. Don’t you?’
All that. And more.
When Yoongi had turned to him during the recording, Jimin had felt like his heart was overflowing with fondness, but when their eyes met, ‘You know’ was all that he could say. And when hyung had answered ‘I know’, Jimin’s stomach had flipped and his heart had skipped several beats.
What did Yoongi know? What did Yoongi think Jimin meant? Jimin had wanted to run, screaming, down the halls of BigHit, but he’d merely smiled shyly at hyung.
*
‘Are you going to bed soon, Jiminie?’ Yoongi asked as he opened the fridge and peered inside it.
‘Nah, probably not,’ said Jimin.
‘Have a drink with me then?’ Yoongi had bought soju in view of his birthday and it would be nice to share it with someone. Especially if that someone was Jimin, his favourite dongsaeng.
‘Of course, hyung. It’s your birthday!’ Jimin smiled brightly and went to the cabinet to get glasses for them.
‘You really not going to tell me what I’m supposed to know?’
They grinned at one another and when Jimin shook his head, Yoongi merely shrugged and clinked glasses with him.
They drank and they talked, and they drank more and and talked some more. The others came in from their appointments and dinners and a few shots were shared, but in the end it was just Yoongi and Jimin, talking deep into the night.
They talked about trivial matters and more pressing issues. They told lame jokes and debated serious questions. They shared their plans for the future, their impossible dreams and their hopes and their fears.
It was as it had always been with them since Jimin joined BigHit as a trainee and Yoongi, captivated by his cute smile and bashful yet mischievous demeanour, and impressed by Jimin’s diligence and determination, had taken the boy under his wing. Things had changed a little since those early days. Then, Jimin had listened more, letting Yoongi take the lead in conversations, but, as time passed and with Yoongi’s fond encourgament, the boy had become more confident, more vocal, less likely to back down in an argument, not as shy to share his opinions.
To Jimin, Yoongi would always be someone he looked up to though. He still looked to the older boy for guidance and advice. There wasn’t anyone Jimin respected or admired more than Yoongi, and Jimin loved (and, frankly, lived for) their all-night chats. As for Yoongi, he didn't mind the sleep he had lost. He never minded when it was because he was talking to Jimin.
They didn’t get any sleep at all that night. They talked all the way through, pass the wee hours of the morning til the first rays of dawn coloured the sky the colour of Jimin cheeks, flushed from more than just the soju. It seemed that it was what they had been born to do. Maybe, deep down, that was what they knew.
THE END