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The first thing Jungkook says to him when he walks into the Hufflepuff common room is, "Please don't kill him."
Jimin blinks.
"Or me," Jungkook adds.
Jimin blinks again. "Who am I not killing?"
"Any of us," Jungkook says quickly. "No killing. Promise."
"No."
"Then I'm not letting you in." Jungkook's standing in front of the door that leads into Taehyung's dorm room. Despite the fact that Yoongi also lives there and is a fairly private person, Jungkook and Jimin both spend enough time there to be considered honorary residents. The fact that the door is closed is unusual enough, but Jimin can't think of a time he's ever been denied entry.
"You called me here?" Jimin has no idea what's happening but there's something foreboding curling in the pit of his stomach. He frowns and crosses his arms over his chest, fixing Jungkook with a critical glare. "What did you do?" His heart drops. "Is the cat okay?"
Jungkook blanches. "I would never do anything to hurt the cat." Which isn't strictly true, because Jungkook is the reason why the cat will randomly fly around the room just to freak people out, but that was less hurtful and more inconvenient. Jungkook's eyes are earnest and Jimin feels a little better.
But Jungkook's grip of the doorknob is white-knuckled and Jimin still has a bad feeling.
"If the cat is okay," Jimin says slowly, "then what else did you do?"
Jungkook laughs but it sounds like he's dying. "Okay, we made a bet."
Jimin frowns. "You and I?" He doesn't remember that at all.
"No." Jungkook rocks on his heels, biting his lip. "Me and Taehyung."
That's never a good combination. Jimin is willing to reserve judgement, but the situation keeps looking more and more bleak. He chews over his thoughts for a moment. "What was the bet?" he asks slowly.
He can see the way Jungkook swallows before answering. "I dared him...to..." Jungkook looks pointedly at the space over Jimin's left shoulder and Jimin would think there was someone there if Jungkook didn't chronically avoid eye contact when he knows he did something stupid. "Okay, so let's say hypothetically that I told Taehyung that he wasn't brave enough to be a Gryffindor."
"That's kind of bitchy," Jimin says with a frown.
"Agreed." Jungkook shrugs. "That's beside the point." He plays with his tie with nervous fingers. "What would you do if I, I don't know, dared Taehyung to...say...break into the Potion Master's office?"
"I'd hold my tongue until you tell me exactly what you did," Jimin says carefully. This is just getting worse and worse.
"Hypothetically." Jungkook scratches his head and Jimin can see him figuring out the best way to word this. "Hypothetically, I might have dared Taehyung to drink something at random off of the non-lethal shelf."
Silence.
Jimin squints. "And he did it?"
Jungkook coughs into his shoulder. "Hypothetically."
"That's not brave, that's just stupid," Jimin tells him.
"You are right." Jungkook's eyes flit back to the door behind him. "But I'm going to need your promise that you will not kill me before I let you into the room."
"Did you break Taehyung?" Jimin demands, smacking Jungkook upside the head. He will admit that he's a protective best friend, but Jungkook wouldn't be denying him entry unless something actually happened, even if he might worry about Jimin's reaction.
"No!" Jungkook's hand comes off of the handle to massage the sore spot on his head and Jimin takes the opportunity to reach around him and open the door. "He's just—"
"Jimin!" Taehyung is sitting on his bed with a pillow clutched in his arms. It's not his. Jimin is pretty sure the pillow is his. Sugar the cat is sitting off to Taehyung's side, looking at him in disdain. "You look beautiful today."
Jimin blinks.
"Weird," Jungkook finishes awkwardly.
Taehyung doesn't look broken. Jimin doesn't see any rashes or discoloration. He has two arms and legs, no more, no less. He looks roughly like he did the last time Jimin saw him, just a little more awake in the mid-afternoon. It's mildly reassuring.
But then Taehyung hugs Jimin's pillow a little closer and says, "Jimin, you always smell the best," and Jimin isn't quite sure what to do with that.
"Thanks, Tae," he says, because that seems like the best answer.
Taehyung grins at him, the same grin as ever, and Jimin's heart skips a beat or two, but it's fine. "You're welcome."
"How did you…?" Jimin clears his throat. "How did you get my pillow?" The green pillow case looks out of place amongst the yellow and black.
"You left it in the library the other day day so I grabbed it and never returned it," Taehyung tells him. Jimin remembers bringing his pillow along as a joke and then actually falling asleep, but the next thing he remembers is waking up in his own bed. "I keep forgetting."
"That's okay." There are plenty of pillows in the Slytherin common room, and he can always flirt one away from one of the other boys if he has to. Taehyung looks happy enough with it right now that Jimin doesn't want to take it from him, and there are other things to worry about. "Do you…" Where does Jimin go from here? "Do you know what you drank?"
Taehyung looks confused for a moment. "Pumpkin juice."
Jungkook snorts.
"Do you know what you put into the pumpkin juice," Jimin rephrases.
"Ah, nope." Taehyung tilts his head to the side as he thinks, picking absently at the pillow case. "I picked one that was okay looking, though. It looked like water. Water is good for you, right?" He shrugs. "Didn't taste like anything."
"He's not broken, see?" Jungkook says, completely unhelpful.
Jimin sits beside him on the bed and pulls on Taehyung's ears, turns the other boy's face up, like maybe seeing Taehyung in better lighting will make it more clear if anything is wrong with him.
"Honestly, it was a stupid idea and I only agreed to it because I'm a dumbass sometimes," Taehyung says. Jimin scoffs a little in surprise. "Jungkook only asked me to do it because he was trying to impress Namjoon."
Jungkook squawks. "Taehyung, you said you wouldn't tell anyone!" He claps his hands over his face.
The cat on the bed raises his head at the noise. Taehyung watches as she leaves his side. "Sugar." He reaches out to pet the cat's tail but Sugar is already out of reach. "I just want to love you and it hurts my feelings when you don't let me."
The cat makes her way calmly over to Yoongi's bed and nuzzles against the bundled up blankets. Jungkook takes pity on Taehyung and moves Sugar back to his lap.
"He's mostly fine," Jungkook tells Jimin, who still has Taehyung's face in his hands. "Just…"
"You have really pretty eyes," Taehyung mentions out of nowhere, so randomly that Jimin isn't even sure it's for him until Taehyung smiles at him. "I've always thought you had the nicest eyes."
Jimin blinks at him.
Taehyung makes pinching motions with his fingers. "When you smile and they squish closed? That's my favorite." He pinches Jimin's cheek. "I know you hate people pinching your cheeks but you're cute so it's hard not to."
"You're being awfully nice today, Tae," Jimin says after a moment. Nice is a word for it. The best word he can think of.
Jungkook is laughing.
"I should be nicer to you more often," Taehyung says with a shrug. "You deserve it."
Jimin frowns at him. "What the hell did you drink?"
"He's been weird with everyone, not just you," Jungkook is quick to supply. "Although, he's a lot nicer to you than he was to me."
Jimin looks at Taehyung curiously.
Taehyung snorts. "I told him his haircut makes him look like a coconut."
Jungkook pouts.
"It's not mean, it's just true," Taehyung says, throwing the pillow at Jungkook. "A baby coconut."
"This is uncalled for," Jungkook replies, still pouting, taking the pillow to the face without fuss.
"But correct," Taehyung replied snidely, before reaching his hand out. "Give me back my pillow."
Jimin laughs. " My pillow."
"Mine now," Taehyung says, still making grabby hands. He frowns when Jungkook doesn't move to toss it back. "I can't move or the cat will hate me. Please help."
"Not if you're just gonna sniff it." Jungkook twists his face in disgust. "That's weird."
"It's weird," Taehyung admits. "But he smells good. Let me live."
Slowly, Jimin sits down next to Taehyung and picks the cat up out of Taehyung's lap before carefully pressing the back of his hand to Taehyung's forehead. "You feel fine?" he says, smoothing the bangs up out of Taehyung's eyes and putting his palm on his skin.
"I don't like it when you do that," Taehyung says with a pout. "My forehead is big and I get embarrassed."
Jimin laughs. "I'll cover your big forehead with my hands." He hits Taehyung's forehead slightly, a gentle bop, before turning around to look at Jungkook. "How long has it been since he drank...whatever he drank?"
"About an hour?" Jungkook grimaces. "Whatever it was, all it's doing is making him more annoying."
"Be nice to me or I'll tell Namjoon that you want to hold his hand and maybe kiss a little," Taehyung says primly, reaching over into Jimin's lap to pet Sugar.
Jungkook swallows. "You wouldn't."
Taehyung hums in consideration. "I feel like I would?" He thinks some more. "Yeah, I definitely would."
"Namjoon would probably at least save his laughter for after you'd left," Jimin tells Jungkook. He's actually pretty sure that Namjoon would blush and hold Jungkook's hand immediately, but Namjoon also has a hilarious reputation for being a cool, untouchable upperclassman that Jimin thinks is fun to encourage.
"You have a really nice profile," Taehyung says, and it's so out of the blue that it takes a moment for Jimin to realize his friend is talking to him. "I know you don't like the bump in your nose but it's cute."
Jimin stares at him. "Thanks?" he says after a moment.
Taehyung stares back. "Was that weird?"
"A little."
"I feel weird," Taehyung admits. "Should I stop?"
Jimin swallows. "It's okay."
Jungkook coughs awkwardly. "Okay, it's weird in here, so I'm going to go."
"Uh, yeah." Jimin dumps Sugar into Taehyung's lap. "I should go, too."
"But I want you to stay?" Taehyung says.
Jimin stares at him again. "Okay," he says lamely.
He's never been good at denying Taehyung anything.
Jungkook rolls his eyes on his way out the door. "Weird."
Jimin has never been able to deny Taehyung anything because he's kind of in love with him, and while he'll admit that the compliments make him feel things, he's not sure that's for the best.
He spends two hours in the Hufflepuff dormitory and by the end of it he's a mess and Taehyung seems more and more confused. It's not like Taehyung is never nice to him, but he's never been one to hand out useless compliments so regularly. Even Taehyung himself seems confused about why he's being so nice.
By the time Jimin gets back to the Slytherin rooms, he's so flustered that he forgot his pillow at Taehyung's room and he's holding Sugar instead.
Yoongi's going to yell at him if he finds out he stole his cat, but Sugar will find a way back to Yoongi's bed before long. Yoongi is the only one she really likes.
" Betelgeuse," Jimin says tiredly to the wall in the dungeons, and he clambers down the tunnel, holding Sugar to his chest.
Namjoon and Hoseok are both sitting by the fireplace. Namjoon looks like he's attempting to do homework and Hoseok looks like he's doing his best to prevent Namjoon from doing homework.
"Namjoon," Jimin calls making his way over. "I need your help."
They both look at him over the back of the couch, and Hoseok's eyes zero in on the cat in Jimin's arms. "I know everyone says that the cat can fly, but I really don't believe it."
"That's not what I need help with," Jimin says shortly. "But the cat can fly, she's just lazy." Sugar makes a mess whenever they leave her alone and Jimin is 100% sure it's just for the fun of it.
"I refuse to believe it," Hoseok says. "I know that there are plenty of weirder magical things that happen here every day but I refuse."
"I'm sure a lazy cat isn't impossible to understand," Jimin teases, holding Sugar out to Hoseok.
Sugar meows plaintively.
"What do you need help with?" Namjoon asks, popping his quill into his ink well.
"A weird magical thing," Jimin says with a grimace. "Taehyung drank some potion and we don't know what it is."
Namjoon frowns. "Is he okay?"
"I think so?" Jimin bites his lip. He'd been with Taehyung for hours and there hadn't been any adverse reaction. Once Yoongi walked in and Taehyung actually told his that he needed to clean up his side of the room because it's messing with his feng shui and they'd all looked a little surprised at the outburst. "He's being very straight-forward."
Hoseok snorts. "Taehyung is always straight-forward."
"I mean like…" Jimin isn't sure how to explain it. "He keeps complimenting me? All the time?" He shakes his head.
"Taehyung also always does that," Hoseok informs him. "You both compliment each other. It's like you're each other's personal hype men."
"I know, but it's a lot!" Jimin insists. "He complimented my biceps and then told me he wanted me to hold him and carry him around."
Namjoon and Hoseok both squint at him. "That's kind of odd."
"It's not like I've never done that before, but he's just phrasing everything so strangely." Jimin sets Sugar down and rubs his forehead. He tries not to think about Taehyung telling him he'd like to sit in his lap. Or Taehyung saying he has nice thighs. Or Taehyung telling him that he loves him so much he'd probably die for him.
It's a weird feeling, because none of it would be weird if Taehyung didn't sound so sincere when he said it. Taehyung has asked to be carried before, and has sat in Jimin's lap, and has told Jimin he loves him, but none of it has ever been this direct.
Taehyung may seem straight-forward, but when it comes to feelings, even platonic ones, he's always had trouble stating things out right.
Jimin is trying his best not to be affected by it. He's been struggling with his feelings for Taehyung for years, since they were eleven and met on the train and nearly prayed they'd get sorted together. The feelings have changed from something distant to something distinct, but Jimin really thought he was handling it.
His heart is racing and he can honestly say that he was wrong. He was very, very wrong.
"Help," he pleads.
Namjoon sets aside his paper. "Is he only like that with you?"
"No." Jimin pauses. "Well, he's the nicest to me, but he was weird with Jungkook and Yoongi."
"How so?"
"He insulted Jungkook's haircut and called him a baby coconut," Jimin relays. "And he actually told Yoongi to clean up his room."
Namjoon groans. "Rough."
The look of shock on Taehyung's face after had been kind of cute. Jimin laughs. "He really seems like he can't help it. He keeps being surprised."
"It sounds harmless enough, despite everything," Namjoon says. "He's clearly not dying."
" I'm dying," Jimin whines, walking around the couch and flopping down between them. "I feel like a girl with a crush." His heart keeps fluttering. It's inconvenient.
"You are a girl with a crush," Hoseok snickers. "Or...a boy with a crush."
"The worst thing that's come out of this is that Taehyung is complimenting you and Yoongi's area might be clean for once." Namjoon tickles his chin with his quill. "It sounds like a win-win to me."
"But what if the potion is something that makes him delusional?" Jimin protests. "What if he's telling me all of these nice things but in reality he's only saying it because he's magically high?"
Hoseok snorts. "He says that stuff all the time."
Namjoon rolls his eyes. "Remember last week when he told you you should have been a Ravenclaw because you looked hot in blue?"
Jimin does remember that, because he'd spent an entire three days thinking about it. They'd been out by the lake during their free time and Jimin had been wearing a sweater his mother made for him. It was soft and Taehyung spent a good ten minutes running his fingers over Jimin's sleeve. It had been a stressful day.
"It's just." Jimin tries to find the words. "He's saying things differently." He's not sure how to explain it. The words hit differently. Maybe it's just the way Jimin is hearing them, but even Jungkook could tell that something was different. Softer. Jimin's not sure if he can handle it in the long term. "I just want to know what the potion is supposed to do and how long it's supposed to last."
"Seokjin is the one you should really be asking," Namjoon says. "I suck at potions."
"You suck at anything that requires fine motor skills," Hoseok teases. "You never measure correctly. How much syrup of hellebore did you put into that Draught of Peace the other day? The professor smelled it and started have visions."
"Maybe I'll just…" Jimin holds back his laughter. "Maybe I'll ask Seokjin instead."
Seokjin spends half of his time in the Ravenclaw common room and the rest of his time charming the entirety of the student body while somehow still inciting law and order. The Head Boy is terrifying in his own right, but Jimin is cute and only gets into trouble when he can't be caught, so he has little to fear.
He does have to do a significant amount of sleuthing to track Seokjin down, but it's worth it in the end. "What are you reading?" he asks, slipping into the seat beside his older friend.
The librarian shushes him.
" The History of Magical Influence on Muggle Film ," Seokjin says. "Muggles are much more interesting in this context than they are when you're one of them."
Jimin wouldn't know, seeing as how he's lived his entire life on this side of the magical world, but Seokjin grew up without knowing magic existed, so he'll take his word for it. "I've never seen a muggle film," he says.
"There are so many good ones." Seokjin raises an eyebrow in Jimin's direction and flips his page. "I don't suppose you're here to talk about how magical creatures had an effect on the horror/thriller genre of Hollywood film?"
"I don't see what holly wood has to do with film." Jimin doesn’t know much about holly, but there are no creative capabilities that he knows of.
Seokjin laughs. "What can I help you with?"
"Taehyung drank a potion and now he's weird," Jimin says frankly, because it's been a couple of hours now and he's starting to get rather anxious about it. "I was wondering if you could help me figure out what it is."
"Drank a potion?" Seokjin frowns. "How?"
Jimin smiles. "No comment."
"Ah." Seokjin rolls his eyes. "I won't ask. He's weird how?"
"He keeps... saying things." Jimin really wishes there was a better way to put it, because Taehyung is always saying all sorts of things, and they're almost always strange. "He just says...things!"
Seokjin tightens his mouth in an attempt not to laugh. "Alright. Symptoms include 'saying things.' Anything else?"
Jimin blushes, purses his lips and shaking his head. "He just keeps saying whatever he wants. And he compliments me. He does nothing but compliment me."
"I'm still just sure how this is different than normal Taehyung."
"It just is!" This is frustrating. "He said that it looked like water and that it didn't taste like anything. I don't know if that helps."
Seokjin's mouth drops into a little o and then he's laughing. The librarian shoots them a dirty look, but Seokjin smiles at her and she seems content to leave them be. "It does help." Seokjin wipes tears from his eyes. "I know what it is."
"You do?" Jimin leans forward. "Is he dying?"
"He'll be fine, probably." Seokjin grins, leaning his chin on his hand coyly. "A little embarrassed, at worst."
That makes Jimin's heart stop beating quite so fast. "That's a relief." He sags in his seat. "What it is, then?"
Seokjin looks at Jimin innocently and drops the bomb.
"It's veritaserum."
He'll be normal by the end of the day , Seokjin's voice says in the back of Jimin's head. Enjoy it while you can.
Jimin holds himself around the middle to keep the butterflies in.
He won't allow himself to take advantage of it, but…
Taehyung's truths make Jimin glow. Just a little.
Yoongi opens up the Hufflepuff commons for him. "Stop him."
Jimin can only assume he means Taehyung. "I brought your cat back."
Sugar is too heavy to carry around everywhere, but she makes no effort to move herself, even though as soon as she sees Yoongi she mewls desperately. "You can fly, you fucking cat," Yoongi says tersely, but he's gentle as he lifts her up out of Jimin's arms. "You're literally the laziest thing I've ever met."
"What did Taehyung do?" Jimin asks, waving happily to some of the other Hufflepuffs around the room that he knows well. He spends too much of his time here to not know the other students.
"He keeps whining," is all Yoongi says, stoic as Sugar climbs up onto his shoulder and screams in his ear. "He wants you."
Jimin feels his stomach bubble. "Ah."
"Did you figure out what it was he drank?" Yoongi asks, leading his to their dorm room.
"Yeah," Jimin says shyly, holding his hand over his small smile. "Seokjin says it's veritaserum."
Jimin opens the door to the room, and the last thing he hears is Yoongi laughing.
"Jimin!" Taehyung calls as soon as he sees Jimin walk through the door. "I hate homework and I don't want to it anymore." He makes grabby hands in Jimin's direction, and Jimin takes the hint and walks over to where Taehyung sits at his desk. Taehyung wraps his hands around Jimin's middle and buries his face in Jimin's shirt. "You still smell good."
"Thanks, buddy." Jimin grins softly and pats Taehyung's head.
Yoongi makes wretching motions in the doorway.
"Good news, though!" Jimin starts cheerfully. "Seokjin says you'll be normal in the morning."
"Good news," Taehyung agrees, not looking up. He just nuzzles closer. "I feel weird."
"It'll be over soon." Jimin brushes Taehyung's hair out of his face. He needs a haircut badly. It's kind of cute.
"Thanks, Jiminie." Taehyung sighs, finally propping his chin on Jimin's stomach and looking up. "You're my best friend."
It's quiet.
"Fuck." Yoongi drops the cat.
Jimin's heart sinks. Just a little.
"He's just an idiot!" Jungkook assures Jimin. "He literally is in love with you. He's just an idiot."
"It's not like he can lie about it." Jimin's curled up in Hoseok's lap. Hoseok is trying to rub his shoulder and do his homework at the same time. "He has to tell the truth."
"What he thinks is the truth." Jungkook rolls his eyes. "He's horrible with feelings. He probably just doesn't realize he's in love with you."
"That's very likely," Namjoon agrees. "Remember when it took his like a year to realize the reason he didn't like Jungkook was because the two of you were such good friends?"
"Look at us now!" Jungkook insists.
"We just need to…" Hoseok hums, thinking. "We just need to make him figure it out himself."
"I don't know if I like that idea," Jimin says quietly. The idea that Taehyung simply doesn't like him is too real and he doesn't want the confirmation of it again. Being Taehyung's best friend isn't a bad place to be.
He's afraid of moving forward.
"I'll do it, then," Jungkook sniffs. "All it's going to take are some pointed questions." He pats Jimin's thigh, and Jimin doesn't feel any better. "You'll see."
"Taehyung, who is your favorite person?" Jungkook has never been subtle.
Taehyung chews absently on his quill tip. "Jiminie."
Good start. "Are you sure you're best friends?"
And then things take a turn for the worst. "Are you implying that Jimin is not my best friend?" Taehyung asks with a frown. "Jimin is the best thing that's ever happened to me."
"I know, I'm just—"
"Jimin is the best," Taehyung says with an air of icy finality.
Jungkook keeps his mouth shut.
"It's useless," Jungkook says. "I could do nothing."
"I think you mean you're useless." Hoseok rolls his eyes.
"Namjoon will never be impressed with you now," Yoongi adds.
"Wait, what?" Namjoon sits up suddenly on the couch.
"I'm going to go try again." Jungkook runs out the door.
Jimin is exhausted by the time they all gather outside of the Great Hall doors for dinner. "This is the longest day I've ever experienced." He can feel the bags under his eyes. He needs a nap. An eight hour nap.
"I think that's a bit of an exaggeration." Yoongi pats him on the butt with his foot because he's too lazy to stand up from his bench. "Think of all the nice things Taehyung has told you."
You have such a nice voice. You should sing for me more often.
I want to hold your hand sometimes. Is that weird?
You're such a beautiful person.
The last one makes Jimin's stomach roll. You're beautiful, too. That's how he'd responded. Because what else is there to say? "It's annoying that he just...keeps saying shit and never does anything," he admits finally. "Obviously something is going on with him."
"I told you," Jungkook says plainly. "He's an idiot."
Yoongi snorts. "You're not one to talk."
Namjoon frowns. "Jungkook's an idiot?"
"I hate today," Jungkook mutters.
Dinner is meant to start soon. Jimin has always found it tiring that the houses have to sit at different tables. He remembers holding hands with Taehyung when they were eleven, waiting to be sorted, and he remembers how mad he'd been that Slytherins and Hufflepuffs had a table between them. The Sorting Hat had scolded him for wanting to be sorted to suit his new friend, so there was nothing to be done.
Now, the seven of them will meet out in front of the doors and catch up before going in and taking their seats. Hoseok has been in charge of watching Taehyung and making sure he doesn't do anything stupid (he's already gotten detention for criticizing a professor's wardrobe), but soon the two of them are making their way down the hall to join them.
Taehyung looks tired as well. "I'm never drinking mystery potions again," he says. "It's more exhausting than I thought it would be."
"Agreed," Jimin mumbles.
"I forgot to bring your pillow again," Taehyung admits. Pauses. "Or...I guess I didn't forget. I thought about it but then I didn't bring it." He scratches his cheek.
Jimin waves him away — what need does he have for a pillow at dinner? — but Jungkook loudly asks, "and why is that, Tae?"
Taehyung opens his mouth. Shuts it. Looks confused.
"Don't ask him things like that!" Jimin scolds, flushing.
Seokjin stares at Taehyung. "Is this still going on?"
"Leave him alone," Jimin protests weakly. "He's had a rough day."
"Jungkook is useless," Hoseok offers helpfully.
Seokjin snorts. "Amateurs." He pats Jungkook on the head and walks into the Great Hall.
"I don't know why I still have your pillow," Taehyung admits after a moment of silence, forehead creased in concentration. "I guess I just wanted to keep it."
"Okay," says Jungkook, irritated. "But wh—"
Jimin stomps on Jungkook's foot.
"Come on, baby," Hoseok says, tutting sympathetically as Jungkook wipes the tears out of his eyes. "Let's get you out of trouble."
Jimin turns to follow the others into the Great Hall, but something tugs at his arm. Taehyung is holding onto Jimin's wrist, uncharacteristically serious, and Jimin can't stop his heart from fluttering. He stamps his butterflies down with angry feet. No fair.
"Have I made you upset?" Taehyung asks, and Jimin is lost.
"What?" Jimin blinks. "Why would you think that?"
"I'm just gonna…" Namjoon points towards the others and shuffles into the Great Hall, dragging a laughing Yoongi behind him.
Taehyung doesn't seem bothered. "You are..." He makes a vague gesture. "Off. You seem off."
Jimin laughs incredulously. "You're one to talk, Tae." This whole day has been off. Fuck Jeon Jungkook and his bizarre needs to impress Kim Namjoon. Fuck Kim Taehyung for going along with it like a dumbass.
"Yeah, but it makes sense that I'm off." Taehyung's mouth tightens at the corners. "I just wanted to make sure that I...I've been saying a lot of weird things. I don't want you to be uncomfortable." He looks so earnest.
"You don't make me uncomfortable," Jimin assures him quickly, his other hand coming over on top of Taehyung's. His hand barely covers the back of Taehyung's palm. "You never make me uncomfortable." Not in a bad way, anyway. In a sweaty palms, nervous hands, tongue-tied, lovely kind of way, if Jimin lets himself think about it too long.
Taehyung stares at their hands. "Your hands are so cute," he says breathlessly. "I like that they're smaller than mine. It makes me want to hold them."
Jimin chokes on his own spit.
Taehyung holds on to Jimin's hand a little more tightly, like he doesn't want it to be taken away. "I'm sorry!" he says frantically. "I keep doing that. I don't know why."
"Doing what, Tae?" Jimin asks, partially because he's a masochist, and partially because he wants to know how Taehyung quantifies this.
A final squeeze. Jimin wonders if Taehyung can feel how gross his hand is. "Saying...things."
Jimin wants to laugh, because there's really no other way to say that, is there? Saying things. Things that make his heart hurt. "If you don't know why you're doing it, then how should I know?" He wants to know. Probably.
Taehyung pouts childishly. "Don’t know that, either."
And then Jimin does laugh, because he's in love with an idiot.
The words come out without Jimin's permission. "Don't you want to kiss me?" he asks innocently.
Taehyung's jaw drops. "Uh…"
"You want to hold my hand," Jimin presses, decision made. "Don't you want to kiss me, too?"
"I..." Taehyung looks like he's seeing a whole new world and he isn't sure how to process anything. Jimin isn't sure whether that's good or bad. He wants it to be good badly.
"Boys." The herbology professor pokes his head out of the doors. "Dinner is starting. Take your seats."
Jimin bows his head. "Yes, professor." He smiles, even if he's disappointed. Today hasn't turned out the way he expected it to. He turns back to Taehyung, and he laughs again, because Taehyung looks like he's swallowed a lemon and is trying to decide whether to spit it out or not. "Forget I said anything," Jimin says easily. "Today's been crazy enough, don't you think?"
"You have a nice smile," Taehyung says dumbly. Confused.
Jimin smiles brighter. "Thanks."
Taehyung still hasn't let go of his hand.
"Boys," the professor says.
Jimin pulls away first. "Eat well," he says cheerfully, and walks over to the Slytherin table.
"Has he figured it out yet?" Hoseok asks as Jimin slips onto the bench beside him.
"No." Jimin spoons himself some pudding. "That's okay." He pops a grape into his mouth. "Tomorrow is a new day."
Namjoon looks over Jimin's shoulder at Taehyung wandering into the Great Hall, dazed, and laughs. "What did you do to him?"
Jimin snorts. "Nothing." He feels light. "Gave him some food for thought."
Hoseok whines into his goblet. "I hate this. I want true love to happen."
"Yeah," Jimin sighs. "Me, too."
"You guys are gross," Seokjin sniffs from the Ravenclaw table beside them.
"Stop eavesdropping," Jimin snips, throwing a roll at him.
"I'd take points from Slytherin, but these rolls are good." Seokjin takes a big bite and blows Jimin a kiss.
The Great Hall dies down as the students dig into their food. It's never quiet for long, but the peace is something Jimin cherishes after such a strange day. He digs into his beef with real vigor.
He's got half a mouthful of potatoes when Taehyung stands up at his table. Half a room away. "Park Jimin!" he screams.
Jimin stops chewing and stares.
"I want to kiss you!" Taehyung shouts firmly across the Great Hall.
If it was quiet before, it's nothing compared to now.
Jimin struggles chewing his food, banging his chest as it gets stuck in his throat. "Tae, please—"
"Let's go on a date!" Taehyung's eyebrows are drawn together, and that means there's no stopping him. "Let's hold hands!"
Jimin isn't sure whether he's blushing from embarrassment or happiness, but he's definitely panicking. "Taehyung, please —"
Yoongi laughs, a loud guffaw, and the entire room is full of chatter like a seal has been broken. Hoseok jams his elbow into Jimin's side. "Eh? Eh!"
"Stop." Jimin pushes Hoseok aside and covers his face. "Fuck." He laughs into his palm.
"Park Jimin!" Taehyung shouts again.
"Stop yelling , you ass!" Jimin shouts back. "Ask me like a normal person!"
"Tell him not to come over here," Namjoon says primly. "I'm trying to eat. I don't need you two making me lose my appetite with your love ."
"Headmistress, Taehyung is climbing over the tables!" someone wails.
Jimin hides his face in his hands, but he can't stop himself from grinning.
"You're gross," Namjoon says fondly.
"True love," Hoseok sighs, taking a bite of his food.
Jimin can't even look at Taehyung as he bounds over, but he almost falls over when Taehyung tackles him from behind, arms wrapping around his shoulders. Face buried in Jimin's neck. Laughing. Cute. "Jiminie!" Taehyung sings. "I figured it out!" He tugs on Jimin's ear.
Jimin finally looks over, scrunching up his nose as he smiles. Taehyung's face is too close. Cute. "What'd you figure?"
"I've been telling the truth all day," Taehyung says, pushing Hoseok aside and sitting backwards on the bench. "Bitch. You should have told me."
"Your truth is cute," Jimin says, readjusting Taehyung's tie.
"Jimin." Taehyung tugs on Jimin's ear again. "Let's go on a date."
Jimin pretends to think about it. "You have to answer me first."
Taehyung frowns. "Answer what?"
Jimin bites the inside of his cheek to keep from a laughing. "Don't you want to kiss me?"
Taehyung doesn't waste time on words. He leans forward, further into Jimin's space, and presses a soft kiss onto Jimin's mouth.
That's all the answer Jimin needs.
"Okay," Jimin says, once he's caught his breath. "Let's go on a date."
It's a good day.