...Yoongi was a devil and Jimin was an angel, this was the accepted truth....

...Yoongi was bleach blonde, wore ripped jeans, black t-shirt and silver chains. He swore, he barely tolerated anyone at school, and rumour had it that he had a tattoo on his left shoulder despite it being illegal. Min Yoongi was clearly not to be messed with....

...Jimin, on the other hand, was an angel, a sweetheart. Baby pink hair, and chubby cheeks that often blushed prettily. His clothes always seemed too big for him, sleeves falling over his little fingers, he was the epitome of adorable....

...They were total opposites, unlikely to ever interact, until Jimin missed a day of school, and came back to find the rest of the class already paired up, and only one possible partner available. Even the teacher looked apologetic when she explained to Jimin that he and Yoongi would need to work together on their history project, traditionally one of Jimin’s weakest subjects. He nodded bravely though, making his way to the empty chair beside Yoongi, a chair he’d never seen occupied before....

...Yoongi wordlessly pushed a piece of paper onto his desk the minute he sat down, a handout Jimin assumes they’d been given yesterday, details of the project. It was daunting, Jimin already knew he was probably fucked on this one, but he had to make the effort....

...That is why, two days later, Friday after school, he found himself sat at the Min family dining table with Yoongi beside him....

...Yoongi wasn’t what he was expecting, he barely spoke, but there was something about him, something endearing, and Jimin wasn’t afraid. Quite the contrary actually, up close, Yoongi was beautiful, all delicate bones, porcelain skin and a pouty little doll mouth. Jimin wondered exactly what he could do with that mouth and the pretty little tongue that peeked out to wet his lips every now and then....

...They worked for an hour or so, Yoongi clearly having a far better grip on the subject matter than Jimin did, and he was content to sit back and watch Yoongi work, and idly fantasise about him....

...“Are you actually listening?” Yoongi asked him eventually, obviously catching on to Jimin’s increasingly drifting thoughts....

...Jimin blushed, cursing his traitorous face once again....

...“Sorry,” he smiled, “I’m kind of lost.”...

...Yoongi sighed, sounding so much older than his years. “Shall we leave it here for today?” He asked....

...Jimin checked his watch, surprised how late it already was, “shit yes, sorry, I’ve got to go,” he stated, standing up and haphazardly stuffing his things into his school bag....

...“Somewhere you need to be?” Yoongi asked curiously....

...“About half an hour ago,” Jimin nodded, “surprised I haven’t had a call.”...

...He checked his phone, groaning out when he realised he must have knocked it to silent....

...“Fuck,” he bit out, hastily returning the call despite Yoongi still being there. Koala and Mouse were usually forgiving but it was Friday night, one of their busiest, and he was probably in trouble....

...“I’m on my way,” he told Mouse when he answered....

...“You have ten minutes, you’re not irreplaceable you know,” Mouse bit back....

...“I know, I was doing homework, lost track of time,” Jimin explained hastily, “but I’ll be there.”...

...“Homework? Since when?” Mouse asked sounding amused....

...“Group project, no choice,” Jimin grunted back, hanging up a second after Mouse did....

...Yoongi was watching him, amused....

...“Parents?” He asked....

...“No, well yeah, sort of,” Jimin stumbled out wanting to kick himself....

...Yoongi just raised one eyebrow, walking him to the door, telling him he’d see him at school Monday, and they’d figure out their next project meeting then....

...Jimin made it to work, nearly an hour late, to a very pissed off reception from Koala....

...“I rang Mouse,” Jimin defended, as soon as he saw the look on his boss’s face....

...“It’s Friday night Jimin, you want this gig or not?” Koala growled at him....

...“You know I do,” Jimin grumbled back, “I’ll go out now.”...

...“Stock up first,” Koala told him as if he didn’t already know....

...He nodded, making his way to the back room, quickly checking what he had buried deep in his school bag, noting what he needed on a scrap of paper and taking it to Mouse, getting another unnecessary lecture about his timekeeping....

...Once he had what he needed he was back out again, working the usual route until the first lights of dawn began to peek over the horizon and he could return to Koala and Mouse and hand over his takings....

...Jimin was small and cute, he wore oversized clothing and carried his backpack on both shoulders like he was younger than he was. The only attention he ever attracted from authority figures was concern, people wanting to make sure he was ok and safe in the neighbourhoods he travelled through....

...Jimin was small and cute, but his oversized clothing held secrets. His body was compact but deceptively strong, and he had a couple of black belts now to prove he could handle himself in a fight. And, just in case that wasn’t enough, he kept a knife in a purpose-made sheath strapped to the side of his calf muscle, and he knew how to use that too....

...Jimin may look small and cute, but he was anything but, he was, in fact, Koala and Mouses’s most successful drug dealer....

...Yoongi was confused, Jimin was supposed to be shy and blushy, but the way Jimin looked at him when they were supposed to be doing homework was almost predatorial. He hadn’t noticed at first, but once he did, he couldn’t stop noticing, the way Jimin looked at his mouth, at his hands, it made him feel... something....

...Monday morning, back at school, everything was normal. No one spoke to him unless they had to, and his mask of indifference held firm. But then Jimin bounded up to him at lunch, all smiles, like they were friends, and invited Yoongi to his house after school for them to carry on with their project. Yoongi just nodded, accepting Jimin’s suggestion to meet just outside the school gates after lessons ended....

...Yoongi was there first, loitering awkwardly, watching others chatting with their friends, ignoring him, moving away as if he might bite....

...But Jimin was grinning again when he finally turned up, late, with no excuses, and Yoongi followed him back to his house....

...It was small, a really small two-bedroom apartment. The dining room was non-existent, the kitchen just an extension of the lounge, the bathroom didn’t even have space for a bath....

...Jimin’s room was the bigger of the two, with space for his bed, a wardrobe and a desk and very little else. The desk was already cluttered with belongings, and Yoongi had no idea where they were supposed to work, he should have suggested his place again....

...Jimin just shrugged, pulling his duvet straighter and throwing their project down in the middle of the bed, sitting on one end, gesturing for Yoongi to sit at the other....

...They were working barely half an hour this time before Jimin was struggling to stay focused. The outline was done, but he really didn’t have much to contribute to the actual contents, and Yoongi was surprised. Jimin was a star pupil at school, supposedly sailing through his classes, but from what Yoongi could see he really wasn’t all that exceptional....

...“Are you hungry?” Jimin suddenly asked....

...“Umm, I guess?” Yoongi replied, concentrating on what he was writing....

...“Cool, I’ll go grab us some snacks,” Jimin told him happily, bouncing off the bed, making Yoongi’s pen drag along his paper in a very annoying line....

...Yoongi sighed, putting it down, gathering the papers, realising that once the snacks were here Jimin would be well and truly distracted....

...When Jimin returned, empty-handed, his face downturned, “sorry,” he started, “I thought we had stuff.”...

...“It’s ok,” Yoongi told him, “I guess I’ll go, have a look at what we’ve got at home later ok?”...

...Jimin looked down at the now clear space in front of Yoongi, “you need to be home?” He asked....

...Yoongi shrugged, “probably.”...

...“Want to fool around a bit before you go?” Jimin asked him with a smirk Yoongi really hadn’t expected....

...“What?” He questioned dumbly....

...“Unless you’re straight?” Jimin checked, “no hard feelings if you are.”...

...“You want to… with me?” Yoongi checked, convinced he probably looked like a stereotypical deer caught in the headlights....

...Jimin’s smirk grew and he swaggered over closer to the bed, closer to Yoongi....

...“Yeah,” he said nonchalantly, “you’re cute, and I’m really fucking horny, it’s been weeks,” he groaned softly, pressing his hand non too subtly into his crotch....

...“Weeks since…?” Yoongi questioned weakly....

...“I got laid,” Jimin told him boldly, “you up for it?”...

...“Sex?” Yoongi squeaked....

...“Yeah,” Jimin said, “or blow jobs, man I’d settle for a hand job I didn’t have to do myself you know?” He grinned....

...And Yoongi just sat, looking at Jimin’s candy floss pink hair, his sweater paws, wondering just what in the world of **** was going on....

...“Yoongi?” Jimin questioned, “Did I break you?” He had the audacity to let out a little giggle....

...“I don’t…I haven’t,” Yoongi stammered out....

...“No fucking way,” Jimin said, holding one hand up as if Yoongi was actually going to keep talking. “You’re a ******?”...

...Yoongi blushed, not liking the feeling one little bit, “Yeah, so?”...

...“Oh ****, wild, I never imagined… I mean you look like that, and your rep,” Jimin trailed off, “bet you don’t even have that tattoo do you?” He finished with another smirk....

...“Do too,” Yoongi mumbled petulantly....

...“Yeah?” Jimin breathed, “show me?”...

...It wasn’t on his shoulder, it was on his upper arm, but Yoongi still had to take off his hoodie to show Jimin and drag his t-shirt sleeve up as high as it would go. It had been there since he was sixteen years old, and he’d swiped his brothers ID in order to get him into the back-street tattoo parlour....

...Jimin traced one finger lightly over the coloured skin, trying to make sense of it....

...“What does it mean?” He asked Yoongi....

...He shrugged, “there’s a story,” he told Jimin shortly....

...“I’ll bet,” Jimin replied, “I’m not going to get to hear it today am I?”...

...Yoongi shook his head, “no,” he agreed....

...Jimin just nodded, “ok,” he told Yoongi, trailing his fingers down Yoongi’s arm, across his hand and squeezing Yoongi’s fingers gently between his....

...“God I really want these inside of me,” he told Yoongi, softly, needily....

...“You’re messing with me,” Yoongi told him....

...Jimin smiled, reaching down to the hem of his hoodie, grabbing a couple of handfuls and pulling it off over his head, leaving him topless in front of Yoongi....

...Jimin did not look like he’d expected him to. Under his soft pastel layers, Jimin has been crafted by the gods. He had muscles everywhere, his arms, chest and stomach were ridiculously well defined and Yoongi’s little gay ****** heart nearly gave out on him....

...“So, can I suck you off or something?” Jimin asked....

...“What?” Yoongi breathed, still staring at Jimin’s ***** chest, fully aware just how hard he was in his way too tight jeans....

...“Please,” Jimin asked, “you can tell me if you don’t like it, I promise I’ll stop.”...

...Yoongi choked out an involuntary laugh at that, what are the chances he isn’t going to like Jimin’s plump lips around his ****? He’s literally throbbing at the thought....

...People don’t approach Yoongi, he looks scary, he doesn’t talk to anyone, his experience with dating other people is exactly zero. So, having Jimin, pretty, innocent Jimin begging to suck his cock is all kinds of overwhelming. He just nods, and Jimin’s face splits into the most beautiful grin....

...“Come here,” Jimin tells him, pulling him gently to sit at the edge of the bed, pushing his legs apart and dropping down to kneel between them. He placed both palms on Yoongi’s thighs, squeezing just slightly before reaching for Yoongi’s belt and slowly unbuckling it, all while holding eye contact with Yoongi. It’s so much....

...“Gonna take you out ok?” Jimin checked as he reached into Yoongi’s boxers, fingers skimming along the side of his ****....

...Even just that contact, someone else touching him was unreal, and Yoongi wonders exactly how the **** they got from history homework to blow jobs....

...“Oh Yoongi,” Jimin sighed softly, looking at his straining ****, “you’re perfect.”...

...Without another word he dipped his head into Yoongi’s lap, finally breaking the intense eye contact, only to replace it with something infinitely better, and infinitely worse....

...Jimin sucked just the tip of Yoongi’s **** into his mouth, using his tongue to flick gently along Yoongi’s slit, and Yoongi couldn’t watch anymore, letting himself drop backwards onto the bed, letting Jimin have him....

...And have him he did, letting out a little giggle, Yoongi didn’t even know you could giggle with a **** in your mouth, Jimin slid right down, engulfing him fully, and Yoongi came instantly, unable to hold out any longer, distantly hearing Jimin’s squawk and feeling the warmth and the wet disappearing from his ****....

...There was silence afterwards, and, as Yoongi sat back up, he saw why. Jimin was sat on his knees, eyes closed, face liberally striped with ***, and Yoongi burned with both shame and another jolt of arousal at that scene....

...“Oh shit Jimin, I’m sorry,” he gasped, grabbing for the handy box of tissues on Jimin’s nightstand and pushing a few into his hand....

...“Ok, lesson one,” Jimin told him once he could open his eyes again, “warn the person who’s sucking you off that you’re gonna ***.”...

...Yoongi just nodded, his face burning red. Not only was that probably the shortest **** *** in the history of blow jobs, but he came in Jimin’s mouth and all over his face without permission....

...“You wanna carry on or shall I go take care of this myself?” Jimin asked him, indicating at his own crotch where his erection was now very obvious....

...“I…I don’t know how,” Yoongi told him softly....

...Jimin smiled, “I can teach you.”...

...And once again, Yoongi just nodded....

...“How opposed to fingering me are you?” Jimin asked him directly....

...Yoongi huffed out a little sigh, he’d literally just ***, and he was already getting turned on again at just the thought....

...“Umm, I can,” he told Jimin....

...“Excellent,” Jimin grinned, standing up, unfastening his trousers, pushing them down his legs, taking his underwear with them, leaving him unashamedly ***** in front of Yoongi....

...He turned, reaching into his bedside table drawer, bending over slightly in front of Yoongi, making him involuntarily groan out at the sight of Jimin’s peachy ***** ***, making him freak out slightly that Jimin actually wanted Yoongi’s fingers inside of him....

...“You ok?” Jimin checked with a grin....

...“You’re just… gorgeous,” Yoongi choked out....

...Jimin smiled again, more shyly this time, “thank you,” he told Yoongi....

...“So, lube,” he started, holding up the bottle, “non-negotiable with *** play, vaginas get wet, asses just don’t ok?”...

...Yoongi nodded....

...“You wanna take some clothes off?” Jimin asked him....

...“I…” Yoongi started....

...“Might be more comfortable, leave your boxers on if you want, but the jeans should go,” Jimin told him assertively....

...Yoongi stood up from the bed, suddenly aware that his **** was still hanging out, hastily yanking his boxers back up his hips he pushed off his jeans as Jimin led on the bed, spreading his legs, fisting his cock as he watched Yoongi strip....

...Down to his underwear, Yoongi was at a loss, until Jimin reached for him, passing him the lube....

...“I’m clean,” Jimin told him, “and I fingered myself last night so probably not too tight, but use that, start with one finger ok?”...

...The thought of Jimin alone in this very bed, fingers up his *** less than 24 hours ago wasn’t helping Yoongi freak out less, but he hid it as well as he could....

...He knelt down between Jimin’s huge thighs, frozen, lube bottle in hand....

...“Hey, you doing ok?” Jimin checked....

...Yoongi looked at his face, swallowing hard, he really wasn’t ok....

...“Come here,” Jimin told him, closing his legs slightly and reaching to pull Yoongi into a hug, “Don’t have to do anything ok?”...

...Jimin’s hug was surprisingly tender and gentle, and he stroked one soothing hand through Yoongi’s hair....

...“I’m going too fast huh?” He asked....

...Yoongi shook his head to deny it, knowing it was a lie, feeling bad because he’d got off and Jimin was still hard....

...Still held in Jimin’s arms, Yoongi found a daring he didn’t know he had, reaching down Jimin’s toned stomach to his ****, taking it in his fist and stroking it gently....

...“Oh Yoongi, yes,” Jimin sighed out, back arching slightly into his touch....

...He tightened his grip slightly, stroking Jimin with more confidence, this he knew how to do....

...“Lube, use a bit of lube,” Jimin asked....

...Yoongi let him go, finding the lube bottle and dripping some in his palm. He hasn’t used lube on himself, far too mortified to buy it, but as soon as he strokes it up Jimin’s ****, feels the slick slide it gives him, he knows he needs to get some for himself....

...Jimin falls back onto the bed, arms behind his head, watching Yoongi touch him, making the best and most encouraging noises Yoongi has ever heard. And when he makes Jimin ***, feels him pulsating in his hand, watches him paint pretty stripes up his belly, watches it drip and run obscenely between his muscles, Yoongi feels more powerful than he ever has before....

...This time Jimin passes Yoongi the tissues, to wipe off his hand, for both the lube and the ***. He doesn’t wipe himself off immediately though, he smiles down at the sight. And Yoongi can’t help but dip down and kiss Jimin’s belly, right over a stripe of ***, licking it off his own lips, wondering what it tastes like....

...He’s rewarded with a look of shock from Jimin, before the more familiar knowing smirk is back....

...And then Yoongi’s phone rings and ruins everything....

...He can barely talk to his mum, can hardly concentrate, looking at Jimin spread out ***** and *** covered on his bed, the taste of Jimin still in his mouth. But he has to go home, has to leave Jimin, he doesn’t want to....

...He pouts as he agrees with his mum, he’ll be home soon, he’ll pick up the groceries she needs on the way, and maybe he’ll be brave enough to buy his first bottle of lube but he wont be telling her that....

...He and Jimin redress, they don’t talk about what happened, but Jimin is soft with him, careful, and he pecks him lightly on the lips as he leaves, Yoongi’s first kiss....

...They haven’t finished the project, they’ll have to get together again, and Yoongi can’t help but wonder if they’ll do this again, do more. He wants it....

...Yoongi was a devil and Jimin was an angel, this was the accepted truth, but it wasn’t the reality. Jimin was a whole bundle of contradictions, and so was Yoongi, they were opposites, they shouldn’t work, but maybe, just maybe, they would....

...When Yoongi walks away, still pink-cheeked, Jimin can’t help but smile to himself. Never in a million years would he have picked Min Yoongi of all people to be an innocent little ******. The look of panic on his face when he was knelt, lube in hand between Jimin’s legs, had not only quelled Jimin’s irritation about him not just getting his damn fingers in him, it had made him feel kind of soft towards Yoongi....

...Jimin is not a ******, having given himself to a fellow runner some 18 months ago or so. Looking back, it wasn’t the best situation. The guy had been a lot older, and far too quick to take advantage of Jimin’s little crush and his eagerness. He thought Dahyun loved him, for real, he told him often enough when he was fucking him into the nearest surface, told him so for months....

...So, when Dahyun had announced his engagement to a woman he’d never even mentioned before, Jimin had been blindsided. He’d been hurt to his very core, and Dahyun hadn’t even bothered to tell him privately. He’d been a fool to believe Dahyun loved him. But his barely fifteen-year-old self had been blindly and stupidly trusting....

...Dahyun had been killed five months later, by a rival gang, his own fault, he’d been muscling in on their territory despite being told not to by Koala and Mouse. Jimin had gone to his funeral, watched his fiancé mourn with a hard heart, hating Dahyun and everything he’d done to him. Under the cover of darkness, he’d slipped back into the graveyard the same night, stood right on top of the freshly dug earth, pulled his **** out and pissed on Dahyun’s grave. The satisfaction had barely lasted once he tucked his **** back away. He collapsed down, sobbing his heart out for his younger self and the pain he’d endured....

...After that, after Dahyun, he’d promised himself never to trust someone like that again. The betrayal had erected a concrete barrier around his heart, keeping him safe....

...These days, he loved sex, loved messing around with people, no strings attached. He wasn’t fussy, loved sucking **** and getting his **** sucked, loved fucking and getting fucked. In the crowd he ran with, there was plenty of willing men, but now Jimin called the shots....

...He may look like a marshmallow, but it had only taken him breaking one guy's arm for the word to get around that if you want to stay intact, you’d better not mess with him....

...Yoongi may not run with the same crowd, but he looked like he did. Which is why his virginity, his innocence was so unexpected, so new, so intriguing....

...When Yoongi left Jimin’s place, his mind was spinning. Jimin had sucked his ****, he’d jerked Jimin off, he’d only gone around to do his homework....

...He barely remembered to stop off at the store for the things his mum wanted, and he did slink down the aisle where he knew the condoms and lube were stocked. His was blushing deep red trying to spot the same lube as Jimin had passed him, but they didn’t have it, and he didn’t want to be stood around trying to choose the right one, was there a right one? For one insane moment, he considered texting Jimin for his advice, before he realised just how fucking weird that would be and hastily paid for the groceries and headed home....

...He ate with his family, he did his homework, he couldn’t bear to bring out the history project so that stayed in his bag. He wanted to jerk off that night, not even able to think of Jimin’s name without getting excited, but that seems weird too. So, with a huff of frustration and a slightly too hard ****, Yoongi makes himself go to sleep....

...It’s with no small jolt that Yoongi realises when he wakes up that last lesson today is history. He’s going to be sat next to Jimin for an entire hour, knowing that Jimin has sucked his **** and Yoongi has touched Jimin’s....

...He agonises all day, dresses carefully, makes sure he smells nice, makes sure he hasn’t dropped food down himself after lunch. When the last lesson finally rolls around Yoongi is more nervous than he’s ever been in his life....

...He isn’t sure what he’s expecting, but it isn’t what he gets, which is nothing. If anything, Jimin is blanker than normal, barely talking to Yoongi, barely acknowledging his existence. And when Yoongi suggests Jimin come over to study that night, he’s rejected with what sounds suspiciously like a bullshit excuse....

...Yoongi doesn’t get it, Jimin came on to him, so he must like him, right? He walks home alone that afternoon more confused than ever. Who sucks someone’s **** and then ignores them the next day?...

...Jimin’s had a shitty night, not his worst, but so many cops hanging around, looking at him sideways, forcing him to slink off where he should be doing good business. And to top it off, Koala had informed him just before he headed out that come Friday, he was going to have an apprentice with him. Some little punk kid with exactly zero running experience, and it was going to be up to Jimin to train him....

...Giving up the night as a loss, Jimin heads back slightly early, jumping on what looked like a deserted bus, only to recognise the only other occupant, lounging right at the back in the centre, wolffish grin on his face....

...“Little Mochi, long time no see,” the man drawls in his almost perfect Korean....

...“Bambam,” Jimin nods....

...He knows him, Bambam runs for the 7’s, Bangtan are in a truce with the 7’s but Bambam is still a rival, and technically right now, Jimin is on their patch....

...“You lost?” Bambam asks him....

...Jimin shakes his head, “shit night, heading home,” he told Bambam....

...To his relief, Bambam sighs, “Yeah, it’s busy out there tonight huh?”...

...“Too busy,” Jimin agrees....

...“You get home safe huh?” Bambam tells him, with just a hint of warning....

...“Not looking to start anything,” Jimin tells him evenly....

...“Good man,” Bambam says, clapping his hand on Jimin’s shoulder as he goes past, ready to get off, “see you around?”...

...Jimin gives him a little amused eyebrow raise, “no doubt,” he confirms....

...Bangtan and the 7’s share a border, so he will definitely run into him again. And despite them being rivals, he and Bambam get on well, trust each other to follow the unwritten rules. Bambam may be a rival, but he’s a good guy....

...Jimin also ignores Yoongi on Wednesday, and Thursday and by Friday Yoongi’s well and truly got the message. He grumpily finishes their supposed group project well ahead of the deadline, glad to get it out of the way and get Park fucking Jimin out of his head and out of his life. It hurts a little bit, but at least he got a **** *** out of it, and his first lesson in boys and how much of an asshole they can be. He’s fine, really....

...So, when Jimin bounces up to him on Friday in the cafeteria, exactly a week after the first time and in exactly the same manner, it’s all Yoongi can do not to punch his stupid smiling face....

...“Hey, want to come over after school? I need to go out at 10 pm-ish but we can get more done?” Jimin offers....

...“It’s done, and I’m busy,” Yoongi tells him, it is at least half the truth....

...“Busy doing what?” Jimin smirks, having the audacity to trail his hand suggestively down Yoongi’s chest....

...Yoongi smacks his hand off sharply, “none of your fucking business,” he bites out, stalking away from a very stunned and very small looking Jimin....

...When Yoongi looks round, Jimin is surrounded by people, petting him, consoling him, shooting evil looks at Yoongi. They act like Jimin is the innocent party, if only they knew....

...Safe to say when Jimin is presented with the rabbit toothed baby-faced idiot that he’s being forced to mentor just hours after Yoongi rejected him, he’s in a foul mood....

...“What the **** is this?” He spits at Mouse, gesturing at the kid who has the fucking cheek to be a good few inches taller than him....

...“This is Bunny,” Mouse replies evenly. “Bunny meet Mochi.”...

...“Hi,” Bunny greeted him with a smile and a reach for a handshake....

...Jimin stayed still....

...“I’m not taking him, he’s about twelve, this is a fucking joke,” he spat....

...“I’m sixteen,” Bunny replied softly....

...“Jimin don’t be an asshole,” Mouse growled at him, breaking the cardinal rule of no real names....

...“What’s his name,” Jimin breathed lowly, hardly daring to believe what Mouse has just done....

...“Bunny,” Mouse told him....

...Jimin shook his head, “you’ve just exposed me to this baby right before you want me to take him out? One little scare and he’s going to be shouting my real fucking name. What’s his? If he takes me down, you’d better believe I’m dragging him down too.”...

...“Look, I’m sorry, that was my mistake though, not his, there’s no need for you to know who he is,” Mouse told him evenly....

...“What’s his name,” Jimin shouted, breathing hard....

...“Jeon Jungkook,” Bunny told him softly, “I don’t scare easily, I’m not going to expose you or put you at risk, I promise.”...

...Jimin looked at him, he’d knowingly walked into the dealing life, so he’d better fucking keep up....

...“Watch me, learn, keep your fucking mouth shut. Expose me to anyone and you won’t need to wait, I’ll end you on the spot,” Jimin threatens Bunny....

...Bunny gulps, but nods....

...“One night,” Jimin tells Mouse, “one wrong move and I’ll fucking leave him behind.”...

...“That’s the spirit,” Mouse told him, smiling knowingly, “I’m sure you boys will get on famously.”...

...Jimin rolled his eyes, reaching for his schoolbag, delving to the bottom for the real treasures it contained....

...He checked it quickly, listing down what he was short on, not even bothering to tell Bunny what he was doing, the kid was watching anyway....

...Mouse slinked off, leaving the two of them alone, Jimin still furious about his real name being exposed....

...“What shall I call you when we’re out?” Bunny asked him softly, voice quiet....

...“Just don’t fucking talk,” Jimin bit at him....

...Bunny gulped again, nodding, “ok,” he confirmed....

...“I’m serious, watch what I do, and then find your own way to do it. You need to stay hidden to the authorities but visible to people who want to buy. No one will trust you to start with, got to earn that trust. You’re going to get hurt, you really want to do this?” Jimin asked him, somewhat curious despite his anger with the general situation, this kid was really far too young. Jimin conveniently forgot he’d been running since he was fourteen....

...“I need to,” Bunny nodded, looking sombre....

...And that was something Jimin understood. He hadn’t come into dealing for the fun, he’d come in because he needed to feed himself and keep a roof over his head. With his dad long gone and his mum in the hospital more often than she was out, he needed a job, and no one was going to hire a fourteen-year-old schoolboy with no experience. Koala and Mouse were still at school then, and their sketchy reputation preceded them. They’d laughed at him to start with, a tiny defenceless little boy like him? So, he’d purposefully goaded someone in the playground, and proceeded to beat the living shit out of them right in front of Koala and Mouse. It wasn’t that so much that had impressed them, it was his acting afterwards, despite the hundreds of witnesses and the fact that the other kid had required hospital treatment and he had barely a scratch on him, Jimin had persuaded the teachers that the other kid had started it, and he’d acted in self-defence. He’d looked so frightened and so small the teacher had put their arm around him, comforting him as he was led away. Behind the teachers back, Jimin had given Koala a wink and a smirk, before dropping right back into his worried little boy act, and the school dealers had been sold to his skills....

...He started with Sunshine, who was every bit as incredulous at Jimin’s addition to the team as he was now to Bunny’s. But Sunshine taught him well, taught him to find the customers and to sell, taught him to negotiate and when to walk away. And most importantly, taught him to fight, taking him to jujitsu and kendo classes until he black belted in both. Sunshine still worked the streets, not in the same way Jimin did. Sunshine was a dancer at heart, and he had favourite spots where he busked during the day. Between routines, when he was catching his breath and drinking water, he dealt. His customers knew where to find him and he got to do what he loved, it was perfect for him. By contrast, Jimin worked the night, he had to with school, visiting lots of locations where his regulars hung out, dipping in and out of pubs and bars, using one of his four fake id’s in random rotation. It was into this world that he took Bunny....

...By the time the dawn was breaking, Jimin had to acknowledge the kid did well. He didn’t speak unless Jimin prompted him, but he watched, closely, and Jimin could see the moments he mentally noted down something. They had a relatively uneventful night, a couple of drunks needing moving away from them, couple of cops to disappear from, nothing out of the ordinary....

...“Well?” Mouse asked when they got back....

...Jimin handed over their takings, “steady,” he reported, “nothing to report.”...

...“Bunny?” Mouse questioned....

...Jimin shrugged, “did what he was told.”...

...“That’s it?” Mouse asked....

...“Got him to do a couple of deals, he did ok, bit shaky, needs more practice, needs to learn to fight,” Jimin told him....

...Mouse nodded, “I’ll get Sunshine to sign him up for classes, we’ll start him easy, he going to be ok?”...

...Jimin looked Bunny up and down, appraising him, somewhat amused when Bunny stood up straighter....

...“He’ll do,” he decided....

...Mouse smiled happily, “excellent, right kid, go home, get some sleep, be back tonight at 8 pm, normally you’d go out at 10 pm but I want you to get in early, meet Sunshine, organise some self-defence and basic fighting classes.”...

...Bunny’s eyes widened at all the information, but he nodded, “yes sir,” he agreed softly....

...“Sir,” Mouse snorted, “I like this one, maybe you should all be calling me sir.”...

...Jimin rolled his eyes, “pass,” he told Mouse....

...By the time he left the sun was already up and he was bone achingly tired, making his way quickly home, crashing out to sleep almost immediately....

...When he woke it was nearly 5 pm and he was starving, quickly ringing and ordering takeout, messing about on his phone until it arrived, not really concentrating until notification of an email from school popped up, a reminder about the history project. And then he was thinking about Yoongi and his temper tantrum in the cafeteria, what had that been about?...

...“Hey, were you serious about the project being done? I’m sorry I haven’t helped much.” Jimin texted Yoongi....

...Yoongi didn’t reply, Jimin’s food came, he ate, played on his phone for a bit, and then, finally....

...“It’s done, I’ll hand it in Monday.”...

...“Ok, thanks Yoongi, that’s awesome, I totally owe you one,” Jimin replied, hoping that Yoongi could feel his sincerity. Having that project off his *** was a major relief....

...On Monday Jimin made an immediate beeline for Yoongi, pulling him into a swift hug, trying not to be too disheartened when Yoongi stood stiff like a board until Jimin let him go....

...“Thank you so much,” he smiled happily, “that thing was stressing me out so much.” He sidled in closer, so his last words were only for Yoongi, “come to mine after school? I owe you another BJ.”...

...He was smirking as he pulled away again, trying to not let it hurt too much that Yoongi looked blank, maybe even mildly disgusted by the suggestion....

...“I’ll pass,” was all Yoongi told him, heading into the classroom and for his normal seat....

...Jimin was going to sit next to him, hoping they could carry on flirting through the class, but Yoongi’s reaction confused him. He’d enjoyed the first **** ***, right? So why did he look so appalled by the idea of another?...

...So Jimin sat at his old desk, alone, his usual partner in crime was still sitting with his project partner. He flashed Jimin a questioning look, asking if he was ok, and Jimin could only shrug....

...The rest of the week went pretty similarly, Yoongi would speak to him if he spoke first, but only to reply to questions. And he never responded to text messages, Jimin began to wonder if Yoongi had blocked him....

...Then on Friday, they were both asked to stay back after class, and their teacher was typically blunt....

...“Did you both work on this project?” she started....

...Jimin and Yoongi looked at each other briefly before turning back to the teacher and nodding simultaneously....

...“Jimin, which bits did you contribute?” he was asked....

...And he panicked, having not been a part of the project since the early planning stages he had very little idea of what Yoongi had turned in, didn’t even read it, and now he was totally kicking himself....

...“I…” he started, employing the biggest puppy dog eyes he could without appearing too obvious....

...“This looks exclusively like Yoongi’s work,” the teacher told him gently....

...Jimin blushed, “we did work together to plan it,” he defended quietly, “I was just struggling a bit with time and stuff, and Yoongi helped me.”...

...He knows it’s playing dirty to mention his time, knows the teaching staff are more than aware of his home situation and cut him some serious slack because of it. But Jimin was happy to play dirty when the need arose....

...The teacher sighed, “Yoongi isn’t going to be able to take your exams for you though Jimin, and you’re falling behind quite significantly now.”...

...Jimin bowed his head, he knew, not only in history, although it was probably his worst subject, he was falling behind with a lot of things. Between trying to keep up with school, working, taking care of his mum and keep his home running he was just kind of drowning....

...“I know,” he told the teacher in a voice so quiet it was barely audible, “I’m sorry, I’m trying.”...

...“We think you need some help Jimin, which is why, if Mr Min is amenable, we’re going to ask him to tutor you, bring you up to speed.”...

...Jimin’s head shot up, not expecting that in a million years, “umm, yeah, that would be good,” he agreed....

...And Yoongi, Yoongi just sat there stunned....

...Jimin turned to him, “please,” he asked softly....

...Yoongi huffed out a long-suffering sigh, “fine,” he agreed, “but you have to actually work, or I’m out.”...

...“Excellent,” the teacher said, smiling happily, “I’ll leave you boys to sort out the details of what suits you best, but I think twice a week would be sensible. Yoongi, let me know if you need any resources to assist you.”...

...They both nodded, taking their leave from the teacher and heading home separately, and Jimin may have been slightly disappointed that Yoongi didn’t even say goodbye....

...Tutoring Jimin isn’t as bad as he feared, sure he can’t knock off the flirting and he has the attention span of a dog outside a butcher’s shop, but Yoongi can see he’s trying....

...It’s been four weeks since the project was turned in and they were called out. They’ve since re-turned in the project, this time with Jimin actually doing half of the work, and they’ve worked steadily through what they’ve already covered in class, Yoongi finding it useful revision, Jimin seemingly learning it all for the first time....

...And four weeks into it, they’re civil, Yoongi isn’t hurt anymore over Jimin’s rejection of him and he’s wondering if they might actually end up being friends....

...It's at five weeks when the shit really hits the fan....

...They’re at school, it’s a normal day, they don’t even have a class together today, no reason for them to see each other. Yoongi heads to the boy’s bathrooms towards the end of lunch, for a quick piss before class starts back up in ten minutes or so. One of the cubicles is locked when he walks over to the urinals, not noteworthy in the slightest, until he’s halfway through his piss and there is a very tiny little breathy moan from the otherwise empty room. He has to have misheard, because it sounds like someone just came in there, more specifically, it sounds like Jimin just came, and Yoongi has flashbacks to jerking Jimin off in his bed, which is not where he needs his mind to go right now when his **** is in his hand....

...He washes his hands, not paying attention to the cubicle where he can hear clothes being rearranged and the toilet flushing. He is resolutely not looking when the door opens, so Jimin’s voice startles him....

...“Yoongi? That was you?” he asked, blush staining his cheeks....

...For a mad second, Yoongi thinks Jimin is accusing him of orgasming in the school bathroom, so he just stares at him....

...“I’m sorry,” Jimin continues, “point of no return,” and he smirks....

...“You…?” Yoongi starts, “in there?”...

...Jimin nods....

...“You jerked off at school?” Yoongi asks incredulously....

...Jimin shrugs, “got horny.”...

...“At school?” Yoongi asks him again....

...“Gym class, showers, I’m very gay,” Jimin tells Yoongi before smiling slyly. “Did you like listening?”...

...“What?” Yoongi choked out....

...Jimin stepped in closer, too close, “can't help noticing your, umm, situation there,” he told Yoongi softly, nudging his hip slightly against Yoongi’s crotch, making Yoongi realise that thinking about Jimin, ***** and *** covered on his bed, had had an effect....

...“Let me suck your ****,” Jimin says in the most seductive tone Yoongi has ever heard from anyone, “please, you know I’m good, I’ll be good for you Yoongi, I promise.”...

...Yoongi’s mind must have evaporated or something because for the life of him he can’t figure out why he nods....

...Jimin grins, taking him by the hand and leading him back to the very same stall he’s just been masturbating in, and the mental image of Jimin, **** in hand, makes Yoongi full-on twitch in his school trousers. And Jimin fucking sees it....

...“Excited?” he asks, locking the door behind them and wasting no time getting onto his knees, “me too, you’ve got such a nice ****, perfect for sucking.”...

...Jimin reaches for Yoongi’s belt, making short work of unbuckling and unzipping him, making eye contact with Yoongi as he tugs both the trousers and his underwear over Yoongi’s *** and halfway down his thighs....

...“So hard for me already,” Jimin whines, opening his mouth and starting to suck his way down Yoongi’s ****....

...He has his hands on Yoongi’s hips, steadying himself, holding Yoongi, and Yoongi isn’t even looking, the sensations of Jimin’s wet and warm mouth are so much, he can’t look too....

...Then Jimin’s hands are gone, and Yoongi is confused, looking down to see the positively sinful sight of Jimin’s plump lips stretched abound his ****, nose tickling at his pubic hair. Yoongi drops one hand to the top of Jimin’s head, cupping the back of his head carefully, not pushing him, just holding him. Jimin’s hands have dropped between his legs, scrabbling to undo his own trousers. When he gets his hand on his length, Jimin pulls off, looking up at Yoongi with pleading eyes,...

...“pull my hair,” he begs, “please Yoongi, pull my hair.”...

...Yoongi whimpers, running his fingers deep into Jimin’s hair and gripping him....

...“Yes, perfect,” Jimin whines, sucking Yoongi back into his mouth....

...One hand returns to Yoongi’s hip as Jimin bobs faster, chasing something, and in a startling moment of clarity, Yoongi realises Jimin is close, his hand working over his **** while he sucks Yoongi’s....

...Yoongi watches, watches Jimin sucking him, watches him jerking himself off, and then it’s too much....

...“Jimin,” he gasps, “gonna ***.”...

...Jimin looks him in the eyes, acknowledging him, and then suddenly his eyes slam shut, his eyebrows furrow, and he cums on the floor between Yoongi’s legs. It’s enough, it’s too much, and Yoongi cums too, down Jimin’s throat again, but this time Jimin doesn’t jerk back in surprise, this time Jimin swallows him down, and Yoongi thinks he may never stop cumming....

...He does, of course, maybe ten seconds before the bell signalling the end of lunch rings. They clean up in a hurry, both flushed and breathing hard, rushing off to their classes, and away from each other....

...He is supposed to go to Yoongi’s tonight for tutoring, but how? He’d been jerking off in the bathroom, which wasn’t his fault really. He’d had gym before lunch, that would have been bad enough, glisteningly sweaty boys running about the place, with their macho posturing. But the showers were pure torture, ***** guys, so many dicks, so many possibilities. Jimin always showered quick, and, apart from a little bit of good-natured ribbing about his shyness, no one took any notice. But it had been weeks since he’d been laid in any form, Yoongi had been the last one to touch him, and so sue him, he’d been painfully horny....

...And of course, of course, Yoongi had been the one to walk in. He knew he was taking a risk, but figured if he jerked off quick, he might just get away with it. When someone had come in, he’d tried to stop, really tried, but his ****** had been so close, so he bit his lip hard, and finished....

...He still doesn’t know if he’s more shocked that Yoongi had got hard listening to him, or that he’d let Jimin suck him off again. But it’s made him think, and yeah, maybe freak out a bit. Either way, he cannot face Yoongi tonight....

...The truth is, no one has touched him since Yoongi because he hasn’t wanted anyone else to touch him, and he hadn’t touched anyone else either. He wants Yoongi, he wants Yoongi to want him, and it’s scaring the shit out of him. He hasn’t liked anyone since Dahyun and look what a fucking mess that turned out to be....

...So, he doesn’t go to Yoongi’s that night, he avoids him at school for the rest of the week, he sees the hurt in Yoongi’s eyes, and he hates himself....

...But they wouldn’t work, they couldn’t work. Despite what he looks like, Yoongi is a good guy, a sweet guy, and innocent guy. And Jimin isn’t. He is a drug dealer, a slut, a manipulative bastard, bad news. And Yoongi doesn’t deserve that. Yoongi deserves someone who will love him, take care of him, treat him like a prince. The sad truth is that Yoongi deserves better....

...In the end, it was Taehyung who made Jimin get his head out of his ***, tackling him just over a week after the school bathroom **** *** incident. Waking Jimin up in the middle of the afternoon after he’d fallen asleep on Taehyung’s bed again....

...“Min,” Taehyung growled, shoving him non to gently on the shoulder, waking him from a very nice dream....

...“What?” Jimin mumbled, trying to surreptitiously wipe the drool from the corner of his mouth....

...“You’re doing it again,” Taehyung hissed....

...“Hmm?” Jimin questioned, rolling over onto his back....

...“Humping my goddamn bed in your sleep, what is wrong with you?”...

...Jimin blushed, registering far too late that he was probably at least halfway hard and definitely showing in his jeans....

...“Fuck, sorry Tae,” he blurted out, sitting up too fast and curling over himself. “I need to get laid,” he muttered, mostly to himself....

...“Not usually a problem for you,” Taehyung told him wryly....

...And he wasn’t wrong, Taehyung was the only one that knew him, really knew him. Sure, he had a lot of friends at school, people to chat to and hang out with. And there was his gang too, Koala, Mouse, Sunshine and now Bunny, the kid was growing on him, sure he was still a bit nervy, but he was a hard worker. But people who knew everything? Just Taehyung. Taehyung knew about his family life, that Jimin was on his own for the vast majority of the time, Taehyung knew about his job, what he did to survive, and Taehyung knew about his personal life, about the men he slept with. So, it was no surprise that Taehyung very quickly picked up when something changed....

...“This something to do with Yoongi?” Taehyung asked him....

...Jimin shrugged, looking at Taehyung, trying to tell him without words what he was struggling to vocalise....

...“Oh,” Taehyung said, realisation dawning, “do you like him?”...

...Jimin huffed out a frustrated noise, “no,” he denied....

...Taehyung didn’t even bother to respond, just raised one eyebrow, waiting for Jimin....

...“Fine,” Jimin sighed, “maybe, but he hasn’t… he doesn’t…” Jimin tried....

...“Wow,” Taehyung breathed, “ok, so you like him?” he checked....

...Jimin nodded....

...“Does he like you?” Taehyung asked....

...Jimin whined, throwing himself facedown into Taehyung’s pillows, “I dunno,” he mumbled....

...“Sit up you big baby,” Taehyung chuckled, “you guys are kind of friends now right? Hanging out when he’s tutoring you? Has he said anything? Does he even like guys?”...

...Jimin blushed, “he likes guys,” was all he confirmed....

...It was enough, “Jimin, what did you do?”...

...“Mighthavefooledaroundabit,” he rushed out....

...“Again, at half the speed,” Taehyung deadpanned....

...“We might have, you know, a bit,” Jimin confessed....

...Taehyung sighed, “why does this not surprise me? Do I want to know?”...

...Jimin shrugged, “I haven’t slept with him, he’s a ******, and I think I might be the first guy he’s, you know, done stuff with.”...

...“Min Yoongi a ******? **** off,” Taehyung exclaimed....

...“I’m serious,” Jimin told him, “he’s really sweet.”...

...Taehyung gawped at him, then giggled, “he’s really sweet?” he repeated back, “fuck, you’ve got it so bad, so date him?”...

...Jimin shook his head, “I can’t, I fucked up,” he whined....

...“What did you do?” Taehyung asked him seriously....

...Jimin sighed heavily, explaining exactly what had happed, how he’d sucked Yoongi off, and then freaked out and ignored him, how they’d been caught cheating on the project, how Yoongi had been tutoring him and then finally, how Yoongi had caught him jerking off at school, and how he’d sucked him off again, and how they hadn’t spoken since....

...“Jesus Jimin, you’re a fucking idiot,” was Taehyung’s response....

...“I know,” he told Taehyung softly....

...“You actually like him? For real? Because you’re kind of acting like a total jerk to him, you know that right?”...

...“I’m not,” Jimin protested weakly....

...“Listen, I love you, but you are,” Taehyung told him seriously....

...“Tae,” Jimin whined....

...“What do you want?” Taehyung asked him, “you want to date him? Be boyfriends? Or do you want a fuckbuddy?”...

...Jimin swallowed, “fuckbuddy,” he guessed....

...Taehyung shook his head, “I don’t think you do, I haven’t seen you like this since, well, you know who,” he told Jimin softly, “I think you actually really like him.”...

...To his horror, a lump started to grow in Jimin’s throat, “I can’t,” he whispered....

...Taehyung pulled him in for a hug, “it’s ok to be scared,” he murmured into Jimin’s hair, “but don’t be mean to Yoongi, if you’re his first you don’t want to hurt him, do you?”...

...Jimin shook his head, clinging onto Taehyung and swallowing hard to try and make the goddamn lump go away....

...“You’re going to have to talk to him, you know that right, be honest with him.”...

...Jimin pulled back, “everything?” he asked Taehyung incredulously....

...“Maybe not all at once,” Taehyung smiled, “but at least tell him you like him and why you’re scared, go slow, stop randomly sucking him off and actually get to know him, let him in a bit.”...

...“Fine,” Jimin agreed, cuddling back into Taehyung, knowing he was right, having no idea of how to actually do it....

... ...

...They were due for another tutoring session on Monday and, despite missing the last couple, Jimin forced himself to go to Yoongi’s house, wondering if he would actually be let in or not....

...Yoongi was guarded, spiky, and Jimin didn’t blame him. He tried to listen to Yoongi teaching him, tried so hard to concentrate, but all that kept going around in his head were thoughts of how to talk to Yoongi, when to talk to him, what to say, and how to properly apologise. He should have thought about it more, because the jumbled mess of consciousness that randomly jumped out of him when Yoongi was halfway through a sentence was nothing short of totally mortifying....

...“Look, I’m sorry I keep sucking you off and ignoring you, but I kind of like you and everything is just all fucked up because you’re nice and I’m an asshole and you haven’t done this before and I have but the guy was an even bigger asshole than me and got engaged behind my back and then got killed so I don’t really know what I’m doing but I think I want to be with you.”...

...It felt like Yoongi stared at Jimin for an entire minute, neither of them breathing, before Yoongi responded with,...

...“What?”...

...Jimin slumped down in his chair, face flaming, “don’t make me say it all again,” he said softly....

...“I just…” Yoongi started, “your last boyfriend got engaged and then died?” he asked....

...Jimin nodded....

...“How did he die?” Yoongi asked, his face a mask of confusion and sympathy....

...“He…” Jimin started, not wanting to go down the whole drugs route just yet, “he made some mistakes, messed with the wrong people, it was his fault,” he told Yoongi....

...“He was engaged?” Yoongi asked next....

...Jimin nodded again, “yeah, that kind of came out of nowhere, one minute we were banging and he was telling me he loved me, the next, he had a fiancé.”...

...“Fucking hell,” Yoongi breathed, “that must have really sucked.”...

...“Hurt like a motherfucking bitch if you want to know the truth, I pissed on his grave the day he was buried.”...

...“You…what?” Yoongi gawped, letting out a little giggle, “fuck, I’m sorry, you just look far too innocent.”...

...Then Jimin giggled too, at the very notion that he was innocent, breathing just a little bit easier, Yoongi was talking to him, they were talking, maybe he could do this....

...“You like me?” Yoongi asked him softly, his own face colouring slightly....

...Jimin nodded once again, “yeah,” he breathed....

...“Ok,” Yoongi replied....

...“Ok?” Jimin questioned....

...“Yeah, I’m mean, you know,” Yoongi tried....

...Jimin shook his head, “I don’t,” he confessed....

...“Me either,” Yoongi laughed out awkwardly, “I mean you’re kind of giving me whiplash.”...

...Jimin winced, “I know, and I’m sorry, I’m an asshole, but I want to, you know, not be an asshole.”...

...“I’m not going to let you suck me off,” Yoongi told him out of nowhere....

...“Never?” Jimin gasped out, more scandalised than he should be....

...“Maybe, not yet, you keep disappearing,” Yoongi told Jimin softly, and Jimin could see in Yoongi’s expression how much it had hurt him....

...“Do you want to hang out with me tomorrow at my place?” Jimin asked, “no homework, watch a movie or something?”...

...Yoongi thought about it, and Jimin’s heart clenched while he waited....

...He got a little nod in response, “but I’m keeping all of my clothes on Park Jimin,” Yoongi told him, teasing him slightly....

...“You won't even take your hoodie off if you get hot?” Jimin teased back....

...“You just want to see the tattoo again,” Yoongi grumbled but he had a soft little smile on his face....

...“You show me yours and I’ll show you mine,” Jimin joked back....

...“You don’t have a tattoo Jimin,” Yoongi told him with an eye roll....

...“And how do you know that?” Jimin bit back....

...“You literally got completely ***** the first time I went to your place,” Yoongi deadpanned back....

...Jimin’s mouth fell open, “maybe I’ve had one done since then,” he recovered....

...“You haven’t,” Yoongi told him confidently....

...“No, I haven’t,” Jimin confessed, “but I do want one, one day.”...

...“You’ll never be as badass as me,” Yoongi told him with a grin....

...Oh, if only he knew....

... ...

...When Jimin didn’t turn up for tutoring after the second **** ***, Yoongi could have kicked himself into the next century for being stupid enough to let him do it again. He can’t say he was entirely surprised, it seems to be Jimin’s forte, suck and go. Did the ignoring hurt him as much the second time? Probably not. Did it still hurt? Yeah....

...And then Jimin did turn up and blurt out a whole mess of information that had Yoongi’s head spinning. He’d had a boyfriend, a pretty serious boyfriend by the sound of it if they were talking about being in love. If Jimin’s disappearing acts hurt, he can’t imagine what Jimin went through to have his boyfriend leave abruptly and then die. It was unreal....

...So maybe he understands Jimin more now, his reticence to get involved makes sense, Jimin is scared....

...He’s not the only one, Yoongi may be vastly less experienced but Jimin’s behaviour has hurt, even if his motivations make more sense now. So, if they’re going to do this, if they’re going to try, Yoongi is going in with his eyes open and his feelings guarded....

...He goes home with Jimin the following day, walking together, talking about random things. And they watch tv in the lounge, something occurring to Yoongi as they sit....

...“Are your parents at work?” He starts curiously....

...His own mum has always had a job that fits in around his school hours, so she’s mostly home when he is, even now he’s older. But he’s never seen anyone else at Jimin’s, which suddenly strikes him as odd....

...To his surprise, Jimin blushes a bit,...

...“Not exactly,” he starts, “my dad… well, I don’t know, he left when I was five, and my mum is in hospital,” he tells Yoongi quietly....

...For a second, Yoongi just stops, Jimin is alone?...

...“Who’s looking after you Jimin?” he asks, confused....

...Jimin smiles softly, “I look after myself,” he tells Yoongi. The swaggering, full of himself Jimin giving way to the Jimin he usually sees at school, quiet and vulnerable....

...“But how? You cook?” Yoongi asks....

...Jimin giggles at that, “yes Yoongi I can cook,” he tells him, “been helping out my mum for years, and when she started to get sick, she taught me.”...

...“What’s wrong with her?” Yoongi asks, wondering if he’s crossing a line here....

...“She’s got a brain tumour,” Jimin tells him, “sometimes she’s better than others. She’s not always in the hospital. When she is, I go and see her twice a week, she doesn’t want me to come every day.”...

...“Fuck, Jimin,” Yoongi breathes out....

...He’s going to ask more, but Jimin’s phone rings, and he rolls his eyes when he sees who it is....

...“I’m not late,” is the first thing he tells whoever is ringing him....

...It’s a short conversation, but Jimin isn’t thrilled by it, sighing heavily as he hangs up....

...“Fuck, I’m sorry Yoongi, I have to go to work early tonight,” Jimin tells him....

...“Work?” Yoongi questions, Jimin has a job?...

...Jimin smiles at him again, “bills still need paying Yoongi,” he teases....

...“You’re at school though,” Yoongi says....

...“No shit,” Jimin deadpans back, “which is why I work at night. Normally don’t start till 10 pm but apparently, I have to go in early tonight.” He trails off, obviously going to say more but suddenly gets evasive....

...“What do you do?” he asks him straight. A simple question, or so he thinks....

...“I…” Jimin starts, huffing out a frustrated breath, “look, I want to tell you, I just kind of can’t.”...

...“Why? Is it illegal or something?” Yoongi jokes, trying to lighten the mood. But Jimin doesn’t reply, and Yoongi knows he’s somehow hit the nail on the head. “wait, really?”...

...“You can’t tell anyone,” Jimin starts, “if I tell you and it gets out…” Jimin shudders....

...“I promise,” Yoongi whispers, unsure if he’s ready to hear....

...“You remember two years ago, at school, there were those two guys, sketchy as **** reputation?”...

...Like Yoongi could ever forget. They’d been untouchable, fellow students, older and younger, teachers and staff, no one could control them. But they were smart, so smart. No matter what accusation was levelled at them, what they got up to, nothing stuck. They breezed through the school as if they owned it, it wouldn’t have surprised Yoongi to find out that they did....

...He nodded, “yeah, the Kim brothers,” he confirmed....

...Jimin pulled a disgusted face, “yeah them, but they’re definitely not brothers, eww,” he cringed....

...Yoongi can’t help but smile a bit at Jimin’s reaction, of all things to disgust him about those two....

...“They’re together, practically married since the fucking stone age,” Jimin told him, “had to watch them grind on each other far too many damn times.”...

...“Anyway, what about them?” Yoongi asked....

...“They’re my bosses,” Jimin told him, “I do, umm, deliveries for them.”...

...And Yoongi isn’t stupid enough to not know that’s only a partial truth....

...“Night deliveries?” he questions, “like food or something?” he prompts....

...“Like drugs,” Jimin whispers....

...“You’re a drug dealer?” Yoongi squeaks in a voice so high he’s kind of embarrassed it came from him....

...He’s on his feet before he knows what’s happening, taking a step back from Jimin, “you’re a drug dealer?” he asks again, horrified and wanting to get out....

...Jimin’s terror is written all over his face, “please Yoongi,” he begs as Yoongi reaches for his shoes, blindly stuffing his feet into them, wanting to escape....

...“I’ve got to go,” Yoongi tells him....

...Jimin looks like he might cry, but he nods like he understands, “please don’t tell anyone Yoongi,” he asks softly, not even following as Yoongi walks out of the door, closing it behind him and walking home with his head spinning....

... ...

...When the door closes behind Yoongi with a soft click, Jimin suddenly can’t breathe, his heart is in his mouth, trying to beat its way right out of him. He sucks in little panicky breaths, curling in on himself, reaching for his phone and the one person who can help right now....

...“Thought you were on a date?” came Taehyung’s deep voice, and Jimin can hear the smirk behind it....

...“He’s gone,” Jimin chokes out, his voice wooden....

...“Jimin? Min? ****, what happened?” Taehyung asked him urgently....

...“I told him, he’s gone,” is all Jimin can tell Taehyung, he can’t breathe in, he can’t breathe out, he might actually be having a heart attack right now....

...“Are you at home?” Taehyung asks him urgently....

...All Jimin can do is murmur out a confirmation and hold on until Taehyung gets there....

... ...

...He’s fast, Jimin knew he would be, there really is no one else in this world he can rely on like Taehyung, and he was stupid to think he was safe to open up to Yoongi. Now everything is fucked up and he’s put himself in danger....

...Taehyung lets himself in, wrapping himself carefully around Jimin soothing one big hand across his back and encouraging him to breathe....

...It takes a while, but Taehyung being there makes it easier, and little by little the panic fades, he can breathe by himself again, and finally talk to Taehyung....

...He tells him everything, from his confession yesterday to his honesty with Yoongi today, and the fact that he has to go into work early because of some bother with another group....

...“If Yoongi tells anyone,” Jimin chokes....

...“Do you think he will?” Taehyung asks him seriously....

...Jimin shrugs helplessly, “I don’t know,” he whimpers, “he looked so, I don’t know, disgusted I guess.”...

...“We’ll worry about that if it happens,” Taehyung tells him....

...“They’ll put me back into care,” Jimin whispers, a few scared tears falling....

...“Min, we won’t let them, you know my parents will have you if it comes to that right?”...

...“I can’t ask them to, it’s too much, I’ll leave, disappear,” Jimin says sadly....

...“Don’t you fucking dare,” Taehyung growls at him, “promise me now. We’ll figure things out ok?”...

...And Taehyung sounds so sure, so confident, that Jimin relaxes a bit, allowing Taehyung’s assurances to wash over him, to fill him....

...Taehyung soothes him, builds him back up and walks him to work, not leaving him until the last possible moment. And he knows when he gets home Taehyung will be waiting for him, ready to tuck him into bed for the couple of hours sleep he’ll manage to squeeze in before school. Taehyung carries him, and he couldn’t do this without him....

... ...

...Yoongi isn’t expecting a random classmate to turn up the same night he’s walked out on Jimin, he knows Taehyung, but they don’t talk, aren’t friends, so his sudden appearance is a mystery. He doesn’t want to come in, doesn’t want to talk at Yoongi’s place, so they go out. Taehyung takes him to a park of all places, and, sitting side by side on the swings in the otherwise abandoned park, Taehyung talks. Yoongi had no idea that he and Jimin were as close as they obviously are. He knew they were friends, but Jimin is friends with a lot of people, not like this though. Taehyung speaks for a while, he’s careful, measured but stern. He doesn’t make excuses for Jimin’s behaviour, but he implores Yoongi to think seriously about what Jimin has trusted him with and think about it he does with the information he’s been given....

...Once he’s back home, alone in bed, it’s all he can think about. Thinking about Jimin, no doubt out by now, working, dealing drugs, how could he? But also, how could he not? Jimin was alone, no dad, sick mother, not old enough to legally work. Yoongi had questioned Taehyung why Jimin wasn’t on the radar of social services, getting help from the authorities, but Taehyung had just shaken his head, telling him that was Jimin’s story to tell if he wanted to. And Yoongi didn’t know, but from the look on Taehyung’s face, something had gone down there too. How many more secrets did Jimin have?...

...Jimin was soft, an angel, pale pink hair, pastel colours and big puppy dog eyes. But Yoongi was beginning to realise that Jimin was dealing with far more than anyone should have to deal with in a lifetime, never mind at such a young age. Jimin was scared and guarded, but with good reason, and he had tried to be honest with Yoongi, and Yoongi had run out on him....

...Jimin said he was an asshole, but maybe Yoongi was too, and maybe it’s time he tried to let Jimin in the way Jimin was trying to let him in....