●19

[Oh, right, Jungkook.] He reached up and removed Jungkook’s arm from across his face. After a long minute of blinking in the dim pre-morning light, Jimin took stock of the situation.

It appeared that even though, the night before, they had gone through all the trouble of pushing two beds together and merging the mattresses so the two boys would have enough room, Jungkook had somehow ended up sprawled on top of him. The other boy was on his back, head resting on Jimin’s upper right bicep, left arm curled above his head--and over Jimin’s face. The blankets had been pushed down and tangled around both their legs, leaving Jimin hot and sweaty where Jungkook crushed him, and cold where he didn’t.

“Wonderful, you’re a bed hog.” His shoulder hurt from Jungkook’s weight. The blond mumbled something and squirmed, trying to get more comfortable on his ‘pillow’. Jimin squeak in protest and sheer mortification. Coiling his fingers around Jungkook’s hand, he used his legs and free hand to slid the other off of him.

Jungkook moved without protest, curling onto his side the instant he was on the mattress and tucking the hand Jimin held under his cheek. Jimin breathed harshly, cheeks flaming, and heart pounding. He stared down at Jungkook, seeing only a pale blur with dark marking for features and a yellowish blur for hair.

[Crap.]

He thought incoherently.

[Crap.]

Jungkook’s breaths ghosted out over his hand. Jimin closed his eyes and settled back down on the bed, using his free hand to untangle the blankets and pull them over his body. Still fuzzy and leaden with sleep, Jimin focused on his breathing until dreams claimed him again.

______________________

There are few things in life that bother you to the point of being willing to chew off your own arm or jump out of a fourth floor window just so you can escape to freedom. Being forced to sit quietly while his archrival talked about him with his less-than-savory friends was one of those things. Though, to be fair, they weren’t talking about him directly--but they did discuss his friends, his House, the teachers, and just about anyone else who liked him or whom he liked. It was like listening to someone rake fingernails down a chalkboard, while singing ‘The Song that Never Ends’ off key.

“---They say that the counter spell won’t work, but I’m not entirely sure I believe it. Well, they’ll just see when my father gets here, he’ll make sure things are set right---“

Jimin was beginning to strongly hate the term ‘my father’. At least they’d shifted subjects.

“---I wouldn’t be surprised if the counter spell does work and they’re just prolonging this to make me suffer. They’re all on park's side anyway---“

Never mind. Jimin resisted the urge to pinch Jungkook. Any and all pleasantness that had existed between them last night and this morning was officially gone.