(JIKOOK) Texting Story Snippets

Grateful

"No, I'm staying." Jimin shakes his head, feeling Jungkook's arms wind around his waist from behind him. He knows Jungkook's small finger movements against his stomach are meant to calm him, but his patience with the growing hostility of the situation is wearing thin. They've already made the scene his mother is ashamed of, the one she pleaded with him not to make. She's bowing her head in her hands, occasionally peeking between her fingers to cringe at the few onlookers around them.

"Lets take this outside." Jimin's father grunts his words, aware of the peeping eyes. He feels uncomfortable, but his expression remains serious.

Jimin scoffs. "Why? To make it easier for you to throw me in the back of your car and take me with you?" He leans into Jungkook's hold on him and looks away from his fathers furious eyes, his own pricking with held back tears. He can't help but choke up from the words that pass his lips. The bottom one is quivering when he speaks, his mind is providing him with vivid flashbacks he'd rather not be burdened with. "Isn't that what you plan to do if I don't cooperate? You'll just take me, like my decision is meaningless."

"You aren't safe here. Jungkook agrees, tell him." Jimin's father points at the man he just tossed into the spotlight.

Jungkook's fingers stop moving when Jimin rests his hand on them, the smaller turning slightly in his arms to glance back at him. He feels ashamed now, witnessing Jimin's reaction to the subject of leaving and he understand now how incredibly right Seokjin had been. There's no point in lying about what he'd previously believed what the right decision for Jimin's life would be, to go with his parents. Nobody should, or can control another person like that. If anybody deserves to make their own choices, it's Jimin. If he wants to stay, Jungkook wants nothing but that. He nods. "I did agree, but I changed my mind. I can keep you safe, Jimin."

Jimin lets his tensed muscles relax. His shoulders sink at another realization. Jungkook has all the signs of a man who's feeling nothing but guilt. He can see from the set lines in his face, his pained expression and the way he's controlling his nervous fingers from fidgeting with anything they come in contact with. Jimin lays his palms on top of the back of Jungkook's stiff hands. His own fingers curl around the others and he leans back further to whisper to his boyfriend, soft enough for only him to hear, "I know that, bunny. I trust you." They can talk about their feelings later, when he's living out what's become his greatest fantasy, just laying beside Jungkook in his bed. When he's home in Jungkook's safety, his arms that aren't anxious around him. He craves for the warmth that shows best in Jungkook's smile when he looks at him. "And I won't leave you. I wouldn't even if you wanted me to."

Jungkook presses the tip of his nose against Jimin's turned cheek and he breaths. "I know." He tilts his head slightly to kiss the soft skin below Jimin's eye. He craves his lips, but so many eyes are watching and they're not finished yet. He flips his hands under Jimin's and gently wraps his fingers around the boys wrists, pulling him closer. "I want you to stay with me."

Jimin's father huffs from the corner of the room. He stands up from the seat he'd taken and his hands dive into his pockets. "This is enough. I said you're coming with us and that's what you'll do." He lifts a finger to point again at Jungkook. "We let you come here with us because we felt empathetic, you were upset. You said you agreed with us. You said you would make Jimin go even if he didn't want to. You agreed that we can keep him safer."

"I can keep him safe." Jungkook lifts his head after speaking back to the older man. He shakes his head. "I want him to stay, he wants to stay, and I will keep him safe."

"Goodbyes are difficult, but this is about his life now. He's my son, he will come with his parents now, whether you both want it or not."

Jungkook swallows hard. His shoulders rise a little from the heat placed upon them. He feels like he's stepping into a battlefield with his next words. "He's my boyfriend, and I'll protect him with my life. His life is safe with me."

Hoseok looks up from his seat, catching onto the change of Jungkook's tone. He's impressed, to say the least, at the determination he finds in the man's stature. Jimin looks a bit meek in his arms and Hoseok feels a bout of annoyance overtake him from the sight of it. Jimin shouldn't be dealing with this kind of stress after what he went through. He shouldn't have to. He slowly rises to his feet, as not to attract too much attention from the others, and shuffles to his friends side.

"You can say that he's safe now, after what just happened?" Jimin's father scoffs. "He was taken right from under your nose."

"Dad," Jimin tries to intervene, but Hoseok steps up beside him, cutting him off.

"That's not what happened. We were at school, Jungkook was in class, and it's not his fault that a psychopath was able to come close enough to take Jimin that day." Hoseok glares, his annoyance twisting into a bit of anger from the demeanor of the older man. "If you want to question some bodies safety measures and how they're set in place after something like this happens, contact the school you chose to enlist your son in."

Jimin's father widens his eyes, surprised by the voice coming from a boy he's known to be well mannered since the day his son befriended him. He's never seen such a fire in Hoseok's eyes and he sighs. "Kid, I don't think this concerns you very much. I know Jimin is your friend-"

"He's my best friend, and Jungkook is important to me, too." Hoseok interrupts. "Jimin is safe, is he not? He's standing right here, unharmed, and can you tell me why?"

"The police-"

"No. Jungkook. Jimin is safe right now because of Jungkook, not you. Not even the police." Hoseok huffs. "Do you know how crazy he is? Do you know how far he's willing to go, just to see Jimin smile? I've seen it plenty, you haven't. You weren't there through the shit Jungkook went through because he couldn't find Jimin. You didn't see how many times he screamed at his phone when that guy wouldn't text him back, because he was scared that it meant something was happening that he couldn't save Jimin from. You didn't see how many meals he passed on because he couldn't stomach a single thing through the worry, or the way he sat in my bed and cried until it made him puke. You've never proven how far you would go to keep Jimin alive, but Jungkook has. He has the scar to prove that. Say that you can keep Jimin safer than he can."

The room is silent for a moment. Jimin feels Jungkook's sigh on his neck and it almost makes him lose his balance. His heart is cracking in his chest from Hoseok's speech, his mind giving him mental images of everything his friend described. It hurts to think of Jungkook like that and Jimin's eyes are already brimming with tears as he glances up at the serious look on Hoseok's face. "Hobi," He mutters to make the other look at him. He doesn't need to say anything when they meet eyes, as Jimin shows his gratitude with a meaningful stare. He's grateful, because even if he can only imagine what Hoseok did for his boyfriend, he knows that it kept Jungkook afloat. He's grateful because Hoseok isn't only his friend, but he's Jungkook's friend, too. Jimin smiles at him through the ache in his heart and he reaches out to pull Hoseok's arm, bringing him closer to himself and Jungkook. His fingers interlock with his boyfriends and he can't help but feel incredibly blessed to have such wonderful people in his life, people to love him through anything, a boyfriend to protect him and care for him at all costs. "I'm staying." Jimin says through a son trapped in his throat.