Stray

fifteen

"I'll drop you off at your workplace, okay?", Namjoon belts up, steering away from the neighbourhood and onto the road.

Jin hums as a response, looking outside the window to hide the giddiness inside him. Something about today, whoa, Jin can't stop the little flips his stomach endures and the love he feels whenever he's around Namjoon.

Namjoon wanted Jin to take another day off, to let the bruises heal but Jin refuses to have his payment cut off, considering he's already short on money.

A weight topples on Jin's crooked hands. He blushes as Joon's thumb rubs small circles against his knuckles. In one smooth motion, Joon links their hands together which somehow fits perfectly, like a puzzle piece waiting to be completed.

Gentle, that's how Namjoon is whenever he's with Seokjin. He has the need to protect the man, to retain him from anything bad. Hell, he's ready to fight whoever lays a hand on him, even if it's in his dreams.

"I'll wait for you until you finish work, and then we'll have dinner together, how does that sound?"

You don't have to would be Jin's immediate response to anyone that he troubles. But for once, just once, he holds that answer back. He can't help but be selfish when it comes to Namjoon.

"Perfect, that sounds perfect," Jin grins.

"That's the place," Jin points, a mechanic shop in sight. Namjoon pulls over. A mechanic approaches the car, asking if he needs a polish or a repair. The teacher politely rejects, saying he's just here to drop a friend off. Jin frowns hearing the word come out of his mouth. Does Namjoon only consider them as friends? He shrugs the thought off, definitely not. It was just for the sake of formality. Yeah, that sounds better.

Think positive, Jin.

"I'll see you later, Jinnie-hyung," Joon says in a sing song manner, waving as Jin shuts the door lazily. Jin bites his lip to refrain from smiling madly, automatically failing.

"Hyung!," Jungkook comes over, hair fluffed into a ball as he wears a red tracksuit. He glances at the car pulling over, "had a ride?"

Jin shrugs, not giving Jungkook a hint. Jungkook moves his jaw involuntarily. He doesn't ask about the bruise on Jin's lips or the subtle ones on his arms. Although his face itches in worry, he knew better not to ask about it. So he does what he's best at instead, becoming the energiser of the room.

To claim his answers, he decides to rephrase his question. "Hyung, did your partner just drop you off?"

"N-no, what are you talking a-about? I had a lift," Jin stutters, face instantly flushing. Jungkook smirks, yeah that was definitely not a lift. He keeps the information in mind, saving it for later.

Jin's previously tense figure relaxes as Jungkook doesn't question him further. He walks over to the mechanic room, Jungkook right behind him, observing his every move and following right after.

A khaki green car lays in place. Jin reads the note on the side of the large screen. It says that the car isn't working properly, must be something inside the engine. It'll take a lot of time to dismantle the parts, not to mention Jin's not too great eyesight as he has to work under the vehicle. Jin rolls his sleeves, breathing hard, "let's waste no time and work hard today, shall we?"

They end up working on the car for almost three hours. Jin's back was aching so bad from the solid hard asphalt. Parts of his face are covered with blotches of oil, sweat was trailing from his forehead and soaking the thin material of his shirt.

"Here, hyung," Jungkook throws Jin a bottle of cold water. Jin drowns himself in the cold liquid, each gulp stronger than before. He lies down on the ground again, too tired to even do anything. Jin is glad that Namjoon only comes to drop him off. It would be horrifying to see Jin in such a messed up state after all this dirty work.