Park Jimin Fan Fiction - Tumblr Posts

Ik it's an incomplete fic, but this another one of my comfort fic that I love to come back to. I hope people do read it atleast once.

filtering light 「 ch. 1 」

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pairing: park jimin x reader x jeon jungkook

includes: bunny!reader, human!park jimin, human!jeon jungkook, golden retriever!jung hoseok, human!min yoongi, tiger!kim taehyung, human!kim namjoon, human!kim seokjin.

word count: 6k

warnings: none

summary: the reader is a bunny hybrid with a past that has left her traumatized and struggling to heal. some things can be helped with therapy, but some things can only be fixed through realizing you're not all of the things that hurt you—you are, in fact, just loved.

[ one ] [ two ] [ three ] [ four ] [ five ] [ six ] [ seven ]

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The garden of The Violet was lush and sprawling, filling everything the eye could see with green leaves, bright flowers, and twinkling butterflies. The day was perfect; spring had just begun and the days were perfectly cool, the sun warming whatever parts of people it could touch. The humans moving around were all smiling, making polite conversation, and snacking on whatever food had been put out by the catering company. The banner that hung over the entrance to the garden reminded everyone that they were there for a cause: The Violet Hybrid Awareness Fund. As if the attendees could forget anyway.

The Violet had set up the event to raise awareness for hybrid care and hybrid lives—something the foundation had become directly involved in when they opened a shelter of their own almost a decade prior. Hybrid rights was a young movement but there were more and more people dedicating themselves to being a voice for the hybrids who were constantly being silenced. The Violet had invited some of the community’s most powerful and influential people to spend the day learning more about hybrid life and how they can help hybrids even if they didn’t want to adopt one.

There had been classes on almost every kind of hybrid and what they were like. There were classes on hybrid treatment (and cases of mistreatment). There were classes detailing The Violet’s plan to improve as many hybrid lives as possible. Currently, hybrids still had to be adopted to be free, and when they were in public they were required by law to wear their collars. The Violet, however, wanted hybrids to be enabled to gain their independence and autonomy without fear of humans interfering or hurting them.

While it was now generally frowned upon to have hybrids as servants, there were plenty of people in the world who thought of hybrids as property they paid for and could do what they wanted with. There were a few programs forming that worked to create policies that protected hybrids and made it possible to prosecute people who treated their hybrids inhumanely, but there was still a lot of work to be done. The Violet was asking communities to partner with them in the fight.

The morning had been filled with information and passionate words from founders of The Violet as well as from employees who had one story or another of how they were faced with the injustice of hybrid treatment and how they chose to stand and fight for those who were not allowed to fight for themselves. It was all very emotional and moving, if Park Jimin did say so himself.

Jimin had been invited alongside his partner, Jeon Jungkook, and a few of their friends. They felt strongly about the treatment of hybrids—anyone with eyes to see the abuse they suffered would be—but truly the two had no idea there was so much they didn’t know about hybrids in general. Their friend Namjoon was more knowledgeable on the subject, and he had been excited about the event for weeks. Namjoon was heavily involved in The Violet’s efforts to raise the quality of life for hybrids, even volunteering his time on top of donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to the foundation every year. How he found time on top of being the CEO of his own clean energy company was anyone’s guess. But if he struggled with balance it didn’t show as he approached the table his people sat at. He was grinning with excitement.

“Are you excited to meet the hybrids?” He asked, sitting down and stealing a cheese cracker off of Jungkook’s plate.

“Hybrids?” Jimin asked, looking up from the pamphlet he’d been reading. It was about hybrid nesting and he found it interesting enough that he’d been reading in silence, paying little attention to his surroundings until Namjoon spoke up.

“Yeah, the lady said it earlier. Some hybrids from the shelter are going to be here so we can meet them.” Jungkook remembered.

“Oh,” was all Jimin said.

He felt a little overwhelmed with information about the reality hybrids faced. In the seminar he sat in, they had talked about cases in which hybrids were mistreated and defended themselves but were impounded as a result. Past shelters were nothing like what The Violet had going on. There were pictures of small cages, unsanitary living conditions, and overcrowding. Staff members were just as likely to abuse the hybrids they were responsible for as the monsters the hybrids had just escaped.

“One of my trainers has a hybrid,” Jungkook said around a bite of melon. “She’s a cat hybrid. Kind of feisty.”

“Our CFO has a cat hybrid.” Namjoon nodded. “They usually have their person and everyone else can fuck off.” He chuckled.

“What kind of hybrid is the best to work with?” Jungkook asked Namjoon, wide eyes inquiring up at him.

“I get along well with dog hybrids. They’re the most approachable.”

“You mean you scare the other ones off.”  Jimin laughed. Namjoon blushed and shifted in his seat like he was being put out by the teasing.

“Ah—okay, okay.” He rolled his eyes. Everyone knew Namjoon was a bit clumsy. Dog hybrids found it funny if anything. He did in fact alarm a lot of the prey hybrids, who were already weary of him because of his size. “Anyway, most of the hybrids visiting will be low key. Some dogs, some cats, maybe a hamster. The more agreeable hybrids.”

“Agreeable?” Jungkook questioned.

“Yeah,  the ones who are okay with people for the most part. Some of the more exotic hybrids take a while to warm up to humans and wouldn’t benefit from something like this.” He sipped his drink. “But The Violet wanted to bring some hybrids who wouldn’t mind people but could also benefit from more exposure to people.”

The three men hummed in thought.

“Will you know any of them?” Jimin asked.

“No, probably not. Most of my work is done in the offices.”

And they fell into conversation about Namjoon’s work with The Violet, his business trying to make clean energy for the city, and his partner Jin. Jin was out of town on his own business, and wasn’t able to make it. None of the men missed the way Namjoon’s eyes softened when he spoke about missing his husband. It made the guys promise to try and distract him until Jin got back, making an offer to look around at the new art exhibit that had opened downtown. Namjoon was taking them up on that when the hybrids arrived.

There was no announcement at first, so as not to make the hybrids uncomfortable. But slowly, they started trickling in from inside the building. The first to be noticed was a golden retriever that spoke loudly and with an excited lilt in his tone. There was a scottish fold hybrid that sat alone until a few women approached her to make conversation. There weren’t more than twenty-five hybrids but the guests could see where they were based on the pockets of people that surrounded them.

Most thrived on the attention, their tails shaking back and forth behind them as they answered people’s questions. Others were visibly nervous and it seemed as though the staff members would notice and subtly guide attendees elsewhere so the hybrid would not be overwhelmed. It was truly interesting to witness. With images of hybrids being mistreated still fresh in their minds, everyone was being mindful and kind.

After about fifteen minutes, the announcement was finally made that The Violet’s hybrids had arrived and were making themselves comfortable. There were some activities for everyone to do to just relax and have fun. A corner for painting with easels and canvases was set up off to the side, away from where a game of soccer had started out between some dog hybrids and a few athletes who had come to support The Violet. Some younger hybrids were drawing with chalk along the walkways of the garden. Some hybrids kept to themselves and others joined in groups with humans, making small talk and just enjoying the opportunity to meet people who weren’t staff members. Everyone seemed occupied, doing their own thing, and Jungkook had decided he wanted to try his hand at painting.

There were a couple mouse hybrids that had started up in the paint area, and he greeted them as he looked around the supplies for what he might want. Jungkook had seen hybrids in passing, but had never really interacted with them. None of his friends owned any, and the ones he had met on the street were often not allowed to interact with strangers. That was why an event like this was important, he thought, to teach hybrids they shouldn’t have to be afraid of strangers. Though, a small part of his mind whispered that more often than not hybrids had a reason to fear humans. Regardless, humans should learn to be more comfortable with hybrids as well.

He grabbed a few sheets of watercolor paper, some brushes, a pen, some paint, and headed back to the table where his friends were. On his way he also snagged a plate of pastries, grinning to himself at the sight of the sweets. He placed his things down on the table and realized Jimin was talking with a hybrid. It was the golden retriever he had seen come out first.

When the hybrid got to the table where Jimin and Namjoon were chatting, he told them his name was Hoseok. Hoseok was very obviously friendly and extroverted. He had made his rounds talking to anyone and everyone. His conversation with Jimin was about what kind of work Jimin did. Jimin, it turned out, worked in security.

“Yeah? Like Park Systems level security?” Hoseok joked. Park Systems was a well known security company based in the city. The company was trusted with most of the big business security teams as well as basic home security systems. Hoseok had made the joke because the idea of the CEO of Park Systems being at The Violet talking to a golden retriever hybrid seemed laughable. When Jimin extended his hand and introduced himself as Park Jimin, Hoseok’s face had dropped in shock.

“No way.”

Hoseok had a million questions about it. He erupted in a flurry of inquiries. Jungkook was giggling at the hybrid’s enthusiasm when Namjoon leaned over to whisper in his ear.

“Hey, Kook, I think you have a shadow.”

Jungkook looked at him with confusion and Namjoon’s eyes flicked over his shoulder. The younger man slowly turned his head and there, pretending to play with a wildflower, was a hybrid he hadn’t noticed before.

You had started out at the front of the garden, playing with some of the younger hybrids and making hop-scotch. The kids loved when you jumped around with them, your ears flopping back and forth. You were only the second bunny hybrid The Violet had housed, and the children all found you adorable. However, when they had inevitably run off to play, you were left to your own devices with no excuse to avoid talking to the humans around.

You knew the staff was keeping a close eye on you. This was the first event you had been to since you came to The Violet, and you still struggled with big crowds of people. You were promised it would be relaxed and lowkey, and it was true. No one was staring too much, and no one was approaching you to ask questions. The people at the event were conscious that you were a bunny, and the one thing on the pamphlet about bunny hybrid care that was emphasized was their skittishness. When they were spooked, they would bolt. The caterer who handed you a plate of snacks even smiled softly at you, gentle and soothing as if trained. You assumed The Violet actually had trained them.

You had just settled in a particularly sunny patch of grass when you saw him. At first your heart stopped, thinking he was another bunny hybrid like yourself. But you realized almost immediately that he was human. However, the longer you looked the more you could see why you had mistaken him for a hybrid. His eyes were big and brown, and flicked this way and that as he took in his surroundings. He nibbled on his food while listening to the large man beside him talk about something. When someone said something he found amusing his nose would scrunch up in a way you found endearing. The man wasn’t a hybrid but he almost acted like one.

You had been content watching from afar as he relaxed and talked to the people at his table. He didn’t seem too interested in the hybrids around them, though when one walked by he gave them a nod or a small smile to be polite. When he got out of his seat, you had panicked slightly, fearing he was leaving though you had no grounds to. When you followed at a distance, it was clear he was just going to entertain himself.

You watched him look through the paints and brushes in the section for art, his brow furrowing in thought. He was frowning slightly with concentration, though when he noticed the two mouse hybrids looking at him he quickly softened his expression to say hello. He was choosing his colors after agonizing over the options and then he was moving back toward the table. In his arms he juggled the paper and all of the supplies he wanted. You were worried he was going to drop them. When he stopped to snag a plate of treats, you had giggled into your hand as you watched his balancing act of holding art supplies and piling desserts on the plate before balancing it all for the home stretch.

You tried to remain casual about it. You’d stop to admire a flower and debated picking it. You’d made small talk with a hybrid who asked if you were enjoying yourself. All the while your eyes were flicking back to the man, as if you were afraid he would disappear. Eventually, you had settled back in your spot, holding several flowers you deemed too pretty to not pick. The man was starting to mess around with his paints, listening to the people around him talk, sometimes smiling to himself as though he was just happy to exist in the same place as his friends. It was the first of only two times you would think to yourself that a human was beautiful. Not just attractive, but beautiful. In the same way as your flowers, or a sun shower or the sound of your friend Hoseok singing in the morning when he brought you a glass of juice and some fruit to nibble on.

You were so transfixed on the man that you didn’t register his friend’s attention on you. He had noticed you get up and had watched with curiosity as you lingered behind the youngest of their friend group. He was sure you weren’t aware of his gaze as you watched Jungkook wander around. He even chuckled to himself at your expression when a chatty pomeranian hybrid intercepted you and struck up a conversation. You were trying to be polite but the worry in your brow and shiftiness of your eyes told Namjoon you were agitated. It was almost heartbreaking how obviously enraptured with Jungkook you were. He couldn’t help but tell Jungkook about it the moment he thought no one would be paying attention.

When Jungkook moved and you realized he was turning to look at you, you froze. Your head tipped down and your fingers nervously rubbed at the flowers in your lap. Your cheeks were pink with the embarrassment of getting caught and part of you was gnawing at itself with fear. No one liked to be stared at. You were supposed to keep to yourself and not bother guests. You had learned that attracting attention from humans was dangerous. You should have been more careful, no matter how interested you were in the man.

Jungkook was also blushing. You were perhaps the cutest creature he had ever seen. With your head down, all he could see were your ears. One was a warm brown, almost black like your hair, and the other was white. He hadn’t seen a hybrid with two different colored ears before, and he found it charming. Even if you weren’t trying to make yourself as small as possible (like you presently were) you would be one of the most delicate hybrids there. He realized he had seen you earlier, playing with the children, and had mistaken you for one of the younger hybrids. By yourself, however, it was clear you were older, maybe around his age even. Jungkook had only gotten a glimpse of your eyes before you had ducked your head down, but from just a look he knew they were big and round, expressive in their emotion. He was intrigued.

“What do I do?” He asked, almost speaking out of the side of his mouth as if any movement would send you away. Namjoon found it incredibly cute.

“Don’t scare her away.”

Jungkook rolled his eyes. Very helpful, hyung. He racked his brain for what he had learned about bunny hybrids, but all he could remember was that they flopped sometimes and it was a good thing. Jungkook was so caught up in trying to remember what the staff had said about bunny hybrids that he didn’t notice Jimin’s conversation with Hoseok had paused at Jungkook and Namjoon’s whispering. Hoseok was looking between Jungkook and you, his eyes thoughtful before a grin appeared, bright and energetic.

“She likes strawberries.” Hoseok whispered. The men followed his eyes to the plate of fruit Jimin had abandoned. There was a small pile of strawberries in the middle. Jungkook met Hoseok’s eyes and didn’t notice the way Jimin was watching him..

A few feet away, you knew they were talking about you.. Hoseok usually took enough of the attention that you could get by unnoticed but even he was whispering. You wanted to glare at him to communicate your feelings of betrayal but couldn’t bring yourself to look at any of them.

“Jimin, are you going to finish these strawberries?” Jungkook asked, his voice raised loud enough for it to carry across the garden. It was the first time you had really heard it fully and your ears twitched.

“Oh, I don’t think I can. They look delicious, but I’m so full.” Jimin played along, rubbing his tummy as though stuffed when in reality, he hadn’t eaten much.

Your ears were tilting towards them, intrigued by the idea of fresh strawberries. You snuck a peak and saw the forbidden fruit, piled high on a small plate by Jungkook’s elbow. But in the short glance you saw that Jungkook was still looking at you and you felt so shy you couldn’t move from where you sat.

Two emotions were warring in your chest. There was the desire to draw nearer to someone who seemed like you—who seemed safe (Hoseok wasn’t sensing any danger, surely, or he wouldn’t be engaging with them)—and the feeling that it was a trap. Like you would approach the table and the moment before you touched the berries a hand would shoot out and grab your wrist and you’d be punished for not fighting your temptations. You’d be punished for not controlling your urges, once again.

Was this a trap? You looked again at the strawberries and tears began to brim your eyes. You desperately wanted to go closer but the risk was too much. The conflict was stressing you out. So you didn’t move from your spot, paralyzed with the desire to move and the fear to go.

Over at the table, Jungkook deflated. Jimin gave him an encouraging smile and his hand went to squeeze his shoulder in an attempt to comfort the younger boy. Hoseok, however, was undeterred.

“Just give her time.” He said firmly. He watched the way your ears twitched and knew you wouldn’t be able to resist the fruit for long.

“Do you know her?” Jimin asked.

“Yeah, she’s my best friend,” he grinned proudly. The surprised looks didn’t go unnoticed. It was a surprise that you let the loud hybrid anywhere near you. You looked like a leaf falling to the ground would convince you to run for cover.

But Hoseok knew you better.

He struck up a conversation with Jungkook instead, trying to distract them to give you the window to feel safe enough to move.

It turned out that Jungkook’s occupation went hand in hand with Jimin’s. He had a studio where his trainers lead different exercise classes like Bikram yoga or boxing, as well as taught self-defense classes such as Krav Maga and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It was obvious that Jungkook himself was very athletic and in shape, even in his oversized clothing.

Jungkook was talking about why he started working out when out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement. He stuttered almost imperceptibly in his speech but recovered quickly, fighting a smile at the sight of you shifting your posture. He could have laughed at himself. He had never paid so much attention to one person before. Besides Jimin, of course.

When Hoseok had gotten Jungkook talking, the lull of his voice was almost too much to resist. You were struggling against the movement of your inner self weighing the risk of coming closer. Your inner bunny wanted to hide just in case, but even she was being drawn in by the sight of the fruit lying out, just asking to be eaten. All of your lines of defense were crumbling.

You were moving slowly, almost not of your own volition. It was as if something else was propelling you forward and you were inching toward the corner of the table where the plate rested.

When you reached the table, directly next to him, Jungkook kept talking but watched as your small hand reached out. Your fingers clutched a strawberry, your eyes darted around at each face at the table to see if they were paying attention to you but each of the males’ faces were trained anywhere else though they were all aware of you. Tension was coiled in your chest as you envisioned the hand that threatened to grab you. At last you brought the fruit to your lips and you took a nibble.

It was like every man at the table exhaled. Jungkook was beaming inwardly and Jimin was wiping at his nose to hide his smile. Namjoon was pushing his food around his plate with a small smile of his own and Hoseok was grinning in victory. You made a small noise, almost a clicking sound in the back of your throat, and all of them wondered what it was except for Hoseok, who knew it meant you were happy.

You weren’t being punished. You were a little closer to the stranger who kept looking at you out of the corner of his eye.

“Hello, happy bun. Would you like to sit down?” Hoseok was the first to address you and Jungkook’s eyes cut to him in fear that he was going to scare you away. Somehow, in the way that Hoseok just seemed to know things, it was exactly what you needed. Verbal affirmation that you could stay. You looked shyly at Jungkook and he immediately scooted, practically sitting on Namjoon. Namjoon cursed and also moved to the empty seat at his right. The older man’s grumpiness made you giggle and Jungkook’s eyes widened at the sound. He looked directly at Jimin to see if he had heard it and Jimin’s expression was one of slight awe. Jungkook ignored Namjoon’s grumbling as you lowered yourself in the now empty chair, timidly glancing at Jimin to your left and Jungkook to your right.

The seat was warm, and you could smell something warm, musky, and slightly floral.

“I like your flowers,” Jungkook told you. “Could I draw them?” He asked. You nodded, lifting the flowers to hand to him but Jungkook stopped you. “You’re fine. Just hold them like you were.”

Jimin started telling Hoseok about how Jungkook was incredibly talented at drawing and painting things. “Jungkook drew our friend’s wedding portrait.” He bragged. It was the first time you’d heard someone say his name. Jungkook.

You weren’t speaking but watching Jungkook draw, leaning slightly closer to get a better view. He was not just drawing the flowers, but you could see he was also drawing you. Or at least part of you. The watercolors were roughly spreading across the page, making the image of the flowers in your grasp. You practically preened, making a happy noise as you leaned into Jungkook, unaware of the fact that you were now touching beyond the unconscious comfort it gave you to be close to him.

Jimin was melting, however, watching the attention you gave his love. How you looked is how he felt. You watched Jungkook with thee expression he had only ever seen Jungkook himself make, when he found something interesting and beautiful and inspiring. He was sure you weren’t aware you were doing it.

While you were in your own little world, the afternoon went on with the activities. There were classic games like a two-legged race (which Jimin and Hoseok lost phenomenally at), a game of musical chairs that Hoseok won, and an egg toss that resulted in some impressive work by a pair of labrador hybrids. You watched everyone running around and having fun, and you looked like you wanted to get closer as Jimin and Namjoon entered the tug-of-war competition. Jungkook’s gaze went from you to the people lining up and back to you. Then he asked, “Want to go watch?”

You squeaked in surprise that he had directly addressed you and Jungkook patiently waited for you to compose yourself. You looked back at where Jimin and Namjoon playfully pretended to stretch and warm up, jokingly eyeing the hybrids that had volunteered to play. It looked fun, and Jungkook’s large friend looked strong, like a bull hybrid you’d seen once. You found yourself nodding and wordlessly, your hand moved to grasp Jungkook’s.

He watched it happen in slow motion, your hand moving from your lap towards his own where he mindlessly swung his pen around. He let the pen fall from his fingers in favor of opening his palm to you. Your hand was so small compared to his that he almost cooed. Your fingers wrapped around his and you looked at him with a vulnerability that made him want to place himself between you and anything that even thought about looking at you.

Hoseok saw the exchange from his place by the snack table and grinned. He allowed himself a single yip of celebration.

Jungkook led you to the tables nearest the competition and when Jimin saw the two of you watching he started acting cute, doing little dances and waving. It made you blush and hide in Jungkook’s shoulder, giggling to yourself. Jungkook gave Jimin a thumbs up and mouthed ‘keep it up’. Namjoon watched the whole interaction with thinly veiled amusement and made a note to himself. Before Jimin could make you laugh any more, the staff member officiating the tug-of-war game started talking and telling everyone the rules.

The tarp with mud was pulled into the middle of the field and the players lined up. You peaked out from behind Jungkook’s shoulder and watched as his friends lined up with five other random attendees and got into place.

You were sure the hybrids would win immediately. Hybrids were created to be stronger than humans. However, when the whistle blew and everyone started pulling in their own direction, it was clear why the human team had put Namjoon at the very back of the rope. At first he was leaning back to resist the pull of the hybrids, but after a moment, when the team had gotten their bearings, he turned and started walking in the other direction, the rope over his shoulder. Namjoon was strong. You watched him with wide eyes, huddling close to Jungkook.

Just like when you had taken his seat, this scent surrounded you. It was lavender and something else you didn’t have a name for: but with him close you got a better whiff. It was a warm scent, earthy and musky. You hadn’t smelled something like it before and you decided you liked it. You tried to inhale discreetly, rubbing your cheek against Jungkook’s shoulder. The scenting was almost unconscious. Almost. There was a part of you that wanted some of the smell on yourself, so even when the day was over and you were back in your room at The Violet, you would have the memory of him still on your cheek.

Jungkook was completely unaware of the scenting. All he knew was that you had started nuzzling him and he thought it was endearing. He was struggling to focus on the tug-of-war match in front of him. And when one of the humans slips and falls into the tarp of mud, his laughter is partly at their expense and partly an excuse to indulge in the happiness he felt that you had warmed up to him. He doesn’t catch you looking at him over his shoulder, smiling at the sound of his laughter.

Eventually, nature had the last say. Namjoon was strong, but not seven hybrids strong. The human side of the rope was pulled into the mud and Jimin’s shout of defeat startled you. So much so that you jumped and moved back behind Jungkook. He let you grip his hand, moving his other hand to stroke your arm in assurance.

“It’s okay…” He realized at that moment that he didn’t even know your name. “Jimin is just playing.” He soothed. Jimin. That was his name.

“Is he okay?” You ask quietly. It’s the first full sentence you’ve spoken in the hour you had spent with him. Jungkook grinned and it was stunning you.

“He’s fine, bun.” He resorted to the nickname he’d heard Hoseok use, and you clicked your approval and rubbed your forehead against Jungkook’s back. Your face warmed with embarrassment but you couldn’t help yourself.

Jimin came bounding up then, covered in mud and grinning ear to ear. He gave Jungkook a kiss that Jungkook scrunched his nose at because Jimin was completely covered in mud.

“We almost won.” He insisted.

“If only your team was full of Joonies.” Jungkook laughed.

Jimin noticed you peeking out at him from behind Jungkook’s shoulder but didn’t say anything. He just gave you a smile that left you smiling yourself. Then he excused himself to try and get as much mud off as possible for the ride home. “Make sure Kook doesn’t get into any trouble, okay?” He asked you. He waited until you nodded shyly before taking off.

The mention of the event ending had dread plummeting your stomach to the ground. You knew eventually that Jungkook would leave but you had pushed those thoughts out of your mind. Of course he had to go. Jimin had to go, too. They had lives to get back to and they couldn’t stay and feed you strawberries all day. It made you sad and your ears drooped, tickling Jungkook’s cheek. He could sense the mood shift and to cheer you up asked if you wanted to share a plate of strawberries. Then when you two sat back down you ate all of them.

When the staff members started canvasing the garden, the sun was starting to set. They were rounding up hybrids and telling them to say their final goodbyes to the friends they had made. You were sitting in between Jimin and Jungkook, dozing off, your head lolling forward as you struggled to stay awake and enjoy your last moments with them. In your heart you longed for a different life. One where instead of the staff member squeezing your shoulder and quietly letting you know it was time to start heading out, Jungkook would let you sleep, safe and warm with his scent beside you, until it became so late that he carried you to your bed—no, your nest. In this dream you had a nest of your own. A warm place of blankets, pillows, lavender, and bergamot.

But that wasn’t your life, and in your life, Hoseok was coming to collect you and walk with you back to your dorm. Pushing the urge to cry down, you barely managed a sound as you gave Jungkook’s hand one last squeeze. You two hadn’t let go since the tug-of-war game. It was a heartbreaking thing to see, and Jimin was equally moved when you said goodbye to him, your soft voice floating up to his ears.

The group watched you go and when you disappeared around the corner, the mood was noticeably depressed. Jungkook looked like a kicked puppy. Jimin’s hand was going up and down his back in an attempt to soothe him but honestly, even he didn’t know what to say. Jungkook had obviously connected with you and you with him.

“Maybe we can come back and visit her,” he offered quietly. Jungkook was blinking rapidly, nodding his head.

“Have you ever thought of adopting a hybrid?” Namjoon chose this moment to bring up what he had been thinking the whole day. Jimin and Jungkook shot their heads in his direction.

“What?” Jimin asked at the same moment Jungkook said “Could we?”

Namjoon’s expression was that of self-satisfaction.

“Those were all hybrids that live at The Violet.” He stated the obvious. “The long-term goal isn’t for them to spend the rest of their lives there. It’s for them to be adopted and get to live their lives in a home where they are safe and free to live autonomously with people who will love and care for them. That’s probably part of The Violet’s aim in bringing them here to the event. If anyone were to be interested in adopting a hybrid, they have the opportunity to interact with some and get a feel for what would fit best in their homes and lives.”

Jimin was going back and forth between looking at Namjoon and looking at Jungkook, who was looking as though someone had handed him banana milk on a platter and he found out there was a million dollars in the bottom of the jug.

Then, Jungkook seemed to deflate. He was staring at the table, processing what Namjoon had said. Watching you leave had felt like having his heart wretched out of his chest. It was worse knowing you didn’t want to leave. But he had learned enough in the seminars to know that taking care of a hybrid was a big job. They needed a lot of attention and care. You had to be an expert on your hybrid because they were relying on you to keep them safe and healthy. Jungkook didn’t know if he was up for that kind of responsibility. “I can’t take care of a hybrid by myself.”

The words were mumbled, as though he were just processing aloud and hadn’t realized he’d spoken at all. And he hadn’t realized. Not until Jimin made a disapproving sound and his hand went to Jungkook’s thigh. He squeezed it lightly and Jungkook looked up at him.

“No, you can’t.” He was staring so softly at Jungkook that the younger boy almost missed how negative his words were. Almost. Part of him had hoped Jimin would disagree and tell Jungkook he was entirely capable of taking care of you. So, Jungkook looked on, confused and slightly betrayed as his boyfriend leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

“But we can.”

© sybilwriting 2021

Dangerous | Chapter One: Déjà Vu

Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Bad Boy!Jimin, Bartender!Reader, College AU

Pairing: Jimin/Named Reader

Rating: M

Chapter Warnings: alcohol consumption, adult language, lead up to sex, seduction, slight dubious consent

"Eh, Inna, what is this about? I'm trying to get laid!" your friend, Ye-jin said, as you pulled off the dance floor and away from the guy she was dancing with.

You pointed over to the doorway where Jimin and his friends were still standing, talking among themselves and eyeing up the place. His eyes landing on you briefly, looking you up and down, before flitting back out to the dance floor.

"See the guy over there?" you asked. "That's Park Jimin, remember? The guy from high school I told you about."

Ye-jin's eyes lit up with recognition and she turned back to you, her small hands clenched cutely into fists.

"You want me to fight him, Inna?" Her lips firming into a thin line and her eyes darkening.

You laughed. "No, but I am going to get my revenge tonight, but I need you to keep the bartender busy."

Ye-jin rolled her eyes. "You know he won't talk to me since--"

"Then, act like you're sick or seduce him or something! I just need to get behind that bar!"

"You're okay with that?" she asked, biting her lip.

"I don't care," you said, dismissing the topic with your hand.

She nodded and headed over to the bar. You watched as she batted her eyelashes and swayed her hips just right. You knew Ye-jin wouldn't take it too far, but it still hurt. But, somethings were more important than your best friend leading your ex to the bathroom around the corner. Somethings like the silver-haired boy that had just sat down at the bar.

The silver hair certainly gave him a different edge he didn't have when the two of you were in high school. You found it hard to look at the boy; you weren't sure if it was his new beauty or your history. His friends were equally as beautiful, each sporting a different color of hair, except the youngest one that you recognized as Jungkook. You'd gone on a date or two with the boy who was your age. It had been extremely casual, but you'd remained friends with him.

"Hey Jungkook," you said. "What'll it be tonight?"

"Oh, hey," he said. "I thought you didn't work on Sundays."

"I'm just filling in," you said.

Jungkook nodded and ordered his typical soju bomb--after one of which he was usually wasted and on the dance floor. You made the drink quickly and gave it to the boy who sipped it, eyeing the dance floor carefully.

"And for your friends?"

Each of the boys ordered and you prepared their drinks with ease. You finally came to the end of the bar where Jimin was sitting. He ran his hand through his hair and looked up at you. You felt it all rush back to you, suddenly you were sixteen again and his gaze made your knees shake. But, unlike when you were sixteen, you could control yourself and you smiled at the boy.

"And what do you want?"

"Just put a couple bottles on the bar and I'll mix them myself," he said. "I don't care what they are."

You gave him an odd look, but shrugged and placed two bottles on the bar and a glass. You assumed if he regularly mixed his own drinks, he probably knew what to do not to fuck himself up too much.

"You sure you're a bartender?" he asked, one of his eyebrows raising.

You smirked at the boy. "What makes you ask?" You leaned with your elbows on the bar and you saw his gaze drift downward.

"Most bartenders question me," he said. "Won't let me mix my own drinks." He smirked, glancing back up at your face. "And you're not exactly dressed like the typical bartender."

"Want me to tell you the truth?" you asked, a smirk crossing your lips this time. You'd be lying if you said you hadn't picked up a few tricks from the boy. "I am a bartender here, but only on Mondays and Wednesdays. My ex-boyfriend keeps taking all the good shifts, so I made sure he was a bit distracted, so I could make a little extra money."

As if on cue, your ex, Chul-Soo walks back behind the bar. You can see the traces of Ye-Jin's lipstick on his lips and you feel a slight pang in your chest, but knowing you'd asked for it, you reached up and used your thumb to wipe it off.

"I was just filling in for you while you were occupied," you said. "I hope you don't mind Chul-Soo." You used your whiniest voice just annoy the boy.

"You don't work today, Inna," he said. "Go and do what you're actually good at." He pointed out at the dance floor.

You pouted, but slipped out from behind the bar. You saw Jimin's figure stiffen slightly as he poured alcohol into his glass. Some from the first bottle and some from the second, swirling it quickly before drinking down.

You smiled, knowing your plan was going smoothly. Chul-Soo had been the one to warn you about Jimin back in high school. After Jimin broke your heart and humiliated you, you'd sought solace in the boy and dated him for the last year of high school and first year and a half of college.

"Fine," you said. "But, at least I've made a new friend." You smiled at Jimin, and you saw your ex's eyes widen. He knew the history, and you found a sick pleasure as you ran your hand through Jimin's hair and fixed a few out of place hairs.

"Do you want to dance?" Jimin asked, grabbing your wrist and pulling it down to intertwine his fingers with yours.

You nodded and followed him out the dance floor. There was a surprising amount of space between you, his hands resting on your waist.

"Thanks," you said. "Chul-Soo has been a dick since we broke up."

"No problem," he said. "I'm not fond of Chul-Soo myself."

"Oh, you know him?"

"Yeah, we went to high school together," Jimin said, not catching your eyes. He leaned down close to your ear so you could hear him better over the loud music. "He liked to mess with things that were mine."

It didn't take much to get Jimin back to your apartment. It seemed you both had revenge on your minds as you caught a glance of him smirking at Chul-Soo as the two of you left the club together.

"I hope you're okay riding on a motorcycle," he said. "It's the only transportation I've got." He placed a helmet on his head and handed you an extra.

"It's not my first time," you said, grabbing the offered helmet and strapping it on.

He nodded. "Hold on tight."

You climbed onto the motorcycle and wrapped your hands around his waist, feeling the hardened muscle beneath his shirt. You felt him laugh as your hands roamed underneath his shirt slightly.

"Hey, hey," he said, his voice deep and raspy. "You have to be patient."

You rested against his shoulder blades as he followed the GPS to your apartment which wasn't far. You could've walked, but Jimin had insisted on driving, considering the heels you were wearing, you couldn't decline.

As soon as you opened the door, Jimin had pushed you inside and shut it, pushing your back against it. One of his hands rested on the door beside the door and the other was on your thigh. His lips roamed between your lips and your neck.

"Where's your remote?" he asked, suddenly pulling away.

"Uh, on the coffee table, why?"

He picked it up and turned on the TV, turning up the volume. Jimin threw the remote back on the coffee table and maneuvered you to the couch.

"Don't want to disturb the neighbors," he said.

"I'm not usually too loud."

Jimin smirked as his fingers began to roll up your skirt. "You will be tonight."

You began to run the hem of his T-shirt between your fingertips and eventually he helped you slip it over his head, his silver hair becoming an inviting mess.

You found it hard to look at his toned chest and stomach, so you moved your lips to his collarbone. His skin tasted slightly of sweat, but it was sweet beneath your tongue.

He moaned and you took the opportunity to flip him over so you were on top. He bit his lip, seeming to like you taking control.

"You want me?" you asked, grinding your hips into his.

"Yes," he said, his voice breathy and barely there.

My God, this is too easy. You looped your left index finger through his belt loop and tugged on them slightly, using the other hand to fiddle with Jimin's zipper, feeling him grow beneath you. You chuckled and leaned down so your lips were near his ear.

"Too bad I don't fuck bad boys."

You released your grip and climbed off of him. Despite your own needs going unsatisfied, you were satisfied knowing Jimin was having a harder  time.

His eyes widened as he glanced over at you as you rolled down your skirt and adjusted your hair.

"Inna?!"

"Took you long enough," you said.

"You look different," he said. "What happened to the good girl from high school?"

"I haven't been a good girl since I touched you, Park Jimin." You reached for the remote and turned off the TV. "Have fun riding home with a boner."

You disappeared into your bedroom, closing the door behind you. You could hear his shuffling outside your door and it almost made you want to apologize.

"Is this all because of what happened in high school?" he asked. "I was stupid back then. I tried to apologize, you know."

Eventually, when he received no answer you heard your front door open and close. You made your way into the living room, having changed into a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. You looked down at the coffee table where a sticky note was attached to the remote.

If you ever change your mind. x Jimin  

Underneath he'd written his phone number, you knew you should crumple up the note and throw it in the trash. But, before you could think you'd typed Jimin's number into your phone and saved it to your contacts. You never knew when you could use a nice dose of revenge.

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Dangerous | Chapter Two: Extra Practice

Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Bad Boy!Jimin, Bartender!Reader, College AU

Pairing: Jimin/Named Reader

Rating: M

Chapter Warnings: mentions of erections, suggestive actions/language

You'd gone through every pair of shorts and tank top you owned, but nothing seemed right. You wanted to dress to impress for your first dance class. You had been lucky to get into the class in your last quarter of sophomore year. Most people had to wait until their junior year, but you'd managed to beg the professor for an override, promising you would perform well. It was the class that determined whether or not you would be accepted to your university's elite dance program.

You finally settled on a pair of black shorts and a pink Puma tank top. You laced up your shoes and headed to the campus which was only a short walk away. 

Your phone vibrated and you looked down to see a text from Ye-jin wishing you luck on your first day. She didn't go to university with you, she had already completed cosmetology training and was working at a hair salon downtown. Part of you wished that you could've gone to college with your best friend, but Ye-jin was happy and doing what she loved. 

You arrived at the studio and felt your adrenaline rise. While you were often in the empty dance studios after dark practicing your own routines, but walking in seeing the other students excited you. You took a spot near the front of the class, near two girls who were obviously friends. They were talking and you sat down cross legged as you waited for the professor to show up and the class to start. 

"Can you believe he's the T.A.?" one of the girl's asked the other. 

"I know," the other girl said. "How could we get so lucky to get Park Jimin as our T.A. for the intro class."

His name echoed in your eardrums and you resisted the urge to whip your head to the side and ask the girl if she was serious. Park Jimin was a common name. There were plenty of Park Jimins, like the girl who hosted After School Club. Park Jimin could be anyone. 

Your worst nightmare was confirmed when Park Jimin walked into the room. He wore a pair of black ripped jeans and a black T-shirt, a silver necklace caused his T-shirt to crease perfectly, showing his defined pecs. 

You weren't the only one who noticed the boy. Everyone in the class seemed to be taking in his presence. If they weren't running their eyes up and down his body, they sat awed, as if he were some sort of God. You figured he must be pretty good in order to get the T.A. slot for the class, the few spots usually went to the seniors with the highest rank in the department. The students probably had reason to be awed.

He caught your eyes then. You tried not to react, but watching as his dark puppy eyes turn into hungry lion ones, made it hard to look away. His lips slightly upturned into a smirk and you found yourself shifting uncomfortably in your seat as you remembered the way his lips had kissed you and the way they trailed over your skin. It seemed he knew the train your thoughts were taking and he quickly licked his lips, another smirk crossing his plump lips. It happened in a flash, so quickly that you were sure no one else noticed. 

The professor came into the room; a woman with bobbed hair and a perfect body. You couldn't help but notice how Jimin's eyes flit over her quickly. 

"Hello class," she said. "I know you are all very excited to get dancing, but we need to go over a few things first. She glanced over at Jimin and motioned for him to come to the front of the studio. "This is Park Jimin. He will be assisting me this quarter. I would befriend him, he's currently the top student in the department and will be a great resource as you choreograph your audition piece throughout the quarter."

She went on to describe how at the end of class auditions would be held for those wanting to enter the department. Your heart beat quickly as you tried to think about what you would do for your audition. "Anyway, I'll allow Jimin to introduce himself quickly, as I'm sure he probably has more to say."

Jimin waved awkwardly, a blush across his cheeks. It was a different side of Jimin, but you felt the tension in your body released when you heard the shy tone in his voice.

"Hi," he said. "I'm Jimin, I don't really have much more to add than not to be too nervous about your audition and I'm always available for extra practice." His voice deepened and he looked right at you as he spoke the last two words. Bad boy Jimin was back. 

"All right, we're going to start with something you're probably already familiar with--hip hop!" The professor turned on the music and started dancing, expecting you and the rest of the students to follow along. Jimin started out at the front dancing the routine next to the professor, and you had to admit, he was good. Okay, he was amazing. He got into the routines, his facial expressions and hand gestures adding in extra style and finesse. 

After running through the routine a few times, Jimin left his spot at the front and began walking around the room. He walked up to a girl to your right and wrapped his arm around to place his palm on her stomach while scooting up behind her. 

"Move your hips like this," he said, rocking his hips back and forth. He was practically grinding on her and she seemed not to mind, her head lulling back onto his shoulder. The professor seemed not to notice or didn't mind, but your eyes never left the boy as he walked up to another girl, placing his hand on the small of her back. "Straighten your back." 

It continued with varying degrees of contact. While his advice was helpful, it seemed his way of giving it was more than friendly. He caught your eyes more than once, but often pulled away quickly. 

You felt an arm wrap around your waist and looked up in the mirror to see Jimin's eyes meeting yours. You continued with the routine even though it became more difficult. His hit breath teased your ear before he spoke. 

"I see you watching me," he whispered. "Feeling left out, baby girl?"

You nearly let out a yelp when you felt his hard on pressing into you. The blush and the way your eyes widened seemed to be enough for Jimin because he released his arms from around you.

Class ended and everyone was collecting their gym bags and water bottles. You dried the sweat off your forehead with a towel and finished off your water. You felt eyes on you and looked up to see Jimin watching you. 

You shot him daggers and looked away, though you still felt his gaze on you and didn't even have to look up to know he wore a proud smirk on his face. 

Jimin eventually left the studio and you began the walk back to your apartment despite the fact you were exhausted. Your neck was stiff and your legs hurt, but you knew it wasn't from the dance class, Jimin's antics made you want to punch that beautiful face of his.

You were reminded of when you were sixteen, what he pulled that night was part of the reason you liked him back then. He was an insufferable flirt, and even if you didn't want to admit it, watching him seamlessly flirt still made heat erupt between your legs. 

You smiled as an idea came to you and you fiddled in your bag as you searched for your cellphone. You scrolled through the contacts and clicked on the person you were looking for. 

"Hello?" his voice said, sounding a bit gruff. 

"Hey Jungkook," you said. "Would you want to help me out with something?"

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Dangerous | Chapter Five: Maraschino

Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Bad Boy!Jimin, Bartender!Reader College AU

Pairing: Jimin/Named Reader

Rating: M | Minors DNI

Chapter Warnings: use of derogatory language toward women, alcohol consumption

A/N: I've discontinued using the graphic dividers because I'm lazy and it's been a while since I posted and I don't want to have to hunt for it. Therefore, the original dividers will be used.

Pabo: Don't forget about Mochi's vet appointment.

Pabo: Check your door before you leave 😘

[][][]

You had almost forgotten about Jackson's vet appointment that you had scheduled a week before. You'd told Jimin he could come since the kitten was half his, but your stomach churned. Other than class and dance practice, you didn't really associate with Jimin on campus, and if your ex or the wrong person were to see, it could mess up your plan for revenge or cause problems like the night before.

Slut.

You're ex's words still echoed in your head. You knew it shouldn't matter what he thought of you or what he called you, but it still hurt. It shouldn't matter that you enjoyed sex, casual sex, even, or that you enjoyed the attention you got when you wore a short dress or a tight skirt. It was easy not to think about when you got what you wanted, but as soon as someone you used to care about so much looked down on you for those things and called a name you usually embraced, it hurt.

You left for class in yoga pants, a sports bra, and a jacket thrown over the top. You shut your door and turned around to lock it, noticing two Ziploc bags taped to the door and a sticky note stuck between them.

You smiled, remembering Jimin's text. You peeled the sticky note off the door:

A treat for Mochi and a treat for Mommy

He'd drawn a small heart and smiley face after the note and indicated which bag was for you and which was for the kitten. However, looking at them it was obvious which was yours. One bag was full of cat treats and the other full of hard candies. You took one of the red candies and popped into your mouth. Cherry.

[][][]

You entered the classroom and noticed it mostly empty except for a few students huddled in a group in the back and Jimin setting up mats around the studio. He looked up as soon as he heard the door. He smiled but was sure not to linger too long.

You quickly stuck out your red stained tongue causing him to smile. You could tell he held back laughter as he ran his hand through his hair, his smile only growing wider.

"What're the mats for?" you asked.

"You'll have to wait and see," he said, cocking an eyebrow.

You rolled your eyes and noticed as the rest of the class began filing in. You took your spot in the class, despite not being assigned a place to stand, everyone always fell into the same places. The instructor came in a few minutes later.

"Hello class," she said. "Today we're going to be doing something a bit different. For some of you, this will be familiar, but for others, this may take you out of your comfort zone. Regardless, part of being successful in the dance world is trusting in your team and your partners. So, today we are going to do some trust exercises, so partner up."

You looked around as everyone in the class grabbed onto a partner. You looked towards the girl next to you who had asked about Jimin--Eun-ha--but she had already paired with the girl on her other side.

"Now, there's an odd number, so one of you is probably without a partner," the instructor said, her eyes sweeping through the pairs before landing on you. "Ah, Inna." She waved her hand over at Jimin. "Jimin will be your partner."

Jimin walked over to you. He held a smug look on his face and he looped his arm through yours, brushing his fingertips over the skin of yours lightly.

"All right, the first exercise is an easy one, the trust fall," the instructor said. "Take turns falling backward and catching each other."

You turned to Jimin. "All right, fall," you said.

He laughed and turned around. "Are you sure you can catch me?"

"Shut up and just do it," you said. "Let's just get it over with."

You held your arms out and Jimin fell towards you. You caught him with your arms locking through his armpits and his head falling against your collarbone. You were used to these kinds of trust exercises from your ballet days. They were standard in the beginner's classes and often when working on a show when tensions are high, you'd all run through them again.

You helped push Jimin back to his feet. He turned to face you, a large grin taking up the majority of his face. "You trust me, babe?"

"To do a trust fall? Sure. Otherwise? Not an ounce."

"Ah, come on, I didn't beat up your ex last night for nothing."

Your entire body stiffened and you stood frozen. Did he really hurt Chul-soo? Your eyes looked down at his knuckles which didn't look terribly bruised. You hated your ex. You wouldn't care if he disappeared and you never had to see him again, but the thought of Jimin beating him up brought back the memories from high school of Jimin's black eye and bruised ribs and that Chul-soo didn't come to school for a few days he and Jimin fought back then.

"Okay, the second partner should be going by now," the instructor said.

You shook away the thoughts and Jimin's concerned glances and turned around. You held your arms up and began to tip back on your ankles, feeling your toes leave the floor and slowly, ever so slowly, you began to fall. Your eyes closed and you felt as Jimin's arms came under your own and catch you.

Your head rested against his shoulder and you felt his breath against your scalp. He slowly helped you back to your feet, but his hands lingered on arms and his lips brushed against the top of your ear.

"See? You can trust me." His voice was raspy and rough, but so hushed you could barely make out the words.

You scoffed and pushed him away. Yet, you felt a small pull in your stomach that maybe, just maybe, his words were true.

[][][]

"Hey beautiful," Jimin said, leaning against his motorcycle and holding his spare helmet in his right hand. "I should write your name on this." He held the helmet up to you and you took it and strapped it on. "You're the only one who wears it."

You rolled your eyes as Jimin climbed onto the motorcycle and started it. You got on behind him and wrapped your arms around his middle. Once you were secure, he kicked up the kickstand and drove towards your apartment.

You weren't sure what it was about a motorcycle that made you feel so free. You could rest your head between his shoulder blades and feel like you were the only two people in the world. The wind that swirled around you isolating you from the rest of the world.

It only took a few minutes to reach your apartment. Jimin followed you up and waited for you to unlock the door. Jackson was curled up on the couch asleep, but as soon as you opened the door, his head popped up and he meowed in greeting.

"Hey buddy," Jimin said, immediately throwing himself down on your couch and touch his noses with the kitten.

"I'm going to go change. I'll be just a second."

He hardly acknowledged you as you walked back to your bedroom and changed into a different pair of leggings and a sweatshirt. You placed a few treats in the pocket to reward Jackson after the vet and to make sure he stayed in your pocket on the way there.

You walked back toward the living room and heard Jimin talking to the kitten softly. "You're taking care of her, right, Mochi? I can't be here all the time, so I need you to make sure she's all right." You felt your chest tighten and walked into the living room.

"Hey," you said. "I'm ready."

He nodded and picked up Jackson, the kitten slumping happily over his palm. He handed the kitten to you and you placed him in your sweatshirt pocket where he curled up against your stomach. You kept one of your hands inside the pocket and allowed the kitten to chew lightly on your fingers.

You walked back down to Jimin's motorcycle and climbed on, this time careful not to crush the kitten, but also ensuring that the kitten couldn't climb out during the ride.

"I think I'm gonna keep my hand in so that he can't fall out," you said.

"No," Jimin said. "I don't want to risk you getting hurt. Just make sure you stay close to me and he should be all right."

"Jimin, I'll be fine. It's not a long ride--"

"Just be careful. I really shouldn't ride with you on this thing."

You rolled your eyes and secured one of your arms around his waist while you kept the other one in your sweatshirt pocket.

Jimin took off slower this time and you noticed he braked sooner and slower. Jackson stayed in your pocket, nearly asleep between yours and Jimin's bodies.

[][][]

"He appears to be fairly healthy for a stray," the vet said, her hands ran over the kitten's body and peered at his teeth. "He does look a little malnourished, but it's likely he was abandoned or orphaned. It's nothing a little love can't fix."

Jackson--unlike any other pet you'd before--didn't seem to mind to mind the vet's poking and prodding. He only mewed a little during his vaccinations and even purred as the vet did her examination.

"Looks like this little guy was lucky you two found him when you did," she said. "We'll keep him here for a couple of days to monitor him and prep to neuter him." You nodded, swallowing back your worries. "You can come pick him up in a few days. We'll make sure he's perfectly comfortable."

You nodded and gave Jackson a few goodbye pets and the treats he hadn't already eaten. He nudged the back of your hand and you felt it hard to pull away from the kitten.

You were startled out of your thoughts as you felt Jimin's hand on the small of your back. He gave you a sympathetic look before petting Jackson.

"We should get going," he said. "We still have to practice tonight."

You nodded and left the little kitten with the vet. You clung to Jimin a little tighter as he drove back to the university.

[][][]

You approached the final dance studio, although felt your heart sink as you heard music. All of the studios were being used.

"It's full," you said, walking back down the hall to Jimin. You shrugged your shoulders, your lips pouting out slightly.

Jimin sighed and reached into his pocket. You heard the rustling of keys and watched as he flipped through his keys until he came to a small silver one. "Come on," he said.

You followed him down the other side of the hallway and to an older part of the building. The building with all the studios had recently been remodeled and so there were a few abandoned dance studios in the basement of the building, but they were normally locked.

"Since I'm the T.A., I have access to the old studios," he said. "Since I'm required to always be available."

He unlocked the door to one of the studios and held the door open as you walked in. He followed you in and turned on the lights. The studio smelled a little dusty but was still in good condition, other than a few dents in the floor.

You headed to the corner of the room to plug in your phone.

"Wait," Jimin said. "I wanna do something different today."

He took hold of your wrists and led you to the center of the room. He sat down and you did the same. He pulled out a bottle of alcohol from behind him and two shot glasses.

"Where?! Jimin, have you had those the whole time?"

"It doesn't matter," he said. "What matters, is that for me to be able to help you, we're going to have to work through some things. You can still go on with your little revenge plots, I don't care, but you need to trust me enough for this."

"So, what's the alcohol for?"

"Answer or drink," he said.

"Jimin, you still have to drive…"

"I don't have a reason to go home tonight. Do you?"

Without Mochi at your apartment, there was no reason for you to go home. Your outfit was appropriate for the next day's dance class and it wasn't like you hadn't stayed out all night before classes before.

You shook your head and Jimin proceeded to pour you both a glass. The alcohol he'd chosen was a cinnamon flavored whiskey you were surprised he'd like at all. The orange liquid settled in the shot glass and you were surprised as Jimin took a shot immediately. He poured himself another shot and set the bottle back down with a soft thud.

"All right, who should go first?"

"I will," you said. "Are you attracted to me?"

"Yes," Jimin said, his voice cutting through the air. "Don't waste all your questions like that."

"Why do you let me see Mochi?" he asked.

"What do you mean, Jimin? We found him together. It's only right."

"But, you hate me?"

You sighed, downing you shot and refilling it. "That was two questions."

"Why are you so nice to me?" you asked.

Jimin's eyes softened for a moment before he took the shot glass and tipped it back.

"Why do you still care about what happened?" Jimin asked.

"You were my first boyfriend, Jimin. I don't know, I was deluded and naive and you took advantage of that. Why--why did you do it in the first place?"

Jimin sat still for a moment, his eyes stuck on your face. "I don't know," he said. His voice cracked and barely there.

"That's not an answer, Jimin."

"I know, but I really don't know why I did that."

"Just drink."

He obliged and took a shot. While you knew Jimin had a fairly high alcohol tolerance, you could see the flush beginning in his cheeks.

"What happened between you and Chul-soo?"

You immediately took the shot. There was no way you were going to explain everything between you and Chul-soo. The cheating, the toxicity, the jealousy that turned to resentment. You'd dated Chul-soo for years, and yet, you were happiest without him.

"I tried to look for you, you know? That night after you ran off, I looked for you for hours," Jimin said, his flush getting worse. "Where did you go?"

"Jimin, I--"

"Just drink," he said.

You did, this time the whiskey didn't go down as smoothly, the burn in the back of your throat becoming scalding. You felt your own neck and cheeks heating up. You hardly ever got flushed, but this time, you weren't sure if it was from the alcohol, or from the game.

"Why are you doing this? Surely, you had girlfriends after me," you said. "Why do you care about me so much?"

Jimin didn't answer, but rather, scooted closer to you. He took a shot, keeping eye contact with you. He threw the shot glass aside before his hands were cupping your cheeks.

"Jimin?"

"Can I kiss you?"

Your eyes widened at the question, but before you could even think about answering, your lips had already done it for you. "Yes."

His lips landed on yours for the first time since the night you first spotted him the club. He tasted like cinnamon and alcohol, you were sure you tasted the same. Within a minute, your back was on the floor and Jimin's hips were pressed against your own. His hands were balanced firmly on the floor on either side of your head.

He pulled away, his eyes tired and his lips swollen. Jimin brought one of his hands to his hair and pushed it back, before bringing back down and wiping his thumb over your lips.

"You should go home," he said.

"Jimin, I thought we were just going to stay here all night?"

"I changed my mind. Come on."

"No, Jimin, you're not driving. Let's just walk back to my place. You can crash on the couch."

[][][]

When you woke up the next morning, Jimin was gone. This time there was no note left or any evidence he'd even been there, other than the crumpled up blanket on the couch. All he left was the slight swelling of your lips and a small ache in your chest that you wished would go away.

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Dangerous | Chapter 8: Cherry Bomb

Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Bad Boy!Jimin, Bartender!Reader College AU

Pairing: Jimin/Named Reader

Rating: M | Minors DNI

Chapter Warnings: drugged drink, attempted rape/sexual assault, describes effects of date rape drugs

The song began again. Instead of incorporating ballet moves, you used a traditional ballet piece, the one that had played when you snapped your Achilles. Even if you and Jimin had an undefinable relationship, he was right that taking back that moment that nearly took away your dancing dreams would give you a personal edge. Dances--just like any other artform--tell a story. And, this was a universal one for dancers. One that every dancer held in the back of their mind when they stepped on stage.

You had the routine worked out, mixing in the ballet positions and the occasional move you could work in without too much trouble. Sometimes you would feel your tendon shake, wanting to give, but then you would switch positions. With only two weeks left until the audition, you didn't have much time to perfect it, wanting the moves to feel like second nature by then.

The song ended and you heard yourself breathing over the music. The song started again, but your body didn't. You walked over to pause the song just as you heard the door of the studio squeak open.

Turning, you saw Jimin enter, cradling Jackson in his arms. Your face lit up and you approached Jimin, your hands immediately landing in the kitten's soft fur. Jackson still wore the cone around his neck, but you noticed it was different, softer, and less cumbersome. 

"They replaced his stitches and gave him a soft cone. We have to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't slip out of it again." Jimin handed you the kitten, taking his backpack off and pulling out two bottles of water. Opening the first one, he handed it to you. 

"Wow, you're like my fairy godmother," you said, laughing. You took a quick drink before setting it on the bench along the wall.

"Or your boyfriend."

"Sure, whatever," you said, wondering if Jimin would behave if you took off your shirt to cool off. The worst that would happen would be a flirty comment or two, so you slipped the thin fabric over your head. Jimin didn't bat an eye, surprising you. 

"Can I see your piece?" he asked, a playful smirk taking over his features. 

"You know that's against the rules since you're on the panel. You can only help me with specific questions."

Jimin smiled and came up behind you, resting his chin against your sweaty shoulder. "Then, got any questions for me, babe?"

You laughed an pushed his head off your shoulder, your fingers threading in his hair for just a moment. "Ew, get off me creep." You gave him a smirk back and turned to face him. "Why don't you show me your audition piece?"

You'd said it as a joke, so your eyes widened in surprise when he agreed. You handed him your phone and he queued up the song, taking his place in the middle of the studio. It was a slow, contemporary piece, not unlike ballet. 

You realized that you'd only seen Jimin dance in the club, never something he put together himself and performed. You'd expected something hip hop, sexy, and to an upbeat song. Rather, the piece was muted and utilized only contemporary or ballet moves. 

He spun, he contorted himself into odd angles. You saw his muscles shake at points. His lines and angles were sharp, near perfect. Halfway through the performance, Jackson climbed into your lap

"Wow," you said when the song ended. "I hadn't expected that."

"What did you expect?"

"I don't know. I guess something hip hop."

"Don't you remember that I did contemporary? I told you about it back in high school."

"I guess not," you said. "I was so enamored with you I barely listened to what you said sometimes." 

Jimin frowned and reached down to stop the song from replaying, leaving the studio in silence. Jackson, despite the loud music, had fallen asleep in your lap, exhausted from his long night at the vet. 

 "Let's get him home," you said, unplugging your phone and checking the time. "And I have to work in two hours." You picked up Jackson carefully, not wanting to wake him. Cradling him in your discarded shirt, you walked out to Taehyung's car that Jimin had not yet returned. 

Hooking the seatbelt, you realized that the kitten would have to be alone again while you were at work. You glanced over at the man beside you as he put the car into gear. 

"Jimin," you said. 'Would you mind watching Jackson while I'm at work? I'll buy you food or gas or whatever."

Jimin looked at you like he was trying to place two puzzle pieces together. "I'll do it for free, Inna. You don't have to do anything."

The worry in your chest that the kitten would once again be alone deflated and you ran your finger over the kitten's ears. "Thanks," you said quietly. 

[][][]

You sighed when you walked into work and saw Chul-soo behind the bar. This wasn't your normal shift, but when your coworker had asked you to cover, you couldn't object. especially since you were short a few hundred dollars due to the vet bills.

"Grab an apron," he said as you walked behind the bar. You stopped, surprised that he didn't have a snarky remark, or try to tell you that he didn't need your help. Based on the crowd that was hovered around the bar, you guessed he really didn't care. "You take the right, I'll take the left."

You worked beside each other without interacting too much. His weirdly amicable attitude sets off an alarm in the back of your head. But, you ignored it, wondering if he found some other poor girl to date so that he would finally leave you alone. 

People continued to line up, coming up again and again for drinks. Tabs reached hundreds of dollars and this was the kind of shift every bartender dreamed of: when the bar became an attraction itself. You'd already made that night's wages in tips and would likely double it before the end of your shift. 

"Inna!" you heard your name at the end of the bar. Normally, this sort of thing would annoy you, but when you saw Hoseok waving in your direction, you smiled and motioned that would be a moment. After a few minutes, you'd worked your way over to him and took his order. 

"Busy night, huh?" he said, glancing between you and your ex. 

"Yeah," you said. "It's nice to see a familiar face." You handed him his drink, just a craft beer this time. "You're making it easy for me tonight. Have a good time." 

Hoseok took his drink and sipped it immediately, his eyes wandering over to Chul-soo. "Yeah, you too, Inna."

You continued serving drinks until Chul-soo nudged you with his shoulder. You noticed sweat on his brow and his apron was slowly collecting spilled alcohol and fruit juice. "What do you say we bring out an old favorite of ours to get this party really going?"

You raised an eyebrow. "The cherry bomb?" you asked, remembering the drink the two of you created together. "You wanna drink it?"

"Nah, I have to drive home. You wanna do it?" He glanced back at the dwindling bar crowd. Most people were out dancing now and you were making more money than you had for weeks. You didn't want this trend to end now. Chul-soo's shift was about to end and you still had a couple of hours.

"All right," you said. "Let's make it."

You gathered all the supplies while Chul-soo worked on making it. The cocktail consisted of a mixture of cherry liqueurs, vodka, a shot glass of cherry juice, and finally a few maraschino cherries on top. Chul-soo even added a little whipped cream to make the dark red drink stand out.

A small crowd had regathered. The bartender coming in to relieve Chul-soo stood off to the side with a bemused look on his face. You were surprised at how the night had turned out. This was the most cordial you had been with your ex since before you broke up. A tornado of doubt swirled in your stomach as you brought the drink to your lips.

It was sweet and had the deep bite of a cherry. People cheered you on as you drank and a bit of the red liquid escaped and ran down your skin. Staining your lips and chin. You finished the drink and wiped your lips with your sleeve. The small crowd formed and many began requesting the drink. 

Chul-soo ducked out and handed his apron off to the other bartender. You worked to help him keep up, filling drink after drink order. In about fifteen minutes, the club was spinning. You dropped a glass and it shattered at your feet. One of the shards of glass creating a small cut on your ankle.

"Are you okay?" the other bartender asked. You heard his words and caught a flash of his dark brown eyes, but your tongue ran dry when you tried to respond. Your legs began feeling limp and your hand gripped the side of the bar to stabilize yourself. 

"Ah, she always had some trouble handling a big drink like that," you heard Chul-soo say, but you couldn't turn your head to see him. It wasn't true. This wasn't because of alcohol and your mind suddenly connected everything together.

"St--st--" you tried to form words as you felt Chul-soo's hand on the small of your back. 

"I'll take care of her, Jae-kyung. Can you handle the bar for a few minutes?"

The other bartender must have responded affirmatively because you felt Chul-soo wrap and arm around your waist and lift your slightly. He took you back to the alleyway, pressing you against the wall. 

Your muscles began to relax of their own accord. You vision moved in and out like you were constantly waking up and falling into a dream.

[][][]

Hoseok approached the bar. It was just as crowded before, but the crowd was louder. He stood towards the end like had before and noticed that Inna nor Chul-soo was working anymore. His brow furrowed, knowing Inna's shift couldn't be over. He waited a few moments to see if she had ducked into the back or to the bathroom, but something gnawed at the back of his mind. 

"What happened to the girl that was working here?"

"Oh, she did a cherry bomb and couldn't handle it. The other guy is taking care of her." 

Hoseok couldn't let it slide. He knew something was wrong and he looked around the club. Jimin normally hung around when Inna worked, but he didn't immediately see the other man. He took out his phone.

Hoseok (10:45 p.m): How fast can you get here? I think Inna's in trouble

[][][]

Tears ran down your cheeks. You wanted to fight back, but your eyelids continued to droop. The only thing keeping you awake was the sheer panic. Yet, you knew the drugs would eventually overtake even that. 

"A cherry bomb," Chul-soo said. "Perfect cover for another kind of cherry, yeah?" He laughed at his own joke and if you could've, you would've spit in his face. 

You felt your phone vibrating in your back pocket. It shut off, before beginning to ring again. Chul-soo noticed the second time and reached into your pocket. 

"Ah, it's your lover boy," he said. His face dropped as he tossed your phone away and you heard as it shattered against the pavement. "Now that that's taken care of." His voice dwindled and his lips harshly attacked the skin of your neck. His hands roamed everywhere. The button of your jeans, under your shirt, your hair. 

"You've been such a slut lately," he said. "You've forgotten that you belong to me. Did you really think breaking up with me would get rid of me so easily? You can't escape me that easily, baby."

Your resolve was shaking. You could no longer see the end of Chul-soo's hair and you felt like throwing up. Whether from the drugs or the feeling of his lips on your skin you didn't know. Your eyes closed for one second, then two, then five. And you know you're losing. 

Chul-soo unzips your jeans and you feel his fingers on the waistband. He pauses when you hear the sound of a motorcycle and there's yelling. Suddenly, you feel cold, the sweat on your skin making you feel clammy. Without another body against yours, you can't stand. 

The last thing you remember is feeling your ass hit the pavement before everything went black.

[][][]

"Inna, Inna," you hear his voice. "It's okay. You're safe now." His hands touch you like you're fragile as if one wrong move and you will break into a thousand pieces. Your body touches what you recognize as a bed and while you can't move to position yourself, you feel the covers being pulled up over your body.

 "The doctor said you'll be okay. It wasn't enough that you won't wake up." His words sounded more like he was talking to himself than you. You wanted to tell him that for once you needed him. That you wanted him to touch you, to wrap you in his arms and keep you safe, to lay beside you. But, your lips still could not form words. 

Whether it was the drugs or the natural exhaustion, sleep once again took over.

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Dangerous | Chapter 9: Brisé

Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Bad Boy!Jimin, Bartender!Reader College AU

Pairing: Jimin/Named Reader

Rating: M | Minors DNI

Chapter Warnings: references to sexual assault and past injury, cursing

2 weeks later (Audition in one week)

Jimin (9:22 am): Can we please talk? Please stop ignoring me.

Jimin (9:22 am): I'm worried about you.

You locked your phone and walked up the stairs to the library. Over the past few weeks, you'd neglected your other classes because you rehearsed for the audition day and night. While that did not change, it also meant that your normal end of the semester tests were coming up. And, even if you passed the audition and got into the dance program, they wouldn't accept you without satisfactory grades in your other classes.

Making your way to your favorite corner of the library, you took out your textbooks and laptop, hoping to finish your assignments before dance class in the early afternoon. It was easier to through yourself into your schoolwork than answer your texts or face Jimin.

You'd only seen him at dance class since he left your apartment the morning after everything went down. When you woke up the next morning, you emerged from your bedroom with a headache and to the smell of eggs cooking on the stove. The darkness under his eyes told you that he stayed awake all night.

"You need to eat well this morning. Your body went through a lot." He sat down the breakfast in front of you. "I Googled everything and the drug should be out of your system soon, but eating a lot will help."

He'd practically begged to stay with you, his brown eyes matching the kitten you shared. Yet. you still forced him to leave after breakfast, not able to meet his eyes again. You spent the rest of the day in bed, sleeping off the headache and trying to prevent the memories of that night from coming back.

"Hey, stranger," someone said, taking a seat across from you. You looked up from your textbook and saw Namjoon's dimpled smile. It caused you to smile you too.

"Hey, it's been a while," you said. Namjoon didn't come to the club as much as the rest of Jimin's friends. They all said it was because he was too busy juggling making his own music and being one of the top students in the entire university. "How have you been?"

"Fine," he said, relaxing back against his seat. "Everything going okay? You seemed kinda stressed looking down at your anthropology book."

You immediately put on a smile, even though you could tell by his look that he didn't believe it. "Oh, it's fine. The audition is in a week, so I've just got a lot on my plate right now."

"You know, you should talk to Jimin about it. He went through this already, he could probably offer you some good advice."

You lowered your laptop screen halfway. "Oh, uh, yeah," you said.

"Why haven't you talked to him lately?"

"He's told you?"

"Of course," Namjoon said, taking out textbooks from his backpack. "He's worried about you and wanted my advice." Namjoon paused and looked up at you. "He, uh, didn't go into detail about what happened. Just that it was something bad--"

You nodded, seeing from the sincerity in his eyes that he had a good idea of what happened. "If I tell you why I've been avoiding him, do you promise not to tell Jimin?"

Namjoon's expression hardly changed, unfazed by your request. He gave a short nod. "So, this whole thing kinda started as a way to get back at him for everything that happened in high school. But, after everything, I don't know, I think I'm starting to like him." You felt the rock that fell into the pit of your stomach roll away when you said those words out loud. "It's not just cause of what happened a couple weeks ago, he just--he's changed."

You closed your anthropology textbook, knowing no homework was going to get done. Folding your arms over the book, you rested your chin on top of them.

"I'm glad you're starting to figure out how you feel," Namjoon said. "You know, I think Jimin would accept you if you told him."

Your gaze wandered over to the other tables where students worked with headphones in or discussed group projects. "I'm not ready to do anything about it. I want to remember how it feels to be alone for a little while." Sighing, you looked back at Namjoon. "Plus, I'm starting my new job soon and the audition is soon. It's not the best time to start something like that anyway."

Your phone alarm went off. "I need to get to dance class," you said, packing up your things. "Mind if I walk with you?"

You shook your head, smiling at the way he seemed to just want to keep you company. Walking out of the library, you headed for the Dance building.

"I'm glad we got the chance to talk," Namjoon said. "I'll let Jimin know you're doing okay, but I won't give him any of the details." The two of you stopped outside the Dance building. "Do you want to go for lunch after you audition? My treat and maybe it will calm your nerves to have plans afterward."

"Okay," you said, giggling at his obvious concern. "It's a date."

The doors to the building opened and another student nearly ran into you. When you made eye contact, you barely had time to react before Jimin gave you a curt nod and an apologetic smile before propping open the door and heading back to the classroom.

[][][]

1 week later

Nobody talked. Yet, the sounds in the room echoed off the walls. The sound of tapping feet, beats counted under breath, and the lacing up of shoes again and again. You'd considered buying new slippers for the occasion, but you had not tied them in so long, you were afraid you would forget.

"Kim Inna."

You stood and walked into the auditorium. The seats were empty except for the first row where a handful of professors sat and the three Dance major TAs. Trying not to look at Jimin, you climbed on stage, feeling the muscles in your shoulders tense. The lights prevented you from making out faces totally, but you felt Jimin's gaze on you.

You introduced yourself and got into position at center stage. The muscles in the back of your neck tensed as the music started up. Trying to relax, you began the performance, letting your body steer you in time with the music.

The first part was a mix of hip hop with a little contemporary mixed in. Nothing that would stand out. About a minute into the song, it shifts and so does our body. Your calf tenses as you move to stand on one leg, bringing your stance to balance on your toes, distributing the weight evenly across your body. Your arms straighten outwards and you extend the other leg.

It was a simple move that you practiced hundreds of times. The position didn't hurt too much, but as began twirling, you feel the familiar pull in your heel, shooting down your foot. The choreography planned for the pain and you plummeted towards the ground, catching yourself with the palms of your hands and bringing your chest to the ground.

The position mimicked the way you'd laid on stage after you Achilles snapped. Despite the pain in your ankle, your arms had given out too. Rolling over onto your back, you got up with your good leg and the strength of your core. The move had taken countless tries to perfect, your head coming up from the ground last.

The rest of the performance went by in a blur. The pain clouded your vision towards the end and when the music stopped, you looked up, only barely making out the figures of the judges. You could feel your limbs throbbing with pain.

"Thank you," you said, bowing and walking off stage. You knew Jimin would know the story you were telling. As you walked off the stage and your view of the lights shifted, you saw Jimin's Adam's apple bob with worry. You didn't have to meet his eyes to feel their worry.

[][][]

You fell to your knees once you made it backstage. Breaths tumbled from your mouth and you tried to catch them. Your eyes watered at the ache in your muscles and a sharp vein of worry stabbed you that you might have injured yourself again.

You couldn't even think about what the judges thought or if you were going to make it through. Running your hands through your hair, you tried to stand up, looking around and hoping no one was around to see you like this.

"Inna," Jimin said, his soft footsteps coming from deeper backstage. He must've come around.

You looked up at him. "What are you doing? You can't just leave being a judge--"

"The TAs are switching off," he said. "I've been there all morning."

Somehow, the conversation brought back some of the feeling in your legs and you managed to stand up, walking over to a chair nearby. Jimin pushed a wooden crate belonging to the drama department under your feet. Grabbing a folding chair, he sat down in front of the box, spreading his legs around it.

His hand came to hover over your legs. Jimin looked up at you, meeting your eyes. Lines formed on his forehead and his fingers floated in midair.

"Can I touch you?" he asked, keeping eye contact.

You nodded, allowing yourself to release your posture and slide down in the chair. Jimin's hands gently massaged your calves, working from the knees down and back up again. When he reached your ankle, he carefully took two of his fingers, gently rubbing them over the Achille's tendon.

The throbbing in your muscles dulled. The feeling of Jimin's fingers against your skin made you try to stifle the moan that left your lips.

"Where did you learn to do that?"

"I'm a double major in kinesiology."

His voice sounded curt, so matter of fact. It alerted you to the way Jimin had thrown up his guard around you. Was he scared of kissing you only for you to go make out with one of his friends? Of reaching out to brush his hand against yours only to watch you flirt with another guy?

It should feel like a victory. A lift in your chest. This was exactly what you wanted, for Jimin to dance around you, feel the way you did all those years ago. But, now, you just feel like a half-rotten apple under a tree.

"Oh," you said, thinking back to when Jimin had tried to get you to dance ballet again. The way he carefully watched the way your leg shook and how he held you when you tumbled down.

"You think it's psychological too, huh?"

Jimin's hands left your skin and the air almost felt cold, empty. He stood up, holding out his hand to help you up as the music for the next audition started. You took his hand and carefully stood up, feeling steadier and the pain subsided to just a dull throb in the back of your ankles and knees.

"Pain is pain, Inna. It doesn't matter where it comes from or what causes it."

[][][]

It was 7 pm when you reached the cafe where Namjoon wanted to meet. You'd never been to this cafe before, but it was cute and had a book exchange bookshelf. It seemed exactly like the kind of place that Namjoon would invite you.

You didn't see Namjoon yet, so you ordered a bubble tea and sat down in one of the booths. You scrolled through Instagram, seeing all the gorgeous photos taken during the auditions. It broke your heart knowing that only about half of those who auditioned would get in. Many dance majors at your school auditioned multiple times before getting their spot.

The bell on the door dings and you look up, expecting to see the tall lanky man who invited you here. Instead, it was a teenage girl and her mother, who didn't notice your disappointed look as they approached the counter.

Namjoon made your stomach flip in knots in a way you hadn't experienced for years. You weren't attracted to him until he approached you in the library two weeks before. His hair laying a little haphazardly and the way his eyes smiled before his lips.

You weren't sure if you truly liked him or not and you were not ready to jump into a relationship after Chul-soo. Yet, as you unlocked your phone and saw a screen blank of texts, or any notifications at all. Your heart sunk.

The bell rings again. This time you look up and meet the eyes of Jimin, who looks as confused as you imagine you look. He runs a hand through his hair and sits down across from you.

"Have you seen Namjoon?" Jimin asked, looking around the cafe.

Your phone dinged as your lips parted to reply. Jimin's followed suit.

Namjoon (7:25 pm): You need to talk to him, Inna. I'm sorry I had to force it this way, but I know you miss him. Take advantage of this time.

Jimin looked up from his phone, his gaze looking everywhere but at you. "I-I have been wanting to talk to you, Inna," he said. You'd never heard his voice shake like that like he was about to break out into tears. "Are you doing okay after--?

You stayed silent. You weren't okay, hadn't been for the past month since that night at the club. You'd had to quit your job and find a new one, were in the process of getting a restraining order against Chul-soo, and you felt bubbling in your stomach at the thought of meeting Jimin's eyes. Things were far from okay.

You tried to hide the tears, taking a sip of your bubble tea. The sweet honeydew flavored tea and boba providing momentary relief from the sour taste of anxiety on your tongue.

"I've been worried about you. Every time you didn't respond to a text, I just worried you were in trouble. And I wouldn't be there to help you."

"Jimin, don't try to guilt me into responding to you. I want to be left alone." Jimin sighed. "I know that's not true. But, I understand if you don't want to talk to me. I just hate having to check Instagram or text Namjoon to make sure you're okay."

"I don't owe you anything just because you helped me. You know I'm thankful, Jimin. But, I-I can't trust you again after our history. I know it's stupid. It was years ago and it shouldn't matter. But, it does, Jimin." You paused, your fingers collecting the condensation from the plastic cup. "I can take care of myself."

"I know you can. I know you can deal with douchebags at the bar on your own. And watching you perform today, it was amazing, Inna. You're amazing. And I know you can do all that on your own. But that doesn't mean you have to."

You look down at the boba in your cup and stir it around, hoping it would somehow spell out what you should say or do. Looking back up, you met his eyes, feeling like you kicked a puppy.

"I don't want to do it with you, Jimin."

Throwing your bag over your shoulder and scooting out of the booth, you made your way out onto the street. You wonder if this was how Jimin felt when he embarrassed you that night. If it felt like his heart was shattering when he met your eyes. Getting home, you collapsed on the couch falling asleep with Jackson purring on your chest.

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Dangerous | Chapter 11: Blossom [Final]

Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Bad Boy!Jimin, Bartender!Reader College AU

Pairing: Jimin/Named Reader

Rating: M | Minors DNI

Chapter Warnings: missing cat, references to insecurity/regret

A/N: I finally got this series fully posted! Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoy the last chapter.

The world stood still. You pulled the covers back on your bed, opened every cupboard, pulled all the clothes from your dresser drawers. Jackson was not in your apartment.

Cursing to yourself, tears pricked out from the corners of your eyes. If you hadn't been so focused on the plan, so determined to make Jimin hate you once and for all, maybe you would've noticed the little kitten slipping out the door.

When your head stopped buzzing like an attacked beehive, you found yourself on the floor of your bedroom, surrounded by your clothes and shoes. Grabbing the nearest pair of sneakers, you put them on and threw on a jacket.

It was beginning to get dark, twilight starting to settle in across the city. Panic rose in you once again, Jackson could be nearly anywhere by now. Found by a friendly passerby, in an alleyway like where you found him, or worse, hit by a car or chased by stray dogs.

The fear of what you would find caused your arm to go limp when you grabbed the doorknob, legs frozen to the floor.

[][][]

Jimin managed to get out of bed and make himself dinner. His mind full of you. He couldn't forget the way you felt underneath him, the sound of your hitched breaths, and quiet curses.

You were beautiful and his head hurt from the way you'd left. He should've expected this. And really, he deserved it. His biggest mistake was letting you go, tricking you, and humiliating you.

He realized it before you came back into his life that night at the club. Jimin realized it almost immediately. Watching you run off into the woods, seeing the realization and hurt cross your face nearly simultaneously.

"Fuck," Jimin said, the memories of driving around that night coming back to him. He remembered that he circled that patch of woods until he was almost out of gas and it was three in the morning.

Jimin had no idea how you managed to get home. He still felt a lump in his gut at the thought of you walking all that way. He ran a hand through his hair, glancing at his phone as it lit up with an email notification.

It was nearly two am, but it was from the Dance Department. The audition results.

Jimin fumbled as he reached for his phone. Not since he was the one waiting for the results did he care so much. He knew your name would be there, it had to be. Even if you never talked to him again, there was nothing he wanted more than for you to get accepted into the program.

While the TAs got to provide written arguments for who they believe should be accepted, it ultimately came down to the professors on the panel. Jimin had seen the way the judges nodded during your performance, the few notes about mixture of style.

He opened the email and scanned the list of names, smiling when he noticed yours among them. Jimin wanted to call you, wish he could see your face light up when he told you the news, but you were probably asleep by now.

Just as he was about to place his phone down, thinking he should probably go to bed, his phone rang. Your name lit up the screen.

"Inna?" he said, his voice wary.

"Jimin, I came home and I can't find Jackson anywhere. I think he might've gotten out. And I don't know what to do. What if he got hit by a car? Or what if he's cold and scared somewhere? I—"

"Are you still at your place?" Jimin asked, already beginning to throw on a pair of jeans and a T-Shirt. Your voice was laden with sobs, cracking with already shed tears.

"Yes," you said. You sounded so small and Jimin felt a pang in his chest.

"I'm on my way. Just stay put, okay? Don't go looking for him alone. I'm gonna bring Tae, too."

Jimin was tempted to stay on the phone with you. He didn't trust that you weren't already hitting the sidewalk and going down strange, dark alleyways in search of your beloved kitten. But, he needed to round up some help first. Starting with his best friend and roommate.

"Wake up," Jimin said, pulling the covers off Taehyung. He'd insisted on sleeping on the couch after coming back to find the two of you in a rather compromising position with the smell of sex in the room.

Taehyung looked up at his friend with tired, confused eyes. When he met Jimin's, he knew something was wrong and got out of bed.

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It turns out Jimin had reason to worry about you hitting the streets on your own. When he hung up after promising to come, you didn't have time to explain that you already stood a block away at the entrance to an alleyway.

You were familiar with this particular alleyway. It was on the way between the bar where you used to work and your apartment. Carrying a pouch of treats, you shook them, rattling them like maracas.

"Jackson," you said, your voice high pitched and soft. You tried to hide the shake. "Kitty, kitty. Where are you?"

You expected him to go back to a place similar to where you found him, an alleyway or dumpster. Even though Jackson had begun to fill out since you'd adopted him, he will still small and would be able to squeeze into places he may not be able to get out of.

A dog barked and the cold reality of the night air ran down your spine. There were quite a few stray dogs in the area or dogs that owners watched haphazardly. Jackson would never be able to outrun one.

Tears pricked at your eyes and you felt pathetic. You hated crying and it seemed to be the only thing you were good at these days. Walking out of the alleyway, you caught site of Taehyung's huge, tan car driving at a definitely illegal speed towards your apartment.

You ran back out on the sidewalk and Jimin seemed to notice you as you watched the car come to an abrupt stop about a block away.

Parking along the street, you started walking towards the car and watched as Jimin and Taehyung climbed out. Jimin looked wide awake, his eyes widening as they caught sight of your tear laden eyes and messy hair. Taehyung, on the other hand, looked barely awake, his eyes still half closed and he wore a pair of silk pajamas with slides.

"I told you not to go out on your own," Jimin said, his hand immediately coming to your shoulder. "Are you okay?"

You nodded, though the way you shouldn't meet his eyes proved differently. You weren't sure whether it was the embarrassment from earlier that night, or that you didn't want him to see the worry and hopelessness that took over your features.

"He's been gone too long," you said. "He could be anywhere now."

"Hey, you know Jackson. He gets scared on his own. I doubt he wandered off too far." Jimin wrapped his arms around you and brought you to his chest. You felt his hands leave your body as he motioned for Taehyung to look around. "I've called in some help. It shouldn't take them too long and with everyone's help, we'll find him, love. Don't worry."

He placed a small, barely there kiss in your hair. You felt a rush of cool night hair suddenly pierce through your clothes, causing you to lean more into Jimin's embrace. Despite having been in his arms just hours before, it felt different. It felt like you were two people wax molds of one another.

You didn't start out fitting together. Two blocks of wax that required a little warmth and a little pressure to bend this way and that, eventually coming to match each other.

Calming down, you started the search again, walking back towards your building to search closer to home. Jimin was right. Jackson wouldn't have wandered far on his own.

Jimin lagged behind you. You occasionally heard his soft calls as the two of you paused at alleyways or peaked under parked cars. But otherwise, he was silent.

"Inna," he said, eventually. "Have you seen the audition results yet?"

You stopped. The city was silent around you. Not even a distant siren or car horn could be heard. You shivered, rubbing your bare legs together. You hadn't even changed before you noticed Jackson was missing. Throwing on a flannel, you'd run out the door.

"No," you said, having not remembered they come out that night. You'd been too wrapped up in your plans to get revenge on Jimin and then later on, too wrapped up in Jimin to remember.

"Do you want me to tell you if you got in?" he asked.

"Is this really the right time for this, Jimin?" Your voice rose an octave and you felt your nose becoming congested at the thought of crying once again.

"You got in."

It felt like an earthquake was splitting the sidewalk beneath your feet. You should feel happy. You do feel happy. But it is fully eclipsed by your worry for Jackson, the embarrassment you feel after walking out on Jimin. You tore your gaze away from him and continued in the direction you were going previously.

"Aren't you happy?" he asked. His hand flew out to grip your elbow with a feather light touch.

"How can I be happy right now, Jimin? I just want Jackson back. I want to stop feeling—everything."

Jimin's dark eyes softened in the same way he'd looked at Jackson when you found him in the alleyway.

"Inna—"

Jimin's phone rang. He answered it, seeing it was Namjoon who had come to help search. Few words were exchanged before Jimin held out his hand and nodded in the opposite direction.

"They think they found him," he said. "But they need us to confirm."

Your heart soared. Taking Jimin's hand without a thought, you ran in the other direction. It was only just over a block away, but the two of you were catching your breath as you saw three of the men Jimin had called in to help.

It was a little funny to see all of them together outside of the club. Namjoon looked tired but was the only one who had bothered to completely change out of his pajamas. Taehyung stood beside him, a little more awake than when you first saw him. Finally, Hoseok was the furthest away from you and the deepest into the alleyway, greeted you with a smile. You wondered if he had even gone to bed yet, considering the easy smile and the lack of bags under his eyes.

Taehyung held something in his arms and you recognized the form of a kitten. You approached him and your stomach sunk as you saw the kitten. It was obviously not Jackson. The kitten was gray like him, but was a tabby.

"It's not him," you said. You fell to your knees allowing the ground to scrape them. You didn't care. You felt Jimin reach to catch you, but it had been unexpected and you nearly brought him down with you. "We're never gonna find him."

Your hands covered your eyes and your breaths splintered between sobs. Jimin crouched to comfort you. Even though his arms felt like the warm blanket you so desperately wanted to fall into, you pushed him away.

"Jimin, I—I can't do this. I think I'm falling for you too and I don't deserve to."

The words tumbled from your mouth. You didn't care that the other guys were there. In fact, they hardly seemed surprised, more caught up in the charms of the other kitten.

"Who says you don't deserve it?"

"Me," you said. Your tears were drying, unable to produce anymore. "I've played a dangerous game with you and I never intended it for it to be like this. I thought I could just rile you up. Make you hate me as much as I used to hate you."

Jimin examined your face. He didn't say a word though, his plump lips firmly shut.

"But in the end, I just ended up hurting myself. And you. And now we've lost Jackson because of my obsession with getting back at you."

The other three guys came running into the alleyway. Jungkook, Yoongi, and Jin all had sweat on their brows.

"Was it him?" Jungkook asked, looking down at you.

It took only a curt shake of your head for him to understand. You stood up feeling the blood leak from your knees and onto your shins.

You knew you were a mess. You could only imagine the way your hair was falling out of its bun and your bloody knees looked.

"I need to get out of here."

"Inna! Wait!"

Jimin grabbed your wrist before you could leave, turning you around to face him.

"You need to stop running away from things that scare you." He reached up, moving stray hairs off your face. "I can still see you're the same girl from all those years ago. Thinking that running away will make me forget about you."

Your body felt like it melted into the cement. You felt every point where his skin touched yours. He looked sincere, his face beginning to look wary in the early morning hours.

"It won't, Inna. Nothing will make me forget about you."

You lurched away from him, stumbling out onto the sidewalk with a similar swagger to the guys at the club that used to drink too much. Your movements were too quick, they were futile in preventing from running straight into a man on the sidewalk.

You fell backward onto your ass. The man wavered, but didn't fall, intently focused on not dropping what was in his arms. His face was handsome and vaguely familiar. Maybe he used to come into the club?

"Jackson?" You heard Jimin ask.

"Jimin?" the man asked, turning towards Jimin.

As you stood up you heard a familiar mew. Your eyes darted to the tabby kitten that Taehyung still held, but it slept peacefully in his arms.

Part of you didn't want to believe in fate like this. That things were pre-determined and meant to be. But, a sense of relief passed over you as you lunged for the gray kitten in the man's arms.

"Jackson!"

"Uh, yeah? That's me," the man said, giving you an odd look as your approached him and attempted to scoop the kitten from his arms.

"No, dude, she's talking about the kitten. He's, uh, also named Jackson."

"Oh," the man said, releasing his hold on your gray kitten. Jackson climbed to your shoulder, resting his head in the curve of your neck. He purred.

"Jackson found Jackson," Hoseok said, laughing.

"This is why I wanted to call him Mochi." Jimin came towards you, smiling at the looks of content on both your face and the kitten's. "But someone is stubborn and now he only responds to Jackson."

"Hmm," was your only reply. The exhaustion was beginning to wash over you now that you had Jackson back in your arms.

The rest of the guys were chatting with Jackson and you overheard him say that he found him in an alleyway outside some club. You smiled and closed your eyes. If it weren't for the cool air you could've fallen asleep right there.

Jimin reached up to pet Jackson and pressed his cheek against the kitten's back. "I'm glad we have him back."

The voices of the guys faded away as they walked down the sidewalk. It was just you and Jimin now.

"Did I really get in?" you asked.

Jimin's eyes looked just as tired as your own. It seems the adrenaline had been the only thing keeping him going too.

"Yes," he said. "You do."

"Do they not like when the beginners date the upperclassmen?"

Jimin's eyes narrowed at your question. "I don't think so. Why?"

"Just asking."

And then, you kissed him.

You realized the danger Jackson had found himself in. Risking getting hit by a car, kidnapped by a well meaning stranger. All to go back to the place where he found his family.

The danger you were in when you ran out onto the streets in the middle of the night to find him. When you trusted your ex-boyfriend too much. The danger of playing with someone's fragile heart.

It was a little awkward with Jackson between your chests. Your lips met at a weird angle and you almost knocked noses before meeting his lips. Yet, kissing Jimin felt like the safest thing in the world.

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