Archive of Our Own ^beta

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01. The 'mum' friend and making sure you eat

“Do you think I’m the mum friend?” Jin asks suddenly. He’s currently swinging back and forth on his swivel chair which you feel adds a little bit of irony to his question.

“To me? Or just to your friends in general?” You ask. Jin shrugs.

“Just in general I guess?” He says. You pause to deliberate. It is true that Jin does give off the occasional “mum friend” vibe. He usually hangs around with people quite a bit younger than him and he does things like tuck them in when they fall asleep at his place and message them to make sure they’re eating regularly. Even you hadn’t escaped his ingrained need to ensure every person around him was adequately fed. It’s why he currently sits beside you at your computer desk and offers you bites of the sandwich he prepared when he suspected you hadn’t been eating. It’s like he has a radar for these things- he’d shown up, unprompted with the justification that you hadn’t texted him in 24 hours and he was 90% sure you hadn’t eaten.

“You can be quite motherly.” You answer hesitantly. He nods contemplatively and holds the sandwich up to you. You take a large mouthful without removing your eyes from the screen. “Why do you ask?”

“I’m worried you see me as a mother figure.” Jin confesses and the statement is so ridiculous you pause mid-chew and redirect your attention from you work and looming deadline. You arch an eyebrow since your mouth is currently preoccupied. He sighs heavily. “It’s just… I love taking care of my friends, don’t get me wrong, and I know that most of them wouldn’t take care of themselves if I didn’t. So I don’t mind when you guys tag me as the “mum friend” in those “tag urself” memes but I don’t like the idea of you seeing me as a mother-figure.”

You stare, confused by this line of questioning. You’ve always been grateful for Jin and his endless supply of kindness both astounds you and warms you to your very bones. You can see why his friends joke that he’s the mum friend, what with his habit of packing extra drink bottles in case someone forgets or the way he will sit you down and supervise you until he’s satisfied you’ve applied enough sunscreen or even the way he’ll text you in the morning 5 minutes after your alarm is meant to go off because he knows you have a tendency to sleep through it. What confuses you is why he doesn’t want you specifically to see him as the “mum friend”.

“Why does it matter if I see you as a mother figure if your other friends are allowed to?” You ask.

Jin gives you a long, probing stare. You can’t fight the blush that forms under his intense scrutiny. The corner of his lip turns upwards and there’s something secretive and teasing about the smile he gives you.

“Have a guess.”

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02. The 'mum' friend and taking you grocery shopping

“When you messaged me to hang, I didn’t think you meant we’d go grocery shopping together.” You comment, watching as Jin contemplates which of the tomatoes he holds in each hand is in better condition. He decides on the one on the left and places it with the rest of the produce he’s slowly been accumulating in the trolley.

“Jungkook has the flu and hasn’t been cooking for himself.” he points out as he leads you out of the fruit and veggies section. You frown.

“So if Jungkook is the one who is sick, why are we the ones shopping for him?” You ponder. Jin simply clicks his tongue and shakes his head.

“I see you have a lot to learn.” He answers.

“A lot to learn about what?” You whine. “Why do you keep messaging me to hang and then taking me on these weird ventures like buying groceries for Jungkook or accompanying Hoseok to the optometrist- which, by the way, he could totally do himself. What self respecting adult needs a buddy to go to the optometrist?” 

Jin gives you a weirdly offended look.

“Hey. He’s sensitive and he sometimes just needs a bit of support from his friends. I didn’t see you complaining when I drove you to hospital that one time you passed out in my living room because you’re a dummy and didn’t eat even though you’re diabetic.” He points out.

“Maybe I would have complained if I’d been conscious?” You answer incredulously. “Also I didn’t ask you to stay beside my bedside like that the whole night. I ran into that ER doctor the other week and she asked me how my husband was going! And diabetes and needing glasses are two vastly different conditions.” You complain. You are momentarily distracted by the multitude of cereals on the shelves beside you as Jin reaches passed you to select one and so you miss the way his ears tinge the slightest bit red.

“Anyway,” Jin says, abruptly changing the conversation. “I’m trying to teach you how to be more nurturing. Taehyung told me you made Jimin cry the other day and so I’ve taken it upon myself to teach you not to be so grumpy and abrasive all the time. Our friends may be adults but they have proven time and time again that they need a little help. As the oldest two in the group, we need to be that for them.” 

“Why can’t we just hang out like normal people? Go to the movies or get brunch or something?” You complain. Ok, so admittedly it is fairly endearing how Jin dotes so obviously on his friends and it’s kind of hard not to secretly bask in the domesticity of going grocery shopping with him. And despite your prickly outer appearance you actually enjoy helping people, and without Jin you’d probably never be brave enough to do so. But is it so wrong to wish that Jin would want to hang just because he enjoys your company? Is it a crime to wish that rather than dropping lunch off for Namjoon at his work place because he forgot to pack any that Jin would take you out to lunch? 

You are interrupted by an old lady coming forward and gently tapping Jin on the arm. He sets down the bag of bread he had been examining to turn to her. 

“I just wanted to say that the two of you make a lovely couple.” She says warmly. “How long have you been married for?”

You abruptly choke on your spit, shocked by the line of questioning. Jin doesn’t break eye contact with the old lady as he reaches out an arm to clap on your back as you continue to fail at breathing. Instead he offers a disarmingly charming smile and uses the arm clapping you on the back to wrap around your shoulders and pull you in close.

“Two months.” He answers with a teasing twinkle in his eyes. Your eyes widen incredulously and you are about to protest but the old lady takes before you can correct that misunderstanding.

“That’s so sweet! I remember when I was a newlywed. Make sure not to waste this time, it’s precious!” She tells you before she turns and totters off down the aisle. You hastily untangle yourself from under Jin’s arm and offer him a light whack to his arm. He winces and rubs at his bicep where you slapped him.

“Ow!” He whines. “What was that for?”

“Why did you tell that lady we were married?” You hiss and he shrugs with a smile that is far too mischievous for your liking. 

“Hey it’s a big hassle to correct those sorts of misunderstandings and it’s just embarrassing and awkward all around. I was saving her the humiliation.” He says, as if he’s just performed some great act of charity. 

“Besides, can you blame her?” He asks, wrapping his hands around the trolley handle and walking forward once more. He pauses to glance at you over his shoulder with a wink. “We do look like a lovely couple.”

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03. The 'mum' friend and taking care of you while drunk

“He’s nice to everyone.” Namjoon offers as a hesitant reassurance. You do not lift your head from where it is collapsed despairingly in your folded arms. “Ex or not, he’s not just going to leave someone who calls him for help on the side of the road.”

The copious amounts of alcohol you had consumed since Jin had scurried out of the bar you were in after receiving an alarming call from his ex-girlfriend renders you far more honest than you could ever manage while sober. Normally you are more responsible about your drinking because of your health condition but tonight you have abandoned all sensibility.

“That’s the problem.” You lament with a slur. “I’m not upset because he’s helping his ex. I’m upset because it means I’m nothing special.”

Namjoon frowns- your voice trembles pathetically and Jin had once warned him you were the kind to cry hysterically while drunk. That is, when you weren’t passing out from hypoglycaemia. He would have stopped you from drinking that much and avoided having to console you the whole night and worry about whether he needed to call the ambulance but he’d arrived late and by that stage Jimin and Taehyung were gleefully handing you shots. They’ve long since sauntered off, enjoying the night. In the meantime, he, the responsible friend, is stuck babysitting. He just hopes Jin gets here soon because you’re diabetic and he’s pretty sure you aren’t meant to get this drunk but Jin is always the one to handle it when you do.

“That’s not true! You’re special to him!” Namjoon protests because it’s true. You are special to Jin. The way in which you are special to Jin, however, is kind of a mystery and running joke amongst the group. Did he view you as one of the many pathetic young adults he had taken under his wing to nurture and care for or was Jin showing interest in a girl romantically for the first time since his dramatic breakup three years ago? He did seem to summon you to spend time together far more frequently than the others but that could just be because you were far less likely to set the stove on fire while cooking dinner like Taehyung and you didn’t hop in the trolley and demand he push you around on grocery trips like Jungkook.

“Sometimes I think that could be true.” You confess and the tears that had been pooling at the corners of your eyes since your 7th shot start to trickle down your cheeks. “He says things that sound like maybe he likes me like “we’d make a cute couple” or “you look pretty in that dress” but then he’ll tell Hoseok that he considers it cheating if Hoseok sees other women or he’ll tell Jimin the only thing stopping Jin from marrying him is that he feels threatened by his looks and so then maybe it’s just his personality.”

Namjoon remains silent throughout your rant.

“And that time my car broke down and I got stranded in the middle of nowhere at 3am he drove out to me to get me and he hugged me while I was crying, I was positive that he must feel something.” you confess and your words are beginning to be interspersed with sobs. Namjoon knows that you are a ticking time bomb- you are fast approaching the hysterical sobbing stage that only Jin seems to be able to pull you from. Alas, Jin is nowhere to be seen, probably still scouring the streets for his ex after her distress call. He’d promised he come right back once he’d helped her out but that had been a few hours ago.

“(Y/N),” Namjoon urges softly but it is too late. You explode into sobs and he barely catches the words you spit out between gasps.

“But then he clearly runs off to play knight in shining armour for any person who calls him in distress so I really must just be a friend to him!” You cry. “Why did I have to fall for such a flirt?”

At this you pretty much throw yourself bodily into Namjoon’s arms, or at least you try to. You’re pretty drunk and so what actually happens is that you lurch off the bar stool. You set yourself on a collision course for the ground and Namjoon only just manages to catch you by the waist before you can break your face. You totter drunkenly in his arms. The ludicrously high stilettos you had clearly worn in an effort to catch Jin’s attention are going to make getting you home safely quite a struggle.

“Namjoon, you caught me!” You cry, a giggle escaping through your tears. You throw your arms up around his neck and pull him in close. He tries not to wince at your breath, sour with alcohol. He knows better than to think the brief break from your sobs means the worst is over. Moments later this is confirmed as you once more break into tears. “Jin would have caught me too if he wasn’t too busy catching what’s-her-face.”

Namjoon sighs, hoisting you up against him and preparing to turn and leave the bar. You tuck your face into his neck, still in hysterics. Maybe he should take you to the hospital? The last thing he needs is you fainting from hypoglycaemia. Why did Jimin and Taehyung give you so much alcohol when they know you’re diabetic?

He’s just about to text Jin to let him know that you’re being taken home and ask him if he needs to give you an insulin shot or something when someone behind you clears their throat. Namjoon glances up and is both alarmed and relieved to see Jin watching the two of you with an odd expression on his face. It is gone just as quickly as it comes though and is replaced with a grateful smile.

“Thanks for looking after her, Joon,” Jin says warmly. Is Namjoon imagining the hard edge to Jin’s normally sweet voice?

“How was she?” Namjoon asks, referring to Jin’s ex. Jin shrugs.

“She just needed a lift because she was a little drunk and didn’t know who else to call. I took her home and rushed back.” Jin holds out his arms, and Namjoon takes that as the signal to transfer your limp, crying form into his arms. As soon as he does you look up and see Jin’s face and the sobs slow.

“Jin,” you call stupidly with a goofy smile on your face.

Jin’s opinion of you has remained a mystery to the group for a long time. He’s the kind of person to keep his deeper emotions in check, partially out of a desire to be a rock for those around him and partially because his ex messed him up. He’s never said anything about liking you or behaved like he does. Sometimes he’s a little flirty but he’s like that with literally everyone. But while the two of you are close and there has been a lot of speculation about whether Jin reciprocates your very obvious crush, Namjoon sometimes has to wonder whether it’s actually a mystery. Especially when Jin looks down at you with the most tender expression Namjoon has ever seen. Maybe Jin isn’t as subtle and mysterious as everyone thinks he is about his feelings.

“There, there,” Jin comforts you. “Don’t cry. Let’s get you home and check your blood sugar.” Like magic, the sobs stop and you simply fall limply in Jin’s arms. Jin turns, clearly preparing to lead you out of the bar and take you home but Namjoon stops him with a hand on his arm.

“Wait, hyung,” Namjoon says. “I was just wondering….”

Jin waits patiently as Namjoon struggles to form his next sentence.

“Do you like her?” Joon asks, nodding his head in your direction to signal to Jin who he’s talking about. Jin looks surprised by the line of questioning and opens his mouth to answer.

He never gets the chance though because you promptly double over and empty the contents of your stomach all over him.

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04. The mum friend and hospital visits

“Don’t say it.” You order vehemently. Hobi, resting comfortably in a chair at your bedside, shrugs.

“I’m just saying,” he says smugly. Somehow his voice is more grating than the incessant beep of the heart rate monitor you are currently hooked up to. Which is really saying something because you’d been putting up with it’s recurrent beeps for the past few hours. “You’re always complaining how we can’t look after ourselves and how Jin can’t baby us forever,”

You grit your teeth and have half a mind to wrap you fingers around his throat. But the IV drip taped to your hand restricts your movement- you don’t want to accidentally rip it out.

“But what happens as soon as he goes away for a few days?” Hobi continues, oblivious to your murderous intentions. “You skip a meal and pass out from hypoglycaemia. Honestly,” he tuts, shaking his head. “You’re lucky Jin’s away or he’d be stressed out of his mind. He was bad enough when you passed out in his living room that one time. You’d have though he was the love interest in a terminal illness drama what with all the crying and angst.”

“I was busy. I just missed breakfast.” You point out through gritted teeth. Hobi shrugs, still going through his mental checklist of all the times you had made a fool of yourself.

“Honestly though what self-respecting diabetic would do something as stupid as miss a meal? And you got super drunk the other week too, I remember Jin complaining about you vomiting on him- are you trying to die from hypoglycaemia?” Hobi finishes. You grip the bedsheets and glance down at the blanket, ashamed. Yes, you should know better, and yes, you had been dealing with this condition all your life and should be passed the point where you fainted from hypoglycaemia. It had just been a really rough week where work had been stressful and your parents had been nagging you and Jin’s ex had been messaging him to try and talk and you’d been so stressed that you slept in. You’d missed breakfast and had been planning to grab something on the way to work but you’d missed your window and the next thing you knew, the familiar and unpleasant dizziness of a hypoglycaemic episode was rolling over you. You’d woken up in the hospital with Hobi waiting with what seems to be a preprepared speech to scold you. Jin probably wrote it and distributed it to all your friends in case you ever pulled another stunt like the time you’d fainted in his living room and he’d nearly had a stress-induced heart attack as a result.

“What happened?” Hobi questions and the condescension in his voice is replaced with something gentler and more concerned. You feel your ire drain from you.

“I just had a long week.” You confess. “It’s hard to keep a handle on 100% of the time and work got the better of me.”

Hoseok is about to reply when someone skids to a stop in front of your bed. Their coat is half on and their hair is out of sorts and they are gasping for breath like they’ve just run a marathon.

“Jin?” You cry incredulously. “What are you doing here?”

“I-“ he gasps. His body folds over as he gasps for breath, resting his hands on his knees. He looks up at you and the look of complete and utter relief on his face upon seeing you has you feeling inexplicably guilty. “I came as soon as I heard!”

“Weren’t you spending the weekend camping with Jimin to help him get over that bad breakup?” You ask. “Why are you here?”

“Hobi-“ he pants. “Hobi told me you fainted.”

You glare accusingly at Hobi as Jin pulls up a chair and settles beside you. He’s gradually starting to recover his breath and that means the scolding is due to start any moment now. Hoseok holds up his hands in surrender.

“Hey, I didn’t want him finding out when he got back and murdering us all for not telling him.” Hoseok points out. Jin nods.

“I’d never kill you for not saying anything.” Jin says warmly. His gaze hardens into a glare which he directs at you. “Her, on the other hand…”

“Well, you’ve seen I’m ok, so you can get back to doting on Jimin with hugs and kisses and whatever else it is you do when you console someone-“ you say quickly, in a hasty attempt to redirect his anger.

“Not so fast,” Jin cuts you off. He’s not angry, but he’s not happy with you either. You couldn’t name the emotion on his face if you tried. “Do you know how worried I was about you?”

You stay silent, unwilling to answer. Hobi interrupts by getting to his feet.

“Well, it’s been fun but now that the hubby is here, I best get back to work.” He announces, with a stretch and an obnoxious yawn to punctuate his statement.

“He’s not my-“

“Thanks, Hobi,” Jin cuts off your protest. He stares at you with an ominous look that tells you he’s going to be obnoxiously caring and considerate of you for the next week. “I’ll handle it from here.”

You resent the implication that you need someone with you to take care of you. You sit in a petty silence as an act of rebellion until Hobi is out of earshot and then Jin whirls on you. Oddly enough, it’s not with anger.

“Are you ok?” He demands instantly, tugging his chair closer to your bedside and reaching up to brush your unruly hair from your face. He then grabs the hand with a cannula in it and wraps his fingers around it, examining the way it feeds fluid into your veins. You flush and look away.

“Yeah. I just had a long week and missed breakfast is all.” You grumble. Jin continues to look at you with large, sad eyes and you feel your frustration with the whole situation crumble. You are honestly so pathetic and Jin’s caring and selfless nature always serves as an excellent reminder of that fact. You wish you could be more like him- kind and helpful and thoughtful but you’re not. 

“You didn’t have to come. I’ll get discharged in a couple of hours.” You mumble. You direct it at your bed because you can’t bear to look into those concerned eyes a moment longer.

Jin gently cups your cheek with his hand and gently guides your face until you are looking straight at him. The proximity, coupled with the strange way he is looking at you, makes your breath catch in your throat. He stares at you for a long moment, running his thumb across your face like he is memorising it. You feel oddly exposed but his firm grip keeps your face in place.

“Of course I had to come.” He confesses softly. “If anything happened to you, I don’t know what I’d do.”

His confession throws you and your heart begins to beat faster without your consent. There is something warm in his expression that makes you feel like your brain has turned to liquid. Your gaze flickers down to his mouth like it’s possessed. He has such beautiful lips- they’re so full and they look so soft. What would happen if you leaned across the short distance between you and pressed your mouth against his? How would he react?

It is moments like these that you think maybe he wouldn’t mind as much as you fear he will. Maybe he’d even like it.

“Take care of yourself, ok?” Jin pleads gently. “Otherwise I’ll be forced to take care of you instead.”

“That sounds terrible,” Jungkook calls from the doorway, carrying a box of chocolates and a teddy bear he’d purchased from the store at the hospital entrance for your enjoyment. “He’d feed you and wrap you in blankets and gently stroke your hair, ugh, it’s the worse.”

Jin pulls away like he’s been burned and you glance away too. Jungkook is none-the-wiser to the moment that passed between the two of you.

Your lips tingle. You wish you’d had the confidence to close the gap, but you didn’t.

And now the moment is gone.

Chapter Text

05. The 'mum' friend and helping you get ready

“Are you seriously going to go on a date with that clown?” Jin asks. He stands behind you with his arms folded across his chest. He glares at your reflection through the mirror while you attempt to do your eyeliner. It’s far more difficult with Jin’s attention on you and so it is unsurprising when you mess it up yet again. “Like actually? When you could be driving with me to pick Yoongi up from the airport?”

“As exciting as it sounds to run yet another errand with the group mum, I actually don’t have a choice. My actual mum has insisted upon the blind date and rather than endure her complaining through another hour long phone call, I’m just going to get dinner with the guy and get it over with.” You gripe as you reach for a makeup wipe. Jin watches with fascination for a moment before collapsing on your mattress and sprawling across it.

“Are you going to leave any time soon?” You ask, finally finishing up on your makeup and gazing at the dress you had chosen for the evening.

“I’ll just close my eyes.” Jin yawns in answer. Your gaze softens. Taehyung’s dog had required an emergency visit to the vet last night and Jin had been the one to drive him, and now he’s staying up late once more so he can pick Yoongi up from the airport. Yoongi had offered to just get a taxi but the trip had been to meet with some important business partners and Jin had wanted to be the first to hear how it went. Also the thought of one of his friends paying for a taxi when Jin has a perfectly functioning vehicle stresses him out.

With a sigh, you shrug out of your pyjamas and step into the dress. It is, admittedly, a little risqué for a first date you have no intention on following up on but you had gotten it a month ago and never worn it because Jin refuses to take you anywhere nice. If Jin doesn’t want to take you out on a date, you’re simple going to have to enjoy the fun of dressing up for someone else. It’s his loss, you think to yourself.

Only, when you turn around, Jin is propped up on his elbows on your bed and watching you without shame.

“Jin!” You reprimand, feeling your cheeks heat up. “You said you’d close your eyes!”

He shrugs with a grin.

“I did close my eyes. I just didn’t say how long I’d close them for.” He says. You are momentarily speechless at his audacity.

It is moments like these that make you think maybe Jin does like you. When he stares at you with that unreadable gaze, the one where he could be thinking anything from what he plans to have for dinner tonight to what ridiculous errand he’s going to drag you on next. It is frustrating how unreadable he is sometimes. If you could just crack through that outer facade and catch a glimpse of the feelings beneath, you would have asked him out ages ago but he continues to run hot and cold with you and you are confused.

“You never dress this nicely for me! I’m honestly a little offended.” He complains after a long moment of staring. He collapses back into your bed and glares petulantly at the ceiling.

“I never dress this nicely because your idea of hanging out is us going to pick up Namjoon’s prescription foot cream because he broke his arm and can’t drive to pick it up himself.” You point out rather reasonably.

“You had a good time! I bought you iced tea!” He cries in protest.

You sigh and fight back a smile as you turn to your jewellery box to search for a suitable pair of earrings. It had been fun, going to the pharmacy with Jin, but that was more because you enjoy his company way too much and not because purchasing foot cream is an enjoyable activity. And secretly you kind of like helping people out and Jin makes you reach out to people in a way you never thought you could before him.

“You’re really going to go?” Jin asks, and there is an odd serious tone to his voice. He sits up and stares you down and his gaze is unusually hard. “With me standing right here, offering you a far more interesting and fun evening, you’re going to go on a date?”

“Unless you have some sort of way to get my mother off my back, yes, I’m going on the date. It’s not like I’m seeing anyone at the moment. We’ll get dinner, I won’t organise a second date and I’ll tell my mother it just didn’t work and then voila, I’m free from her nagging until she finds her next victim.” You counter. Honestly, you think it’s unfair to whatever guy this date is with to agree to meet him when you’re so hung up over the guy currently chucking a tantrum in your bed, but you don’t have a choice. Your mother had insisted and hey, maybe getting out into the dating world would be good for you and help you finally deal with this annoying crush. Jin stares at you for a long, tense moment and then suddenly he rolls off your bed and begins rummaging through your drawers.

“Fine. If you’re that set on going on this date, I might as well help you. Where’s the necklace I got you for your birthday?” He demands, and you have half a mind to whack him when he pulls open your underwear drawer and begins sorting through it as if you’re going to keep jewellery in the same drawer as your undies. “It’ll go perfectly with that dress you’re wearing.”

“It’s here!” You snap, reaching into your jewellery box to produce the necklace in question. It’s more to stop him examining your bras with unnecessary vigour than to out of a desire to wear the necklace. Jin pauses it and turns towards you and there is definitely an ulterior motive lurking behind the smile he gives you. He pretty much snatches the necklace from where it dangles from your fingers and steps in far more close than necessary.

“I’ll help you put it on.” He says softly, and his voice pitches oddly low. Confused, you shift your hair off your neck to allow him to do so and for the first time that night you regret the decision to wear a strapless dress. You can feel each puff of his warm breath across the back of your neck and you feel the heat of his hands as he fidgets with the clasp of the necklace. Why is it taking so long to put on a simple necklace? It’s not complicated- delicate, silver chain, pretty pendant inlayed with your birth stone resting against your clavicle and a simple clasp. Still, Jin takes ages and you feel a blush creep along your skin the longer the moment draws out.

Finally he releases the necklace and it rests neatly against your skin. He places a hand on either shoulder and grins at you in the mirror over the top of your head.

“There,” He says. You examine the necklace- honestly it clashes a little with the dress and while you know Jin normally has better fashion taste than that but you cannot bring yourself to take it off. “Perfect.”

He glances at his watch and sighs.

“I better get going. Enjoy your date.” He pauses as he leaves the room. “Oh yeah, and if he asks about that necklace...”

He trails away and you turn to face him curiously. His grin shifts into something mischievous. “Make sure to tell him I gave it to you.”

You end up refusing a second date that night.

Chapter Text

06. The 'mum' friend and tucking you in at night

Hoseok and Namjoon are usually the first to tap out on occasions such as these, where you all hang out together at Jin and Yoongi’s place. Hoseok is usually Namjoon’s chauffeur since he does not have a licence and Hoseok often starts work early in the morning. Not to mention his girlfriend doesn’t like him staying out too late in case he gets too tired to drive. Next is Yoongi. He has his own bed and will retire to his bedroom as soon as the others allow him to because sleep is valuable.

Taehyung usually falls asleep halfway through the movie, snuggled into his girlfriend’s arms and she will usually follow suit just before the credits roll. They always pick the old reclining chair Jin once got in a garage sale and they probably use it as a bed more frequently than they use their own bed.

Jungkook just sprawls out on the carpet. You have a feeling he never actually sleeps over at Jin’s. He usually just makes use of Jin’s Netflix subscription- every time you think he’s fallen asleep, he’ll lazily raise his arm to select another movie or episode and you’ve never been awake long enough to find out if he actually gets to sleep. 

Jimin is a starfish sleeper and will start the night sharing the couch, but as spaces on the couch clear up and he starts to nod off, he will stretch out his arms and legs in a comfortable sprawl and begin to snore.

That leaves you and Jin. Normally you would help Jin clean up the mugs of hot chocolate he made for the others while they watched the movie (and he always makes yours sugar-free) and put away any leftover snacks in the fridge or pantry but tonight you are especially exhausted. You’d come straight from work and had pulled an all-nighter the previous night trying to meet a deadline. Instead, you simply watch with half lidded eyes as Jin gently slides a pillow beneath Jungkook’s neck (though Jungkook doesn’t even bother to raise his own head- he allows Jin to gently lift his head and then lower it back down onto said pillow) and covers Taehying and his girlfriend with a blanket. You have half a mind to just let sleep overcome you. You are just about to succumb and sleep right here, curled up into a tight ball on the couch with Jimin stretched out beside you when you find Jin shaking you awake. He’s almost vindictive about it.

“Oh sorry, were you sleeping?” Jin asks innocently as you blink tiredly at him. “It looked like you were awake. Just as well because you can’t sleep here.” He whispers, even as he shakes out a blanket to gently lay over Jimin’s sprawled out figure. You frown.

“Can I just stay the night?” You ask. “It’s late and I don’t think I’ll make the drive back to mine.” Jin’s expression warms and perhaps if you weren’t so tired you would have been flustered at the fondness of his expression.

“Of course you can stay over. I just meant you can’t sleep here, on the couch. It’s bad for your neck. And it’s not good for a pretty, young girl like you to be sleeping in a room with so many young men.” Jin’s gaze shifts disdainfully to the younger boy dozing beside you. As if feeling Jin’s gaze, Jimin releases an especially loud snore. You hear Jungkook snort with repressed laughter.

“Where should I sleep then?” You question, docile with sleep. Jin helps you to your feet and leads your unsteady form towards a door you recognise as his bedroom.

“In here of course,” Jin declares proudly. You are too touched at his generosity to respond and instead sink gratefully into his plush mattress.

“That’s so thoughtful Jin.” You yawn, already nuzzling into his pillow. It smells like him.

“What are you doing?” Jin asks, watching as you curl you body up under his quilt. You look at him to see he’s standing by the bed with his arm folded. It is difficult to make out his expression in the darkness.

“You weren’t offering your bed to me?” You respond, slightly embarrassed at your assumption. Jin shakes his head.

“No, I was offering my bed to you, it’s just you didn’t leave any room for me.” He points out. Your eyes widen and you sit up, suddenly more awake than before.

“Wait... you want to share?” You cry, before remembering to keep your voice hushed. Jin nods as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“Well... yes? Why would I sleep on the floor or share the couch with Jimin when I have a perfectly functioning bed right here?” His voice is incredulous as if you are the one suggesting something outrageous.

“Wait, but then what’s the difference between me sleeping out here or in there if you’re just going to share the bed with me? Either way I’m sleeping in the same room as ‘young men’.” You point out.

Jin arches an eyebrow. “Do you really want to ruin your back sleeping in that hunched up position? Besides, I distinctly remember you agreeing that I was just the “mum friend”, so surely that’s better than getting cozy with the hooligans out there.” Perhaps were you less sleepy, you might have caught that his logic wasn’t exactly perfect, but you are moments away from collapsing from exhaustion and so you miss the hint of ulterior motives that lurks behind Jin’s reasoning.

“I didn’t say you were the mum friend. Just like a mum friend.” You mutter, even as you shuffle to the side to allow Jin to slide under the covers with you. In your exhaustion you miss the way his face lights up with delight and how he is perhaps a touch too eager as he clambers onto the mattress.

You shuffle to the edge of the mattress to allow as much space as possible between the two of you and quickly fall deeply asleep. Your efforts at maintaining some sense of propriety are apparently in vain, however. You wake up in the morning, horrified that at some point during the night you have pretty much rolled on top of him. Your whole body is thrown haphazardly over his. His warm breath stirs the hairs at the top of your head and his arm is wrapped firmly around you, pulling you close. To his credit, when Jin wakes up, he is only a little teasing about it and surprisingly forgiving about the whole thing. He seems all too willing to put it in the past, much to your relief. The others, sensing your embarrassment, limit their teasing as well upon discovering you had slept in Jin’s room.

What you don’t know is that during the night he had tugged you closer and closer until he could bury his face in you hair and fall asleep with the warmth of your body curled up against his. He had fallen asleep with a smile on his face and hey, maybe waking up to your flustered expression was a little extra bonus he hadn’t planned, but who would complain about that?

Chapter Text

07. The 'mum' friend and administering first aid

“Honestly, sometimes you’re as bad as Namjoon,” Jin scolds. There is a warm fondness that softens that harshness of his words. Carefully, with the gentleness and delicacy one might handle a precious museum artifact, or a priceless diamond, he wraps his hand around your foot. He stabilises your leg with the other and begins to rotate your foot. His expression is concentrated as he evaluates your range of motion. You wince when he overextends the injured joint.

“Ow!” You whine. You go to pull your leg from his grasp but the hand placed on your shin tightens and pins your leg in place.

Honestly, you hadn’t even wanted to go on this stupid camping trip. It had been Jimin’s idea. You had politely declined the offer with the intention of spending the weekend lazing in bed and maybe doing a bit of cleaning but Jin had begged and pleaded.

“It’s definitely sprained.” Jin concludes grimly, finally releasing his grip on your leg. He stands up and brushes the dirt off his jeans before sitting beside you with a loud sigh. “I see now why you didn’t want to go camping. You’re a bit of a magnet for trouble, aren’t you?”

Embarrassed, you fidget with the hem of your shirt. It’s no secret that you don’t like the outdoors. You’re not like Jin with his natural athleticism and willingness to try anything. It’s stressful monitoring your blood sugar far away from civilisation and you have a clumsy streak a mile wide on top of that. As demonstrated by your currently sprained ankle. You weren’t even doing anything outdoorsy- you’d simply tripped on a rock on the path and gone down. And you hadn’t gotten to do any of the fun camping things like swimming or hanging around the campfire either. Plus you hated being stuck in close proximity with others and camping meant you were stranded in the wilderness with the exact people you didn’t want to see.

“I guess I was just tired and didn’t pay attention to where I was going.” You mumble self-consciously. “Chaeyoung was literally snoring the whole night.”

Jin chuckles and wraps an arm around your shoulders. He pulls you in close in what you suppose is an attempt to comfort you. Despite your persistent attempts to convince him you don’t like camping, he knows the real reason you didn’t want to come is because you’d had a fight with Chaeyoung and were now stuck camping with her. He also knows the two of you will get over your little scuffle soon enough if the guilty looks Chaeyoung kept shooting you as Jin dragged you off to administer first aid were anything to go by. Not to mention you actually love camping and are secretly devastated to be injured so early on despite your insistence that you hate the outdoors (not that you’d ever admit that to him).

“Well you could have shared the tent with me, but you refused!” He chides lightly and his lower lip protrudes in a petulant pout. You roll your eyes and cross your arms across your chest. You scoff loudly.

“Yeah right, and put up with the others waggling their eyebrows at me and making suggestive comments this whole trip? I think not!” You say firmly. Jin laughs. “Plus I don’t want to be exposed to your morning breath.”

“What do you mean? You didn’t seem to mind that last time we slept together-“ he begins but the words are cut off as you clap both hands over his mouth. Your cheeks flame with embarrassment and your eyes dart around to see if anyone heard. You don’t notice the way Jin’s eyes glitter with mirth over the top of your hands.

“Not so loud!” You hiss. “People will get the wrong idea.”

In the next instant your eyes go wide with disgust for Jin has licked your hand in an attempt to get you to remove it. It works and you instantly withdraw your hands in disgust and wipe them on his shirt sleeves. He cackles with laughter and catches your wrists.

“Come on, we can’t hide back here forever,” he tells you, getting to his feet. For a second you fear he will drag you up with him but he does something even more unexpected. He releases your wrists and instead crouches down, scooping you up in his arms as though you are newlyweds and he is carrying his precious bride. You cry out in shock, your arms flying around his neck for stability. Little do you know that’s exactly what Jin wanted you to do.

“Jin!” You protest but he merely smiles at you. “The others will make fun of us, and-“

“And what?” He cuts you off. “Chaeyoung will think you aren’t taking your fight seriously because you’re off having fun with me?”

You fall silent at that, surprised that he’s aware of said fight. So Jin knew. It was honestly over something petty and you couldn’t even remember the inciting cause. Whatever had started it, it had continued to escalate until Chaeyoung had all but screeched how she was sick of your grumpy, abrasive ways and as if that wasn’t bad enough, she’d been giving you the cold shoulder even while sharing a tent with you. The truth is, you actually like camping. You just kept telling yourself you didn’t so that when you didn’t go and didn’t have to deal with the fight with Chaeyoung for the weekend you wouldn’t feel as upset.

“How did you know?” You asks quietly, dejectedly. Jin sighs.

“Because I know you very, very well.” He says. “But I also know her very well and I know this will all blow over. So cheer up and learn to enjoy yourself for once. You’re going to miss your youth if you keep being so grumpy all the time.”

You open your mouth to protest but it dies in your throat. Instead you find yourself taking the opportunity to examine Jin up close. You rarely get the opportunity to unabashedly stare at him but you do so now. How can a human being be so beautiful? From his warm eyes to his soft lips to the way his hair falls across his face, everything about him makes your heart ache.

Jin notices your silence and directs his gaze to you. His arms appear to be getting tired but you know he will pretend that he’s strong enough to support your weight for a little longer because he’s obnoxious like that. You don’t know what facial expression you are pulling but whatever expression it is makes him smile. He tilts his head towards you conspiratorially.

“But hey, if you and Chaeyoung don’t make up on this trip, it’s not too late to swap to my tent. Jimin ditched me for Yoongi and I wouldn’t mind some company.” He whispers.

He sets you down gently beside your tent before you can offer an indignant response and then you are distracted because Chaeyoung watches you with huge, apologetic eyes, anxious to end your fight.

He’s such a thoughtful jerk.

Chapter Text

08. The 'mum' friend and doing the right thing

Sometimes Jin is too nice for his own good. It’s not that he doesn’t enjoy helping others- the tiny smile Yoongi offers when Jin picks up the drink he likes from the convenience store or the warmth of seeing Jungkook curled up securely on his couch because he likes Jin’s place better than his own is so rewarding. He was raised in the kind of environment that having meant giving. And Jin has and so he gives. It’s just sometimes… he gives maybe a little too much. This is one of those times.

His ex attempts to diffuse the awkward tension in the air by sipping at her coffee.

“Thanks for agreeing to see me.” She says softly, still not quite bold enough to make eye contact. Both of them fall into an awkward silence.

Yoongi had told Jin to just ghost her but alas, his mother had raised him too well. Her constant texts and calls over the past few weeks told him she was struggling to move on, and what a decent human being would do is help her to finally let go. So he had reluctantly responded to her texts and agreed to meet with the intention of reminding her that the past is the past and clinging on to it is unhealthy.

Only he hadn’t anticipated how much it would hurt to see her. She’d been very drunk when he’d picked her up that one time and so it had been easy to ignore the pangs in his chest and focus on getting her home safely. But now there is no such distraction and Jin is hit with the full force of a love lost. He had really loved the woman sitting in front of him. He had dated her for 5 whole years- from his first year of university, through his degree and into his first few years of work. At one point he had even thought maybe he would marry her.

But sometimes love does not work out and it did not work out between Sooji and him. Perhaps they had been too young and naive to handle a relationship like the one they had had. Either way, the breakup had been prolonged and messy because neither had been willing to let go.

The reason it had gone rotten between them was because Jin had been “too nice”. At first, Sooji had liked his kindness. Encouraged it, even. Most girls do at first. He’s handsome and he’s sweet and he goes out of his way to help people. Isn’t that the embodiment of what a young woman desires in a man? But then she started to get jealous and insecure. Yes, Jin was the kind of boyfriend who would wake up at 5 am to pick her up at the airport at 6am but he was also the kind of friend to wake up at 5am to pick Taehyung up from the airport at 6am. Yes, he’d always clear his schedule if she wanted to spend time with him but he’s also just as willing to do the same for Namjoon. What made her special? Did he even like her?

At least, that was what her insecurities had forced her to ask and perhaps he could have worked through it with her had she told him as much. Because admittedly he hadn’t been that good at expressing how he felt for her and he had hoped she just knew. But she hadn’t and what had ensued was a terrible time of fighting for and fighting with with each other. Of holding back and not saying what they were really thinking. The frustration curdled into resentment and then into anger and soon enough neither of them were willing to give an inch but neither of them were willing to leave the other either. It had been ugly and messy and painful and enough to turn Jin off relationships for the rest of his life.

Perhaps that is why he’s been so hesitant with you, as far back as when he first met you three years ago. He had been fresh from his breakup with Sooji when you first came into his life and he was attracted to you almost straight away. But he hadn’t made any kind of move or given you any signs that he was interested in more than just friendship. At first it had been reluctance- you bore so many similarities to Sooji. The exact same adoration of his kindness but also the same reluctance to allow him to share that kindness that Sooji had was as plain as day in you. And so while he liked you and couldn’t help but be attracted to you, he just couldn’t bring himself to make that leap. To fall into the same mistakes that had lead to his painful breakup with Sooji. No, he couldn’t do that to himself. Not again.

But then time went on and he started to learn something.

For one thing, he isn’t who he was when he was with Sooji. He probably won’t ever be that person again and so he’s not going to repeat what happened with Sooji. But on top of that, you aren’t Sooji. Far from it, actually. What he had initially thought was a reluctance for him to help others had just come from misinterpreting your abrasive personality. From your difficulty in expressing yourself. You are rather like Yoongi in that manner. You keep a tight lid on everything and are reluctant to show any weakness. And you refuse to be honest, even with yourself. And so it took a lot of digging but eventually Jin discovered the heart of gold beneath the prickly outer layer. No, that reluctance to share him hadn’t been a reluctance at all. It had been a desire to be like him and a frustration when you could not. You aren’t possessive and jealous like Sooji at all. You are just endearingly naive when it comes to your desire to help others. You want to but you don’t know how to. And when Jin realised that he couldn’t help but take you in.

By the time he realised he had fallen deeply for you, it had been too long and he’d found himself unable to cross that boundary and finally make a move. Is it terror? Cold feet? Does a small part of him still fear the likeness of Sooji he had once thought he could see in you? Whatever it is, it is far safer to just not make a move. To occasionally flirt and tease you but never to take that big, terrifying step.

Instead of taking you out on dates like he really wants to, he drags you along to all his errands because it’s the safer option. Dating you without actually dating you. And besides, he knows that even though you gripe and complain every step of the way, you secretly like being able to help out. (That, and you have a huge, obvious crush on him and would probably do anything to get to spend time with him.) Only, now he’s fallen into a repetitive cycle of liking you but being too scared to go further and pulling back, only to realise he can’t keep away. Clearly the only way to break this cycle of avoiding his feelings and his desire to be with you is to go back to what started it all. To get some proper closure with Sooji. This is both for his own sake and for Sooji’s.

The awkward silence between him and Sooji has gone on for far too long and so he decides to break it.

“Sooji,” He begins. He has a preformed speech in his head. He’ll question why she contacted him, then gently remind her why things didn’t work out, and request that they both move on with their respective lives. A clean, civil, neat break. Only, she cuts him off.

“I want you back,” she confesses urgently. A tear slips from her eye and slides down her cheek. It takes everything Jin has not to reach forward and wipe it away. “These past few years have been hell. I… I miss you so much. I know that you think we weren’t good together, but we were! And I’ve had a lot of time to grow and mature and I-“

“Sooji,” He says, softly, firmly. His throat is dry and the words feel caught in his throat. “Don’t do this to yourself.”

Her eyes go wide and tear-y and he knows she’s on the verge of begging, but he won’t allow her to stoop that low.

“I know it’s been hard, but it’s been a long time and we are both very different people now. We have to move on. This clinging to the past isn’t good for you, ok?” Jin says gently.

“I still love you!” She blurts out, and then she claps her hands over her mouth like she hadn’t intended to say the words.

Jin is momentarily dumbfounded. Although he has well and truly moved on, a small part of him will always love Sooji. She was and is his first love and he will probably never forget those feelings. This is probably why her confession floors him so thoroughly and it is at that precise moment that you decide to make your presence known. You must have been walking past because this cafe is one of your favourite places to frequent.

“Oh,” you say, and it is a hurt sort of sound. Not quite a gasp but not quite a cry either. Simply a shocked exclamation and then you are fleeing.

Jin is not the sort of person to swear but he swears now. It takes him exactly one moment to launch himself off the seat in pursuit of you. All he is able to offer Sooji is a careless apology thrown over his shoulder and a promise that perhaps another day he can offer her proper closure but for now all he knows is he cannot allow you to get away. If you think… if you think he has any lingering feelings for his ex then his chance with you may well and truly die for good. As it is, it is a wonder that you continue to adore him as you do after he’s played it so hot and cold and while he feels like the biggest jerk in the world for not doing anything about it sooner, he’s doing something now.

“You have the wrong idea.” He cries, when he catches your wrist on a quiet street a few blocks away. You pause in your retreat. You stand, facing away from him with your arm his limp in his grasp.

Jin has never actually told you the full story of what happened with him and Sooji. He realises it in that moment and so he does so now. What pours from his lips next as he recounts the long, hurtful years that unfolded between them is a bit of a blur. But whatever it is that he says, it is sufficient to convince you not to continue running when he releases your wrist.

Instead you do something unexpectedly but endearingly forward. You step towards him. Slowly, you snake your arms around his torso and pull him in close. It is rare that you allow him to be affectionate with you but it is even rarer for you to initiate it. He relishes the contact and tries not to let his disappointment show when you pull away.

“Sorry,” you say, a little sheepishly. “I shouldn’t have over-reacted like that. I… I was just embarrassed. And I’m sorry that she made you feel guilty for being yourself. If it makes you feel any better, I like how you’re always helping other people. I mean, maybe I could have gone without buying those pregnancy tests for Taehyung’s girlfriend with you, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s what makes you you. I wouldn’t want you to be any other way, Jin.”

Honestly, you’re so endearing it’s hard to focus sometimes. You’re sweet as sugar and soft as butter and you drive him crazy. He should have asked you out months ago- no, years ago, but he’s a damn fool who got cold feet at the first signs of commitment and now he’s going to pay the price unless he does something about it.

“Are you free tomorrow?” He asks suddenly, urgently. You seem confused by the sudden topic change.

“I’m pretty sure I am.” You answer. He offers you a warm but hesitant smile.

“Good. Keep your schedule clear.” He requests. “I have something I want to tell you.”

“Why can’t you tell me now?” You answer. Jin merely offers you a cryptic smile.

“Because I have to make sure to do this right.” Is his reply.

Chapter Text

09. The 'mum' friend and taking care of sick friends

Jin does not cope with being sick very well. You’ve always attributed it to his inability to accept help from anyone. He’s never seemed to be able to grasp the concept that constantly helping others does not mean he cannot accept help himself.

So when he’d showed up on your doorstep that morning with a runny nose and a fever, you’d been quick to drag him inside. He’d obviously protested- he had been determined to spend the day with you and share whatever the important piece of information was that he had to “make sure to do right” he had told you about the day before. Whatever it was, it could wait.

Or at least, you thought it could wait. Jin did not agree, apparently.

“If we leave now,” he gasps, his voice nasally and choked. “We can still make the booking I have for-“

“Jin,” you cut him off firmly, setting down the bowl of chicken soup you’ve been trying and failing to feed him for the past few minutes. “You have a fever. I’m not sure what you think that means, but what it does mean is that you need rest. Whatever you wanted to tell me can wait until you’re better.” With your reprimand completed, you pick up the soup and bring the spoon to his lips. He obediently drinks some and he looks so adorable wrapped in your blankets with messy bed hair that you have to look away. You’ll have to wash those sheets to get rid of any sick germs once he’s well enough to go home and you can probably sleep on the couch in the meantime. You probably could have sent him home but at least at your place you can make sure he’s actually taking proper care of him self.

“What if it can’t wait?” He asks suddenly. His expression is a little hazy, likely due to the delirium induced by his fever. You blink.

“Honestly, I don’t know what’s so important that it can’t wait until you’re better, Jin, but I think you should stop whining and just rest. Now finish this soup.” You command and once more he obediently and docilely allows you to feed him another spoonful.

“It’s not fair, though,” he complains, rather than falling silent like you had requested. You resist the urge to roll your eyes.

“What’s not fair, Jin?” You ask. While you are secretly thrilled to be able to look after him in the way he always looks after his friends, you’re still working on the whole patience and kindness thing and he’s being a little annoying.

“Why did I have to get sick today, of all days? Right when I was going to-“ He aborts his sentence halfway through, interestingly enough. You think the flush from fever that sits high on his cheeks may darken but it is hard to tell. It is enough to ignite your curiosity, however.

“When you were going to what?” You ask. Ever since Jin had asked you to keep today free, you had admittedly been burning with curiosity about what it is he has to tell you. You had put it on the back burner when he’d shown up to your house on the verge of passing out, but he keeps bringing it up. What could he possibly have to say to you?

“It’s nothing… You know, you don’t have to take care of me like this.” He points out. You shrug and bite back a smile.

“Well, you don’t have to drive Jungkook to his samba lessons but that’s never stopped you from doing so.” You point out. Jin chuckles at your retort but it quickly results in a coughing fit. You lean back, narrowly avoiding the spray of soup, before reaching for your bedside table to pass him a tissue. He accepts it gratefully.

“This sucks so much.” He rasps. “I had such a fun day planned for us too.”

“Were we going to pick up Hoseok’s car from the mechanic and then help Jimin vacuum his place for that work party he’s planning on holding?” You ask, and to your credit there is only a touch of sarcasm in your voice.

Surprisingly, Jin looks a little offended at your playful jibe.

“For your information,” He says haughtily. “We were going to go to the zoo together.”

That gets your attention.

“The zoo?” You question. “Why? Did Taehyung want us to pick up a toy for his nephew or something?”

Jin shakes his head.

“No! I just wanted to spend the day with you. I thought it would be fun.” He points out with a pathetic sniffle. Were you a stronger woman you would have resisted the goofy smile that crosses your face, but alas, you are not. Still, you are a woman of reason and if Jin is taking you out on something that closely resembles an actual date, something is very, very wrong.

“Are you dying?” You ask him, unable to keep the concern from your voice.

“What? No! Why would you even ask that?” Jin asks and the outrage in his voice is so straining that he breaks into another coughing fit.

“Because you’re exhibiting very unusual behaviour. Whatever it is you need to tell me must be very scary, very bad news.” You tell him solemnly.

Jin watches you incredulously for a long moment like he can’t quite believe what he’s hearing.

“Wait… I thought we were just playing dumb to keep the surprise up, but… Do you actually have no idea what I wanted to tell you?” He asks, and there is a surprisingly amount of horror in his voice. “Please tell me you’re not really that dense-“

“Jin,” you cut him off, a little offended, but he continues on, undeterred.

“You mean this wasn’t just us playing around? You were just gonna keep pretending that you aren’t in love with me?” He asks and your eyes go wide and your heart drops into your stomach.

“I-“ you begin but you don’t know how to continue the sentence considering you suddenly feel like the ground is crumbling beneath you. “How long have you-“

“A long time! I’ve been pretending not to know but it’s honestly exhausting and we could’ve been dating right now if you weren’t so dense!” He complains.

…

…what?

“We could be… dating?” You echo, sounding out the words like they are a foreign language and they might as well have been. This is not the direction you anticipated this conversation going in.

“Yes! That’s what I wanted to tell you! And I had this whole wonderful date planned and it was going to be amazing and romantic and I was going to make it official but then I woke up with a stupid cold this morning and I-“ He rants but your brain is clearly working at a slower rate than his.

“Does this mean… you like me?” You interrupt incredulously. Jin just gapes at you.

“Unbelievable!” He cries accusingly. “I knew you were dense but I didn’t know you were that dense.”

When you show no signs of comprehension or higher brain function he continues his rant.

“Yes I like you! I know I should have made the first move months ago and look, that’s on me for being a coward, but I also thought you knew how I felt and were just waiting for me to make a decision! I know you have the emotional processing capacity of a toddler but still! I was not subtle by any means!” He laments, and your face flushes red. He pauses upon seeing your furious expression.

Unexpectedly, he grins.

“What?” You snap, and his grin widens.

“Nothing. You’re just cute. Of course you would get mad over me calling you dense and complete miss the fact that I’m literally asking you out.” He says with a chuckle which turns into an unattractive sneeze. “A romantic date wouldn’t have suited us anyway. What do you say, (Y/N)? Be my girlfriend?” He sniffles in an attempt to maintain his dignity.

And honestly, if you didn’t have it so bad for him you would have just said no to spite him but you don’t want to take the risk. Not when being his girlfriend is something you’ve wanted for so long. Yes, maybe you get insecure because he is just as nice to others as he is to you, and maybe you don’t know where you stand with him sometimes, just like his ex did. And yes maybe the way he’s asked you out is a touch obnoxious. But you like him. You like him so much it hurts sometimes. You like that he wakes up early to make Yoongi breakfast and you like how he keeps sugar free sweets stored in his pantry for you and you like that Hoseok’s girlfriend could call him for a lift when Hoseok’s car broke down and he was out of the country. You like Jin, and you absolutely want to be his girlfriend. You turn your head towards him, realising you have yet to answer his question, only to find him staring at you with the most peculiarly soft expression on his face.

“(Y/N)?” He prompts gently, still anxiously awaiting your answer.

You turn your face away because you can’t bear to make eye contact as you say the words.

“Only if you promise to take me on a real date, not one where we sit in the dentist’s office while Hobi gets a root canal.”

“Deal.” Is his answer and then he promptly breaks into a coughing fit.