By: @eaden

Like most dumb shit they do, it starts with Jimin's lack of temper and Jeongguk's penchant for making sure it stays extinct.

Or, in simpler words, it all starts with a bet.

The event that led up to it is something appropriately idiotic:

Yesterday, Jimin dropped his mic during soundcheck and, like the natural order of anatomy goes, had to bend over to grab it. Dutifully, Jeongguk's palm promptly collided with the easy victim Jimin's ass was before slinking away like the happy carefree man he's always been.

Jimin didn't even flinch.

It wasn't anything new to anyone; certainly not to him and definitely not to the fans witnessing it.

But when Jeongguk did it again, not half an hour later, he didn't stop at making the skin of Jimin's ass as red as possible. No.

Jeon Jeongguk slapped Jimin's ass hard enough to have him stumbling forward and then he proceeded to grab a handful of his cheek and squeeze, fingers splayed and fucking digging.

Jimin yelped, a terrifying mix of mortification and panic turning him into a flustered mess. But he composed himself quickly, because he's a professional above all else, and proceeded to punch a dent into Jeongguk's upper arm with the sweetest smile on his face because fans were still watching.

And Jeongguk knew he screwed up.

But for reasons unknown to Jimin, after the concert was done and they were all backstage tiredly berating him for the deed, Jeongguk found the situation nothing but amusing.

"I do that all the time," Jeongguk reasoned, though he was more preoccupied with aiming his empty water bottle at the trash can than on his hyungs scolding him. "To all of you." The bottle went in and Jeongguk gave a victorious fist pump.

Hoseok pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah. But I'm pretty sure you never jammed your fingers up the cleft of my ass."

Jeongguk shrugged, going for another empty bottle. "We've done worse."

Yoongi snatched the bottle from Jeongguk's fingers only to point it at him threateningly. "That's not the point. You need to tone it down or you're gonna out yourselves at this rate. You can be gross together all you want, but not in public. We're all trying to protect you here."

Jeongguk rolled his eyes. "Like people are ever gonna stop calling our relationship brotherly. It's frankly gross at this point and the least I can do is give them reasons not to."

It was a worn-out debate.

Namjoon sighed, gesturing for everyone to go get changed. "Okay, whatever. We're all too tired for this right now. Just be more careful, yeah? Please."

Dismissed and left to his own devices, Jeongguk agreed happily.

That is until him and a pipping-red puffy-cheeked Jimin were back in their room, and his most-of-the-time sweet boyfriend erupted no sooner than the door closed behind them.

"What was that all about?" was demanded of Jeongguk in the most undignified of shrieks. And it was different from the dispute earlier. So different. Jimin actually wanted motives.

And still, in spite of it all, (mostly, the very real, very imminent danger), Jeongguk's grin stretched to pointy ends, a comical villany image if Jimin weren't fuming. "What was what now?"

Jimin's eyes did a brief routine – widening, squinting, narrowing, back to glaring. "In front of so many fans, Jeongguk? Really? I don't even wanna check social media right now and you know I'm the biggest masochist."

And at that, every will to be a dick about it sorta drained outta Jeongguk. With sagging shoulders, Jeongguk bypassed Jimin's tense figure and let himself fall on the bed. "I think you're all making a bigger deal out of it than it actually is. It doesn't mean anything. We're all dudes. We're all close. We're all gross." 

"Yeah. Yeah, okay. Except. You know. You actually finger me on the regular?"

"I'm a great boyfriend, I know."

"Jeongguk."

"Jimin."

"Seriously?"

"What do you want me to say? I can apologize for it, sure. But you know I wouldn't even mean it. Why would I? I didn't do anything wrong and I think you're all overreacting." And with that, arms were crossed and a cheek was protruded.

Jimin huffed and rolled his eyes so hard his head swayed at once with them. "Fine. It can be excused, fine. But it certainly doesn't help the situation. That's what this is about."

Jeongguk bit at his cheek, a mellow annoyance spiking up. It was already late and frankly, he didn't want to spend what little was left of the night arguing with Jimin. He looked at him and spread his legs, slapping his thighs to beckon him over. "Come here."

Jimin didn't.

Jeongguk sighed.

"Listen, I'll tone it down. But I also think you should stop stressing about it. For fuck's sake, Jimin-ah, I could be nibbling your ear on stage and fans would still say we're just close. Pretty sure we're safe forever. Unless, you know, you shove your tongue down my throat or something."

"Or something," Jimin muttered darkly.

And said annoyance flared up. "Why are you moping over it? You're worrying for nothing and I don't like it, Jimin-ah. Really. We're alright. I bet you I could act how I feel like in public and everyone would still reject any notions of," he squeaked his voice, "'k-pop stars Park Jimin and Jeon Jeongguk gay for each other'."

Jimin gasped. "You wouldn't."

Jeongguk laughed, but he also found Jimin's reaction curious. He was way too uptight about it.

So Jeongguk did what he always does.

Pushed some more.

"Yeah? Bet you I could be kissing your neck in public and no one would blink an eye – oh wait. You already did that."

"Jeongguk," Jimin mewled.

"Bet you I could back hug you and we could slow dance in public and no one would – oh wait." Jeongguk stopped and grinned.

Jimin was cornered, but when does he act like he actually is? "So? What's your point? That we should go on until we out ourselves?" he fake-hissed, not nearly as responsible and as outraged as he would have liked to be.

Because Jeongguk knows Jimin – as he always likes to put it – in and out, and he can sniff a provoked Jimin from miles away.

Jeongguk stood up and advanced on Jimin. To his credit, Jimin didn't flinch at the dangerous glint in Jeongguk's eyes – the one he gets whenever he knows he sprouted an idea that will not end well, yet he does it anyway. No. Jimin only straightened his back and squared his shoulders.

Jeongguk stopped mere inches from Jimin and bopped his forehead just because. "I'll make you a bet, Jimin-ssi. I'll prove to you we can be as shameless as we want in public and it will change nothing. If I succeed, you promise to stop worrying and let me be the obnoxious love-sick puppy I want to be in public."

Jimin tipped his chin haughtily. "And if not?"

Jeongguk shrugged, smoothly tucking Jimin's hair behind his ear. "If not, I'll behave. Promise."

Jimin squinted at him, clearly trying to find the fault or scheming in his words. But Jeongguk only starred back head-on and transparent. Honest.

"And how do you suggest you prove that?" Jimin challenged, very much unnecessarily.

And Jeongguk began firing away. "We get 6 tries, 3 each. The goal is to be as shameless as possible in our public displays, but without actually, you know, outing ourselves. So, no kissing – I mean, no lip kissing, no hand holding, no dick touching – oh wait." The grin again.

Jimin swatted at his chest. "Got it, asshole. Though moment of silence for being able to touch dicks, but holding hands makes us gay. Such an unfair world."

"Biggest no homo."

"It's tragic, really."

"So what do you say?"

Jimin itched out of his skin, was the problem. His competitive side was buzzing, wanting out, about to beat Jeongguk into submission already. "So you basically want us to out-gay each other."

Jeongguk nodded solemnly. "Do your worst, Jimin-ssi."

Jimin tried to be thoughtful about it, but he knew his face gave him away. Either way, Jeongguk would have been able to read him blind. He never steps down from a challenge.

Never.

"Okay, but," Jimin pondered, "how do we measure the gay? We need an arbitrary."

"The managers," Jeongguk was fast to suggest. "So, if any of our actions result into one of those god awful meetings with the whole management staff," he paused for effect. "You win."

Jimin's pupils blew wide at the magic words. "Like the one we got after the 'what's tasty in Busan' incident?"

Jeongguk smiled like the spider that caught the fly. "Precisely like the one after the 'what's tasty in Busan' incident."

Jimin swallowed and Jeongguk knew it was done. "Okay," Jimin nodded slowly. "Okay. So I just have to top you talking about my ass publicly. Okay."

Jeongguk held out his hand. "Deal?"

Jimin clasped it in a bone-crushing grip. "Deal."

So that's why 11 a.m. finds Jimin sitting in front of the vanity mirror, pinching the skin of his neck raw.

Because he never loses.

And don't get him wrong, Jimin is still at a crossroads. Because on one side, there's still his responsible side, his cautious side, the reputation that he still needs to uphold to some degree. Fans call him shameless all the time, but that's because he tends to make blowjob jokes and grind on air at any given time, not because he's about to walk through a pap-filled airport with a fake hickey on his neck.

But on the other side, Jimin never loses. Certainly not to Jeongguk's chiseled face. Because Jeongguk usually lets him win at whatever dumb games they're playing with the group, but it's different this time around. This is personal. It's one on one. It's mano a mano. It's every man for himself.

So Jimin rubs at the skin harder. It's a risky move, he won't lie, but that's what he needs to do to get this over with. They've had hickey tabloids before, but never serious, never dangerous enough that managers had to pull them aside.

But if there's one thing Jimin never does is half-ass things and he'll be damned if he wouldn't give himself a hickey if he could. The skin is already pink and sore, but Jimin knows it's gonna fade within the hour. So he rubs harsher.

A red mark on the neck doesn't say much if it doesn't come with a story.

So Jimin made himself a walking story.

He's wearing the tightest pair of pants Yoongi owns – something that he wasn't really able to do until recently. Even so, the meat of his thighs and ass is thoroughly squeezed, perfectly spelling out: I-can't-breathe, but I-know-lesbians-wanna-fuck-me-so-it's-worth-it. In other words, Jimin needs to ooze sex-appeal.

Draped over them, it goes without saying that Jimin has to wear a clothing item that belongs to his not-so-secret-lover. He's wearing one of Jeongguk's oversized sacks that he likes to call sweatshirts. It's mauve and Jimin can fit another Jimin in there. It's perfect.

And the true cherry on top, there it is, the fake hickey is displayed proudly on the bare expanse of Jimin's neck. It's a masterpiece.

Jimin smiles to himself and it's in that moment that he sees Jeongguk's reflection walk in. He's looking down at his phone, mouth opening to probably patiently tell Jimin that they're already late, but when his eyes find Jimin's in the mirror, he does a double take.

Jimin stands up, facing him and posing for him with the most satisfied of grins as Jeongguk takes him in head to toe.

But instead of the expected impressed whistle, Jeongguk proceeds to burst into a ruckus of a laughter. "But why do you look like a blueberry impaled on two toothpicks."

Jimin's face falls. He points aggressively to his neck.

Jeongguk squints at the abused skin. "Is that a mosquito bite on your neck?"

Jimin huffs and stomps a foot. "It's a hickey."

Jeongguk squints some more, until he clearly can't possibly see anything anymore. "I doubt I did such a shit job – "

"I did it, you idiot. See how we come alive out of this one."

To Jimin's chagrin, Jeongguk's expression twists into worry, all humor gone in a puff. "Jimin. That'll affect you, not us. Who knows what story they'll come up with – "

"I'm wearing your shirt," Jimin counters immediately, trying to keep his whining at bay. It's a great idea; his boyfriend should give more credit. Praise him, dammit.

"You're always wearing my shirt," Jeongguk only throws back exasperated.

Jimin's speechless, so he just shrugs, sweater dropping off one shoulder. "It's in the energy of the outfit. This is clearly a post-coital glow. I look great, I'm confident in my body, I'm proud of my hickey, and I look fucked out and satiated."

"That's because you are fucked out and satiated."

Jimin makes to argue, but he comes out empty. "Exactly. You've already helped out greatly. Now let's go and let the masses skin us alive."

Jimin leaves, but Jeongguk can't help but linger back for just a second. Maybe the bet was stupid, maybe he just forced Jimin into endangering his own image for something childish. Because there's no way this will end well.

It didn't end well.

But not in ways they would have expected it to, so Jeongguk at least, is relieved. 

Sejin had looked weirdly at Jimin, eyeing the ugly splotch on his neck confused. But as soon as they were back in the safety of their car, he searched through his bag of Everything and pulled out a cream. Gave it to Jimin, no refusals allowed, and said, "Be more careful next time. Shaving can be dangerous."

Jimin had stared at the cream quietly outraged, but obviously offended. Still, he thanked their manager and proceeded to petulantly spread cream all over his neck right under Jeongguk's amused watch. Jimin gave him the stink eye and Jeongguk blew him a kiss.

And if that wasn't enough, Sejin wrapped his own scarf around Jimin's neck before stepping out of the car again.

But Jimin didn't lose hope. There were already enough pictures taken of them, so he hoped at least one fan got the red mark on camera.

He was right.

By the time they were settled in their plane, Jimin checking social media like a mad man, there were hundreds of pictures out, and double the theories and conspiracies.

And only three of four linking them to Jeongguk.

Jeongguk's already gone red in the face with subsided laughter as he keeps reading tweets outloud:

'that's clearly a hickey! jimin oppa is a man now. we need to accept he has a girlfriend'

'The way everyone on this bird app is a virgin. Do yall even know what a hickey looks like?'

'mans getting it'

'I agree that it might be an odd-looking hickey, but since he's not hiding it, then I think it's safe to assume it's not.'

'okay but does no one see he's wearing yoongi's pants??? they're clearly *******'

'jimin's fucking: confirmed'

'maybe if we calculate the angle of rotation we can figure out who's lips those are'

'well I'd hope it's none of the members cause that means they're all shit in bed'

'jikook is real and yall can choke'

'Park Jimin is heterosexual, please stop forcing sexual orientations on him!!!'

'Jungkook oppa please step on me.'

Jimin whips to Jeongguk at the last one. "What does that have to do with anything?" he grits out, clearly irked.

Jeongguk shrugs, getting ready to take a celebratory selca. "Nothing. I just thought you could relate."

Jimin huffs, but doesn't deny it, sinking into his chair defeated.

So it backfired.

Jimin supposes he was too confident in their shippers making enough of a fuss to catch their managers' attention. But they didn't. Too polite, and Jimin's thankful for that, but just not today.  

Regardless, he has a new plan. It didn't occur to Jimin, until it's Jeongguk's turn to out them, that his boyfriend might have tricked him. Because if Jimin's job is to make their relationship as obvious as possible in order to win, then Jeongguk's goal is the opposite. Fucker wouldn't put much effort into his actions, because after all, the managers aren't supposed to catch on. So Jimin makes a decision: whatever lame thing Jeongguk will do to him, Jimin needs to pick it up and make it bigger. Throw it right back in his face. Jeongguk has been too confident and he never mentioned anything about rules of the kind. The loser.

But nothing happened for a few days.

Jimin's been extra attentive. Went above and beyond. Jeongguk reached out to fix his tie, Jimin stepped closer to him, letting his hands slide down his chest slowly, absently. (Cue Jeongguk being nothing but amused). Jeongguk ruffled his hair, Jimin caught his hand and intertwined their fingers with an amped up loving gaze. (Okay, not amped up, he was just being himself. So much, that he failed to realize it was just them and the staff anyway.) Jeongguk rubbed idly down his back, Jimin encouraged him to touch his ass. (To which Jeongguk himself swatted his hand away, claiming that Jimin was indecent, but also pointing out there were no cameras on yet).

Jimin got sidetracked, sue him.

Which is how Jeongguk completely blindsided him.

It's a week and something later, and they're in the middle of an interview. Nothing big, nothing too important, but definitely something watched by every single fan. They have a loyal fanbase, which is both fortunate and unfortunate for Jimin in the moment.

They're seated on two rows of elevated chairs, Jimin's in the front and Jeongguk's in the back, but not behind him. It's probably why Jimin thought he would be safe. Innocent and naive he was.

It starts with a kick against his chair. Jimin doesn't look back, knows it's Jeongguk. He's probably bored.

The interviewer is talking about their latest achievements, so everyone is busy with thanking the fans and smiling at the camera. Jimin too, he's just about to extend his own gratitude, when he feels fingers on his nape.

Shivers crawl down his spine, but Jimin ignores them completely, focusing on getting his words out without stuttering. He's safe, he thinks he is, out of the woods without embarrassing himself, but then Jeongguk slides his hand down the back of his shirt, brushing his fingers along his shoulder blades.

Jimin notices the interviewer eyeing Jeongguk, but it's with an endeared look, something close to, 'What a beautiful bromance.'

It's what makes Jimin snap out of it and gather his bearings.

Once he's done talking, with only one minor breath hitch because Jeongguk knows his body too well, Jimin turns to Jeongguk with a playful smile.

Jeongguk smiles back, hand now splayed casually on the skin of his shoulder, but Jimin can see he caught him off guard. Jimin's smile turns coy, the one that's reserved only for the stage and cameras included, and reaches for Jeongguk's hand. He makes a show out of peeling Jeongguk's hand off of him, something that's meant to be teasing, save-it-for-later kinda look. Jeongguk's too flabbergasted to do anything but let his hand drop limply back in his lap, his eyes lost, the bet clearly forgotten. Jimin winks and turns back, but not before witnessing Jeongguk's neck bob dryly.

Jimin crosses his legs cockily, anticipating the meeting they're surely gonna be pulled into after the interview airs.

They are pulled into a meeting.

But it's not just the two of them, it's everyone.

Jimin is