trigger warnings:
-homophobic slurs
-scenarios of violence

     Thursday.

It was just like any other normal Thursday at school for Jimin. The only thing remotely off putting about the day was the fact that Taehyung's championship football game was tomorrow night, and even that wasn't enough to justify why Jimin felt a bit out of his element.

    His stomach was getting that queasy feeling it always got when he was about to do something out of his comfort zone. His palms were clammy like how they always were when he was around Taehyung. The unquestionable sensation of being watched tingled at his every angle as he trudged down the hallway towards his locker. It was all so unsettling.

Upon reaching his locker he piled all of his books inside and took deep breaths in and out to calm himself down enough to carry on through his day. Something just wasn't right, but he couldn't put his finger on it for the life of him.

His superstitions getting the best of him, Jimin whipped out his phone and began texting Taehyung. His fingers hovered hesitantly over the keyboard as he was trying to conjure up an excuse to text his crush as a form of distraction. Repeatedly, he typed a few words and backspaced and typed a few words and backspaced and typed a few words and backspaced. Finally, he gave up on the distraction, shoving his phone back into his pocket.

That's when he looked up.

Jimin looked up to see a writhing and raging Junhyeon barreling towards him at full speed. He didn't have time to act or run or brace himself for impact. All he knew was that this might of had something to do with his gut wrenching uneasiness all morning.

Forcefully, Junhyeon plowed into Jimin, throwing his tiny frame against the locker with a thud causing several heads to turn.

     "Hey!" Jimin cried out, squinting his eyes in pain. "W-what's your problem?" His terrified voice only came out as a timid whisper.

"You're my problem!" Junhyeon shouted, pinning the smaller boy to the wall by his shoulders. He was red in the face which perfectly complemented Jimin's pale face of fear.

Jimin squirmed in the football player's grip, pushing Junhyeon back with all his might. "Just let me go and we can talk about whatever you're so angry about!" Jimin kicked him in the knee which only did himself damage as it completely unbothered Junhyeon.

A crowd was beginning to form around the quarrel, several students taking out their cell phones to film while the other half notified other students of the fight.

That's when Junhyeon took the perfect opportunity the punch Jimin square in the face, causing him to fall to the floor limply. "You really think you can steal my best friend!?" The football player harshly rolled Jimin onto his back with his foot, revealing the smaller boy holding his eye, wincing at the light touch.

"S-stop... p-please," Jimin whined, shakily standing back to his feet.

"Not only do you wanna steal him, but you wanna turn him gay too! You disgust me!" Junhyeon took a swift cut to Jimin's face again, this time catching his lower lip. "You fucking faggot!" He yelled, shoving Jimin to the ground once again.

The crowd surrounding the tousle had tripled at this point as several comments were being shouted left and right. Jimin felt dizzy, and his vision was blurring rapidly.

Please just stop.

"Come on! Get up, fag! Show us how a real man fights... or... whatever pronouns you prefer." Taunting laughter erupted from the mob, encouraging Junhyeon even more.

Jimin attempted to lift himself back up, but instantly fell back to the ground in a helpless pile of misery. Although the crowd and Junhyeon couldn't see, Jimin was crying. Not out of pain or sadness, but out of frustration and disappointment that he couldn't even fight back.

"Maybe you'll think twice before—" Junhyeon was abruptly cut off, causing Jimin to look up.

Kim Taehyung had just punched Junhyeon square in the nose.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you, Yi Junhyeon!" Taehyung screamed, pouncing onto his teammate and tackling him to the ground. He threw hit after hit to his face, shouting with pure fiery hatred. "How dare you mess with Jimin! How dare you say such things! Don't ever fucking touch him again, you son of a bitch!"

The audience had fallen silent in utter confusion as to why the most popular jock in school was standing up for the school nerd and actually beating his best friend senseless for bullying Jimin. The Kim Taehyung. The same Kim Taehyung that used to talk about every nerd in the school behind their back. The same Kim Taehyung that wouldn't be caught near someone of a lower social status. The same Kim Taehyung that had slept with at least half of the cheer team before the end of his freshman year. The same Kim Taehyung that took pride in things like that.

Except, that wasn't the same Kim Taehyung. The jock that was throwing punch after punch at his teammate on the ground, causing blood to gush from his nose and mouth wasn't the same guy that did all of those things. It was a completely different version of himself that not even he knew was possible, and it was all thanks to the bruised up boy that was backed against the wall, watching the fight before him through blurry eyes, Park Jimin.

"Everybody move! Move!" Teachers plowed through the students, trying to reach the center after realizing there was a fight. Two teachers grabbed a hold of Taehyung's flailing arms, dragging him off of a brutally beaten Junhyeon. Meanwhile, three other faculty members dragged Junhyeon back, separating the two.

Seconds after being pulled away from Junhyeon, Taehyung shook himself free of the teacher's grips and ran. However, he wasn't running away from the scene. He was running towards Jimin.

Gingerly, he took Jimin up into a hug and held him tighter than ever. "It's okay. I've got you." The jock whispered lovingly as Jimin wrapped his arms around his crush's waist, sobbing violently into his shirt.

Unfortunately, the moment didn't last very long as Taehyung was dragged away from Jimin by two discipline officers and ushered into the principal's office. Thankfully, Mrs. Lee found the distressed Jimin and replaced Taehyung in hugging him delicately.

"Come with me, Jimin." She guided him in the same direction as Taehyung and Junhyeon as the mob of students reluctantly disbanded after the show was over, and they were told to return to class.

[a/n:
it's been a hot minute since i've updated my dudes.
i'm sorry to have kept you guys waiting for so long, but i've been on vacation and wanted to spend time with my friend, so i hope y'all understand!
as always, hope you enjoyed this chapter ;) xx]