Balancing the Scales
Author’s Note: To the Anon that requested this, I am SO SORRY it took me this long, but I hope you like it!!
Summary: A misunderstanding between you and your boyfriend of 10 months threatens to destroy what has been so carefully constructed. Is a patch possible or will the castle crumble?
Pairing: idol!Jimin x animalshelterworker!reader
Rating: 18+
Genre: light smut, fluff, established relationship, oneshot, angst, idol au
Word Count: 1,877
Warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI light biting, passionate grabbing, mentions of sex,
It's just a typical day at the animal rescue shelter that you work at when your life changes forever. You are determined that your eyes are playing tricks on you, but you know that smile anywhere!
Your bias from BTS, Jimin, is at the front desk asking where to sign in so he can look at the dogs. Once you shake off your freak-out fog, you practically push your coworker out of the way. She's Namjoon biased anyway; she can deal, right?
Once he fills out the sign-in form, you volunteer to show him around the facility while he tells you his pet preferences. The whole time, you feel like you are vibrating with excitement, but you keep your cool the entire time despite your ARMY heart threatening to give out any moment.
As you head up to the front, he tells you that there's such a good selection that he needs to think it over before he says, "Thanks for all of your help, y/n. Will you be here tomorrow? I don't really feel like re-explaining everything to someone else you know?".
This time, you aren’t able to prevent the flush that appears on your cheeks. Because even though it's work-related, Jimin CHOSE YOU; it's a step towards your dream so yay! You fervently nod your head, ignoring your coworker side-eyeing you.
You know you’re supposed to be off tomorrow, but you will be there no matter what; you have been in love with this man for years, so you will show up unpaid in uniform if it means you can be his little helper.
As soon as he leaves, your coworker agrees to let you pose as though you are on shift, and if he needs access you can't do since you aren't on the clock, she will help you out. You rush home after your shift to ensure everything is ready and clean at a good time so you can be well rested.
For the first time in your life, you wake up a half hour before your alarm from anticipation! You get ready and go in after getting some coffee and a breakfast sandwich at the café nearby.
After waiting for what felt like forever (maybe 2 hours), Jimin shows up with two coffees, which your nerves didn't need but you will accept of course. He insists on walking the whole facility again despite barely looking around, focusing on your words more intently than yesterday.
He says he wants your help figuring out which dog to go with but respects that the shelter closes soon. Naturally, he asks you, "Hey, I'm indecisive, but I know y'all close soon. So would you like to grab some boba with me and help me decide?".
At this, your coworker's jaw is on the floor while yours is trying to maintain normalcy. You grin and, with a shaky voice, say, "I…I'd be honored if you would prefer that over returning tomorrow. I mean, since you can't adopt once we close. Aish, what am I saying…you're a busy man, so let's go get this decided then!".
He can't help but giggle at your flustered state and logic. He knows he will need to return anyway, but if this gets him on a date with you, it's worth the extra trip.
Even though he decides on the brown and white cocker spaniel named Mandu in about 30 minutes, y’all spend hours at the boba shop talking about everything and anything.
This leads to many more meetings starting off as you helping him learn how to take care of and train Mandu, morphing into chill hangouts, and eventually, y'all making your relationship official.
Life is bliss and everything you could dream of until he starts acting strange. It begins with your dates becoming less frequent and Jimin seeming agitated more often than not when he is around you.
A week after your 10-month anniversary, you question your boyfriend, "Chim Chim, what's wrong? You can talk to me…If I did something, please tell me, yell, anything…”
He rolls his eyes, "Y/n, you didn't do anything, okay? Just had a lot on my mind lately. You wouldn't understand; you live a simple life." At this, tears well up in your eyes. "Ouch… I'm just trying to be supportive. Plus, just because I'm not an idol doesn't mean my life is a cakewalk.
You know how much I've struggled before and during being with you. Just because you're great doesn't mean our relationship hasn't also given me side effects. Do you realize how much hate and death threats I've gotten since I started going out with you???
Now, yes, your company is good at shutting them down and ensuring I'm safe, but it isn't fun to encounter. Not to mention you being around all those beautiful idols all of the time…
I know you care about me, but I look nothing like those people, and I am just worried that eventually you will see me the way I do and…don't look at me like that, I'm just saying.".
He just clenches his fists and pokes inside of his cheek with his tongue and responds with, "That's not fucking fair y/n. It's not like I caused those things or given you a reason to be insecure.
I thought I was helping you with anxiety and self-esteem, but I guess I was wrong. I knew this was too good to be true…" With that, he walks out of your apartment and starts the detachment.
It’s the longest month of your life. Feeling like a bother, you stop texting and hanging out with Jimin, partly to teach him a lesson and somewhat because he hurt your feelings. Despite his frequent attempts to meet up and talk things out, you shut him down or give one-word responses.
Feeling desperate, Jimin goes to your work to talk things out only to learn from Alice, your coworker from before, that you purposely changed your schedule so he couldn't just pop up. She also gives him the cold shoulder in solidarity, as she knows what happened.
As it happens, you pull in right as he departs down the road, and for a moment, you consider following him. You miss him but aren't sure you are ready to see him yet.
Fast forward a week, and Alice hits you up because she is tired of you being a homebody. You agree to meet up with her at a local café since you know that alcohol is not a good idea right now.
After waiting an hour and no sign of her or anyone else besides a couple of workers, you are about to leave when you look up from your phone only to see Jimin standing before you.
Gently resting his hand on yours, he pleads for you to give him 10 minutes, and if after that, you aren't convinced, he will never bother you again. He admits that he rented out the café and prepaid for your drink since he knows this is your favorite spot. In addition to the centerpieces being your favorite flower, he just wanted privacy with you in one of your safest places.
For the first 3 minutes, he is profusely apologizing, saying that there had been so many rumors about him and Nayeon recently that you bringing up other women just set him off because he thought you knew that you were the embodiment of beauty to him and never looked at anyone else.
Then he leans forward and rubs your arm for comfort as he sees tears about to fall down your cheek and continues, "Jagiya, I'm so sorry again. When I said, I had a lot on my mind that you wouldn't understand… I don’t mean that you've never had struggles. It was something that I was worried about but didn't know if you were too, but.. now it's time to find out, I guess."
You cock an eyebrow and wipe the tears from your face, "Just tell me, Mochi, I swear it's fine. Just be honest. It can’t be worse than what I’ve been imagining for the past month.”.
He leans back and lets a deep sigh escape his mouth, "Alright, here goes, I love you. I have been for months now. I realized it 2 months before the day I went off and hurt you, but I was worried about saying it too soon. So, I tried to shove the desire down, but it only made me angry because why has society dictated milestones?
If I love you, I should be able to say so whenever I feel it, right? Aish…anyway, when you said you knew I cared about you, it made me pissed again because I wanted to shout to the heavens how in love I was and am with you but didn't know if I should, so yeah….".
The timer goes off, and he sits up straight, staring at you with pleading eyes to say something. You are looking down, fidgeting with your fingers, and processing everything he just said. He goes to leave, taking your silence as a goodbye.
As he arises, you grab the sleeve of his sweater and stand up, saying, "I feel the same way, which is why everything hurt so bad, and I detached so abruptly. I wanted to tell you how I felt, too, but I was too scared of rejection, so I took that day as a sign to back off. “
His eyes go wide, "Oh…I…cool…I mean.. you know what I mean? I just feel like such a pabo (fool) and hope one day you can forgive me, but I get if no—" He is cut off by your lips crashing into his and smiling as he has wanted this for so long.
Once you detach for the sake of breathing, you hurry hand in hand to the public transportation stop, giving little pecks as you wait. Once you get on, you can't help but be stereotypical and sit in his lap. Y'all seem all tiny and cutesy to the others on the train.
Until you get home, and the second that the front door locks, he has you pushed up against the wall, leaving sloppy kisses along your neck and jawline before passionately devouring your lips in his until you are both gasping and trying desperately to hold on to anything to stay grounded.
As soon as y'all head into the bedroom, it's a race of who can get their clothes off faster. Honestly, you can't recall because the millisecond it happens, he has you trapped under him for who knows how long. He shows you with his body how much love he has for you, how sorry he is, and most of all, how much he missed you.
Once both of your bodies are spent, y'all indulge in a sweet bath. He carries you to bed, and you both fall asleep in each other's arms, drifting off to the best sleep of your lives, knowing that there is no more gray area in your relationship, nor will there ever be, because you both agree to communicate everything from now on; there's no way either of you can be apart that long again or would ever want to be.
