WFM: IIII

It wasn’t even half way through autumn and it already felt like the city had fallen to an ice age. The mornings brought frozen dew on top of cars and packed the ice even tighter on the wooden benches that sat every hundred meters or so on each sidewalk. Nobody would even dare try to crush it off. Suga still stuck to the same boring stance he usually had, the only difference is his arms shivered slightly whenever he would put his hands together and let out a breath to warm them up. No one knew what went through his head when he decided it was still a valid idea to go to the park and skate. He probably thought the weather would change in his favor, but what kind of weather changed in the short 4 hours he’d be there, especially with the sun getting ready to set someplace behind all these clouds.

Apparently he wasn’t the only one who thought that way because that kid Jimin was there too. Huddled up in a ball, sitting on the corner the waiting seats, like that would make him any less cold than he already was.

Suga knew he’d be there. In fact, Jimin told him. Yesterday. Somehow on the way back, they took the same bus too (obviously they would, but it was the first time they’d hopped on it that same particular time). He noticed it that it was almost full, so when he spotted Suga’s dark head lined up to enter, he made his way close and found a seat next to him too. There wasn’t much to say on the a way back. Suga just kept fiddling with something in his pocket that Jimin couldn’t quite figure out was. When they got closer to their stop is when he managed to get something out.

“You going tomorrow?” he asked, not trying to be as nosy, but more like a question out of curiosity.

Suga looked at the sweater he was wearing, silently commenting on it with his blank state. He wasn’t necessarily judging anything about it, but it was more like he was ready to fall asleep right then and there and was really trying not to.

“Yeah... You?”

Jimin was surprised he actually got an answer. Not trying to look as startled as he was he responded back with, “Oh. Yeah, I’ll be there.”

Well, that’s what they said before they knew it’d actually be this damn freezing. The morning was worse though, that’s for sure. It actually felt like all your limbs would get turned to ice and break or you’d die of hypothermia if you stood out there too long. The sun had already passed through the sky at this time now, and it was too late to just go home like that. Jimin was determined to go just as he’d promised. No, he didn’t exactly promise that. Still, he felt like he needed to do it.

Suga was feeling kind of awkward having Jimin back there shivering and making shuffling sounds with his feet on the ground. Ok, he was going to accept waiting here with another person, but all this unnecessary retreat to the seats (which looked like they would break any second) and the constant ground friction wasn’t going to slide by him. If Jimin was cold, he’d could just given him one of his gloves or something. Truthfully it all just felt as if some defenseless animal was backing away from Suga like he was a threat of some kind. What he wanted was for Jimin to get it together and simply wait like they were supposed to.

Suga turned around to him, ready to say something until Jimin was already standing up at the sight of the driver pulling a lever to open the doors. He realized it only right after it made a loud noise.

Jimin rubbed his hands together before taking out his change. “Common, hyung.”, and hopped on the stairs before Suga could go first.

Ahhh, really now?

He payed his fare after Jimin’s turn then sat down next to him after he’d picked a seat on the far right. They had at some point mutually decided it was okay to sit close on the bus. Neither of them said it out loud or anything like that, it was just a thing that happened from this point on. They were going to wait on the same stop regularly, so it’d be weird to just keep that distance once they did get on the bus. They knew each other’s names too, so it’s not like they could ignore one another forever.

Even so, they hadn’t talked much the same way new friends would. Suga didn’t even know if that was the right thing to call Jimin. They were... acquaintances. Right? At least for now that was the better label to put on it. Jimin hadn’t been bothering him the way other people would when they first met him. Those people that were really out there and ready to make the world their best friend. Suga thought people like that we're doing way too much just to seem like the center of everything. Egos too large for him to stand for more that minute. Jimin was better that those people. He was alright. Unless he later on showed his true colors, but Suga doubted he’d do that so fast that it didn’t take long for him to forget it.

Somehow it was still difficult to start any conversation with Jimin. Other times it seemed like he was messing around or just teasing him about one thing or another. That’s why he often didn’t have anything to say and waited for Jimin to come up with a better initiative. But it’s not like Suga wanted to talk with him every single time they were meters apart. He was still okay with keeping quiet. Maybe Jimin should bring his own earbuds so he wouldn’t be left alone to listen to all the white noise that surrounded them. Suga didn’t even know why he was considering so many things about Jimin when he probably didn’t care one way or the other.

Meanwhile Jimin is trying to think of that starter since he guessed Suga was thinking about something else right now and probably for the rest of the ride.

“Hyung aren’t you cold?” Great. That was so original.
Suga snapped out of his zone, a little afraid that he’d shown that he has thinking too much. He repositioned his arms inside his pockets.

“No, can’t you see I’m wearing my favorite T-shirt and shorts?”

Jimin actually thought he was being serious until that last part.

“Heh, yeah that was stupid to ask. You weren’t shaking or anything so I thought maybe you were used to this kind of weather.”

You didn’t see me shiver because you were all the way back there doing who knows what, Suga responded in his head. Also, what was that supposed to mean if he was used to it?

“Maybe I was. You’re probably stuffed full of lava rocks you can’t stand the slightest temperature change.” It was the perfect time to mess with him now. He wasn’t laughing at Jimin in any way, just trying to get the upper hand with some sarcasm. They hadn’t talked much before.

Jimin laughed. “I’m not.” There was something else he wanted to say but couldn't figure out what.

Suga handed him the spare glove, “Here. If you’re cold, you could at least say so and not scrape at the ground for that long. It was getting really of annoying ok?” He

Jimin looked at Suga like he was his savior. “Thank you hyung!” He put it on his left where his fingers throbbed the most. “Wow, I didn’t know you were the type to gift things to people.” Again it was the whole game they were playing.

“Who says it’s a gift? I’m just letting you borrow it for now. You can give it back when you don’t need it anymore.”

“I guess I’ll need it forever then.” Jimin smiled in kind of an evilish way. But really he just ended up looking more like a little kid.

Suga was rolling his eyes, greatly considering if he should take his music out again so they could finish the ride in silence like he’d originally thought. God, he hoped no one thought they were related or something. This Jimin guy was going to have the time of his life if he really wanted to keep talking to Suga and then try to outsmart him. A part of him wanted to know why Jimin was even going so out of his way to do that.

“Whatever. Just don’t get it dirty. The palm is the hardest to clean, and I’m not big on that.”

“Hmm, hmm. I’ll clean it if that happens then.”

This really wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. Jimin may be oblivious to some things, but the way he spoke to Suga was a good countering force he rarely found in others. To some degree, he could read his mood, all despite being from HH Rec which wasn’t something Suga would normally expect. There could’ve been any other horrible combination of people to wait for the bus with, but Suga already knew this person’s name and was sitting next to him and it all wasn’t turning out all that bad. He was proving himself. And... he had jokes didn’t he?

Still, Suga wasn’t one people would go out of their way to befriend the right way. There didn’t have to be a reason for all that Jimin was doing, but it was really just: weird. It was weird. Truly. He himself couldn’t find any reason or excuse that could ever cross Jimin’s mind.

“Why’d you come if you knew it would be this cold then?” Suga asked, genuinely curious.

“Whaddya mean?" Jimin rubbed the glove between his hands. " Because I said I would.”