Lay Me Down Pt. 5
Summary | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 (Final)
(I listened to this on repeat while writing, so I thought maybe you could read and listen to it too: Click)
It took Jimin two and a half years, but at least he finally realized it. He had always thought that when he would fall in love that it was going to be something grand. Either he was going to know during a love at first sight type of thing or maybe meeting a stranger at a coffee shop and accidentally reaching for the same drink. He thought he was going to experience a rush of feelings that felt like fireworks and he would know for sure in that very moment when looking at his soulmate that there would be a singing choir and bright lights surrounding their body indicating that he, had finally found the one.
But naïve Jimin didn’t know that sometimes love can sneak up on you quietly and that some of the most beautiful romances are the ones that go unnoticed. It’s not until you are completely enamored by someone that you finally realize it; for Jimin, this moment came out of nowhere.
“Hobi!” Jimin hollered loudly, his voice turning hoarse towards the end of the screech. Raising his fist in the air, Jimin was about to beat the crap out of his hyung for waking him up during the middle of his much needed afternoon nap.
Hoseok took this time to run completely in the opposite direction of the short, red-haired boy. Dashing through the hallways of their company’s building, Hoseok led Jimin through the doors the dance studio. Jimin stepped foot into the room, thinking that he had caught Hoseok in a dead end.
“SURPRISE!”
Jimin froze, completely confused at the rest of his members who were yelling at him. “Surprise? What? Is today my birthday?”
He instantly regretted asking such a dumb question because everyone but Yoongi laughed loudly, sarcastic words following from Yoongi’s lips, “Pabo, don’t you think you would remember your own birthday at the very least? It’s not even October.”
“Then?” Jimin looked directly at Taehyung, knowing that his best friend would let him know. Instead, he shook his head no and urged him on to keep guessing. But after a few wrong guesses, the other members were starting to get frustrated.
“Never mind, stop guessing. This is going to take forever,” Jin complained, his sassiness starting to come out. Namjoon smirked and placed a soft hand on Jin’s shoulder in an attempt to calm the older.
Namjoon took the lead and pulled a piece of paper from behind his back, “We got something in the mail today…. And it seems to share some important information about you.”
Jimin had completely forgotten about the tests. Because of his obsessive diet and the concert accident, their manager needed to see that Jimin would make his health his top priority. This included three meals a day, light exercises, and exactly eight hours of sleep. If Jimin didn’t pass what the doctor’s deem as “healthy and able-bodied” then he wouldn’t be able to continue on with BTS’ upcoming tour.
“And? What does it say?”
The rest of the members controlled their smiles until Taehyung reached for a cake hidden behind Hoseok’s back. A pastel blue and yellow cake with messily decorated words spread across the top: “U R HEALTH”
“I ran out of space for the ‘y’ but you get it right?” Taehyung sheepishly admitted, the rest of the members snickering from behind them.
Jimin felt his heart drop, completely amazed by the amount love he was receiving from his members. He doesn’t even know what he did to deserve such an amazing support system like the one he had. “I don’t know what to say… thank you guys. You guys are the best.”
“Don’t thank us, thank Taehyung!” Jin exclaimed, extending his thumb to point up at him.
“Yeah, he was the one who kept pestering you to eat all the time and made sure you went to sleep early every night,” Hoseok smiled and added, “And he even made the cake.”
The members started to piece the cake up messily, leaving Namjoon to not only destroy almost half of the cake but also end up with pieces on the floor. The other members scolded the God of Destruction except for the 95’ duo, who was too busy sharing a moment to notice.
Jimin wrapped his arms around Taehyung, feeling touched by how much effort Taehyung had put into his health. “Thank you,” he repeated until Taehyung started to get annoyed.
“Stop it already, you don’t have to thank me. It’s what friends do.” Exchanging smiles, the two joined the mini cake party. Their tour was going to start tomorrow and all that was left to do was pack and board their flights in the morning.
Yes I do, I believe That one day I will be, where I was Right there, right next to you
“But why?” Yoongi complained with an even deeper scowl etched onto his face, his irritation growing within each second, “I already unpacked.”
“We’ll move your stuff! You don’t even have to lift a finger!” Jimin coaxed, his eye lashes bounced and his tiny hands clasped together pleading. Taehyung mimicked his actions, hoping that Yoongi would agree to the sudden room exchange.
After a few seconds of weighing out the pros and cons from Yoongi’s part, he decided to agree. Even if he said no, Taehyung would still be in their room, staying up until the wee hours of the night. And that would only result in a grumpy Yoongi the following morning.
“Fine… but you have to let me borrow your headphones. Namjoon’s snoring is unbearable.”
Jimin high fived Taehyung, happy to share a room with his closest friend. Taehyung looked hesitant to give up his frog themed headphones, but handed them over to Yoongi to complete trading rooms. The two started to move Yoongi’s belongings into the room next to theirs and after two to three trips they had completely made the switch.
“WOOOO!” Taehyung started to jump up and down onto his new bed, Jimin jumping on his own. They had just flown into the foreign country and although they were very tired, the boys managed to gather up their energy in this small celebratory jumping jamboree.
“Let’s push the beds together!” The two got to work almost immediately after the words escaped Jimin’s lips and the two managed to create a queen sized bed by joining the two twin sizes. Dropping his body, Taehyung started to roll across the beds to make sure there wasn’t a crack in between.
He crashed into Jimin’s legs, rolling back and forth the newly transformed bed. Jimin took this chance to take his pillow and slam it playfully across Taehyung’s back. Within seconds the room was filled with laughter and tiny, white feathers.
Ending in an entanglement of their legs, their heads pushed against each other’s while laying side by side, Jimin huffed. “You think we’ll be charged for destroying the pillows?”
Taehyung shifted so that he could look at the other, his lips dangerously close to Jimin’s neck. “I don’t think so…. And if they did – we could blame it on Yoongi.” A mischievous smile took over Jimin’s lips as he nodded, their laughter once again filling the room. After their noise had died down, a comfortable silence fell.
“Can you believe we’re on tour again?” Jimin asked out of nowhere, his gaze fixated on the rose gold light fixture hanging above them.
Taehyung sighed before answering, not wanting to discuss the topic, “I mean I can believe it. But, I don’t know sometimes I wish we could have longer breaks.”
It was true, the boys hadn’t had a proper vacation ever since they debuted. It didn’t start to dawn on them until recently, how each member missed their family, friends, and just relaxing and being home. Before they had viewed their titles of being idols as something fun, but as each event keeps getting added to their schedules – they started to see the reality behind their future: an endless cycle of promotions and performances.
“Hey, if for some reason we did get to go on break – do you think you would miss me?”
Taehyung stayed silent before answering, “No.”
Jimin huffed, jamming a finger against Taehyung’s temple. “Fine, whatever I wouldn’t miss you either.”
Grinning, Taehyung coiled his arms around Jimin. “I’m kidding, of course I would miss you.” Jimin fluttered his long eyelashes and Taehyung saw his body visibly go soft. Taehyung thought that Jimin was so charming when he wasn’t trying so hard. He had built up an immunity whenever Jimin would display his aegyo and cute little antics in front of the cameras, but there was something about Jimin’s effortless beauty that made Taehyung weak.
“You know…” Jimin started to trail off onto another topic, “I don’t think I have ever told you this, but I’m really happy I met you Tae. You’re really amazing.”
“Oh yeah?” Taehyung tried to act as if it didn’t faze him, but deep down he knew that his stomach was twisting. It was always such a great feeling to get complimented by Jimin even if it was something small like “nice shirt” or “you look nice today.”
“Yeah… I mean besides the fact that you’re a complete dork.” Taehyung didn’t mind the insult and just shoved Jimin a bit before the two shared yet another laugh just to end in another silence. Jimin felt Taehyung’s fingertips brush against his own. He glanced down at the gesture, unable to stop his cheeks from flushing red and the shy smile from forming.
“How did you get this?” Taehyung fingered over the tiny scar over Jimin’s left knuckle. After searching his mind for the answer, Jimin finally replied.
“I think it was when my dad tried to teach me how to fish,” Jimin was happy that Taehyung didn’t let go and continued to smooth over his hand, “Since I used to live near the ocean, learning to fish is like a rite of passage for kids there.
But honestly Tae, I sucked. Big time.” Jimin could already picture his dad’s face in the memory. Taehyung scooted his body closer to Jimin, but Jimin was too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice.
“After like four lessons, he gave up on me,” Jimin laughed, “I wasn’t sad about it though. After that, he asked me what I wanted to do and I told him that I wanted to try dancing. It was the first time my dad actually supported me. He enrolled me into a youth dance company and eventually asked me if I wanted to audition for a performing arts high school. In the end, I guess it all worked out.”
After a few seconds of stillness, Taehyung offered another question. “Does it still hurt?”
Jimin shook his head no, “When I first got it, it hurt like hell. I guess instead of hooking the bait, I accidentally stabbed myself and –“
Taehyung’s lips suddenly pressed against Jimin’s hand, the feeling sending tiny sensations up Jimin’s arm and then surfacing throughout his whole body. It was enough to stop Jimin’s rambling and feel a bit flustered. Jimin’s sure that this wasn’t the first time Taehyung has proven to be the affectionate type, as there were many moments in their friendships where they had exchanged compliments and forms of skin ship. However, the feeling of Taehyung’s lips was new and honestly… it excited Jimin.
“What was that for?”
Taehyung’s tiny shoulders shrugged, “My mom always told me that if you have a cut on your body that it should be kissed every night before you sleep. The reason why it scars is because the wound feels bad and unwanted, and it stays there for a really long time so that you can show them love every day.”
Jimin smiled at the explanation, “Do you have any scars?”
Taehyung pondered for a second, “I had one on my neck somewhere. I don’t know if you remember, but I got it from the Boy in Luv music video.” Taehyung lifted his head to show Jimin, a small tiny scar appearing near at the end of Taehyung’s neck and border lining near his collarbone.
“It was when we were climbing desks and…” Jimin started to zone out on Taehyung’s voice, focusing on the curves of his neck instead. It took a few seconds to realize that Jimin was finding himself inch closer and ended up placing an open mouthed kiss against the younger’s scar.
Immediately regretting his action, Jimin was too embarrassed to pull away. Leaving him to bury his head into the younger’s shoulder, his hot breath sending waves throughout Taehyung’s body. “Sorry...” Jimin mumbled, his mouth vibrating against Taehyung’s skin.
“N-no… it’s okay...” Taehyung finally replied after a deafening silence. “I don’t mind...”
Jimin didn’t know why he smiled after hearing that, or why his heart started to beat faster, or why he wanted to feel Taehyung’s skin against his lips again just once.. Or maybe twice. Jimin was thankful his face being buried into Taehyung’s shoulder, but also afraid because Jimin thought that if he didn’t pull away that he was going to get addicted to Taehyung’s sweet scent.
Finally growing a bit of courage, Jimin quickly tried to pull away causing his head to hit Taehyung’s chin, his teeth sinking down into his bottom lip. A loud groan from Taehyung filled Jimin’s ear drums and Jimin felt panicked, “I am so sorry!!”
Taehyung started to squirm from side to side due to the pain, unable to stay still. “Stop moving! Let me see it!” Jimin directed, using his arms to stop the boy from moving. It was no use, Taehyung was too obsessed with how much his jaw ached to listen or act rationally.
Jimin climbed over the younger’s body, his legs acting as a barrier around Taehyung’s sides so that he was unable to move or squirm around. Careful to not completely squish him, Jimin sat his bottom on the flat of Taehyung’s stomach and lifted a finger towards Taehyung’s chin to review the damage done to his mouth area.
Jimin leaned forward, cautious not to cause another accident. Only a few inches away from Taehyung’s face, Jimin found a small cut on the bottom of his lip. Jimin felt an arm sling over his waist and felt his upper body being pushed to lean forward. Jimin glanced down at how close he was to Taehyung and looked at him with confusion.
The look didn’t last long because Jimin found himself pressing his lips onto Taehyung’s. It was gentle; the kiss seeming to be very delicate and innocent. Jimin sunk into the kiss so deeply that he was unable to sit up. He fell to Taehyung’s side making sure not to break the kiss and Taehyung took this chance to be on top. Jimin felt so small with Taehyung leading the actions, his large hands running down Jimin’s chest.
He didn’t realize how much he liked the feeling of Taehyung’s touch until after Taehyung had pulled away. Taehyung was breathless, his stare piercing a hole through Jimin’s face. “W-what’s wrong?” Jimin didn’t realize how desperate he sounded, but at this point he didn’t care.
“I- w- we can’t do this...” Taehyung muttered and untangled himself from Jimin’s body. He sat against the headboard of the bed and ran a hand through his messed up locks. “This isn’t right.” He couldn’t help but feel like he was taking advantage of the situation. His feelings for Jimin were genuine and Jimin was too precious for Taehyung to treat as an in-the-moment-fling, no Jimin deserved more than that.
“But, why?” Jimin copied his actions, sitting up and staring directly at the confused boy. “Is it because of me?” Not an inch of reason was running through Jimin’s mind, the only thing he wanted to do in that very moment was feel Taehyung’s skin underneath his fingernails and his plump lips against his own.
“What? No… well I mean yes... of course it’s you,” Taehyung hovered over Jimin’s hand before interlocking his fingers between his. Taehyung tried to avoid Jimin’s hazy, lust-filled eyes, the look of pure seduction could cause Taehyung to abandon his morals and give in to his own desires. He would have to settle for hand holding to keep him harbored.
A knock disrupted their moment and Taehyung and Jimin both released an exasperated breath. Taehyung glided over to the door to mentally thank their savior, but also mentally curse them. Taehyung carelessly turned the doorknob only to meet a distraught Jungkook at the doorstep.
And it's hard, the days just seem so dark The moon, and the stars, are nothing without you
Jungkook feels suffocated. All of the piercing silence that seemed to follow wherever he went was starting to exhaust not only his body, but his mind. It wasn’t that Jungkook was counting, but it has been five consecutive days of small talk, awkward eye contact, and unsaid words.
If Taehyung wasn’t going to speak up, then the only thing left was for Jungkook to set his pride aside and approach Taehyung first. The only problem left was to figure out what to say or how to even bring up the confession.
Jungkook took a deep breath before pressing his knuckles against the hotel room door in a knock. He could hear Taehyung’s feet drag across the carpet from the inside and Jungkook swears his heartbeat is beating loud enough for Taehyung to hear from inside his room.
Before Taehyung even spoke, Jungkook spoke first. “Hey uh… are you busy?” He knew he sounded weird but it wasn’t like he could re-do the moment.
Taehyung shook his head no as a reply before Jungkook witnessed Taehyung’s adorable eyebrow raise, “What’s up?”
Scratching the back of his head, Jungkook asked, “Is it alright if we talk for a second?”
Taehyung nodded before widening the entrance to their hotel room. Taehyung shuffled on a pair for socks before rummaging through the suitcase that he still hasn’t unpacked. Jungkook stepped inside, witnessing the disaster zone of pillow feathers and Jimin surrounded by a crowd of blankets on one awfully large sized bed.
“They gave you guys a single bed?” Jungkook questioned, not trying to sound any more concerned than he already was.
Jimin seemed to be in deep thought as he was asked this, and shook his head before registering that another person had entered the room. “Huh? Oh hey,” Jimin waved, his actions seeming unnatural, “Uh no we decided to put the two together so we could –“
“Uh… Jungkook and I are going to go talk for a while. I’ll be back okay?” Taehyung assured Jimin before slipping on a pair of sneakers. If Jungkook wasn’t swallowing in his own nervousness he probably would have noticed the awkward tension between them, but he didn’t.
“Okay…” Jimin replied and watched as Taehyung held onto Jungkook’s wrist, leading him out of the room. A very unfamiliar feeling ignited in Jimin’s body, instantly feeling jealous of everything and everyone that came in contact with Taehyung. The door shut and the two were out of his sight, but somehow Jimin’s feelings of being territorial over Taehyung didn’t disappear, leaving him to ponder his own feelings and thoughts in a mess of white on white hotel décor.
Your touch, your skin, where do I begin? No words can explain, the way I’m missing you
Jungkook and Taehyung arrived at the hotel’s deserted pool after a silent commute down an elevator and through the hotel lobby. Jungkook’s eyes fixated on the reflection of the night sky that sparkled onto the chlorine filled pool.
It felt like years since they last talked although they both knew that it really wasn’t that long. Jungkook was normally calm, cool, and collected, but tonight wasn’t the case. His mind was racing with what to say and what to do but the only thing that he actually did do was finally let tears fall from his eyes.
Taehyung rubbed a swift thumb over the younger’s cheekbone, making sure the salty drops didn’t stain his porcelain skin. Not even a nanosecond after Taehyung’s gesture, more tears started to flood and Taehyung realized it was no use – his cheeks were bound to be stained.
“Why?” Taehyung asked softly, “Why are you crying?” Taehyung didn’t know whether or not he should hold the younger or just maintain his distance.
Jungkook looked up and Taehyung felt his body heat up from the tension. It was like seeing your little brother cry for the first time and Taehyung would do whatever he could to keep him from crying anymore.
“I don’t know why I’m crying… or why I’m being like this. I’m sorry.”
Taehyung boldly placed a hand on the back of Jungkook’s head and pulled him closer into his shoulder blade, he could feel Jungkook sob against his body and Taehyung still didn’t know if this action was the right thing to do in this situation.
“It’s okay… for now, just let it out…” For now, Taehyung would play pretend and act as if he was comforting his little brother. He would pretend that he wasn’t the reason for Jungkook’s tears and it was because of someone else. He would pretend that in a few moments he wasn’t going to have to reject Jungkook’s confession. He would pretend to take care of his dongsaeng, just to break his heart right after.
The night, this emptiness, this hole that I'm inside These tears, they tell their own story
Jimin could feel his body heave up and down, a breath filling his lungs just to escape once again. His mind was blank and no matter how hard he tried to think, nothing came across his mind.
Jimin lifted his finger and examined the tiny scar, trying to picture Taehyung’s lips pressed up against it. Jimin outstretched his hand, trying to picture Taehyung’s hands intertwined between the spaces. Jimin pulled his hand down and placed his fingertips against his lips, he closed his eyes and tried to picture Taehyung’s face growing closer and closer to his own before reliving the sweet kiss they had just shared.
It was within that moment that Jimin realized he didn’t hate the idea of kissing Taehyung, in fact, Jimin found himself actually liking it and wanting to kiss his best friend even more. It wasn’t just kissing either. He wanted to hold Taehyung, he wanted to feel his body wrapped around his. He wanted to lay his head on Taehyung’s chest, but this time actually listen to his heartbeat.
It wasn’t just actions or physical contact, but Jimin wanted to reach another level of being close with Taehyung. Jimin wanted to know all of Taehyung’s past, the stories and dynamics that shaped his being. Jimin wanted to be a part of all of Taehyung’s present, experiencing and trying all of the things the world has to offer them. Jimin wanted to be in Taehyung’s future, helping him accomplish all of his goals and be able to look back at the life he’s led.
Jimin didn’t know how all of these feelings finally came to light, but he knew one thing for sure. He was in love with his best friend… for a while now… And it didn’t happen like he thought it would, with the angelic voiced choir singing or a bright glow surrounding Taehyung, but Jimin can finally say that he was in love.
Jimin tried to stay awake until Taehyung came back, but with the daily life of being an idol, Jimin’s body didn’t allow him to and his eyes closed with Taehyung becoming his last thoughts of the night.
You told me not to cry when you were gone
Taehyung watched the side of the hotel building, the rows of dimly lit windows turning dark within the last half hour. Taehyung dreaded the moment Jungkook pulled away because he knew that his caring older brother persona would disappear.
“I... uh… thanks...” Jungkook muttered before wiping his long sleeve underneath his eyes to dry his skin. Taehyung didn’t reply and just stared at the pebbled ground underneath them.
“I know you don’t like me like that…” Jungkook watched Taehyung’s complexion turn dark, his expression confirming the known fact, “And I know that you have feelings for Jimin… its true right? You like Jimin?” Taehyung nodded his head slowly and Jungkook couldn’t help but fight the sinister smile appearing on his face, the type of smile that appeared when a person felt so pathetic that they even want to laugh at themselves.
“I knew it….” Jungkook’s tone of voice sounded off. Wanting to sound cocky, but deep down there was a tiny feeling wishing that he wasn’t right. Fighting the bitter feelings, Jungkook let out another deep sigh to break the lingering silence.
“Even though it kills me to say this…” Jungkook bit his bottom lip and turned his face to hide the fact another weak tear had escaped his eyes, “I… I just want you to be happy… and if that means y-you being with him… then don’t let my feelings stop you.”
Taehyung finally took this chance to look up, but by the time he had, Jungkook had already walked away. Taehyung watched the younger, each step he took looking heavier and heavier. It wasn’t until Jungkook disappeared into the hotel building that Taehyung found himself to his knees.
Taehyung ignored the pain of his knees crashing so hard against the ground. He was near the edge of the pool and because it was already past midnight, the lights to the pool switched off. The cold attacked Taehyung’s skin, but at this point Taehyung was numb to the weather or anything for that matter. The pool’s surface turned black and suddenly Taehyung saw his reflection ripple through the water.
Feelings of guilt and worry bubbled in his body and Taehyung didn’t know whether or not he could be selfless at this point. If he were to be selfless, he would let his feelings of guilt continue to sadden him. If he were to be selfish, he would allow himself to feel a sense of relief.
It took a hotel employee worker to send Taehyung off to his hotel room, telling him that the pool hours were over. He didn’t realize how cold he was until he stepped inside the heated building. Taehyung dragged his feet to his floor and keyed his card into the hotel room to meet an already asleep Jimin.
But the feeling's overwhelming, it's much too strong
Jungkook was thankful that their schedule was cancelled the next morning, so that he could lay in his bed and not have to face anyone. His roommate for the current week of the tour was Jin and he was off with Namjoon probably touring the city, eating various food, and taking aesthetic photos of each other.
He threw his phone near the foot of his bed after reading the messages from his manager and Jin and buried his head underneath his comforter.
Jungkook felt like complete shit. He swung his legs around the side of his bed and made his way towards the bathroom. His face was stiff and bloated from the endless tears and he swears his body temperature is warmer than usual.
His thoughts instantly flutter to Taehyung. It was pretty cold last night at the pool and Jungkook had a fairly strong immune system, Taehyung on the other hand doesn’t. Jungkook starts to question if he had gotten sick and what time did Taehyung leave or if he even stayed before Jungkook practically ran away.
Slamming his palm against the granite counter top, Jungkook cursed himself. He doesn’t know why he’s angry, but the thought finally enters that maybe he was angry with himself for caring so much about Taehyung.
Jungkook feels desperate to get rid of these thoughts and feelings but is even more desperate to get over his first love. But Jungkook thinks it’s impossible and twists his hand on the faucet to start a stream of warm water and washes his face. Jungkook watches as the water dripping from his face almost erases the tears that once stained his cheeks just hours before.
Can I lay by your side, next to you, you
Jimin wakes up in laughter, a small giggle escaping his lips. He feels a stream of warm air riding up his neck and realizes Taehyung was to blame for the sudden tickle attack. It takes a moment to register the situation, but Jimin is pleased nonetheless.
Taehyung was asleep, his left leg tangled between Jimin’s. One of Taehyung’s arms was underneath Jimin’s neck, the other slung around Jimin’s waist. If Jimin didn’t know any better, the two were cuddling.
Cuddling was common between them, but knowing what Jimin knows now, the cuddling somehow feels different. Knowing that he was cuddling with the boy he loves, Jimin smiles widely at the thought, making him feel happy and safe.
After a few moments of enjoying his embrace, Jimin decided to be responsible and check the time to see what time the radio show event was. Jimin carefully reached for his phone to read the message about their schedule being cancelled for the day and thanks a higher being for such an opportunity.
Jimin turns so he could face Taehyung’s sleeping face and watches the sun start to slowly creep onto Taehyung’s face. Jimin raises his hand to block the sun from reaching Taehyung’s eyes and smiles widely at the younger.
It was like his world was much more open and bright, his love for Taehyung causing Jimin to feel like he was starting to actually see the world. Jimin’s smile started to grow even wider when Taehyung stirred in his sleep and pulled Jimin closer to his body.
After almost an hour of just watching Taehyung sleep, Jimin stealthily makes his way towards the bathroom. He strips and enters the shower, letting the water cascade down his shoulders. Jimin doesn’t know what to say to Taehyung once he wakes up, but he’s hoping the words will just come out.
And make sure you're alright I'll take care of you
Taehyung wakes up to the sound of the shower turning off and a massive headache. He rubs his eyes and then a cough clears his throat. His throat felt dry and the one thing he needed was a tall glass of water. It didn’t take long for Taehyung to come to the conclusion that he was sick.
Immediately wishing that he didn’t stay out longer than he needed to, Taehyung sat up and rested his body against the bed frame. His eyes fluttered, attempting to stop his surroundings from spinning.
He wonders whether or not Jungkook is alright but feels as if it was wrong to even wonder since he was the cause of his pain. Taehyung is smart enough to know that the best thing for Jungkook was time and space and that if Taehyung really cared about him, he would give that to him.
Jimin enters in one of Taehyung’s cut up shirts, breaking Taehyung’s thoughts. Taehyung can’t help but smile, Jimin was lazily drying his hair with his towel. Standing in his shirt made Taehyung feel embarrassed as if it was the morning after of a passionate night.
“Good morning…”
Taehyung felt his voice grow hoarse before coughing and then replying, “Good morning Jimin.”
“Are you okay?” Jimin threw his towel over his shoulder and rushed to Taehyung’s side and placed the back of his hand onto Taehyung’s forehead.
Taehyung felt hot and he didn’t know whether it was because he was sick or because Jimin was only in his boxers and Jimin’s thigh was rubbing against his own. “Yeah… I guess I’m just sick…?”
“You feel hot, should I go get some medicine? Stay here and wait!” Jimin instantly started to slip on a pair of shoes. Taehyung didn’t want to trouble him, but Jimin was already out the door with his wallet and hotel key before he could even respond. Taehyung wishes he hadn’t left so quickly because all he wanted to do was talk to Jimin about the incident from last night.
Taehyung slowly climbs out of bed and goes to the bathroom. Although he was disobeying Jimin’s orders, Taehyung felt disgusting and needed some time to freshen up and wake himself up. Halfway through his shower he realizes that there was a scheduled event that was coming in a few hours.
Jimin returns with various items that included cold medicine, canned soups, a thermometer, extra towels, and almost everything that you could need and more. He returns with a scowl, witnessing Taehyung’s wet hair and half naked body.
“Why are you up?” Jimin pestered, ignoring the beautiful sight in front of him. Taehyung slips on a large shirt and looks at Jimin with a confused expression.
“What do you mean? I’m fine.” Taehyung started to fix his hair, until Jimin slapped his hands and pushed him back onto their bed.
“No you’re not, please get back in bed.”
Taehyung complied and slowly gets underneath the covers, “But don’t we have an event soon?”
“No it got cancelled, now lay down.”
“Okay…” Taehyung tries to hide the smirk appearing on his lips. He couldn’t help but feel fuzzy inside, especially since Jimin was extra grumpy and sort of mother-like. He was adorable to Taehyung nonetheless.
Jimin starts to rummage through his supplies and mentally thanks his mother for teaching him the basics of how to take care of someone. Remembering to clean the thermometer before setting it underneath Taehyung’s tongue, Jimin reads the tiny screen that reveals his temperature.
Taehyung’s voice breaks Jimin’s procedure, but he continues on his duty while listening. “So…”
Jimin lets out a knowing sigh and stands up to wet the towel before placing it on Taehyung’s forehead. He returns to Taehyung’s side and speaks, “You don’t have to be sorry about last night.”
“But I-“
“Let me finish…” Jimin pauses and sits beside Taehyung. He contemplates for a few moments on whether or not it was appropriate for him to hold Taehyung’s hand, but he does anyways. “You don’t have to be sorry because I like you…
So if you like me too… then you don’t have to apologize.” Jimin feels weak and embarrassed, so he tries to act like he’s busy looking through his take-care bag. He continues to speak without making eye contact, his voice’s volume going softer.
“But if you don’t feel the same way then it’s cool.”
It was quiet for a few moments and Jimin hated it. It was like he could hear his own heartbeat. Why wasn’t Taehyung saying anything?
He dared himself to look up just to meet Taehyung with a stiff expression. Jimin has never gotten his heart broken before but it looks like it was going to happen soon.
“I don’t know…” Taehyung’s voice dripped in sarcasm, but Jimin felt too pressured to identify it.
“You don’t know what?”
“I don’t think I believe you…” Taehyung’s voice drifted.
“What do you mean?” Jimin sounded whiny, but Taehyung loved making fun of him.
“Tell me why you like me,” Taehyung finally said, his smile growing across his face.
Finally understanding Taehyung’s evil plot, Jimin spat out a snarky response, “Hm… well I guess you’re right. I don’t really have any reasons… I’m sorry.” Jimin stood up, only to be brought back down by Taehyung’s grasp.
“Wait, what? Are you serious?” Jimin wanted to laugh from Taehyung’s incredulous expression, his eyes wide and mouth agape.
Jimin decided to torture Taehyung with a few moments of silence before playfully smacking the top of Taehyung’s head with a hand towel, “Of course not, stupid.”
Taehyung childishly frowned, “You’re so mean.”
“You started it!” Jimin complained as he handed Taehyung a fever reducer tablet, which made Taehyung’s expression go sour from the artificial orange taste. Jimin crawled next to Taehyung, kicking the blanket so he could nuzzle his tiny legs underneath.
“You know… about a week ago Jungkook confessed to me,” Taehyung said as his fingers played with Jimin’s tiny hand, “And last night I rejected him.”
Jimin didn’t know what to say so instead he listened and nodded. He already knew for a while now how the maknae felt; he probably knew even before Jungkook even knew. So this was no surprise to Jimin.
“I just feel so bad… you know? I don’t want to hurt him, I don’t want to hurt anyone.” Taehyung felt his heart go soft and his mood lower.
“It’s okay to feel bad Taehyung-ah… But just know that you did the right thing,” Jimin mumbled into Taehyung’s shoulder, “And also know that you don’t have to feel responsible for him either. Just because he’s a bit younger doesn’t mean he can’t take care of himself. He’s strong and he’s gone through a lot worse.”
Jimin was right, but Taehyung couldn’t help but feel burdened, “Yeah… but I’m just worried... that’s all.”
“Just give him time, okay?” Jimin poked the side of Taehyung’s cheek, causing Taehyung to smile just a bit, “But for now, please take care of yourself. Stop acting like you’re invincible all the time, it’s only cute sometimes.”
Taehyung loved how easily Jimin could make him feel better, it was like having your own personal teddy bear that will listen to all of your problems and hold you when you’re sad.
“I don’t want to get you sick…” Taehyung snaked his arm around Jimin’s shoulders making Jimin’s head naturally fall into Taehyung’s chest. Taehyung placed a few kisses against Jimin’s head, “But I can’t help it… you’re so cuddly.”
Jimin let out a soft laugh and gravitated closer to Taehyung’s warm body. The two looked at each other with loving expressions before Taehyung ruined the moment with a sneeze. Jimin handed him a tissue after cursing Taehyung. They laughed at each other before Jimin coddled himself closer against Taehyung’s body, not caring whether or not he would get sick too.
The two spent the late morning up until the late evening with each other. They forgot about everything and settled into their own little world. They shared what they liked about each other, naps, expensive room service calls, childhood memories, and of course sweet butterfly like kisses.
And I don't want to be here if I can't be with you tonight
After spending the entire day sulking, Jungkook grabbed his leather jacket and dark boots and decided to go for a walk. It was nine at night and he hasn’t seen any of the other members, but by the tweets and fan café posts – Jungkook knew they were enjoying their day off.
Although Jungkook didn’t know anything about the country he was in, he actually found comfort in it. He liked the idea of being lost; it was almost exhilarating. He had found his way into a city like area where each building was lined side by side each other with bright flashy lights.
His trip started to turn sour when a sudden rainfall began to pour, but he continued to walk until he had found a small park. Drenched in rain, Jungkook sat underneath a tree and watched the playground start to shine from the water.
He lets out a deep sigh. Jungkook’s heart feels like it’s only holding up because of massive amounts of sticky glue and plaster. He feels broken and cold, as if he was abandoned or something. His mind started to flashback to memories of Taehyung and he scolds himself for becoming such a cliché character.
But as much as he hated himself for letting Taehyung captivate him so easily and as much as he wished he didn’t try so hard to be by his side, Jungkook doesn’t regret his love for Taehyung.
Instead, he actually appreciates that his first heartbreak experience was from his hyung. Jungkook felt a few drops of water slip from the leaves of the tree he sat underneath but ignored it.
“Hey! You’re going to get sick like that you know!”
Jungkook watched as a girl about his age started to scold him, but he didn’t understand what she was saying. She was a bit shorter than himself and was wearing a short dress with a leather jacket that matched his own.
“Hello? Did you hear me?” She waved as she started to jog forward with a dark umbrella, her long hair swinging side to side. Jungkook froze from the sight and his heart started to beat faster.
Trying his best to remember some of the foreign phrases he had learned before, he replied, “Sorry, I not can speak.”
The girl plunged forward and started to analyze Jungkook’s face, Jungkook faltered feeling small in front of the girl. He could feel his cheeks start to blush for the first time.
The girl smiled amusingly after realizing his ethnicity, “Ya! You could have just told me you were Korean too!”
Jungkook was taken back by the sudden language exchange, but found himself smiling once the girl started to laugh. She was so full of energy, Jungkook thought.
“What are you doing out here anyways?”
“I could ask you the same thing.” Jungkook instantly regretted coming off so cold, but it was too late for him to try and fix his words.
To his surprise, the girl laughed, “You’re right, you got me there.”
After a few exchanges of conversation, the two walked underneath her umbrella. Jungkook didn’t know why he suddenly felt adventurous or why he was even walking with a complete stranger, but for some reason there was something in his gut telling him to go for it.
They made their way towards the girl’s favorite coffee shop that she recommended. Jungkook didn’t know her name yet, but he was determined to find out once they stepped inside. He was also determined to figure out what was she doing in this country, how many other languages did she know, if she always talked to random strangers like this, what her favorite coffee was, and maybe just maybe… if she wanted to go out on another date.
(Wow... this was the end. Haha, I felt so bad for Jungkook that I had to write an ending like this. Honestly, my original thoughts for Jungkook’s ending was really sad so I changed it. Please tell me what you think! This is my first multipart fanfic and I’m so happy that you took the time to read it! Tell me what you thought about it overall, if you liked the ending, what did you expect to happen, what i should write next, etc Thank you!)