Chapter Text
"Are you ready?"
"Mhm."
Taehyung goes after Jimin as they leave his house. And just like that, he doesn't speak anything more during the whole car ride, and the older couldn't help but sigh sadly. It's been two weeks since the disastrous events, and it seemed like the younger was still stuck somewhere in the past. Alone. Not letting anyone to reach him and bring him out of it.
"Taehyungshi?"
The words fall on the said man's ears but he's too preoccupied with his thoughts that he doesn't remember to reply to it, and keeps gazing at the far front on the road blankly.
"Hey? Taehyungshi?" Jimin nudges him slightly, to bring him out of his never ending daze, only to receive a questioning hum.
"I'll go get the bouquet."
"Hm. Okay."
The older looks at him expectantly to retaliate or just give some sort of reaction, but as usual, he receives nothing but a few monosyllabic replies, crumbling his spirits once again.
This is why I didn't tell you, TaeTae!
Sighing, he clicks the door open and goes to the nearby flower shop to get a bunch of fresh daisies, Jungkook's favourite. His melancholic eyes linger on them for a little longer, before averting them to the brunette on the other side of the road.
"May I have one of the red roses, please?"
"Sure, Sir."
After collecting his purchase, Jimin returns to the car and keeps the big white bouquet on the backseat while slipping behind the wheel with a little smile and hopeful eyes. Instead of starting to drive, he extends his hand holding the rose infront of Taehyung, taking the latter by surprise.
"For you."
"Thankyou, Jiminah!" His lips curl up genuinely at the loving gesture by his snowball.
"Saranghae." Jimin says with a red little blush, seeing his TaeTae smile happily after quite a long time.
"Love you too, Nae Sarang."
"Do you really?"
The younger stills at the question and frowns.
"What do you mean?"
"Why are you so closed off? Did I do something wrong?" Taehyung panics for a second, hearing Jimin blame himself in vain.
"No no. Absolutely not, Chim. You have done nothing wrong. I'm sorry if I made you feel like that. Please don't blame yourself for anything."
"Then why don't you talk to me?"
Why doesn't he talk? Why doesn't he feel like expressing anything to Jimin or to anyone? What stops him from holding his Chim close and crying his heart out and let go of the past ruins? Why doesn't he feel like himself?
Taehyung has no answer to it. He feels pathetic to be so weak, so useless, so burdensome. And he's unable to vocalise his feelings to anyone. He doesn't notice when his hands clutch the flower stock tightly, hurting him in the process.
"Ah."
"Taehyungshi, what even! Show me your hand. What a pabo! You..." Jimin keeps rambling with a deep frown and pries open his fingers clutching the stem of the flower tightly after hearing the slight wince of the younger, to come to the view of a thorn pricking his index, and a tiny drop of blood smeared over it.
The brunette complies obediently, watching his Nae Sarang wipe off the scratch with his handkerchief and press it till coagulation occurs.
I always bring trouble for you to take care of. I'm sorry!
"It'll be fine. We'll get the band-aid when we reach there." Jimin says in a hurry, driving off and forgetting what he was talking about to the younger previously and all he did was nod back.
________
"Congratulations, for not being dead!"
"You didn't have to say that, Jiminie! The bullet wound hurt more than death, I can bet."
"And who asked you to go all John Wick on me back then?"
"Yeah yeah. Whatever!"
"Whatever, my ass. Now get up, you are getting discharged today, Kookie!" Jimin chirps happily, keeping the bouquet on the side table and taking a seat beside the bed on a stool while Taehyung stands quietly behind him, observing the conversation.
"Home? Didn't the property holdings of Yejun get ceased?"
"Yeah, they did. So Taehyung bought you another apartment."
"Who bought what now?" His eyes almost fall out of socket hearing the words said by the purple-haired male. Jimin laughs heartily at the reaction, almost toppling off the chair if not for Taehyung's hand kept around him protectively.
"Tell him, Taehyungshi... Wasn't it you who proposed the idea of getting him a house one fine day?" He teases the younger.
"Hm." The brunette simply nods, and the former's face falls yet again. He's been trying since forever to get him say something over it. Anger, frown, useless blabber, rant, laugh. Anything. But he seems to be in some other zone.
"You really did that?" Jungkook asks the brunette with narrow eyes, still not believing what he heard. No reasons, he just knows the older boy hates his guts, so it was naturally difficult to digest.
Taehyung nods. And when the two exes are back to talking over random stuff, he gives a short and calculated glare at the youngest that goes unnoticed by everyone before speaking again.
"I'll go get myself a band-aid. Take care, Jiminah."
"Be back soon. We'll have to leave then." He replies back and waits for the door to click close, before exhaling heavily.
"He's still not being normal?"
"No."
"What is wrong with this assh- human, I mean." His words change halfway upon the displeasure sprawled all over Jimin's face when he was about to curse the CEO.
"I don't know. He never says anything. I know his brain works weirdly, and he must be overthinking shit right now. But he's not even sharing it to me. I don't know how to help him."
"He'll be fine. Just give him some time."
"It's been two weeks, Kookie. I'm worried. I know he doesn't speak a lot. But to me, he speaks a ton. I'm his safe place to blurt all that the world classifies as noise. He knows I won't judge him. But..."
"But he him who needs to open up. You don't always have to worry for the whole world, Jimin. Cut yourself some slack" Jungkook really wasn't interested in hearing how the older cares for Kim. It always makes a sour feeling bloom in him out of nowhere.
"But he is my whole world. I want to help him."
That wasn't triple cheese, mozzarella stuffed pizza at all, Jiminie...!
"Only when he'll allow you." Jungkook scoffs inwardly at the situation of giving advice to the person he loves for the person they love. Hilarious even to imagine it, but it's his reality.
Jimin slumps exhaustively on the stool, shoulders low and drooping until the next words are spoken by the youngest.
"And thankyou for the house but I might not be living here anymore."
"What do you mean?" He perks up almost instantly.
"You remember, Jiminie, when you had told me to leave this life behind and have a fresh start, right?"
"Yeah. But you can do it from here as well."
And be reminded every second that I can very well snatch you from that Kim but I'm not doing it because I love you and don't want to hurt you? Nah, too much effort.
"I want to explore the world. Meet new people. Good people. Eat a lot of delicious food and watch pretty skies without any burden, which I haven't done in a good while. I hope you understand." He says dreamily.
Jimin pouts sadly at the youngest, making him chuckle at the cuteness of this warm human.
"Maybe I'll find myself a soulmate as well." He winks at the older playfully, knowing very well it was far from his thoughts for future. He found his special someone, and then lost him with his own hands, and again found him but now he's of someone else, and he can only admire him from afar. Not that he's complaining.
Maybe a little.
"I bless you from me and my soulmate's behalf, you'll find them soon." Jimin pats his head dramatically, giving him the blessings and then bursts out into a giggle, making Jungkook laugh as well.
Soon enough, Taehyung returns with the papers and Jimin helps Jungkook get on his feet properly until he growls that he's okay and don't need him to baby him.
"Stay at the house till you recover fully. Then you are free to go." Taehyung says curtly, eyeing the boy's hand resting over Jimin's for support.
"Okay."
"And Jimin, go get the car to the front. I'll bring him."
Jimin's head snaps at his direction, hearing the words. Taehyung and helping Jungkook? Never in a million years. The brunette seems to have read the hesitance as he assures him that he won't kill the boy on the way.
"Are you sure?" Jimin laughs, handing over Jungkook to him, unaware of the reason behind the sudden courtesy.
"Yes. Go."
When the purple mane of hair is gone from his sight, he glares at Jungkook, clearly displeased.
"Jealous much, aren't we?" Teases the youngest, as the duo keeps walking to the hospital's exit at a slow pace.
"Who's jealous? Not me."
"It's in your nature, Kim. You can never help it." He laughs subtly, knowing very well that it will only irritate the brunette.
"If you know already, then stay away from him."
There. The asshole Kim I know. Jimin is worrying for no reason.
"And what if I snatch him from you?"
"You can't. He will never choose you."
"We'll see." Jungkook smirks when he notices the uneasiness in Taehyung's eyes for a second.
"I believe him."
"But not me, right?" Jeon Jungkook winks and before Taehyung can say anything, Jimin arrives to them, bringing an end to their sesnseless bickering.
The trio leaves the premises with mostly Jimin talking, while the other two continue with their glaring competition via the rear view mirror of the car.