ｈａｚｙ // ｖ.ｋ. ✔️

ｔｗｅｎｔｙｔｗｏ

"H-He tried to kiss me," he squeaked out, a small cry escaping his lips. "He what?" Jimin asked, clearly alarmed. "I-I was okay with it, but I don't think he knows that. He pulled away at the last second like he was already regretting it. I don't know if he meant it or not, but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want it." Jeongguk fiddled with a loose string on his sweater as he stared at his lap. Jimin pursed his lips, his anger dissipating. "I think he probably thought that he would hurt you if he were to go through with it. He cares about you, I know that for a fact, he's most likely scared of making you feel unsafe," Jimin explained gently.

"D-Does he not know that he's the one that makes me feel safe?" Jimin couldn't help but smile at the younger. The desperation in his voice and the genuine fear of losing Taehyung was evident in his teary eyes. So Taehyung's connection wasn't one-sided after all, huh? "Tell him that and let him know that what he did was okay. I can tell that his 'slip up' is what is hurting him the most right now." Jeongguk nodded and wiped his tears away with the back of his hand.

"Wh-What if that's not why he's upset though? Maybe I'm just being self-centered..." Jimin stood up and held out a hand for Jeongguk to take. "Where are w-we going?" Jimin intertwined their fingers and led him to his bathroom, sitting him down on the counter. "I'm gonna run you a bath to help you calm down, just like we used to, okay?" Jeongguk nodded, feeling lucky to have such an understanding and caring friend like Jimin. He'd remained by Jeongguk's side, even after finding out that Kyong had been beating him.

Since he couldn't just report him in fear that he'd get back to Jeongguk and hurt him even more, he would do his best to calm Jeongguk down and keep him at ease while at his house. He'd bathe him and fix him up, crying with him when seeing the dark bruises and cuts all over his body. Though Jeongguk didn't believe it at the time, it really did break Jimin's heart to see his best friend crumble into this hollow shell of what he used to be. But as Jeongguk stripped from his clothes this time, Jimin could only see a healthy boy-- no more cuts and bruises, but instead, a charming amount of weight gain.

Tears brimmed his eyes; he was relieved. Taehyung truly did wonders for Jeongguk. In Jimin's eyes, it was destiny for them to meet. It was destiny for Taehyung to be the one to bring Jeongguk out of hell and for this, Jimin was forever in his debt. Jeongguk sank into the water, sighing at the comforting warmth. Jimin poured soap onto a washcloth and gently scrubbed Jeongguk's back, tucking his hair behind his ear with a smile. It was refreshing to go through this familiar process for a different reason. Jeongguk hummed softly as Jimin washed his hair, massaging his scalp soothingly.

"Thank you for doing this, Jimin. I-I really appreciate it." "It's no biggie, I've missed getting to pamper you anyways," Jimin chuckled. A peaceful silence fell over them as Jeongguk finished up his bath. Jimin handed him a towel as he opened the bathroom door, looking around for Hoseok. "Jeongguk, I'm not gonna force you to confront Taehyung right now, but I do think that you definitely should talk to him sometime tonight. He needs to hear you say that it's okay, just like he's done for you up to this point, okay?" Jeongguk nodded, feeling that uncomfortable dread begin to build up.

"I'm gonna go help Hoseok with the dishes. Go check on Taehyung and see if he's sleeping or not," Jimin suggested before walking down the hall. Jeongguk took a deep breath and approached the guest room that Taehyung was resting in. He could hear his soft snores through the door, but he still entered the room regardless.

His footsteps made their way around the bed and next to Taehyung. He planted a gentle kiss on his forehead before exiting again, meeting Jimin downstairs. "Is he asleep?" Jeongguk nodded. "Well, do you wanna make something for Taehyung?" Jeongguk's sad eyes lit up, a hint of excitement behind them. "What kinds of things does Taehyung like?" Jeongguk bit his lip and thought back to when he first moved in with Taehyung. He remembered Taehyung showing him his pretty garden full of flowers and also seeing an array of them in his room. "H-He likes flowers," he finally stated, a small grin on his face.

"Then let's make some flower crowns, yeah?" Jimin and Jeongguk slipped into the backyard, collecting different flowers from Jimin's garden. "It's been forever since we've made flower crowns." Jeongguk giggled as he wrapped another flower around the thin wire. "Yeah, I guess it has been a while. Everything feels so different now though-- in a good way," he admitted.

"Like that sense of dread isn't behind every step I take and I can let my guard down now without the fear of being hurt. Tae holds my hand every step of the way..." Jimin smiled fondly at him. It boggled his mind that neither of the two knew of their feelings towards one another. But Jeongguk truly did seem much happier. That's all that mattered to him. "I'm glad. It makes me so happy to see you doing better. But what do you think really helped you to change?"

Jimin of course knew that Taehyung was the reason behind all of Jeongguk's recovery, but he still needed to hear it from Jeongguk. He needed Jeongguk to admit it himself. "Tae...if it weren't for him, there's no telling where I'd be right now...gosh, that's scary to think about." Jeongguk tied a pretty lace ribbon around the back of the flower crown and set it down, adjusting a few of the flowers gently.

"He really was my last hope. I remember feeling so confused when I saw him at the hospital-- when I saw the raw relief in his eyes from just seeing that I was okay. It was something that I didn't understand at the time, and it's something that I still find hard to wrap my head around today. I can't tell if he thinks of me as just a troubled kid or a friend and that worries me. What if he does only see me as this annoying kid?" he rambled as he picked at the chipped nail polish on his fingernails.

Jimin softly patted his knee. "And what if he does? Why are you so worried about how Taehyung thinks of you?" Jimin asked, a knowing grin on his face. The tips of Jeongguk's ears turned pink at the question; why did he care so much about Taehyung's view on him? His mind drew a blank, his bottom lip soon finding its way in between his teeth.

"I-I don't know... I just care about him, you feel? He takes such good care of me and he showers me in affection, I guess I'm just scared that this will all go away. I can't imagine being without him. His touch sends my body and mind into a frenzy. Jimin, do you know why I feel this way?" Jeongguk looked up at the older male, his big eyes lost in confusion. "I may have an idea as to why you feel that way, but I'll just wait for you to figure it out on your own. Plus, I seriously doubt that Tae sees you as anything other than amazing. In fact, I think he admires you a lot."

"What makes you say that?" Jeongguk muttered, a hint of boredom in his tone. "If you could see the way Taehyung looks at you, then you'd know." A soft blush rose in Jeongguk's cheeks at Jimin's comment. Hoseok suddenly opened the door and approached Jimin. "Baby, I'm gonna go lie down," he stated. Jimin stood up and hugged him tightly, pressing soft kisses onto his lips and cheeks before allowing him to escape.

"I love you baby."

"I love you too Hobi."

Love...?

Just watching Jimin and Hoseok interact and exchange 'I love you's made an uncertain feeling bubble in Jeongguk's chest. The touches and behavior seemed familiar to him-- almost too familiar. Is that how Tae and I look? Whether or not his theory was correct, he still couldn't help but feel a tad bit jealous.

How come Taehyung wouldn't kiss him like that? Why did he pull away when it was so painfully obvious that Jeongguk wanted it just as much as himself? Once Hoseok finally returned inside, Jeongguk turned to Jimin. "H-How does Tae look at me?" Jimin chuckled as he sat down, thinking back to Taehyung's expression when looking at the younger. "Love-struck." Jeongguk's eyes went wide. "Love-struck? Y-You're kidding, right?" "No, I'm serious. It's like he's analyzing your every move, trying to gauge whether or not you're feeling okay. And he wears this permanent lop-sided grin whenever you're in his line of sight." Jimin shifted in his seat, a smile on his face. "Stop t-teasing me, Jimin. This is important," Jeongguk huffed. "I'm not just messing with you though, Gguk. I know that this is a big deal to you, that's why I'm being completely honest." The boys halted their actions as their eyes met.

"Jeongguk, do you like Taehyung?" Jeongguk fell silent. "I..."

A/N: Sorry for the late update :') I just moved houses so shit is hectic lol.