#vminkook fanfic

[yooniessunshine]

Tangled

A Kidnapped Prince of Busan meets Jungkook, who is a Thief with a good heart. Together they go to Busan to make Jimin's wish come true. But what they don't suspect that they will also find love along the way.

Fanfic made by me and moodboard made by lovely Soperfect0918 https://twitter.com/Soperfect0918 on Twitter 🤗💜💜  💜

Chapter 1 - https://t.co/jNWzWxb8dK

Chapter 2 - https://t.co/4h47xW6MVc

Chapter 3 - https://t.co/P0TPdGM8Vi

Chapter 4 - https://t.co/yYqj8hh4Wh

Chapter 5 and 6 (the last one) coming soon hopefully 🤗💜

[framesandtulips]

There Is No Joy In Possession Without Sharing vminkook | explicit | one shot (6,015 words) explicit content | established taekook | loaning

Taehyung's soulmate, Jimin, is lonely while he's away, so Taehyung offers his boyfriend Jungkook to satisfy Jimin's needs.

read on Ao3

[cybsoo2]

a bleeding bruise (pt.2)

╰┈➤ synopsis — The aftermath of the 'accident' stirs up suffering in all of you. How will you handle the pain? How do these three survive with the shame? And what will be the outcome of your relationship?

╰┈➤ pairing — yandere!vminkook x reader

╰┈➤ word count — 3.2k

╰┈➤ content warning — yandere behavior, injury, past abuse, vomiting, they're such little liars, needles, angst

ੈ♡₊˚｡ back to ⇢ pt.1

The rush to the hospital is a blur of blood. Stained hands, soaked in sin, carry you out to the car. Clarlet carnage covers everything it touches; their skin, the midnight air, it even seeps into the seats. 

Jimin and Jungkook are frantic to force themselves into the backseat. They sit side by side with you laying limply over their laps. Your head is held in Jimin’s hands. He cradles you with care and caresses your soft skin. You’re turnt to face the front of the car in case you spit up any more scarlet. The cold air creeps into your lungs. It’s a comforting contrast compared to the fiery heat that incinerates your insides. 

Taehyung speeds down the streets, missing multiple turnoffs in his mindless panic. Every bump he hits along the road results in cruel curses and scolding from the boys in the backseat.

The night sky looks like an inked artwork. Blue stars bleeding out into the black; their loss of light mirroring your own. It rushes by in a restless haze. Blots of blood stain your vision. The starry sky keeps you company as you sink further into a fatal sleep. 

The first time you wake, you’re blinded by everything at once. The white-hot overhead lights burn your retinas. Their image lingering even as you screw your eyes shut. You blink back the burn and let your eyes scan over the unfamiliar room. White walls stare straight through you. An alcoholic taste burns at the back of your throat. A sterile smell makes you sick. All these unknown sensations swarm you at once. 

The heart monitor picks up the pace, sending sirens off in the two men’s minds. Jimin tightens his grip on the hand he was already holding. He squeezes three times and watches while you panic, feeling frozen from your unexpected awakening. Your eyes roll rampant in their sockets; overwhelmed with information and foreign feelings. Taehyung takes over, forcing your attention on him instead. He pushed back the sweaty strands of hair that stick to your forehead. Then he grabs your jaw in a gentle grasp, whispering words to calm the chaos.

“Shhh, sweetheart, go back to sleep.” He cradles your cheek in his hand, creating a makeshift pillow for you to lean into. “The doctor said you shouldn’t be awake so soon. Go back to sleep, we’ll still be right by your side when you wake up.”

Jimin pulls up the blankets to sit at your shoulders. He lays on the edge of the blue bed; head having sunken into the side of your pillow. His hair is sprawled out everywhere, tickling your neck when he attempts to crawl closer. He puts his hand over your face, slowly passing over you to shut your eyes.

You’re dragged back off to dreamland by their sweet songs. They sing lovesick lullabies that send you off to sleep in seconds. The last thing you spot is Jungkook walking into the room. His face is sunken with a certain type of sadness. A doctor lingers out in the hall, clipboard and consoling frown falling off his face. 

The second time you wake is much more tranquil than the first. This time, the lights are dimmed to drench the room in darkness. The steady beat of your heart monitor gives you something to focus on. The air lingers with the lasting scent of Taehyung’s cologne. You lift your head up from the pillow, trying to pull yourself up to look around. Two sets of hands push you back down.

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t rush. You’ll end up straining yourself.” Jungkook stares at you while he speaks. A pitiful smile pulls at his lips. Trying to act as if the isolating room isn’t alive with pain and panic. “How you feeling?”

“Are you hurting at all? Do you need a doctor? Never mind, I’ll get one anyways.” Jimin’s words are tangled with terror. He tries not to show it on his face, but his words are weak and erratic. Before he can get up to go grab a doctor, you tighten your hold on his hand, keeping him sat in his seat.

“No, I’m okay. Just a bit sore.” The words claw themselves up your throat in a croaking tone. You swallow against the dryness and wince with discomfort. 

With the help of Jungkook, you sit up to take in more of your surroundings. All three of them sit in front of you. Jimin sitting at your side, Jungkook standing with your hands still interlocked, and Taehyung laying down at the foot of the bed. All of them watch with worry, waiting for what you’ll say next.

“What happened?” It’s a simple start, and you can already assume the answer, but the suffocating silence pushes you to speak.

Taehyung tries to speak his thoughts, but he ends up sputtering like a fish out of water. Jimin takes a look at Tae and tries not to tear up. Sick memories massacre his mind. His nose twitches as stray tears swim in his eyes. He attempts to hide his emotion, turning away from your questioning eyes.

Jungkook jumps in when it’s obvious the silence has been strung out for too long. “You just got out of surgery and the doctors said it was internal bleeding.” He skirts around the obvious accident that caused it. “They also said you’ll be in here for a couple days at the least. Just so they can keep an eye on you and make sure you don’t tear open your stitches.”  His line of vision lingers on your stomach. 

You follow his lead and look down. Although, you can’t see the damage stuffed under your scratchy hospital gown, you can still feel the strike of pain. White bandages that wrap around you like rope and silver stitches pulling at your sickly skin. Thoughts of the damage hiding in the dark bring a grimace onto your face. Your injuries are all stashed away on the inside. Your only though is that you feel worse than you look.

“Was it that bad?” You turn your eyes up to stare at Jungkook.

He hesitates for a solid second. Your words have whispers of a deeper, more dreadful meaning. His head twists your words into a torturous truth. Because you aren’t really asking about the accident. You may have asked him ‘Was it that bad?’, but all he can hear is ‘Are you that bad?’ He hurt you so horribly that it almost invoked the dawn of death. This torturous truth is too much for him to handle, too much for any of them, including you… so he lies.

“It’s nothing to worry about. We’ll take care of you, like we always do.” Jungkook speaks his sweet lies with a sorrowful smile. Everyone else mimics the same miserable grin. You listen to his white lies, but this time you’ll try to trust them. 

You eat a somber dinner of things that are barely solid. A simple soup, soggy bun, and jello that’s supposed to serve as a delicious dessert. You poke at it with your fork, watching as the red blob bounces around. Taehyung nudges your shoulder, silently telling you to stop. You can feel his watchful stare straight through your skull, actually, you can feel all their eyes at once. Their anxious eyes only settle when you start picking away at your plate. The food tastes like poison as it passes through your throat. Your appetite has slipped away from you ever since the surgery. But, with the boys acting all antsy and irritated at everything that hurts your health, you force down the food in order to ease their anxiety. 

Each man nurses their own coffee in their hands. Taehyung watches the hot liquid swirl around in his cup. He’s reckless with the way he handles it, anxiety jumping at the slightest sound and spilling the drink down his hands. Red and angry marks wrap around his arms. Blisters burned deep into his skin; yet he doesn’t seem to acknowledge the pain. He keeps his attention towards you. Trying to be subtle, stealing glances at you every so often. Watching for any discomfort, making sure you eat at least half your food, and studying the bittersweet sadness staining your face. 

Jimin downs his 4th drink before you’ve finished your food. You make a mixture of your meal, poking and prodding at it. Sometimes Jimin has to hold himself back from force feeding you. Stress stretches him apart, tearing at his mind, his lungs, and his heart. He hates seeing you so pale and so sad. So he helps out with hidden motives. He takes bits and pieces off your plate, eating small bites before holding the rest up to your mouth. He doesn’t let you shrug off his advances, so you end up eating more than you’d like.

Jungkook stirs up his coffee into something sweet. 6 packets of sugar and sweetener sink into the bitter blackness. He adds cream to his concoction and stirs until the sour taste dies down. 

You stop eating when everything is half of what it once was. Not too sure how much more your stomach can handle. You push away your plate, trying to pass it over to Taehyung to get rid of. 

“Just take one more bite.” He tries to encourage you, pushing the plate back into your arms. He takes a scoop of the jello with your spoon, the easiest to eat, and holds it in front of your mouth. 

“I don’t think I can.” You look down at the plate, feeling intimidated by such a simple task.

“Just one more.” Taehyung stares straight into your eyes. His insistent nature has become normal for you. Normal enough to know that he won’t take ‘No’ for an answer.

You let out a soft sigh and take the spoon in your mouth. It's a difficult task to force the food down your throat. The texture and taste turns your stomach. As soon as you swallow it down, you know you never should have. Regret almost comes rushing out as you struggle to stand and run to the bathroom. The boys fall behind, faces clouded in confusion. 

Your knees hit the floor with a heavy fall. Fragile form collapsing under the weight of your weakness. You hug the toilet seat tight to your body and hang your head over the inside. Within seconds every you ate is spilling out of you. The sight of scarlet jello mimics blood from the present past. 

A crash is heard out in the other room. Taehyung comes in, colliding with the door and dropping down to his knees. He acts out of adrenaline, gathering your hair in one hand and resting the other on your back. He rubs soothing circles into your skin, whispering words of encouragement.

“It’s alright. Just let it out.” He locks eyes with Jimin as he enters the room. He sits down at your side, pressing a peck against your temple. He hushes your cries and keeps trying to tame the trembles that rack your body. 

Jungkook gets a glimpse at the sorry sight and is immediately scrambling out of the room and screaming for a nurse. Head spinning with imprinted images of your red and raw lips. A bloody tint that throws his mind back to before.

Even after you’re sure you’ve thrown it all up, you gag on the metallic taste that lingers in your mouth. A rotten taste that tangles with your raspy cry and tints your teeth. 

There are tears streaming down your face. Throwing up everything you just ate has left you feeling empty and aching. Jimin and Taehyung still stroke soothing motions down your back. Jimin pries your hand away from where it grabs the porcelain bowl in a death grip. He intertwines his hand with yours and lets you squeeze it wherever another sense of nausea rolls around. 

Two nurses come running into the room. Unfamiliar faces set the two boys on edge. Jimin clutches your hand closer to his heart. Taehyung shifts his body in front of you, trying to keep you out of sight.  Jungkook is the one to push them both out of the way so they can help you, but he never strays far, always hovering with a possessive stance and protective eyes. 

The two nurses appear anxious in the presence of such intimidating stares. They’re hands sweat and shake as they offer up more painkillers and check to see if your stitches have torn. And when the nurses have nothing more to help you with, they’re fast to flee the room.

You’re settled in bed once again. You find yourself falling asleep as an IV drip digs deep into your arm and the painkillers put a heavy haze in your head. 

Jimin squeezes in at the side of your bed, Taehyung crawls in close, and Jungkook holds your hand. They cradle you close. You’re smothered to sleep by careless kisses and whispered wishes. You’re sent off to slumber chasing a delicate dream of a different life. 

The rest of your stay at the hospital looks relatively the same. You’re smothered with affection in the form of sweet sorrys. The three men do everything they can to make up for the incident, everything but actually acknowledge it. No one speaks a word of that night. Nothing goes past a simple sorry when alluding to it. Instead, they’re eager to show their remorse through action and affection.

Jimin hasn’t left your side since the surgery. He lays beside you in the bed, having squeezed in during the dark silence of your dreams. You wake every morning only to end up caged in his iron grip. 

Sometimes he sits in the steel chair at your side. Cast aside whenever Taehyung or Jungkook has decided he’s pestered you enough. He never backs down without an argument. But one look at your exhausted expression and his angry words begin to die down. He taps the metallic chair in time with the clock. The tuneful ticking and copious amounts of coffee are how he distracts himself from drifting off into a dream. In all honesty, he’s been scared to sink back to sleep. The last time he found himself falling asleep, he woke to you bleeding out on the bathroom tile. 

Taehyung takes most authority when it comes to distracting you from your discomfort. He turns your attention to the shows playing upon the TV. He gives you his portions of pudding at meal time. And drowns out any signs of discomfort with his tender touch. 

Jungkook is the only one who acts the most distant. A simple side effect of taking on the brute end of your beating. His shame feels like the same shackles used to hold you down. A cold chaos harrows at his heart. He feels the bitter burden of his wrongdoings with every breath he breathes. He turns over his thoughts in the silence, and sorts through his sinful emotions while you sleep. He refrains from talking too much. Only chiming in on conversations when it includes your health or happiness. 

He listens to the doctors lecture him on how to take care of you, sinking further into his shell with every sentence because he’s only done the opposite thus far. He watches while the nurses talk him through how to re-wrap your bandages when needed. He struggles to keep his hands to himself. Biting back his tongue whenever they touch your blooming bruises and you flinch. The nurses nurturing hands roam your body with innocent intentions. Applying balm to your bruises and wrapping you up in white. But when your eyes twinkle with tears unshed, the three men shout and shut them out of the room without any rebuttal. 

They take matters into their own hands, knowing their tender touches are still too tense. You shed some tears and take your lips between your teeth, trying to hide the pain that’s more prominent than before. 

They take matters into their own hands, knowing they’re worse for you than anyone else. But they’re blinded by love and can’t let their butterfly fly away. 

The day you’re told you’ll finally be discharged is one you’ve all been looking forward to. They carry you out to the car once again, this time with much less gore and guilt. The scenery blurs by from where you watch out the window. The spring season seems to melt together with the high speeds Jungkook is driving. 

They’ve all been acting more restless and rash as the days go on. Impatient and eager to keep you hidden in their home. Protected from prying eyes and devils in disguise. Naive to the fact that they themselves are the real mask-wearing monsters. 

The rest of the drive drones on. Each building that passes more boring than the last. Instead, you fix your focus on the three men that surround you. Taehyung wouldn’t take no for an answer when he insisted you sit on his lap. So now you rest against his chest with his arms wrapped around your waist. His fingers skim across your stomach, soothing away the sickness that still remains. He does anything to avoid the white wraps that stick to your stitches. A pang of pain hits him in the heart every time he’s reminded of that night time nightmare. He walks his fingers across your waist, trying to kill time and relax his restless nature. Sometimes his hands stray away from your stomach and shove Jimin instead. 

In his sleeping state atop your legs, he tries to catch up on the sleep he’s missed before you get back home. Too hysterical in the hospital and too obsessed over your well-being, he developed a sort of insomnia. However, this tiny sliver of sleep he finally gets is full of disturbances. As his dreams drift into a tortured terrain, his body begins to tremble in terror. Shifting in his sleep and almost smacking his arm into your stomach if Taehyung wasn’t there to pull him away. 

During the rest of your drive, each man continues to fight their angry and anxious feelings. When you arrive at your house, nothing much has changed. They cling onto you like a second skin and still struggle with their self-loathing. 

Yet their sorry words and tear-stained eyes will never be enough. Not when they know you both are bound to destroy each other. Not when this cycle of crimson chaos will continue till the end. 

Even when they love you the most, stricken with guilt and grief, willing to do anything you ask, their lovesick obsession only serves to make matters worse. They hold you too tight, kiss you too rough. Their love is slowly sending you to an early grave. Yet you chose to be ignorant to their insanity. Developing tunnel vision to their love and ignoring all else.  And when you slip up again, when they snap again - you’ll pretend it never happened. Harbouring hope in a broken heart. Trying to be someone you aren’t in order to survive. Their love is like poison and their hate is like hell. Staying alive with three lovesick psychos, all you can rely on is hope.

© cybsoo2 2024, all rights reserved

[banngtannies]

DRABBLE #1

— Pairing: Yandere!vminkook x Female! Reader

— Genre: Mafia au, Yandere

— Summary: Love hurts, it causes anger, jealousy, obsession, why don’t you love me back?

They will do anything to keep you by their side.

— Word count: 3.5K

— Tags/ warnings:  YANDERE THEMES, obsessive behavior, manipulative behavior, talks about murder, self-arm, toxic relationships, manipulation, cursing, mentions of sex, mentions of past bullying in future chapters.

Notes: This is my first time publishing my work. i have never been able to finish something but i finished this one month ago and i’ve been so insecure to post it soooo. i heard it’s good to post something even though you feel like it’s not good enough just to improve in someway! I already have planned the next drabbles. the timeline will jump back and forth and i’m really excited to write the next following parts. Also english is not my first language so please bare with me (but also let me know if you see any mistakes😭) if anyone reads this i hope you enjoy it!

——

You tried to not think about it too much. You tried, as your parents delivered the news, as you saw your sister’s face, the way it started to glow. You try not to think about it too much now, when you see her walking down the aisle, your father carrying her towards her future husband, a proud smile adorning his features.

Your father looks euphoric, invencible. Carries himself like he owns the world. He looks too happy, too happy for someone who just buried his daughter’s future. He ruined her life.

Momentarily, just for a second, you imagine what would happen if you stopped everything. Maybe make a quick distraction, take the gun out of one of the bodyguards, pretend you will shoot yourself or anyone at the wedding if they dare to not let your sister go. Such a morbid thought, maybe if you were brave enough you would stop this. You would’ve planned something, anything, to get your sister out of this situation but you don’t.

You were scared, a coward. But also the mafia was bigger than you. The Jeon’s were bigger than the mafia. and who would dare to go against them? not certainly you.

You feel something wet on your cheeks, pretty sure it was tears, they were already blurring your vision and fogging up your glasses. Your mother lets out a scoff.

“I told you to wear contacts.” but you don’t reply. You don’t even look at her, you keep your eyes on your sister, her shiny long black hair cascading down her back. “Get a hold of yourself. People are watching” she whispers harshly against your ear.

Biting your tongue, you nod.

When your sister gets to the altar, you dig your nails into your skin, your chin bobbling a little. Suddenly you feel an arm graze yours, from the corner of your eye you can see it’s SunHee.

Your one and only friend.

“It’s gonna be alright.” she takes your hand, giving it a squeeze. Your hand trembles against hers. “It’s gonna be okay.”

You let out a breath and swallow the pathetic cry that wants to rip out of your throat.

“Trust me.” she says this time more sternly “Everything will be fine.”

You bob your head and look ahead once again. And as the pastor starts speaking, and seconds turn into hours you realize it’s over. The veil has been lifted.

“Now I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Your sister has been kissed by the devil. There’s no turning back now.

——-

The chattering around you is not big enough to drown your own thoughts. Neither is the champagne that is being passed around. You’re on your second glass on an empty stomach, you’re pretty sure by now you should be fine. Less worried, less anxious. But no, you still feel like a ticking bomb, anxiety crawling all the way up to your chest. You’ve been taking deep breaths ever since you and your family arrived at the wedding reception, tugging the ends of your dress.

You haven’t been able to talk to your sister and you don’t think you will anytime soon. Your mother has been making sure you don’t cross paths with her and if you do, it’s quick glances. Your mother has been glued by your side. You can feel her eyes from the other side of the room, watching you like a hawk.

As another waitress passes by, you extend your hand to take another glass but the tray is pushed out of your way. You recognize those hands.

“I think that’s enough for tonight.” A deep voice says, making you shiver. “Don't serve more to her. Tell that to the others too.”

The waitress nods cordially and continues his way to the other guests.

“Y/N.” The way your name rolls out of his tongue, makes you grimace. You never liked it. It held a distinctive tone, as if talking to a child.

“Taehyung.”

He shifts closer to you. His body heat enfolding yours, you could smell his perfume.

“Are you okay?” he says softly, almost in a murmur.

“No.”

“Do you want to-

You turn your body to him, facing him fully. It caughts him off guard, making him stop on whatever he was about to say.

“Please don’t pretend you care.” and with that you leave, on trembling legs and heavy tears, threatening to spill out from your eyes.

Could this night get any fucking worse?

Making your way to the bathroom, you see another waitress coming from the left and without any much thought you take it from his hand, almost making the man fall on his back.

“S-Sorry.” You whisper dumbly, gripping the tray as if it was some sort of support and continue your way to the bathroom.

You breathe in relief once you see there’s no one there. Putting the tray full of glasses of champagne on the sink, you take two glasses as you settle yourself down on the floor. You drink one instantly, hiccuping after another one.

Your head starts to feel a little fuzzy but you don’t stop, not until there’s only three left and the bright bathroom lights seem brighter than before. You let out a giggle.

Standing up on wobbly legs, you wonder how much time has passed. Maybe not so much, since no one has bothered to get into the bathroom after you got in. Making your way to the door, you struggle to open it, making you frown.

“Stupid door open up.” you mumble while you twist and pull but nothing happens. You keep trying and trying until a silky voice halts your movements.

“Sunflower?”

Your chest feels heavy, like all the air has been sucked out of your lungs and suddenly you feel like throwing up.

“Sunflower?” he hums, making the hairs on your arms stand up, goosebumps covering your skin in seconds. “Are you in trouble,sunflower? do you need my help?”

You stumble back, almost falling on your ass. You feel cold and sweaty. Like needles are penetrating your skin. The handle starts to jiggle.

“Sunflower, i know you’re in there. But don’t worry, darling, i will get you out.”

The handle twists painfully slow as your heart sinks in your chest. Taking a step back this time you do fall. Just in time as he opens the door, his sardonic smile greeting you.

He closes the door behind him and you hear a click.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

The sound of his chelsea boots hitting the marble floor matches the beating of your heart. You’re trembling and all the champagne you’ve drank threatens to spill out of your throat. Soft hands get a hold of your chin, his thumb tentatively running down your throat. You let out a whimper.

“My my, look at you, sunflower. Did you have too much fun?” He giggles sweetly, showing his pearly white teeth and moon eye smile.

To any other person Park jimin was the charming prince, a soft voice with gentle features. He looked so innocent. But for those who belonged in this life knew that looks could be deceiving. He was deadly as he was sweet.

Your lips tremble and you try to get away from his hands but he holds you firmly. His eyes hardening as you try to put some distance between you two.

“Always so stubborn. Do we have to tell every single waiter out there to not serve you alcohol or are you finally gonna behave like the good girl you are?” His thumb presses down harshly on your neck and you wonder if he can feel how fast your heart is beating.

You swallow, your throat feeling dry and rather than answering him, you look at him. You know he’s not done, with the way he’s staring at you, his dark eyes almost burning yours.

“You’re lucky I was the one who found you here and not him. You know that right?” His jaw tenses while he speaks, his plump lips now formed into a thin line. He’s pissed. “Nod if you understand”

And you do, automatically, like a robot.

“Now, sunflower, you’re gonna clean yourself up.” you nod again and the ends of his mouth quirk at that. “You will go out and smile. Maybe laugh a little too. It’s your sister’s wedding, darling. Cheer up. It’s supposed to be fun.”

You shiver at his latest words and you almost tremble. You try to not let it show. How his wording of choice affected you, how you physically revolted at them. But Jimin sees right through you. He always did.

He smiles once again, his fingers gently caressing your face.

“Always so pretty when you cry.” He murmurs softly, his gaze focusing on your face and then it goes lower, stopping at your lips.“See you out there, sunflower. Don’t forget you still owe me a dance.” and with that he leaves.

——

You drank too much. You regret it deeply and now you’re sleepy. Your eyes threaten to close every five minutes, it’s annoying really, trying to keep yourself awake. You have to pinch yourself or dig your nails into your skin, maybe a little pain will wake you up. So you do, you pinch and dig until there’s a red spot on your arm, until it burns.

You don’t stop until you see Sunhee coming your way, her arm entangled with Taehyung's. You stiffen a little.

“You need a bed, immediately.” Says your friend sweetly while she runs her hand through your hair.

She looks at you with so much pity. And you hate it. You know Sunhee truly cares about you, too much, sometimes you feel like a burden. Always by your side, always wiping your tears, always defending you. Sunhee deserved a friend, not someone who needed to be babysat.

She continues to touch you, patting your head lovingly and you don’t miss the way Taehyung eyes her hand, dark orbs observing every movement, the way his hand tightens on her waist, making her stumble back a little, her hand no longer close to reach you.

“You’re messing up her hair, honey. You don’t want Y/N’s head to end up looking like a bird nest, do you?” he tells her with a playful smile, making Sunhee laugh.

She pokes him on the stomach funnily, making him laugh too, but to your ears it doesn’t sound as truthful.

“You’re right, you’re right. Sorry Y/nie.” She says with a cheeky smile and then proceeds to peck her boyfriend’s lips. “I’m gonna get more wine. Do you want some?” Taehyung declines and then Sunhee Looks at you. “Y/N?”

Once again you feel those eyes on you. They’re so heavy. so intense that it makes you breathless. You shake your head and Sunhee nods. “Alright. i’ll be right back.”

When Sunhee leaves, the room feels smaller. Suffocating . You wish you could disappear, you wish you could be invisible. You just wanted to be left alone. Before you knew it, that same perfume invades your senses. He’s so close but you don’t dare to look up.

“Look at me.”

And even though his deep voice gives you goosebumps, you ignore him. You’re tired. So tired.

“The night just stared, YN. don’t be so sulky. I hate seeing you like this” He continues to say, his hand now on your arm and you hate it so much. You hate his body touching yours or the way he talks like he cares, like he’s being sincere. “This is a new beginning for us. For all of us.”

This time you look up, slowly. A small mocking smile adorning your lips.

“There is no us.”

And he mirrors you, his eyes now demonstrating a shine they didn’t have before. He loves your eyes matching his, his heat engulfing yours, the way you talk to him even though it irradiates with dislike. He loves it.

“But there is. There is for me, for Jimin and for him. It has always been an us, and there always will be.”

You press your lips in a tight line. You won’t cry again, not in front of him or them watching.

“Why are you doing this? I thought you were different.” and even though you don’t let your tears fall your voice cracks, betraying you.

He seems taken back for a few seconds, and you swore you could see something else in his eyes besides mirth. But it’s gone as quick as you perceive it.

“I told you I will always be by your side. Didn’t I?”

And before you can reply, Sunhee comes back, drink in her hand and the other around her boyfriend’s neck.

“What are you two talking about? Are you gossiping without me?”

Taehyung eyes you briefly before looking back at his girlfriend, giving her one his usual seductive boxy smiles. He shakes his head and says. “Not at all. Just movies, love.”

—-

Your feet hurt when you go back to the hotel for standing up so much, you’re glad the night is over. Your mother complains beside you, talking about how you didn’t even dare to look at your sister while she was dancing with her now-husband. How disrespectful you were for denying Jimin a dance.

“I didn’t raise you for you to have such poor manners. This is why you’ll never get married, you’re ungrateful and a brat. No one wants to marry a brat.” She barks and huffs but you’re too tired to care.

Also, you’re used to it.

“I’m sorry, mother.”

“You better be.” she spits back and walks ahead of you.

You sigh, your feet hurt so much, this is why you avoid wearing heels. You will never get used to them or the pain that comes with it. You plop yourself down in one of the stool bars located in the lobby, from your peripheral vision you could see your mother getting on the elevator. She didn’t wait for you. Good. You didn’t want to hear anything else that came out of her mouth and also you needed to rest. Just for a few seconds.

Your phone vibrates and you see it’s a message from Sunhee.

Sunhee

did you guys get to the hotel??

Y/N:

yess. we arrived safely.

Sunhee:

Good. see you tomorrow y/nie. sleep well!!

Y/N:

you too. love youuu.

Sunhee:

love you toooooooo.

You smile at her text. What would you do without Sunhee? clicking out of the chat, your heart drops when you see your other unread messages. You don’t dare to reply. He’s muted for a reason and it will stay that way.

You decide to open youtube to distract yourself, letting your head fall on the bar counter. You blink slowly, once, twice, thrice and before you knew it, your breathing got slower and so did your racing heart. You let the darkness overtake you.

You fall asleep.

And it feels great, until you feel it. Calloused hands tenderly touching your face, it makes you gasp. And if it wasn’t for the hands that were previously caressing your face, you probably would’ve fell off the chair. Those hands that feel scorching hot on your waist, confining you side by side.

It’s terrifying the visceral reaction your body has when you feel him, when you see him. The exposed toned chest, the tattooed neck adorned with chains, you know him so well.

All those years and you’ll never get used to it. His touch.

The muscles on his arms seem to tense when you tighten your grip on him. You were starting to shake like a leaf and all it took you was to look up at the devil. He smiles at you and you can’t help but look down. That indisticve mole of his, right under his bottom lip and newly done piercing seem to greet you. He licks them, as if inviting you to get closer.

Time feels like it has stopped and your breathing shortens when he cuts the distance between you two even more. His chest touching yours. Your entire body seems to be overcomed by electricity.

“Angel eyes.” He murmurs, dark big eyes pinning you down, his hands now on your hips, his thumbs going in painfully slow circular motions. You could almost feel his eyelashes grazing your cheeks. It makes you visibly gulp. “Why weren’t you replying to my texts, hmm?”

He stares at you deeply, as if he’s ready to pounce on you. It makes the hairs on your neck stand up, you don’t like it at all. When he looks at you that way, as if he’s ready to devour you whole.

At the lack of your response he hums, inspecting your face while he plays with his lip ring. His big hand is now holding your face by your chin. He smiles once again, showing a perfect set of white teeth. He looks delighted.

“Why are you so quiet? won’t you congratulate me?” His voice displays excitement while his thumbs trace your lips.

The rings on his finger feel cold against your skin and you wish you could get away from him.

“To be honest, I'm quiet worried about you. You look a little troubled, angel eyes. What’s going on inside that little pretty head of yours? Come on, you can talk to me. After all, we’re like family now.”

Your jaw clenches at his words and your stomach churns in disgust. God, you really wanna throw up.

“We-We’re not family. You will never-

His thumb on your lips silences you completely. His breath now tickling your right cheek makes you itch all over. You feel his mouth close to your ear.

“And thank fucking god for that. It would be terrible if you were. Don’t you think so, angel eyes? cant go around wanting to fuck a family member. ” he says lowly and then his tongue travels from your neck all the way up to your lobe, leaving a wet trail and you can’t help let out a yelp, immediately pushing him away with all the strength you could muster.

Jungkook's eyes widen comically and so does his eyebrows. He lets out a hearty laugh.

“You never fail to make me laugh. You’re so fucking adorable, angel eyes, i wish i could i keep you next to me all times.”

“You’re sick.” You spit.

“That 's no way to talk to your brother-in-law. What would your mother think? her daughter and that nasty mouth of hers. Luckily I won't tell a soul.” He croons mirthfully, sporting his go-to sardonic smile. One you know so well. The one that has been haunting you for the past ten years, even in your dreams you couldn’t get away from him.

Your hands form into a fist and you’re pretty sure you’re shaking but not from fear but from rage this time. You hate him so much. You hated him so much that you fantasized about killing him. Nothing would bring you more pleasure than seeing him gone from your life, from your sister’s. Forever.

“I’m good at keeping secrets, remember?” he continues, getting closer to you once again. Feline eyes almost cutting through yours. “That’s why we get along so well, don’t we? sometimes I think that’s why you and I-

You stand up abruptly.

“Shut. up.”

He holds a finger to his chin, as if he’s actually thinking about it.

“I can find a few ways to do so but I would need your help.” He says tauntingly. The ends of his mouth twitching slightly. “Ever heard of face-sitting, angel eyes?”

And before you know it you lunge at him, your fist colliding with his chest. And you feel pathetic instantly . Your small moment of bravery dying as soon as you touch him. Jungkook is so much stronger than you. Any attempt of physical harm from you feels like a faint tickle to him.

A laugh bubbles out of his chest. It makes your ears ring, because it sounds so real, as if it’s coming from a child. But wasn’t that really Jungkook? A child in a man’s body.

What’s yours is mine and what’s mine is mine.

What he wants, he gets. Always throwing a fit when things didn’t go his way, punching things, smashing things, killing things. Your mother talked about brats but she has never met one like Jungkook.

The vibrations coming out of his chest while he still laughs at you made you realize this: he was truly enjoying this. You will always be his source of laughter, something he could toy with, make fun of, pick at it and then later on ridicule.

He hugs you, after he pins your arms down, his chin resting on your shoulder. You feel him inhaling the scent of your hair.

“My sweet angel, this is just the beginning for us. For all of us.” You don’t know when you start crying, maybe when he snuggles into you even more, when you realize this is your reality now. There’s no way to escape. maybe there never was. You’re trashing against him, but he holds you tightly.

He will never let you go.

None of them will.

“We told you we will always be by your side, didn’t we? We will keep you forever.”

[7waystreet]

legacies | ch.1

synopsis — a fiery (y/n) newly enters a university campus dominated by the three trust fund brats. she’s not going to take their shit and they’re not going to let her off so easily either. will this rivalry evolve into friendship, lust or love?

genre — college drama, angst, slow burn

disclaimer — 18+ ; strong language and sexual content

chapter index:

01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | coming soon

ch.1

Tongue smugly rolling in his cheek like he's got the biggest cock in the world, his doe eyes scan the lecture hall for his next victim the second he has stepped inside dripping in utmost arrogance. Tucking both of his thumbs into the leather belt on his crisp, black trousers, he pulls them up in an attempt to openly adjust his balls, a proud smile curling up on his thin lips at the sight of everyone lowering their gaze into their desk to avoid his intimidating one. Every student except for you, of course. He chuckles to himself when your eyes lock in with one another, as if you have just called on a death wish he's so happy to carry out for you, his long legs now strutting in your direction past several rows of seats with a pep in his step.

You're fascinated by his appearance despite his vain outward projection, which usually is a huge turnoff for you, but the satisfying balance between his visibly muscular body and childlike face somehow holds of much interest to you. His jet black hair's longer in the back, a soft twirl to the tips of his bangs parted in the center up front, which he's already messily pushed back with a run of his fingers a few times on his way over to you. The equally black and slim backpack he's carrying is loosely strapped onto one shoulder, almost ready to fall off any second, but it doesn't even look like he cares about losing it anyways.

"Get lost, you ugly fuck" he spits his vicious venom at the innocent guy sitting next to you, the poor kid jumping out of his seat right after hearing the boy's command like a lizard that's gotten its tail cut off. And just like that, you've instantly lost your growing interest in him, the way he's just needlessly treated his peer with such malice the cause of your undeniable irritation. The boy with the round eyes sinks down and occupies the newly emptied chair, his body then bossily turning to the side towards you, but before he can say a word, the sound of the metal doors slamming shut indicates someone's just entered the room.

"What's Jeon Jungkook done today?" your music composition professor routinely muses out loud, clearly having gaged the chilling silence definitely means something's off. His kitten shaped eyes hone in on none other than the pretty boy reclining back in his chair next to you, who's now stretching his legs out with a bored yawn before shamelessly lifting his polished black shoes up and resting them criss cross on top of the desk.

"I was just welcoming the new girl with open arms, Mr. Min" Jungkook shouts across the classroom while extending his arm out, the soft material of his white button up shirt grazing your shoulder as he snakes his arm around you, his palm vigorously squeezing the edge of your collarbone to unnecessarily assert his dominance. You internally cringe at this superfluous act of toxic masculinity, the need to want to instantly push him off bursting through you like a flame, but you hold yourself back from making a scene right then and there, not really wanting to start trouble on your first day at university. He breaks his eye contact with professor Min, now turning his head to the side in your direction again, a cocky smirk forming on the edge of his mouth as he flickers his gaze between your bemused eyes down to your frowning lips.

"My legs are open for you anytime too... if you want" Jungkook slyly whispers, barely audible this time so only your ears are met with his lewd comment, his disgusting nature now ticking you off beyond your own damn control.

"No thanks. I'd rather die."

The cast in his bambi eyes flips a dramatic switch at your instant blazing refusal to fall as his pitiful prey, a bruised anger firing up in them with each passing second while his jaw begins to clench. He lets out an offended sigh when you pick your hand up off of your thigh and smack it down on top of his, which is still assertively grasping at your collarbone. Your fingers then forcefully peel his grip off of you before you savagely throw his arm away, making it fall and pathetically hang in the air behind your chair.

"You're gonna pay for this, you bitch" he threatens between gritted teeth, the simple poker face you reply back with clearly catching him off-guard, as if you're the only person who's displayed an indifference towards his threats, like you're the only one not affected by the risk of being stifled by him. You've interacted with plenty of assholes like him before though, making him absolutely no special than the rest of them.

"Ahem right... well... uh, let's keep all of our body parts to ourselves then. Welcome to my class (y/n)! Feel free to reach out to me if you need any assistance — and get your feet off the desk, Jeon. NOW!"

Whipping your gaze away from Jungkook in a roaring flash, you smile and nod at the awkward little professor standing by the front board with respect, burying your head into your books right after while the insolent boy next to you curses and lowers his legs back down onto the ground. You're trying to follow along as Mr. Min goes over musical note formation and the theoretical approach to composition, but Jungkook keeps distracting you with the way he's incessantly typing out text messages on his phone under the desk, not paying any attention to the lecture whatsoever. He's getting nonstop replies back indicated by the constant buzzing of the phone on his lap, a soft slap of his palm on the desk top making you look up at his obviously stunning side profile, which you secretly hate to admit. "Finally."

Just as Jungkook's finished murmuring the word, the metal doors of the lecture hall fly open with a boom, two rather handsome yet unknown boys in their uniforms casually strolling in with ease as if they own the building. The one walking up front is slightly shorter than the lean boy lingering behind, the leader's tiny fingers running through his silky blonde hair with style before he slaps down a piece of paper on professor Min's table.

"A note from dean Kim. A new teacher's just joined the staff. You've to go greet her, Min."

You're shocked by how the boy speaks so informally with the professor, not even an ounce of respect in his tone of speech while he keeps boring into Mr. Min's eyes with an unusual powerful intimidation. You catch yourself wondering if all the boys at this university are so haughty and full of themselves, a rather discouraging feeling before you've even fully began your new experience here. The professor slowly looks down at the folded note, his pale veiny hands picking it up and opening it before cautiously reading each and every word, his gaze then turning up to the two boys still towering over him before he sternly mutters to the blonde one through pursed lips.

"Watch your attitude, Park Jimin."

"And you watch your paycheck. My dad might just cut you off if I slip in the word... See ya."

Your head immediately tilts towards Jungkook as his sadistic chuckle breaks the deep silence that's hollowed out the classroom after Jimin's nasty snap back at the professor. Quickly standing up in his seat, Jungkook looks down and throws daggers at you with one last mean look, then swaggering his way over to the front of the lecture hall just as Mr. Min begins timidly gathering his things in defeat.

"Who are these guys...?" you mumble to the classmate sitting on your other side, your chest rising up with an outrage after watching Mr. Min quietly exit the room in the most helpless looking way possible. The three boys unite and giggle together in a circle like the ridiculous jerks they are, the tallest one affectionately putting his arm around Jungkook's neck in a headlock as Jungkook high fives Jimin and starts gossiping with the both of them.

"Jimin and Taehyung are seniors, and Jungkook always hangs around them despite being our age. They're all legacies, you know? The rich kids who's families fund the university. No one dares to cross them... not even the professors. I'd stay away from them if I were yo—"

Your classmate's already hushed voice cuts to total silence when all three boys suddenly spin on their heels and turn around to face you, your eyes now widening with a tinge of uneasiness when Jungkook extends his arm up and points directly at you with his index finger.

"Hey! New girl! Come here!" Jimin loudly exclaims with a clap of his hands, his demeanor unnervingly off with how his plump lips crack into the prettiest smile all of sudden. His puppy eyes are practically shimmering with happiness as he keeps dreamily gazing into yours, his palm now excitedly waving at you and ushering you to start walking towards him.

"You're fucked..." is the last thing you hear your classmate mumble before you confidently stand up, both of your feet slowly creeping up towards the tall boys who are patiently waiting for you just up ahead.

The closer you inch in their direction, the more you get to observe the minute details of their facial features, their visuals sickeningly perfect like a timeless beauty, no doubt. Taehyung's got a straight nose and a set of almond shapes eyes, piercing into you with his steely gaze, although a softness lurks underneath his threat, that softness absolutely lacking in Jungkook's big terrorizing eyes that are ready to stab you anytime with their cold look. Jimin appears somewhat balanced with the most approachable body language out of the three of them, his overall stature less intimidating with his prettier spirit, a small smile now forming on your lips to mimic Jimin's when you finally stand in front of him with a slight nervousness settling in your throat, which you don't even really know why you're feeling.

"What's your name? I'm Jimin, this is Taehyung, and that's Jungkook! It's very nice to meet you" he kindly grins down at you, your eyes following his index finger as he points out his closest companions to you. Taehyung gives you a nod of acknowledgement with a faint hint of a smile, but Jungkook merely scoffs while rolling his eyes at you in pure disgust. Your palm begins to feel an increasing itch and desire to slap him hard across that soft little face of his, but you get distracted by how Jimin extends his arm out to you for a handshake.

"I'm (y/n). Thanks! It's nice to meet you too."

"Oooh that's a pretty watch! Is it new?" Jimin curiously questions as his eyes trail down to your wrist, his fluffy palm still holding onto yours even though you're done shaking hands. You're flattered by his sweet compliment, your heart fluttering against your own will by how he's not letting go of your hand, his effortless charm breaking your daze and making you fall into the trap of answering him with a buzz.

"It was actually my grandma's watch! She gave it to me as a keepsake before she passed away."

"Awww can I see it?"

You can't help but be stupidly whipped by Jimin's charisma, your enchanted brain unable to even register that in the moment, your set of fingers now swiftly curling around the band of your watch before you start unhooking it, your eyes still meeting Jimin's cute smiley ones. He smoothly lets your palm slip out of his clasp, taking the watch you're now handing to him with an eerie calmness to his actions, really observing the details on the vintage piece, which holds an incredible value in your heart.

"You wanna take a look at it too, Jungkookie? Oh shit... oops!" Jimin gasps in a big jolt when the watch falls out of his grip and hits the tiles with a clink, his body halfway turned back towards Jungkook since he was attempting to pass your item to the youngest one. What happens next leaves you in a state of wild trauma, your breath painfully halting in your chest after your eyes are met with the horrifying scene in front of you.

"Told you I'd make you pay" Jungkook loathingly hisses at you, his foot raising up and stomping out your watch with a crushing force, shattering your prized possession into tiny little pieces at once. The several sharp gasps from the students sitting behind you ground you back into reality after the terrible blow to your heart, a wetness starting to form on the rim of your eyelashes, although you're fighting your very best to hold back the brimming tears. You simply cannot allow the boys to win the satisfaction of getting to you, your insides shaking with a raging fury, although your outward composure remains as calm as you can physically maintain in the moment. Hold your honor high. Don't stoop to their dirty level.

"You shouldn't have done that, Jungkookie."

Your attention from your own thoughts fiercely diverts from Jungkook's menacing face to Taehyung's concerned look as he speaks out against the cruel boy, much to your surprise, but both Jungkook and Jimin ignore his words as if they didn't even hear him speaking. Taehyung's expressions turn dark while he sternly grits his teeth and lets out a deep sigh, bending down to rest his knees on the floor in order to help pick up the salvageable remains of your watch. You're beyond confused by this act, your mind not knowing whether to be warmed by Taehyung's touch of kindness or be suspicious of him even more, but regardless, you take a step forward to join him in the cleanup process. Jimin doesn't let you though, proceeding to stop you dead in your tracks by treading up and blocking your path with his wide chest shoving in your face.

"If you cross any one of us ever again, you'll be dealing with a worse fate."

Your skin crawls with goosebumps witnessing Jimin's personality switch from the oozing bubbly appeal to the mortifying death stare he's now threatening you with, your consciousness actually making you question his level of sanity. With one last look at your downcast lips, Jimin coldly snaps his head around and prances out of the lecture hall, his nose mightily pointing up to the ceiling while his boots obnoxiously clank onto the floor with each loud step. Taehyung's still delicately gathering the pieces of your watch scattered everywhere while Jungkook begins to foolishly giggle and wander in your direction, a smug smirk plastered on his face as he folds his arms across his chest and hovers in front of you exuding an annoying aura of pompousness.

"Maybe if you behave going forward, I might just pity you and buy you a new watch. A much classier one than that piece of shit you were weari—"

It all happens in a brisk flash, the deafening sound of your palm intensely slapping Jungkook's cheek echoing in the lecture hall like the crack of a whip, a dead silence following right after as Jimin stops walking and pauses by the metal doors. You can practically taste the tenseness encompassing the air in your mouth, all of the students now clenching to hold onto their breaths for dear life, an overwhelming amount of eyes strictly glued onto you and Jungkook.

Jungkook physically convulses from the anger surging up to his reddening face, his gaze peeling off of the floor and his head glowering up to stare into your eyes with the desire to kill you in that very moment embedded in those round orbs. Fully coming to terms with what you'd just brashly done, you instantly wish to escape out of this bumbling nightmare, your legs thinking for themselves even though your brain's numbing out, your body tumbling its way over to the door to exit out of the classroom without any additional confrontation with anyone. Catching a quick glance at Taehyung while you leave in a hurry, he throws you off completely with the gentle grin forming on his lips, his beaming eyes looking up at you and then at Jungkook with a thrill, as if he'd just enjoyed seeing the boy get a taste of his own medicine.

"Where do you think you're going, you bitch?! Come back here! This isn't over!"

Jungkook's screams can be heard even outside of the lecture hall, your shoulder brushing against Jimin's before you depart with full force, your petrified eyes only focused on the big long hallway up ahead of you instead of what you're leaving behind. You're not even sure where you're headed, your feet scurrying around in a frenzy as you try hard to increase the distance between you and the three boys as much as possible, now quite frankly lost in the humongous student campus. You think your mind's playing a trick on you when you suddenly hear a familiar voice yell out your name, your teeth digging into your bottom lip with the regret of being caught when you realize who it is by the sound of his soft raspy tone.

"Hey (y/n)! Wait up! Please."

Taehyung appears slightly breathless as he swiftly catches up to you, his long legs striding down the hallways in half the amount of time it took for you to reach here. He's got your backpack securely strapped onto one shoulder while his hands remain cupped, like he's holding onto something quite dearly. It isn't until he finally reaches all the way up to you that you realize he's got the leftover shattered pieces of your grandma's watch in his palms, a kind boxy smile gushing on his face as he extends his arms out to give you your belongings, leaving you in an utterly perplexed state of mind.

"Cheer up (y/n). This type of shit always happens around here. Now, come with me."

[jungkookslipring]

Hi can you do BTS Tickle fic please

DUHHH

Pairings: Lee! Jungkook Ler! Jimin (with a lil bit of V) Relationship: Platonic Genre: T-word

"Jimin-sii"

"MAKNAE-AH!" Jimin's voice booms in the hallway as the boys wrap up filming one of their Run!BTS episodes. Jungkook looked up from the couch shocked but displayed his precious bunny smile.

"What what what?" he asked. His 5'6 (I think) Hyung came storming into the room to face him.

"Who taught you to disrespect Hyung like that?" Jimin asked with a failed serious face, the corners of his mouth rising with every word that fell. Jungkook had to think about it for a second before he started laughing. His "Jimin come here" comment must have been what he meant. Jimin was not having it. He too thought it was hilarious but still needed an excuse for what he was about to do.

"Oh, so you think this is funny, huh?" Jimin asked as he wasted no time throwing his hands to Jungkook's side. squeezing like there was no tomorrow as the younger through his head back and laughed even more.

"Disrespectful brat, I am two years older than you! I have eaten more bowls of rice in my two years of life before you were even born!" he scolded with the biggest smile on his face. Jungkook's bunny laugh filled the room as the others gathered around with smiles on their faces, seeing two of the maknae line members having fun.

"Youhouhou don't care whehehen I sayhahay thahahahat," Jungkook laughed as he squeezed his eyes shut.

"That's Taehyung brat I'm still older!" Jimin finished before moving his hands up to be shoved under Jungkoo's arms. Jungkook squeezed his arms tight as much as possible to prevent the evil fingers to move even further to his death spot. Taehyung came around the couch and got a hold of his arms, prying them over his head so Jimin had better access.

"Woah! How did you get so str-BAHAHAHAHA HYUNG!!" Jungkook screeched as Jimin drilled his thumbs into his pits. Jungkook shook his head like a mad man as the other Maknaes tortured the hell out of him. Jimin continued tickling him until Jungkook started wheezing. Taehyung let go of his arms and started rubbing his shoulders, giggles continuing to flow from the youngest. Jimin pat his leg snd got down on his knees.

"So whats my name, Jungkookie?" Jimin asked with a big smile. It took Jungkook a minute to catch his breath before he made eye contact, smirked, and whispered.

"Jimin-ssi?"

He bolted. He ran so fast out of the changing room with Jimin hot on his heels. This was going to be a long evening.

[vminhoes]

Look what the cat dragged in

Vminkook (Explicit)

The last thing Jimin expected was to see his friend with benefits/roommate Taehyung walk in with his other friend with benefits/frat bro Jungkook.

They both hate each other, but Jimin is an opportunist and won't let their drama ruin a good time

[hopepoint]

had polytan thoughts on my drive home but what if the boys are all together, maybe staying in a hotel for some kind of promotion.

yg's room next to sj's because the younger wanted to be a little closer to his hyung (even though they live less than 10 min away from eo)

and vmin naturally find each other's rooms, but when th gets there jk is already in jm's room so they enjoy their time together until they all itch to bug their eldest hyung sj, so of course they tumble into his room grinning and bubbly with excitement-

except, yg beat them there, sitting right next to the bed in an armchair that is a little too small for his body to be curled into it along with his laptop balancing on the armrest. th ends up curled at the base of the chair, his hair tickling yg's legs but he doesn't care

because it's been too long since this many of them were in one place. yg types something up as th hums underneath him and eventually, he lowers his legs so th can wrap himself closer.

when they got there jm and jk settled on the bed, im now scrolls at the foot of the bed while jk watches sj play a video game on his laptop, both of them crunched against the headboard. Yet, they both manage to tangle their legs with jm's in an odd jumble of limbs.

and sj can't even falsify annoyance when jk knocks his knee against his be it means he is actually there, it means there aren't kilometers of space and a phone screen separating them from eo. he is really there, hugging his waist and shoving his short-haired head into his neck.

eventually, th makes it to the bed flopping on jm who wiggled his way between sj and jk's legs. the two sleepily groan from th's impact but jm's laugh drowns them out. he tells them hs went to his room and is now texting him asking if he is still awake.

because hs knows jm has him on emergency bypass, all of them do. of course they do. so jm's phone continues to chirp w/ea of hs's texts until jm tells him sj's room number. because of course hs looked for him, worried he fell asleep without brushing his teeth after an exhuasting plane ride.

and when hs gets there he finds nj nervously shifting his weight from foot to foot t in front of sj's door. he is so lost in thought when hs wraps his arm around his much wider waist he jumps. his already red ears burn more and he asks if they are still awake.

be of course even if nj wanted to go in he would rather walk away from a room full of comfort than bother them by waking them all up after an exhausting day.

he puts them first always. and hs knows when to push, so he squeezes the taut muscle of ni's side and knocks on the door. and when it opens he pushes nj inside, pushes him toward the five people who look to him for comfort like he does them.

hs makes a beeline for m and th, flopping onto their tangled bodies which naturally make room for him like a lost piece of their puzzle. but still nj lingers at the foot of the bed, hand clutching the comforter watching the five in bed slowly melt closer together.

then a hand in his, if he could call it that, it's the tips of yg's fingers tracing his calloused palm and then wrapping around his wrist. his touch light and soft, giving him ample opportunity to untangle himself from his grasp. but of course he doesn't, of course he follows.

he follows him to the other end of the room and they grab the couch pressed against the wall, slowly and sleepily they maneuver it to jk and sj's side of the bed.

nj motions for yg to take the side closest to the bed, closest to everyone else, but y coxes him onto that side with that same soft grasp. groggily sj groans about jk rolling over to spoon ni, but the eldest still tucks himself behind the younger in a warm embrace.

yg tucks his head under nj’s chin resting his cheek against his chest, and nj feels him relax against him. slowly, after he is sure everyone has fallen asleep, soft shores filling the room, nj falls asleep. all of them tucked away in a room full of their greatest comforts.

[crystalsnow95z]

can you write a sickfic about jimin coming down with a cold while shooting run bts?

Hopefully this is acceptable to you. I don't have the spare time to rewrite it.. I just wrote without planning ahead. The ending sucks. If you don't like it I'll write a new one

Tw: IV used so needle meantion?

"Jiminie, choose a paper." J-Hope gently nudges Jimin to get his attention.

"Huh? Oh, right. Sorry." Jimin takes a piece of paper from the cup. "I got-"

"No, no don't tell them Jimin-sii. It's a scavenger hunt. You need to find the item. Telling the others will make it harder." Staff warns him.

"Ah, right. Thank you." He bows, fighting off the urge to cough.

"Are you feeling okay Jiminah? Your voice sounds off." Yoongi places a hand on his shoulder, worry flashing in his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Its just a little tickle in my throat. I'll rest when I get home. It's no big deal." Jimin smiles, trying to sound convincing even with another cough following his words.

"Are you sure Jimin? You could sit this one out and be an MC if you aren't feeling well." Namjoon frets as well, placing his hand on the back if Jimin's neck, checking for warmth.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. It's just a little cold. It's just annoying." Jimin moves away from Namjoon, checking his objects again before folding up the paper, putting it in his jeans pocket."Okay, I'm ready."

The boys are led to a giant warehouse, where they must find their seven items and return to staff everyone given a bag to put their items in.

"You can team up if you like, but that means you have to find each item on every players list. If one finishes all seven, they must wait for their teammates to find all seven as well." Staff explains the rules once more when they reach the destination.

"So it's a gamble.." Yoongi weighs his options of working with someone or working on his own.

"Taehyungie-Hyungie team up with me!" Jungkook jumps onto the back of Taehyung, almost making both men topple forward.

"Aiish Jungkook-ah give me warning before you jump on me.." Taehyung scolds in fear, adjusting the mankae so he doesn't fall, heart racing. "You almost made us fall.."

"Sorry Hyungie. I just think it'll be more fun in a group and you're pretty good at these types of things." Jungkook apologizes, leaning into Taehyung’s cheek.

"Alright Koo. Let's do this together!" Taehyung quickly recovers his cheerfulness, forgiving him instantly.

"If they're teaming together, will you team up with me hyung?"J-Hope asks Yoongi.

"Allright..alright.." Yoongi gives in istantly.

Jimin thought about asking someone to team up with him, but thought against it. It would be easier to hide how awful he felt if he didn't have a team mate.

"Anyone else teaming up?" Staff asks.

"Do we have to decide now?" Jin asks.

"No. You can decide to team up in game but once you agree to be on a team you can't back out."

"Okay, okay. I got it. I'll decide later." Jin replied politely.

"Me too." Jimin adds in and with that, the game begins.

Jungkook gets off Taehyungs back, pulling him into the building.

"They're gonna burn out quickly if they plan to run around.." Yoongi smiles.

"And they might pass up ah item.." Namjoon adds in.

Jimin waits for the others to go in, pretending to adjust his head cam before sneezing into his hands. "Hehitgzh!"

"Bless you." Staff says sympathically.

"Thanks.." Jimin smiles politely, going inside the building. It was a lot bigger on the inside, making him feel worried about finding his items.

Mang toy, snow globe, purple bouncy ball, army headband, red mic, stuffed cat, and a heart.. I wonder if anyone has the same items on their list..

Jimin repeated the list over and over in his head, coughing into his elbow. He could hear the sound of J-hope happily squealing, so he could only assume he already found an item.

"The faster I do this, the sooner I can sit and rest.." Jimin mutters to himself, going through the building. The more he walked, the more tired he became.

"What if we collect things not on our list?" Jimin hears the voice of Jungkook in the hallway head.

"You want to sabotage the other teams?" Taehyung questions.

"What if they have the same idea? Or we can use the items as a trade off if they do!" Jungkook says excitedly.

Jimin covered his face, trying to fight off the urge to sneeze, but even with managing to stop himself, a cough escapes, his sinuses draining into his throat. He tried to muffle it while he runs, but it slowed him down, making him feel dizzy.

"Was that Minnie?" Taehyung questions, quickly turning the corner to find him.

Jimin tries to quickly go into a room to avoid him, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping, but Taehyung grabs onto the back of his shirt before he could get away.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't-"

"Are you okay Jimin-ah?" Taehyung shows no interest in blaming him for spying, only having concern in his big brown eyes.

"Huh..? That's what you followed me for?" Jimin blinks, dumbfounded.

"Of course. The game isn't important if you're unwell." Taehyung says in a serious tone, using his sleeve to wipe Jimin's nose.

"Don't do that you could get sick." Jimin backs up, quickly pulling out the face mask from his pocket, putting it on to protect his fellow 95er.

"It'll be easier on you if you had a teammate, they can help find things with you."

"But you already have Jungkook-ah. That's 21 things to find."

"We don't care about that Hyung." Jungkook adds in, finding the room they slipped into. "We can find 21 things together! We already have two!" Jungkook proudly presents a golden mic charm and a Koya plush.

"But that'll be.." Jimin's words get cut off by another bout of coughs. Jungkook takes this as an opportunity to take Jimin's paper from his back pocket as Taehyung strokes Jimin's back.

"More Minnie, it sounds like you're getting worse.." Taehyung frowns, taking Jimin's hand. "Don't worry. We'll find all your items plus our own!"

"But I said-"

"Too late! I already took your note. That means you gotta team with me!" Jungkook waves the red sheet of paper he pick pocketed. "We already got an item from this list!" Jungkook says excitedly, digging a bouncy ball from his pocket.

"See? It was destiny for us to work together! That makes one item each!" Taehyung smiles brightly.

"Oh alright.." Jimin didn't care if he won or lost right now. They still had to spin the penalty wheel and some of the things listed weren't so bad.

"We gotta hurry though. Do you want me to carry you Hyung?" Jungkook offers, getting down for Jimin to get on his back.

Jimin shakes his head, afraid if he spoke he'd cough.

"Oh alright.. the offers always there.." Jungkook straightens up, giving the paper to Taehyung to look over. The mankae line walks down the hallway together, Jimin staying a couple steps behind, surpressing another sneeze.

"Where should we go next.. the hallway goes in three different directions.." Jungkooks eyes dart from one hall to the other, trying to decide which is the best option.

"should we split up and meet up back here in 10 minutes, but let me see your lists first." Jimin had to get away, his head pounding from the pressure.

"You can take mine, I memorized it." Taehyung gives up his purple paper.

"Take mine too." Jungkook gives up his pink one.

Jimin nods, going right.

"Is it okay to let him go alone?" Jungkook watches him go. "He's looking pale.."

"He's gonna try to hide how he feels. It's better to let him go and let it out instead of him holding it to stop us from worrying.." Taehyung knew his friend very well.

Jimin slipped into a room, releasing the sneezes he was trying to hold in. "Hehtichih! Hehitch! He'iychiugh.." he whines, feeling the snot soak into the cloth mask. "Uuh.." he takes it off with a sigh, trying to clean it off with a crumpled up tissue.

"Here Jiminie." Jin offers him a new tissue. "Blow your nose for hyung."

"Aiish! Hyung you scared me!" Jimin jumps at the sudden new voice, accepting the tissue, turning away to try to clear his nose.

"Sorry Jimin. I didn't mean to." Jin says gently. "Namjoon-Ah was looking for you. He wanted to team up with you, but seeing those papers in your hand you already got a team."

"Oh, yeah.. they bullied me into it.." Jimin smiles fondly.

"I'm glad." Jin smiles. "I'll let you look in this room then. I found something already."

He waves a Tata doll proudly. "Take it easy okay? Do you want me to get staff for you?"

"No. Im fine. Its just a little cold. I can do this."

Jin gives him a small packet of tissues from his bag. "Please tell staff if it becomes too much okay?" He plants a kiss on top of Jimin's head before leaving.

"Thanks hyung.." jimin searches the room, looking at the papers over and over. He couldn't focus on the words, only taking a minute to forget half the list.

This is not good.. I'm gonna hold them back..

Jimin runs a hand through his hair, the stress of disappointing his team, only making his headache worsen. He buries his head in his hands, trying to take a deep breath to calm himself, but when he tries to fill his lungs, a hacking cough comes.

I don't feel well at all.. I'll just rest for a minute..

Jimin lays on his side, taking deep breaths to try to calm his nerves, closing his eyes. He only got a few minutes to rest before the itch returned to his throat,coughing up phlegm, sitting up again. "Wait.. a snow globe!"

Jimin rushes to underneath the table, relieved when he picks up the small globe. "Oh wow.. it's got the BTS logo inside with BT21 playing around it.."

"What does?" Jungkook asks, rushing to Jimin's side.

"This.." He shows him the snow globe. "Has it been ten minutes already?"

"No.. I just got worried about you.." Jungkook admits with a bashful smile. "Jinnie-hyung said you were sneezing a lot, so I went to check on you.."

"Thanks Jungkook-ah. I'm feeling better now that I found something. I was worried I'd only be dead weight.."

"Even if you were, its okay. If you want you can just rest in this room as me and Taehyungie will do it!"

"No. No, i can help." Jimin makes it to his feet. "I just don't think I can run without burning out."

"You don't have to run. I'll do all the running! When we find all 21 items I'll carry you to the entrance on my back!" Jungkook says confidently.

"Even if we find the last item all the way at the far end of the building?" Jimin teases.

"Mm.. I'll ask Taehyungie to help if that happens."

Jimin giggles, but it quickly turns into a cough.

"Let's go meet up with Taehyungie.." He quickly pulls Jungkook trying to not give him time to worry.

"Alright..." Jungkook doesn't stop him, meeting in the fork in the hallway for Taehyung.

"I found a heart!" Taehyung approaches proudly. "And a Stuffed puppy. It kinda looks like rapmon!" He shows the white dog. "Isn't it cute?"

"A heart was on my paper too.. does that mean we gotta find two?" Jungkook asks curiously.

"We should look for one just in case.. Jiminie how are you holding up? This room I found has a couch in it. You can lay down for a bit."

"Oh! I forgot! I found a rubber duck. That was on your list wasn't it Taehyungie?"

"Yes! We're doing good! So good!" Taehyung smiles. "Also I saw Namjoonie-hyung and Jinnie-hyung together. I think they formed a team. That means they'll have to find 14 items."

"That's good.. that doesn't put us at too much of a disadvantage." Jungkook smiles. "We could still avoid last place!"

Jimin relaxes, feeding off of their positive energy. He pulls out the snow globe from his bag, trying to show his contribution."Oh Tete look at this snowglo.." he nearly drops it when he starts coughing. Taehyung hugs him from behind, placing his hands on Jimin's to steady them.

"Are you okay Jimin-sii?" Jungkook takes the snow globe from Jimin, looking at him with wide panicked eyes. "Maybe you should lay down.."

Jimin gives in. He couldn't keep pretending he was okay. It was starting to hurt to breathe and he felt chills run down his spine. "Okay.."

Jungkook picks him up before he can argue, letting Taehyung lead the way to the room with a nice plush couch. "Here you go, Jiminie, nice and comfy.." He places him down, taking off his jacket for Jimin to use as a blanket.

"Thanks, Jungkook-ah.. I'll just lay down for a little bit, then I'll help.." Jimin curls up on his side, coughing into his fist.

"Don't worry about it, Minnie. Rest well, okay?" Taehyung gently moves Jimin's hair out of his face. "I'll come back to check on you soon. Okay?"

"Okay.. I'm sorry.." Jimin yawns, exhaustion hitting hard when his body starts relaxing.

Taehyung and Jungkook go to the door, but instead of Taehyung leaving, the two boys silently play rock, paper scissors, Taehyung hiding in the room, and Jungkook leaving.

Taehyung waited until he heard Jimin's nasally snore to come out of hiding, sitting on the floor in front of the couch gently stroking . "My poor Minnie, Jk is gonna get staff.."

Jimin wakes up laying in J-hope's lap. "Huh? When did i.." His voice comes out hoarsely, getting quieter as he tried to speak, trying to sit up to look around.

"Shh..don't talk baby and be careful.. you have an IV in." J-hope pushes him back down.

"What about the game?" Jimin disobeyed J-hope wanting his questions answered.

"Me and Yoongi finished, so I decided to come sit with you."

"Did..we lose?" Jimin asks.

"No. Everyone else is still in the game. Yoongi-hyung is watching the others still playing.

Jimin relaxes a little. "Who's winning?"

"Right now, it's Junggukkie and Tae. They got 2 more to find to Joonie and hyungs 4. It's a really close game." J-hope smiles. "You don't have to worry about not being there, so just take it easy. Can you drink some water for me?"

Jimin nods, sitting up slowly. J-hope opens the water bottle for him. The cool water felt nice on his sore throat.

"Jiminie is up? That's great." Yoongi's shoulders slump in relief when he comes over. "How are you feeling Jimin?"

"I'm feeling a little better now.." Jimin sniffles.

Yoongi looks for a tissue when he hears him. "Guess what Jiminie?" He asks wiping Jimin's nose.

"Huh?"

"Taehyungie and Kook got second. Namjoon-ah and hyung will be getting the penalty." Yoongi tells him with a smile. If they got last place, he was willing to take Jimin's for him feeling relieved he didn't have to.

Taehyung and Jungkook run up to Jimin. "We did it! We did it! We didn't get last place!" Jungkook cheers loudly.

"I'm sorry I wasn't much help." Jimin says guilt weighing in his chest.

"The thing Namjoonie-hyung and Seokjinnie hyung couldn't find was the snowglobe. There were only two in the whole warehouse. We probably wouldn't have won without you." Jungkook comforts Jimin, getting a smile.

"And with second place we get to keep the things we found, but I gave the dog to Namjoonie." Taehyung gives Jimin his bag from the game, it holding all seven treasures on his list.

"Thanks Tete. I'll treasure the snowglobe as our winning trophy." Jimin smiles, stifling another sneeze. He didn't want to ruin the mood.

"We decided we'll do the punishment in the next episode. We want to get you home.." J-hope squeezes Jimin's hand, watching staff remove the IV.

Jimin winces, staff quickly putting a bandaid over it. "Thank you.." he bows his head to staff. "I'm sorry, I worried everyone.."

"Don't worry..you can help it when you're sick. I'll make you some tea and jook when we get home." Jin ruffles his hair lovingly. "Hyung will take care of you. Let's do the outro and get home."

[magini0]

Kimset (IV)

Pairing: ot6 x Jungkook | Jungkook x Everyone

Genre: Witch AU, Soulmate AU, Ex's to Lovers, Angst With a Happy Ending

Summary: Jungkook has until the next Witching Moon to develop a cure for his chronic illness. With his race against time, he really doesn’t have the nerve to be constantly pestered by his old coven mates—whom he had left behind after a mission gone wrong. Back as a famous healer and sponsored by a renowned magical society, Jungkook is ready to do what it takes to survive. Now, if only his former coven would back off and stop being so damn persistent in making up for their old mistakes…

Word Count: 13k

Also accessible on ao3 => Here Previous Chapter => Here Next Chapter => Coming Soon

There was a strange, nauseating race to Taehyung's heartbeat as he walked down the hall. His feet cascaded down the tiled floor; his loud footsteps echoed tauntingly throughout the empty corridor illuminated by the afternoon sun. The shadows cast the window's silhouettes against the floor. His palms were strangely sweaty, restless as he switched through a cycle of clenching and unclenching his hands before he'd fiddle with his clothes for the umpteenth time, trying to catch a glimpse of himself in the window's reflective surface as he walked, combing through his hair. 

He followed the numbers on each door, trying to find the one that belonged to Jungkook. B013, right? He was nervous because, of course, he was. Their last conversation—if you could even call it that—had hardly even grazed the top of the iceberg that was their relationship. To be entirely fair, Taehyung strongly doubted that this conversation would go any differently. But unlike his hyungs, he just couldn't bring himself to give Jungkook space. He just couldn't. 

Not when it's been literal years since he's spent more than a fleeting moment with Jungkook, not when he had yet to fully take him in. His hair had grown out, Taehyung recalled. The still black, natural hair was cut into a styled fringe. Hair a little longer, bangs stopping a little over his cheeks with a slight curl to the end swaying from the face. The sides of his hair were still styled, covering the tips of his ears. A row of piercings lined one of his ears, along with his brow and bottom lip. His chest puffed with a momentary sense of pride as he had noticed them during their last encounter, and reluctantly wandered back to a place where he watched Jungkook marvel through a jewelry shop's showcase window—lamenting the fact that his parents would never let him tarnish his image through body modifications. 

Taehyung scoffed at the momentary reminder of Jungkook's atrocious set of parents. But there Jungkook had stood— his little bunny, sprouting piercing like it was no one's business. Because it wasn't, and Taehyung couldn't help but feel an assortment of pride and happiness that Jungkook had found that independence for himself. 

Having Jungkook before him terminated any and all of his thoughts, rendering him to nothing but a blubbering stupored twat—while simultaneously promoting such a heaviness to take hold of him. The kind of short, fleeting questions one could sense in the pit of their stomachs—sinking. What had Jungkook been like during his first piercing? 

Taehyung recalled in that vague moment by the jewelry shop window how he had promised Jungkook that when the witch turned eighteen, he'd sneak him out to get his ears pierced. A fleeting smile twitched across his face as he walked, his hand lifting to subconsciously brush against his earlobe. About a month after making that promise, Teahyung had snuck out of the academy and purchased a set of earrings, small silver stars hanging from a delicate chain, and a little clear glass diamond in the star's centers. It hadn't been much, and usually Taehyung wasn't such a fan of something so delicate. But his bun was discovering stargazing with Yoongi at the time—something that had totally not made him jealous—and seemed to be enjoying it. Taehyung had blown most, if not all, of his summer wages on that set. 

Because Jungkook getting his ears pierced had been so much more than just getting to buy some new jewelry. It was more than just an act of spontaneous defiance. It was a call for independence, a step towards individuality that Jungkook's parents refused to permit otherwise. Taehyung had understood that—he still does. 

Taehyung glanced outside, but his gaze was unfocused—did Jungkook need to hold someone's hand? Did his face scrunch up the way it always does, eyes squeezed shut, and nose crunched in that adorable way? Taehyung had missed it. That moment he had reserved for them—he had missed it all. The sense of loss that realization accompanied was unbearable. 

He couldn't help but wonder if Jungkook ever got those tattoos he had wanted, too. Of course, he wouldn't go on and ask something so personal. His bun might literally shank him for it. 

But he still felt unsettled and frustrated by their last meeting. He had wanted to say more, but just being able to see Jungkook again—before him, living, breathing, alive; vaporized any and every thought of his because Jungkook was finally there—he was okay.  

Jungkook had been angry— rightly fucking so, he might add. Emotional, frustrated, hurt. It killed him. Their eyes had locked, and suddenly he was speechless. There stood his baby, his stupid, naive bunny—crying, and he wasn't able to do anything about it. 

Ultimately, he was one of the six reasons those eyes were shedding tears in the first place. In that moment, it didn't matter how long Taehyung had prowled the streets of Korea looking for those same pair of eyes, how he scanned over the crowds to try and recognize that familiar head of tussled, unkempt hair, because Jungkook was there, crying because of him. 

Walking further down the hall, Taehyung didn't expect this conversation to go any better. Realistically, he was just psyching himself up to be yelled at, berated, and metaphorically thrown around as Jungkook vented six years of hate onto him. But Taehyung didn't mind because it was Jungkook's voice doing it. He didn't mind those heated, fiery gazes because it was Jungkook's chocolate eyes pointing them.  

Because even for a moment—he got to exist in the same space as Jungkook. 

And maybe, just maybe, after Jungkook got to say everything he needed or wanted to, Taehyung would be able to say he was sorry. He was really starting to hate that word—sorry. as if the depths of his remorse, the sheer level of guilt, regret, and sorrow could ever be narrowed down to five abysmal letters. 

Because he was so much more than just sorry. He cursed every day that had passed for the last six years—2,190 damned days, give or take a few. He hexed every watery blink, the haunting quiver of his sweet voice, the balling of his fist and shaking of his hand. For every minute, Jungkook was out there, thinking for even a second he hadn't been out there looking for him. 

Gaze following the labels against each the door, he felt the numbers nearing Jungkooks. The door was slightly ajar, and through it, Taehyung could hear the familiar voice of his soulmate. 

"But we fell in love." 

"Despite all odds—fuck, we grew to love each other above all else." 

"So—" 

"So when three of our parents demanded a trial." 

"We agreed." 

"Because—" 

"Because we thought we'd be proving them wrong." 

"We lost everything." 

"Or, at least—I had lost everything." 

Taehyung wasn't much of a crier—that was Jimin's job, and by the Gods, he hated those tears, too. So why—Why were his eyes suddenly so watery? The hair around him felt heavy, cold, and stale. 

He had half a mind to burst into the laboratory, stand before Jungkook, and proclaim that he was still here. That Jungkook still had him and that he was so, so fucking sorry. That there wouldn't be a day that would pass now where he wouldn't be there to hold his hand. Because Taehyung loved him. 

He hasn't stopped. The abrasive, explosive anger within a single night could never diminish even an ounce of the care he held for Jungkook. Because when they had first met, before it was him and Jimin, or Hoseok or Yoongi or Jin and Namjoon— it had been Jungkook. Despite having cared for all of them, Taehyung loved him first. 

He still does. 

But what should he say—now? When your soulmate stands before you, tone filled with such grief and desolation at the sheer recollection of you, of what you had and what you were. 

Taehyung didn't consider himself a coward—no, he was a true hothead who felt first and thought second. So he had practiced his confessions with Jimin, over and over, deep into the starry nights and bear ceilings. But his tongue felt heavy, and suddenly, all the words he had prepped felt inadequate. 

Taehyung had never been good with words. He couldn't string together poetic confessions like Namjoon or Jimin, lay out his soul like Hoseok, or make himself as clear and vulnerable as Jin and Yoongi. He was just well—unsure. He chose to act; when someone bothered Jungkook, he'd bash the perpetrator's head against a locker. If the headmaster went off again, he'd put a hex on the seams of his clothes. 

Jungkook deserved more than that. Not someone who immediately set out on a tyrannical war path, promising vengeance for every tear spilled because his baby bunny was upset and someone was paying for it. He deserved someone who didn't become completely overwhelmed with fury the moment he shed a tear, someone who would do more than just stand still with his head bowed low while being scolded. No, it had been six cursed years. Taehyung was going to show that he had changed, that he could—and would find the right words for him. He might not be as flowery or delicate—but they'd be his. 

"How'd it go?"

Jimin hurriedly asked before Taehyung even managed to close the front door. Taehyung, still feeling like a brooding cloud had formed over him, didn't utter a word as he meticulously took off his coat. He dusted it off despite only having walked to and from the science building before hanging it up. He stepped out of his shoes and put them neatly on the shoe rack, sliding into his slippers shortly after—to put it concisely, he was stalling.

Jimin frowned. It didn't take a genius to decipher the pensive mood looming through Taehyung's aura. Jimin would've gone with Taehyung to hopefully talk with Jungkook, but not only did the witch ignore his little note on the breakfast tray from earlier this week, but it also would have overwhelmed Jungkook. Neither of them wanted that—they just wanted to talk, to see him. 

Taehyung had finally looked up, eyes locking briefly with his own. His own breath caught briefly stuck in his throat at the pitiful sight. Taehyung's hair was disheveled, no doubt from his fidgety hands constantly combing through it. The rim of his eyes were a bit bloodshot, and trailing down his gaze to Taehyung's cheeks they appeared just a bit too red. Jimin bit the inside of his cheek, a poor attempt to keep his scolding at bay. He knew Taehyung handled his emotions differently and that whenever the witch was ever brought to tears, he'd wipe them away with such incredulous vigor till his cheeks turned raw. 

The sight was strikingly familiar. It barely felt like any time at all since Taehyung appeared like that in front of his door. Gods—it had been so late into the night that it became early. But Taehyung hadn't stopped; hadn't slept either— none of them had. The witch's cheeks had been sunken in ever so slightly, and the darkness underneath his eyes had completely altered Taehyung's otherwise healthy complexion. Taehyung had been out looking for Jungkook again. 

Jimin might never forget that night when he opened his door for Taehyung. How, during that night since Jungkook's disappearance, Taehyung had cried. Cried—a loose term for what had happened. Sobbed seemed more appropriate, the type that made one's legs feel weak, made it hard to breathe, and left you with a sore throat. It was the sound of someone losing hope. 

Taehyung never stopped looking—none of them had. But after the first few months, Taehyung's near-daily outings turned more sporadic. But they still visited Hangawoondae annually, still holding onto the fickle hope of spotting their bunny window shopping again. 

"Let's go talk in my room, hm?" Jimin suggested, carefully reaching out and taking a hold of Taehyung's cold hand. Walking past the living room still felt surreal to him, seeing Hoseok lounging while switching through the channels playing across the TV, elbow resting on the armrest and cheek squished against the palm of his propped-up hand. Jin was moving about in the kitchen, preparing a honey pastry with a ruminating look. The sweet dessert had been Jungkook's favorite, a fact that had gone unnoticed by no one. 

Nothing had been the same since Jungkook left. Being able to see some of his old hyungs and share a communal space with them again felt strange. He had missed it.  

Walking past the open space and down the hall, he ignored the twisting pang of emotion he felt by passing Jungkook's closed door. Whether Jungkook was there or not, that pale white door remained closed. He couldn't really blame him, especially after their last confrontation—Jimin understood.  

Gently nudging Taehyung into his (their) room, he gently closed the door. 

The enchantment wasn't necessarily very noticeable, the spells back boning loosely marked onto the inside of the doorframe. But walking through the door, a lingering sense of magic brushed against one's skin for a moment—not by much, but enough for anyone to be aware that the room they were entering was very much manipulated by an outside force.  

Gone was the dreary interior of a basic apartment bedroom, replaced by something more to Jimin's tastes, to his needs. The space was larger, with a wide circular window casting nearly the entirety of the room in natural light. Creams and soft colors scattered about, from blankets to pillows, frames, and wardrobes. A queen-sized bed covered in far too many throws and pillows. There wasn't a color out of place; everything followed a similar pallet. It would've looked stale if it weren't for Jimin's artistic eye, dotting little spots of complementary colors here and there, the occasional green plant from Namjoon giving the space a little liveliness. 

A picture frame of him and Taehyung rested on his bedside table, and a group photo of everyone during their third Solar dance in the academy hung against the wall. 

Jimin was aware of his contribution to their split. He had been so scared, hurt, frightened, and angry at the time. He had his reasons during that night; the time he spent in the Deep with the others was too long. The mission had been immoral from the start—who would do that to a bunch of teenagers? 

But still, he had never managed to actually get rid of any of their shared photos. He still had their old photo albums hiding underneath his bed; the one hanging against the wall was simply his favorite. Glancing at it now, their naive and smiling faces. His eyes lingered against Jungkook's young form; they had been holding hands. Jimin— Jimin couldn't bear to look at it. 

Yeontan was snoozing in his little dog bed, the hyper dog oblivious to the occurring drama. Hana, Jimin's white snake familiar, remained sunbathing by the window sill. Her sharp, snake-like eyes opened as the two witches entered the room. She remained silent, but she didn't need to say much to show her disapproval. 

Taehyung plopped himself down at the edge of the bed, his elbows resting on his thighs while he dropped his head in his hands. Seeing Taehyung so depleted unsettled Jimin to the core, his pace slightly hurried as he sat down beside him.

"It didn't go well, huh?" Jimin hummed, beginning to rub gently at Taehyungs hunched over back. There was a silence that followed, a pause as Taehyung breathed, focusing solely on the rhythmic pattern of Jimin's soothing hand. 

"It didn't go at all," Taehyung muttered, voice hoarse. 

Ah. 

Ah.  

Jimin sighed, shoulders dropping as the little flicker of hope he had built dimmed. Taehyung had cried, when exactly he wasn't sure, most likely on the way back to the apartments. 

"Hyung…" Taehyung strained, the small plea halting Jimin's actions and line of thought at the sheer—grief? That Taehyung's tone carried. It broke his heart more than it already was. 

"Oh, oh honey, come here." He ushered, pulling Taehyung into his arms. A tight hold, reassuring in the sense of telling Taehyung that he was there, that I'd be okay, and that he's got him. So Taehyung fell. Small sounds, muffled by the wool of his sweater, soon became louder. More unkempt, earnest. 

"Hyung—hyung… he, he sounded—" Taehyung choked and sniffled as he tried pulling himself together. "He sounded so sad." 

Jimin shut his eyes, inhaling sharply. None of them had been spared from Jungkook's distraught gaze, from the disappointment and anguish encapsulated within those familiar eyes. They had deserved it. That much was clear, but still. Seeing it, hearing it, Jimin had wanted to drop to his knees. Bind his soul—more than it was already bound—to Jungkook and his own lifelong pursuit towards redemption. 

"Like—like the thought of us was something to grieve over." Taehyung's wavering voice cracked, prompting Jimin's own eyes to begin watering. 

Because that was his bunny, they were talking about. His companion from day one was that sweet, shy, silly mess he had bumped into in elementary school. The boy with the kindest eyes and most amazing abilities, his little prince, "Eomma says I can't be friends with nulls, Minie." How Jungkook never became like his parents was a true wonder, but he didn't. Not when they snuck off campus during recess or when they took turns pushing each other on the swings. Jungkook had always had a heart of gold, even when he was scared and riddled with insecurities; "Jungkookie, see this red string here? It means we'll be friends forever, forever and ever! Nothin' will change that, my eomma says we're lucky. So let's be lucky, k'ay? It's our lucky ribbon." 

Glancing down at his pinky, Jimin lingers on the five vibrant, red knots around his finger. The sixth, pale and washed out, only remained visible for a few inches before fading out into the air. But Jimin knows it’s still there—now more than ever. 

"We—we have to fix this hyung." 

Jimin nodded, gaze fixed and determined as he cupped Taehyung's cheeks. Using his thumbs to gently swipe away the offending tears, he looked into the scared eyes of his lover. The past week had been an utter cluster-fuck of emotions, a cruel combination of pure elation, utter grief, and guilt, and now fear. Because what if Jungkook never forgave them? It was possible. Despite how the singular thought tore at his heart, it was reasonable, too. 

They could lose him again. 

No.

No, Jimin wouldn't let that happen. He couldn't. Jungkook might never love them again, might never trust nor care for them. But he'd be there. In Jimin's life, in Taehyungs. 

"We will." 

Taehyung looked into his eyes, all too vulnerable and teary. Looking towards him for guidance, and Jimin felt all too misplaced. This was Namjoon's job, or Jin's, maybe even Hoseok's, when the situation called for it. They were all too adept at taking control, leading. But for tonight, he'd take Taehyung's hand and hopefully lead him towards a brighter future. 

"We found each other again. That's all we need." He mused, voice hushed and soft as he leaned down and pressed a kiss against Taehyung's furrowed brow. 

"We'll have forever to get it right."

Jungkook tucked his hands into his pockets as he walked, the warm coat doing little to keep the chill away. Mornings were always chilly around this time of year, just as autumn began to creep around. Jungkook couldn't really tell when his body was being affected by the outside temperatures anymore, considering how his limbs were gradually growing colder each week; breezes like these didn't really bother him anymore. A loud, exaggerated yawn pulled him from his thoughts. Glancing to his side, he smiled at Yugyeom's bundled-up form. A thick, knitted scarf hung around his neck, chin nestled securely in the warm material. The witch had never been much of a morning person—neither was he honestly, but nowadays he couldn't get more than five hours of consecutive sleep. 

Originally, Jungkook intended to stop by for only a day, fix his Halmoni up, and hop onto the next available train. But having Yugyeom here somewhat derailed his original, concise plan. With Yugyeom by his side, he couldn't help but want to show his friend everything he'd been up to and what he'd built for himself since leaving. Perhaps he was a little biased towards Jung-so, considering how the little witch had somehow nestled itself into his heart during their sessions. 

Iseul had stopped by the bookstore this morning, only there to briefly return a book she had borrowed. They didn't usually rent out books, but Chae-won had as much of a bleeding heart as he did, trying to support Iseul and Jung-so as much as she could. Which is how Jungkook ended up offering another tutoring session. Considering that it was a weekend and wouldn't conflict with the kids' schedule, Iseul readily agreed. 

"Since when do you like tutoring so much?"

Yugyeom's voice had cut through the comfortable silence, tone a little fussy from being wrangled out of bed before ten. 

Shrugging, Jungkook tried recounting exactly when he had grown to like teaching so much. He had grown up with all kinds of tutors; attending a school was mainly used by his parents as a form of socialization, a little something required by law, a hassle. If the teachings could be affordable by mainstream magicals, then they simply weren't good enough for his parents. Resulting in his rigorous schedule of six hours of public schooling only to come back home to be tutored privately; he only ever saw his parents for mealtimes. 

A blessing, really. 

Jungkooks upbringing was rigorous, strict, disciplined, and—well, lonely. 

Amongst missed birthdays and solitary dinners, Jungkook could account for two people who made his otherwise desolate childhood bearable. Jimin, a bundle of confident sunshine he met in elementary school, and Soo Choi. A middle-aged witch who began tutoring Jungkook long before he presented, before he could even materialize his mana enough to actually do something. But where his parents lacked, shrouded in the depths of their prejudice, there was the kindness of Soo Choi. A person Jungkook deems responsible for preventing him from becoming a replica of his parents, teaching him about magicals with an openness he hadn't found or seen before. 

Jungkook found himself wanting to be, in the presence of Jung-so and other uneducated children, someone that Soo Choi had been to him. A place of education, unbiasedness, and kindness. A person who taught magic, who could make all things mana, spells, and changes less scary, more natural. 

Letting out a small hum, he glanced at Yugyeom. "Probably because of Mrs. Choi."

Nodding, Yugyeom smiled. It was a fond smile, followed by a warm gaze Jungkook couldn't stand to look at for longer than needed. Yugyeom chuckled, cheeky bastard, clearly amused with Jungkook's flusteredness.

"What?" Jungkook muttered, not enjoying the giggling at his expense. 

"Oh nothin.'" Yugyeom snickered, the witch still clearly amused. "Although I'd love to see you teach, I don't really get why I'm here. You know how I did back in school." 

Jungkook nodded. Yugyeom had never been someone who let others or work stress him out. Jungkook still couldn't get over how Yugyeom had actually managed to pass their history class; considering how often he slept during those times, must've been witchcraft—considering it now, it probably was. 

"Remember Jung-so, the kid I told you about?" Yugyeom nodded, recalling one of their first catch-up sessions in the lab during inquiry day. 

"Well, he's the kid I'm tutoring now. He just recently presented as a witch, and his mom Isuel isn't a magical. The Dads out of the picture, and you know I can't perform magic. I was hoping you could show off a little, being able to see someone manifest some mana, meet someone who was a gifted witch too, might help ease Jung-so into things a little better." Jungkook explained, looking ahead as he watched the little cafe come into view. Cars passed them on the street, the clouded sky making the surroundings appear dull. 

Jungkook might not be able to relate personally to the struggles of gifted witches, but he was aware that they existed. Young children overwhelmed with their new abilities, uncertain how to proceed and finding the concept of magic unnerving. Jung-so was like that, a gifted witch originating from a mundane household. Unsure what being a witch meant, what that made him. 

Jimin had been like Jung-so.  

And he had helped him back then, too. 

"God, you're such a softy." Yugyeom huffed, smile fond as he playfully nudged Jungkook's arm as they walked. 

The cafe carried its usual warmth, a welcomed contrast to the otherwise freshness of the morning. Jungkook had only been away for about two weeks now, but seeing the familiar, cream-toned walls made him feel a little nostalgic. Jungkook could never recall a single day when the cafe wasn't filled, couples laughing, the occasional office worker chatting on the phone, the consistent calling of names. Despite the sheer number of customers, the place never felt rushed or hectic, something Jungkook ought to give the staff the most credit for. 

"Jungkook! I was beginning to think you switched cafes on us!" Han chuckled, making him flush a little. He hadn't come here that often, only every other day—and for tutoring, of course. Yugyeom, as if sensing his embarrassment, elbows him in the arm with a chuckle. 

"Hi Han, I actually left for my seventh trial, I'm only here to visit my Halmoni." Jungkook explained, receiving a simple nod from the barista. "I could've sworn I saw little Jung-so in the back; two hot chocolates then?" Han mused, but before Jungkook could agree, Yugyeom budged in. 

"And a coffee, please!" 

Han wrote down the order while he paid, Yugyeom waiting by the counter as Jungkook went to greet Jung-so. The thought of the little kid being on his own for too long unnerved him, even though he trusted the cafe—and Han, who always kept a watchful eye over the kid—he didn't exactly trust others.

Jung-so was sitting in one of the corner booths, slightly hunched over a book as he waited. Legs kicking out idly underneath him, he was the restless sort. But he wasn't crying this time, so Jungkook considered that a win. 

"Hey, kiddo, miss me?" He mused, prompting Jung-so to look up. The kid smiled, all crescent-eyed and flashing dimples, completely unaware of how it tugged on his heartstrings. Jungkook didn't expect it, nor did he expect the boy to hurriedly hop out of the booth and crush him in a hug, small arms wrapped around his waist and head nuzzled into his lower stomach. 

Chuckling, Jungkook crouched down and pulled the boy into his arms before picking him up and spinning them in a short circle. It strained his already sore arms, but Jung-so was laughing, and that's all he needed. Lowering him back down, he couldn't really suppress his own smile. "You make it seem like I was gone for forever," he teased before ruffling Jung-so's already messy hair. 

"You were." Jung-so huffed, sliding back into the booth. Jungkook followed, sliding in beside the boy. It was their usual spot, formed in a little semi-circle against one of the cafe's corners. 

"God, you two even look alike. Jungkook-ah, you sure your dad isn't keeping a secret from you?" Yugyeom chimed in, holding three drinks in a little carrier carton as he walked over and set it down. Glancing at the labels, he distributed the drinks accordingly. Jung-so shied away a little, glancing at Jungkook apprehensively. 

Jungkook laughed at the joke, rolling his eyes at the thought. He wouldn't mind it, having a brother and all. But Jung-so and he had already formed that kind of bond; they didn't need to be blood-related. “Jung-so, this is Yugyeom. He's a good friend of mine!" 

Yugyeom bent down so he was at eye level with the kid, holding out his hand and shaking it eagerly when Jung-so held out for a hand-shake. "Good to finally meet you, little man! I'm Jungkook's friend—well, more like his bestie. Now, someone's told me you presented as a witch. How exciting!" 

Jung-so nodded, a little more shyly but less reserved than before. Jungkook smiled, ushering them back to sit at the booth. He nudged the hot chocolate towards the kid, smiling at the polite thank you he got in return. 

"Jung-so, I brought Yugyeom here because he's a witch too." Jungkook explained, watching the kid's face light up. That was good, really good, actually. It was important for him to help Jung-so develop a good relationship with all things pertaining to magic and witches; it's a community that he could fall back on in the future. 

"Mhm, I sure am!" Yugyeom mused, smiling gently. 

One of the things Jungkook always admired about Yugyeom was how quickly the witch adapted to different people. This wasn't necessarily surprising, considering that Yugyeom was an empath. 

"I’m also a gifted witch!" 

Jung-so nodded, staring at Yugyeom for a second, then two, then three before turning to Jungkook:

"Whats a gifted witch?" He asked. 

Jungkook chuckled, watching Yugyeom blink a little as he recovered. 

"Well, magicals are categorized into two parties. For witches, it's between gifted and born witches. So, if both your parents are witches and you exhibit magical traits you're a born witch." He explained, before pointing to himself. "Take me as an example, I'm a born witch. I come from a long line of powerful witches." 

He paused, waiting for Jung-so to nod before continuing. "Gifted witches—" he continued, pointing at Yugyeom. "Like Yugyeom over here, are like you. Who don't necessarily have witching parents or grandparents. Sometimes, your great-great-great grandma was a witch and was able to harvest mana. Just enough to collect traces but not enough to use it. If she had mana, then her kid would likely inherit some too but remain dormant." Jungkook explained, grabbing a pen and paper and jotting down a simple family tree while he talked. 

"If there isn't enough mana in the body, it'll remain dormant. So it can easily pass through generations unnoticed, but it'll eventually accumulate and present itself through another generation." 

"Like me?" Jung-so mumbled. 

Jungkook nodded, "Mhm, like you and Yugyeom. Somewhere down the line, which can span across centuries. One of your ancestors began accumulating mana." 

"I know it can be a little startling, suddenly finding out you're a witch and all. Trust me, kiddo, I've been there." Yugyeom reassured, smiling kindly. Jung-so nodded, although it was obvious he still felt unsure. 

"Wanna see a magic trick?" Yugyeom piped up, no doubt sensing the slight dread through Jung-so's aura. He grabbed his cup of coffee, peeling back the lid and watching the steam rise through the air. Yugyeom kept focus, beginning to slightly twirl his index finger. Suddenly, through the cloud of steam, two silhouettes emerged. Dancing a small waltz around the cup, going higher and further into the air. 

Jungkook watched, smile crooked and unrefined as Jung-so's eyes widened with a natural curiosity. 

"What's important," he began, sipping at his own drink. Is that you remember that magic is only scary if you don't understand it—I know it's hard too. I mean, we witches carry extraordinary talents. To the untrained eye, that can be frightening." 

Slowly, as the steam began fading into the air, the two dancing silhouettes followed. It was a pretty trick; Jungkook had to give Yugyeom that. Although it looked fairly simple, it wasn't necessarily easy. They had both learned how to manipulate matter during their third year. Solids were much easier to mold than gas, especially when it came to such refined forms as a couple dancing, a realistic waltz at that. 

"But gifted witches are called gifted because—well, that's just it. Magic is a gift, something special." Jungkook smiled, gently patting Jung-so on the head. He wondered vaguely what kind of witch he was himself. Without magic, it was hard to carry the title without carrying what made him that. For the first time since cutting off his own mana, for sacrificing his own gift in exchange for a little more time. Did he feel like he had actually lost something. 

It was all just survival back then. He was competent enough not to need magic on a day-to-day basis. But seeing Yugyeom, the flying books within Veil's library, the familiars, the conscious shears and watering cans in the gardens, the constellations he'd cast onto his ceilings—it was all gone. Jungkook had given it all up. All for the sake of a few more days, months; he wasn't really sure. 

Seeing Jung-so discover the wonders of magic and how pretty it could really be, he wanted the kid to love it, to adore the craft as much as he did. He hoped that if all else failed and he truly did pass away, he'd be remembered for everything he loved because there was so much he cherished about this world. 

But he still had time. Eleven more months, that's all he needed. 

"Hyung, I thought witches weren't allowed to perform in public?"

Yugyeom began cackling, slapping his knee as Jungkook glared at him. "Oh hun, trust me. That's technically true, but you won't find a single person actually adhering to that rule!" This time, Jungkook reached over and nudged Yugyeom's arm.

"Yah! You're giving the kid bad ideas—Jung-so, don't listen to Yugs here. Follow the rules please." 

"Easy for you to say! Hmm, shall we talk about what you were like growing up, Kookie?" 

Jungkook narrowed his eyes, daring Yugyeom to continue. Which he did: "So, our Jungkookie here was actually quite the delinquent—"

"Lies and slander! Jung-so, avoid eye contact and cover your ears!" 

Jung-so laughed, "I already know! Hyungs Halmoni told me about it. Said you were a little riff-raff back in the days!" 

Jungkook gaped. Covering his heart as if he'd been shot, mouth open and eyes wide. "My Halmoni? My sweet—" Yugyeom's laughter interrupted his little spiel. 

"Aish, I grow to love that woman more by the day." Yugyeom heaved, wiping away his tears. It took them a few more minutes to calm down before Jung-so went on with his endless supply of questions. 

What was allowed, what wasn't. Chatting about their own experiences with presenting, cracking jokes here and there. Jungkook looked on as Yugyeom pulled Jung-so further out of his shell, the sight warming his heart. 

"Hyung, why does Yugyeom have more strings on his fingers than I do?" 

Jungkook paused, his eyes pulling together as he lowered his now empty cup. He glanced up, briefly meeting Yugyeom's surprised expression. "You—" he cleared his throat before sitting up. "You can see Yugyeoms soul strings?" 

Now it was Jung-so's turn to look confused, tilting his head. "Of course, most people have them. But Yugyeom has six, and I only have four." 

Jungkook nodded, it wasn't necessarily unheard of for people to be able to see soul strings. It was just a level of insight that most people did not share, it was rare of sorts. 

"Ah, Jung-so, being able to see soul strings isn't common." He avoided the word normal, the last thing he wanted to do here is make Jung-so feel like he was unusual. Too many neglected witches went through that feeling, and he couldn't help but want to shield the boy from it. 

"It isn't?" Jung-so mumbled hesitantly. 

"It's not bad!" Yugyeom hurriedly chimed in, unable to bear the sight of Jung-so deflating. It would've made him feel smug at how quickly he got wrapped around the kid's finger, but he wasn't any better off. 

"Witches can have affinities. Things they're really good at naturally, like unlocking special abilities that others can't. For example, I'm a green witch. It's an encompassing term for someone who has affinities towards nature—all things living. Some people have water affinities or light affinities." He went on, gesturing with his hand before pointing at Yugyeom. 

"Affinities don't have to be elemental or physical; for instance, Yugyeom over here has empath affinities. He can decipher auras and emotions far better than the regular witch." Yugyeom smiled, making a little heart with his pointed and thumb.

"So what does that make me?" Jung-so asked, still sounding tentative. 

The two older witches shared a brief glance, "Being able to see soul strings is most common amongst seers, hun." Yugyeom explained gently. 

"What's a seer?" 

"Someone who can glance into the future, who can look into people more than the average person." Jungkook tended to stay away from seers, mostly from his own eerie encounters. There's something about getting a hollow look from a stranger that just feels unsettling; he just didn't like it. 

"So, I'll be able to tell the future?" Jung-so went on, sounding more excited. 

Sighing, Jungkook hated having to burst the kids idyllic bubble. "Not exactly, Seers can't really control their affinities. Glancing into the future comes in short visions that you can't control—" Rising his hand, he hushed Jung-so before continuing.

"I know that sounds a little scary, but that's why magicals like you go to a special school. You'll find out what affinities you carry there, and the system will cater to your needs." Jung-so nodded, mulling over the new information. 

"So no one else can glance into the future?" 

Yugyeom sighed, a fond kind of sigh. It didn't surprise Jungkook, the kid never ran out of questions. Of course he wouldn't, this was all new and scary for him. Right now, he was just focusing on laying down the fundamentals for Jung-so so that when he finally transferred to a proper school or academy, he wouldn't feel too far out in the deep end. It felt like his responsibility. 

"Well, yes and no." Yugyeom chimed in. 

Jungkook rolled his eyes, continuing to elaborate. "Most magic can be learned. It's just different when you have an affinity for a certain subject. For example, some people can learn the art of future telling with tools like tarot cards and other mediums. But it will never compare to what seers are able to do. Someone with a water affinity cannot be compared to someone who focuses on spells manipulating liquids. You can study spell mastery all your life and still be different from a grimoire witch." Jungkook wished he'd have some glasses; he could push them up right now and look all proper. If his past self could see him now—he'd probably be stunned. After all, how could he have gone from a spray-painting delinquent to an eloquently educated tutor? 

It would've satisfied his parents; somehow, that thought made him sick. 

"Yeah! It's kinda like comparing a fish with a swimmer! You can learn how to swim, but you ain't nothin' like a fish." Sighing, Jungkook couldn't help but laugh. 

"Eloquently put, Yugs." 

"I'm a natural." 

Walking from the cafe, Jung-so held Jungkook's sleeve as they walked. Jungkook walked closest to the road, the kid in the middle and Yugyeom to the left. It was cute how the kid felt too "grown" to hold his hand and instead opted for his sleeve. 

They had spent another half an hour chatting, going over what they had already talked about and wrapping up any lingering questions. 

"Hyung?" 

"Hm?" 

"What can't I see your soul strings?" 

Pausing, Jungkook looked down at his pinky. The six red knots rested heavily against the skin, and yet, somehow, they remained as feathery as always. 

"Do you not have soulmates?" Jung-so sounded sad; why was he sad? 

A small chuckle pushed past his lips, mostly to usher away the grave expression taking hold on Jung-sos otherwise soft features. "I have soulmates; six actually. You're so young; don't expect your affinity to show up clearly all the time. It's unreliable so early on, you won't be able to see everyone's soul strings." 

Jung-so pouted, nodding his head as they walked. It was still afternoon, and although Jungkook wouldn't have minded spending the entirety of his free day teaching Jung-so, the kid needed a break, and so did Yugyeom, who had been rather eager this morning to walk around Busan for a bit. 

"Hyung?" 

"Hmm?" 

"How come we even have soulmates?" 

Yugyeom smiled. It was such an innocent question. It was clear why Jungkook had taken to such a kid, and although Yugyeom didn't know what Jungkook was like throughout his childhood himself, he could see some similarities. 

"It's a long story. It dates so far back that it's more myth than fact, really." Jungkook hummed. It didn't feel right to explain the gushy tale about soulmates. Even if he tried remaining natural, a quick glance between him and Yugyeom made his discomfort clear. 

"Have you ever heard of The Three Fates?" Yugyeom asked, taking the lead here. 

"No, were they the first soulmates?" 

Yugyeom shook his head, glancing down at his own tied-up pinky. "No, they weren't. The Three Fates were Goddesses in Greek mythology; together, they controlled the destiny of both gods and humans. One Goddess works as the spinner, determining a person's birth. The second was the allotter: she measured the length of a person's life. The third was the unturnable: she was responsible for cutting one's string with her shears." Yugyeom explained dutifully, not short on the theatrics as he acted out, spinning some thread before stretching it out and finally snipping it. 

"Okay, but what does that have to do with soulmates?" Jung-so asked, lowering his hand to hold onto Jungkooks hand properly. 

"Well, back then, everyone only had one string, their own. The strings connecting us to our soulmates now are still the same as back then, an extension of our own souls—the same ones The Three Fates would've woven and cut for us," Jungkook explained. It felt easier when he was just stating supposed facts. 

"Exactly! So, one day, Atropos The Unturnable ventured to earth. They say she met a kind stranger on her path, one who was hospitable and genuine, who offered her water and bread from their bag and shelter for the night." They crossed the street, nearing the convenience store.

"To reward their kindness, Atropos bestowed upon the traveler a favor should the time come." Yugyeom finished, ignoring the teasing look he got from Jungkook. 

"All it took was some water and bread?" Jung-so exaggerated, making them laugh. "Hospitality was very important back then," Jungkook reminded. 

"Anyways, the traveler disappeared. Years later, he came back to Atropos ready to exchange their favor." It was a well-known myth, considering that soulmates were the topic and all. 

"What was it? Did they ask for a soulmate?" 

If Jungkook had a penny for every question Jung-so asked—he wouldn't be rich, but he'd have quite a few pennies at this point. 

"No, the traveler had a lover. Sickened and weak, the traveler sought out Atropos. Realizing that their lover's string would soon be cut, they begged the Goddess to pardon their dying mate." 

Jungkook could relate to that desperation. Although he was assured of his capabilities, that finding a cure couldn't be impossible, that nagging urgency and despair with each passing month; Jungkook knew he wasn't above begging. Hells, he'd probably kneel in front of a goddess too if it meant he could stick around for a bit longer. 

"Atropos could not simply grant someone pardon however; and instead offered the traveler a compromise. She'd cut both their strings and tie them together, binding their souls and saving their beloved." Jungkook felt like Yugyeom was a natural storyteller. He had heard the same tale several times before while growing up. Still, Yugyeom treated it like a performance, capturing both his and Jung-so's attention while he talked. 

"But Gods aren't exactly well…the fairest. By binding the two mortal souls together, they were bound. If one perished, the other would as well." Jungkook knew gods still existed to this day, but they were rare. Demigods were really the only ones still spotted every once and again, from what he understood was that they preferred to lay low. Blend in. But boredom breeds a need for entertainment, no matter the costs.  

"Which is why it's called soulmates!" Yugyeom finished, clapping his hands together. "Soul because the souls are tied together, and mate, referring to one's beloved!" Jung-so smiled, walking through the convenience store's doors.

"So if one of my soulmates dies, I die?" 

Jungkook chuckled, letting go of the kid's hands before ruffling his hair. Grinning at the cute huff and pouty expression he got in return. "No kiddo, it's just an old myth. You'll be fine." 

"Hyung, how come I've never met your soulmates before?" Jung-so pouted, jutting out his tongue. Just as dramatic as Yugyeom, he remarked silently. 

"Well, they don't live here." He hummed, keeping his tone soft and leveled. He didn't want to think about it, about them. All these stories of love, sacrifices, loss, and happy endings were tying his stomach into a knot. 

Jungkook had loved. 

He had sacrificed. 

And he had lost. 

So, where was his happy ending? 

"Jung-so, listen to me for a moment." He breathed, kneeling down as he grabbed both of the kid's hands. "Soulmates can be wonderful. But they are just people, too. What matters most is how they treat you. Your happy ending does not lie in the hands of another, do you hear me? You deserve to be treated with kindness, respect, and love." He smiled, giving Jung-so’s hands a small squeeze before letting go. He tapped his nose, smiling gently. "Don't ever let someone tell you otherwise, got it?" 

Jung-so nodded, but his lips tugged downwards for a moment before he pushed to hug Jungkooks waist. 

"Hyung, you'll come and visit me often, right?" 

Jungkook wasn't too sure. He'd be busy, more than he already was with his inquiry. Time was ticking, and he still hadn't found a solid lead yet. He needed to work more, research more, study more, the list went on. He didn't have time to visit as often as he was, even if he wanted to. He couldn't promise Jung-so those frequent lessons anymore. 

"Hey, don't sound so sad. I'll come whenever I can, okay? If you ever need me, your eomma has my number. You can talk to me whenever you want and whenever you need something." Jung-so nodded, but he looked more upset than before. Jungkook knew that Jung-so could read between the lines, that this would be a longer goodbye than before. 

"Promise?" 

"Promise." 

Leaving the convenience store after dropping Jung-so off felt disheartening. It was always rough leaving the kid, especially when there was still so much to cover. Would Jung-so be okay? 

"I think the biggest lie you ever tried selling was the concept of you being an asshole." Yugyeom suddenly chimed in, breaking the silence. "You're a real sweetheart, Jungkook. You might not realize it yourself, but you always go the extra mile for people. Teach the lessons no one had taught you; that's admirable, Kookie." 

Awe. 

Jungkook flushed, he wasn't really used to such praises. It meant so much more coming from Yugyeom; it felt genuine. What should he say to that? 

"A twat maybe, but definitely not an asshole." Yugyeom remarked cheerily, clearly teasing as he grinned mischievously at Jungkook. 

"Yugyeom!" 

Laughter filled the air, the sun beginning to peek through the parting clouds. "Come on now Kooks, let's go shopping now!" 

Turns out that going shopping with Yugyeom was hard. 

The day had stretched on seamlessly as the two had stopped to eat lunch in a nook-in-the-wall restaurant, the type that was clearly run by an elderly married couple. The woman taking the orders before shouting them towards the back, a man skillfully preparing all forty-two dishes himself. At this point Jungkook had already taken Yugyeom to a few malls, splurging a little on his friends wardrobe, not without a little struggle of course and much to his own chagrin had been forced to try on countless items as well. 

Jungkook should have called it quits after eating; he had already felt a little rusty this morning. Joints hurting just a little more than usual, his head feeling just a little more foggy and tighter. He could tell from experience that today should have been a resting, lay-low kind of day. It was a kind of foresight one only really got through overestimating oneself, but Yugyeom hadn't been in Busan before. Maybe, just maybe, he wanted to show his friend his little part of the world. 

The pretty side. Away from all the melancholy shrouding him. 

Which is why Jungkook couldn't help but add another stop to their sight-seeing trip. "One of the best places to go for magicals in cities like Busan are markets like the Laminel Market." He explained, pushing past a metal gate. A little flash of heat prickled against his skin, a tell-tale sight of passing through a magical barrier. 

"Yeah, I haven't seen as many magicals in the city as I do in the suburbs." Yugyeom said, closing his eyes briefly as he walked past the barrier. 

"I mean, it's a lot harder to navigate a city with large wings or horns," Jungkook added, which got a shrug from Yugyeom before the witch paused and took in the sights of the market. 

Laminel was bustling with an array of magicals twisting and wandering around the lined stalls. Stalls and tents, crafted from materials ranging from spider silk to moonbeams, lined the meandering cobblestone paths. A symphony of otherworldly languages made the market hectic, but compared to other markets, that was rather normal. The air was filled with enticing aromas, whether from a wild assortment of herbs, teas, or other mystical treats from food vendors. 

Markets like these were the place to go if one needed any and all things magical; vendors, who themselves could be vampires, shifters, faeries, or witches, sell everything from cursed artifacts and ancient tomes to rare ingredients and flunky talismans. 

“Wow,” Yugyeom stammered. Eyes flicking over the surroundings as he walked through the market with Jungkook. The overarching sky was cast in a perpetual starry sky, a neat trick to make the bazaar more accessible to the nocturnally inclined. A pair of witches question and ogle a selection of simmering potions. Across the market, a dragon in human form haggles over a piece of meteorite. 

Further down, a group of mischievous pixies flit around selling maps to "hidden realms" to non-magicals. To the side, a faerie musician plays a peppy melody on a lute, captivating a crowd of diverse magicals. 

It was busy. It was hectic and so so magical.

Strings of fairy-lights hang from stall to stall, people conversing happily as they walked by. It was natural, a safe space for everyone who entered. Although humans were the most likely to get scammed in a place like this, they weren't necessarily unwelcomed as long as they behaved. 

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Jungkook teased, smiling at Yugyeom's slightly awestruck expression. The sheer auras must be a little overwhelming for the empath, but there was always a level of comfort when being surrounded by one's own kind like this. Being in a city like Busan left little room to properly indulge in all things magical; bazaars like this always seemed to refill that depleting battery. 

"It's so lively. I heard about the city markets, but I didn't think they'd be like this." Yugyeom vaguely gestured to all around him, eyes lingering on the jewelry stalls. 

"I get Halmonis tea from here, and I'm friends with the vendor." 

"Let me guess, the vendor's an oldie?" 

Jungkook passed, tilting his head as he glanced at Yugyeom. "How'd you know?" 

Yugyeom laughed, shaking his head incredulously at Jungkook's obliviousness. "Seriously! You're found fodder for them! A well mannered, polite little witchy boy who needs some affection." 

Jungkook paused, huffing as he looked away. They walked for a moment longer, his arms crossed over his chest as he pouted. "I'm not little…" 

Walking through the market was hectic, especially since Yugyeom felt the need to stop at every second stall they passed. But there was a sweetness to watching his friend converse so freely with others, laughing with vendors, trying a multitude of rings and necklaces. The occasional hat, shall, or other nicknack wasn't spared either. It felt strangely normal to be here with Yugyeom, and it still gave Jungkook a bit of whiplash to think they had only just reunited two weeks ago. It felt like they had never parted. A part of him understood why leaving Yugyeom had been a necessity and why he did it. But he also wished he never had; Yugyeom ushered away loneliness within him he hadn't even been aware he had. 

A sudden sharp throb against his forehead made him hesitate, his smile turning into a poorly concealed grimace as he let this new onslaught pierce against his skull. Jungkook knew he'd get a headache today, and most of his symptoms were accompanied by headaches. Like a headband far too tight, the pressure increasing throughout the day. 

His heart squeezed painfully like a small dull contraction, leaving his chest sore. He lifted his hand, gently rubbing small circles into his chest. His little episodes were bearable, but with each passing week, they were bordering on downright painful. But Jungkook managed; he was used to this, and he had been warned about this. He knew that if he were to glance at his wrist now, those hauntingly familiar black veins would mar his skin again like an unwanted tattoo. Instinctively, he pulled the sleeves of his black puffer jacket down further. 

"Jungkook—"

The earlier comfort in the market was gone, an unpleasant shiver running down his spine like the shadowy ghost of a hand. It was too loud, too busy, too hectic—

"Jungkook?"

His gaze snapped back to Yugyeom, blinking once, twice—again until he could focus back on who was in front of him.

“Jungkook, are you okay?” Yugyeom asked, skeptical gaze wandering across his tense frame. 

No. 

No, he felt awful. 

"Yeah, I'm good. Got a little lost in thought there, I'm still trying to find proper source material for my research y'know?" Word vomiting wasn't exactly a fair way to avoid confrontation, but Jungkook didn't have it in him to properly lie and make an excuse for himself. 

"Thornvine is good and all, but its potency decreases after introducing it to air." Jungkook paused, ignoring the confused expression from Yugyeom. "Of course, we could put it into an airtight container but the nitrogen, oxygen, and argon would still find a way to interact with the medicinal herb whenever used." 

"Jungkook—"

"Thornvine is a purifier, but it detoxifies the entire body. Considering that the mana is what is actually corrupted, would the thornvine root potentially strain the remaining body?" 

"Jungkook!!" 

Jungkook paused, mouth shutting with a small snap as Yugyeom moved in front of him. "Breath, okay?" Stable, unwavering eyes met his, and Jungkook found himself unable to do anything but breathe. Yugyeom had a very stern voice if he needed it. 

"We were talking about rings, when did you get to thornvine roots again? Jungkook-ah, I find your work ethic admirable and I understand— the pressure you're under. But balance is important, yeah?" Yugyeom explained, clear and direct. Jungkook nodded, exhaling slowly as he calmed down. He'd rather get scolded than have his friend worried, Yugyeom was enjoying the market after all. He didn't want to be the one to cut that time short. 

"Okay, sorry." He breathed, sporting a weak smile. 

Yugyeom stared at him a little longer, clearly still skeptical about something, before letting it go with a sigh. Jungkook grabbed his hand, giving it a small apologetic squeeze. "Let's go to that tea stall now, okay? They give out free samples." 

Nodding, Yugyeom let him lead them through the crowds. Jia ran the stall with her sister, the two elderly fairies had a larger space compared to the others; small foldable chairs and desks littering the front for anybody wanting a cup of tea in person. 

"Ah! Jungkookies back! Bora look—look !" Jia rushed, Bora—her sister—grabbed the dangling pair of glasses around her neck and quickly put them on. Clapping her hands together in joy, "and finally with some company too! Whose this, your boyfriend?" 

Jungkook laughed, shaking his head as Yugyeom snickered. “No no, this is Yugyeom. An old friend of mine." 

"Oh, how lovely. Sit sit! I'll make some tea." Jia ushered, waving them over to sit down. Jia was a very peppy woman, always adorned in far too many layers and patterns. A smaller but larger framed woman whose writs were always covered in large chunky jewelry. Bora was the opposite, a very tall and lean woman who wore monotone colors. Behind each of their backs were small fairy wings. Although Bora was more direct and brutally honest than Jia, both of them were sweethearts. 

They both sat down after some thorough questioning, each being given a steaming cup of tea to enjoy as they talked. Jia and Bora both busy with other customers. 

"Alright," Yugyeom announced as he set his cup down once he noticed Jungkook's thoughts straying again. 

"Thornvine root loses its potency after exposing it to the air, right?" Jungkook was a little surprised by the change of topic, feeling a little bashful at his poor concealment. His head still ached, and his inflamed ribcage was begging for a warm heating pad at the moment. 

"Yeah, it's complicated to prepare but durable. I can't use it if it loses its effectiveness during consumption either." He explained, thornvine root was the best herb he had found for his condition. "My theory is simple so far, thornvine is a strong antioxidant. It has long-lasting purifying qualities." He waited for Yugyeom's nod before continuing. 

"If my mana is the subject of corruption, introducing a purifying agent could control or reduce the levels of toxicity." Jungkook wanted a cure—something to rid himself of this disease. But he was running out of time, and being able to develop a cure that would reduce his condition from fatal to chronic, then he considered that a momentary win. 

"We could put a spell on it? A type of concealment spell to keep the air away." Yugyeom suggested, glancing at his teacup absentmindedly. 

Jungkook shook his head, sighing sadly. "In theory, but no. If you put a spell on a consumable item, you'll also be consuming a small amount of mana. That could potentially develop into a catalyst for the condition." 

Yugyeom nodded, frown deepening. Jungkook had gone through all of this before, developing a theory only to be proven wrong. The defeat grew worse the further on he went when hope was snatched out of his fingertips yet again. It breeds a hopelessness he'd like to spare Yugyeom from. 

"Oh honey, you need to find yourself an azurelbloom!" Jia suddenly popped up beside Yugyeom, making the witch jump a little as he hurriedly grabbed his nearly spilt teacup. 

Jungkooks brows furrowed, trying to recall the herb Jia was describing. "I've never heard of an azurelbloom before." 

Jia hummed, gently tapping Yugeums head in a silent apology for spooking the boy. "The azurelbloom is very old, one of the few truly sentient flowers left on the planet. It was said—" Jia began, lowering her voice into a whisper to make the story sound more interesting. She pulled out a chair, inviting herself to sit down at the table with them. 

"The flower was said to be used by the Gods." 

Gods? 

"Aish, don't believe any of that nonsense Jungkook." Bora muttered, dismissing the idea with her hand as he sat down at the last remaining chair, spooking Yugyeom once more. It made Jungkook stifle a snicker, the two sisters could be quite—sporadic. 

"What?! The azurelbloom existed!” Jia argued, crossing her arms. 

"Perhaps 500 years ago. You're feeding the kid a legend Jia, what Jungkook really needs to do is go find the Nereids." Bora objected, pushing up her narrow glasses. 

"Nereids, as in, the water nymphs?" Yugyeom asked, still recovering from getting jumpscared—twice. 

Bora nodded, waving around the closed fan she always carried with her. "Nereids pulled all kinds of things into the water with them if they were fond enough. They are masters at preservation; if they desired a daisy one day, they'd preserve it to never touch the depths of their springs. If they're able to keep air in, it's only fair to assume they'd be able to keep air out, too." 

Jungkook nodded, finding a way to preserve the thornvine roots was his biggest obstacle at the moment. Perhaps if the Nereids showed him how, he'd be able to finally begin creating proper prototypes. 

"That all said and good, but don't nymphs have an aversion to men?" Jia asked, frowning at the thought. "You're sending the boy out into danger!" 

Bora scoffed at the accusation, "as if setting him out to hunt down an ancient, cognizant flower is any better." 

"Well, it's better then—" 

Jungkooks head pulsed, his fingers trembling underneath the table. He had a lot to think about, and yet, there was so little time. But he had a new lead, and that's all he needed. 

Now, how the hell was he going to find a Nereid? 

Come on… 

A little more… 

So close—

Jungkook gasped as the library's ladder began to slide to the left. He was leaning off towards the side, trying to reach a book on Ancient Greek folklore, or more specifically, nymphs. Unlike most magicals, who could simply summon the book down from the shelves where the library's encyclopedia stood on the podium, Jungkook—for several reasons—could not. 

Perhaps he should have just climbed back down and shifted the ladder a little to the right, but it had been a long day, and he was still partially recovering from his trip to his Halmoni. So, he had been lazy and was now going to suffer the consequences of tasting the old carpeted flooring as the ladder continued to slide. 

Closing his eyes, Jungkook briefly expected the impact to come as he inevitably lost his footing on the ladder as it stretched his form out. Gasping quietly—this was still a library, after all—Jungkook braced himself only to feel tingly? 

Eyes snapping open, Jungkook shuddered as he shortly levitated in the air before being carefully lowered down. His feet touched the floor slowly, but the adrenaline still made him stumble. His savior's magic linger against his skin, like a subtle warm or fading caress. 

But Jungkook could recognize that magic from anywhere, and he didn't even need to wonder who had saved him before turning around greeting Namjoon's worried expression. 

"Did you hurt yourself, Jungkook-ah?" 

Perhaps Jungkook would never get used to the sight of his old soulmates again. The library was a loose term for what Veils had to offer; it was more like a grand and ancient archive. Long, stretching bookshelves required sliding landers just to be able to access the top sections of the bookshelves. The middle of the library had long, heavy mahogany desks available for the students. However, small, shorter desks were also littered around along with comfortable seating for anyone simply trying to read. 

Natural light seemed to flood the library, too. Windows lined the walls, filling the otherwise academic architecture with warmth. Namjoon stood before one of these windows, the light peeking around his silhouette and embracing his form. Jungkook hadn't taken the time to properly look over Namjoon, he had briefly glanced over him when moving in and during their last argument, but now Namjoon was before him and—and he looked beautiful. 

Yeah, Jungkook would surely never get used to the sight. 

There was a new sense of maturity in Namjoon's appearance, from the way his posture was straight yet still carried a certain mellowness. His face and features are now sharper and more defined. Six years had been a long time; somewhere along the way, all of them had gone from boys to adults. Of course, things would have changed. Jungkook just hadn't noticed it before, the intensity in Namjoons changed gaze. 

His style alone had changed too; back in the academy, Namjoon had never strayed from the required uniform, but on holidays, the mandatory dress code wasn't enforced; Namjoon had still chosen to dress in rather formal, business-casual attire at most. Jungkook recalled, rather fondly, how Seokjin and Jimin had dedicated nearly an entire day to pepping up Namjoons wardrobe. They had hunkered down in Jimins and Taehyung's shared room, clothes spewn half-hazardously across the floor, across chairs and their beds, Namjoon forced to parade in front of the full-length mirror like a personal manikin as they tried discovering Namjoons preferences together. Hopefully to stray from his interrogation-like style and more of a casual academic style. Their day hadn't been the most productive, but they did discover that Namjoon enjoyed certain styles over others. Jungkook had enjoyed that day, simply goofing off with his Hyungs and forcing his usually put-together Hyung in various styles and outfits. Having watched Namjoon be out of his element for once had quite the bonding factor for him, especially since Namjoon had struggled so immensely with showing his vulnerabilities. Vaguely, Jungkook couldn't help but wonder how much that has changed. 

Even now, Namjoon wore a soft set of grayish-brown suit pants—some habits never die, it seems—tied at the waist with a black leather belt that matched the black turtleneck that hugged his body. A loose, large-sleeved gray cardigan ties the outfit neatly together. Namjoon appeared soft but still put together enough that Jungkook assumed would make Namjoon feel comfortable. 

How could Namjoon simply look so effortless? It irritated him, mostly because he got caught staring. Who could blame him? He hadn't seen Namjoon in nearly six years; somehow, his eyes were still trying to catch up with the fact that Namjoon was real , that he was in front of him. Besides that, what frustrated him more was that within the past week, he had been asked the same question twice already by both Hoseok, Yoongi and now Namjoon as well. 

Jungkook had hoped silently that they could all just go their separate ways after their argument. At least they could all just pretend to hate each other, right? Hating them was easy. Even if Jungkook's feelings stretched far beyond just hate, what was going on was far more complex than just simply being sad or angry. Hating them was the only way it didn't hurt. 

Finally snapping out of his embarrassing stupor, Jungkook nodded. "Yep, just fine. Thanks." He murmured, looking around him to spot the book he had nearly taken the fall for lying on the floor. Bending down, he picked it up quickly. He wanted to leave. Lest he take a look into Namjoons all too familiar eyes. It was like taking a look at one's past while simultaneously glancing at one's own unachievable, daunting future. A world consisting entirely of what-ifs and had-beens. 

It scared Jungkook how much he was still able to hurt for these people. For him. 

"Well, anyways, I'll be going—"

Namjoon quickly stepped in front of him, stopping Jungkook from escaping the situation. Brows now furrowed in irritation, Jungkook took a step back. The string connecting them tugged lightly, almost unwilling to let him escape their unwelcome proximity.

"Namjoon, move." 

"No, please—" Namjoon exhaled, brushing his hair back with his hand nervously. He glanced around before finally locking eyes with Jungkook. It nearly took the sickly witches breath away, they hadn't been that close before, Jungkook hadn't seen those sincere eyes since— since then. 

It hurt.

“I’m sorry, Jungkook.” Namjoon began, frowning deeply. "For everything. Gods have mercy; there aren't enough ways for me to apologize to you for all that's happened. But also for our last argument, emotions were strung high and I—" Namjoon inhaled sharply, his exhale a little shaky. "You had every right to react the way you did, telling you to calm down was inappropriate of me. I spoke out of turn, and I'm sorry for that." 

Ever the diplomat, Kim Namjoon. Jungkook thought bitterly. However, an apology was better than none, Namjoon's reaction had been out of turn, no matter how diplomatically refined his apology came across. Jungkook stood silently between the narrow aisle of bookshelves, staring at the man he had loved endlessly six years ago as he let his apology dangle heavily in the air. But Namjoon was right, there weren't enough apologies in the world for his anguish to subside. 

Namjoons apology came too late. 

The silence between them made Namjoon nearly sink in on himself, the older witches hand hesitated as it briefly lifted to reach out for Jungkook, halting mid air before dropping limply to his side. Eventually, it balled up. 

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Jungkook." Namjoons usually relaxed voice sounded wobbly, unsteady as the pleading witch swallowed. 

And just like a dormant dragon, Jungkooks anger sprung back to life. Mostly because the sheer vulnerability within Namjoon's tone unsettled him, and another because the string connecting both him and Namjoon tugged weakly on his finger. He still wasn't used to that feeling; no, their bonds had remained devoid of any and all motion during the past years; feeling it move rattled him. There was something about seeing a shine to Namjoons's eyes that also irritated him. Why was Namjoon close to crying?—he had no right. 

Jungkook had been the one hurt here. 

The silence hanging between them was uncomfortable, nearly sparking from its intensity. None of them spoke, and with a resounding sigh, Jungkook's shoulders sank. 

"I'm not sure what you want me to say, Namjoon-sii." Perhaps that was the most level-headed Jungkook could be at this moment, but there was a certain defeat in his tone. 

"I can't say that everythings fine, that you are forgiven, that I don't hate you. None of that's true—" Namjoons remorseful gaze never left his, when had been the last time they had looked into each other's eyes? "—and you know that."

Again, the library's silence grew louder in its stillness. Namjoon seemed to be mulling over his own words, before he nodded. “I know that, Jungkook-ah. I'm not asking for your forgiveness," there was a pause, and Namjoon seemed to understand that asking for Jungkook's forgiveness was beyond him. That— that was something he wasn't allowed or able to request. 

"All I'm asking for is a chance—" 

"No." Jungkook cut him off, he wanted none of it. 

"Please, just to talk." Namjoon continued, a level of desperation as he pleaded. "Jungkook, I haven't seen you in six years. Please, I know I'm in no place to make requests from you—"

"So don't." 

Namjoon heaved a sigh, combing his hair back. "I've missed you."

Gods, what would Jungkook give to never hear Namjoon say that again. Such simple words, wrapping around his throat like a noose. 

But Namjoon continued, his own draconic eyes mirroring the desolation and fear that this could be their last time talking. "Please, Jungkook. Let's talk—we need to—to talk." 

Jungkook closed his eyes, inhaled sharply, and counted to ten until he opened them again. Keeping the wateriness at bay was futile, and he watched as Namjoon's hands itched to wipe his tears away. The elder stayed still, good. 

With a deep breath, tone cold and filled with a pained contempt, he spoke, perhaps a final time with Namjoon:

"You didn't just walk out of a room that day, Kim Namjoon." 

"You walked out on me."

There was a finality to Jungkooks tone, a bit unrecognizable to his own ears. But it needed to be said, Namjoon needed to hear it as much as he needed to say it. 

"The moment you walked out that fucking door. You relinquished everything you had on me. You have no rights to my life anymore. So don't—" Jungkooks voice quivered, forcing the sickly witch to swallow down his rising emotions. "—don't ask me to talk with you, especially when we have nothing to say to each other." 

Jungkook's hand tightened around the spine of the borrowed book, taking a few steps back. 

"Not anymore," he murmured, giving a slight bow with a politeness associated with strangers. "Goodbye, Namjoon-sii." He whispered, holding onto a faulty sense of closure as he walked away.

The sharp sound of a book slamming shut, followed closely by an elongated sigh, broke the silence surrounding the laboratory. Glancing out the window, the sun had set hours ago; leaving the sky generously decorated by the stars. Yugyeom had left the lab hours ago, not without the firm prompting of the Im coven threatening to send over some of its members to collect Yugyeom personally (which they had); it had been cute. It comforted Jungkook how well-matched Yugyeom and the Im coven were. He glanced briefly at the empty food container on his desk, a gift from Jaebeom since Jungkook had made a habit of getting take-out since he didn't want to spend any more time in his shared apartment than necessary. 

Originally, he had only accepted the meal under the guise that the coven had simply made too much for dinner last night, but this being the fifth day in a row, he was beginning to have some doubts. 

It had been—what? Six days since Yugyeom and he had returned from Busan? It took nearly the entire train ride back to persuade him to tone down his fussing, and even now, Yugyeom focused more on his meals than ever. Apparently, he hadn't been all that subtle at the market. 

Nearly every morning, Yugyeom would come in with a hot drink in his hand, usually a type of tea and a little snack. The teas, always kept warm by simple magic, contained some type of health benefit. Youngjae began joining them during the mornings, explaining a little more about each current selection. Jungkook later found out that Youngjae was the one actually making and brewing the tea specifically for Jungkook's health, each day selecting something different. One day, it had been a brew specific for his metabolism, another for his muscles or heart, and something generic and basic. Occasionally—and thanks to much discussion—the Ims would only bring him food for lunch every once in a while. Now that he was receiving food nearly every night for dinner, also accepting a clearly homemade meal for lunch just felt like too much. Too leeching.

So on the rare occasion where Jungkook allowed himself to be manhandled off towards lunch, he'd eat with Yugyeom and usually some of his other coven members. Depending on who had time at the moment, Yugyeom rarely ate alone. Jaebeom was the head of the coven, prompting him to be significantly more busy than the younger members. But Jungkook managed to spend nearly most of his week with the Ims, and it was—it was nice. Mark and Jackson made him laugh more times than he could count; Youngjae was easy to fall into conversations with, especially regarding his growing herb garden. Jinyoung had traveled a lot before finding his soulmates, and Jungkook loved hearing about the man's adventures. Jaebeom gave off a sense of authority that Jungkook generally avoided, but as the days flew by, Jaebeom grew softer and more doting. BamBam, as it turns out, is as much of a brat as Yugyeom, roping Jungkook into whatever they had planned for the day. 

Glancing at the fresh bouquet of flowers in the corner by the windowsill, he couldn't help but wonder which of the Ims was responsible for replacing and filling the empty vase every two to three days. At first, Jungkook found the gesture cute for Yugyeom, if only the flowers hadn't been on his side of the lab each time.  

The flowers didn't come from Youngjae's garden, so he could only assume it was another form of encouragement from the coven.

Spending time with the Ims felt natural and easy. Despite all their poorly concealed fussing, no one looked at him with those solemn expressions he absolutely loathed. Besides the teas, the inconspicuous push of vegetables, broths, and not-so-subtle additions of meats to his plate, he was treated like a person—not a tragedy but a friend. 

It meant a lot to him. 

A soft, subtle knocking disrupted his poor attempts at getting anything done. Glancing away from the flowers, he knew he'd have to revisit the topic of nymphs and nereids at a later date, most likely tomorrow. 

The lab door opened before Jungkook could get up, glancing around to see if Yugyeom had forgotten his coat or phone again. 

"What did you forget this time, Yugs?" Jungkook hummed sarcastically, turning to look at the door before halting. His amused smile slipped, taking in the sight of Jimin holding a large bouquet of flowers. A delicate assortment of purple hyacinths, tulips, sunflowers, and white lilies separated by the occasional green leaf or branch. 

The bouquet was beautiful, as were the last few he'd received. They would've been even more beautiful if he hadn't just realized they had been coming from Jimin. 

Jimin looked shocked, as if he wasn't expecting Jungkook to still be in the lab. Which was wild, considering that it was his laboratory. His eyes were wide, staring back at Jungkook in a slight stupor. He wore a white puffer jacket that was zipped up all the way, a gray scarf tucked snuggly around his neck. His cheeks and nose were dusted a light pink from the cold, the hand holding the bouquet a cold pinkish as well. 

Jungkook seemed to snap out of his surprise first, clearing his throat as he mimicked his nonchalance. "What are you doing here?" 

He sounded calm and insouciant. Jimins' presence bothered him, and so did the newfound knowledge that the bouquet of flowers he always spent time admiring each morning was from him. But it was well past midnight, and Jungkook had woken up early that morning to head to the library—his interaction with Namjoon still heavy on his shoulders. Working just helped in that regard, with each word he read and every page he studied. Devoting himself to what truly mattered helped sway the focus back to where it should be; his cure. 

As if snapping out of a trance, Jimin perked up before tumbling over his words. "What?—OH, yes—yeah, I just umm… came here to replace the—uh, flowers." Jimin looked sheepish, which was rare considering that hardly anything made Jimin flush back in the day. At least, they hadn't been able to. Jimin had been open to, well— most things. Besides little embarrassing hiccups around strangers, hardly anything could deter Jimin's unwavering confidence back in the day. 

Did—

Did Jimin consider him a stranger? 

Somehow, between all the bitterness and sorrow he felt when looking at Jimin, the thought of being reduced to a simple stranger bothered him. Not when they had known each other for longer than they hadn't. Not when Jimin had meant everything to him. 

"Ah," for a moment Jungkook wished he could string together an actual intellectual sentence. But it was hard to think around any of his old coven members, there was something about their mere presence that overwhelmed him with emotions. Clearing his throat, he glanced away bashfully as Jimin's gaze softened on him—fondly? 

"I wasn't aware you were the one leaving those." Jimins lip quirked upwards at his words, the witch rolling on his feet before Jungkook let him in with a stunted nod. He walked over to the vase, carefully taking out the resting flowers. Besides a few petals here and there, the bouquet never managed to look withered before Jimin supposedly replaced it. He tended to them with a level of care that borderlined on affection, and Jungkook couldn't handle the thought of any of them, including Jimin, being affectionate with him. 

"Yeah, I had wanted to talk to you after you got settled in. But when I got to your lab, you weren't there." Jimin explained, his voice composed and warm. He took the new bundle of flowers, removing its rapping carefully before summoning a quick set of pruning scissors and beginning to prep the ends. Jungkook sat still, unable to process the normality of Jimin's behavior. 

Maybe Jungkook was just really tired. He still hadn't fully recovered from his episode in the market, or maybe he just hadn't slept enough. But having Jimin in his laboratory felt strange, and so did his warm, gentle tone. It was just so Jimin. 

It had been years. Nothing about the man before him should still feel familiar. 

"I just noticed how dull everything looked, y'know?" Jimin went on, skillfully beginning to arrange the set of flowers he bought into the vase. 

"This is a laboratory, not a gallery, Jimin-ah." Jungkook retorted, crossing his arms. 

Jimin laughed, lightheartedly and airily. Like the gentle music Jimin's laughter had always been, even with how soft and quiet it was now, it eased Jungkook's tense shoulders. After all these years, Jungkook still found himself so weak for Jimin. 

A weakness he couldn't—shouldn't allow. This was about himself, his protection, his self-preservation, and yet, he couldn't bring himself to usher Jimin out of his sanctuary. He only lowered his head, picking at the soft fabric of his sweater.  

"I just—" Jimin paused, hand trailing over the stem of a white Lilie. "Remembered how you used to like picking flowers every spring; the seasons are changing and all, but I thought you'd like a little color in here regardless." Sighing quietly, Jimin stepped back to admire his work. The flowers were arranged beautifully, even if Jungkook didn't want to admit it. 

A silence stretched between them, lingering lonesomely. "This room gets a lot of light. So I thought sunflowers would look quite good in here." Jimin mused, glancing around Jungkook's filled work desk curiously. 

He should've asked Jimin to leave the moment he entered. But Jungkook was at a wits end for tonight, between too much work and little sleep, spending the better part of a day trying to figure out a way to get occasionally man-eating goddesses to help him out. 

It can't be that hard, right? 

Jungkook kept his gaze on the flower arrangement, there was something ironic about the sight of sunflowers without any sun to bask in. Jimin had a light affinity, a literal, breathing, sun. 

"You shouldn't be here this late, Jungkook-ah, it's not healthy—" 

"You were like the sun." Jungkook croaked, projecting a silence against the room. Faintly, one could hear the soft calling of crickets outside despite the laboratory being on the upper floors. 

His eyes lingered on a sunflower protruding from the arrangement, a strange sense of melancholy erupting within him. Jungkook was exhausted, there just wasn't any room for anger tonight. Looking at Jimin, all Jungkook felt was a bittersweetness that edged more on sorrow than anger.  

"You were my sun." Had his voice always sounded so fragile? There was a lump in his throat forcing him to swallow.

"And—" 

"—and when you left ." 

Jungkook looked up, his absent gaze finding Jimin's rueful ones. His old soulmate's waterline glistened, a wetness threatening to spill over if Jungkook went on.  

"You took the sunlight with you." 

Just because a witch had an affinity didn't mean they had to share a personality with their abilities. Necromancers didn't have to be edgy and downright creepy, nor did seers have to be reserved and wise, but Jimin— Jimin was like a ray of sunshine. 

When they had met Hoseok for the first time, it had been like two stars colliding. Erupting to create a light so warm, so gentle that they had all been drawn to it. 

"I—I spent years in that darkness, not able to see where I'm going, where I'm heading, it was all just empty." How many times, prompted by the jinge of the bookstores bells, had Jungkook wished he'd see Jimin's familiar face? 

"So when I finally—Finally managed to light a candle, you show up." He didn't mean to sound so grim, but their reality was; in fact, far from perfect. It had always been the two of them, like Bonnie and Clyde or Robin Hood and Marian. Until it suddenly wasn't. 

"And I don't care, I don't care that your presence promises me sunlight." 

"Jungkook-ah—" Jimins voice quivered, sounding watery. "Can I just please—"

"Because when you took it the first time, you also took my sense of security within you."

Had he been too dependent on Jimin? Of course not; they had been soulmates, after all.  

"When you left, you made it look easy —" 

Jimin had always shone so beautifully; if he had been the sun, then Yoongi would've been the moon. Only now did Jungkook realize that in all his life he had never been anything more than a mere sunflower.

"—like, like it was easy to leave me." 

Autumn was approaching; Jungkook hadn't noticed it before, the subtle chill joining the breeze brushing past him. The leaves were beginning to change colours, greens migrating into different shades of yellows and oranges. The park's gravelly path wasn't littered with foliage yet, but occasionally, a leaf would separate from its twig and dance through the air before landing on damp grass. 

It was early. Early enough in the morning, that the park was still a tranquil haven, cloaked in the soft hues of dawn. The trees stretch out the shadows of the rising sun, its golden hue forcing the dewdrop-covered leaves to practically sparkle as the warming light peaked through branches. The air still had a certain bite to it, a crisp that usually faded throughout the later mornings, currently carrying the sweet fragrance of dew-kissed grass and blossoming flowers. 

Jungkook wasn't usually an early bird; he was late to rise and even later to rest. But it had been Yugyeom's suggestion for Jungkook to indulge in other things outside the laboratory, which is why he was here now. Caring a small bag Yugyeom had gifted him consisted of nothing besides a small sketchbook and pencil. It was an old hobby of his—to draw. Quite frankly, he had ceased all of his hobbies after his diagnosis. It felt bittersweet; Jungkook hadn't really realized just how much he had given up that day. 

Jungkook consistently trod the delicate line between elation and guilt. Throughout his years of study, he carefully avoided any and all thoughts of his inevitable death. He could—He couldn't accept it. Every action he took, every chapter, every essay, every paper he read was done with an innate sense of dedication—of urgency. 

He wasn't going to die. 

The grass, still dappled with the glistening remnants of the night's dew, crunched underneath Jungkook's boots as he wandered off the path and towards an empty bench looking out onto the lake. A sense of renewal pervades the air, and the stillness carries a promise of unknown possibilities. Mallards still stayed floating on the water's rippling surface, heads tucked on their backs and against their wings. The birds nesting amongst the surrounding trees had gradually begun to sing, soft chirps and boisterous calls echoing through the rustling leaves. It was almost as if the park itself was awakening with the day, ready to unfold its wonders for those fortunate enough to witness its early morning beauty.

Jungkook almost found it amusing how Yugyeom's exuberance rekindled his own. How, in his steel-fortified focus, he hadn't recognized the depths of his own isolation. Along the way, toeing between different kinds of grief and sorrow, he had somehow convinced himself that companionship was unnecessary. Now, he had someone holding his hand again. Looking out onto the lake, Jungkook watched as the first ducks began awakening, beginning to prune their feathers before he glanced at the small beige tote bag Yugyeom had handed to him. 

It felt surreal—how things were beginning to change. Jungkooks own echelon was beginning to form, and watching the ducks cluster together as they awoke made Jungkook oddly happy. He had his Halmoni, now Yugyeom and Balam, and he was even becoming evermore familiar with the Im coven from their frequent visits to his shared laboratory. 

With every passing day, Jungkook felt his head slowly emerge from the water he felt himself sinking into. He had always boasted about his ability to move forward after his verdict, but comparing his current now and his previous then.

Had he ever really moved forward? 

His eyes caught onto the still resting form of a swan, the bird's long neck laid across its back and eyes closed as it drifted across the lake. He couldn't help but wonder lazily, what was the saying—Swans mate for a lifetime? Moving to grab the tote bag, Jungkook grabbed the small sketchbook and pencil, perching the notebook on his lap before beginning to sketch the idyllic swan. He was rusty, no doubt from his six-year gap, but he quickly familiarized himself with the nostalgic peace sketching gave him. 

But the reposed silence didn't last long, the sound of someone sitting down beside him had Jungkook tensing. The slight edges of annoyance filling his aura, as a quick glance around gave way to several empty benches. Glancing to his side, Jungkooks breath caught in his throat as he looked at Taehyung. 

The witch wore a long, gray-textured wool coat that reached a little past his knee. A large, red and dark gray chequered scarf draped over the back of his neck, leaving his neck exposed. Jungkook wanted to scoff, partially because wearing the scarf was pointless like that, and to resist the urge to wrap it around Taehyung's neck properly himself. The hell was up with him?

The witch also wore a pair of auburn brown pants that matched well with his white sweatshirt. Taehyung's entire outfit gave off a clean but simple look, matching well with the growing autumn colours. Taehyung had yet to look at Jungkook, eyes instead gazing forward and observing the same picturesque scenery Jungkook had been soaking up all morning. Most specifically, Taehyung seemed to be watching the rising swan. 

Jungkook hated it. He found it abhorrent how his hands itched to fix the witch's scarf, how he couldn't keep his eyes from marveling at the stark change between his Taehyung and this Taehyung. However, he figured the worst part of all—was how beautiful Taehyung still was. 

Jungkook was no longer looking at a rough-looking delinquent with smokey eyeliner and overly moussed hair, and neither was he breathing in the smell of old leather or subtle spray paint. No, the Taehyung beside him was entirely different. He smelt of subtle cologne and wore no make-up at all, adorning a well-picked-out outfit for autumn that complemented his stature entirely too much. Taehyung, when did you change? 

"The others told me not to talk to you." Taehyung began, and somehow Jungkook couldn't help but connect the opposing witches' aura to their surroundings; somehow Taehyung carried the same nippy frost the freshening air did. 

"But I don't care," Taehyung added, and despite the clear disregard towards his own wishes—he found Taehyung's disobedience comical, familiar. "Jimin told me about what you said to him." 

Ah, Jungkook had almost forgotten just how close they all were with one another. Jungkook had accepted the fact that his path would never align with his soulmates again—he came to terms with that. But that night, all of them had split up. Jungkook had remained unaware that while he trotted around the world like a pariah, they had been wandering together. 

Jungkook inhaled, his shaky breath coming out quivery as it clouded against the fresh morning air. There was no way that that realization would ever not hurt him. 

"He looked for you." 

Taehyung hadn't looked at him as he spoke, but it carried a curtness he was familiar with. There was a subtle, pensive sweetness to the familiarity; that despite the physical changes, Taehyung would always remain Taehyung. It took Jungkook a moment to catch onto exactly what he had said, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion before realization dawned on him. 

Briefly, the scene of Taehyung entering the auditorium and jogging towards Jimin's brooding figure during Yugyeom's presentation flashed through him. The sight of Jimin's turbulent thoughts vanishing, practically melting under Taehyung's doting affections. They were so close to one another. Bonded. 

"What?" Jungkook piped, looking out at the grooming swan. It was ironic to be surrounded by so much ataraxia and yet remain utterly troubled. 

Jungkook watched as Taehyung's blank expression cracked, the facade quivering as he whispered, "We—well, we looked for you." 

This time, it was Jungkook's turn to avoid eye contact because—what was he supposed to do with that information? Give Taehyung a participation sticker? A part of him wanted the other witch to stop this conversation entirely because, despite his efforts, his unbridled hate and contempt for everything regarding soulmates—Jungkook still bled for them. With every word, with every encounter, his heart would begin to weep all over again. Taehyung's words hurt, an ache entirely different from anything that could've been caused by insulting him. It was a deep, visceral kind of throbbing.  

"We searched for years," Taehyung whispered, and perhaps if the park wasn't nearly as serene and empty as it was, Jungkook would've lost the softness of them to the wind. 

A moment passed, Taehyungs gaze lowering to the ground as his expression contorted into one of mild frustration. Jungkook vaguely remembers a similar reaction to a conversation they had long ago, where Taehyung confided in him and complained about his inability to properly express himself. Jungkook couldn't help but wonder if those words still applied today. 

"There wasn't—" Taehyung paused, inhaling as his tongue flicked to wet his lips. "There wasn't a pebble we left unturned Jungkook." Please, Jungkook thought pleadingly, please don't say my name like that. 

As if the world depended on Jungkook believing him. 

"Jimin hyung," Taehyung began again, "Jimin even went to your parents." The witch let out a dry, bitter-sounding chuckle that was more spiteful than anything else. Jungkook instantly understood, his own surprise at the information wearing off. His parents were huge, bigoted classists who were pretty prejudiced against gifted witches—those who weren't born into a witching bloodline—opposed to their superiorly born witches. 

Jimin was a gifted witch, as in he hadn't actually developed his abilities until the MCA classified him as a magical. There wasn't necessarily any difference between the abilities of a born witch and gifted witch, but prejudices still existed nonetheless. Jungkook never cared for any of that bullshit. But to imagine Jimin, a man who has always been viewed as inferior by his parents, knocking on their door and asking about his whereabouts stirred his mixed emotions even more. 

"You could imagine how well that went." Taehyung cursed, hands scrunching up. "The old hag tore him apart—rightfully so, but Jimin only ever repeated his question." 

A small flock of ducks flew down towards the lake, circling it once before slowly lowering into the waving water with energetic wingstrokes. They squeaked and squawked, playfully circling each other as they occasionally ducked for food. Gradually, people began entering the park too. The lonesome jogger or dog walker following the path outlining the body of water. 

"So I went to find Jimin, and together we began combing through Hangawoondae together." Taehyungs expression never truly changed as he recounted what occurred after Jungkook left. His fists were hidden in his coat pockets, but Jungkook could tell that he was cycling through a restrained pattern of clenching and unclenching his fists. 

"But together, we couldn't find you either." Somehow, Taehyung still managed to tone his words with a level of despair that made Jungkook wonder if he was still missing. "So we went to find Namjoon and Jin." 

Jungkook knew he shouldn't be indulging Taehyung like this—he should've left. But another part of him wanted to know , he wanted to know what they did when he left. The first weeks on his own were gruesome, a collaboration between being cold, hungry, and lonely. When all Jungkook had was an empty park bench to lay on for the night, his gaze cast up into the desolate starry sky. Wondering vacantly where they were, whether or not anyone was out there looking for him.   

Jungkook knew that despite all the supposed hate and disassociation he had prided himself on, he never lost a certain hope throughout the beginning. With every jingle of the front entrance bells at his Halmoni's store, Jungkook had hoped to see a familiar face. But that day never came, and those hopes died after the third year had passed. 

So Jungkook remained seated, his pale hands resting on his knees, fingertips dusted a light pink from the cold. Though the temperature hardly bothered him, his body didn't really heat up anymore. His mana too preoccupied at keeping himself stable to waste energy on heat.

"Namjoon and Jin went and found your Grandparents—fuck, we even tracked down your Uncle," Taehyung muttered. Jungkook frowned; he had cut all ties with his family when he left. There wasn't one member worse than the other, and they were all just dreadful. But to hear they had managed to track down his salacious, estranged Uncle? That must've come from Namjoon's connections. 

"Hoseok and Yoongi had apparently already searched for you on their own," Taehyung said that strangely—spitefully? And here Jungkook thought they were all lovey-dovey with one another. He had to stifle a snarky remark, but despite all that could've changed with Taehyung, they were still so much alike. And Jungkook knew that if he interjected now, Taehyung might close up and leave. 

"Not even Yugyeom knew where you were." Taehyung pushed through, and unlike the seething stare Jimin had centered around his best friend only a week ago, Taehyung had managed a look of anguish instead. 

Jungkook didn't know where to place that information, the thought of them looking for him. But then why hadn't they just cast a spell? A tracer. Hells, they could've just followed the red soul string connecting them if they had wanted to. It wasn't and never had been impossible to find him. 

Taehyung twisted to face him, steely, determined eyes nearly taking his breath away. "I'm not saying this to guilt you, Jungkook. I just—I want you to know. Know that there wasn't a day you were out there where I wasn't looking for you." There was an unyielding tone to Taehyung's words as if daring Jungkook to disagree. 

"Years we searched the media for any sign of your apprenticeship. But nothing, you were just—gone." Taehyung went on, an almost reminiscing look casting over his gaze. 

Distantly, birds sang, chatting and flitting through the air. Taehyung sighed, scrunching up his face before meeting Jungkooks. "We fucked up!—more than just that—we royally screwed up everything good in our lives." 

Jungkook felt a bubble of protest stuck in his throat because that couldn't be true. It just couldn't. They fucked up, yes. But Jungkook hadn't been that quintessential to their coven; they had moved on without him. How far would they have gone still if he hadn't shown up on orientation day?

As if sensing his straying thoughts, Taehyung reached over and grabbed one of his icy hands. Weakly, Jungkook could still make out the now unfamiliar tingles the touch of a soulmate provided. "Jungkook-ah," Taehyung called out softly. 

"Jungkook, you don't have to forgive us." When had Taehyung garnered the ability to look so vulnerable? Where had the turbulent man of his youth gone? It nearly pained him to look up at Taehyung to meet his soft, pleading features for longer than he already had. 

"Losing you," he began again, looking out onto the lake briefly as the swan swam closer to them before subsequently passing them by. "Was the greatest mistake I ever made." 

The handing holding his squeezed, and Jungkook wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to pull away or not. "I'll be the first to admit it. One year is what I get with you," and for a second Jungkook's heart sank before he realized that the Veils program only lasted so long.  

Suddenly, Taehyung's warm eyes were back on him. "But don't think that I—we won't spend every minute of it trying to make up for those mistakes." 

A silence stretched between them as Jungkook searched Taehyungs face for any integrity, or perhaps anything to promote the opposite. Softly, Taehyung began to chuckle. Letting go of Jungkook's warmed hand to comb his hair back, breathing deeply to relieve the phantom pressure that had settled over the older witch. "Big words, huh?" He mused, trying to lighten the mood. 

"I'll prove it to you, I—"

"Why didn't you just follow our bond?" Jungkook interrupted stubbornly as he looked up at Taehyung. But the pure confusion that met him somewhat derailed him. Taehyung's eyebrows had pulled together as the other now searched his face for signs. 

"What?" The unease settling in his gut made him feel antsy; why did Taehyung look so confused? 

"Jungkook," Taehyung's voice cut through the tension between them. 

"Your soul-string faded away after you left." 

[chimini3]

On a writing stump and have a very busy schedule with school. Help me choose what to write about next! I tried my best to summarize the ideas on my board without giving away too much to what i have in store for them.

[hywnie]

As viagens de cupidos desajeitados

03.02.23

Netflixpjct

[cybsoo2]

a bleeding bruise

╰┈➤ synopsis — Two failures have unfolded tonight. A failed escape attempt on your part, and a punishment that leaves more lasting damage then the boys had expected. 

╰┈➤ pairing — yandere!vminkook x reader

╰┈➤ word count — 4.2k

╰┈➤ content warning — yandere behavior, violence, assault, verbal abuse, injury, strong language, angst, jk’s a bit of a jerk :(

ੈ♡₊˚｡ over to ⇢ pt.2

“NO! NO! PLEASE STOP! I’M SORRY, I’M SORRY!” Shrill screams suffocate the silence. Your useless pleas are ignored as three men carry you back to where you belong. “I WON’T DO IT AGAIN, PLE-”

“BE QUIET!” Jungkook muffles your crying with the palm of his hand. He masks his words with anger to hide his anguish. Your tears create a hole in his heart.

Three sets of hands grasp you tightly. Their rough grip leaves raw imprints onto your wrists and waist. You try to squirm under their hold, and it works for a second when you free your legs to try and kick at them. In the end the struggling creates more problems when Taehyung tears you apart from the others and throws you over his shoulder.

You pound your fists against his back and continue begging to be let go. Pathetic pleas of ‘Please let me go,’ ‘I’ll be good now,’ or ‘I’m sorry, I love you,’ fall down to the forest floor. Your punches grow more panicked and as you fight through your fury, Jimin grabs your wrists to stop you.

“Stop hurting him.” He pleads with you in a gentle tone. He’s two seconds away from bursting into tears, but he chokes his cries back by begging. “I love you, I love you, why can’t you make this easy.” His hushes are spoken as they continue to walk. 

Small crystals begin to fall from the sky. Your own crying is muted by Taehyung’s sweater. Your sadness leaves stains that he’ll have to worry about later.

While Jungkook leads the way back to the house, Jimin mutters pretty prayers that you won’t hate them after this punishment. He strokes your hanging head and says, “This is for the better, you’ll understand once it’s over.”

Jungkook successfully navigates your way through the forest and the backyard of your home peeks out of the treeline. Once you step out under the protection of the bristles and branches, the rain begins to leave you drenched. It’s an uncomfortably cold wetness that makes you shift atop Taehyung’s shoulder. Jimin and Taehyung lead you to the middle of the backyard and you’re lifted off Tae’s shoulder to stand on two feet.

You shiver against Taehyung’s chest. He holds you tightly to him with his gentle hands holding your hips. His touch doesn’t hurt, but it’s strong enough to let you know you won’t be able to get away again. He stares straight ahead to where Jungkook walks away back into the house. An anxious feeling buries its way into your bones once you pick up on his nervous ticks. He shifts his weight and tugs you tighter against him. His jaw is clenched, keeping secrets stored about what sort of punishment you’ll be subject to. Despite being so close, he keeps his distance. Usually so affectionate, now he doesn’t make a move to melt into you. He keeps his head up against the rain and doesn’t spare you a single look.

Jimin can barely contain the nervous jitters that jostle him. His uneasy eyes switch between you and Jungkook’s figure now emerging from the house. He carries cold chains that hang over his shoulders and wrap around his wrists. They’re so long that the excess drags down behind him. 

The sight of the chains instills an instant panic. You tremble against Taehyung’s touch and forget how to breathe when Jungkook’s footsteps get closer. Shocked by a sudden rush of adrenaline, you strike Taehyung in the gut and turn to run. You only make it a few steps before you’re forced to the ground. Jimin slams into you and you fall face-first into the cement. He catches your arms as they thrash about and holds them in a vice-grip. Taking your wrists with one hand, he reaches down to your waist and flips you over. 

The next thing you see is Taehyung in front of your face. He straddles over you with his knees restraining your legs. His hands slide up to your shoulders, staring at you with dead eyes. 

You’re forced away from Taehyung’s gaze when Jungkook tugs at your hair, turning your eyes up to focus on him. 

“If you want to act like an ungrateful bitch, then we’ll treat you like one.” The venom he spits strikes your heart. It stings to be subject to his twisted tongue. Cruel words collide with their punches. The cold chain wrapped around your leg is the only thing keeping you connected with the world. You’re so sure that if you didn’t have this steel tether, you’d be beaten down to hell by the heat of their attacks. 

You’re struck with kicks and punches from one while another assaults you with rotten words. Someone else is settled at your side, holding down your body despite your stillness. 

You blocked out most of their beating. Seeing those loveless eyes sent you into isolation. The bleeding and bruising so overwhelming that you ended up running away from your mind. Yet, you remember the rain. It cried alongside you, relentless and cruel. Your focus found the sky and stayed there until they were done. 

A semi-silence wraps itself around the four of you. Only small pants for breathe and soft sobbing are audible. The rain blends into the background as you focus on the three men that now stand above you. It’s so dark out you can hardly see their faces. Black borders surround your shaking body and stare. You now realize that this midnight madness has come to an end. 

You now sit as a sobbing mess under the crying sky. The rain ricochets off your beaten body. Rain and tears fall forever; all sorrow is soaked back into the earth. The cold air kisses all the skin you have to spare. The metal chain wrapped around your leg clanks together due to your violent shaking. 

No matter how much the cold bites at your back, your heart feels more frostbitten. You can barely even feel the phantom kicks and punches anymore. Your mind only replays the memories of them turning their backs as you beg.

Did you really go too far? Did you fuck up so badly that life will be even more tortuous than before? Even if you hated them for stealing your freedom and feelings away, at least they loved you. They showed you kindness and empathy. Such curious killers that haven’t shown you any animosity since they stole you away. 

Each raindrop that falls rips into your heart even further. This punishment is proof of your wrongdoing. You don’t even care about the beating at this point, you only yearn to be loved. To be caressed and cradled with care. Do they still love you? Can you prove to them that you can be better than this, that you will be better. Even a hopeless situation can feel the opposite when love turns your attention the other way.

You hadn’t even felt scared when they began to cut and kick you. You deserved it didn’t you? How selfish of you to keep denying these soulmates your love. They’ve given everything they have to make you happy and you went and threw it in the trash. 

You don’t want to suffer any more. Maybe making the best out of this broken life will bring better days.

As you lay lifeless on the pavement, scarlet sorrows spill out of you. It covers the concrete and coats every inch of your existence. As you fall under sleeps spell, you dream of three men. You imagine a man with black hair holding you close. The second fights off the rain with an air of annoyance. And the final illusion soothes away your sadness.

Taehyung finds himself trying to fight off the darkness that suffocates him. The house is too silent and still. It makes him anxious. He wants to peek out the window to check the damage they’ve done, but Jimin grabs his shoulder and guides him upstairs. A dark despair stains the cream carpet as he slowly makes his way upstairs. Jimin and Jungkook drag themselves ahead of him. A heavy weight holds them down. Their shoulders slump and their smiles sag. 

So slowly, they remove their shoes as they continue their steps and throw them every which way. Soaked shirts and wet pants are quickly taken off.

“We’ll just leave her like that for a little bit.” Jungkook mumbles with an exhausted expression. “Once we warm up and clean off we can go back and get her.”

“Isn’t that too long?” Jimin holds hesitance between two lips. His eyebrows frown and he purses his lips in pain. Everything about Jimin shows he’s doubting his decisions. He already began to regret his actions once the rain relapsed. 

“She has to realize there’s consequences for her dumb decisions.” Jungkook stares into Jimin and his tired teary eyes give away everything. “I love her too and I don’t like hurting her. But we can’t let her think she can try running away whenever she wants.”

“But what if she just ends up hating us even more.” Jimins words tremble with terror. Shining streaks start to fall off his face as he fails to hold back his tears.

Taehyung turns Jimin towards him and rubs his shoulder as an attempt to soothe him. “She just has to learn her lesson. Then we’ll rush right back out and fix everything. We’ll clean her cuts and warm her up,” Taehyung tilts his head to look Jimin in the eyes. “It’ll be okay.” 

No one says anything about the lie that leaves Taehyung’s lips. Hopeless words slide down a throat better when they’re coated in honey. Three men tell each other little lies to keep themselves from collapsing. However, they can only float in a fool’s paradise for so long before they come crashing down. 

As the three men take turns in the shower, a sick sense of guilt begins to smother them. A cold chill creeps into their bones that not even a sweltering shower can wash away. 

An hour has passed by before they decide your punishment has reached its end. The clock strikes 2 and three sets of feet stumble over each other. Everyone trying to be the first to erase their terrible torment. The boys scramble down the stairs, only tripping two times in the restless race. 

They pick you up off the pavement and you welcome their warmth in the rain. 

You cling to Jimin like an extra layer of clothes; he holds you in his arms with a warm welcome. He tugs you closer to his chest, small squeezes and sniffles fill in the silence. In an awkward position, Jimin shuffles the both of you into the house and upstairs with Taehyung leading the way. Jungkook trails closely behind, shushing your cries and smoothing down your hair. 

They don’t speak about the pain and punishment other than the consistent mumbles of ‘I’m sorry.’ 

Your silence scares them. Somehow, it feels easier to be faced with your hatred and indifference than nothing at all. Although, they still hang on to a small sliver of hope that they haven’t lost you yet. They can see the subtle way you grasp onto Jimin’s jacket; holding on with white knuckles as if it’s a lifeline. There’s a shimmer of sadness in your eyes, bordering on bittersweet emotions. They can tell you’re hanging onto the same fated string as them. The four of you have nothing but hope. 

These three men don’t know how to be gentle. They’re love is rough and full of risks. And you don’t know how to be docile. You’d weren’t made to shrink down smaller just so they can control you. But when you reach the bathroom and they tell you to sit, you obey so easily. This change is for the better. The first step to an easier life. Four fated fools that all long for love. Stripping away the pieces of singularity to forcibly fit the puzzle. 

You’re sitting on the edge of the bathroom counter. Taehyung sat at your side to keep you company. Jungkook and Jimin have wandered off to wherever they went. Most likely getting stacks of medical supplies. Taehyung takes your hand and rests his head on your shoulder. You lean back against the mirror, screwing your eyes closed when another sharp sting of pain presses into your side. Taehyung gives a squeeze to the hand he’s holding, silently begging the boys to hurry up. As if they heard his prayers, Jungkook and Jimin reach the bathroom in record time. Jimin takes a seat on the toilet while Jungkook rummages through the first aid kit. 

The small boy at your side lays his head down on your leg. His tears sink into your soaked blue jeans. Anxieties taste like acid on his tongue. And when he leaves lingering kisses to the cuts that litter your legs, that tainted taste is now blurred with blood. He wears your crimson carnage like lipstick. The blood smeared all across his face. Attempting to drown out your pain with passion. His kisses then crawl upwards. Coming close to the cuts on your stomach that Jungkook is stitching up. Every time you wince from the needle stabbing into your skin, Tae and Jimin take turns trying to distract you. 

While Jungkook cleans up your cuts, he asks the others to tend to your bruises. Taehyung takes the ointment from Jungkook’s open hands. He takes a generous amount and mixes it around, efficiently warming it up. Heartbroken bruises burn against his tender touch. The tiniest of touches burns through your bones. A small gasp that stumbles out of your lips causes him to still. He stares at you with wide eyes, waiting for you to tell him to continue. 

Through clenched teeth you mumble a weak, “Keep going.” He hesitates but abides by your words. He traces your bruises with the tips of his fingers, leaving behind hearts that beg for forgiveness. He stares at your scarlet stained features while he trails shapes up your hips and along your arms. A look of pain is plastered on your face. He shares your sadness, taking each tear that escapes your eyes as another stab of torment. 

Jungkook stands between your legs. He works with a deep set determination. Diligent and dangerous with how he handles the needle. He’s quick with every stitch, cursing under his breath every time you pull back in pain. And every so often, when a scarce cry escapes you, he lets his hand slip. Stabbing his skin ever so slightly to feel even an inkling of the pain he’s caused you. Putting pressure on the cut and combining your blood with his. 

Jungkook tries to keep you as steady as possible while he puts together the pieces of their destruction. He lets you lean into Taehyung’s chest and be tainted with touches by Jimin. He doesn’t have time to envy their affections. So, he keeps on stitching, doing the dirty work when the others can’t bear the burden. 

Taehyung and Jimin wrap you in white bandages. You lay limply against Jungkook. Breathing shallow breaths and whispering into his ear, “Do you still love me?”

Jungkook could cry right there. Break down in the bathroom under the weight of his wrongdoing. He can’t hide his emotions when it comes to you. He struggles to stay strong. Hot tears trail down his face and he squeezes his eyes shut, hoping the teardrops will come to a stop. 

“How could you ever think that?” His voice shakes under ultimate sadness. “I love you more than you can imagine. So much so that it makes me sick, and I can’t stand the thought of you ever leaving me. Leaving us.” He raises his hand to run through your hair. Gently pushing your face down to sit on his shoulder. Away from his face and naive to the sobs he tries to stifle. 

When they finish fixing you up, you’re held together by silver string and rotten, red kisses. Taehyung pulls you off the counter and cradles you close to his heart. He carries you to the bedroom and doesn’t let go even when you’ve already reached the bed. He sits you on his lap and watches as the other two rush around him. In a frantic frenzy, they rush to turn off the lights (leaving on the bedside lamp), bundle you in blankets, and grab a dry change of clothes. 

When Jungkook can’t seem to find your clothes fast enough, Taehyung takes matters into his own hands. Sliding off his shirt and slipping it over your shoulders. He then works to slide off your drenched jeans. He leaves your legs bare but covers you in a burden of blankets. Tucking in the corners and tying you up tight. 

Jimin enters the room with water and what seems to be small pills. He kneels down in front of you, his hand resting on your knee and holding out a remedy.

“Take these,” he drops the pills into your empty palm, “and drink some water to wash them down.” You pop the pills into your mouth one by one, washing them down with the water. 

Once everything starts to settle, silence shushes the room and darkness bleeds in through the blinds. You all begin to feel the remnants of your adrenaline-rush. An uneasy exhaustion sticks to your skin. You crawl under the covers and seek solace in their embrace. 

Taehyung drags his fingertips over the skin of your spine. A gentle touch that attempts to settle your shivers and sooth your sadness. The movements are slow, and he distracts himself by counting each indent his fingers reach. He’s cautious to avoid the cuts and bruises, still fresh and fragile. He repeats this motion for many minutes as a way to take both your minds off everything. 

Taehyung doesn’t like to think back on the events that unfolded only hours ago. Your betrayal and beating are tucked away behind blinds in the darkest parts of him. Taehyung tucks away his turmoil and sinks into the sheets. He shimmies down deeper into the mass of blankets and bodies. He hopes tomorrow won’t turn out as terrible as today; wishing on a star that you’ll begin to settle into your new life with new lovers. If you never love them like they want, then you’ll just have to learn how. Playing pretend in a dollhouse made for demons. 

The silence is split by Jungkook’s concern, “Baby? Are you sure you’re okay?” After the damage they’re done he feels the need to double check everything. 

Your mouth is sealed shut. The words you want to speak stick to your insides. You settle for a small nod against Taehyung’s shoulder. The youngest man outstretches his hand to stroke your hair. With such softness, he presses your head into the pillow. He then makes himself more comfortable, sliding into the sheets and slotting himself in between Taehyung’s touch, and the wall. He does so without lifting the hand that holds your head. 

“You’re tired aren’t you? Just try to fall asleep. We’ll be watching over you, don’t worry.” You give a grunt in response. Taehyung’s silent strokes are sending you to sleep, and Jungkook’s fingers running through your hair finally set your heart at ease. Your tiredness takes over and dizzy dreams dance in the distance. 

Before you fall asleep, Taehyung tells you one last thing, “I’m sorry we hurt you… I’m sorry we’re so selfish… But we can’t let you go.”

You wake during a wilted sunrise. Pink clouds are beaten bloody leaving bloodstains to soak the sky. The red tint of the light lingers above you. The blinds allow just the slightest sliver of sunshine into the room.

Your tired eyes struggle to see in the dark. Fighting off the fatigue only takes a minute or two before clarity can calm you. You drag your head up higher on Taehyung's chest, trying to catch a glimpse of his face. He sleeps soundly under the scarlet sunrise. Short puffs of air tickle your nose whenever he takes a breath.

You look over to your left and see that Jungkook is also a slave to slumber. His youthful features appear worn and weary even in his sleep.

Even if you can’t check behind you to see, you can only assume that Jimin hasn’t woken up from your movement. As his body had sunken into soft slumber, his weight seemed to have doubled. Heavy limbs are draped over you with a possessive person that lags behind. This burden begins to grow painful as your fresh bruises blossom in irritation. You shift closer to Tae, trying to escape the pressure that piles on top of you. When you move only a millimeter to the left, you’re stuck with a sudden pain that leaves you paralyzed. Shot with an icy wave of shock, you struggle to suck in a single breath. A crippling pain swarms in your stomach. It stirs up a sickness that threatens to spill out of you. You slap a hand to your mouth, forcing the feeling back down. 

Once the nausea wanes away, the ache in your abdomen appears to triple. You attempt to stifle a sob, but you should have known that any slight discomfort from you is bound to be discovered. Jungkook begins to stir from the subtle noise. 

He can feel you trembling under his touch. Your name falls from his lips in pure panic. His eyes search your body for any signs of harm. His hands ghost over the bruises that are turning blue. A frown forms when looking at the white bandages that cover the cuts he caused. When he can’t find anything out of the ordinary, he switches his sight to stare right into your eyes. “Is it hurting again? Is it the bruises or the cuts?” Concern chokes him. Sin and shame sting like a venom in his veins. 

You’re still struggling to take control of your tears. Hiding them with your hands and biting back your cries. Jungkook grows more anxious with each second that wastes away. “What do you need? Anything, anything at all. How can I help?” He reaches out to remove your hands in front of your face. 

A fit of coughing chokes you. Jungkook acts fast, sitting up to steady you. His hands almost hover, afraid to cause you anymore harm. But when a second round of coughing and crying starts up, he takes you in his arms. The rapid movements rouse Taehyung from his slumber. His words are slurred with sleep when he asks “Are you okay?” and “What’s happening?” Neither you nor Jungkook answer him. 

Your agony is over spilt and you start coughing all over again. A silver taste mixes with your saliva. “Jungkook,” A tremor takes over your tone. “Jungkook, it hurts.” 

“I know, baby. I know. But where does it hurt?” He runs his rough hands along your back. Settling the shivers that trail up your spine. He shushes your cries and tilts your head up to him. He stares into the saddest sight he’s ever seen. Red-rimmed eyes, pathetic whimpers of pain, and a bottom lip so bitten it’s bleeding. He feels an ache in his chest at your pitiful appearance. He uses his thumb to pull your lip from in between your teeth. 

It’s at this time when Taehyung starts to shake off the effects of a deep sleep. He sits up and leans against your back. One arm is used to steady himself while the other wraps around your waist. His fingers are tied up with the bottom of your (his) shirt. He fidgets with the fabric, trying to focus his mind on anything other than the sounds of your sobbing. He tucks his head over your shoulder and squeezes you a little tighter. 

“It’s my stomach that hurts. I think I might throw up.” At your words, Taehyung loosens up his grip. Instead, he sticks his hand under your shirt to soothe your stomach. He draws circles with his thumb and follows Jungkook’s lead. 

“Come on, let’s get you to the bathroom then.” Jungkook pulls you up, letting you lean on him as he prepares to take you to the bathroom. Taehyung trails behind, struggling with the sheets tied around his legs.

“Jimin,” Tae shakes the man rather roughly. “Wake up. Sweethearts not feeling well.” He doesn’t wait for his friend to wake, too restless at the thought of you injured and too far for comfort. He rushes out of the room and stumbles upon a sight he wishes he didn’t have to see. 

Blood burns through your throat and the next thing you know scarlet is being spilt onto the tile. You share a shaky look with both boys, tears lining all your eyes. Red runs down your lips and stains your shirt. As you stare at Taehyung, scared out of your skin, he can’t help but think that his selfish, lovesick soul will be the cause of your demise.

© cybsoo2 2024, all rights reserved

[busanpng]

⠀2206 · entre corvos e pardais @golden-vantae

[cuddlepilefics]

Cuddles

Fandom: BTS (maknae-line)

Sickie: Jimin

Caregiver: mainly Taehyung

Jimin and Taehyung want to be there for Jungkook's latest solo-comeback but Jimin finds himself with a stomachache only a day before.

No one’s POV.:

Jungkook had been working on a new album lately and was preparing for a solo-comeback, occasionally texting his hyungs to arrange for them to attend his first promotional performance. While most members of the group wouldn’t be able to make it to his performance due to their own packed schedules, Jimin and Taehyung had promised to be there, which Jungkook couldn’t have been more grateful for. Having comebacks alone still felt weird to him, though he appreciated the creative freedom he now enjoyed as a solo artist. The group that had raised him would always be his family.

The day before Jungkook’s comeback, all of them were texting in their group chat, reassuring the maknae that everything would go well and hyping him up. Taehyung couldn’t help but notice the lack of messages from Jimin, despite being online and reading their conversation Jimin had wished their dongsaeng ‘good luck’ and a ‘successful comeback’ earlier but had withdrawn from the conversation afterwards. Taehyung figured his friend was busy, his phone laying next to him or something but he’d talk to the older privately later.

Jimin had already woken up feeling a little off and low on energy. Not having any appetite, he skipped breakfast before leaving his apartment to attend his schedule. He was so out of it that he only remembered Jungkook’s upcoming comeback when the other members started to talk about it on their group chat around lunchtime. Quickly texting his well-wishes, Jimin placed down his phone and pondered his next steps. Going without food for so long made him feel sluggish and even more out of it, so he knew he should have lunch but his stomach had since started to hurt and he didn’t feel like eating anything.

Hearing Jin’s voice inside his head, Jimin remembered the scolding for skipping his meals and giving himself hunger pains, so he made up his mind and sighed. He’d have some plain rice for lunch to see if his stomach tolerated it and if what he was experiencing hunger pains. Getting to his feet, he wrapped an arm around his sore middle but froze when his phone rang. Jimin saw Taehyung’s caller idea and plopped back down in his seat, accepting the call.

“Hey, I’m on my lunch break right now”, Taehyung announced, “You wanna grab a bite together or are you busy?” Jimin smiled. Considering they hadn’t seen each other in a bit, he would gladly take the younger up on the offer to hang out, even if it was only for a little while. Jimin slowly made his way down to the entrance, one arm protectively wrapped around his middle, the other hand clutching his phone. Walking caused his stomach to cramp but a smile spread on his lips when he spotted Taehyung. The younger greeted him with a hug before they headed to the car.

Taehyung had already instructed the driver which restaurant to take them to, so him and Jimin could catch up on the way there. Jimin’s stiff posture didn’t go unnoticed by his friend, though he tried to play it off. “Just a stomachache”, he admitted eventually, earning a sympathetic smile from Taehyung. Squeezing the other’s shoulder, Taehyung hummed: “Is that why you were so inactive when we were all texting earlier?” – “You could tell?”, Jimin muttered horrified, “Shit, what if Kookie took that as me being indifferent about his comeback?!” The younger shook his head, reminding: “We’ll go to his performance tomorrow and he’ll just think you were busy with work, while your phone lay next to you.”

With Taehyung’s encouragement, Jimin managed to finish all the rice he had ordered and even let himself be talked into eating some soup along with it. He wasn’t sure that what he had been experiencing were hunger pains though, his stomach weirdly bloated after their meal. Parting at the studio building, Taehyung promised to pick the older up the next day, so they could head to Jungkook’s performance together.

Jimin started to doubt himself being able to attend though as he got back home, only forcing himself to take a shower while he waited for the water in the kettle to start boiling. When it did, he made himself a cup of tea and filled his hot water bottle before limping to his bedroom and curling up around the comforting warmth. His stomach was still in knots, maybe even more so after he had eaten lunch, though his body had really needed the nutrients.

After a night of fitful sleep, Jimin was pretty sure that he was running a fever and sluggishly sitting up in bed, he was startled by a sudden gag. No, his stomach didn’t feel any better than the previous evening. Jimin’s hand shook as he covered his lips and stifled a sour burp. Stumbling out of bed, he shuffled to the bathroom and glanced at his sickly pale complexion in the mirror. Jimin splashed cold water into his face in an attempt to make his skin look more lively but it wasn’t doing much.

Remembering his plans for the day, Jimin felt his heart sink. He didn’t feel like going anywhere other than back to bed but he had promised Jungkook that he’d be. Opening the bathroom cabinet, he realized he’d be in even bigger trouble because he had run out of his usual nausea medication, so just dulling his symptoms and trying to get through the day wouldn’t work. Jimin shuffled back to his room and weakly plopped down on his bed, picking up his phone with shaky hands. Dialing Taehyung’s number, he took a deep breath to calm himself and his rebelling stomach.

When Taehyung picked up, it took a moment for Jimin to speak and when he did, his voice was flat and wavering. “Could you do me hug favor, Tae? I feel really sick to my stomach and ran out of medicine, so if you could pick some up on the way…”, he mumbled, slipping his hand under his sleepshirt to rub his churning stomach, “No, wasn’t hunger pains. Only kept getting worse yesterday and I think I have a fever now.” Swallowing back a burp, Jimin winced: “I’ll probably call in sick for the rest of my schedule but I really wanna be there for Kookie.” Taehyung didn’t try to discourage his friend from that, knowing he too would be the same when it came to their dongsaeng. As long as Jimin didn’t force himself to attend the rest of his schedule, Taehyung would do his best to make him as comfortable as possible.

What Jimin hadn’t expected when they ended the call, was for Taehyung to head out right away. It didn’t take long for the younger to show up in front of his door with medicine and saltine crackers. “I know you, Jiminie” he chuckled sadly, “You would’ve tried to hide your discomfort, so you calling for help tells me it’s bad.” Jimin sighed at the comment but didn’t deny it, mumbling: “Feel like I’m going to be sick but I haven’t eaten since lunch yesterday, so I don’t think anything could come up.” – “You’re most definitely running a fever too”, Taehyung hummed after feeling the other’s forehead, “Could you try having a few cracker or do you want me to cook some rice?” – “I’ll try a cracker”, Jimin sniffled softly, not wanting his friend to go out of his way more than he already had.

Taehyung still headed to the kitchen to turn on the kettle for some tea while Jimin nibbled on one of the crackers at a snails pace. After only a single cracker, he had to take a break and Taehyung watched him worriedly. “Want me to fetch a bucket?”, the younger offered adding, “Just as a safety precaution to ease your mind.” Giving a defeated nod, Jimin picked up a second cracker and toyed with it in his hands till the other had placed the cleaning bucket at his feet. To his own surprise, he was able to force down a couple more crackers before swallowing his medicine with a few sips of tea. After that, Taehyung lay on the couch with him, tracing his back as they waited for the medicine to kick in.

By the time they needed to get going, Jimin had also taken a fever reducer and while he didn’t necessarily feel better, he felt a lot more functional. He let Taehyung dab some concealer under his eyes, not having the energy to do his makeup but also not wanting their maknae to notice the rough shape he was in. Jungkook was probably already going crazy with nerves, the thrill never really disappearing even after years of performing, so Jimin didn’t want him to be distracted by worry.

Jimin had a plastic bag stuffed into one of his pockets, another safety precaution as they arrived at the venue. He was glad they had backstage access, so he wouldn’t encounter more people than absolutely necessary. As expected, Jungkook was tense and too anxious to notice anything off about his hyung. They chatted for a bit to ease their group dongsaeng’s nerves though it was Taehyung who did most of the talking before promising they’d be watching him from behind the stage. Jungkook was soon whisked away by staff though and Jimin allowed himself a shaky sigh before excusing himself to the restroom.

Taehyung had worriedly watched the older leave but followed his instructions to stay close to the stage in case Jungkook already went on stage. Jimin could feel his mouth water as he limped down the hallway, the tea he had sipped earlier sloshing around his queasy stomach. Locking the door behind him, he weakly leant against the wall and tried to quell the nausea by taking a few deep breaths. It did little to help though and Jimin soon found himself retching up small mouthfuls of tea and bile. Maybe forcing down some rice wouldn’t have been so bad, he thought bitterly as the stomach acid burned his throat. At least he’d have something to throw up then and wouldn’t be gagging uselessly.

It took a while for Jimin’s dry heaves to taper off and Jungkook had already gone on stage, nervously glancing back towards his hyungs. He only spotted Taehyung though, the older shooting him a reassuring smile. The next time Jungkook glanced back towards the backstage area, Jimin smiled at him, leaning slightly into Taehyung’s side. From this distance, the older seemed completely fine to him and he was able to continue his performance feeling more at ease.

Noticing the slightly bloodshot eyes and smudged concealer, Taehyung whispered sympathetically: “Want a mint?” Jimin nodded, dizzily slumping against his friend, who wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders. The ordeal had zapped what little energy he had left, so he was grateful that Taehyung steadied him. “I can work remotely today, so I’ll take you back to your apartment and stay”, the younger smiled, “Cuddles always make you feel better and I can work while you’re asleep. Besides, I’d worry about you too much to work productively if I knew you were all by yourself with how sick you are.”

“How did I do?”, Jungkook panted, still hyped from the performance, a wide smile on his lips. It soon falter though when he got a closer look at Jimin’s face. Taehyung proudly smiled: “You did amazing, Kookie but you don’t expect me to be surprised, right? We knew you’d do well.” Jimin agreed, forcing a smile. “What’s happened to your voice? Why do you sound so hoarse all of a sudden?”, Jungkook frowned when he heard Jimin talk. Protectively tightening his hold on the older, Taehyung sighed: “He got sick. No need to hide it anymore, hyung.” – “Yeah, I threw up”, Jimin admitted awkwardly, his voice strained, “Had a really upset stomach but I wanted to see you on stage, so I took some medicine and hoped for the best. Only missed the first few beats though.” – “You shouldn’t have forced yourself here if you’re sick, hyung”, Jungkook sighed sadly, “You know, I would’ve understood had you just told me.” – “I know” Jimin smiled tiredly, “Really wanted to see you though and it was worth it to me.”

After thoroughly congratulating the maknae on his successful comeback and promises to go out for dinner together once he had recovered, Jimin was more than ready to head back home. His legs felt jelly-like as Taehyung walked him to the car and opened the door for him. The younger quietly requested the driver to take them back to Jimin’s apartment and whispered: “I think your fever’s up. You’re burning through your clothes.” Jimin gave an uncertain hum before patting his pockets, reassuring himself that the bag was still there should he need it.

With the frequent curves in the road, it didn’t take long for Jimin to find himself clutching the plastic bag in trembling hands, retching miserably but unable to bring anything up. “Deep breaths, you got nothing left”, Taehyung shushed, helplessly rubbing his friend’s back. The reminder did little to comfort Jimin, who’s head pounded from the strain and fever. He was glad when they finally arrived and the car stooped moving. Thanking the driver, Taehyung smiled: “Come on, let’s get you upstairs and to bed. I promised you cuddles, didn’t I?”

While Jimin scrubbed his teeth with the last remaining strength, Taehyung prepared more tea and turned on the rice cooker, so his friend would have something light to eat later. He then collected a cold washcloth for Jimin’s forehead before helping the older to bed, where he lay down alongside him. Jimin sighed hoarsely, relaxing when Taehyung draped the cold washcloth over his burning forehead and started to play with his hair. His friend really knew him too well, cuddles always helped when he wasn’t feeling well.

[7waystreet]

legacies | ch.7

synopsis — a fiery (y/n) newly enters a university campus dominated by the three trust fund brats. she’s not going to take their shit and they’re not going to let her off so easily either. will this rivalry evolve into friendship, lust or love?

genre — college drama, angst, slow burn

disclaimer — 18+ ; strong language and sexual content

chapter index:

01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | coming soon

ch.7

Already starting your internship at Jimin's father's company, your schedule has gotten overwhelmingly full, with no time to even think about relaxing now that first round of exams were coming up too. You're just minding your business and trying to stay on task per usual, studying in a quiet nook of the library when the little she-devil's voice steals your attention, your eyes now distractedly trailing up from your notebook towards her sitting at a table nearby with her equally annoying flock of demon-friends.

"You girls wanna see what I'm wearing to Koo's birthday party?!"

Bomi holds her phone up and passes the picture of her dress along to everyone, the shrilly giggles and murmurs that follow after making you roll your eyes, although you find your thoughts caught up with the boy being mentioned. You'd still not gotten around to talking with Jungkook about the entire poem fiasco, not after you'd secretly seen Bomi making out with Taehyung that one night on your way back to your dormitory.

Jungkook had respected your wish by staying away from you at all costs like you'd demanded him to do a couple of weeks ago, even going to the extent of sitting all the way on the other side of the lecture hall to really show he no longer wants anything to do with you. Your life had certainly become less chaotic ever since Jungkook had started maintaining his distance from you, but the pinch of uneasiness dwelling inside your chest refused to go away, a small part of you always wondering about Bomi's involvement with Taehyung and whether they were the ones responsible for everything that'd happened.

"So what's going on between you and Jungkook? Have you both finally hooked up?" one of Bomi's groupie obnoxiously giggles, sliding the phone back to her across the table.

"Not yet! But I hope I get lucky at his birthday party!"

You feel a surge of heat ripple through your body overhearing Bomi's disgusting plan of collecting all the popular boys for herself, like they're candy or something, your hands now automatically packing up your belongings and stuffing them in your bag one by one, the need to want to get away from listening to this cheap conversation pushing you straight out of the library. It's anyways about time for your music theory class with Mr. Min, so you begin strolling towards the lecture hall ahead of schedule, only to spot Jungkook sitting alone on a bench on your way, staring down at a book in his lap.

"Jeon Jungkook actually reads? That's something I thought I'd never see."

You've decided to seize this opportunity to discuss matters with Jungkook with some hope in your heart to find answers, but to your dismay, it appears as if he's really not interested in having a conversation with you. You still sport a weak smile as you slowly approach the pretty boy, trying to break the awkwardness with a tiny insult like you're both used to throwing at one another, but your face drops when Jungkook peels his eyes off of the book and quickly glances up at you, only to blatantly avoid you at once and go back to reading.

"Listen... can we please talk?"

A faint "hmm" grumbles out of Jungkook in response, although his doe eyes still remain focused on the book while his wispy bangs sweep low covering his forehead. It's unclear to you why he's behaving this way, as if he's the one annoyed with you, the slight bit of attitude he's giving you unwarranted, at least in your mind, since you're the one who actually has a reason to be upset with him. But instead of unhinging on him and losing your temper as a natural response, you slowly sink down and taking a seat next to Jungkook, unsure how to begin expressing your confusion, but you decide to start off strong with the biggest question on your mind.

"Did you give my poem to Bomi?"

"I already told you I didn't" Jungkook immediately clarifies, his depressing tone of voice undoubtedly surprising you as you'd expected him to sound the complete opposite of that, something along the lines of rudely retorting with his usual flare.

"I think Taehyung did it."

Jungkook's head instantly lifts up and sharply turns in your direction after you'd shared your uncertain guess, his round eyes now widening even more with a hint of fear as they lock in with your curious ones, further befuddling your thoughts. So was it true then? Did Taehyung really have something to do with all of this?

"Let's not talk here. Come with me."

"But we have class soon─"

Ignoring your comment all together, Jungkook snaps his book shut and nervously looks over his shoulder, then hastily standing up and grabbing your hand, forcing you to get up and follow him as he begins dragging you across the patch of grass. You're more confused than ever, not knowing exactly where he's taking you, your cheeks reddening when several nosey students turn their heads in your direction, their gaze then falling down to your hand tightly clutched in Jungkook's fist as you both march your way around campus. It isn't until you notice the underclassmen boys dormitory tower up ahead that you know where you're going, the knot in your stomach twisting tighter and tighter with each step you take. Being out for classes, you get lucky there aren't many people in the hallways of the all boys building, making it easier to go unnoticed as Jungkook unlocks his room and shoves you inside, slamming the door shut right behind him.

"You can let go of my hand now, Jeon..."

Jungkook's still holding your hand when you both drop down on the edge of his bed, but he quickly unlocks his fingers from yours after hearing your comment, then nervously tapping his own thigh in a rhythm, clearly from the fresh wave of embarrassment taking over him. Knowing yourself, you should be feeling weird being in the boys dormitory like this, especially sneaking into Jungkook's room of all people, but something about the way he's almost helplessly looking at you now somehow makes you feel calm, the first time you've ever felt relaxed in his presence despite the unplanned situation taking place.

"Why do you think Taehyung hyung gave your poem to Bomi?" Jungkook cuts the deepening silence, boring intensely into your eyes as he sits just a few inches away from you, the heat of his body radiating onto you while his chest rises quickly with each short breath he takes.

"I saw... I saw him and Bomi hooking up by the girls dormitory really late at night when I was out for a walk. I thought you and Bomi had a thing so it all came as a big shock seeing her with Taehyung. Then I kept thinking about how you'd looked innocent when I accused you of selling my poem off to her... Kept thinking if there was any truth to how you'd denied my allegations."

Jungkook doesn't say anything at first, his gaze slowly lowering down onto the carpet while his brows furrow with perplexity, his forehead scrunching up and eyes closing shut like he's fallen deep in thought about what you'd just explained to him. It feels like a whole minute's passed by before Jungkook opens his mouth, takes another pause, and then blurts out the next few sentences in a tumble, as if he couldn't contain it in any longer.

"Hyung's gonna kill me for this.... but yeah, I can't lie to you anymore. He told me he'd offer you help with the poem before taking the purple folder you'd given to me in the cafeteria. That's how he got the copy of your poem, which he must've handed off to Bomi right after. I swear I had absolutely no idea about his plan though... I would've stopped him had I'd known."

The seriousness of it all doesn't even hit you for a few seconds, Jungkook's words sinking into your system and causing pain like a slow poison, as if your brain simply can't comprehend what your ears had just heard. It was the purest form of betrayal that you'd now begun to feel in your core, a throbbing nauseousness churning in your gut at the thought of Taehyung being so cruel to you. It was the worst kind of hurt you could experience, such malice coming towards you from someone pretending to be your friend, someone who'd cared for you to your face but taunted you so bad behind your back. But why?

At least Jimin and Jungkook openly showed their hatred for you, allowing you to form an honest opinion of them, but Taehyung had really screwed with you, shattering your trust like a broken mirror. How was it that you somehow felt an ounce of respect towards Jimin and Jungkook in this moment, the two people who've made your life hell at this insane place, and your heart turned black thinking about Taehyung, the one person who's stood by your side through it all? Albeit with absolute dishonesty.

"But what did I ever do to Taehyung? I... I don't understand why he'd do such a vile thing" your voice unnaturally cracks despite a mere whisper leaving your lips, Jungkook's body now fully turning in your direction as you shake with a mixture of anger and grief, his smooth palm delicately placing on top of yours before giving it a soft squeeze.

"It's because of me... I wanted revenge on you after you slapped me in front of the whole class on your first day here, so hyung thought he was just being a good friend to me by fucking you over in return. I never imagined he'd go this far, potentially risking your entire future with plagiarism on your permanent record" Jungkook sighs carrying an air of shame, then continuing to speak again after a brief halt.

"I'm not a good person, (y/n)... I despised you so much in the beginning for how you insulted me. I wished something bad like this would happen to you, but when it did, I instantly regretted even thinking those hateful things. As I got to know you better, I started respecting you... You really didn't have to apologize to me for raising your hand at me after I ruined your watch, but you still did it anyways. You... You actually have a conscience unlike any of us, and you forced me into looking closely at my fucked up one, making me want to do better. I... I just want you to know that I'm truly very sorry for everything" Jungkook slowly mumbles everything out, dumping his wad of emotions onto your already muddled mind.

It's a lot to take in, no doubt, the anxiousness in your chest now creeping up against your own will, your lungs beginning to heave as your tough facade completely crumbles in front of Jungkook for the first time. Just hearing his honest confession and sensing the buried vulnerability in it triggers you to fall short, both your palms quickly slapping up against your cheeks to hide your face while your elbows dig into your thighs. You can feel Jungkook scooting closer to you on the bed, his arm curling around your shoulder and engulfing you in an unfamiliar warmth as you let go and silently sob, your body convulsing in small little shakes. He doesn't utter a single word, quietly allowing you to process your emotions, only showing his full support by holding you tight. After finally calming down after a few minutes, you wipe your tears off with the back of your hands before showing your face again.

"You don't even know me, but have had it out for me since the day I entered this college... and FOR WHAT?! What universe do you live in, huh?! You don't know my life, what I've been through, what I go through, and you still endlessly bullied me... treated me like shit at every opportunity you could get. All three of you. What am I supposed to do now? Forgive you and forget everything so easily just because you magically had a change of heart and apologized? Tell me... What do I do, Jeon?!" you cry out in frustration, Jungkook's hand now gently rubbing your shoulder in an attempt to soothe your fury.

"Just give me a chance to make up for everything... Please, give me a chance to be your friend."

Never in a million years would you've expected him to say that, your heart jumping up with a jolt when Jungkook offers you his friendship as a means to bury the hatchet. Is this the same Jeon Jungkook you'd known all of this time? Who is this guy?

On one hand you're delighted to hear his words, feeling as if you're finally healing from a nasty month long flu... but on the other hand, you don't know if it would be wise to befriend someone who's treated you so poorly for so long. How could you trust Jungkook when he's still buddies with Taehyung, the toxic wolf dressed in sheep's clothing who's out to get you? What if this was all another plan to screw with you some more? You already had bad enough trust issues, but they'd gotten way worse since meeting the legacies. There's plenty of cons you've got to consider before making a decision, your mind not allowing you to give into Jungkook's plea so easily. After all, the boy has tormented you since the moment he met you, and it's bound to leave scars all over your conscience.

"Thank you for your honesty, but I need some time to think."

Jungkook's face reflects an unmistakable guilt after hearing your curt answer, a sorrowful sigh puffing out his thin lips as he nods at you in an understanding sort of way, his arm slipping down from your shoulder when you get up and grab your backpack off of the floor. Giving him one last look, you turn around and step out of Jungkook's room, leaving him sitting all alone on his bed, a whirlwind of thoughts zooming through your mind as you promptly pace down the steps of the boys dormitory tower.

Before things can be made right with Jungkook, you need to first confront Taehyung about this entire ordeal and call him out for what he did to you. All of the knots have to be loosened and untangled before any new bonds could blossom.

"Yo! Jimin told me you're interviewing with his dad's company. How'd it go? I haven't seen you in soooo long. Do you not have time for your friends anymore?" Taehyung innocently pouts, lazily sprawling on your bed while you sit by the windowsill in your dorm room, your eyes gazing out onto the field before you calmly turn back and smile at Taehyung.

"I got the internship! I'm working alongside Mr. Park's secretary to gain experience in formal documentation writing and communications. I actually started last Monday, so it's already been a little over a week."

Taehyung instantly sits up with a bounce, a big boxy grin cheering up his chiseled face after hearing your accomplishment. "That's wonderful news, (y/n)! Congrats! We gotta celebrate!" he chatters with what appears to be pure joy, but your suspecting mind can't help but wonder if he even truly means it or not.

"Thanks! You know, things have been good lately... Jimin doesn't seem to hate me as much, Jungkook's been staying clear of me after I told him to leave me alone, and classes are going well despite that plagiarism scandal. I still can't believe Jungkook tried to fuck me over so badly with the poem thing" you now slyly lay the bait for Taehyung, steering the conversation right into the topic you've really been wishing to talk about.

The upperclassman's grin fades a little, something you certainly would've overlooked had Jungkook not told you the truth about Taehyung's vicious plan against you. Taehyung catches himself like a pro though, now beaming brightly as he ushers you to come sit down next to him on the bed with a wave of his hand, but you don't get up or walk over. "Honestly (y/n), I was so pissed at Jungkook after finding out how he sabotaged you. I scolded him so much for it... how reckless can he be─"

"I saw you with Bomi, Taehyung. You can drop the fake act."

It's exactly the effect you'd hoped to achieve, a direct hit, Taehyung's smile now completely wiped off without a sign of it returning back anytime soon. You can tell he's trying his best to play it cool though, trying extremely hard to sound casual when he virtuously questions "What do you mean?"

"I know you're the one who gave her my poem and plotted to get me expelled."

"Did Jungkook tell you that?"

"He didn't have to come tell me anything because I put two and two together on my own. I just wanna know why you did it. Why you pretended to be my friend... Why you thought ruining my career was okay... Why you thought I deserved such a fucked up punishment. I wanna hear it from you."

A bone chilling silence follows, perhaps the way you're calmly speaking instead of making a loud scene the reason why Taehyung's looking rather pale, his eyes usually full of glint losing their focus and aimlessly searching the floor in a growing panic. Taehyung couldn't be any more unprepared for this confrontation, having no idea you were gonna pull out the big guns on him like this, the uncomfortableness churning in his heart negatively glooming onto his face.

"(y/n)... I..."

"Take your time."

Taehyung now appears even more embarrassed, if that were even possible, forcing himself to hold his composure as he soon begins to speak more clearly, the tone of his voice soft but the sound of it unstable indicating he's thinking what to say on the fly. You've no idea whether to believe anything he says at all, but you still choose to listen with an open heart, truly wanting to understand the mindset of one of the most narcissistic people you've ever had the misfortune of meeting.

"I honestly don't know why I did what I did."

"That's not an answer, Taehyung."

His face now screws up in agitation because of the downright callout, his chest slightly panting as he's physically struggling to piece together his thoughts into words, unable to deal with the sudden pressure he's put under by you. Taehyung's starting to show signs of weakness, something he's getting pissed at himself for, but despite all that, he's desperately trying to stay calm just like you are, not wanting to lose against himself and blow up in a rage of fit.

"I guess I liked having control over the situation... Over you."

"How do you mean?" your interest peaks after hearing Taehyung's disclosure, although not totally understanding what he means by it.

"It's... personal."

"I would've thought you'd feel comfortable sharing things with me considering we're friends... But you were just pretending to be my friend, right? Did you even once care for me?"

"I did... I do care. Listen, I genuinely sympathized with you after Jungkook destroyed your late grandma's watch. I told you, I've felt your pain because I've experienced a big loss when my dad passed away too."

"How the fuck can you say you still care for me when you intentionally tried to get me kicked out of the fucking college?!" your voice raises with a pang of irritation, the fact that Taehyung had the audacity to say he does care about you undoubtedly riling you up.

"I'm not a fucking psychopath if that's what you're trying to insinuate... You just don't get it. My life hasn't been the same since my dad died. It's fucked me up in ways I can't even explain" Taehyung explodes too, his foot infuriatingly stomping on the carpet and his fingers running through his hair to push his long bangs back with a force.

"Try me. You said you've felt my pain, right? We've been through the same, right? Then make me understand why you're so fucked up in the head."

Taehyung clicks his tongue, shaking his head in disapproval like you're asking for something so advanced so casually, like you're unable to grasp the intricacy of it all. But you're not going to let him off so easily, Taehyung's somber eyes finally picking up off of the ground and meeting yours after a minute or two, your arms folding against your chest as you sternly wait for him to give you a logical answer.

"Do you remember what I'd said to you in the cafeteria on your first day here?"

"That you used to be a terrible bully like Jimin and Jungkook... Yeah, I remember. I guess I should have believed that way more than put my faith into every other lie you fed me."

Taehyung grits his teeth, letting out a big sharp breath, crisscrossing his arms over his knees while weakly bending over in his seat.

"I... I've gotten everything I've wanted in life since the day I was born, (y/n). I come from a very different family than yours, a family that can make anything imaginable possible with an indescribable flow of money. Being the only son, I had absolute control over everyone around me at all times... My parents, my maids, even my professors, and every single other person at this school. That was my normal. Just imagine that level of influence... It made me a horrible person. Being nice became boring. I was continuously chasing the validation that I'm indeed powerful, my ego blown up to the sky, and what better way than to keep making everyone else feel small in front of me" Taehyung pants out, his watering eyes turning bloodshot with each new sentence.

"You'd said it all seemed worthless after your father passed away though..."

"It did... I wasn't lying about that. It took one second for my world to come crashing down the day we got the news that my father had suddenly passed away in a car accident. The man who owned half of this city, the one who'd built an empire for himself... just dead. Just gone within the blink of an eye... without saying goodbye..." Taehyung's voice fizzles out, a tear rolling out of his almond shaped eyes. "It made me feel like I have no fucking power over anything after all. That I'm worthless. That I've lived a lie my entire life believing I'm some sort of God. I couldn't save my dad, could I? It almost made me not want to live anymore... I withdrew from everything, became a shell of myself, almost flunked my junior year here. But it was Jimin and Jungkook who tended after me through it all... Reminded me I'm worth something so I could smile again and at least be a functioning person. You've no idea how much they've cared for me... My loyalty will always lie with them."

"And I triggered you after crossing Jungkook with that slap in front of the entire class, right?"

Taehyung slowly nods, a scoff huffing out of his mouth as he shrugs his shoulder and continues to ramble. "I thought who the hell even is this girl? What does she think of herself? Of course I felt bad about your grandma's watch... it brought my thoughts back to my own father. I don't know what took over me in that moment, but that deep craving of once again holding some type of power over someone blinded me. I actually felt happy while I chased after you down the hallway. I guess I was just looking for a purpose to go back to my old self... the person who had influence, who controlled the narrative, who could manipulate others. The person I liked being. I just wanted to feel normal again... to break free of this depressing dark cloud I'd become before you arrived."

"So you just thought destroying my life would fix yours? How very caring of you. You know what your problem is, Taehyung? Despite being so fucking privileged, you don't have one single loving person in your life to properly help you deal with your grief. You need help. You're not capable of being a good friend to Jimin, or Jungkook, or to anyone for that matter... not even to yourself."

Taehyung sits there frigid as a rock, your dire words piercing him like a dagger, killing whatever piece of soul he's got left inside of him. A few tears stream down his cheeks, his straight nose gradually turning to a rosy red, his frowning lips quivering with a shudder. It breaks your heart watching him disintegrate in front of you like this, all alone in his world that seems so grand and elegant. You secretly hate that you feel a stupid urge tugging at the corner of your mind to move towards him and comfort him... As much as you're pissed off at him, you're not at all like him, incapable of adopting the level of ruthlessness he's able to accomplish so easily, your feet pushing you to stand up and cross the room.

But before you can inch closer to Taehyung, he mimics you and stands up himself, hurriedly brushing the tears off of his face with his fingers, then pacing away from the bed towards the door. "I'm really really sorry for everything, (y/n). I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me someday." With that, Taehyung twists the door handle open and slips out of your dorm room, the sound of his sniffles still audible down the hallway before he turns the corner and his figure disappears into the shadows.