“How has Jungkook been recently?” Taehyung asks as he’s lying in bed waiting for Jimin to join him.

“He’s doing so much better. He’s so close that I almost just want to tell him.” Jimin’s voice comes from the open bathroom door where he was still brushing his teeth.

"You must let him discover his fate naturally,” Taehyung says firmly, knowing that it was their jobs to guide and not force. Because although emotions like love are strong, unbreakable, and seemingly everlasting, it’s also vulnerable at the same time. Once it’s gone, it never comes back between the same two people. Like when you lose your feelings for someone, how could you ever expect to get those same feelings back? Everything changes, and this chaotic universe does not wait for anything or anyone.

“That’s why I was very cautious,” Jimin says as he turns off the light and crawls into bed next to Taehyung. The temperature under the sheets is warm because of the warmth radiating off of Taehyung’s body, a sensation that makes Jimin feel so incredibly good. “I’m more worried about Y/N. She’s the one who has to deal with the uncertainty.” Jimin lies on his back and stares at the ceiling.

Taehyung hums in agreement, also wondering how you are doing. Since you discovered the reason behind your vivid, emotion filled dreams after the surgery, you had stopped having therapy sessions with him, so he wasn’t updated on your situation any longer. But one thing he knows for certain is that things were definitely not easy for you, having had first had experience himself. “Do you know what it was like to call out for you and realize you would never come back?” Taehyung says after a moment of silence. He holds back the tears welling up in his eyes as he recalls the multiple times he was searching for Jimin only to be let down by the cruelness of life.

“I know.” Jimin voices softly. “It’s a loneliness that makes you feel so powerless. Like wanting something you know you’ll never have.”

“And even when you came to me, that euphoric happiness made me even more afraid of losing you.” Taehyung says as he scoots closer to Jimin on the bed, the latter does the same, allowing Taehyung to wrap his arms around him. “Sometimes I would cry until I felt numb because my emotions were so overwhelming.” Taehyung buries his face in Jimin’s fluffy hair, which smells faintly of his citrus scented shampoo, and Jimin leans into Taehyung, feeling the firm stability of his comfortingly soft chest.

The two of them just lie quietly in the dark, not needing to exchange anymore words because they both understood each other’s feelings, having been each other’s only comfort for what seems like centuries. Lying on the bed that they share and hugging each other tightly under the faint glow of the moonlight through the window is all they could ever do in moments like these, because this kind of physical proximity was the closest thing to forever.

…

“So I’ve recently come up with a new hypothesis that extends upon my original research on cognitive perception and consciousness, and I’ve reached out to a theoretical physicists who studies parallel universes.” Jungkook says as you walk into his office. He was still holding the Physics magazine in his hands and looking at an article in it, making you wonder how he was even able to notice you walk in.

It never fails to surprise you how easily he makes it seem to just go back to this sort of professional relationship once you’re back in lab. He doesn’t even bring up the events that happened over the weekend, nor does he attempt to. Yes, you’re well aware that acting professional and putting on a mask is what he does best, but the with the way he treats you sometimes, you can’t help but wish he would at least allow you to help in some way since Hoseok has already told you everything. Maybe make it easier for you to tell him what you know, but what do you say when you’re still so confused yourself?

“But Dr. Jeon, what do parallel universes have to do with perception?” You ask knowing he’s probably going to say something along the lines of “parallel universes have everything to do with perception”, but you still wanted a clear explanation because you didn’t know where Jungkook’s mind was running off to this time.

He smiles and looks up from the magazine.

“What is perception?” He asks, looking at you and waiting for an answer.

“Umm, do you want me to write up a detailed report on it?” You bite your lip, hoping that Jungkook won’t take the question as a sign that you’re lacking basic neuroscience knowledge, but what does he expect when he asks an open ended question? Does he want to test if you understand the underlying mechanisms, the cellular processes that contribute to it, the parts of the brain involved, or does he want you to take a more psychological approach to describing it? All of that could take hours to explain.

“No, just the basic definition” His voice cuts through your jumbled thoughts.

“Perception is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information” You reply without hesitation.

“Yes, and so what if there are things that our neurosensory systems could not pick up?”

“Then the circuit would be missing a vital piece of the first level.”

“So vital that it would completely hinder any other process in the later levels.” He finishes. “Or so, that’s what physicists believe.”

You ponder over the things that Jungkook has just brought up. Yes, it makes perfect sense that your brain wouldn’t be able to perceive things that were invisible to all of your sensory systems, but hasn’t it been established that selectivity mechanisms in the brain also play a role in perception? Like your brain can choose what and what not to perceive? Just like how it constructs a reality? This was all starting to get even more confusing, and it really blows your mind how Jungkook can even make sense of it all.

“Have you heard of the famous astronomer Kim Seokjin?” Jungkook voice snaps you back to the reality that is his office and you standing in front of him, most likely looking very confused.

You shake your head.

“I read his most recently published paper, and it sparked a new idea. It’s already commonly accepted that we live in a multiverse, a collection of possible universes flowing in parallel, but how they exist simultaneously has been heavily debated.” He pauses, waiting for you to absorb the information he has basically just thrown up in the air. “We’re talking universes where the laws of physics are different and where matter isn’t made up of atoms but some other type of particle that is unable to interact with those in this universe because it is off by some minute degree in the fabric of space-time, which is why we aren’t able to sense and thus perceive it.”

“I’m sorry Dr. Jeon, I’m not too familiar with theoretical physics.” You say, after realizing everything that just came out of Jungkook’s mouth has completely flown over your head.

He smiles again, this time standing up and walking towards you.

“I’m visiting his lab tomorrow” Jungkook says. He hands you the magazine he was reading. You look at the man on the front cover, broad shoulders and extraordinarily handsome. Man, what’s with all of these intellectuals being so visually attractive?

“You should come” You look up at Jungkook, realizing that you’ve been staring at the cover photo for a little too long.

“Oh, O-ok”

.......