“So you don’t remember Tae at all?” Jimin asks, sitting next to him on a couch he remembers sleeping on numerous nights, but isn’t his… in a house he thinks he owns but doesn’t, and all of this just ing feels like the worst nightmare ever.

“He’s familiar, his scent, his touch, his voice. It’s almost like that feeling you get when you’re trying to remember a dream, you can sense it occurred, but you can’t recall it.” Jungkook sighs heavily. He's pretty sure he’s not conveying his thoughts clearly, but how the is he supposed to do that when none of this makes sense?

“Wow. Just…wow,” Jimin says, staring at him with wide bewildered eyes. “Poor Taehyung,” the man says then catches himself. “I mean poor you too, but Tae was so broken after you left, and…” JImin suddenly stops.

“And, what?” Jungkook may have asked a little too eagerly.

“I… uhmm, we promise Taehyung we won’t lead you. He wants you to recover your memory on your own. Something about if we told you then he’d never be sure you actually remembered.”

Jungkook wants to scream, ‘what the hell’ because, what the hell?!

“Hyung, who cares how I remember, as long as I remember?” Jungkook questions.

“Taehyung does, Jungkook,” Jimin says softly, ”and you may not remember, but you owe him. Big.” Jimin emphasizes the last word.

Jungkook runs his hand through his hair, a nervous habit he picked up from Jimin, and he would laugh except at this moment nothing is funny.

“Sorry,” Jimin sounds guilty. “This is probably really hard for you, too. I don’t want you to think I’m taking sides. I’m not. None of us are. It’s just-”

“Us?” Jungkook cuts Jimin off.

Jimin inhales and Jungkook can tell he’s trying to figure out how best to answer his question.  He almost laughs out loud when Jimin runs his own hand through his thick black hair.

“The thing is Kookie,” his friend (who’s Taehyung’s friend too) says slowly, “the thing is, uhmm, we – there’s just no easy way to say this. We all know Taehyung, all of us, the whole gang. We’re all his friend too.”

Jungkook takes a moment. He stares at Jimin blankly, the words not sinking in. He feels like he’s watching the letters as they leave Jimin’s mouth and enter his ears, only they’re jumbled and he has a hard time sorting them, but when they settle… when all the dots connect, Jungkook is seized by terror, because if he really is the bad guy in this drama then he’s going to be facing his past all alone. Because his friends will loyally protect the victim… Taehyung.

“, that’s just… damn it to hell. .” Jungkook jumps up from the couch and turns to face Jimin (mind having fully grasped the magnitude of the situation). “Everyone?”

Jimin nods and it looks like slow motion, “Yes everyone.”

“.” It’s the last thing Jungkook says before bolting out the door.

*****

“What’d you say to him?” Taehyung’s voice is frantic as they scour the neighborhood for Jungkook.

“I may have unwittingly led him to believe that all his friends were on your side,” Jimin answers sheepishly.

“What?” Taehyung stops and turns to face the shorter man.

“I swear, it wasn’t what I meant,” Jimin waves his hands about wildly, “but I gather from his speedy exit that’s how he took it.”

“Damn it Jimin. You know how he is. Couldn’t you have been a little more careful?”

“I’m sorry Tae, it just came out. When… when he asked I – all I could do was answer.”

Taehyung stops walking; he needs a minute. What the hell is wrong with me? He left me, he forgot me, why the hell am I looking for him? He considers turning around and going back home, but he doesn’t. He tells himself it’s because he’s responsible for the younger man, that he’d promised his brother. Deep down he knows it’s a lie, but he’s going to force himself to believe it.

You’re an idiot Kim Taehyung.

“Let’s split up,” he says to Jimin. “You go that way and I’ll take this street. Just text if you find him. I’ll do the same.”

Jimin nods as he walks off in the opposite direction.

Taehyung’s mind is a mess, spinning endlessly like a hamster trapped on a wheel. He’s not sure what he’ll do if he finds Jungkook and silently prays that Jimin is the one to locate the runaway man. Fate, it seems, is not on his side as he spots the man sitting under a tree. Taehyung squints his eyes together, looking in horror at the particular tree, their tree.

He stops walking. He can’t move, his feet having glued themselves to the asphalt, and he’s stuck with tears burning at his eyes as the memory rudely interrupts his immediate thoughts.

*****

“Jungkook no!” Taehyung grabs the boy’s hand.

“I’m doing it Tae,” the boy says, bunny smile as bright as the sun planted on his face.

“But we’re defacing public property. That’s against the law.”

“No, we’re memorializing our love,” Jungkook rebutts.

Taehyung’s not practically law conscious, at least when it comes to carving initials into trees, but they’re new to the neighborhood, and people can see them. Jungkook is determined, and Taehyung knows he’s going to lose anyway so he caves.

“Fine, but it better be the best ing initial carving ever. People better see it as a work of art.”

Jungkook laughs hard at the statement. “Tae, who are you talking to? It’s me, remember? Jungpicasso. This will be amazing because you’re amazing, because we’re amazing together. I think it’s only right that we share our amazingness with the world, don’t you?”

Taehyung really can’t argue with that. They are amazing together. Jungkook balances him, matching his slightly eccentric personality with his very level-headed and practical one. He watches the younger man chip away carefully at the wood, memorializing their love in the trunk of a cypress tree. When Jungkook finishes he takes a step back, eyeing his handiwork.

“Come here hyung,” the man says, extending his hand.

Taehyung walks toward the man, accepting the outstretched arm. When he sees the carving his heart flutters. The words KT Loves JJ  Forever are embedded in the bark encased in a heart that looks almost 3-D.

“It’s beautiful.” Taehyung can’t help that his breath hitches when Jungkook squeezes his hand and pulls him close whispering in his ear.

“No, you’re beautiful,” Jungkook says, placing a kiss on his head.

*****

The memory hurts; it’s like a knife in his chest. But Jungkook sitting under their tree, not knowing it’s their tree... it feels like the knife has been pushed all the way in, handle and all. He takes a deep breath and prepares himself to make the small trek to where the man is perched against the trunk, pulling at grass blades.

“What did the grass do to deserve this murderous rampage?” Taehyung tries to keep his voice level and humorous. It’s the best way to deal with a grumpy Jungkook.

“Stupid blades had it coming, all green and , making me itch,”