Hoseok got out of the car with a sunny grin and a stood beside it with a skip, motioning with his head for Jimin to step out. Jimin looked a bit scared with Hoseok’s enthusiasm, but stepped out and smiled back at him. 

“And we’ve reached! Yoongi hyung get out! Jungkook grab Jimin’s luggage and bring it to the house!”

Yoongi and Jungkook groaned in unison while Hoseok grabbed Jimin’s arm and pulled him to the gate, the alarmed look in Jimin’s face becoming even more prominent. 
Hoseok ascended the stairs with the happiness of a child heading to an amusement park, still pulling Jimin along. Yoongi followed behind, maintaining a slight distance.

“Jimin ah I’ll help you unpack and get settled. And-…” Hoseok said but was cut short by Yoongi.

“We’re not even inside the apartment yet!” Yoongi said, through gritted teeth, his eyes on the stairs. He glanced up once and met Jimin’s eye, who seemed to have looked back at him for support.

Jimin looked genuinely scared by Hoseok’s energy. Yoongi avoided the urge to laugh and looked back down at the stairs again, grinning. He thought silently that Jimin himself had seemed to be outgoing and also extroverted to some extent by nature. And yet, his face right now, was like that of a kitten being abducted by an alien. Their Hobi was certainly a treasure.

“That’s because you guys are so slow! Here we are. Hyung, gimme the keys.” Hoseok let go of Jimin who looked relieved and turned back, flapping a hand in front of Yoongi’s face.

“Can you wait till I take them out of my bag? Or will you break the door by then?” Yoongi asked, closing his eyes, in caution for not getting hit by Hobi’s hand and losing his vision.

“And will…ANYONE!…help me!…with these?!” Jungkook wheezed from a few steps below. He appeared around the corner, and set down two suitcases he had been lugging with his hands. He also had a backpack on his back and the handle of another smaller bag strung around his neck.

“Oh , wait I’ll-…” Jimin was about to run back down but Hoseok grabbed his arm again and stopped him. Jimin’s scared look returned. “Our little Kookie is stronger than all of us. He can carry that much weight, it’s nothing, isn’t that right Jungkook?” Hoseok said.

Jungkook gasped for breath, leaning back against the wall and shaking his head at Jimin with a miserable face. Yoongi chuckled, handing Hoseok the keys and walking down to help Jungkook.
“See, Kookie agrees. Now let’s go in.” Hoseok pulled a shocked looking Jimin into Yoongi’s apartment.

Once inside, Jimin looked back again but Yoongi hadn’t come in yet. He looked around, taking in the apartment. Yoongi had been right. The place was rather small. The drawing room itself might have been smaller than his bedroom. As Hoseok switched on the lights, he looked around the walls and smiled. On the wall across from them, was a small shelf with a series of small frames. In the frame at the extreme left was a picture of a newborn, wrapped in a colorful blanket and chewing on his own hand, held in the arms of a pretty young woman, looking at her son with a smile. The profound affection in her face could not be missed even from this distance. To the immediate right of it, was the picture of the same woman, this time with shorter hair, clapping her hands, with open, the picture clicked midway between something being said by her as she looked at an infant with spiky hair who was leaning against a table on which there was a cake with two candles and looking back at his mother. To the right of it was another picture where a kid with pale skin and an elated smile that was missing a few front teeth, was holding up a certificate. This way the pictures progressed from left to right, with Yoongi’s age gradually increasing with each picture – Right up to the last one where the Yoongi he recognized was standing, with his back to a sea beach and smiling at the camera.

Jimin’s face lit up in a smile. Before that one was a picture of Yoongi, who looked the same except his haircut, surrounded by four boys. He recognized Taehyung, with the boxy smile and chestnut brown hair and his heart skipped a beat. His face was thinner but he was still as beautiful, Jimin reflected. He had his arm around the neck of a boy who had a cute roundish oval face and a smile revealing bunny teeth, his forehead entirely covered with a mop of black hair and his rather skinny frame clad in a white Tshirt. The present day Jungkook, in comparison with this, was like an evolved Pokemon, Jimin thought with a smirk.

Jin looked just the same, and he was actually blowing a kiss at the camera. Hoseok was thinner and had short cropped hair but he was easily distinguishable by the raised eyebrows and excited smile, both hands raised in the air, displaying “V”signs. 
On the wall to their right side, was a board with a collage of different pictures of the five boys. Jimin turned to look at the wall to their left and gasped. There was a charcoal portrait of Yoongi with his mother by his side, so lifelike it was difficult to say that it had been drawn and not clicked on a camera. 
“Woah…” Jimin found himself saying.

“That was Jungkook’s gift on my twentieth birthday. It’s amazing isn’t it?” 

Jimin jumped at Yoongi’s voice coming suddenly from his side. He looked at Yoongi and smiled. Yoongi looked at him and blinked twice before removing his eyes to the portrait. 

“Yeah, it is…wow.” Jimin said. “Jungkook really has some talent.” He said, ignoring the grudging scream at the back of his head.

“Thanks but…” Jungkook sat down with a thud on the couch behind them, panting. “After today I…won’t have any…hands left…so…”

“Yah! I helped you.” Yoongi turned and shrugged at him. The look he got from Jungkook made him snigger. 

“Yes, Yoongi hyung, I can’t thank you enough for relieving me of that bag.” Jungkook pointed at the smallest bag Jimin had brought and threw a very stiff version of his rabbit smile at Yoongi. Yoongi and Hoseok both burst into laughter.

“What use is all that working out if you can’t lift a few bags?” Yoongi asked. Hosoek seconded him with an “Exactly!” and Yoongi laughed again at a betrayed looking Jungkook. However, he glanced at Jimin, who was looking at him with a disappointed face and fell quiet. He started rubbing the back of his neck, looking at the floor.

“I’m sorry, Jungkook. I have a lot of luggage.” Jimin said to Jungkook, his voice low.

Jungkook looked at him, abashed. “Oh…N-n-nooo no , it’s fine. We just keep picking on each other like this, don’t take it seriously!” He said, holding up his hands and shaking his head. “And…this much weight, it’s really no big deal for me.” He shrugged.

One of Jimin’s eyebrows went up very slightly at this remark and his previously civil face gave away just the faintest hint of a smirk. Jungkook noticed it and suppressed a grin.

“Yeah, jokes apart, he is the strongest. That’s why I asked him to carry the bags.” Hoseok said, coming to stand next to Jimin and putting a hand on Jimin’s shoulder. “And don’t worry. You’re one of us now, we always share each other’s load. This much is nothing.” 

Jimin couldn’t help but smile wide at Hoseok’s words. 

“Thank you, Hyung. You guys are great. Of course I knew you’d be like this. I know all about you guys from Tae-…” Jimin stopped midway and glanced without thought at Jungkook, who looked away. “ But I just…I don’t want to impose any problems for anyone.” 

Yoongi cleared his throat. “Hoseok is right…Jimin ah.”
Jimin turned to Yoongi. Yoongi took another step back as soon as Jimin had met his eyes. His face was going red. “You don’t have to worry about stuff like that.” He looked at the floor again and took in a deep breath. “And as long as you’re here…with me…Just tell me whatever you need, whenever you need it. Don’t hesitate…ever. I know it won’t be easy for you, living here. With my home being so small…I can’t possibly give you what you’re used to. But I can tell you this much – I’ll try my best to give you whatever you need. So-…” Yoongi looked up and stopped short.

Jimin’s nose was red and he was smiling but he looked like he was about to cry. Behind him, Yoongi noticed that Hoseok looked like he might just start dancing in happiness. He glanced sideways and saw that Jungkook too was staring at him, his mouth up at one corner and a very interested look on his face. Yoongi gave Jungkook a murderous look and Jungkook lowered his head.

“It’s too much to ask. Hyung…really. I don’t have any right-…” Jimin said, his voice low and full of emotion.

“Jimin ah…you have…we…”  Yoongi felt stupid, suddenly at a loss for words, after the previous outpour. 

“You’re our friend now." Jungkook said and the other three turned to look at him. “And we look after each one of our own.” 

Jimin smiled at him warmly. Yoongi exhaled and Hoseok nodded vigorously.
“Thank you, Jungkook.” Jimin said, realizing to his discontent, that his name still created a sting in his chest, however mild it may be now. He breathed out deeply to drown it out.

Hoseok walked over to Yoongi and pulled him by the arm.

“Hyung, help me get Jimin’s luggage inside the room.” 

After the two elders had disappeared, Jimin and Jungkook were left alone and silence descended. Jimin went over to sit on the couch beside Jungkook, who shifted sideways awkwardly even though there was enough space for four people. Neither of the boys looked at the other for a few seconds.
“So…umm…” Jungkook began to say but Jimin cut him off.
 “Jungkook…why are you still here?” Jimin said.

Jungkook’s face fell and he stared at Jimin with a rather crest fallen face. Jimin burst out into giggles, looking at his expression. “No – no…that’s not what I meant.” He said between laughs. “Don’t- don’t take me wrong!” 
“You want me to leave?” 
“No, it’s not that. The words came out wrong. What I meant is-…” Jimin put a hand on Jungkook’s shoulder. He fought back the urge to laugh as Jungkook’s eyes widened slightly at this action and his neck ducked down a bit as if in apprehension of an attack. “What I meant is that-…” Jimin took a brief pause as he looked at Jungkook for a few seconds.

This… this boy.

What does Taehyung see in this boy that wasn’t there in me?

Jimin blinked, brushing away the moment of irrational jealousy. “Um…what I meant is – you should go home. You said you’re coming home. So go…go be with your parents…Be with Taehyung.” 
Jungkook seemed to become awkward at the mention of Taehyung’s name. He started to fidget with the edge of the sofa cover, seeming to want to say something. Jimin raised his eyebrows at him.
“Jimin…umm…Will you be okay here? I can’t help but feel like it’s all my fault that you had to leave your own house.” He said.
“No. I have a feeling I’ll be fine here.” Jimin said, looking at the door of the room which Hoseok had dragged Yoongi into. “Thanks for being concerned.”
“Wow.” Jungkook said, staring off at nothing with a shocked expression.
“What?!” Jimin looked at him and asked.
“We were just nice to each other. For like a full five minutes!” Jungkook said, his eyes widening.
Jimin chuckled. “Don’t get used to it. At all.” He said.
“Hey you’re in my territory now. You better be nice to me.” Jungkook said, raising an eyebrow.
Jimin scoffed at Jungkook. “Right. I ought to be scared of you now…what are you, like, twelve?...I’m older than you, even older than Taehyung…keep that in mind.” Jimin said, copying Jungkook’s raised eyebrow with a sly smile.
“Yeah I get it, everyone in the whole damn world is older than me. I could still hit you pretty hard.” Jungkook said.
Jimin laughed and motioned with his head towards the door. “Go home. Where people are waiting for you.”
………………………………...…………………............. …............. ......... 

“Hobi, either you are drunk or – or you have started doing drugs – or…I absolutely do not know why else you would suggest something like that!” Yoongi said in as low a voice as he could manage, shutting the door and walking over to Hoseok.
Hoseok kept surveying the room as he had been doing for around a minute now, with a finger on his chin and a deeply analyzing look on his face.
“HOBI.” Yoongi said. Hoseok glanced at him once but ignored him. Yoongi punched him in his side lightly.

“Aish why won’t you let me think?...Ok, see you have to shift some of your clothes and stuff from your wardrobe. We’ll figure out where to keep them later on. Oh and I bet Jimin would not be comfortable on this raggedy thing you have here-…” He said pointing to the worn out and greyish sofa beside the window. “So you sleep on it and give him your bed. We all know you can sleep very soundly even on a rock.”

“Shut up. Shut up. Shut up! Jimin is not staying here. Not in my room!” Yoongi said, a desperate look on his face.

“Your mom’s room then? That would be weird. We don’t know how long he’ll be here. And your mom will be returning soon-…”
“Doesn’t matter!” Yoongi said, shaking his head in a stubborn way. Suddenly, his face changed and an idea seemed to have struck him. “Oh but of course! Yeah he can stay here in my room…”
Hoseok’s face lit up like a firework.

“And I will stay in Mom’s room!” Yoongi said, sighing in relief as Hoseok threw up his  arms in frustration. 
“Oh god Yoongi Hyung seriously! You are beyond help! You are hopeless!!” Hoseok grabbed hold of both of Yoongi’s arms and shook him. “This is the best thing that could have happened to you - …whatever it is that actually happened with Jimin, I don’t know! None of us know -…But you have your chance right here. Why are you trying to ruin it?”

Yoongi pried Hoseok’s hands of him and his face turned irritated. “The best thing to happen to me? Whatever it is that happened to Jimin could obviously not have been very nice or easy for him. How can you think about stuff like this when-…”

“I know! And I feel bad for Jimin! But I’m more concerned about you. And I won’t hear any complaints from you for it!” Hoseok said, holding up his finger in a threatening gesture.

“Hobi what the hell are you talking about-…” Yoongi made a helpless face and walked closer to Hoseok, lowering his voice. “Please don’t say this stuff. I don’t want the situation to get awkward.”

“Aah Hyung…you’re too apprehensive about everything. That’s why you’ve always screwed up any chances with anyone who liked you or tried to get close to you.  The most perfect people you have driven away this way. You can’t keep doing this all your life.” Hoseok stopped and Yoongi observed his face with some amazement. For once, Hoseok looked really serious. Any replies that Yoongi might have given vanished in his throat at the look on his best friend’s face. 

“And hyung I know you’re going to try to convince me that I’m wrong. But…But you care about Jimin.” Hoseok said. For perhaps the first time in ages, he had said so many sentences without smiling even for an instant. “It’s not just a silly crush. It’s more than that.”

“Hobi-…I don’t…”

“You can’t fool me. You know that. I know you better than the others.”

Yoongi looked down at this. He knew how true this was. Yoongi was the one everyone came to for solace, the one everyone knew would have advice ready, comforting words and usually some solution over the top of his head for whatever the problem was. But he, himself, had never opened up to anyone about his own troubles. He just wasn’t the kind of person who would ever be able to narrate his story, accept a pat on the back, a warm hug and cry it out in front of a friend, no matter how close they were. That’s what he had always told himself. But in his hardest times, it had seemed to him that Hoseok had always taken special care of him. He would stick around him more, trying harder than ever to cheer him up, telling him stupid jokes that would eventually make him laugh. Hobi had never asked him openly whether he was down. But it hadn’t been a secret to Yoongi that Hobi had a radar that always detected Yoongi’s emotional fluctuations. And whenever he had needed help, Hobi had been there. The insecurities that hid behind Yoongi’s outwardly insensitive barrier had found some safety around the incurable jovial spirit of his friend. They had never spoken directly about it but Hoseok was the one who understood him the best.

Hoseok put an arm on Yoongi’s shoulder and squeezed it.

“Hyung, please give it a chance. Don’t brush it aside without a thought. This is the first time I’ve seen you moved enough by someone to even-…to even snap at me. And I’m not pissed about that at all…finally you have given yourself the chance to feel this way for someone.” 

“What even if I do?” Yoongi said, still not meeting Hoseok’s eyes. “He is in love with Taaehyung.” Yoongi smiled. “I’m no match for Taehyung.” 

“What?! Hyung what the hell are you saying? He doesn’t want to marry Taehyung. I thought he doesn’t love Taehyung, that’s why-…” 

Yoongi sighed in exasperation. He massaged the bridge of his nose for some time and looked up at Hoseok.

“Jimin does love Taehyung. That’s the whole point of all this. That’s why he broke it off-…” Hoseok looked utterly confused. 

“Taehyung however doesn’t love him back. He loves Jungkook. Jungkook figured out he loves him back too, but a bit late. And if either of them could look past each other long enough to care, they might have seen that it was late enough to wreck another person’s life.”

Hosoek looked pale and frozen at the spot. Yoongi realised what he had just said, hearing the ghost of his own voice in his mind.

What the is wrong with me? These are my friends I’m talking about. 

“I-I’m sorry…That wasn’t fair.” Yoongi said, looking ashamed.
Hoseok looked like a stone statue. He stared at the wall behind Yoongi for a minute and Yoongi stayed silent, giving his friend the justly required time to digest all this information. 

“Oh…wow…” Hoseok said, slowly, shaking his head as if trying to clear it of some fog.

“Yeah, wow.” Yoongi said.

“Well that’s a lot to process. But -…if that’s the case…I don’t see why you shouldn’t have a chance with Jimin.” 

Yoongi gave a tired sigh. “Hobi, didn’t you hear what I said? Why would anyone who is besotted with the likes of our beautiful Taehyung…why would they ever care about someone like me?”

Hoseok screwed up his face in a “what the hell” look. “Are you crazy? Why would someone not like you?” 

Just then they heard a knock at the door and went silent, turning towards it.

“It’s open!” Yoongi said loudly. 
The door moved very slowly and a brown haired head made its appearance slowly around the corner, followed by Jimin’s eyes.

“Hey, umm Hyungs…” Jimin said, peering from behind the door, which hid the rest of him, up to his nose.

“Jimin ah come in. You need something?” Hoseok said, his smile reappearing.

Jimin slowly pushed open the door a little more and revealed his entire head, but didn’t say anything. He looked at Yoongi and blinked a few times. Yoongi stared at him, confused, unable to gauge his expression. He walked over and pulled open the door.

“Jimin ah, come in please…what’s wrong? Are you tired? Do you need to rest?” Yoongi said.

“Uh he he…” Jimin said awkwardly. “No, not really.” He was shaking his foot in a very uncomfortable manner.

Hosoek stepped forward and said, “Are you missing your family?” 
Jimin looked at Yoongi again, blinking several times again. “I’m hungry.”
Yoongi’s eyebrows shot up and he grinned. Beside him, he heard Hoseok giggle. 
“You need to hesitate that much to say that?” Yoongi looked at Hoseok and said, “Hobi, get us some food.” 

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

[Taehyung]

Taehyung pulled apart the curtains, squinting at the moonlight that fell on his face but smiling in spite of it. Some dust had found their way out of the long stationary curtains in Jungkook’s room and were swirling in the beams of light now making their way inside through the glass window. The smile on Taehyung’s lips slowly widened. This was the room were the fondest memories of his life were held. The room where he had spent his days with Jungkook.

Wow…has it really been just a year?
It seems like a century.
I can’t believe I’m back here…I can’t believe that you’ll be back here.
There was a sound of the door closing behind him. Taehyung, still distracted in his own thoughts, turned towards the source of the sound. The train of his thoughts broke at the sight of Jungkook. He was standing with his back against the door and looking at Taehyung. His eyes seemed glassy and faraway.
Taehyung took the few steps distance that separated them and pulled him in against his chest, feeling the other’s hands move up his back and his head rest on his shoulder. 

“Hey…”

“I met Mom and Dad…”

Taehyung pulled Jungkook slowly away from himself to look at his face and grinned.

“And?”

“I guess I missed them. A lot.”

“And I missed you…I can’t say how much. There’s no way to put it in words.” Taehyung said, smiling but his eyes showing his pain. “Don’t ever do that to me again – Without you, I don’t know where to go, what to do…I never knew -…I don’t know who I am without you, Jungkook. I can’t say-…” Taehyung breathed heavily, overcome by emotion which left him at a loss of any more words.

Jungkook looked into his eyes, seeming to read everything he hadn’t been able to say. They were barely an arm’s distance away. Jungkook pushed himself off the door and moved forward, pulling Taehyung to himself by his waist. He spun him around and pressed him against the door. Taehyung moved his arms around Jungkook’s neck, pulling him even closer, so that there was no more distance left between them. “I can’t live without you. Don’t make me live without you again. I’m barely alive without you.” Taehyung said as Jungkook kissed him. The kiss was urgent, forceful and passionate. 

“Never…” He said, catching his breath in between kisses to form the words. “Noone…takes you…from me…you’re mine.”

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

[Jimin]

Yoongi straightened the edge of the covers on his bed for one whole minute before taking a few steps back to scrutinize the perfection of his work. 

“I’m afraid to sit on that bed now.” Jimin said from behind Yoongi, making him laugh. “It’s like a master piece – the perfectly made bed. I don’t want to disturb it.” 

“Sorry, I’m being neurotic.” Yoongi grinned and turned around. “I’m not very good with the– usually it’s Umma who does this stuff. You can freshen up and take rest. We’ve kept your stuff in the cupboard on the right and -…”

“Hyung-…” Jimin cut Yoongi’s sentence midway. “Thank you. Really. I don’t know how to thank you.”

Yoongi looked thrown off. “What-…No…Jimin ah, you’re saying the same thing again. And you don’t need to. You remember what we said earlier. You’re one of us now. And you don’t say thanks to friends.”

“I know, Hyung. But I mean -…I know how hard this must be for you.”

“What?!” Yoongi looked at Jimin with a startled face. “Why?”
Jimin ginned but hesitated once before saying, “I take it you’re not comfortable with new people.” He said and looked at Yoongi with a sheepish grin.

Yoongi went red in the face. He looked at the curtains beside Jimin, then at the walls, the door and finally fixed his gaze on his shoes. He heard Jimin giggle once and looked up. Jimin saw that there was a harrowed expression on his face.

why did I have to say that? I embarrassed him.

“I’m sorry, Hyung.” Jimin said, his face becoming serious.

Yoongi groaned. “I take it that prat, Taehyung, told you this. The next time I come face to face with him-…” Yoongi curled his fist with a frown.

“No no, Hyung, no! It wasn’t Taehyung. I-….sort of observed.”

“Huh?”

“Well…would you feel weird if I say that I’ve observed you?”

“NO. Not at all.” Yoongi said promptly, but Jimin noticed that his cheeks and neck had gone almost crimson.

“Well, this is one of my many weird traits, as you’ll slowly come to know of…Namjoon hyung used to say that I need to find a hobby. Instead of staring at people when they are not looking and trying to find meanings and reasons behind their behavior.”
“You do that?” Yoongi’s voice was very small as he said this and gulped.
“Yeah! I know, you think I’m jobless and idle. I am, of course. But, well...anyway, I’m really good at it too.” Jimin said, smiling wide and nodding.
Yoongi cleared his throat and looked up. “So um…what did you…umm observe?”

Jimin’s face lit up at the encouragement. “Well! This is the first time I’m actually describing it to the person themselves. See, from what I’ve observed…” Jimin put a finger on his chin, and squinted his eyes as he looked at Yoongi. He continued, tapping his chin with his finger. “You don’t like being amongst too many people. I saw that at the party and also at the engagement, you had a frown on your face most of the time and you moved out of the way of people so that you wouldn’t brush against anyone even by accident. Am I right?”

“Guilty as charged.” Yoongi said, holding up his hands and Jimin laughed.

“Wait, there’s more. You like to think more than talk. You stayed silent all the way in the car, you had your headphones on in spite of the fact that we had music in the car and I know you weren’t actually playing anything on it. You had them on just so you wouldn’t have to keep talking.”

Yoongi gulped again. “Why would you think that? Of course I was listening to music.”

“You were kind of forcefully not laughing every time Jin hyung cracked one of his dad jokes.”

Yoongi groaned and looked out the window. Jimin giggled again.
“Fine. You’re right.” Yoongi muttered.

“And umm…you’re closest to Hobi hyung, I think?” Jimin said, holding up a finger, his eyes narrowed to slits and an expression of deep concentration on his face.

“I don’t have any favorites in our group. But yeah, maybe Hobi is a little bit-…” Yoongi shrugged, not finishing his sentence.

“And you’ve been disturbed about something for some time.” Jimin said.
Yoongi’s head jerked up and he stared at Jimin, thrown off.

“Maybe someone…maybe you’re worried about something… someone. I don’t know-…I can’t figure out that part, but you’re clearly a bit disturbed.” Jimin said and nodded.

Yoongi took in a deep breath. He said nothing. Jimin took a few steps forward up to him. 

“You could tell me, if you want.” Jimin said, shrugging.

Yoongi stepped back, shaking his head. He looked panicked. Jimin retraced a step immediately.
“Guessed so.” Jimin said, biting his lower lip, grinning in a mischievous way. “I knew you wouldn’t.”

Yoongi blinked a few times in confusion and Jimin giggled. 

“How come?” Yoongi asked.

“Hyung, tell me…when was the last time you opened up your heart to someone?” Jimin asked, his grin now softened into a warm smile. He tilted his head to and raised his eyebrows slightly.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

[Yoongi]

Yoongi swallowed once before opening his mouth to speak. But he realized he didn’t have any answer to Jimin’s question.

“Never” would be a very embarrassing answer. He sighed.

“Hyung…you know it’s okay to talk…even if you don’t talk much.” Jimin said. He stepped back up to stand right in front of Yoongi, who didn’t back away this time. He placed a hand on Yoongi’s arm and said, “Talk about your troubles. Don’t build walls around yourself…”

Yoongi’s had been breathing hard till now. Confidence in proximity with people had never been one of his traits. But to his surprise, he realized –as Jimin’s hand touched his arm- contrary to the panic he had been expecting, a strange sense of calm descended over him. A feeling that was alien to him –something he had never known he could feel.

“I’m not saying you won’t survive if you do…but the people who love you need to have the power to reach you.” Jimin continued. “You’re depriving them of that.”

Yoongi looked into Jimin’s eyes. A few seconds of silence passed as Jimin waited for a reply. Yoongi didn’t even blink.

Why is his smile so pretty? 

“Hyung?”
Yoongi seemed to return back from a dream. He looked away from Jimin.
“I-…”
“Hmm?”
“I don’t know how to.” Yoongi found himself saying, to his surprise.
“How to talk?” Jimin’s voice was low but b with sarcasm. Yoongi looked at him with a harassed face and he chuckled. “Hyung! You just talked!”

“Aish…Jimin ah, you know…what I mean!” Yoongi said, pouting.

Jimin stopped chuckling. He smiled at Yoongi and nodded slowly. “Yeah…That’s how it works. Hyung, your friends will always know what you mean. You just have to open up. Don’t keep your problems bottled up.”

Yoongi felt a weird tug at his heart. A sudden sense of pain. 

What good is that?

“Tell me, Hyung. What’s bothering you?”

Why do I get the urge to do that? To tell you everything…
What good is it?
You’ll leave. What am I to you anyway?

​​​​
“Hyung?”

“Jimin ah, it’s nothing. Really.” Yoongi said. He shifted so that Jimin’s hand fell away from his arm. “You should take rest.” 
Saying this, he turned and walked to the door.

“Hey, I’m sorry Hyung…” 
Yoongi stopped in his tracks at Jimin’s words and turned around.

“I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have forced you to-…Just forget that I did, Hyung!” Jimin said. His eyes were a bit wide and he looked concerned.

You pathetic self-obsessed jerk. Why did you have to behave this way with him?! Look at his face now…

​​​​​​
“Jimin ah, no, its okay. I over reacted.” Yoongi sighed and walked back to where Jimin was standing. “Whatever you said is right. But…I don’t think I can…”

Jimin smiled and extended his hand, grasping Yoongi’s.    

“It’s okay…I guess it will take time. But just promise me you’ll try.”

“I will.” Yoongi said. He hid his surprise at his own words.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

[Jungkook]

Jungkook suppressed his urge to laugh as Taehyung’s lips moved in his sleep. He would often mumble in his sleep. The habit had been observed by Jungkook in the toddler Taehyung, the first night he had shyly peered around Jungkook’s bedroom door, being too scared to sleep alone in his own. From that night onwards, Taehyung’s own bed had scarcely been used.

 Jungkook pushed himself up on one elbow and looked down at the twenty three year old Taehyung, who still carried the same habit. His face still looked the same to Jungkook under the diffuse light moonlight falling on it from the window beside Jungkook’s bed.

How are you so flawless?
So beautiful…
What would I do without you?...

​​​​​​
Jungkook took a deep breath and lowered himself on his side, resting his head on the space left vacant by Taehyung on his pillow. Taehyung’s lips moved once more, mouthing something inaudible, making Jungkook laugh silently.

Taehyung sniffed once and wiggled closer to Jungkook, in his sleep. Jungkook noticed he was hunched a bit, as if he were feeling cold. He pulled the covers over Taehyung’s bare shoulder and up to his cheeks and felt Taehyung’s frame crumple up even more. Jungkook used his free hand to rummage above his head to find the remote to the air conditioning but found nothing. He hooked his other hand around Taehyung under the covers and pulled him into his chest. He smiled as he felt Taehyung’s arms move around his body and his head lowered to settle below Jungkook’s chin.

Within a few minutes of enjoying the comfortable warmth, the happy feeling in Jungkook’s mind seemed to be disturbed by a faint but very familiar tug of anxiety.

The events of the previous day came back to him. Jimin’s telling a lie to cover up for him and Taehyung…Jimin’s parents screaming at him…The truth about Jimin…Namjoon leaving the room…Jimin being asked by his parents to leave the house.

Unconsciously, Jungkook tightened his hold around Taehyung. His breathing had become labored. 

I can’t do this…Not now…

​​​​​​
Jungkook let out a few deep breaths and closed his eyes tightly, clenching his fists.

Not now. Not here at home. Not with Taehyung here…

But I can’t….I don’t feel okay…nothing feels okay…

​​​​​​
Jungkook opened his eyes and loosened his grip around Taehyung, withdrawing a bit from him to look at his face. He looked so peaceful.

I can’t...I shouldn’t…
But I can’t go on without it either.

​​​​​​
Jungkook grabbed Taehyung’s wrists very gently and removed them from around his frame. He lifted the covers very lightly, flinching as the cold air, that made its way in due to this, made Taehyung shiver. He slithered out from under the covers, carefully not to shake the bed and tucked the covers around Taehyung. He move