A/N - Prompts from Werewolfchild and Wolf_Puppy

The next chapter is Nahyun and will explain the living situation a bit more.

Momo has a Meltdown (MoJiTzu)

Momo and Jihyo had been living at Nayeon’s since the night at the hospital, everybody did - it made more sense to grieve together. Plus it gave the duo a chance to vet Tzuyu’s sisters, not that they left their room often. Elkie came round daily, they suspected that she was talking to Tzuyu when she wasn’t pretending to be asleep. Getting things to ask about and then feed back, if only to give Tzuyu a better advantage. Jihyo and Momo hadn’t gone to see her, mostly because they were afraid she’d pretend to be asleep for them too. They didn’t want that. Jihyo spent most of her time helping Chaeyoung and eventually Sana and Mina when they were discharged.

Tzuyu had been shot twice before the police tackled Jimin. The first shot pegged her neck and the second hit her chest, there was a lot of damage and it was touch and go for a while but she was going to be fine now and that was the main thing. They would go to visit her soon, but for now they’d rather not know if she would wake up for them. It was cowardly and they knew that but they couldn’t handle her ignoring them. So instead whenever Elkie would come back from the hospital they’d interrogate her about their girlfriends welfare. They knew that Elkie was probably lying to them about Tzuyu still being asleep but they understood that Tzuyu would need to talk to her sisters before them, they could be patient.

Well Jihyo could be patient…Momo was struggling a little.

Momo was always the one who clung to the younger two, she always needed affection from them. With Tzuyu gone and Jihyo worrying over everyone else’s well being Momo began to feel somewhat neglected. Not that she’d say anything, Tzuyu had been badly hurt and Jihyo was coping in her own way. So Momo instead spoke to her mother about it, being reassured that once Tzuyu was let out of the hospital she’d be okay. Until then Momo spent all of her time in the room she and Jihyo were occupying. Even when Sana and Mina had finally been discharged, Momo stayed in her room - only leaving if someone texted to say she was needed.

The Japanese girl couldn’t explain it, sure Tzuyu had been hurt before but this was the first time that it had been so close to them. They could have protected her, they should have protected her the way she always protected them. Momo and Jihyo had hidden in the presidents office with Irene, texting Tzuyu…but she never replied. Jihyo always said smoking would kill her and it nearly did. Momo was never much of a deep thinker but as she lay in bed each day turning these thoughts over and over she felt sadder and lonelier than she had ever felt. At night Jihyo would cuddle her and whisper in her ear that Tzuyu was okay and would be with them soon but it did little to help her. It was probably due to one thing: Usually when Tzuyu got hurt, no matter how badly, she was always there to reassure them. This time she was all alone, in a hospital and Momo couldn’t hug her.

All she could do was lay in bed, wrapped in Tzuyu’s jacket.

One day, Momo was watching the ceiling fan spin round when there was a knock at the door. She couldn’t remember if she said come in or not but the door opened either way, Sana and Mina entering with a mission to cheer up their friend. They knew the older girl better than most, they knew that she wasn’t used to feeling anything but bubbly and happy so when she was sad she didn’t know how to let it out.

“Mo?” Mina called, “We’re going to go bake cookies downstairs, wanna join?”

“No thanks.”

“You can like the bowl?”

“Not hungry”

“It’s worse than we thought.” Sana whispered,

The duo got on the bed, Sana helping Mina to lie back. She still had some discomfort when she sat so Sana was always there to gently guide her down. Momo hadn’t looked at them at all since they’d walked in, she just laid there wrapped up in Tzuyu’s jacket.

“What’s wrong?” Mina asked, “Tzuyu’s okay, isn’t she?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why are you so down?”

Momo sighed and finally sat up, “She’s alone.”

At any other time Momo’s small voice would have made her younger friends coo but it was so broken that all the cuteness got lost under the pain. Sana rubbed her back gently as Mina rested a hand on her knee.

“The thing it…I’m scared.”

“Of what?” Sana asked,

“That she’s lonely because she wants to be.” Momo explained, “When things get dangerous she cuts people out to protect them, but this time she got hurt because someone wanted to hurt her. She can’t protect herself.”

“Talk to her,” Mina advised, “You and Jihyo should go to the hospital and--”

“And what? Have her pretend to be asleep like she’s doing to her sisters? She wouldn’t tell us the truth anyway, at least the full truth - she never does. I guess now that I know that I know absolutely nothing about her I’m scared of what she’ll land on us next.” Momo felt tears roll down her cheeks, “I want her to be safe, but I also want to protect Jihyo. Tzuyu hiding things from me I can handle, people always think I’m to immature to know things. But hiding things from Jihyo isn’t fair and now I don’t know….what do I do?”

She was genuinely asking them.

But they had no answer for her.

“You come and make cookies,” Sana decided getting up and helping Mina to follow, “Then you talk to Tzuyu when she’s out of hospital.”

They dragged Momo up and downstairs. The next hour or so they were engrossed in creating a sticky mess of cookie dough. Slowly, as the time went on, Momo began smiling and laughing - enjoying her time with her friends. For a few hours they forgot about everything that had happened the past week or so and just baked cookies together. They made enough for everyone and Momo made sure to decorate one for Jihyo and one for Tzuyu (just because there were things to be discussed does not mean she didn’t get cookies). When Jihyo walked past the kitchen she grinned at how happy Momo looked, covered in flour, decorating a cookie with the utmost concentrations - tongue sticking out.

Unable to help herself Jihyo walked in and cuddled herself into Momo’s back, the other two excusing themselves to the living room. The living room was visible through an archway into the kitchen so they could still eavesdrop underneath the sounds of Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung’s videogame. Momo showed Jihyo the cookies excitedly, the younger girl complementing her and kissing her neck. She was happy that Momo seemed to be brighter, it had devastated her that she couldn’t help her girlfriend but she herself needed to stay busy to cope with everything. It was selfish but luckily Momo had amazing friends looking out for her.

Jeongyeon watched the scene in interest, “It’s a shame that Tzuyu nearly ripped them apart - I’m glad they’re looking brighter.”

It was quiet…but the couple heard it and felt their protectiveness rise.

“What did you say?” Jihyo asked turning to look at Jeongyeon,

Jeongyeon matched her gaze, “Sorry Ji, but it’s true. If Tzuyu hadn’t have snapped and told the school about Jimin this wouldn’t have happened.”

“If I’d let Jimin me it wouldn’t have happened either, is it my fault?” Momo asked standing sharply to glare at the older girl,

It wasn’t a sight any of them had seen before, at least from Momo. It was dark and threatening, as if daring Jeongyeon to keep talking.

“Of…Of course not, Mo. That was different!”

“If Jihyo had ducked out of the election it wouldn’t have happened, is it her fault?” Momo continued, “If Jackson hadn’t saved Tzuyu - twice it wouldn’t have happened. If Jimin hadn’t have those girls at parties it wouldn’t have happened, if he hadn’t started a gang, if he hadn’t ed over everyone it would not have happened. Do you see a theme here? If Jimin hadn’t decided to steal his fathers shotgun and shoot up the school none of this would have happened. If you are looking for someone to blame, blame him.”

Jeongyeon stood, “I didn’t mean it that way…”

“Then what way did you mean it?”

“They way that if Tzuyu hadn’t have gotten all of us wrapped up in this maybe we would’ve been safer!”

“He killed people that weren’t us, no offence Jeongyeon but sometimes things happen for reasons we’ll never know. All we can do is accept it and move on.” Jihyo tried to reason, ever the diplomat,

“But he’s not here!” Jeongyeon growled, “I can’t take it out on him because he’s in prison right now.”

“Oh so you’ll happily blame my girlfriend? My girlfriend who has taken more blows than anyone already!” Momo was furious, it was so out of character for her that Jihyo wondered if she’d have to talk her down,

“Momo--”

“What do you mean?” A new voice asked, “Tzuyu has taken blows?”

Tzuyu’s sisters were stood on the stairs, having heard the argument and come to see what was happening. Fei and Jia had been listening for a while and when they heard that their little sister was the topic they realised there was a lot they still didn’t know. They had originally thought the two girlfriends was all they’d have to get over. While they weren’t Korean natives they were quick learners…mostly for plot convenience.

Momo sighed, “It’s a long story…”

“We have time.”

Momo froze and looked to Jihyo, maybe if they gave answers they’d finally get some.

“It started when she first got here…” Jihyo began.