The time was on its track and so was V healing along it, not just his superficial wounds but his inner ones itched again to be healed.

He has the core of a sensitive baby that built a shell of a tough man but some people had the privilege to see what lies beneath that shell and his family certainly did.

His time in the hospital came to an end by the efforts of the medical team, his immediate care gradually worked on him and he wouldn't have to stay in the boring hospital anymore.

His family and friends recklessly tried to do all they could just for him and this very moment V started feeling that congested feeling inside.

He hates to get attention, he hates to get their time, efforts and care without giving it all back in return. He hated to helplessly lay and wait for time to meet an end.

He hated to see his father hustling to pay the bills, the mother hustling to get him to talk to her and making him feel seen and heard.

He hated everything.

It all came to a point where he wanted to isolate himself but that isolation seemed just as brutal.

He didn't know what he wanted and he didn't want to feel that way. Maybe it was an adverse effect of his medicines but his mind certainly fucked up.

The noon he was brought back to his home, everyone was there, especially his friend Jungkook who didn't leave his side for once and was even there to help him get to his room and lay on his bed, his brother Taehyung bringing him all he needed and Jimin making sure to get him comfortable in his bed again.

“In case you need anything, just let me know.” Jungkook told his friend after helping him half lay on the bed who gave him a nod.

Aa Jimin was helping him cover under the sheets, Jungkook helped him along, fixing his friend’s pillow on the back to help him sit against his backrest of bed who signed roughly.

Just then Jungkook felt his hand being taken by his friend, causing him to look down and pay attention to him.

“Get yourself to rest buddy, you have been working all the time.” V whispered to his friend who smiled down at him.

“Now I can.” Jungkook extended his hand to ruffle V’s dark hair that needed to be brushed and washed but didn't lose the shine anyhow.

The other side Taehyung set everything on his night stand, all his brother could need, silently doing his work as he felt Jungkook just behind him, sparing him attention then looking down.

“You can let me know when you're hungry, I'll be with mom in the kitchen.” Taehyung then informed his brother who simply spared attention to his brother and buddy back and forth.

They both looked tired for obvious reasons and V didn't like it at all.

“Where's your jacket? It's cold.” V then pointed out, noticing a single layer on his brother's body who spared his brother some attention, looking slightly frustrated.

Being the elder he is, he always gives fuck about his brother.

“Where was your mind when you acted like a one man army, did I ask you?” Taehyung said back frustratedly and V frowned, why did all of a sudden he sound so frustrated?

“I made it out alive, cut this crap.”

“You cut this crap. Stop with this already, don't just throw yourself into anything knowing you're not that strong. Now spare yourself next time, I hate to be in here.” Taehyung was slightly upset about the situation, not his brother or anyone but himself.

He's not as strong as his brother after all. He is helpless after seeing his brother and his parents go through that mess and stay helpless. He's just frustrated by it all. Frustrated by his brother to always be the savior and end in mess on his own.

“As I didn't hate to be where I was all my childhood.” V whispered back with tightened jaws, intending to those days he had to deal with the constant fear of losing his brother.

Well they both had given through a lot because of each other.

The two were on the verge of fighting again but Jungkook decided to step in.

“I get you two are just tired, please don't fight guys.” Jungkook said, extending his hand to meet Taehyung's back who inhaled sharply, looking down and deciding to leave the room while V was left to exhale frustratedly.

The other side there was Jimin, standing in the room all the time, feeling like an imposter and then feeling all the guilt sprinting through his veins. He hated to admit but if it wasn't for V to jump in to help him, he wouldn't survive and he was understanding why Taehyung is upset and yet again all his mind could think of what it could have been if they didn't fight like that before that incident.

Jungkook spotted Jimin after Taehyung left, he was one of the helpless ones there. In fact everyone was helpless.

“I need to go back home, gotta do some work before I come to see you again.” Jungkook then informed his friend who gave him an understanding nod.

“You need to rest too.”

“I will.”

Jungkook then walked out, on his way out he tapped Jimin's shoulder followed by a ruffle of his hair to make him feel better while Jimin was just feeling like crying, eyes fixed below.

Jungkook then walked out of his room to find how the twin’s father was sitting by the table of their apartment, busy doing something through his phone, his absence had his business works delayed and he needed to do as much as he could over calls while the mother worked in the kitchen, busy cooking something for them and then Jungkook's eyes fell on Taehyung who was taking out the groceries, placing them in the refrigerator.

Their eyes met for a moment, causing the blonde to stop his hands for a while.

And boom.

A sudden realization hit the two, taking them back to the day they suddenly fell apart and the cruel time gave them no time and space to even consider it for a moment.

Both their eyes craved each other, longing and yearning kept in those tired eyes but none of them was confident enough to mention it, not when everything around them was a bit messed up.

"Maybe we were better off as friends, at least you were not ashamed of me back then."

"No… No baby. No, I'm not ashamed of you, I never was I… babe, try to listen to me-"

"Maybe I'll- maybe I will listen to you the day you'll come to terms of accepting the fact you love me regardless of judgment because if being with me is fearful, you rather be fearless."

Jungkook finally broke out of his trance as he realized how Taehyung looked away, letting go of his breath as the flashbacks hit him as well.

Jungkook felt a sudden splash of pain under his chest right where his heart was, a clench that reminded him of dark sides of love. All over again.

He hates ignorance, he hates to go unnoticed, he hates to feel less enough and never worthy. He believes the more he'll give, something he'll get, he was never greedy but he at least needed some of it to survive.

His past events had him traumatized, giving him a sense of being wasted in the end.

Even when Taehyung was just his friend and had to stop talking to him all of a sudden due to his feelings, Jungkook never wanted to let go of him, because he hates to be abandoned.

But here they were held back by their helplessness.

Jungkook decided to let go of his thoughts, deciding to disappear as soon as possible.

He decided to walk away but was stopped by a call of his name.

“Jungkookie, come here son, you must be hungry. Lunch is almost ready.” The mother of the two insisted, joyfully looking at him while Jungkook looked slightly surprised, then suddenly growing shy.

“Ah… yeah… ah, umm, I actually have some chores to do back home-”

“And cooking for yourself will be another chore for you. Come here, sit on the chair.”

“Yeah, where are you going already?” Then Mr. Kim spoke up, getting off his phone finally and taking out a chair from his side for Jungkook, who was already slightly taken aback.

Rejecting them would be so not okay.

He turned back on his feet, slowly looking at the two back and forth and deciding to sit with their father, being pulled in a general conversation with him.

~♡~

Meanwhile there were the two left in the room, Jimin standing in his place, guilt dripping eyes facing down that grew teary soon which V had noticed, long ago and still doing.

“I have said this a hundred times already, come here.” V demanded after the nth time while Jimin then pressed the back of his hand over his mouth, turning around, fighting his tears.

“Jimin… we have talked about it already, what happened has happened.”

But Jimin kept crying.

“Crying over what happened won't change it, I made it out alive, see.” V said again and Jimin faced him.

“How could you say it so naively? Well stupid of me, of course, I'm talking to the naive Mr. Kim Dowoo.” Jimin mocked himself while crying.

“Then how am I supposed to say it?”

“Just don't say then. You know I'm already troubled, what happened has happened I know but I can never forget that we got into this because of ME.” Jimin cried, continuing his self blame and V sighed frustratedly.

“Well, you're not the Jimin I know, the one I used to know used to blame me for everything. What happened now?” V debated and Jimin frowned at his audacity to not seem serious.

“You, you happened to me.” Jimin pointed at him and V showed him a deadpan face while Jimin turned around frustratedly again, holding his head.

“Yeah, yeah, you got me in that situation and it was your fault, you shouldn't have been there in the first place. Fine? That's what you want me to say? Get your ass over here before I stand up on my own.” V mocked him frustratedly and then Jimin turned himself around.

“I'm serious, Kim fucking Dowoo!” Jimin snapped back and V rolled his eyes.

“Was I telling you a joke then? If what I said seems like a joke to you then maybe what you're thinking is a joke too. For fuck sakes I don't have the energy for it.” V said back as if he was literally begging him to bring it all to an end and Jimin tried to stop himself from crying, wiping his tears away.

For a moment none of them said anything, saying always ruins, isn't it?

“We are fighting again…” Jimin then whispered sadly after a while, recalling the last event and V sighed frustratedly.

“Why? Aren't we supposed to?” V then asked on a serious note, face turning blank again.

“I guess fighting is what we usually do, not fighting was what got me concerned.” V then added and Jimin exhaled sharply, shaky breaths as he tried to stop but felt like crying again and then he burst into fresh tears again.

And there was V, sitting there helplessly watching him again.

“Come here already, or else I will really stand up this time.” V warned again and Jimin was quick to rush towards him, back of his hand over his mouth as he cried and carefully sat next to the black haired on the opposite side of his wounded side, letting himself be in V’s arm which quickly got a hold of him, placing his head to be on V’s shoulder, almost melting in his arms.

For a moment V just forgot about his pain, what mattered for him was just Jimin and the feelings he went through.

V was already very weak physically yet all of that was happening was weakening him mentally too, very very weak.

Almost fighting his brother, not speaking a word to his parents and then fighting Jimin again, it's not easy.

And the moment he found the hold of his little guy, he closed his eyes too, holding Jimin securely, one of his hands safely on the back of Jimin's head while another held his back.

V is just best at giving hugs for a reason, Jimin and Taehyung have always known this and guess what? His hugs were very exclusively rare but whenever he gets a bit considerate, they would take that chance to steal one and V would never make them regret any bit of it.

Jimin doesn't remember when was the last time he hugged him like this without crying. Everytime he cries, just because of this guy, he cries like he never did before, only for him to end in that hug of relief.

V not only embraces his body but embraces his soul all entirely. Absorbing all of his pain through it and draining it out somewhere far away.

And with some moment passing by Jimin stopped his tears but couldn't let go of that hold, call him eager but maybe he was. Finding his space somewhere in his arms he sat next to him within his arms, being held by him and sniffling until he felt like his heart being less heavy, closing his eyes as he felt V’s essence.

V too didn't back away any moment, with his back against the pillows against the backrest of the bed, he sat comfortably, letting Jimin hug his side and lay his head on his upper chest, almost as if they were cuddling.

Jimin had several thoughts crossing his mind that time, so many what ifs and fears, realizing how he was always running away from something he knew he would end up in anyhow. Or maybe he was running away because he feared he'd drown himself in that embrace to even know who he even is and what for.

As he was feeling the same at the time.

Soon Jimin heard a slight growl coming from V’s belly, causing him to lift his head up and wonder but he heard that again.

Jimin couldn't help but chuckle, looking at V's face who looked away.

“What am I supposed to do with just fluids in my body for days? This poor human is struggling without his Hamburgers.” V said in his defense, causing Jimin to smile.

“I know how much you must crave them, but just a couple of days more.”

“Couple of days?” V freaked out and Jimin smiled, admiring his face up closely, lifting his hand to hold his jaws to squeeze his cheeks gently.

“Just a couple of days.” Jimin whispered again, adoring the other one, feeling his slight facial hair under his hold.

The cheeks sunken slightly, the stubble on him yet he managed to look effortlessly for Jimin who's eyes gleamed as he admired this one guy he was smitten with forever while the same guy looked down on the human sized fairy with shiny eyes and with blushy after flow of crying all over his face, the blonde hair never losing their motto of serving.

And they just admired each other like that, forgetting what happened and what they wanted. They felt just so dumb to fight all the time. Yes fighting is alright, but shouldn't they just adore each other a bit too?

Jimin wanted to adore the gentle side of V, always wanted to do it but he was never welcomed in V’s boundaries of heart before, or maybe he didn't know he always had a place there but just discovered then?

In this moment they didn't want much but each other's presence, in a soft way, in a way they could not feel loads of anything but a gentleness of each other.

“Dowoo-ah! Jimin-ah? Lunch is ready.” Soon they heard Mrs. Kim knocking at the door, causing Jimin to stand up quickly, leaving V to sigh.

“Coming!” Jimin yelled back, quickly rushing out to get Dowoo’s food while Dowoo just felt a bit cold suddenly.

Here they go again. Crazy to admit that maybe they are more than just friends.

Jimin went outside to see how the table of the apartment was being filled with food, Taehyung sitting next to his mother on the opposite of his father and Jungkook next to his father.

“Oh, Jimin, come sit and eat with us.” The father enthusiastically asked and Jimin smiled at him.

“Sure appa Kim, I would love to, but I should help Dowoo eat first, his belly is roaring.” Jimin informed and the father nodded.

“Oh, good then if he's hungry.”

“His soup is ready, I made sure to add no spice. Feed him gradually, not too hot or cold.” The mother carefully explained and Jimin nodded, waiting for the soup to be poured in the bowl while she also put rice and kimchi jjigae with salad for Jimin on a tray.

“Please call me if you two need anything.” The mother said after handing him the tray while Jimin just gave her a warm smile and a bow.

“Yes I will, momma Kim. Thank you for the food.”

Jimin walked back into the room with his food while the four were left to be on the table.

Jungkook and Mr. Kim were already talking about everything and anything before the food came, giving Mr. Kim a sense of this young guy’s maturity and humbleness, he gradually grew so fond of him.

All of Jungkook's efforts didn't go unnoticed by him at all.

“Taehyungie, help serve your friend, why are you sitting quietly?” Mrs. Kim then insisted her son to serve who broke out of his trance of overthinking.

“Ah, I can do it myself.” Jungkook panicked slightly, reaching for the food to fill his own plate and bowl, then realizing how the elders had literally empty plates and bowls which he tried to fill as well, including Taehyung's.

Taehyung was quiet most of the time maybe because he was mostly observing most of everything, including what Jungkook has been doing all the time.

Taehyung wouldn't be able to do anything if it wasn't for Jungkook yet he was being the selfless guy he is in front of him, looking breathtakingly fine in his rolled up sleeves of his dark sweatshirt, always looking like a guy out of movies, giving Taehyung reasons to feel it all at once.

But that very time all he felt was just pain. Unexplainable pain.

“Aigoo, Jungkook is so well mannered. Your parents must be so proud of you.” Soon the mother complicated him, causing the guy to smile down shyly.

“It comes with family, I bet they are just as good. Jungkook is seriously one of a kind, rare to find in today's world.” The father added, extending his arm to tap the back of Jungkook proudly who looked down shyly again.

“Thank you, for the food and for having me here.” Jungkook then bowed at the two slightly before having his chopsticks in his hand.

“Thanks to you for being here and relentlessly working for us. You're a blessing truly. Dowoo and Taehyung are so blessed to have you, truly.” The mother showed her gratitude with genuine shine in her eyes, causing Jungkook to grow timid again then spare attention to Taehyung who was already toying with his food, absentmindedly sitting in his place.

“I get why Taehyung never got tired of talking about you. I guess I have known you before I even met you.” The mother then added, sparing attention to her son, rubbing his back and causing him to break out of his daze again and Jungkook looked at Taehyung, their eyes meeting again only for Taehyung to look away.

He has lost his glow and shine, causing Jungkook to crave some before he completely loses all of his own.

“Taehyung looks tired right now. I think you need to get a nap after lunch.” The mother then said to her son, ruffling his hair who focused on eating while on the oblique side sat Jungkook, looking at him and sighing away his inhibitions and deciding to eat.

~♡~

“I guess I don't need an enemy when I have you, Park Jimin.” V rolled his eyes as he grew tired of his soup, which Jimin put aside for a while and started eating his meal instead right in front of the other.

Jimin stopped his mouth from chewing to stare at the other one blankly.

“I was just feeding you, you didn't want more then should I starve myself too?”

“But you shouldn't chew like a goat in front of me, I crave rice, I even crave these broccoli. Even the salad seems like a delicacy to me.” V said dreamily, looking at Jimin's tray of food.

“If it wasn't for your health I would have ditched your diet plan. But you ain't gonna get any, so forget about it.” Jimin turned his back from Dowoo, deciding to eat and V leaned back, fake crying, causing Jimin to turn back and smile at his childish attitude.

Jimin put his chopsticks and bowl on the tray to sit next to V again, taking his bowl of soup in his hand again.

“Okay, imagine you are eating a hamburger while tasting this.”

“That's a fucking soup Jimin, how can I imagine it as a hamburger, a hamburger is a hamburger-”

“Okay whatever ahhh” Jimin brought that wooden spoon closer to his lips but V didn't open up his mouth and stared blankly at him.

“Come on, you need nutrition.”

“Nutrition of meat, wheat and rice.”

“Oh don't be ridiculous, okay I'll throw a feast for you when you are able to eat, all those hamburgers you want are on me but for now sip this.” Jimin insisted but V still stared blankly at him.

Jimin pressed the spoon to his lips but V didn't budge, causing Jimin to drop his shoulders and take back that spoon, wiping off V’s lips with his thumb to lick it off instead.

V then looked down at Jimin's lips instead, eyes of whom were not any easy when they looked down at those plum lips licking off it, Jimin busy swirling that spoon around the soup, then looking up at the other one to realize what he was looking at.

And a moment of pause.

Jimin decided to break the thick tension around them because his heart was beating way too fast. He does even have an ECG connected to the other one to know about his heart activity to even start with so he'll just make a fool out of himself.

Should he grow used to it now? Used for this tension? What are they he still had no clue but all of it was hard to ignore.

~♡~

“Thanks for the delicious meal. Call me when you need any help.” Jungkook was already at the door, ready to leave after the lunch and then the parents of the twins smiled and tapped his arm happily.

They were so fond of Jungkook already that he became one of their sons like Jimin did. Jungkook has a charm that can barely be ignored, which is the reason Dowoo made him his friend right away and Taehyung? He lost his heart to him.

The way Jungkook treated Taehyung's parents and how he helped him, it all seemed so burdensome to the blonde in some way. They were not even on good terms yet Jungkook was being how he is and he couldn't take it positively at all.

He felt so little. Thinking as if Jungkook deserved better, someone he is not ashamed to show and tell people he loves.

Taehyung just got unsolved issues within him, scratching him inside so well.

“Take a good rest, okay? And don't need to worry about your friend, he will be just fine.” Mrs. Kim said lastly and leaned to hug him and Jungkook hugged her back and then proceeded to hug the father who tapped his back several times proudly and then there was Taehyung, standing on the side quietly.

Jungkook spared him attention before leaving but Taehyung wasn't looking at him.

“I should be leaving then.” Saying this Jungkook decided to leave and the couple nodded.

Jungkook gave them a bow again before proceeding to leave, still sparing Taehyung attention who didn't look at him even for once and Jungkook finally decided to just leave for real.

And with this he turned around, to walk out through the corridor of the building, making his way to the elevator and just when he walked inside, he parents waved at him until the door of the elevators closed.

And with this Jungkook closed his eyes too.

He felt so incomplete all of a sudden. As if he was asking himself, now what?

His friend wasn't fine, his boyfriend was neither, he didn't have anybody to call his back there what he calls his home and the situation was nowhere near being right.

It's just fucked up.

All he could think of were ways to speak his heart out and tell Taehyung how sorry he is, how much he wanted to let him know but would he seem selfish if he did so?

He doesn't know.

The door of the elevator opened up and he had to walk out without his will.

His steps were slow as if he didn't want to go at all, finding himself standing there for a while to look back and then down at the floor, wanting to go back and bring Taehyung somewhere alone and ask him what he needed to do to have him back.

He was helping everyone a while ago but he needed to be helped this time, to end his loneliness and give him a much needed hug he wanted.

But whatever, he decided to just walk away after a while.

Making his way to his house.

All by himself.

“Jungkook! Wait.”

Wait, what?

Jungkook couldn't believe what he heard, causing him to turn his head around instantly, eyes widening and heart pacing up, the ears dying to hear it once.

Jungkook stopped in his tracks to spot Taehyung there, rushing towards him and then stopping in his tracks, hands carrying a bag.

Jungkook looked at the other one with so much yearning and desperation that the next thing he wanted to hear was “let's forget it, I forgive you.” But maybe that's not what Taehyung had to say.

“Your clothes.” Taehyung simply said, eyes looking down at his own hands as he tried to hand Jungkook the clothes he lent him which Taehyung wanted to return.

Jungkook looked down at his hands holding the bag extended in his direction.

And damn, the bubble of hope he just created a while ago just popped. As if a glass just shattered inside of his chest.

Jungkook's breath hitched as he looked down and tried to take that back in his hands, watching how Taehyung took back his hands with a mere touch of their hands while taking the bag.

Jungkook accepted it but he couldn't look away, Taehyung didn't even look at him once.

For a moment they both froze, Taehyung still standing there as if he had something to say while Jungkook was waiting, waiting for him to say something.

“Everything that you did…” Taehyung started and paused for a moment to think, fiddling with his hands nervously.

“I'm grateful to you for whatever you did for us. Thanks for helping my brother in this situation. I will be grateful.” Taehyung said, trying to sound sincere but that didn't seem okay to Jungkook at all who frowned.

Jungkook scoffed then, not believing the word that came out of his mouth. Why did he need to be so formal?

“Taehyung, why do you sound like that?” Jungkook asked the other one, voice laced with insecurities while Taehyung simply looked up at him, the blank deadpan face didn't help Jungkook at all.

“I just wanted to thank you for everything.”

"Taehyung, why are you talking to me like that? Thank me for what? Of course Dowoo is my friend and so are you- wait… I'm not a stranger to you two." Jungkook said, sounding very hurt which Taehyung could see through his eyes but he didn't know what to do or say.

He didn't want to say anything that could hurt him at all and just wanted the earth to swallow him. It's not that easy for him either.

"I'm not a stranger, right?...” Jungkook asked and waited for Taehyung to say something but he didn't break his silence.

“Or am I?” Jungkook finally asked, something weighing against his chest that he hated, needing Taehyung to lift it off for him but it didn't happen.

What happened instead was how Taehyung just left him alone to be on his own. Jungkook was then standing there alone holding that bag in his hand and watching Taehyung walk away like that.

He wishes it was just as easy, as easy to walk away but that's not what he has ever done or will ever do.

He is the one who stays even in so much pain.

───♡───

Well, life happens and so I got busy. Sorry for the late update. If I get time you all can be blessed with the old 'Wed & Sun' update schedule.
I'll try my best!

Keep commenting!

Hope you guys enjoyed it!