Taehyung leaned against a wall on his way to the dressing room at the venue, Jimin currently in his arms bridal style. Taehyung looked down at the shades that covered Jimin's eyes in a vain attempt to hide the fact that he was completely comatose at the moment. He hadn't thought it would be that bad to sneak him over to the venue and into the dressing room without being noticed, but he was starting to regret that fact now as his legs and thighs burned.

"Gosh dang it...am I that much out of shape, or are your muscles too meaty to handle..."

"Tae?"

Hearing Jungkook's voice behind him, Taehyung snapped out of what he had been saying to turn and look at the confused maknae standing behind him.

"What are you doing with Jimin?"

"Oh...I um...I was taking him to go lay down. He's really exhausted."

"But we have soundcheck," Jungkook said, looking at the limp looking Jimin in Taehyung's arms. "Does he need to see a doctor?"

"No...no, he'll be fine come the performance tonight. We will just have to do the soundcheck without him."

Jungkook didn't look like he believed Taehyung, but he let the matter rest as he hefted a sigh.

"Fine. Come on. Everyone is waiting."

"I'll be right there," Taehyung promised, waiting until Jungkook disappeared down the hallway before carrying Jimin into the dressing room.

Lying him gently on one of the black pleather couches, Taehyung made sure the shades stayed on his face and that he looked like he was in the most natural sleeping position possible.

"Just...please stay there and I'll be back," Taehyung said as he ran out the door, leaving Jimin on the couch to go to soundcheck.

- - -

Birdie's father had absolutely no chill and that fact was evident the moment that Birdie stepped through the front door. She had barely stepped foot over the threshold and her father was already at her. Her father and grandparents' eyes were trained on her by the front door as she stood there in her pajamas, not even realizing that she still had Taehyung's tan jacket on.

"Do you really respect your grandparents so little?" her father asked as he took in her appearance.

"I'm sorry. I've had quite a busy morning," Birdie apologized. "I'll just go upstairs and change."

Her father grumbled under his breath as Birdie quickly rushed up the stairs to her room. The moment her bedroom door shut, her father's mother fixed him with a glare.

"That's no way to speak to your daughter."

"It is if she doesn't do what she should."

"Did you happen to forget that you not only lost a wife, but she lost a mother?" her father's father asked. "You and her are still grieving and should be sticking together instead of bickering and tearing your relationship apart."

Birdie's father crossed his arms across his chest as he let what his parents said sink in. He had been devastated by his wife's death. When she had been alive, he had taken pride in his work, but when she had died, he took refuge in it. He figured that if he worked hard enough and long enough that maybe the pain plaguing him would go away. He never once thought about how his daughter was grieving too in her own way. He knew how much BTS meant to her. She had enjoyed them with her mother. Much like his work had kept him afloat when she passed, he realized that BTS must be doing the same for Bernice.

"I should go apologize," her father said as he hefted himself out of his chair.

"Good boy," his mother said on the way by, causing him to roll his eyes as he walked up the stairs.

Birdie meanwhile was trying to pick out some sort of outfit from her closet to wear for the day. Pushing aside hangers, she felt the almost acidic burn of the held back tears as she looked. The clothes before her began to blur together in a wash of colors as the emotions she was trying so hard to conceal started to bubble out of her.

"I miss you," she said to the clothes, remembering the times her mother would help her pick out outfits when her grandparents came to visit.

Today especially of all days she knew her mother would not only help her pick out an outfit for her grandparents, but she would also help her pick out an outfit for the concert. Heck, she'd be going and be right there in the crowd along with her. With tears tracking down Birdie's cheeks, she moved to go take a seat on her bed. She needed a moment to collect herself before she would be able to face going downstairs.

She heard her bedroom door opening behind her, not wanting to turn around because she had no doubt that it was her father. He was probably back to yell at her to grow up and get dressed to go see her grandparents. Birdie was beyond caring at this point. Footsteps crossed the room until her father soon stood right in front of her.

"If you're here to tell me to get dressed, I need a minute and then I'll..."

"I didn't come up here for that," her father interrupted, causing her to look up at him. "I came to apologize."

"Apologize?"

He nodded as he moved to sit down on her bed beside her.

"I shouldn't have snapped at you just now. Honestly, I shouldn't have been snapping at you at all. You are grieving the loss of your mother still just as I am the death of my wife. We both loved her and it'll take time to heal. I should realize this and not take out my grief on you."

Birdie hadn't ever been expecting an apology from her father, turning her head to look at him sitting beside her.

"I should be considering myself lucky that my grown daughter is sticking around and that I haven't lost you too...at least, I hope I haven't lost you yet," her father continued.

"You haven't..." she finally said with a sigh. "Not yet, but you have to promise me to lay off, yeah? Let me enjoy what I enjoy even if you don't understand it."

He nodded, causing Birdie to let out a satisfied sigh. It was then that Birdie's phone suddenly pinged. She quickly dug it out, her eyes widening when she saw that people had responded to her request on Weverse. Apparently Sasayne Delulah had posted a new video update. The video was taken at her writing desk again, showing the world the latest edition to her shrine. Birdie's eyes widened when she saw it was none other than her cardboard cutout of Jimin.