Life sometimes landed you in such a complicated situation, where you just wish to close your eyes and hope you were miraculously out of them. It was one such situation for Jimin that morning.

So many things happened at once. If waking up to the shrill sound of alarm that complimented the pounding in his head wasn't enough, there was that boring old-school desk phone ringtone coming from somewhere. The warmth and comfort was the first thing Jimin registered through the haziness of his brain followed by someone untangling their limbs and peeling off his body.

The lack of warmth and sudden brush of cold air when the sheets pooled around his waist drew a groan from his lips. The alarm stopped and so did the ringing. He had snuggled further into the bed seeking warmth when a deep male voice greeted someone on the phone.

Jimin hummed slowly becoming aware of his surroundings. The conversation continued in the background, growing more serious. He knew that voice––stoic and terse. A familiar face with the most cutest smile popped in his mind making him smile, but it soon turned into a grimace when the pounding in his head intensified.

Wait. I'm in bed. Why was he dreaming about Jungkook?

Jimin cracked his eyes open only to wince and hiss out in pain. He groaned reaching for his head hoping to ease some of the pain. His stomach dropped as he recognized the telltale signs of migraine that decided to crash the party. Just then warm fingers that didn't belong to him reached out to massage his scalp.

He let out a relieved breath, leaning to the hand, closing his eyes tighter. The conversation continued in the background and Jimin listened. With the heaviness in his head reducing a bit, he could make sense of the words.

The room was otherwise silent, except for the hum of the air conditioner. The conversation ended but the fingers continued to massage his scalp. Jimin risked opening his eyes again, this time throwing his hand over eyes to minimize the brightness, but closed it again feeling the sting of pain.

"You okay?" Somehow, the voice felt like the most soothing sound in the world. Jimin couldn't comprehend the emotion that balled in his chest.

He leaned more to the voice. "H-hurts..." Jimin managed to say.

The fingers continued to massage his scalp. "It's okay." Jimin felt something soft as a feather brushing on his forehead. "I've got you."

The warmth was once again back and he sighed, leaning more into the touch, his head still dizzy.

"Jungkook-ah!" The door to banged to the wall with a thud. "What the--"

The warmth left Jimin and he cracked his eyes open, staring through his blurry vision.

"Hyung...It's not what you think."

What was that?

Jimin sat with a groan, rubbing his eyes groggily. The headache intensified. Through the crack of his eyes, he finally figured who it was. Taehyung? What was he doing in his bedroom? He blinked again, suddenly very much aware of the shirtless male beside him. Last night's events came crashing down on him like giant waves.

Fuck.

Jimin stumbled out of the bed; vaguely registering he was shirtless too. Panic set in. He looked down to realize he was dressed in a pair of sweat pants that didn't belong to him. That was what lead to Jimin's current predicament.

His cheeks stung and he knew he'd look red like a tomato or a small red chili pepper. Taehyung hadn't said a word. He just stared with his mouth agape. Jimin quickly looked around, finding his clothes neatly folded on the head side table. He hurried to shrug the shirt on, buttoning up in record time, pocketed his phone, wallet and house keys before grabbing the slacks, and then dashed out of the room like a bat out of the hell.

"Nothing happened."

He distantly heard Jungkook saying, but his mind was too preoccupied to think. Jimin did the only thing that came into his mind. He got the hell away from his boss.

***

As much as Jimin liked to stay at home, buried deep under the blankets, he found himself holed up in his office the entire morning. He downed the fourth cup of coffee and grimaced as his head continued to throb.

Byeol had seen him that morning and said he looked like roadkill. He didn't dare to meet Jungkook or had the strength to think about last night. Nothing had happened that much he could tell since he didn't any weird ache in his body. Well, except for the badgering headache.

His phone rang again and he ignored it. Jungkook had texted him and called him at least six times already. Jimin refused to look, still mortified with the morning incident. Now that he thought about it he was aware of what Taehyung had seen and assumed.

Jimin unconsciously rubbed his neck. Hickeys littered across his neck and collarbone, forcing him to wear a turtleneck in this freaking humidity. He rested his head on the table, wishing for the floor to open up swallow him. The pain worsened and the meds hadn't helped.

Something about last night had triggered the pain and Jimin knew well this something was connected to his past. He had never been this close to anyone before and wasn't aware of what it could do to him. This phase was often hell to him. Because once it started it lasted for days. When the pain dulled it brought some shadows from the past. There was some nameless, faceless blur of moments and incoherent conversations he wished he could comprehend. Sometimes these memories seemed too close to his grasp only to slip away and the pain intensified leaving him breathless.

Let me mark you, baby...

He'd heard those words before. Someone had told that to him. A man who painfully sounded like his boss. Now it kept replaying in his mind. Jimin couldn't tell apart from the past and the present. Especially now, it seemed to intertwine and questioned his sanity. In his mind, he saw a shadow hovering above him while he was saying those words and the voice belonged to Jungkook.

Pain exploded at the back of his head, slowly spreading the front as a heaviness settled in. He didn't even hear the knock or noticed the man who entered his office after that.

"I know you're avoiding me all day and I understand if you don't wish to speak to me, but will you hear me out? Just once..."

The sound was too distant and Jimin could hardly move his head let alone open his mouth to respond. The dull roar in his ears drowned everything around him. Jimin wished he could cry out loud or crawl somewhere, but a wave of dizziness washed over him when he tried to move. The darkness was closing in on him again.

***

Jungkook spends the entire morning mopping in his office. As awkward the morning encounter was, he wasn't affected much because this wasn't the first time Taehyung walked in on them. Their best friend had caught them more than a handful of times in compromising positions. But this morning was different.

The young CEO threaded his hands through his neatly combed hair, ruffling it. Last night once again felt like a dream. In his inebriated state, the line between the present and past had blurred. He didn't mean to take it that far, but he couldn't help it once he had Jimin under him. He'd kissed his porcelain skin and marked him like he did every time, but it was then he realized Jimin wasn't moving. He made no sounds or he didn't react at all. That sobered him and he'd panicked for a bit on seeing him passed out. Jungkook didn't give it much thought as he believed Jimin had been drinking before he came to get him.

After that, he'd changed Jimin into one of his sweatpants and tucked him in bed. Jimin didn't like to wear tight clothes to bed. He preferred comfortable clothes and that was the only reason he even bothered to go through all that pain in his intoxicated state.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy that. But he absolutely had no other intentions other than to cuddle him. The morning phone call had startled him and fortunately, he had even managed to focus enough to speak to the client despite his hangover. When he saw Jimin clutching his head, he knew he was hanging the worst-case of hangover. He had acted on instinct and Jimin had let him to take care of him again. The fragile moment of intimacy was broken when Taehyung barged in and it was when Jimin ran away Jungkook had come to his senses.

Taehyung hadn't said a word other than giving him that are-you-for-real look. He meant to clear the air with Jimin and assure him that nothing had happened the previous night. But Jimin avoided him and sent Byeol to assist him instead. Jungkook decided to give him some space as he too was occupied with work. When lunch rolled around, Jimin was still holed up in his office. It was then Jungkook decided to check on him––consequences be damned. What did he have to lose anyway?

He strode to Jimin's office that was adjacent to his office. Jimin hadn't even lifted his head to meet Jungkook when he entered with a knock.

Jungkook squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. "I know you're avoiding me all day and I understand if you don't wish to speak to me, but will you hear me out? Just once..."

Jimin didn't respond. Was he sleeping? But the slight movement and a soft hum told him he wasn't. Jungkook was about to speak again when he realized something was wrong with the way Jimin's shoulders clenched, his hands balled into fists as he had the left side of his face pressed to the table.

"Jimin-ssi?"

Jungkook approached him with a frown, something tugging at his heart. Was he sick or was it because of the hangover? To be honest, the heaviness still hadn't left Jungkook's head and he cursed himself for losing control over a trivial matter as the argument he had with his father.

His brows knotted when he approached the eldest. Jimin was breathing rapidly, sweat coated his face and neck. "Jimin-ssi..."

Jimin let out a moan of pain when Jungkook touched him. Shit.

"Jimin-ssi, what's wrong?" he asked as the panic set in. Jimin's face was flushed red and he'd never seen the eldest like this before. "Hyung..." he called again as he straightened Jimin.

Jimin cracked his eyes open, twisting his face as if in pain. Tears slid down his cheeks as his lips trembled slightly.

"Jimin hyung..."

Fuck. Hands shaking, Jungkook quickly reached for the phone on Jimin's desk, dialing Taehyung's extension.

"Hello."

"Hyung," he breathed heavily. "Come faster. Something...Something is wrong with Jimin hyung." Taehyung had known Jimin longer. Maybe he would know what was wrong.

Jimin's breathing quickened as he tried to say something.

"It's okay. I've got you." Jungkook held him closer. "I've got you, hyung."

Jimin blinked back the tears, tried to smile but winced in pain. He motioned the cell phone on his desk with great difficulty and Jungkook quickly grabbed the phone. "Who should I call?" His heart hammered in his chest. Jimin didn't look good. He didn't look good at all and Jungkook's hands were shaking.

But Jimin's eyes were already rolling back to his head. Jungkook stopped breathing when he saw the first droplet of blood trickling down Jimin's nose.

"Jimin hyung..." he whispered, eyes burning with tears, fear clawing at his chest.

"Hyung!!!"

If you're wondering, Jimin doesn't drink as it gives him migraine and Jungkook doesn't know about that yet. He initially thinks it was because of a hangover.Jimin passed out because of the overwhelming emotions he was feeling right then and Jungkook's closeness triggered a memory he had forgotten.

Spoiler: Don't worry, Jimin will live. 

I enjoyed "IN THE SOOP." If you're a broke ARMY finding a way to watch this episode, here you go!

Until we meet again...💜💜💜

https://youtu.be/2Sh7-rPjJf0