Glancing at the digital clock on your bedside table, it's 3:49 in the afternoon. You've been locked up in your room for a few hours trying to process everything that's happened in the last couple days.

From meeting that lady to everything with Jungkook and the truth about who he is, it's hard to believe that it's all happened in under 48 hours.

But there are three things you know for sure.

One, Jungkook was a real person and came back to life as a drawing.

Two, he was someone from your past that you can't remember.

Three, you have a crush on him, a guy you barely even know. Though, technically, you do. You just aren't able to recall who he is, which leads you to believe that you had liked him back when he was alive.

The more you think about it, the more you ponder on certain things that happened in your past. You've realized there's a lot of memories that don't make sense. There's always something missing or uncertain.

Knowing that Taehyung and Jungkook had been friends, sheds light on one of them. It's still a blur, but you had neglected the obvious. You don't remember ever applying to work at Vante's, and you never thought twice about how unusual that was.

Maybe Jungkook was the reason behind it.

Every recollection that remains a haze must be connected to him in some way, not just how you work as a front desk clerk at Vante's. You hope it all comes back to you. It would, right?

While you were unconscious in the hospital, one of the memories had resurfaced, so they would eventually all return at some point.

Then you'd remember him, and he could stay here with you.

But you don't understand why you're the only one that matters in the equation. Isn't Taehyung enough? Why is it up to you whether Jungkook lives or not? Why do you have to deal with all that pressure?

Just how important were you to him the past that the responsibility falls to you?

You're beginning to wonder if the frustration you've been feeling as of lately is ever going to stop pestering at you. If you remember, perhaps it'll go away.

A soft knock at your door tears your gaze away from the clock from where you sit at the edge of your bed. You glance over your shoulder, telling whoever is on the other side that they can come in.

As the door opens a crack, you immediately recognize the brown waves that belong to Taehyung. He smiles at you warmly before fully stepping into your bedroom. "Sorry to bother you."

You give him a short, breathy laugh. "No, you're not."

Licking his lips, he raises his brows in acknowledgement. "You're right, I'm not. I wasn't sure when Yoongi would be coming, and you had told him you'd make dinner."

Shit. You forgot about that.

With a sigh, you stand upright and spin on your heel, eyes locking with Taehyung's. His lips are tucked between his teeth as he quickly averts his gaze elsewhere.

"Um, I don't want to make things more difficult for you, but I feel like the last thing you want is more secrets. So, I'm just going to get out with it." He brings a hand to his hair and separates the strands falling over his eyes to press a finger to his temple. He winces. "I think I can sympathize with you now. Headaches are the worst."

Was he referring to when you had that migraine? When one of your memories had resurfaced?

Wait, does that mean he remembers more than just Jungkook being his friend? Does he know more about you and your past?

"Yes, I took a trip down memory lane," he answers your questions without you having to ask.

"I know that you're not just an employee of mine. Not at first anyway. Jungkook told me I can't tell you everything, but that I can help you try and remember. This is all very strange, and that's coming from me. Someone erased our memories, probably that old fart who brought Jungkook back, and having them return hurts like a bitch. I was out cold for a couple hours."

He takes a moment to breathe, while you're too stunned to know how to respond.

"Wow, you're not going to even ask me if I'm okay? I know you were unconscious for half a day, but damn, I didn't think it would render you heartless." Despite his bitter words they sound anything but. It seems just like him to try and lighten the mood with sarcasm.

You shake your head with a roll of your eyes. "I was getting there. I just need a minute to really grasp what you said. Besides, if you weren't okay, you wouldn't be here in my room trying to coax me into going to the kitchen."

Taehyung's lips pull into a boxed grin. "You know me so well."

"Yeah, and it's a little freaky. I get that I knew you from before, but all I know is that you're my boss, and up until two days ago, that's all you were. This," you motion between him and you with a finger, "is weird for me."

"It won't feel that way when you remember."

"If I remember."

"Don't be like that." Taehyung immediately shuts down your negativity. "You will, just give it some time." He slides an arm across your shoulder, like you've been buddies for forever.

This will definitely take some getting used to. He's much too close for comfort, but you don't push him away. A part of you actually doesn't mind the proximity.

"What about your brother?" Taehyung starts guiding you out of your room. "Does he remember anything?"

Fuck, how many more people are involved in this? You swear you feel another headache coming on, and not the kind that'll clear things up. This one will be from having too much going on all at once.

But to overcome it, you would have to face it. There was no hiding. Even if you could, you don't think Taehyung would allow you to.

"I don't know, but he did say Jungkook looked familiar. Then he got dizzy. When I asked about it, he said it was nothing. Maybe he'll open up to you." You and Taehyung are now walking towards the living room.

Taehyung continues, "I'm sure I can get him to open a lot of things." His smile becomes a sly smirk, and you gasp.

"Tae, what the fuck?! That's my brother you're talking about. Ew." You shrug his arm off and quicken your pace. To your dismay, Jungkook isn't in the living room.

"Pretty boy is in the kitchen getting a head start on making dinner," Taehyung says from behind you. He's amused by your reaction to his statement. You get the feeling he used to do that a lot, trying to get a rise out of you. You refuse to give him anymore satisfaction and make your way to the kitchen with a huff.

At the entrance, you can see Jungkook's backside. His muscles move slightly as he stands at the stove and stirs whatever is front of him. You're a bit disappointed that he's still wearing a shirt.

By now, you should accept the fact that you'll be having these kind of thoughts around him, but you still chide yourself for not having better control over your mind. Maybe if you did, you wouldn't have trouble remembering your past.

You stand there, admiring the way he works the pot, forgetting your problems for a moment. Your gaze travels down his back longingly, stopping only to stare at his ass. It looks firm in the tight, light-washed jeans he's wearing.

You say a quick prayer, thanking God for having made such a fine man and for being able to appreciate the beauty from the comfort of your apartment.

"For not knowing who he is, you'd still fuck him, wouldn't  you?" Taehyung mumbles.

He's a foot away, leaning against the wall near the doorway to the kitchen that you've paused at. You want to slap that smirk right off his smug face.

"Shut up," you bite back, fighting the blush on your cheeks.

When you look back at Jungkook, he's stopped what he had been doing. Instead, his eyes are on you. "Tae, leave her alone."

Though he addresses your boss, his gaze is on you, dark and determined. It sends a pleasurable shiver down your spine.

He had heard what Taehyung said, and you feel a bit embarrassed by it, though it shouldn't really matter. You already had so many dreams about him that weren't remotely innocent, and with your luck, they probably had been based on things that had actually happened between the two of you in real life.

At the same time, you kind of hoped they weren't just so you could get to experience it all for the first time again.

"You mind helping me, Y/n?" This time what he says is directed at you.

You hold his gaze even though every part of your body feels like it's on fire. "Oh, sure."

"Good, can you watch the pot for a second while I mince the chives? Stir it every once in a while so it cooks evenly."

Nodding your head, you take his position at the stove. He moves to the side of it where there's a cutting board and begins slicing the vegetables. You try to fixate your gaze at whatever is in the pot, but your eyes keep glimpsing at Jungkook, at how his muscles flex everytime he cuts.

Who needed Heaven, when it was standing there right beside you.

"Y/n." Jungkook lifts his head and turns to look at you. "You're supposed to be watching the noodles. Not me."

"Sorry." You break eye contact and bring your attention back to the pot.

Making dinner with Jungkook so close is going to be difficult.

a/n: only on paper placed 1st in an awards, and i'm still feeling the adrenaline, which led me to writing this chapter a whole lot earlier than expected. i may or may not have a load of other things i have to do now since i put them off to write this, but i couldn't help myself lol. let the romance start!