"Have I found you?
Flightless bird, jealous, weeping
Or lost you?"
Iron&Wine
🦋
(A/N): This chapter is completely rewritten from what I had before. It is much more what I wanted to write, rather than appease people who wanted JK to have a redemption as an abusive character.

Tw: abuse/SA

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Jimin was no longer capable of finding light in darkness.

It was one of the things he lost about himself in recent months. It was one of the things he lost that he was grateful for.

It it why he stood, frozen before two men in the room. One, not even sure he would consider a man.

"Why is he here? Hoseok." Jimin forced out, his throat squeezing around the words like he couldn't take in enough breath.

Hoseok sat frozen in the corner of the room. His eyes wide as he stared between the two men. He was seething, feeling betrayed by his friend who called him here to hang out.

But Hoseok was pale himself, edging away from the dark haired male who sat wide legged on the couch.

The silver haired man tried to situate himself. He paced around the room, trying to slow the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

"Jimin, I'm sorry he just barged in." Hoseok mumbled out, his voice shaking.

From that alone it was easy enough to tell it was the truth.

Jeon Jeongguk lifted his head then, making direct contact with Jimin. The man recoiled, not having seen those cold, blank eyes in months. Eyes that seemed so full of life before, serene in the way someone could watch disaster strike without a care in the world.

"Aren't you tired of taking from people? Controlling situations? Hurting those around you? Haven't you done enough-" Jimin sputtered out emotionally, feeling a twist so deep in his chest he wished he could cut the pain from him and cast him aside.

He hated him. But hatred, was a strong feeling. It burned within Jimin and festered and made him think things he would consider unimaginable to someone he once called a friend.

"I just want to talk. Then I'll be on my way, and you never have to see me again." Jeongguk responded, a soft edge to his voice that ran deeper than anger ever could've.

Jimin took a step back, emotion building up again. He felt his hands clench, jaw tighten. His eyes prickling with anger and tears and all things he wished to scream and let go of.

"Or you could just leave now." He managed to say, without screaming. No, he was deadly calm.

Jeongguk lifted his head again, pink eyes bloodshot. A quiver on his lip, exact to the one he had at that conference. Was it possible? To cry the exact same every time. Was it possible to always cry but never shed any tears? How had he not noticed, his best friend understood the ideas of emotions, but only ever truly displayed anger?

And even that, was like a screen play rather than a burst of something impulsive.

Calculated.

Dark eyes met his own, and they were familiar and yet so unrecognizable. How could someone be capable of so much hurt? And look so normal.

"Jimin."

Yes, himself. The person who he was angry at above all else.

"Fine. I'll listen. Only for a second, but just to satisfy your curiosity." Jimin bit out every word, sharpening them the best of his ability.

Jeongguk flinched. Knowing the implication. Celine and Jimin had been working on getting a restraining order on the man, after he texted Celine how curious he was to see how the two cheaters were doing in their relationship.

Maybe, if he did this, Jeongguk would leave Celine alone. Become a bad memory neither wished to remember.

The man walked to the edge of the couch, sitting on the arm of it. Not the cushion. Not the same piece of fabric shared with the man next to him.

"Hoseok? Please leave us alone."

Their once mutual friend looked between them two, eyes wide. Afraid to move, since Jimin looked outwardly livid. Probably afraid the man would physically attack the other, again.

But the memory of the smile on Jeongguk's face covered in blood prevented Jimin from making any moves towards him.

Jimin regretted so much after he learned what transpired these past couple months.

How he and his male friends had failed to protect a woman from male violence. Right under their noses. Getting mad at her and continuing to excuse his violent behavior.

Celine didn't blame him. She said she understood what it was like to be blinded by affection. To gaslit by a person, who made you feel bad for calling them out on their bad behavior. Or like you were crazy for ever second guessing their intentions.

"I'm your friend, I could never do that to you."

But Jimin still blamed himself. For still being Jeongguk's friend. Even as he screamed at Celine that she was an object. After he winked at that school age girl. Even after that accident. Which was deemed "too much" for a child to take responsibility for.

It was all too much.

That happened all before he knew the other instances Celine confessed. The horrible, disgusting things someone he considered a brother did.

Jimin had been a "good" man. A man who did not hurt others, but did not protect others from the harm that came from those he loved.

He had been complacent.

And that is something he struggled with to this day. Complacency with mistreatment.  A bystander to manipulation and control.

It's part of the reason why he struggled to look at the man sitting next to him, who reminded him of every terrible thing he had not intervened with.

The guilt, god the guilt was excruciating.

"After all you've done, do you really think you deserve to have a final say?" Jimin said, breaking the silence.

Again, there was quiet. It was like the world wasn't used to him speaking his mind. Standing up for himself. Using and tone and attitude that commanded respect. Only a clock ticked, reminding the two men this horror wasn't a dream.

Mia was dead. Celine was abused.

How does one take that back?

"You slept with my girlfriend behind my back for months. Did you expect me to be fucking nice about it?"

"No, no I didn't." Jimin spoke out.

Again, morally, what he and Celine did was wrong. To anyone.

But to apologize to Jeongguk, now, after everything, felt wrong in itself.

The man next to him didn't care. He wanted that admission from Jimin. The guilt.

"Please Jimin, just tell me why. Why Celine? Why did it have to be her? You were my best friend." Jeongguk's voice got louder, harsher. The anger that could've been directed towards him before everything went down.

And Jimin would've gladly accepted the anger. And gave his most heartfelt apology. And he would've meant it.

But all he was willing to give now was the truth.

Jimin's voice was just as harsh as he spoke, "I wanted her Jeongguk. For once in my life I wanted another person so badly the world could burn around me because of it, and I wouldn't care at all. What Celine and I did wasn't right. No, not at all. But it was mostly my fault. Celine meant business and I-I couldn't let go. For once in my life, I chose for me. For once in my life I was selfish. And if I had the chance to do it again, I would. And I wouldn't have changed a fucking thing."

The last sentence hung in the air between them. The tension, seething as Jeongguk's eyes seemed to darken. His body stiffening in a rage he had hid from his best friend all these years so well.

Is this what Celine saw? Dealt with? All by her self?

"You son of a bitch!" Jeongguk screamed out, sitting up from the couch. The furniture screeched back, but Jimin didn't back down.

He stood up right along side him. Knowing that those who were scared often tried to look like the most frightening in the room. Insecurity leaching through.

Jimin smirked darkly, speaking dryly, "Yes, why did it have to be her Jeongguk. Did you not, coerce her into sex? Did you not verbally abuse her? Did you not tell her that everyone with her job type was subhuman? Did you not force her to pay rent at your place after offering for her to come live with you free of charge?"

Jeongguk's blazing fire seemed to snuff out behind his eyes. And for a moment he stilled. Jimin must have said the right words, because for a moment, the younger male smiled. It didn't reach his eyes, but he looked impressed.

It was the most chilling thing Jimin had seen yet.

As Jeongguk took his rhetorical questions, and gave him a real answer.

"Have you ever seen a bird with a broken wing? What would be your first instinct, with this bird?" Jeongguk asked, his voice lilting at the end. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared a hole into Jimin.

Jimin scoffed, but played along. Wanting the man to leave this place as quickly as possible. Calling the man out would not help, only seeking a professional would.

Or if Celine decided she ever wanted to press charges.

"Take it home, nurse it back to health, and set it free." Jimin murmured reluctantly.

There it was again, that rare light in Jeongguk's eyes. Like something clicked. He was excited to answer, as he moved a step closer to his estranged companion.

"See, that's where we differ. I like when things are broken. If you take the bird and keep the wing injured, it stays with you forever. Even when that bird heals, if you keep reminding them they could break again, it forgets it could even fly in the first place. It can't leave. And eventually, it won't want to. Because you become the sole reason this bird stays alive. You control where it eats, sleeps, shits, fucks. Breathes. And there is nothing, nothing more exhilarating than that."

Jimin felt his body paralyze. Nausea attacked him, face paling as it was clear to see who the bird was in the scenario.

No one deserved that. Not Celine. Not any woman.

"You're sick." Jimin bit out, willing himself to stay the fuck away from the man. To not pummel his fists into his smiling face again.

It would only hinder them taking legal action if they had to.

Jeongguk laughed, crossing just far enough away from Jimin's seething body.

With a hand on the doorknob, the younger male turned. His smile, spread wide across his face as it became clear that he had only came over to rile Jimin up.

"At least now you're paying attention."

Chills were sent down Jimin's spine.

And with that, the man left.

The last thing he had said to Jimin, making him wish he had crossed paths with him.

Jimin pulled out his phone, feeling his chest start to cave. His breathing was out of sync, happening too slow or too fast. His heart felt like it would beat out of his chest.

Please answer, please answer was all he could think as the phone rang.

"Hello?"

That voice. Sweet. Safe. Still there.

He needed to know she was okay.

"Celine?" Jimin whined out, his voice cracking a bit.

"Hello! I just painted something and I can't wait for you to take a look-" She started to speak into the phone, before she heard Jimin start to cry.

He hated scaring her like this. But he couldn't help it.

The man was happy she was alive.

"Oh my god, what's the matter? Is something wrong? Let me get Hoseok to drive you home." Celine spoke frantically from the other line.

How could she try to protect him, after he failed to protect her? It made Jimin fall a thousand times in love with her, more in that moment than ever.

"I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry. I didn't do enough. I've never done enough." Jimin managed to speak out in between gulps of air.

He was on the ground now, by the door. Waiting to hear her voice, so he could muster up to courage to go home to her. To hold her. To cherish her.

"You've always done more than enough."

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(A/N): this is the most different chapter compared to all of the other changes I've made. And I think it's better for the story. It's what is truly should've been said to JKs character, and how I feel about those that abuse others in real life. Not everyone has good intentions or wants to not hurt others. It's the sad truth.