The next day, Hoseok sat, head down and hands in his hair, at Seokjin's table. Seokjin sat across from him and Jungkook, beside him.

"What am I going to do?" Hoseok lamented. "He won't answer my calls. He didn't answer the door when I went by his place."

"He won't answer our calls either," Seokjin told him. "We're just going to have to give him time."

"I'm so worried about him," Hoseok said, looking up at Seokjin. "I don't want him to be upset about Jia without someone there to comfort him."

"I'm willing to bet someone is there," Jungkook said. Hoseok looked at him questioningly. "Namjoon," Jungkook continued. "Yoongs won't talk to us because he's mad at us, too. But he'll need support. I just know he's got to be with Namjoon."

"Should we call him?"

"No," Seokjin answered immediately. "All we can do right now is hope that Namjoon can talk him into giving us a chance to explain soon. I know he's trying."

Hoseok sighed. "I feel awful."

"So do we," Jungkook admitted. "We should've never..."

"Our hearts were in the right place," Seokjin said, trying to comfort his brother. "We've just got to hope he'll realize that."

-

"I don't know what to do!"

Hoseok was up, pacing in front of Taehyung and Jimin. It had now been four days, with no word from Yoongi.

"Hobi – "

He looked up at his friends, tears in his eyes. "What if he can't move past this?"

Taehyung shook his head. "Don't think like that, Hobi. I really don't think – "

"You didn't see his face," Hoseok interrupted. "He wasn't just angry; he was furious. And he...he looked broken. I hate myself for making him feel that way."

"Hobi, don't," Jimin said gently. "It's like Jin said, your heart was in the right place. You didn't mean any harm. He'll realize that eventually."

"Has anyone heard from Namjoon?" Taehyung asked. Hoseok shook his head.

"Jin finally tried calling him, but he won't answer either."

"That probably means he's trying not to upset Yoongi. He's doing his best to be there for his friend with no interruptions. Jimin or I would do the same for you."

Hoseok nodded, but didn't look convinced. Suddenly, and to his friends' alarm, the tears began streaming down Hoseok's cheeks.

"What if I've lost him?"

-

It was two o'clock in the morning on the sixth day when Hoseok's phone rang. He slowly woke up, then grabbed his phone confusedly. Who would be calling at this hour?

He looked at the name on the screen.

Yoon

He sat shot up in bed, hurriedly answering the phone. "Yoon?!"

"It's Namjoon, actually."

Hoseok's heart dropped. "Oh. Hi, Joon."

"He wants to talk to you. But you need to do more listening than talking," Namjoon said gently. "Got it?"

"Yes," Hoseok said quietly.

"Hi."

Tears began streaming down Hoseok's face as he heard the voice he'd been missing for so long. "Hi, Yoon."

"I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to contact you. I just..."

Hoseok knew what Yoongi wanted to say; he had become quite good at deducing Yoongi's thoughts. But he kept quiet, waiting for Yoongi to continue on his own.

"Jia built that garden," Yoongi said quietly. "She took such good care of it, even when she was sick. It was her happy place. She was so proud of it."

Hoseok gripped the phone, tears filling his eyes again.

"She was proud of it, like you are of yours," Yoongi continued. "So, you can understand how much that is."

Hoseok nodded. "Yeah," he whispered.

"When she died, I decided to take care of it. To honor her, and to continue her legacy. But I ruined it. I killed it. It died, and it felt like she died all over again."

Yoongi paused for a moment. "To see someone else be able to make it flourish...that hurt. It was supposed to be me, but I couldn't even do that for her."

"Yoon – "

"I know you meant well," Yoongi continued, not even acknowledging Hoseok's interruption. "But it just felt so...unfair. It was devastating, Hoba."

Despite Yoongi's words, Hoseok breathed a silent sigh of relief at hearing Yoongi's nickname for him. It gave him hope.

"I'm so sorry, Yoon."

There was a long pause. Then, "I appreciate that."

"I never meant to hurt you."

"I know."

"Can I ask you something?" Hoseok asked carefully.

There was another pause. "Sure."

"Is this the end...of us?"

"Not unless you want it to be."

Hoseok's heart began racing. "No!" he said immediately. "That's the last thing I want! I've missed you so much, Yoon. It killed me to know you were hurting and I couldn't be there to hold you. I care about you so much. I – "

"Slow down, Hoba."

Hoseok's mouth snapped shut.

"I've missed you, too. And I'd like to see you."

"Name the time and place," Hoseok replied.

To his relief, Hoseok could hear a smile in Yoongi's next words. "Are you at home?"

"Yes."

"Then how about I head over?"

"Please," Hoseok said instantly. "Please do!"

"I'll see you soon."

-

Two weeks later, Yoongi and Hoseok stood in front of the garden gate, hand in hand.

"Are you sure?" Hoseok asked.

Yoongi nodded, then pulled Hoseok through the gate. They walked over to Hoseok's garden, and Yoongi admired it in a way he hadn't been able to the first time he'd seen it.

"It really is beautiful, Hoba. You've got a real talent for gardening."

Hoseok smiled. "Thanks."

They stood there for a long time, looking at the plants, both of them putting off the inevitable in their own way. Finally, Hoseok squeezed Yoongi's hand. "You ready?"

Yoongi met Hoseok's eyes, then nodded. They then slowly began walking toward Jia's garden.

Despite how Yoongi had initially reacted, Hoseok hadn't been able to let it fall into ruin. He'd continued to take care of it and this time, Yoongi seemed pleased.

"She'd have liked you," Yoongi suddenly said quietly.

"You think so?"

Yoongi nodded. "She'd have been impressed by you. In more ways than one."

Hoseok smiled at the thought. While someone else might have been jealous of Yoongi's lingering thoughts of and love for Jia, Hoseok found that he felt honored that Yoongi felt that way. He didn't want Yoongi to forget about her. She'd helped shape who he was today, and Hoseok was grateful to her for that.

"You know," Yoongi said, shaking Hoseok from his thoughts. "When I came to the garden that day and broke down, I saw myself in those pitiful, lifeless tomatoes." He walked forward and picked a ripe, healthy, robust tomato off the vine. "Now I see myself in these." He turned to Hoseok.

"And it's all due to you."