when the night came in that cold dark hospital today, things seemed to be different this time. jimin laid in his bed staring up at the old chipped white paint on the cement ceiling, the numbness he was feeling ever since he had been freed from that confinement room was still very much at large and never seemed to decrease in the least. he was mentally exhausted, yet not physically enough to let him get some rest.

all that resided in the air were loud incoherent whispers, but he didn't pay them any mind at this point. the other day he had to listen to this for hours at a time, this wasn't bothering to him anymore.

"sad?"

the blond didn't reply to the very clear question one of the black masses managed to ask. he only kept on staring up at that boring ceiling, causing the figures in the room to just watch in curiosity.

"he's worried about him."

"who?"

"that scary guy. he's already on his way."

jimin let out a sigh as the shadows figures around his small locked room started to cry. like a siren of danger, the noise bounced off the empty walls and blared straight into his eardrums. he wasn't afraid this time. he didn't feel anything at all.

as if a dark rain cloud had just lifted from a stormy sky, the wailing scared screams abruptly stopped as usual. a slight weight pressed down against the space besides the young mental patient in the bed, but he chose to not worry about it. it wasn't until the chilling wind of breath being fanned across his neck that jimin turned his head just slightly to look at the new presence that had invited itself to join him.

jungkook's big brown eyes stared back almost innocently, making the other boy want to laugh in mockery at the change. "what do you want?" the question was weak and quiet, jimin's voice barely even being heard because it was so soft.

"i just wanted to lay with you."

"but i don't."

the brunette male frowned, slowly lifting up his hand and nearing it towards the end of jimin's soft hospital shirt. his fingers gently played with the fabric, making sure not to tug or grip it too much to not make the owner of it uncomfortable. jimin visibility flinched just the slightest bit as one of jungkook's cold fingers accidentally caressed his lower abdomen underneath where he was playing with the shirt.

experimentally, jungkook once again stroked a bit of skin from his lower abdomen, taking in the fact that although jimin was slightly flinching at the motion, he wasn't moving away or telling him to stop.

"does it feel nice when i touch you?" jungkook asked, genuinely wondering.

jimin looked down towards the finger that was continuing to stroke his skin. it was a weird feeling to be honest. whenever jungkook touched him, that area of his body burned as if it were on fire, but the coldness of his touch immediately had a soothing effect. "i-i guess so."

"is it comforting?" jungkook titled his head, trying to understand his own power over the smaller male in the ways he wasn't already aware of; the ways that didn't involve violence.

"...yeah, it's comforting right now."

jungkook turned his focus back where it was before, letting go of the hem of the shirt and staring down at the soft slightly tanned skin peaking out underneath. the tall man spread out his hand and slowly dipped his fingertips inside of the silky button up hospital shirt, the pads of his fingers rubbed against the flesh experimentally again before sliding his hand up until the start of his wrist was covered by the cloth as well.

as the large hand rested fully against his stomach, jimin let out a shaky breath. he could feel the hand trace one of the letters that had been carved down low on his chest, the ending of the 'j' a little under his rib cage. it stung slightly, but not enough for him to shove jungkook away.

"i'm sorry."

jimin swallowed some of the saliva in his mouth in order to moisten his drying throat. "no you're not."

jungkook looked up to meet the boy's sad eyes, a hurt expression clear on his face. "don't tell me how i feel."

"you can't feel anything, jungkook. you're not real. you're just a figment of my own self hatred." jimin didn't want to make this into an argument and get hurt again, but he wasn't going to let something his own mind made up bring him a false sense of happiness.

"right..." the man whispered back, unexpectedly not pushing his point or getting mean, but instead giving up.

jungkook's hand continued to gently and lightly soothe jimin's stomach with his large palm, caressing the skin in a way a mother would to help her baby fall asleep— the way jimin's own mother used to put him to bed. it was nice and nostalgic, reminding the blond of when his life was normal and fearless. oh, how he wish he could go back.

"is it okay if i stay with you until morning?" jungkook asked quietly as if he was afraid of being rejected.

jimin took his eyes away from the ceiling, moving so he was on his side facing away from jungkook, the man's large cold hand still pressed against his stomach as they laid in a loose spooning position. "i guess."