Chapter Text
Warmth. That was the first thing Jimin felt again when he woke up again later that day—sunlight filtering weakly through the blinds, sheets still holding traces of sleep. His lashes fluttered as he blinked away the haze, and when his eyes finally adjusted, he found a figure seated on the edge of the bed.
A book. Dark hair falling gently over his brow.
“Taehyung…?” Jimin’s voice was hoarse, a little dazed.
The man looked up immediately, a slow smile tugging at his lips. “Oh. Good morning.”
Jimin pushed himself up on his elbows, the blanket sliding to his lap. His head tilted, scanning the room. “Where’s… Jungkook?”
“He went to ‘work,’” Taehyung said, fingers slipping a ribbon between the pages as he closed the book. “Didn’t let me join.”
“Why?”
“Because I threw a tantrum when my bike wouldn’t start.” Taehyung shrugged, expression perfectly deadpan, but his eyes held the faintest glint of amusement. “So I decided to stay here. Besides, its just a shipment exchange with Got7. One of our partners"
Jimin blinked at him, still trying to catch up to the pace of that answer. “You… stayed because of that?”
“I stayed because someone has to make sure you don’t fall over if you try to walk again,” Taehyung replied simply, leaning his chin on his hand as he studied him. “You nearly collapsed yesterday.”
Jimin looked down at his hands, the faint echo of last night’s trembling still haunting his fingers. “I… I feel better now.”
“Good,” Taehyung murmured. “But don’t push it.”
---
For a moment, neither spoke. The morning was quiet, the world outside humming softly—distant traffic, the occasional bird, the low hum of the base coming to life. Taehyung leaned back slightly, his book forgotten.
“You slept through breakfast,” he said casually.
“Oh—sorry—”
“Don’t be.” A small chuckle. “Jungkook left you some rice porridge in the kitchen. Tho you missed the war between Jin hyung and Jungkookie. The egg end up at Hoseok hyungs head”
Jimin cracked a faint smile at that—his first of the day.
---
“Taehyung…” he began, fingers tightening slightly on the sheet. “Why are you really here?”
The question made Taehyung pause, then sigh as he leaned forward again, elbows resting on his knees. “Because I wanted to be,” he said at last. “And because… you look like you still wake up unsure of where you are.”
Jimin’s lips parted, but no words came.
“You don’t have to act strong, you know,” Taehyung continued, quieter now. “Not with us.”
The room then is filled with silence.
“You know,” Taehyung began, glancing over his shoulder, a boyish grin formed on Taehyung’s lips. “I planted something.”
That drew a blink out of Jimin. “Planted?”
“Remember those darn berries I kept stealing from your cabin?” Taehyung asked, voice almost sheepish, almost proud. “I stole a vine while we were running that night. I planted them. In a pot. Just outside the back door.”
Jimin stared at him for a moment, and then—despite the heaviness in his chest, despite everything—he laughed quietly, a sound that felt foreign yet freeing. “You… what?”
“I know, I know.” Taehyung turned fully now, spreading his hands as if caught red-handed. “I just saw it while running and decided to break a vine. But I thought—if you can’t be in your cabin right now, maybe I can bring a piece of it here. Those berries… they remind me of you.”
Jimin’s smile faltered just a little, the weight of memory pulling at the corners of his lips. “You sound like a kid trying to earn a gold star.”
“Good,” Taehyung said softly, stepping closer. “Because I was hoping you’d give me one.”
The air between them shifted—lighter, but also thicker somehow. Taehyung sat back down on the edge of the bed, this time closer. His hand hovered for a second before settling gently on top of Jimin’s, warm and steady.
“I know it’s strange here,” Taehyung murmured. “Loud. Busy. So different from the quiet you’re used to. But I… I want you to feel safe. Even if it’s just a little.”
Jimin stared at their joined hands. “You make it sound easy.”
“It’s not,” Taehyung admitted. “But I think you deserve someone trying.”
Jimin shifted, unsure, when Taehyung suddenly stood and reached for his wrist. “Come on,” Taehyung said, a small smile tugging at his lips. “You’re already awake. Might as well get some fresh air.”
“I’m not… exactly dressed for—”
“You’re fine,” Taehyung cut in, already pulling him gently toward the door. “It’s just a few steps.”
Outside, the early morning air was cool, carrying that faint dampness of dew that clung to the grass. Taehyung led him to a small corner just past the back steps, where the light hit a simple terracotta pot.
“See?” Taehyung crouched beside it like a proud gardener. “Told you.”
Jimin stared down at the little green shoots peeking out of the soil. They weren’t much—yet. But they were alive. “You actually did it.”
“Of course I did.” Taehyung looked up at him, the corners of his mouth curved into something softer. “These things… they take time. Care. You can’t rush them.”
Jimin’s fingers twitched at his sides. “You’re saying that like it means something else.”
“Maybe it does,” Taehyung said lightly, standing to brush off his hands. “Maybe I’m just saying… some things are worth waiting on. Worth tending to. Even when they’re still small.”
Their eyes met, and for a moment, the quiet of the yard was loud with what wasn’t said.
"Bastard"
Yoongi's voice startles Jimin while Taehyung grins at Yoongi as if he already expected Yoongi to pop up in the door.
"Stop being a child and finish the work already." Yoongi is holding his laptop as he talks in the earpiece. "I swear Jungkook."
With a sigh, he plucked the earpiece and pressed it to Jimin’s ear instead. “Say something to this idiot. He refuses to open the package unless you talk to him.”
Jimin blinked, startled, but complied. “Hello?”
Immediately, Jungkook’s voice came alive, warm and teasing despite the static.
"Jimin?!" and "How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. What are you doing?” Jimin shyly answers
“Working. Suffering,” Jungkook grumbled. “Is Tae taking care of you? He cheated—used his tantrum to stay while I do the dirty job.”
Taehyung scoffed loudly beside Jimin, muttering something under his breath that made Jimin laugh quietly into the mic—a sound Jungkook immediately caught.
“Missed that,” Jungkook said softly.
Jimin’s chest tightened. For the first time in a long while, the noise around him didn’t feel suffocating.
When Yoonhi groans as Jimin gives bavk the earpiece to him, he also leaves but Jimin and Taehyung heard him cursing Jungkook once more.
“It’s not exactly a dirty job, but… you know, depending on what Namjoon-hyung decides, it might get dirty. Trade mornings can turn fast.”Taehyung whispered.
He turned back to Jimin, eyes squinting slightly in the soft morning light. “Still,” his voice shifted to that lighter, boyish lilt he rarely used around anyone else, “we’ve got plenty of time here, Jiminie. Let’s go inside. I’ll show you Jin-hyung’s games.”
Jimin blinked, lips twitching. “…Jiminie?” he echoed, tilting his head with that curious, slightly amused tone.
And just like that, the color rose in Taehyung’s cheeks. “Ah—no—I—” He rubbed the back of his neck, fumbling like he’d been caught stealing candy. “I’m sorry… it just… blurted out.”
Jimin let out a genuine laugh, soft but ringing in the quiet yard. “You looked like you just got scolded by a teacher.”
“That’s because you caught me off guard!” Taehyung exclaimed, though his ears burned even redder. “It… slipped. Won’t happen again.”
“Why not?” Jimin asked, amusement lingering in his eyes now. “I didn’t say I hated it.”
Taehyung froze mid-step, eyes wide for a heartbeat before he chuckled low under his breath, shaking his head. “You’re dangerous sometimes, you know that?”