Blue Collar Cuffin' - Jikook

Dance Again

Jungkook wasn't sure what to expect when he rounded the hospital corridor; each step was a pain to take. Every fiber in his body was pulling him back towards Jimin, but he had to find and thank whoever had saved him. And, though Jungkook would never admit this out loud, he hadn't realized how exhausted he was.

He wasn't sure how many hours of sleep he'd lost over watching over Jimin; his head still blared from screaming at the crash sight. It felt like there was still a heavy fog gripping at the back of his eyes; each time he blinked all he could see was the blood and his shaking hands and the officer's arms around Jungkook's torso as Jungkook struggled to rush into the toppled yellow car and see who's pale arm was sticking out the window.

His mind blanked from then on, one moment he was screaming at the cops to let him go, sobbing so hard that his chest felt like it'd crack open and every what if and almost Jungkook had ever felt would come flooding out like a tsunami. The next, Jimin was on the hospital bed and Jungkook was sitting across from him.

"I was wrong." A male voice said softly and Jungkook jumped, running into a beautiful, broad shouldered man. Kim Seokjin had a loose pink sweater hanging across his pale skin, though his similarly colored hair was straight and neat. Seokjin's eyes were staring through a loosely tinted glass where another body was hooked up to more cables and machines than Jungkook was willing to count.

Seokjin was calm, too calm, as he took in Namjoon's motionless body. Jungkook himself felt numb, surprised he hadn't tried to check if Namjoon had made it. Even more surprised to find Namjoon was hooked up only around the corner.

Jungkook glanced down and saw crumbled papers in Seokjin's hands, tear stains smudging a lot of the once chaotic cursive inked into the pages.

"How-"

"I found them in your apartment. I was worried when Na - I was worried. It'd been hours and Jimin-" Seokjin took a very slow breath as he said Jimin's name, dropping his head into his hands and the papers fell at his side like loose leaves. "I was wrong about you, Jungkook. I was wrong not to trust Jimin. And I was wrong, wrong about Namjoon most of all. He was the one. You know? My one. And I was wrong. I'm sorry for any pain he or I have caused you. I'm sorry."

Jungkook swallowed, looking down at Seokjin and hesitating to put a hand on his shoulder. But when he did he found that the older was shaking.

"I'm sorry, too. For what it's worth. But I'll never forgive him if Jimin dies."

"I know."

Jungkook took his hand away and bent down to pick up what was left of Namjoon's note. He felt something hallow eat at his chest, biting past the physical and emotional exhaustion of the day as the ink touched his skin. He was going to burn them, the letters. He was going to burn them and then once Namjoon recovered, he'd -

Jungkook shook his head, pushing the thought very deep down inside of him.

"Jimin is down the hall, Jin. I know he'd love to hear your voice."

Seokjin lifted his head, glancing at the letter now in Jungkook's hands and then back at the small window to Namjoon's hospital room. For a long while neither boy spoke until Seokjin tossed Jungkook a subtle grateful glance and started to head down the hallway Jungkook had come out of.

With that, Jungkook folded Namjoon's letter and shoved it into his back pocket, figuring what to do with it later. When he could get some sleep first, though he knew that until Jimin woke up there wasn't going to be any sleep waiting for him.

"You came." A small, delicate voice said in surprise and every muscle in Jungkook's body froze. "Jungkook, please, I can explain."

"You." Jungkook slowly raised his head to see that if a small girl with silver hair loose around his large blue sweatshirt. She had no make up, no fancy dress, no heels, no armor. This was Jieun, a scared girl without the pretense of fangs.

And Jungkook was going to toss her across the room if she didn't leave. Now.

"You. You did this. You've always done this. Are you happy? Jieun? Are you fucking finally happy? Because you did it. You wanted to destroy me and guess what, if Jimin fucking dies then congratulations. You did it. You fucking finally did it. Make everyone miserable, that's your motto, right?"

"Jungkook wait-"

"You know he always thought there was some way to help you? That there's some tiny, pathetic part of you worth saving? But Jimin was wrong. You're a monster, Jieun. If I ever see you again, I will kill you. Do you understand? No more of your alcohol or bar nights or toying around with me. No more of throwing your trauma and guilt onto me and then gaslighting into me thinking I deserve it. Because Jimin was right about that, I don't deserve it. No one does. No one deserves you and you deserve no one."

Jungkook didn't realize he started screaming until the air went thin around him. The hospital was silent, the two of them like a vacuum in the too small hallway of the hospital. Jieun was shaking - completely and utterly shaking before she dropped down to her knees. Jungkook couldn't breathe, his lungs working hard to catch up with the lack of oxygen in the room.

"I'm sorry, Jungkook. I'm so sorry." Jieun said, and Jungkook almost thought it was a joke. But there were tears streaming down her face and she looked so broken, down on the ground. "You know what yesterday was, right?"

Jungkook blinked. Then, slowly realization set in. "You were visiting your mom's grave."

Jieun nodded. "I was crossing the street and I saw a car. It swerved and hit a tree before flipping over. I was going to run, I had a chance to. But then I saw who was in the car and I - I don't know. I've - Jungkook what I've done to you, it's unspeakable. You've always been able to be happy, after everything. Find something to look forward to in life. You found Yoongi. You found Jimin. But I had no one when my mom killed herself. I found her, you know. I was barely out of high school when I did. I've never known my dad and when I found out what yours did - what he asked my mom to gamble. Our parents both failed us and yet when you found out you still loved him. You still cared about him! Tried to understand him. How? How did it not break you? Why? Why not break you? I was alone and yet you found joy in a world, in a world we both share, where there is no such thing left for people like us."

"Why did you save him, Jieun, if you're so committed to my misery? If you want so desperately not to be alone, why did you think that pushing everyone that I cared about away from me would make me want to care for you instead?"

"I didn't want you to care for me I just wanted you to see! See how awful the world is. How awful our parents were. But you never would! Everything was still exciting! Was still new! It's not fair that I'm the only one grieving!"

"You were never alone in your grief, Jieun. You chose to mask it instead of sharing it. That was you, not me."

"You-"

"Why did you save Jimin, Jieun."

Jieun broke out a sob, bringing her knees into her chest as she rocked on the floor. She took in a small breath, the sound awful and rippling. "Because," she shook her head, running a hand through her hair as a memory Jungkook couldn't reach played against her eyelids. She fluttered her gaze open, pressing the back of her hand to her mouth.

She didn't look at Jungkook as she spoke.

"Because he's good. Because he doesn't deserve to die and you don't deserve it either. You won't believe me, but I tried to stop him: Namjoon. That night at the club, he told me what he wanted to do. Drug Jimin and blame it on you. I brought that stupid alcohol we drink because I was hoping I could get Namjoon drunk enough not to go through with it after arguing with him got no where. Jimin was always annoyingly kind to me and I could never understand why but I just...I didn't want that to happen to him. But Namjoon wouldn't listen. And I couldn't warn you because you'd never believe me and some small part of me was still mad at Jimin not following through our deal."

Jieun's voice was soft. "But then the car crashed and I just...I made a choice." She slowly looked up, her silver eyes meeting Jungkook's wide own. "As of tonight, we are free of each other, Jeon Jungkook."

_______
A/N:
So, fun story: My phone broke and I had to write this on my dad's phone so that was a fun convo to explain.

Also, only about two more chapters left you guys!!! Ahhh!! Wtf!!!

- Violette