The Scent of Miracles [ Jikook ]

Chapter 6

When Jimin regained his consciousness, he almost thought everything had just been a horrible dream. One of those nightmares that used to haunt him when he was younger. They appeared rarely, but when they did, it hit him hard.
Just like it did right now.
But that's what it is, isn't it? This can't be real, it has to be a dream.

With a relieved sigh, he sunk deeper into the warmth surrounding him, refusing to open his eyes until he rubbed his nose against the fabric tickling his face, not expecting to find a very familiar scent on them that certainly didn't belong to his family or himself. A smell that had engraved itself into his core and instantly made him feel dazed, made him rip his eyes wide open while hastily rolling around while he tried to analyze his surroundings.

As it turned out, he was back at Jungkook's place, one of those cold, uncomfortable caves Jimin couldn't believe anyone would want to live in if they had any other choice.
Well, to be fair, it wasn't as uncomfortable anymore with all those thick bear pelt blankets Jungkook had placed laid out around him to cushion his body, almost like a comforting nest created especially for him.

Jungkook himself was sleeping barely an arm's length away from the fox, close enough for Jimin to feel his body heat radiate, feeling it graze his own skin.
The sensation alone made him shudder, made him move further away until he cowered on the other side of the already limited space with his legs pulled against his chest, face pressed against his knees, still hiding from the unwanted reality that was forced on him.

He stayed there like the living dead, not speaking, not seeing or hearing while the wolves around him slowly woke from their slumber, living their lives like they normally would, as if nothing had happened.
To them, that's exactly how it was. Nothing had happened, nothing had changed.
The world kept turning like it always did, with or without Jimin and his family living in it.

Only sometimes, as if to fight the monotone normalcy, Jungkook would kneel beside him, would ask if he wanted food or water before sighing and leaving when no reaction came.
The other wolf, Taehyung, was a bit more persistent when he poked Jimin's arm, when he waved his hands in front of his eyes, pulling silly faces to match or, sometimes, he would just sit beside the lifeless fox in silence, throwing pebbles at the wall.

It was the dawn of the third day when Jungkook couldn't take it any longer.
He and a bunch of other Alphas had been out hunting all night and just returned only for Jungkook to find Jimin in the exact same position he left him in, cowering in a corner, never moving, not even lifting his head when he entered.
The fox had lost a ton of weight already. Jungkook could've counted his ribs if he tried, could see how his collarbones stuck out just a little more than usual, much more than he was comfortable with.

"Jimin. Eat."
All patience had left the young Alpha's voice, getting replaced with stern commands.
Watching Jimin be like this for days scared him more than he would ever admit, watching him slip from the normal grieving process into something much more dangerous, a dark state of mind that could easily threaten his life.
Sadly, the change of tone didn't help much. The usually constantly flicking and curiously turning fox ears stayed tightly pressed against Jimin's head, not twitching, like they should, when there was noise around him.

In a last attempt to get his attention, Jungkook put a steaming bowl of hot boar soup right in front of the Omega's nose but there was nothing, not a single twitch of his nose.
It went so far that a part of Jungkook feared Jimin might have already starved which prompted him to grab the smaller by the shoulders and shake him hard.
"Stop being so stubborn! You have to eat something! Your family wouldn't have wanted you to die! Not like this!"

Finally, Jimin's glazed eyes slipped open.
He still didn't say a word but only looked at him with the same empty gaze he wore ever since Jungkook had first picked him up the night after everything had happened.
It was unnerving, especially for someone who had seen the light before, the sparkling excitement and lightheartedness Jimin used to spread wherever he went.
Now, however, something different was gleaming in those stormy ocean eyes, something all consuming that slowly ate away on his heart.