VALENTINE VIRUS [YM]

eight.

Jimin looks up at Yoongi's face, observing his hollowed cheeks and the dark bags under his eyes, the older man's attention all focused on the unfinished bouquet infront of him as his nimble and slender fingers cut away thorns from the fresh white roses before adding them among the other flowers. The dim lights of the Min resident's study cast a melancholic atmosphere on the people inside. Jimin shifts his gaze on the child tucked under his chin, Eunji leaning her upper body on his chest as the young girl traces mindless patterns on the palm of his right hand, his other arm enircling the girl's body. 

The duo had just gone back from visitting Min Yoonji in Daegu, staying there a few days after her death anniversary to spend some time with Mr. and Mrs. Min. It had been weeks since the last time they have seen eachother and although Jimin is happy that they are finally home safe, he feels disheartened at what Yoongi and Eunji is going through, he could only hope that he could atleast alleviate their pain a little.

"What happened after that? Did he come back for his love?" Eunji asks softly, eyes fluttering. 

"The heavenly crown prince waited for his beloved to come back for him, he told himself that even if he would wait for 800 years just like his ghost king did, he would wait and not once would he doubt that his beloved would never return. On the night of the Lantern Festival, as His Highness was going back to his humble home, beyond the top of deep red leaves of maple trees three thousand lanterns filled the sky and nthe heavenly crown prince looked up to see a man in red tunic and silver vambraces, he felt the tug of his red string of fate pulling him to his soulmate, there at the doorstep of his home stands his lover as he lets go of the last lantern to the sky. Xie Lian did not hold back to run up the hill that leads him to Hua Cheng's arms." 

By the end of his story, Eunji's breathing finally shallowed as she mumbles to herself how she wants a love like that too. Jimin smiles, his heart softening and some of his worries easing. He hears the silent pad of Yoongi's feet on the carpet approaching and he starts to pry his hands from the child, once Yoongi stands before him the older leans down to plant a light kiss on Jimin's eyebrow, his hand moving to the back of younger's head to keep him in place as he rests his forehead against Jimin. Yoongi closes his eyes as they stay that way for a few silent seconds as Jimin waits for Yoongi to ground himself.

"Thank you." Yoongi mutters, still sounding quite distant as if some part of him have yet to be completely present.

Maybe that part of him would never be whole. 

Jimin knows that he cannot love someones pain away, he cannot heal the scars and cannot erase the hardships that Yoongi nor Eunji have been through but despite all of this, he knows that he can at least be there for them when they need him.

"Yoongi, if there is anything I can help you with, do not be afraid to ask me. If there is something you want to say, do not be afraid to tell me. I know there are a lot of things that you are keeping from me and frankly, I do not mind that but when it comes to us, I don't want you to feel like you need to hide a part of yourself." Jimin felt like he needed to say this at once before what they have now grow, there is a part of him that's afraid that everything there is today would break. 

He cares for this man, he cares for this daughter.

Jimin does not have guns, does not have men, does not have power to protect the ones he love but he would do anything just to keep them happy.

It's overwhelming, this kind of feeling.

And at the same time, he is utterly scared.

"I—I am not really good when it omes to expressing my emotions, I've always been afraid that the people I care for would be driven away by this, that people would think I do not care. When it comes to personal matters, I find it much harder to voice them out. But Jimin, it is not a matter of never telling you but a matter of when, please be patient with me that's all I ask of you."
"People care in different ways. I noticed that you show your affection silently, especially to y

our best friends but when it comes to Eunji, you love loudly. Do you know that Yoongi? You love so beautifully even in different ways. I will be honest to you as you are to me, when you cannot say the words you want to I will be here and when you finally do, I will still be here." 

The edge of Yoongi's eyes turn pinkish, his lashes glistening.
He never knew how much he needed to hear those words.

Before anyone could speak up again, Eunji made a gibberish sound in her sleep causing the two of them to chuckle, completely forgetting that the little girl was in the middle of them as they have their moment.

"Go." Jimin nudges Yoongi, gesturing for him to carry Eunji to her bedroom. The mob boss pinches a cherub cheek between his fingers teasingly before complying.


Jimin seats up from the couch, going over to Yoongi's work table to admire the bouquet he had done. 

Lost in his thought, Jimin didn't realize that Yoongi entered the room once again. Jumping slightly from where he stood when he felt Yoongi's head rest on his shoulder, his hand curling around the smaller man's waist as he hums.

"I was supposed to be a producer. I never really dreamt of myself doing nothing else than making music... My sister was destined to be a ruler and she embraced the path that was decided for her— to be the ruler of Agust. I would support her as she leads the Jopok while she does the same as I pursue my career. I used to picture my life like that." Yoongi's voice is quiet, reminiscing a faraway dream that used to be so close.

"And then one day my sister got home drenched in blood, sobbing. She was in hysterics, muttering about a man, about someone she loved, about how he's gone and that it was her fault. I've never seen her so broken before, I never knew someone as strong as her could fall apart like that. We were confused because she never mentioned about being in a relationship with someone and we never really knew what happened. After that night, she never mentioned him again until eventually we found out she was with child." 

"That was when everything... everything... Eunji—Eunji was the only good thing that ever happened at that time and everything... everything el—" 

"Yoongi," Jimin grips the other's hand, a reassurance, "it's enough, it's painful and you don't have to tell me everything now... Please, take a deep breath." 

"Jimin..." He takes a deep breath, letting Jimin's warmth fill his chest,

"Thank you." He says once again, said it like a prayer.

⚪⚫

hi! is this fluff? i don't know, i just had the sudden urge to write since i finally fixed the plotline and finally figured out how many chapter i will have for this. prelims are near (2 weeks from now) so idk when i will be posting next. the story that jimin was telling eunji was from "heaven official's blessing" or "tiān guān cì fú", a bl/danmei webnovel by mo xiang tong xiu and it has a manhua and donghua adaptation soon djhdhshs its basically 800 years of pining so if youre interested please read! and i hope you guys loved this chapter, please continue supporting it, it makes me really happy when you guys leave a comment or kudos. btw this is unedited and also remember to take care of yourselves and to stay safe.

lots of love, ji 🐝