Warnings: swearing, mental breakdown, etc.
"If that's what you think... I'll try not to blame myself anymore," Jin said in a broken whisper, smiling hopefully. "I'll try to accept that I did my best. Fighting."
Namjoon chuckled, taking a tissue from the box on the table beside them and using it to wipe Jin's tears away. "Yeah, fighting."
He lightly punched a fist in midair, making Jin let out a shaky giggle. "Hmm."
"Another thing," Namjoon paused, taking his hands in his, holding them up. "I'll never judge you, so never hesitate to share anything with me if you have to. You have my back."
"I'll try," Jin whispered, blushing at the other's sweet gesture.
"And you have us too, hyung," a familiar third voice spoke up, startling Namjoon and Jin as they looked up with wide eyes at hearing Jungkook's voice.
Jin's heart clenched with fear when he saw Jungkook, Taehyung, Jimin, Hoseok and Yoongi standing at the kitchen door, the maknae line having their arms crossed and a look of seriousness on their faces, Hoseok and Yoongi having their hands in their pockets, holding similar expressions.
Jin wasn't at all ready to have everything he said to Namjoon overheard by the others. Insecurity and terror kicking in, he clung to Namjoon, as if hoping that he'd protect him if the others were livid and hated him after learning the truth.
"H-hi, guys," he stammered, forcing a smile. "When did you come in?"
"Moments ago," Jimin said, his usually bright eyes unreadable.
"But that doesn't explain why you'd been hiding so many secrets from us," Hoseok added. "I thought we agreed on sharing everything with each other, hyung?"
"Don't be hard on him," Namjoon spoke up harshly, pulling Jin close, as if he was shielding him from the others. "He had his reasons, Hobi hyung."
"We always spoke up about anything that put a weight on our chests," Jungkook spat. "We confided in him without worrying that he'd judge us. And he thought that we'd judge him?"
"I-I'm s-so s-s-sorry," Jin abruptly broke into sobs again, bringing his hands to his already red face. "Pl-please don't h-hate me. I'm so s-sorry, guys-"
Namjoon hugged Jin, who couldn't form anymore words as he cried uncontrollably, close, glaring at the others, but before he could yell at them for being so mean, they quickly walked over with guilt on their faces.
Of course they'd been angry about oldest keeping so many secrets from them, but now, seeing him cry for the first time in their lives made them realize how selfless Jin had been not saying anything that'd worry them, because he cared about them so much.
It would be cruel to not forgive him when he needed to let out all the pent up emotions for once. He'd always done that for them. Wouldn't it be selfish to not support Jin when he needed help too?
"Hyung~ please don't cry," Taehyung said sweetly, as all of them crowded around the oldest.
"Yeah, we're sorry," Hoseok said, feeling extremely guilty. "We can never hate you."
"We understand that you had your reasons," Yoongi added. "We'll never judge you for that."
"It's okay, hyung," Jimin said with a sad smile, rubbing the crying male's back. "Now, stop and look at us. Come on? Just a bit."
But Jin was too embarrassed and ashamed of breaking down in front of his dongsaengs like this, and he buried his face deeper in Namjoon's chest to avoid showing his face.
"Hyung..." Namjoon whispered soothingly as he bent his head down towards the shorter boy, rubbing circles on his back. "See? You have everyone here. You're not alone. They're never going to hate you when all you ever did was look out for them."
"Yeah," Hoseok said, reaching out and carding his hand through Jin's soft hair. "Please, look up. Just a bit for us?"
How could Jin refuse them any longer? He hesitantly looked up from Namjoon's chest, still holding him tightly and putting all of his weight on him.
Everyone couldn't help but coo at the oldest as he hiccuped, looking up at them with teary red fawn eyes and fluffed up round cheeks. He still looked so adorable that it caused their hearts to ache for him. Jin felt shy at all the attention and quickly hid his face on Namjoon's shoulder, making everyone chuckle fondly.
"Aigoo! Our hyung's so cute!" Jimin squealed, poking the oldest to tease him as the others laughed.
Jin couldn't stop but begin to smile against Namjoon's shoulder too. The boys' antics always managed to cheer him up.
"Hey, stop it," he looked up and said with an angry pout, as Jimin continued to poke him.
Everyone laughed, glad that Jin had stopped crying. They'd cursed themselves when they made their usually strong and sensible hyung so upset that he broke down.
Jungkook pulled Jin out of Namjoon's arms and wrapped his own ones around him, hugging him tightly, mumbling how much he was sorry to be angry at him though he didn't mean to. Even though the oldest and the youngest loved bullying each other, they'd a strong and different kind of bond from the rest.
Moments later, the boys found themselves sitting around the table in silence. There were six chairs only, so Taehyung sat down on his new boyfriend's lap.
Somehow, Jin was glad that the others had overheard him and Namjoon and respected his decision. He felt silly to be scared that they'd hate him for this.
"Listen, I'm sorry again for keeping you all in the dark," Jin spoke up, looking around at everyone as his rested his right elbow on the table.
Everyone sighed, more frustrated with themselves than anyone else. They were the reason Jin kept apologizing to them even though everything had been out of his hands.
"Say that one more time and you're gonna buy us free dinner for a week, hyung," Yoongi threatened him.
"None of this is your fault but that Park Chanyeol's," Jungkook growled.
"It's not his fault, really, Kook," Jin said, his eyes still sad. "What would you have done if someone hurt Taehyung like I hurt Baekhyun?"
Jungkook didn't have an answer to that. He hadn't thought of the situation in that way... but he definitely had murder in his mind if someone hurt his boyfriend.
"But you at least regretted it," Taehyung spoke up. "You did try to make up as much as you could. You tried to be a better person."
"You actually punished yourself more than you deserved," Jimin added.
Namjoon remained quiet the whole time, holding Jin's left hand in both of his, circling his thumbs around the soft delicate skin. He'd had his say, and let the others have theirs now. All he'd to do was stay beside Jin and show him his support.
Speaking of the oldest, he was looking at his dongsaengs with yearning.
"Aish, I wanna hug the crap out of y'all so much," Jin spoke up, a smile playing on his lips.
Taehyung, Jimin and Hoseok immediately stood up, rushing over to the oldest and pulling him into a group hug. Jungkook and Yoongi joined them shortly after and engulfed Jin, who still remained sitting, in a warm tight embrace, all of them laughing.
Namjoon smiled softly at them, specially at Jin, whose face was glowing and there was the same familiar sparkle in his eyes as he giggled happily, the others telling him that he always had them to talk to if needed.
The situation was so sweet and heart-warming that Namjoon couldn't help but quickly snap a picture of the other six.
"Enough about me," Jin said with a grin once everyone had finally let go of him when he started looking like he was suffocating. He motioned the others to sit down again, and when they did, he looked over at Jungkook and Taehyung. "Now, about you two..."
"About us two-?" Jungkook said nervously, literally sweating as Jin leaned forward and rested his arms on the table, his eyes full of interest.
"Yes, you two." Jin's eyes narrowed as he scowled particularly at the maknae. "You were supposed to tell me that you were gonna ask Tae out first!"
"I wasn't planning to," Jungkook whined, trying to hide his face behind a giggling Taehyung's back to avoid the hyung's fury. "I got drunk and blurted it out!"
The others snorted as they recalled last night's events.
"I wanted to make the proposal more romantic and special," Jin pouted. "Decorate the house with rose petals and fill it with red and white balloons from top to bottom and stuff like that... and special dinner cooked by my beautiful hands-"
"We're not getting married yet, hyung- calm down!" Jungkook groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"You're asking Tae Tae out for the first time- hell yeah it should be made special!" Jin argued, slamming his hands on the table. "Every event in your love life should be special! Even the dates of your arguments and how you make up-"
As Jin continued to rant- more like rap- continuously, Jungkook looked around at his other hyungs for help, but was simply ignored as they all bit their lips to hold in their laughter. Namjoon was too busy watching Jin with pure adoration as he continued to lecture about dating and love. He was sooo cute!
Finally, Taehyung started pitying his boyfriend, cowering behind him and blurted out, "Jinnie hyung, me and Kookie are going on a date tonight!"
Jin stopped in his mid-sentence and blinked twice. Then a huge beam made up to his plump lips as he clapped his hands excitedly, as if it was his own first date that was being talked about.
"Excellent! I'm gonna turn you into the most beautiful angel and make sure JK has a heart attack when he sees you!" Jin squealed, getting up, pulling Taehyung off of Jungkook and embracing him.
"Thanks, hyung," Taehyung smiled as he watched the oldest gush about the youngest two's date.
"All right! I need to finish cooking lunch first!" Jin giggled and skipped over to the counter, taking his knife and going back to cutting the vegetables that were in the same place he'd left them before.
"Do we need to ask if Jin hyung's on his man period or not?" Jungkook whispered to the others as Taehyung took Jin's empty seat.
"Shut up, Jungkook-ah," Hoseok said in a low voice, flicking the maknae's forehead. "Let him be."
"I hope he stays happy like this," Namjoon said as he leaned closer to the others so that only they could hear him. "He's been through so much. But we've to make sure he doesn't hide anything, either."
"You really like him, don't you?" Taehyung grinned at his brother.
Namjoon couldn't stop the pink blush that crept to his face. "Yeah. A lot."
"You better never be the reason he cries, then," Hoseok said sternly. He loved Jin, but he was ready to give him up to someone whom he could mutually love. Not just like a brother or a best friend. More like his other half.
"I'd never," Namjoon said firmly, looking disgusted thinking about the very idea.
"Don't worry, Hoba," Yoongi assured Hoseok, patting his shoulder. "As much as he's an insufferable imbecile, he'll never hurt Jin hyung. Even if he does, I'll be there to crush this grapehead's skull."
"Damn, that's a one terrifying threat," Jimin chuckled in a low voice, and Yoongi smiled at him, slightly blushing.
"Honestly, I don't look forward to that," Namjoon said with a wary smile.
He turned around a little on his seat, resting his elbows on the table, his left one lifted up so that his face rested against his palm as he watched Jin fluttering around the kitchen like a butterfly and humming softly as he prepared lunch for all seven of them.
No one would believe that this same person was crying painfully in his arms even half an hour ago. Still, at least he was smiling now.
Namjoon was glad that he made the other feel like he'd his support no matter what.
°°°♡ °°°
"I'm sooo tired!" Jin yawned as he stretched his arms out.
"It was another long day, huh?" Namjoon chuckled, watching the other rub his eyes with his knuckles sleepily.
"Yes," Jin sighed, smiling nevertheless. "It was eventful, but I don't wanna think about it."
It was 8 pm according to the digital clock on the wall across the door of the kitchen, and the two were alone in Namjoon's house again.
Jungkook and Taehyung had left for their date an hour ago, and Jimin, Hoseok and Yoongi had gone to sleep over at Hoseok's for the night after having the dinner Jin cooked.
Now, the remaining two, more like Jin alone, had finished doing the dishes.
"Wanna go sleep?" Namjoon asked, smiling giddily as Jin dropped his head onto his shoulder, walking him out of the kitchen while hugging him by the waist. "It's pretty early."
"Nah, let's go play Mario Kart," Jin suggested, his eyes shining.
"Yeah? And let you win easily like a pathetic loser?" Namjoon grinned.
"C'mon, Joon!" Jin pouted, unconsciously nuzzling his face against the other's shoulder because he was so warm and comforting.
"Fine, fine." Namjoon patted his head, both of them heading towards the living room.
As they sat down, Namjoon's phone pinged with a notification. It was Yoongi.
Old uncle Yoongles 🙀
DON'T FUCK
Namjoon cleared his throat awkwardly, drawing Jin's attention, who immediately flung himself on him.
"Who's it?" He asked, trying to peek at what made Namjoon so awkward, but the younger quickly turned his phone off.
"Nobody," he said quickly, as the older raised an eyebrow, handing him his controller.
"Okay. Let's play!"
Namjoon couldn't help but giggle at the other's enthusiasm. He loved this guy so much...
°°°♡ °°°
Words: 2310