It's here!
How's everyone been? I hope you all have the best year ahead of you!
Please enjoy this chapter as we get back into the flow of things.
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"So. Do you maybe want to tell me some more about what went down between you and Taehyung?" – Jungkook asked as he lied next to V in bliss. What was better than this? What could be better than doing nothing but being with your person after they've loved on you? What's a man supposed to feel after witnessing their lover going above and beyond to make sure he's happy?
Now that some semblance of normality was back in his life and his priorities were sorted, Jungkook really wanted to know everything there was to know about that. Considering that in the very near future he would no longer be able to accompany the trio on their journey to cohesiveness, he had to take care of the things that needed taking care of soon.
"I basically told you all of it before. We didn't talk about much of anything other than what to do to make things good for everyone again. He's been with me almost every step of the way. He's been... decent." – V said as he stroked his boy's hair soothingly.
"Wow. Who would've thought we'd see the day."
V swatted Jungkook's bottom playfully at the remark.
"Hey!" – Jungkook exclaimed.
"Act like a brat, get treated like a brat." – V declared, his signature smirk ever-present on his handsome face, the very one that never fails to send nervous and exciting feelings thundering in Jungkook's lungs and stomach. Nothing functioned right inside him when he was with this enigmatically beautiful man, when V looked at him as he does now. But then again, nothing functioned right inside him when he wasn't with him either.
Jungkook giggled before mentioning something he'd been meaning to for some time.
"Speaking of everyone... How's Taetae?"
V's smirk was gone as fast as it came.
"He's been really quiet actually. He hasn't been responsive. And I must admit, with everything that's been going on, we've been neglectful of him and his needs." V's eyes were downcast as he spoke of his partner of many years, and although there was a reason as to why he couldn't prioritize the little boy in the past days, he couldn't help feeling an immense amount of shame and regret. He'd been selfishly only been focused on Jungkook's wellbeing that he had overlooked his distressed little brother. And the same applied to Taehyung. "I think he felt somewhat guilty after finding out what happened and blamed himself for it. And when we didn't check in on him and we were so concentrated on what we needed to do that he sort of crawled into a hole. It's scaring me a little, the thought that he might go dormant. But I can feel him. He's choosing not to respond. Maybe if I were the gatekeeper, I could do something about it, but I can't and it's maddening."
"This is my fault too. I've been neglecting him too. I can't believe I didn't even think that he might blame himself in all of this. I think we all need to talk some things out. A lot of things need to be laid out on table and discussed." – Jungkook announced. "Can you try telling him that I want to talk to him?"
"Sure. I'll try right now." – V said as he nodded along to everything Jungkook was saying.
"Taetae? Taetae are you here? Can you hear me?"
Jungkook was looking at V expectantly, hoping for something, anything that confirms Taetae's well-being, but he only got V shaking his head in disappointment.
"Taetae, Jungkook is here with me and he really wants to talk to you."
V said nothing to Jungkook at first, but his face... his face showed something. It looked like hope.
"Love, I think I feel him. Say something. Can you call out to him?" – V asked, his eyes as big as saucers.
"Hey Taetae? Are you here baby? I've missed you so so much, can you please come out to talk to me?"
V almost beamed with sparkles in his eyes as he signaled with his hands for Jungkook to keep doing what he was doing.
"I've really had a tough time these past couple of weeks and I was worried I'd never be able to see you again. But V and Taehyung worked together and fixed everything. I'm so sorry that I didn't talk to you after leaving you like that. I'm so horrible for that. Can you forgive me please?"
And then there was quietness. No... it was more than that. There weren't any movements even, as though the most minor of disturbances would upset and disrupt the unexpected but very welcomed progress they were seemingly making.
"I... You left me. I thought everyone left me. You left me after we hung out, yu were scared and then Taehyung and V were scared. And no one talked to me, no one told me anything. You all left me." – Taetae's chest heaved and he started sobbing.
Jungkook gathered the boy into his arms at the speed of light.
"No baby. No. Absolutely not. You're so important, so so important. No one would ever want to leave you. We all love you so much." – Jungkook cradled the boy in his embrace.
"No I'm not. You all would've talked to me at least once if I was. I didn't know what happened. I didn't know what I did wrong for everyone to throw me away." – Taetae broke down, while Jungkook tried to comfort him, releasing everything that he seemed to have kept bottled up for so long.
"Baby I promise you are! You're the most important. So so precious. Remember that the only reason I became a psychologist was for you? How could you be any less than the most important? There was a photo of us with your face showing and it was on the internet. I almost lost my job because of that, my whole future was almost ruined. I was so so scared baby and Dr. Han forbade me from seeing you guys. That's why I was gone. Not because I wanted to. And I was supposed to pick between seeing you or becoming a psychologist. But V and Taehyung made it all better. I don't have to choose now. But you know what? I realized that if I absolutely had to, I would choose you guys. Nothing is worth sacrificing our friendship. From now on, I will always choose you."
At some point during Jungkook's ramble, Taetae's sobs had ceased and only quiet gasps remained in the aftermath.