Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Seokjin-ssi?”

Jin’s eyes rose slowly from where he’d been staring down in bored concentration at his hand doodling nonsense on a piece of paper. He was at work and nearing the end of his shift, which meant the dull monotony of sitting with little to do was beginning to numb his senses.  He checked the patients under his responsibility in rounds and had been waiting to start his last.

When he saw it was the Head Nurse who had spoken, he scrambled up with a nervous bow, “Seonsaengnim!”

“No need for formalities,” the older woman chuckled, trying to ease his sudden tension. “I merely had a favor to ask you.”

“A…favor?” Jin repeated slowly, curious confusion edging the words.

“Yes,” Head Nurse Song nodded somewhat solemnly, “One of the other nurses, Jung Hoseok, was sent home sick. I’d like to add his patients to your route until he returns. Their rooms seem to coincide the most with those of your patients and it seems the easiest solution.”

“Of course,” Jin agreed immediately.

He knew Hoseok; in fact, because their shifts frequently crossed, they’d become close friends over the years. When he’d seen Hoseok earlier that evening, Jin had heard him complain he wasn’t feeling well but hadn’t realized it was serious enough for him to be sent home. He made a mental note to stop by his apartment in the morning to check on him.

His manager beamed at his assent, “I knew I could count on you. Let me know if there are any issues.”

 Jin nodded, and was left alone again.

It wasn’t often that something unexpected came up. More often than not working the night shift at the hospital held little in the way of stimulation. It was mostly mundane and repetitive, all the excitement constrained to the ER. The nights tended to pass in a dawdling manner and Jin spent most of his time either reading or working on paperwork. The halls were quiet and so were the patients, usually sleeping peacefully through the night.

He had to admit that he much preferred working the morning or afternoon shifts. The hospital worked on a rotation, so unless a nurse specifically requested a certain time of day, they took turns on each shift. He liked interacting with his patients. It helped that he was a favorite among the nurses, his bedside manner often jokingly described as ‘motherly.’

Jin sighed and stood to stretch, thinking it best to start his last round of the night early since he now had more patients to tend to. He hoped whatever Hoseok had wasn’t too serious. It was a rare thing for him to miss work.  Hoseok may be quick to laugh and joke around, but he was extremely hard working and conscientious when it came to his patients. He was also one of the most popular nurses at Seoul Medical. Being in his presence was something like interacting with the human incarnation of a ray of sunshine. He was affectionately nicknamed J-Hope because of the way he could cultivate a feeling of warmth and positivity in anyone he encountered. He was like a force of light and also happened to be one of Jin’s favorite people.

Once he started his round it was quick work, considering for the most part his patients slept soundly. There were only two occasions where the vital signs he checked made him frown and he had to wake the patient so he could administer medication. It was an hour and a half later and just passed five in the morning, when Jin reached his last room of the night, one of Hoseok’s patients.

Taking the patient’s chart from the holder outside the door, he skimmed the information, making mental notes of what was most pertinent.

Young male, barely turned 22 so a year younger than himself. Comatose, vital signs stable for weeks now, no sign of response to stimuli...

 Jin hummed beneath his breath, scanning a few more lines before placing the chart back in its cradle. Opening the door, Jin stepped into the quiet room, the steady beat of the heart monitor the only sound to break the silence. A glance at the window showed the sky lightening on the cusp of sunrise. Feeling rather pleased that his shift was almost over, Jin moved toward the bed. He shifted the curtains surrounding it aside and froze.

There should have been nothing to immediately call his attention. The man on the bed looked like he was sleeping, his expression calm and even. What made Jin stand there and blink stupidly was his appearance. His skin was flawless, and so pale Jin felt the momentary jolt of dread that came with the thought that he looked…dead. He scolded himself mentally over his near panic. It was plain to see the man was obviously alive, his heart was beating steadily and – Jin’s eyes flickered down – his chest moved in a gentle rhythm that meant he breathed easy.

Still…Jin couldn’t shake a sudden feeling of nervous, jittery tension.

He moved forward slowly, somehow inexplicably drawn to the comatose individual. He felt an innate and instant curiosity he couldn’t explain…he suddenly wanted to know all about him...who he was and why he was here. His fingers reached out to brush lightly against the hand placed neatly over the white sheets covering the man’s lower half. The skin under his fingers was soft and warm to the touch where he had expected the cool quality of the marble it resembled. A shock of sensation, almost like the spark of static electricity, snapped him back to his senses. He snatched his hand back as if he’d been burned, cradling it to his chest with wide eyes, suddenly very aware of what he had just done and surprised at himself.

What…was he doing?

Shaking his head to clear his muddled thoughts, he turned sharply away, shaken by his own unexpected behavior. He forced himself to concentrate completely on his work, trying to set aside his disturbing reaction to the stranger on the bed. He first checked the rate of the man’s pulse on the monitor, before moving to check his blood pressure. Even as he told himself to get a grip, his eyes drifted up to features that caused an embarrassing flutter in the pit of his stomach.

The man’s eyes were closed evenly, not even a flutter or tremble to indicate any sort of conscious awareness. His eyelashes fanned out across the upper curve of his cheeks, a startling black against the alabaster of his skin. His chin and cheekbones were sculpted and angular, leading Jin’s attention to catch on the delicate folds and curves of lips a pale, enticing mauve.

A sudden ray from the rising sun poured through the window and caught on the white blonde strands of his hair brought out even further by the dark undergrowth of his natural color peeking through. The light gave the strands a coruscate eminence that was slightly dazzling. His complexion warmed and Jin found himself taking a step back, suppressing the urge to rub his eyes when the man’s skin appeared to glow beneath the soft light of morning.

Feeling shaken, Jin stumbled from the room in a blind half panic. Walking from the room, he leaned against the wall nearest the door, his breath coming in rapid trembling puffs and his heart pounding a fierce staccato. When he raised his hand to place it against his chest, his fingers trembled and he felt both hot and cold at once.

What the hell was wrong with him? Could he be coming down with whatever Hoseok had?

Taking a deep breath while telling himself to get a hold of himself, Jin began to walk shakily away from the room behind him. What he needed was distance, absolute and total distance to reassert his peace of mind. A glance at the watch on his wrist informed him he was at the end of his shift and he sighed with relief. What he needed was to go home.

It wasn’t until he was at the end of the hall, about to turn the corner that he paused. He half-turned back to stare at the open doorway he had just come from. He didn’t know what prompted him, but suddenly he was moving back down the hall in quick strides and grabbing the chart from its holder again.

Yoongi.

His name was Yoongi.

Jin rapped gently on a familiar door, looking around and smiling a greeting at one of Hoseok’s older neighbors. He sketched a respectful bow and the elderly woman patted his arm on her way by, muttering about there being so many good, well brought up boys around. The door opened and Hoseok appeared in front of him in shorts and a rumpled white tank top. His hair stood on end and he was scratching at the back of his neck with his eyes squinted as if he’d just woken up.

“Hyung?” Hobi voiced in surprised confusion, his voice still holding the rough quality of sleep. “What are you doing here?”

“I come bearing gifts,” Jin replied, raising the small bag he carried and waving it.

Hoseok’s eyes narrowed, “It’s ten in the morning!”

Jin bit his lip with a sheepish expression, “I’m sorry, did I wake you? I should have waited until later when I’d be sure you’d be up.”

“That’s not what I meant! I’ve been in and out of sleep for hours. What about you? Have you slept at all since leaving work?”

Jin chuckled, “There’s plenty of time for me to sleep. I wanted to stop by and see how you were doing first. Are you…planning on leaving me standing on your doorstep or am I allowed to come in?”

Hoseok looked momentarily startled that he’d been so impolite and quickly ushered Jin into his small cozy apartment.

“How are you feeling?” Jin continued, walking with familiarity to Hoseok’s sunny kitchen done in crisp whites and soft yellows. A combination that matched the owner’s personality to a T, “Why didn’t you tell me you were feeling sick enough to be sent home when I saw you last night?”

“Hyung, I’m fine! The only reason they sent me home is because I have strep. I suspected I might, so I had Namjoon check me last night. I only have to wait until the antibiotics take effect and I’ll be good to go back. I feel shitty but I’m not dying. Really you shouldn’t even be here, what if I get you sick?”

“Are you kidding me? I couldn’t get sick even if I wanted to. I have an annoyingly healthy immune system,” Jin dismissed, already unloading his bag on the kitchen counter. “I wasn’t sure what you were sick with so I brought a little bit of everything.”

“Hyung,” Hoseok sighed, “Don’t tell me you’ve been cooking all morning...”

“I haven’t!”

Hoseok gave him a pointed look, “What did you bring then?”  

“Oh, you know,” Jin waved a hand through the air while setting a thermos to the side. “Some oranges I had and hot tea with lemon and honey and…some seolleongtang I whipped up.”

“Seolleongtang?! So you were cooking all morning, Hyung-”

“It wasn’t all morning,” Jin rolled his eyes, “it only took me a couple of hours. I had already made the stock yesterday. I’d been planning on making it because of the weather we’ve been having. Besides I wasn’t even tired after work.”

“Mmhmm,” Hoseok crossed his arms, looking unconvinced.

 Jin gave him a ready stare right back, crossing his own arms, “So are you hungry or should I just take everything back home with me?”

Hoseok’s lips twitched into a warm begrudging smile, “Do you even have to ask? Thank you for doing this Hyung, though I’m still mad at you for not thinking of yourself…as usual,” he scolded lightly. “I’d never pass up your food. Don’t tell her, but I think your cooking may be better than my mom’s.”

Jin shook his head and chuckled, “I doubt that.”

Spooning a serving of the soup into a bowl for Hoseok, Jin set it on the bar and watched with anticipation as he took the first bite.

Hoseok’s eyes brightened and he let free a hum of pleasure. “Delicious! Seriously Hyung, you’re a fucking genius in the kitchen,” he complimented as he inhaled another heaping spoonful.  “By the way, how was last night?”

“It was…it was good…” Jin hesitated, reminded of a certain blonde patient who’d completely disconcerted him.

He was part of the reason Jin had spent most of his morning cooking rather than sleeping. Sleep hadn’t been an option. Every time he closed his eyes, his mind brought up his image. In fact, it seemed any time he was completely idle his mind would go back to that room.  

“What’s with your face?” Hoseok asked interestedly between spoonfuls.

“Nothing’s wrong with my face,” Jin sniffed, feigning ignorance, “My face happens to be perfect.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it. Something happen last night?”

“No.”

“Your face may be perfect but it’s not very convincing,” Hoseok pointed out, “You suck at lying Hyung.”

Jin bit this lip, “The patient in 210…”

Hoseok’s eyes flitted up to him from his food, “Min Yoongi? What about him?”

“His chart only showed his condition and hopes for recovery…what…what happened to him?”

Hoseok gave him a bewildered look, “Freak accident. Fell and hit his head during a game of basketball. He didn’t know he had a concussion and never got checked out. According to reports of what happened from his friends, he’d taken a nap and never woke back up. The original swelling around his brain has gone down significantly so, originally the doctors were hopeful he’d wake any day. It’s been weeks and still nothing and well…you know how these cases tend to go.”   

“Oh…” Jin replied, nodding his head while fidgeting with his fingers. His mind blared with the obvious conclusion. Min Yoongi might never wake up. The longer he remained in an unconscious state the less likely the probability of him coming to would be.   

“Why?” Hoseok’s face had pinched into a frown of concern, “Did something happen to him?”

“What? No.” Jin shook his head, trying to look like he wasn’t avoiding Hoseok’s sharp, searching gaze. “No, nothing happened.”

“You sure…? You’re acting weird.”

“I’m sure! I was only curious that’s all. He looks perfectly fine, other than the fact that he’s…well, asleep.”

“I hear he’s a favorite among the day nurses,” Hoseok continued conversationally and Jin breathed a mental sigh of relief that he’d gone back to concentrating on his food. “They fight over who gets to do the sponge bath,” Hoseok shuddered comically, “He’s too handsome for his own good.”

An alarming sensation of jealousy slowly crept over Jin at the thought of airheaded nurses fluttering over Min Yoongi, undressing him and…Jin put an immediate mental pause on the direction of his thoughts. His co-workers were professionals. And jealousy? What right did he have to feel jealous over anything concerning a complete stranger?.  

“Does he have family that visits?”

Hoseok shrugged, “I’ve heard he has someone who comes but I’ve never met them. I’ve only ever been on nights around him. Speaking of, you don’t mind taking over my patients while I’m out do you?” Hoseok’s eyes jumped to his anxiously, “I know it’s extra work, but you know my process better than anyone and there isn’t anyone I trust more than you when it comes to my patients.”

“Of course,” Jin gave him a reassuring smile, but he couldn’t help a slight feeling of apprehension.

Hoseok being gone meant more interactions with the sleeping Min Yoongi and if he were honest, Jin wasn’t sure he was ready for that.

“Kookie!” Jin bounced up in front of a young man lounging back in his chair at the nurses’ station at the other end of the hospital from where Jin usually sat. He nearly caused him to topple over backward in his startlement. Jungkook righted himself in his chair before sending Jin a death glare.

“Jesus Hyung,” he hissed, grabbing at his chest. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

Jin brushed off his ill humor, knowing no matter what the younger boy said, he really adored him.  Jin was the one who fed him after all and that counted for a lot when you were a recent nursing school graduate trying to make it in the music industry after discovering the medical world just wasn’t for you.

“Do me a favor?” Jin asked in his sweetest voice.

Jungkook snorted, sitting back in his chair to cross his arms, “After you tried to kill me?”

“Please?” Jin coaxed, batting his eyelashes appealingly.

“Now I’m definitely not.”

Jin’s angelic face morphed into a scowl, “Jeon Jungkook.”

“Fine,” Jungkook released a put upon sigh, “What is it that you need Hyung?”

Jin tried not to show a triumphant smirk, the mom voice worked every time. But, in all honesty, Jin knew for a fact Jungkook found it impossible to deny him anything. Kookie considered him the older brother he never had.

“You know how I took on Hobi’s patients while he’s been out?”

Jungkook nodded, his only response a dark brow curving upward.

“Will you please check on one of his patients for me tonight? The patient in 210?”

“Why?”

“Why?” Jin huffed, “Really Kookie? You can’t do this one thing-”

“I was only asking,” Jungkook protested defensively, “I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it. And I will…but it’ll cost you.”

“I’ll make you dinner for the next week,” Jin was quick to bargain.

“Make it two, throw in a batch of my favorite cookies and you have a deal.”

“You’re a hustler you know that?”

Jungkook shrugged with a self-satisfied half-smile. The same one that had the majority of the nurses in the building – male and female - clamoring for his attention, “Gotta do what you can to survive in this cold world, Hyung.”

“Stop being a smartass,” Jin couldn’t help a chuckle, reaching out to pinch his cheek; something he knew annoyed the brat to no end. Predictably Jungkook instantly scowled, “You’ll always be the bug-eyed intern I caught crying in the back of the locker rooms on his first day. I still have suckers in my pocket, you want one?”

Jungkook groaned, “Are you ever going to forget that?”

“Never! That’s valuable blackmail material right there.”

“You like to pretend otherwise, but you’re actually evil deep down,” Jungkook accused, a begrudging, affectionate smile splitting his lips.

“What was that you said about needing to survive in this cold world?” Jin turned away with a smile but paused hesitantly before he’d made it very far, “Er…when you’re done looking in on 210 can you come tell me how he is?”

Jungkook’s eyes immediately narrowed, “Ok, what’s going on? What’s wrong with him?”

“Nothing’s wrong with him!” Jin exclaimed in exasperation. “I just-just do as you’re told and stop asking stupid questions, I’m your Hyung.”

“Araso, Hyung,” Jungkook chuckled, “Don’t get your panties in a twist. I’ll see you later and I expect a treat for my efforts.”

“For someone who likes to act a lot older than their nineteen years you can act an awful lot like a five-year-old.”

Jungkook stuck out his tongue and made a face for emphasis, only further cementing Jin’s statement. The budding affection he always felt for the little brat warmed his chest and he laughed at his antics like a mother would with an adored child before walking away.

Time dragged and it felt like hours later that Jin had finally finished his first round of the night and was waiting impatiently for a cocky black-haired brat to put in an appearance. Drumming his fingers on his desk with a pout and his chin in the palm of his hands he was two seconds from going to go find the bane of his existence himself, when a familiar whistling could be heard coming up the hall.

Straightening, Jin watched impatiently as Jungkook sauntered around the corner at a leisurely pace. He cut quite a figure in his light teal colored scrubs, as evidenced by the sidelong glances he was getting from a gaggle of female nurses gossiping nearby. They giggled and Jungkook sent them a charming smile that practically had them in fits. Jin rolled his eyes but he had to admit Jungkook was light years away from the scrawny intern he'd taken under his wing three years ago.

Jungkook had been sent to Seoul by his parents for school, their hope had been that their youngest would make a career in the medical field and forget his wild dreams of becoming a singer. They’d placed him in a rigorous school course that was meant to prepare future doctors for immediate immersion into the best medical school the country had to offer. Jungkook had come to intern at the hospital at barely fifteen, pushed to the brink of mental stress and exhaustion, by the aspirations of parents who cared little whether the future they’d chosen for him would make him happy. He had no friends or family to support him and was struggling half-heartedly through a school program that had been forced on him when Jin came into his life.

Unfortunately for his parents, Jungkook had something called a backbone. After spending many a night coaching him through the perils of his math homework and encouraging as much as he could that he not give up on his dreams; Jin was extremely proud when a newly 18 Kookie had come running to tell him he’d decided to live his life for himself. He’d tried out for one of the premier talent agencies in Seoul and was picked up on the spot.

Call it overprotective, but Jin had been cautious and skeptical enough to march into their main offices and demand to look over the contract before Jungkook signed anything, much to the younger’s embarrassment. Reassured that greedy corporatives weren’t taking advantage of the kid he jokingly called ‘his son,’ Jin had given his stamp of approval. He’d come away with a good impression of the company and the hope that Jungkook would soon be fulfilling his dreams.  

At Jin’s suggestion, Jungkook had done the smart thing and finished a nurses training which helped pay his expenses in Seoul, his parents having been quick to cut him off as soon as they heard his plans. Jin couldn’t understand the mental process behind turning your back on your child for wanting to be happy. So he'd done what Jungkook’s parents should have and became a support and a safe place for Jungkook to land if he ever needed it. For now, Jin was all Jungkook had. He was an independent little shit, who rarely listened to anything anyone told him, but Jin was a singular exception. Nobody had more sway over Jeon Jungkook than Kim Seokjin.

When Jungkook finally came to a stop in front of the desk, Jin’s irritation was already being pushed aside by the swell of pride he always felt when he was near. Black hair swinging forward rather raffishly over the kid’s forehead, Jin gave a soft snort. He thought back to the quiet, skinny boy who’d looked out at the world with wide innocent eyes and almost couldn’t believe they were the same person. Jungkook had gained confidence, height and a ridiculous amount of muscle. He’d surpassed Jin ages ago in all areas much to Jin’s disgruntlement and Jungkook’s amusement.

The brat stared down at him with twinkling eyes before giving an insolent salute Jin should not be encouraging by finding adorable, “Jeon Jungkook here to give a full report.”

“How is he?” Jin asked, more pressing things on his mind that Jungkook’s cocksure attitude.

Jungkook shook a finger back and forth, “Treat first, questions after.”

“You‘re such a child,” Jin grumbled, placing a chocolate from one of his desk drawers on Jungkook’s open palm. There was rarely a time he didn’t have food within reaching distance, and chocolate was vital. Jin watched with narrowed eyes as Jungkook unwrapped the sweet with a deliberate slowness before delightedly popping it in his mouth.

“Jeon Jungkook, you’re two seconds from a serious ass whipping. I gave you what you wanted, now spill.”

“An ass whipping?” Jungkook laughed as if that were the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard, “Even if you could beat my ass Hyung, you never would. You love me too much. It’d be cute to see you try though,” Jungkook finished with a confidence that was annoyingly merited. He gave Jin a humoring smile before continuing conversationally, “I don’t see what the big deal is with you and this guy, Hyung.”

“I’ve just come to realize I’m going to pay for spoiling you in blood. And there’s no deal!”

“Why all this fuss over him then?”

“I’m not making a fuss!”

Jungkook gave him a sidelong glance, “Whatever you say Hyung. He was fine, vitals looked good, no change.”

“Oh,” Jin released a breath of disappointment.

“Was that seriously all you wanted to know?”

Jin avoided his straightforward stare, “Yeah, I just wanted to uh…be sure I could tell Hoseok. You know, in case he asked.”

“Why didn’t you just check on him yourself then?”

“There…was a conflict with one of my other patients.”

Jungkook nodded, looking unconvinced but after a last searching glance seemed to let it go, “Well, he’s fine. See you for dinner tomorrow Hyung. I have training all day so I’ll be over a little late, probably after six.”

“Kookie,” Jin called out and the black haired male turned back to face him, “There wasn’t…I mean, nothing weird happened to you while you were in there with him?”

“Weird?” Jungkook frowned, “Weird like how?”

“Weird like…I don’t know…just…weird.”

Jungkook’s hands landed on his hips, “That’s it. Hyung what the hell is going on? Of course nothing weird happened. The dude’s like a corpse, what could possibly happen? Did something happen yesterday and that’s why you asked me to go?”

“Forget it,” Jin answered, his cheeks burning.

How was he supposed to explain the way his body had heated and his skin tingled, the way his heart had thundered and his hands had reached out wanting to touch? Or the way he’d almost lost all sense and control just being in Min Yoongi’s presence. What could he claim? Some form of mind control? Magical powers that turned him into a bumbling idiot with wandering hands? Jungkook would either think he was insane or some sort of pervert, more than likely it’d be a very unflattering combination of the two and Jin didn’t think spending the remainder of his time on earth in a straight jacket sounded very appealing.

“Hyung…”

“Hmm?” Jin responded finding that Jungkook’s expression had softened with worry.

“Are you ok? You seem…off…”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re sure?” Jungkook crossed his arms, “You don’t look fine.”  

“You worry about me cuz you love me don’t you?” Jin gave a good imitation of a trembling lip, “Aw, Kookie, Hyung just might cry. Come give me a hug…”

And that did it. Jungkook was rolling his eyes and waving at him over his back as he walked down the hall.

With a parting shot of, “You’re insane Hyung!” Jin was left breathing a sigh of relief.

And he tried not to seriously consider that he may actually be losing his mind. Hoseok wouldn’t be back for another day at least which meant…he couldn’t ask Jungkook to look in on Yoongi again without it seeming suspicious. Thinking of going back in that room made his palms sweat and his heart quiver.

As the epithet whispered across his mind with an intonation that sounded remarkably like the caustic quality of his father’s voice, Jin squared his shoulders. No, he wasn’t a coward. He wasn’t missish nor easily frightened. And if he took a second to think logically and reasonably he’d probably find there to be a very simple explanation for what had happened that night.

More than likely it had been a trick of the light and his response to the sleeping patient, well…he had been feeling more tired than normal that day. Perhaps he’d been on the verge of coming down with something and had taken a slight fever and he’d mistaken that for…

What?

Jin paused and swallowed because he knew exactly what. 

Attraction. 

Exactly twenty-four hours later found Jin agitatedly pacing the short length in front of the door to room 210. Anyone passing by would have thought him to be an anxious father awaiting the birth of his first child.

He wrung his hands and bit at his plump lower lip, glancing in consternation at the doorway with every pass. He was being ridiculous he knew. He’d already concluded and had been telling himself religiously that his fanciful memories from two nights before were nothing but a trick his mind had played on him from lack of sleep. And he might have believed it too…if two nights of dreams that consisted of pale skin and shockingly blonde hair hadn’t kept him in a fever of another kind. Now he wasn’t so sure he was ready to test which of his theories were correct. Had he been nothing but tired and overwrought the first night he’d seen Yoongi or…he didn’t want to consider the alternative.

He knew with alarming clarity, exactly what he was afraid of.

He’d pushed any and all thoughts of that night into the furthest recesses of his mind, to keep from re-analyzing his complete lack of control. And that was exactly it. By rule, he wasn’t frivolous or impulsive. His whole life was categorized by careful, organized planning and orderly structure.

By nature he was always pleasant and soft-spoken, he kept his emotions very much to himself so as not to be discourteous to others. He didn’t anger easily nor did he cry in public when he was upset. He’d grown up in a world where showing emotion was a gross sign of weakness. However, instead of adopting the glacial mask his father wore, Jin had chosen a warm smile. It still took a concerted effort to remind himself he was no longer under his father’s mandates. That he could act as he pleased and could be as willful as he wanted. But he still found himself afraid of what might happen if he let loose of the tight-fisted hold he’d always had over his emotions and actions.

That careful control had been tested that first night he’d walked into room 210. Seeing Min Yoongi had done something, awakened something that quite frankly frightened him. He hadn’t been able to control that powerful influx of confusing emotion, neither mentally or – he reddened to recall – physically. He still remembered the brush of smooth, warm skin against his fingertips.

Giving himself a firm mental shake, Jin took a deep breath.

Regardless of how he felt, he couldn’t shirk his responsibility. He had a duty to take care of the patient in that room and he was being very silly to let his uncertainties affect his work. If he started feeling…odd again, he’d be quick about his business and leave. Bracing himself, he took one final deep breath before stepping through the door. He scurried into the room with his head down until he could take the clipboard from the end of the only bed in the room. He gave the pages it held a quick skim to see if there were any new notes he should be aware of and found that nothing had changed. 

It was a niggling, prickling sensation that had his eyes drifting to the figure on the bed. He lay just as Jin had seen him last, completely serene and immobile. His blonde hair had been brushed away from his forehead but his appearance hadn’t changed in the slightest.

Jin had told himself - over and over - that he’d exaggerated Min Yoongi’s good looks. To his great misfortune he realized now that, if anything, he hadn’t been gracious enough in his recall. Yoongi looked - for lack of a better word - like a prince drawn into a peaceful sleep. His coloring was nothing short of striking. His skin fair and unblemished and corresponded beautifully with hair the color of warm moonlight and eyelashes the contrasting sable of midnight.

Once again Jin’s eyes were pinned to the pillowed softness of inviting lips. How was it that they weren’t chapped or dry, but supple and tinted a rather rude and titillating color of a tart berry? A thought briefly flickered across his mind…a sussurance that tempted him to wonder what they might taste like. He stood gazing down helplessly at the sleeping man he was so inexplicably drawn to and seconds later was bent eye level.  

Before he quite knew what he was doing, his eyes had fluttered closed and he was meeting the cool press of skin with his lips. It was a light flirtation, barely a brush that tickled his nerve endings. The air around Yoongi smelt sweet and faintly masculine and Jin considered briefly what they used to bathe him for he smelt nothing like the sharp, sterile scent of the hospital.

A brief shift against his lips had Jin’s eyes popping open in shocked surprise.

Appalled by what he’d just done, Jin startled back upward; his fingers coming up to cover lips still tingling faintly with a disturbing recall of the delicate, smooth feel of the lips that had just been beneath his. The curve of them seemed to be permanently imprinted against his own and Jin’s hand trembled beneath eyes widened to resemble saucers.

What had he done?

A sudden movement caught his attention from the corner of his eye and his eyes darted down to see the delicate fingers of his patient twitch against the sheets. His eyes widened even further and when he next glanced up it was to see Min Yoongi’s eyelashes fluttering and a soft crease forming on his brow. With the ease of a person just waking from a nap, his eyes blinked open, their midnight depths surveying the area of ceiling above him. Jin was so decidedly shocked he couldn’t move, but instead just stood there with his mouth hanging wide open.

“W-where am I?” he heard him mutter, Yoongi’s voice rough and graveled from misuse and Jin couldn’t help a gasp at the deep timbre of it. The sound caused the man’s eyes to flicker in his direction and his frown was fierce, “And who the hell are you?”

“Quite odd,” Jin heard the murmur from the cluster of huddled white coats surrounding the single bed.

“There’s no explanation for it…”

“If I were religiously inclined, I’d call it a miracle. As it is I’d say that you, Min Yoongi, possess quite a large amount of good luck.”

Jin continued to listen quietly, somewhat removed from the commotion at the other end of the room both physically and mentally. He’d been volunteered by the Head Nurse to help should the doctors require it, but for the most part, he was trying to keep as much distance as possible from the person sitting upright in the hospital bed. He was still feeling tremulous and deeply shocked; so much so his hands still shook and he was pretty sure he was pale to the point of looking faint. He didn’t want to think. In fact, he’d shut off his brain entirely, trying not to stare at the blonde man currently giving the medical staff a disparaging frown.  

After Yoongi had woken, Jin had found it impossible to do anything other than stutter and stumble over his words. Seeing the futility in his attempting an explanation, he’d rushed to press the button to page the nearest doctor. They’d been swift in coming initially, but it was close to an hour later and still nobody could seem to find the reasoning behind Yoongi’s re-entrance into the conscious world. He’d been given a detailed explanation of how he’d come to be at the hospital and of his recent condition up until he’d woken up. They’d poked and prodded in a completely flummoxed state until Yoongi’s eyes had steadily narrowed into a glower of annoyance.

“What we were most concerned about was brain damage,” Jin could hear one of them now explaining. “There was no indication that your accident had been serious. After the initial swelling around the brain had come down, we expected a rapid recovery. We became concerned of more extensive damage, however, when you made no response. We’re actually quite pleased to note that your mental faculties appear to be excellent.”

“You don’t say,” Yoongi muttered dryly, apparently unimpressed by their obvious observation.

“Yes,” One of the older doctors nodded enthusiastically, as if Yoongi had given them some kind of praise, “It’s quite remarkable. You say you remember who you are? Your name, birthday, family…?”

“Yes,” the blonde answered and Jin had to force himself not to glance up at his voice. He’d already caught himself staring once. “I can’t really remember the day it happened…just snip-its here and there…I know who I am at least. I can’t very well tell you what I don’t remember if I can’t remember it, can I?”

Jin had to bite back a chuckle at his blunt and slightly prickly personality. He was certainly different from the peaceful, angelic image he gave off with his mouth shut.

“Well, as long as you recall the basics that’s the main thing. Not remembering the day of the accident is to be expected. You may begin to, after a time, but it may never come back so you shouldn’t be too concerned over that. If you begin experiencing severe headaches, however; that is a cause for concern.”

“As far as we can tell you’re in a much better condition than we had hoped to anticipate after three months of being comatose. Your eyesight and hearing weren’t affected from the impact and there’s no nerve damage. We still are going to have you stay for observation over the next few days.”

“Stay? Here?!” Jin looked up at that to see Yoongi looking between the doctors incredulously. “But I’m fine.”

“You may feel fine but I think you’ll discover your body isn’t as you remember it,” Dr. Jung, the youngest – and most amused by Yoongi – was quick to point out. “You’ll find that you won’t be able to control your movements as well as you’d like and your coordination may be slightly off. Your body is weak from lack of frequent movement. Muscle deterioration is expected in your situation. While we do our job to ensure it’s safe for you to return home, a bit of light physical therapy won’t go amiss.”

“How long do I have to stay here?” Yoongi asked begrudgingly.

“Only a short duration,” Dr. Jung replied with a smile. “We’re concerned there could still be delayed side effects. We’ll be informing any family members of your condition, I’m sure-”

“I don’t have any family…” Yoongi spoke rather stridently, “Only-”

“Yoongi…?”

All eyes swiveled in Jin’s direction where he stood in a corner near the door. The attention wasn’t directed at him, much to his relief, but instead was on the black-haired male currently standing out of breath at the entrance to the room. His eyes were wide and glued to the figure in the bed.

He was short and lithe but his body had an obvious musculature that was attractive. His face, even in its current state of shock, held a gentle sort of warmth and his features were exceptionally handsome. Black hair framed his forehead in shiny waves that instilled such a casual effortlessness Jin had a rather bitter thought that, what had probably taken the man five minutes to accomplish, would have taken him hours of careful styling to achieve the same effect.

Jin’s curious study of this new character was cut short when, in the next second, the man was practically sprinting his way across the room. Before Jin could blink twice he’d thrown himself over the bed to grasp Yoongi’s waist in an embrace, a gasp of strangled breath leading Jin to believe he was probably in tears.

“Christ Jiminie, do you have to squeeze so damn hard?” Came the by now familiar grumble, “It’s not like I died.”

Though Yoongi’s tone of voice was pithy as ever, a new underlying affection caught Jin’s wary interest. Yoongi’s hand lifted to rest weakly against black strands before the man shifted his head to stare up at Yoongi in awe.

“You could have! You don’t know-I thought…I thought you’d never wake up again,” Jimin finished in a whisper, his voice shaky.

A teasing lilt was the next surprising change to Yoongi’s voice, “Well I did, so there’s no use crying over spilt milk now is there?”

A throat cleared and one of the doctors stepped forward, “I’m sorry to interrupt, but if you’re a relative of Yoongi’s we’d like to inform you of the situation before taking our leave. He’ll need someone to care for him-”

“I do not,” Yoongi cut in rather caustically, glaring at the doctor. “I may be stuck in bed for now but I’m not an invalid!”

“Hyung, that’s the exact definition of an invalid,” Jimin pointed out with a light tinkling giggle that was in complete accordance with the way he looked. Yoongi sent a deeper scowl his direction but it only served to make him laugh harder.

“Look, I’m not a child. I can take care of myself.”

“Whatever you say Hyung,” Jimin voiced patronizingly before turning toward the doctors, “I’ll do anything I can to help. He’s my boyfriend after all.”

Jin’s world spun and tilted on its axis as he suddenly felt like a rug had been pulled from under him. His back hit the wall behind him heavily and he stared. Min Yoongi, the man who he’d just stolen a kiss from, had…a boyfriend.  

Jin had slipped from the room at the first opportunity. After discovering exactly who the black-haired stranger was, he’d felt like his face would melt clear away from the force of his blush. Min Yoongi had a boyfriend…and his name was Jimin. And Jin had kissed him…kissed him! He wanted to die from mortification. He was lucky - so lucky - no one had any idea what he’d done. He didn’t know what he could possibly have been thinking but it was a mistake easily rectified by never speaking or thinking of it ever again.

His only witness had been Yoongi and he couldn’t possibly remember anything…could he? He hadn’t acted like he’d been aware of the situation, but what if…thinking of even the slight possibility Jin’s heart stuttered nervously and his hands turned clammy where he clasped them in tight fists. A few hasty strides later and he was leaning them heavily against the desk at the nurse’s station with his head sunk forward. With a tight throat, Jin took a deep calming breath and closed his eyes, attempting to collect himself.  

“Hyung!”

Jin jumped about a mile in the air, letting out an undignified squeak at the voice coming from nearly directly in his ear. He whipped around with a pounding heart to find Jungkook blinking in surprise at his explosive reaction. Two seconds later Jungkook’s compressed lips were curling upward and a deep satisfied chuckle broke free.

“What’s wrong, Hyung?” He sing-songed teasingly, wriggling his eyebrows, “Guilty conscience?”

Jin was clutching at his chest where his heart felt like it could still jump free, shock continuing to spike through his system.

“What is wrong with you?” Jin whined, his hand coming out to smack the corded muscle that enveloped the younger’s arm, with little effect. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

“Payback from yesterday. I saw you standing there so completely oblivious, I couldn’t help myself. What’s been up with you lately anyway?”

“Nothing’s up with me!” Jin returned with an uncharacteristic waspishness that had Jungkook’s eyebrows raising. The way his eyes widened in wounded surprise forced Jin to feel instantly guilty. “I’m just…I haven’t gotten much sleep lately so I’m not in the best mood. Sorry Kookie, I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

Jungkook nodded, shrugging good-naturedly, “Don’t worry about it, you’re allowed to have your off days too Hyung.”

Jungkook’s easy forgiveness only made Jin feel worse. He had just opened his mouth to apologize again when he heard his name being called from down the hall.  

“Seokjin-ssi!”

Both of them looked up to see Head Nurse Song scurrying their way and Jin flinched inwardly. It was never good if the Head Nurse was looking for you. It usually meant a request and Jin had a problem with saying no.

“I’m glad I caught you,” the older woman puffed breathlessly, a few graying strands of hair coming free of the neat bun at the nape of her neck to fall softly around her face in soft curls. “The patient you saw today, Min Yoongi?”

Jin stiffened, “Yes?”

“I’m going to have him assigned to your regular rotation and you’ll be taking the afternoon shift. You’ll be in charge of overseeing his physical therapy until he’s released.” 

Jin gaped, “Me? But…isn't he Hoseok’s patient?”

“Hoseok won’t be back until tomorrow where he’ll go back to his regular schedule. I need you on this; you’re my only option at the moment. You’re the only one with enough experience in physical therapy to handle the directives from the doctor. Besides, now that he’s in recovery I feel it’s best for him to maintain a stable environment and switching nurses every two seconds is disruptive.”

“B-but…”

“I knew I could count on you,” she added cheerfully, though her tone brooked no argument. She patted him on the shoulder on her way by, “I’ll e-mail you your new schedule tonight.”

Jin deflated as she walked away, his mental state exhausted and strained to the point of breaking.

“Isn’t that the patient from room 210?”

“Yes,” Jin affirmed in a soft voice, beginning to pack away his things. He needed to get away.

“Sleeping Beauty finally woke up?” Jungkook asked in some surprise, “When?”

“A few hours ago,” Jin murmured distractedly.

“You were there? What happened?”

“He just…woke up…” Jin hedged with a twinge of frustration. He really didn’t want to talk about this. 

“Just like that?” Jungkook continued curiously before he suddenly chuckled, “What’d you do? Kiss him?” 

Jin froze. It was his great good fortune that Jungkook was too distracted by his own amusement to notice the way the blood had drained from his face.

“I gotta go,” he broke in shortly. “I’ll see you around Kookie.”

“Hey! Hyung!” Jungkook called after him, and when Jin didn’t turn around he could hear the confusion in his voice when he added, “Don’t forget dinner tonight!”

The words were spoken to his retreating back and by the time he’d finished Jin had already passed through the double doors leading to the elevators without so much as a backward glance.

After a restless night that involved much tossing and turning and very little sleep, Jin had been sorely tempted to call into work. He’d tried to tell himself his lack of sleep came from his body adjusting to his new schedule but even he could tell that was a lie. His tormented dreams had revolved around a certain blonde, a constant reel repeating the moment he’d kissed him over and over again. Only…his subconscious mind had taken free license to tweak the reality he remembered. In his dreams, Yoongi had kissed back…and quite expertly he might add. He’d woken more than twice, sweat-soaked and tangled in his sheets with his heart hammering fiercely in his chest and a very uncomfortable situation tenting his pajama pants.

Thanks in part to his restless night; Jin arrived at work the next morning breathless and barely on time. His hair was a mess of disheveled waves that matched the dark circles beneath his eyes. He looked like he’d spent the night romping around in bed, which he had…only minus the pleasure that typically accompanied such activity. From the looks he was getting he could imagine what he looked like. His co-workers were used to seeing him neatly put together and completely composed, not running through the halls in a wrinkled uniform and debauched looking bed hair. He fell into one of the chairs behind the nurse’s station with a groan, slumping down as far into it as he could before tipping his head back and closing his eyes.

“You look like death warmed over.”

Jin squinted one eye open to find Dr. Kim Namjoon leaning casually in front of him with a chart in hand, his dark blonde hair perfectly quaffed and a sunny dimple on full display. The sight of his perfect smile and unrumpled appearance irritated greatly at the moment.

“Thank you, that’s the look I was going for after all,” Jin grunted, closing his eyes against the brilliant effect of his smile. All the charm was giving him a headache, aided by the fact that he was in no mood for Namjoon’s flirtatious banter this morning. He already had one overly attractive man taking up way too much of his concentration, he didn’t need to add another to the list. 

“Someone’s grumpy this morning,” he heard Namjoon say, sounding as if he were rounding the desk. “Would it brighten your day to hear I still think you look perfect, even with panda eyes?”

Jin opened both his eyes so Namjoon would have the full effect of his glare and found he’d been right, Namjoon now leaned casually against the desk directly in front of him, his long legs cross at the ankles.

“Panda eyes?” Jin intoned indignantly. 

“Hmm…” Namjoon hummed in agreement, reaching out to playfully pull a lock of his unruly hair, “And bed-head. It’s a cute combination.”

Jin snorted but couldn’t hide his smile even behind an eye roll, “You’re impossible. Don’t you have patients you should be tending to?”

“I’ve already done my rounds,” Namjoon’s smile deepened, “I decided to come say hi. Didn’t you miss me?”

“You wish.”

“I do wish,” he leaned forward flirtatiously, “When are you going to agree to go out with me?”

Jin’s eyes narrowed but sparkled with mirth, “Isn’t this considered sexual harassment?”

Namjoon let free a bark of laughter, “You like to torture me, don’t you? Fine, I don’t deserve you anyway…but if you ever do decide I’m worth your time…”

“You’re so dramatic,” Jin chuckled, “Let’s make a deal. If by the time I turn thirty-five, I’m still single I’ll let you take me on a date then. That’s…ten years from now.”

“Ouch,” Namjoon feigned a wince; his hand coming up to his chest as if Jin had delivered a direct blow. “You know, most people would consider it their good fortune if they happened to catch my attention. I’m quite the catch, or so I hear.”

“Which is precisely why I wouldn’t date you,” Jin sniffed, gathering his things for the day, “I don’t think I’d be able to compete with your ego.”

He filled his pockets with suckers from his drawer before taking off down the hall. During his day shifts, he liked walking through the children’s ward after his rounds, it cheered him up to brighten their day a bit with lollipops and stories.

“One day I’ll get a yes from you!” Namjoon called after him.

“I doubt it, but it doesn’t hurt to dream,” Jin shot back over his shoulder, his mood considerably lightened.

Jin spent his morning deliberately not thinking of his impending return to room 210. He placed the thought completely from his mind; instead, enjoying the time he spent with his patients. He kept himself too busy to think, and by the time he walked from the last of the children’s rooms he’d visited, his pockets were lighter but his heart felt much fuller.

Passing by a familiar door, he paused on its opposite side. It took him two seconds of indecision before he was breezing through the doorway marked Dr. Lee Jaehwan, Children’s Psychologist. The room he walked into was decorated in bright welcoming colors, its only occupant sitting at the far end of the room behind a desk backed by a tall window streaming sunlight into the room. Jin crashed onto one of the comfortable, squishy chairs before the desk with a full sigh. Spying a cut-glass bowl of chocolates, he plucked it from its resting place and began unwrapping.

Jaehwan who had looked up in surprise at his entrance, now watched him over the rim of his glasses with a raised eyebrow, “What’s wrong?”

“Why does something have to be wrong?” Jin deferred, “Can’t I come say hi to a friend?”

Jaehwan leaned back to cross his arms, “You look like you haven’t slept in a week and you’re eating all my chocolate. I’m no genius but I’m taking that as an indication something’s wrong.” When Jin sighed, he leaned forward, “What is it? Want to take a turn on my couch? It’s comfy. I nap on it regularly.”

“Jae, what are the symptoms of insanity?”

Jaehwan gave him a blank, open-mouthed stare before repeating slowly, “The…symptoms of insanity?”

“I mean how would someone go about knowing if they were going insane?” Jin asked as he continued to casually unwrap chocolates. 

“I’m assuming this has something to do with you,” Jae stated in a confused manner, “though I have absolutely no idea how.”

“I think I’m going insane.”

“I’ve been telling you that for years and you’re barely coming to the realization now.”

Jin scowled, “This is serious.”

“I’m being serious!” Jaehwan chuckled with upraised palms, then seeing Jin’s expression sighed, “Alright, I’ll bite. Why do you think you’re going insane?”

“There’s,” Jin swallowed heavily, “There’s this guy…”

Jae nodded sagely, “That’s usually how it starts.”

“But I don’t even know him,” Jin gasped, “I keep thinking about him. I mean it’s almost,” Jin lowered his voice to an embarrassed whisper, “Obsessive. I’ve been having these weird hot flashes and the last time I saw him I couldn’t even control myself. I wanted to touch him and…” Jin looked up to find Jaehwan biting back laughter. “Are you seriously laughing right now?”

Jae managed a helpless, “Jinnie, I love you,” before bursting into full laughter.

“I knew I should have thought twice before coming to you,” Jin grumbled crossly.

“What’s going on in here?” a voice inquired from the door, “Why wasn’t I invited to the party?”

Jin turned to see a stunningly beautiful man walk through the door and he smiled before going back to glaring at Jaehwan, who was still in stitches.

“What’s so funny?” Lee Hongbin asked, stealing a chocolate from Jin’s lap before plopping into the seat next to his.

“Jaehwan apparently thinks my problems are hilarious,” Jin muttered darkly.

“Aw come on Jinnie, don’t be angry with me. What if I tell you I know exactly what ails you? And it certainly is a form of insanity.”

Jin’s eyebrows raised skeptically, “Keep talking.”

Hongbin turned to Jin sharply in concern, “You’re sick?” When Jin bit his lip indecisively Bin whipped his head around to frown darkly at Jaehwan, “And that’s funny?”

“Bin-ah, maybe you can help me put things into perspective for Jin. The first time you saw Taekwoon, how did you feel about him?”

Hongbin shrugged, “I was crazy about him.”

“Did you think about him?”

“Of course, all the time.”

“And…physical responses?”

Hongbin gave a slow smile, “I think anyone can see how Taekwoon affects me.”

“Humor me,” Jae replied with an eye roll.

“Do you really want me to go into detail?”

Jaehwan huffed impatiently, “Let’s put it this way, does he make you…feverish?”

Jin’s jaw dropped.

Hongbin’s smile was something like the cat who ate the canary, “Absolutely.”

“Wait a minute,” Jin sputtered, “You’ve got this all wrong. I’m not-you’re not saying-”

“Jinnie!” Hongbin gasped, “You have the hots for someone?!”

Jin’s face burned, “No-!”

“He totally does,” Jaehwan answered conspiratorially. 

“I do not!”

“You’d rather be told you’re going insane?”

This was getting ridiculous, “I don’t even know him!”

Hongbin shrugged, “I didn’t know Taek when I first started working here either, but my feelings for him hit me like a truck out of the blue. Remember we were speculating whether he was mute because nobody had ever heard him speak?” Hongbin sniggered at the memory, “He was so cold and serious, I didn’t even think he liked me until I teased him to the point he kissed me.”

“In cases of lust, how long you know a person rarely has any relevance,” Jaehwan added matter-of-factly, anyone listening would have sworn he was relating a scientific theory.

“Lust!” Jin’s cheeks were on fire, “I’m not…”

“Then what? Are you in love?”

“Of course not! I’m just…confused.”

“Do you think he’s good looking?” Hongbin prodded.

“Well…yes…but that’s completely beside the point! I don’t even know why we’re having this conversation,” Jin protested in a rush of acute embarrassment, “It’s all moot because…hehasaboyfriend.”

“He what?” Jaehwan demanded and both of his friends leaned forward, like a pair of gossipy old women.

“He has a boyfriend,” Jin despaired, feeling mortification creep in at their wide-eyed reaction.

Hongbin’s eyebrows rose, “Someone who works here?”

“Er…not exactly.”

“Who is it?” Bin demanded next, feeling indignant on Jin’s behalf, “Did he flirt with you and put ideas in your head? Tell me who did it and Taek will have no problem putting whoever it is in their place for messing with your feelings.”

“No!” Jin protested in a panic. The last thing he wanted was for his friends to go on a witch hunt to try and snuff out someone they thought had wronged him. “It was nothing like that. This is all just silliness on my part. I don’t even know why I brought it up…”

“Because it obviously affected you,” Jaehwan said in concern, studying Jin more seriously.

Jin shrugged and Hongbin sighed, coming across to sit on the arm of Jin’s chair so he could put a consoling arm around his shoulder, “You’ll find someone else Jinnie…though it sucks he already has someone. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so worked up over someone.”

“It isn’t-I’m not-he’s not…” Jin’s words subsided on seeing their sympathetic expressions, knowing any protests would fall on deaf ears.

He never should have even brought this up. It wasn’t like he’d had any aspirations toward Yoongi. He was his patient. He’d had a momentary lapse in judgment, in which he’d completely lost his head, but he was a professional. He wasn’t going to let what happened affect his work or his life.

He’d only hoped…he didn’t know what he’d hoped would come from telling one of his closest friends. Reassurance maybe? This whole situation had made him feel off-kilter, like he’d just gotten off a fast-spinning ride and was now trying to walk in a straight line again. And after this conversation, he was left with even more questions than answers. He didn’t want to consider; even for a second, that he may have completely inappropriate feelings for a man he’d never spoken two words to. He wasn’t one to believe in fairy-tale nonsense like love at first sight. That fell in the same category as Big Foot and unicorns as far as he was concerned. There was no such thing, and believing in it was complete and utter nonsense.

A sane, perfectly rational person did not fall for sleeping strangers in real life, even if they did look like fairy-tale princes. It just…didn’t happen. At least not to Kim Seokjin. His life was mind-numbingly normal and complacently boring; nothing even remotely resembling a fairy-tale had the chance of ever happening to someone like him.

And that thought was quite…depressing.

A soft knock on the door had all three of them turning to face an extremely handsome black-haired man stepping in. His serious expression would have been intimidating, and if not for the softness around his eyes when they landed on Hongbin.

“Woonie!” Bin exclaimed, bounding over to the man so he could throw his arms around his neck.

“Bin-ah,” the man mumbled with a beleaguered sigh, “We’re at work.”

“So what?” Hongbin leaned back to pout.

Taekwoon released another put upon sigh, but his arm had curled around Hongbin’s waist possessively and his lips twitched to form the barest smile, “Jaehwan hyung…Seokjin hyung,” his eyes flickered to them in acknowledgment, inclining his head in a quick greeting. “Do you mind if I steal Hongbin from you?”

“Of course not,” Jaehwan smiled permissively.

“Steal me? Why are you here anyway?” Hongbin asked with sudden interest.

“Taking you to lunch.”

Hongbin beamed, “Where?”

“Wherever you’d like, ready to go?”

“I should go too, I still have one more patient to see before lunch,” Jin’s stomach clenched considering his last patient had been the precipitant for their whole conversation.

Hongbin and Taekwoon walked from the room completely oblivious to everything but each other. Hongbin was protectively ensconced in the strong, muscled hold of his boyfriend’s arm still secured around his waist while both his own wiry appendages were snuggled around Taekwoon’s middle in a show of affection. Following behind them to the door, Jin felt happy for his friend but couldn’t help a sharp, bitter prick of envy.

“Jin…” he heard Jaehwan call out just as he made to step over the threshold, the word forcing him to turn back, “Are you…you’re ok…right?”

“Of course,” Jin supplied, imitating a brightness he couldn’t bring himself to feel.

“You know you can always talk to me…about anything, right?”

Jin chuckled, “I’m fine, stop worrying. Your mother hen tendencies are showing.”

“Who wouldn’t worry about you?” Jae retorted, affronted. “You spend too much time worrying about everyone else but you. Try and remember that you’re important too please? I want you to be happy.”

“I’m happy!” Jin protested off-handedly.

But as he walked down quiet corridors, nodding at familiar faces and trying to cover a familiar ache with his signature smile, he couldn’t help but wonder…was he?  

It was with a heavy heart and sweaty palms that Jin finally made it to room 210. The muscle in his chest worked heavily, thumping anxiously with each step. The door to the room stood open and Jin didn’t hesitate to walk in, he had a feeling if he stopped his progress now he’d turn tail and run back the way he’d come.

A step into the brightly lit room had his eyes already lighting on the bed where Min Yoongi lay like the first time he’d ever seen him. He was asleep, in the true sense of the word. This time, however; he was on his side, a hand curled up beneath his cheek comfortably. Jin found himself smiling at the picture he made when a movement in the corner of the room startled him.

His eyes flickered over to see Jimin. He stood cloistered together with a fellow nurse by the name of Kim Taehyung a few feet away from where Yoongi slept. They seemed to be in the middle of a serious discussion, judging from Jimin’s agitated movements. When he finished what he was saying Jimin was left with a pleading expression while Taehyung shook his head with a resolute sorrow that was at odds with the bright personality Jin knew he possessed. Jin stepped instinctively closer out of a natural curiosity, wondering with a clench of anxiety if something had happened to Yoongi while he’d been away.

“Tae, don’t do this, please-”

“Hello,” Jin greeted hesitantly.

The last thing he wanted to happen was for them to catch sight of him and peg him for an eavesdropper. Both their gazes snapped towards him and Jin immediately felt like an unwanted guest crashing a private party. It took less than a second for Jimin’s expression to clear and Jin was left wondering if he’d imagined the frustrated annoyance he thought he’d seen. The brunette moved stiltedly away from Taehyung, bowing with a polite and pleasant smile.

“Can I help you?”

“I’m the nurse who was put in charge of helping er..Min Yoongi with his physical therapy exercises. He did see the physical therapist yesterday?”

“Yes, he-” Jimin broke off as his eyes followed Taehyung’s quick exit after he’d bowed a greeting to Seokjin. He looked to be on the verge of calling out to him but before any sound could escape, his lips pursed and he turned back to Jin with a tight expression. “I’m sorry, yes. The physical therapist stopped by yesterday afternoon.”

“Great,” Jin answered with a friendly smile. “My name is Seokjin by the way.”

“Park Jimin,” the shorter man replied in kind, with a bright smile of his own. “You were here yesterday weren’t you? I think I remember seeing you.” Jin nodded and Jimin turned to look toward the bed, “As you can see, Yoongi’s sleeping right now…he kind of had a rough day yesterday.”

“Did something happen? Has he been in pain?”

“No,” Jimin turned back with a wry smile and his voice lowered conspiratorially, “He just hates not being able to do certain things for himself. He’s not the ‘helpless’ type…having to rely on someone else puts him in a sour mood and turns him into a big, grumpy baby. You’ll have a fun time of it, I’m sure.”

Jimin’s chuckle was warm and inviting and Jin couldn’t help but laugh softly along with him. His gaze fell automatically to Yoongi who was giving them a frowning pout in his sleep as if he subconsciously knew they were talking about him. Jimin followed the direction of his eyes and snorted, walking over to lightly brush Yoongi’s hair back and leave a light kiss on his cheek.

“He looks like a fallen angel when he sleeps, you’d never guess what he’s like beneath that sweet façade,” he chuckled affectionately again before turning back to Jin. “I have to go back to work; I only stopped by for a bit during my lunch. I know he’s fine now, but…will you call me if anything happens?” Jimin’s eyes slid anxiously to Yoongi and back, “You know Taehyung don’t you? He has my number.”

“Don’t we have it on file?” Jin frowned in confusion; it was procedure to keep every patient’s emergency contact where it was easily accessible. He assumed Jimin was Yoongi’s, because he hadn’t seen evidence of any family or other close friends.

Jimin’s lips twisted sardonically, “I think there are a few doctors and nurses who find the idea of two men together distasteful and are…making things a little difficult considering I’m technically not blood-related to Yoongi.”

Jin’s frown was immediate and severe, “Is there someone in particular who’s been discriminating against you? Our Head Nurse doesn’t take to that nonsense.”

“Not so much anyone in particular,” Jimin assured with another quick smile, “Just a few unwelcome glares here and there when I ask questions, but I’m left with the anxiety that someone will refuse to call me on principle if something happened. I actually only found out he’d woken up from Tae. I’ll be sure to tell you if there is an incident though,” the twinkle in Jimin’s eye turned teasing. “You seem quite fierce.”

“I-” Jin blushed, “I can relate.”

Jimin studied him momentarily, “I see...well, I should be off. Thank you, by the way, for taking care of Yoongi. Will you tell him I couldn’t wait and didn’t want to wake him up?” When Jin nodded readily, Jimin began to back out of the room, “Seokjin-ssi, right?”

“Er…you can call me Jin.”

“I was born in ’95 are you a Hyung?” When Jin nodded his assent, Jimin continued, “I’ll call you Hyung then. Let me know if he gives you any trouble. One thing you have to know about Yoongi is that his bark is always worse than his bite. Don’t let him bully you Hyung, he’s really just a big teddy bear with a grouchy personality. Er…And if you happen to wake him up…excuse the language.”

Jimin released an infectious giggled and gave a last wave before walking from the room.

Now that he was alone, Jin turned to face the bed uncertainly. Yoongi had flipped to his opposite side sometime during his conversation with Jimin but was still fast asleep. Biting his lip, he considered his best course of action. Perhaps he should wait until Yoongi was awake before beginning their physical therapy session. It wouldn’t do to inconvenience his patient after all. He’d only check his IV’s and do a quick sweep of his vitals before sneaking out and heading to lunch. After lunch he was sure Yoongi would be awake and they could get started.

Jin nodded to himself, pleased with his reasoning.  It was with light, cautious steps that he walked over to change Yoongi’s bag of saline. He deliberately made his movements soft and soundless, and he had just reconnected Yoongi’s IV to the new bag of the solution when he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye.

His eyes flitted over to see that the rays of sunlight that had been streaming into the room had shifted with the movement of the sun and a beam of bright light had landed on Yoongi’s sleeping countenance. The smooth skin around his eyes wrinkled with the annoyance and he grumbled out a noise of irritation. When dark eyes flickered open, Jin was still frozen in the same spot like a deer caught in the cross-hairs.

Yoongi’s magnetic gaze landed on him and he frowned, “Who are you?”

Hearing the words felt like deja-vu and Jin had to swallow the bitter disappointment that his first meeting with Yoongi had obviously not made as impactful an impression as Yoongi’s had on him.

“I’m the nurse that will be in charge of your physical therapy,” Jin replied, trying to meet his gaze without wavering. “My name is Seokjin.”

“Seokjin…” Yoongi sounded out, his eyes making a full sweep of Jin’s face. A second pass had them narrowing, “Do I know you from somewhere?”

“Er…I don’t think so,” Jin replied, his heart beginning to hammer hollowly in his chest.

“You look familiar,” Yoongi stated, sitting up slowly and giving a wince when he accidentally pulled on his IV. “Can’t I take this damn thing out already?” 

“Not for another few days.”

Yoongi rolled his eyes, “Why?”

“Because your body is still rec-”

“Not that…” Yoongi waved away in annoyance as if Jin should have known his thought process, “Why do you look familiar? You sure I never met you before?”

I…” Jin’s mind flashed back to two nights previous…Yoongi’s eyes flashing open after his kiss and landing squarely on him.

Yoongi was frowning in concentration, apparently trying to work out the conundrum of where he’d seen Jin before. His brow cleared as quickly as a shadow passing over the moon and his gaze moved back up, sharp and penetrating, “You were there…the night I woke up.”

Jin had to will his gaze not to shift away nervously and he itched to clear his throat of its sudden tightness.  Hoping his voice wouldn’t crack or shake, he tried to stay composed, “I was the night nurse on duty.”

Jin waited with bated breath.

Would Yoongi remember something else? How close Jin had been? How flustered? Would he question the blush he knew had flushed his cheeks? Or wonder at the way he had stuttered and stumbled over his words that night with nervous agitation?

Yoongi only grunted and nodded, rubbing at the blonde strands of his hair tiredly and letting loose a yawn.

Jin turned away with the pretense of grabbing Yoongi’s chart but really he was trying not to spontaneously combust from the mixture of relief and nervous tension that was making him nauseous. Therefore, he wasn’t looking when a clattering sounded behind him. He spun around in time to see Yoongi clutching frantically at the rails attached to his bed as his legs gave out from under him. He had caught himself in time but his arms were shaking with the strain of holding his body weight and he was cursing beneath his breath.

Jin gasped, rushing to his side to help him up. Once he was safely situated on the edge of the mattress, Yoongi pushed away from him, obviously embarrassed and discomfited.

“I got it,” he snapped, his gaze lowered to where he had clenched his hand into a fist. “I’m not a fucking-”

“Patient who was just comatose for three months? Jesus, what were you thinking?! You could have-” Jin shut his mouth with a snap, blinking owlishly at Yoongi who was staring at him with slightly widened eyes and an eyebrow arched in surprise.

“I’m not helpless,” Yoongi finally spoke, his tone cemented with determined conviction.  

Jin’s face felt like it was on fire but he recalled Jimin’s words of wisdom and realized backing down now wasn’t an option. But he did have to swallow the gut-wrenching fear he’d felt at witnessing Yoongi’s near fall before he returned calmly, “Nobody is saying you are. But you’ve been bedridden for over three months; you can’t expect your muscles to be steady when you haven’t used them in so long. That’s what I’m here for,” Jin gave a tentative smile, “We’ll have you up and about in no time.”

Yoongi didn’t look very comforted by the idea.

“Were you needing to go somewhere?” Jin asked, though he already suspected where Yoongi had been headed.

Yoongi closed his eyes and Jin could see him battling himself, “Bathroom…”

Jin crossed his arms, “Are you going to let me help you or would you rather have pride make you pee your pants?”

Yoongi’s eyes snapped open, his expression something between shock and indignation. Jin met his gaze unwaveringly and after a few seconds of tense silence, Yoongi snorted, the side of his mouth twitching in what appeared to be amusement. Jin felt the warmth of triumph bubble up within him that he’d managed to amuse him, a feat he didn’t think many could accomplish.

“As long as you know I can handle it, once we get there. One of the earlier nurses practically pulled my pants down for me,” Yoongi grumbled with a scowl that shouldn’t have looked as adorable as it did.

Jin let out a full laugh and Yoongi’s eyes studied him speculatively.

“What now?” Jin saw fit to ask, placing his hands on his hips. 

“Nothing,” Yoongi shrugged, “I was just thinking you have a nice laugh.”

“Oh,” Jin could feel blood rushing to his face. There had been nothing flirtatious in the words, the phrase stated with a casual honesty like he’d just commented on the state of the weather. Jin still felt the compliment like a caress. “Thank you.”

“So are we…going to do this or what?” Yoongi said begrudgingly, obviously still not warmed to the idea of Jin having to help him to the restroom.

Coming forward, Jin tried to temper his spike of nerves but there was nothing he could do to calm the speed of his pulse. Once he’d closed the distance between them he hesitated, biting his lip uncertainly. Yoongi sighed impatiently, sidling up next to Jin, the warmth of his body pressing against his side. Jin placed a trembling arm around his shoulders to keep him stable while Yoongi grabbed hold of his IV stand to help him walk. One of Yoongi’s arms fell around his waist, the fingers of his hand pressing securely into his side when he wobbled slightly moving forward.

The thought that this was torture filtered through Jin’s mind as he tried not to let the titillating scent of him go to his head. Yoongi smelled like dusky nights in autumn; a spicy, woodsy musk that muddled the brain and made the skin tingle.

“You know, you can’t blame that nurse earlier,” he said by way of lightening the mood and filling the awkward silence.  

 “Why the hell not,” Yoongi demanded roughly, though from the thin quality of his voice Jin could walking was more of an effort than he was letting on.

“You’re pretty famous around here,” Jin chuckled.

“Famous?”

“Yeah, all the nurses are half in love with you. It was quite a disappointment when they found out you were taken. I think I few are still hoping you’ll decide you’re not happy in your relationship.”

“Yourself included?” Yoongi asked distractedly, a light humor in his tone.

Jin almost tripped over his own feet, “What?! No! I-No-I didn’t mean-”

“Calm down,” Yoongi laughed, obviously enjoying the fact that he’d flustered him. “It was a joke.”

“Er…right…of course.”

“What? Is it that distasteful for someone to think you might like another guy?” Yoongi scoffed.

Jin was confused at first, before realization hit him. Yoongi thought his quick denial had come from some form of homophobia.

“N-no-I…”

Yoongi snorted, “Don’t hurt yourself, I’m not offended. I get some people are weirded out by it.”

“That’s not-”

“I got it from here,” Yoongi informed the second they arrived at the doorway to the restroom.

Jin was left with his words in his mouth as Yoongi waved him away and shuffled into the room, closing the door firmly behind him. Jin crossed his arms and nearly stomped his foot petulantly in flustered annoyance, frustrated by the quick dismissal.

Min Yoongi knew nothing about him, and his inconvenient feelings for him aside; Jin quite happily played for his own team and had been doing so for years. He’d come to terms with his sexuality in middle school for Christ’s sake. And for a foul tempered little blonde gremlin to believe he was some sort of homophic asshole…well, that just wasn’t going to fly.

Maybe this was all he needed. Maybe spending time with Yoongi was the way for him to do away with these unreasonable feelings. Because there was no way…no way he could have fallen for such a prickly, stubborn…butt-head. He went for guys that were warm and friendly, who matched his personality…a bit like Namjoon in a way, if Namjoon weren’t so damn full of himself. Jin was starting to realize just how much truth was behind the old adage not to judge a book by its cover. Min Yoongi was gorgeous, but that didn’t make up for Jin feeling like he wanted to strangle him at this point and time.  

Jin sniffed, pleased with his reasoning.

The more time he spent in Yoongi’s presence the more that insufferable tingling and fluttering sensation he generated would abate to nothing. His heart would cease to race, his palms wouldn’t get sweaty, his cheeks would maintain a reasonable color…he’d get over it. What he had been feeling was a case of infatuation brought on by him cloistering himself away from relationships. His friends were right; he needed to get out more. If he started falling for every handsome patient who walked through the door, his life would be a living hell.

Even being supremely annoyed with the occupant behind the door, Jin still hesitated outside the bathroom. He instinctively walked closer so he could cock his ear near the smooth surface of the entrance. He wouldn’t put it past Yoongi to lay on the floor all day from a fall rather than simply ask for help like any other sane, reasonable human being. When, after a few seconds he heard no sign of distress he took note of the time so he could know if Yoongi took a worrying amount of time and went about his business.  

Seokjin hummed beneath his breath as he worked exchanging the sheets of Yoongi’s bed while he was up. He felt better. He was certain his feelings were much removed from what they had been. In fact, he didn’t think he’d have a problem with them at all soon. He would become completely disillusioned with Yoongi and later have a good laugh that he’d actually worried at one point and time if he were falling in love with him.

He was tucking in the last edge of blanket when the door to the bathroom opened and Yoongi shuffled out using his IV stand as a walker. Jin quickly shot over to him but Yoongi waved him off with a stern frown. Jin frowned back, crossing his arms.

“I see Jimin wasn’t kidding when he said you were stubborn.”

“Jimin?” Yoongi’s eyes flicked up, “You’ve talked to Jimin?”

“He was here when I got here,” Seokjin responded distractedly, his eyes following his every movement. He couldn’t help the burble of anxiety he felt at the thought that Yoongi should fall. He was very weak, weaker than he wanted to admit, and a fall could be detrimental to his recovery, particularly if he should hurt his head again. Jin grimaced when he realized he was supposed to have relayed a message to Yoongi, “He told me to tell you he had to go to work, I’m sorry I didn’t say something sooner, it slipped my mind.”

Yoongi shrugged, “I figured that was where he’d run off to. I keep telling him he doesn’t have to come every day…or at all really. I’m fine.”

Jin finally managed to snag Yoongi’s arm so he could help maneuver him into a sitting position on the bed, ignoring the younger’s glare, “I’m sure he’s not coming here because he thinks you aren’t fine. Sit up and give me your arm so I can take your blood pressure.”

Yoongi extended his arm, curiosity coloring his dark gaze, “Really. So why do you think he comes then?”

“I think it has more to do with the fact that it probably reassures him to be here, to see you’re ok,” Jin replied while wrapping Yoongi’s arm in a sphygmomanometer. Seeing that Yoongi’s expression still held a hint of confusion he sighed and continued, “He loves you and after a scare like the one he probably had when he thought you weren’t going to wake up, I’m sure he wants to be near you. It was nothing to do with him thinking you incapable of taking care of yourself.”

“It’s pretty selfish of you actually,” Jin suddenly accused indignantly, feeling himself get worked up, “to try and shoo him away. I know if it were me, I’d want to be here as much as I possibly could just to be close to you. To reassure myself you’re ok, to hear you talk and listen to you laugh. He nearly lost you! Of course he’s going to still carry around that fear and being by your side would-”

Jin swallowed his words when he finally noted Yoongi staring at him blankly and, perhaps realizing a bit belatedly how inappropriate he’d been, felt embarrassment slowly trickle in.

“Are all nurses like you?”

“I-I’m sorry,” Jin ducked his head, concentrating on what he was supposed to be doing, which was not lecturing his patient on how to treat his boyfriend.

“Why are you apologizing?”

“I was rude.”

“So what?” Yoongi snorted, “If there’s one thing I appreciate it’s honesty. Besides, I asked your opinion didn’t I?…er...” Yoongi’s eyes fell to skim Jin’s nametag, “Seokjin.”

“Hyung.”

“What?”

“Hyung…Seokjin hyung. I’m older than you,” Jin informed matter-of-factly.

“Bullshit. That baby face of yours says otherwise.”

“Yah!” Jin crossed his arms, “Baby face or not, I’m your hyung.”

“When were you born?”

“ ’92.”

Yoongi narrowed his eyes but relented, releasing a soft, throaty rumble that could only be described as a chuckle, “Alright, so you’re my Hyung. Happy now?”

Jin nodded satisfactorily and taking note of Yoongi’s blood pressure, “Does this mean you’ll do as I say without arguing now?”

“Don’t bet on it, but I’ll try to be more respectful when I tell you no.”

Yoongi’s half smile was infectious and Jin laughed, shaking his head. His smile dropped when he realized that damn tingling sensation was back in full force but this time it was followed a warm thump in his chest cavity.

“Something wrong?” Yoongi asked, catching his sudden quiet.

“No,” Jin denied, disconcerted, “ready to get started?” 

Yoongi sighed but nodded, and before Jin could stop him he’d swiped his shirt over his head in a single swift move. Jin’s jaw dropped open, his eyes bugging as Yoongi’s perfect, milk and honey skin was unveiled before his eyes. His body was thin, unnaturally so from weeks of inactivity and little more than a liquid diet, but that didn’t detract from the surge of complete and absolute want that hit Jin like a rogue wave. The impact was so abrupt and debilitating he felt weak at the knees.

Yoongi’s shirt had displaced the hair on his head, the over long strands now falling in attractive disarray across his forehead and over his eyes. Once again Jin had the impression his skin would be cool to the touch, like a sculpture made of pure ivory, only the delicate pink points of his nipples a visible contrast on an otherwise unpigmented canvas. But beneath that first initial glance Jin could pick out hidden hues of dusky pink and ashen blue that gave him an otherworldly cast. His chest was smooth, hairless and there was still enough definition to his washboard stomach and arms that led Jin to believe he may have always been thin but he had boasted of some impressive muscle definition at one time.

The clearing of a throat startled him and he glanced up guiltily to find Yoongi watching him with a raised brow.

“W-what are you doing?” Jin voiced to cover his obvious staring problem.

“I thought you said we were getting started.”

“I-well, yeah, we are, but…”

Yoongi shrugged, “I thought a muscle warm up was part of the routine? The nurse earlier said I’d have to have one every morning and afternoon to avoid cramping,” Yoongi groaned, “Don’t tell me she lied so she could feel me up!”

“I…” Jin glanced down at the sheet he held that detailed Yoongi’s recovery plan and physical therapy exercises, written right at the top was a muscle warm-up twice a day through hands on massage…Jin swallowed heavily. His mind working furiously, he turned back to Yoongi, “No, that’s right but you don’t need to have your shirt off, I can work with it on.”

Yoongi heaved a sigh but put his shirt back on. Once it was safely back in place, Jin said a silent prayer of thanks and breathed easier. Thinking it was best to stop thinking altogether and just get to work; Jin took Yoongi’s arm in a light grip and, starting with his fingers, began to gently work each muscle and joint he came across with careful precision. Yoongi watched quietly as he worked and a prickle of sweat began to bead at Jin’s hairline. It took an intense amount of effort to keep his face void of expression. He worked slowly from his wrist and up his arm until he reached the joint of his shoulder.

When Jin’s hands next slid up his neck to knead right below his skull, Yoongi let free a soft sigh and Jin felt heat pool in all the wrong places. His hands had moved faster than his sense. He knew very well he could have stopped at his shoulder and moved on, but his hands had moved with an uncanny single-mindedness across the taut plane of his shoulder and up the curved delicacy of Yoongi’s neck.

He was just as quick to snatch his hands back, quickly moving to Yoongi’s opposite side so he could start on the fingers of his left hand before his own found a way of becoming entangled in a soft mass of moon bright hair, plunged into strands that had fascinated him from the first time he’d ever set eyes on Yoongi. He tried to keep his eyes downturned and his focus on the task at hand but it was impossible. Not with the way Yoongi looked with his eyes closed and his current blissful expression. 

Why was it that he had no control when it came to him?

Get a grip he silently screamed at himself. He needed one before temptation drive him over the edge for someone who couldn’t belong to him. For more reasons than he could count Yoongi would never be his...

“You’re good at this,” Yoongi’s compliment broke through his concentration, his voice thick.

“It’s my job.”

Yoongi gave a soft snort, “If it had anything to do with the fact that it’s your job I wouldn’t have said anything. Also, if that were the case I wouldn’t have been gritting my teeth through that other nurses’ bumbling version of the same thing.”

Jin couldn’t help but laugh as he placed himself eyelevel with Yoongi’s legs, “I’m sure she tried her best.”   

Yoongi looked like he couldn’t disagree more as he watched Jin turn up the legs of his pants as far as they would go. Jin started by rolling his ankle to loosen the joint before moving to knead up his calf muscle. It wasn’t until he made it to his knee that things began to get dangerous again.

It started with an uncontrollable urge to continue upward, one of his hands squeezing the skin just above Yoongi’s knee on his inner thigh. His eyes were riveted on the firm skin beneath his fingers. Yoongi made a slight noise and shifted, his hand coming down firmly atop Jin’s. Jin’s eyes flew up to where Yoongi watched him with a curiously intent gaze.

“If you go much further I think things could get embarrassing, for both of us.”

Jin’s cheeks flared with a distinctive blush, his throat closing with acute embarrassment.

“I’m sorry,” he managed to choke out but Yoongi only chuckled, seeming completely unconcerned.

“Don’t worry about it. Like I said, you’re good…a little too good. I’ll have Jimin take care of anything above the knee.

At the mention of Jimin’s name, Jin was overwhelmed by an immediate disgust with himself. Shame like he’d never felt before welled up in him and made it hard to swallow, particularly because he knew Yoongi had taken his actions as innocent and Jin wasn’t sure he could say they had been with any certainty.

His self-control was shot and he was starting to realize being around Yoongi was incredibly detrimental to his peace of mind. The temptation of Yoongi was pushing him to do things he would never do under normal circumstances. He couldn’t understand this draw, this…pull to initiate things that were not only inappropriate but wrong. Yoongi had a boyfriend, one that Jin actually really liked. Why couldn’t he remember that? Why did his conscience only make an appearance after he had already been swept up in the undertow of his treacherous impulses?

“Hey…” Yoongi’s voice broke through his mental barrage, a squeeze at his hand, reminding Jin he hadn’t moved it from its previous position.

Jin removed it with a swiftness that came from remorse, clasping both behind his back like a naughty child.

Yoongi sported a crooked, apologetic smile, “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I know you were just doing your job; I just figured I’d warn you before…”

“No! It’s…I was thinking of…something else. Sorry,” Jin finished lamely.

Yoongi frowned, “You ok?”

“I’m fine,” Jin forced a bright, false smile.

But Jin wasn’t fine. He was far from fine. As he continued through the motions of exercising Yoongi’s limbs, he did so woodenly. Yoongi tried a few times to bring back the bright, fiery disposition he had displayed earlier by joking and grumbling a few times. But with any complaint or witty comment Jin only replied with a distracted distance that confused him.

Jin kept himself firmly in control, shutting his emotions off entirely to get through the time he had left with Yoongi. By the time he was finished his head was pounding so fiercely he felt nauseous.

“I don’t say this often but, thank you,” Yoongi said haltingly as Jin was gathering his things to leave.

“Like I said, it’s my job.”

“I hope you don’t mind but I’m going to request you be the only nurse that sees me through this. If I’m going to be forced to do it I’d rather it be with someone of my choosing.”

Jin paused in what he was doing, “Why me?”

“I trust you.”

“You trust me?” Jin choked, flipping around to face him.

“Well…yeah…” Yoongi shrugged.

Jin’s guilt ate away at him, because he knew if Yoongi had any inkling of the feelings he was harboring he wouldn’t feel the same.

“See you tomorrow?” Yoongi finished with a slight shifting of his lips that Jin had learned was his version of a friendly smile.

“Yeah…tomorrow…” Jin repeated stiffly, exiting the room without a backward glance.

J-Hope sped hastily to his front door, a frantic pounding quickening his ordinarily relaxed pace.

“Just a minute! Jesus…” he muttered, annoyed.

Throwing the door open he was shocked to see a disheveled Seokjin standing on the other side. Considering he only lived a few blocks away, Seokjin making an unannounced appearance wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but Seokjin looking anything less than pristine certainly was.

“Hyung!” Hoseok exclaimed, scrambling to place a steadying arm around Jin’s middle when he nearly pitched forward into his apartment, “What’s the matter?! Are you sick?”

It wasn’t until Jin lifted a green bottle in front of his face and shook it that Hoseok understood and breathed a bit easier. Though, a sloshed Seokjin before dinnertime certainly wasn’t anything to scoff at. They staggered together over to his white leather couch where Seokjin slumped in an undignified huff. Grateful that the world had stopped spinning.  

“Hyung, what the hell?” Hoseok demanded. When Jin mumbled something completely incoherent with his eyes closed, Hoseok frowned and gave him a decided poke. “Seokjin hyung!”

“Hmm?” Jin opened his eyes, blinking sweetly, “Hi, Hobi.”

Jin’s voice was steady and while he didn’t sound drunk, his eyes were glazed with a pleasantly buzzed film, “Hyung, are you going to explain what the hell is going on?”

“Open this for me?” Jin smiled winningly, holding out the bottle of soju.

“No. How much have you had to drink?” Hoseok asked instead, eyeing the nearly empty bottle.

Jin shrugged, attempting to unscrew the top himself.

Hoseok snatched the offending object away, obscuring it behind his back the minute Jin whined and tried to take it back.

“How about we make a deal?” He suggested, prompting Jin to perk up like an attentive puppy, “Tell me what’s going on and I’ll let you have it back. But only if I think it’s something worth drinking over.”

Jin gave a defeated groan, his arm coming up to cover his eyes, “no…embarrassing…”

“Since when was that an issue?! We’ve known each other forever hyung. You’ve never had a problem talking to me about anything.”

“You’re going to think I’m weird,” Jin pouted. “Or a pervert…probably both.”

Hoseok choked on a laugh, “A pervert? Why would I think that?”

“210…” he heard Jin mumble.

“What?”

“Patient in 210,” Jin gave by way of explanation as if Hoseok could puzzle out the rest for himself.

“210?” Hoseok repeated blankly, “On my previous route? Who’s in 210?”

“Min Yoongi,” Jin swallowed, peeking out behind his arm.

“Min Yoongi…?” Hoseok thought back, it had been a while since he’d worked that route and now that he’d been given new patients and transferred to the morning shift it meant more faces and names to memorize. “The blonde?”

“Damn problematic blonde…Who colors their hair that color anyway?! Idols and gangsters that’s who. Not normal people.”

“Well, he is a musician.”

Jin’s eyes leapt up to his, “What? How do you know?”

“Taehyung told me. He was Yoongi’s day nurse up until about a week ago. He always chatters on about some guy named Jimin? I think he’s family or a friend of that guy’s right?”

“Boyfriend…” Jin informed despondently.  

“Er…” Hoseok gave Jin a curious glance, “Anyway, I guess he heard from him that Yoongi’s an underground rapper.”

Jin snorted, “That explains why he’s such a…punk.”

 “Hyung…why are we talking about Min Yoongi?”

“I-Ugh!” Jin wailed, covering his face with his hands.

“Hyung you’re freaking me out,” Hoseok replied slowly, just as his cell phone began to ring. When he made no move to pick it up, Jin peeked out from between his fingers.

“Aren’t you going to answer that?”

“We’re talking-”

“Answer first.”

Hoseok rolled his eyes, but stood up to go for his phone on the kitchen table, “Don’t think this conversation is over…Hello?”

“Hoseok hyung,” he heard Jungkook’s worried voice over the line. “Have you seen Jin hyung? We were supposed to have dinner together an hour ago but he’s not at his place and he’s not answering his phone. You don’t think something happened to him do you? I keep telling him it’s not safe for him to take the subway at all hours and he’s always taking sketchy shortcuts home-“

“Kook, he’s fine, drunk off his ass but fine. He’s here.”

“Drunk?! I knew it! I knew something was up with him! I’m on my way.”

“Wait-he-” but before Hoseok could finish his protest Jungkook had already hung up.

He sighed, turning back to find Jin had re-discovered the bottle of soju and had just upended it into his mouth. After a deep swallow he hissed in a breath and scrunched his face against the burn, coughing lightly. He hiccupped and giggled before moving to tip the bottle back up to pink lips.

“Hyung!”    

Jin flinched, eyes flitting to Hoseok guiltily, “Yes?”

“That’s it,” Hoseok marched across the room, snatching the bottle from Jin’s hand and setting on the coffee table out of reach. “Tell me right now what’s going on and what it has to do with Min Yoongi.”

“But-“

“No buts, spill.”

“Hoseok-”

“Spill it or I’m ending our friendship right here!” Hoseok had, of course, no intention of doing so but he knew from experience Drunk Jin was susceptible to all manner of threats. 

“I kissed him!” Jin blurted before slapping a hand over his mouth comically.  

Hoseok’s eyes bugged, that…was not the answer he had been expecting.

“You what?! When?!”

Seokjin groaned, rolling around on the couch pathetically, “A few days ago. I couldn’t help myself! I don’t know what’s wrong with me! I kissed him and he woke up and he has a boyfriend but he makes me feel all fluttery and lightheaded and weird but did I mention he has a boyfriend? I don’t know, I’m pretty sure I’m clinically insane or in love with him, I’m not sure which but if this is love it really fucking sucks. Tell me what to do!”

“I…” Hoseok blinked at Jin with wide eyes, “Fuck Hyung.”

“Exactly,” Jin pouted, crossing his arms against his chest.

“Well…I mean…fuck…”

“You’re not helping.”

“I just don’t know what to say. Does he know? I mean that you kissed him?”

“Obviously not.”

Hoseok sighed, running a hand through his short dark hair, “This was…not what I was expecting.”

Before Jin could answer that, a heavy knocking started at the door for the second time that night.

“Do not touch that bottle,” Hoseok warned, getting up to answer the door.

The second he opened it, Jungkook burst into the room looking frantic and windswept.

“Is hyung ok?” he asked in a breathless rush that had Hoseok suspecting he’d run the three blocks from Jin’s place.

“For heaven’s sake, I said he was drunk not dying.”

Jungkook glared, “Excuse me for being worried about Hyung, at least somebody looks out for him.”

“Yah! What do you mean by that? I look out for him!”

“Oh really?” Jungkook snorted derisively, “Where is he then?”

“He’s…” Hobi turned to find an empty couch, “Hyung?”

They both looked at each other when they heard a pained, disembodied groan. Scrambling over to the couch, they found Jin sprawled on the floor face down.

“Hyung! What are you doing down there?”

“S’Nice…” Jin mumbled, lips pursed adorably from the way he had his cheek plastered against the cool surface of the wood flooring.  

“Hyung, are you ok?” Kookie questioned with a considerable amount of concern.

“Kookie!” Jin instantly perked up, coming up on his elbows and looking for all the world like he was the maknae in the room, “What are you doing here?”

“Not eating the dinner you promised me,” Jungkook teased ironically.

Jin was instantly contrite, “I forgot! Come on I’ll fix you something right now. Anything you want, just name it.”

“Hyung you’re in no condition to be cooking,” Jungkook voiced affectionately, bending to help him up to the couch. “You can’t even stay seated.”

“Can too, watch me,” Jin challenged, proceeding to childishly freeze in place.

“Any clue what’s going on with him?” Jungkook mumbled to Hope who had been looking on in consternation.

“Says he’s in love.”

“In love?! Since when? With who?”

“One of his patients.”

“What?!” Jungkook turned to Seokjin, completely flabbergasted. “Who?”

“Min Yoongi,” Jin muttered despondently.

“The Sleeping Beauty?” Kookie gasped, and then he started cracking up. “Hyung, how could you possibly fall in love with a comatose patient?”

“Good question,” Hoseok added.  

“Is that why you wanted me to check in on him the other day?” Jungkook demanded, “Because you think you’re in love with him?”

“I don’t think,” Jin pouted, “I know.”

Jungkook sighed, “Hyung, seriously, how much have you had to drink? You can’t be in love with him. This is probably a side-effect of you not having had sex in the last three years.”

Jin gaped, “I’ve had sex!”

“Really?” Jungkook crossed his arms, “With who?”

“I-…I’m not having this conversation with you. It’s inappropriate. You’re practically still in diapers.”

 While J-hope nearly keeled over from laughing, Jungkook rolled his eyes, “You’re what…? A few years older than me? And don’t think you’re going to distract me. Who exactly have you had sex with? Your last relationship was two years ago and you aren’t one for casual flings.”

“Try five,” Jin corrected, “I’m five years older than you, you little brat. And I can do casual…” Jin bit his lip and Jungkook had to laugh.

“Sure you can. Hyung,” he sighed, “This is all nonsense. How about we sign you up for one of those dating sites or something?”

“Dating-Yah! I’m not desperate! I barely turned 23! You make it sound like I’m beyond hope. I’m hot ok? Hobi tell him I’m hot! Where’s that bottle anyway?”

“Fine. Since you insist you like this guy, what’s the big deal? Ask him out and have done with it,” Jungkook suggested nonchalantly, plopping down next to Jin on the couch.

It was an immediate invitation for Jin to snuggle up to his side. Jungkook opened his mouth to protest the coddling but snapped it shut when Jin squeezed his arm in a death grip and gave him a quelling glare. Jungkook sighed and settled to put up with being cuddled.

“It’s more complicated than that,” Hoseok murmured, “He’s got a boyfriend.”

“Who’s got a boyfriend? Sleeping Beauty?”

“Stop calling him that,” Jin groaned, “It reminds me of my own stupidity.”

Jungkook glanced down at Jin before raising an eyebrow at Hoseok for an explanation.

“He’s talking about the fact that he kissed him…while he was still out cold,” Hoseok obliged, falling into a seat across from them.

“Oh my god,” Jungkook rolled his eyes heavenward and nearly choked on his laughter.  

“It’s not funny!” Jin protested.

Jungkook wiped a tear of mirth from his eye, “Your life is a walking, talking parody of a Grimm fairy tale Hyung. So what are you going to do?”

“Nothing.”

“What do you mean nothing?” Hoseok demanded.

 “So you’re just going to keep getting drunk and feeling sorry for yourself,” Jungkook concluded.

“What exactly do you suggest I do? For one, Yoongi has a boyfriend already. Two, even if he didn’t he wouldn’t be interested and three…”

“Three…?” Hoseok prompted.

Jin could say that Yoongi frightened him with the intense responses he generated in him, but instead he said, “I forgot three. All I’m going to do is wait for this to blow over. The problem is that I have to see him every day, won’t one of you take over his physical therapy for me?”

“Oh, no this is way too fascinating,” Jungkook chuckled.

“Brat,” Jin pushed him away, “See if I invite you over for dinner again.”

“Kookie and I can’t help even if we wanted to, we’re on different schedules.”

Jin groaned, “My life sucks.”

“If it helps,” Hoseok began, walking over to a nearby cabinet and pulling out a bottle of dark liquid, “I’m in firm agreement this situation merits a drink.”  

The next day Jin sorely regretted his decision to sooth himself with excessive amounts of alcohol. He’d woken up on Hoseok’s couch feeling and looking like the walking dead, which only served to sour his morning. And he still had to deal with Min Yoongi.

If he’d somehow thought copious amounts of alcohol would erase his feelings he was sorely disappointed. His feelings hadn’t disappeared over night and to add insult to injury he now had to deal with a dangerously queasy stomach and a splitting headache. He sighed with weary resignation on his way to Yoongi’s room, his stomach not doing him any favors by tensing at the sight of the numbers 210.

The door to the room was already standing open as usual, so again he didn’t think twice about just walking in. He realized his mistake seconds later when he stumbled to a halt at the sight of a stony faced Yoongi glaring at a teary eyed Jimin clinging to his hand. Both their eyes immediately shot to him at his unannounced entrance and if Jin had held the ability to melt into the floor, he would have.

An awkward tension radiated about the room that instantly made him uncomfortable, “I-I’m sorry, I should have knocked. I’ll just-”

“Stay,” Yoongi ordered, freeing his hand from Jimin’s grasp with a rough shake, “We’re done here.”

“Yoongi-”

Yoongi’s eyes jumped up to Jimin’s with a hot accusation that made even Jin swallow, “I said we’re done here.”

“I want us to talk about this. I don’t want to lose you…even if it’s just as a friend-Yoongi please…” Jimin moved to grasp his hand again but Yoongi jerked it back, his glare so penetrating Jin could feel the heat of it from across the room.

“Leave it alone. I can’t do this with you right now. You’ve made your decision and I understand it, but you can’t expect to have everything Park Jimin. Please,” Yoongi finished, his tone suddenly tired, “Just leave.”

“I-I want to still be here for you, I still lov-”

“Leave,” he repeated firmly.

Jimin swallowed with what appeared to be great difficulty, his eyes settling on Jin helplessly. He could see how pained they were, their brightness further accentuated by the sheen of tears. Jimin dropped them in embarrassment, sniffling and bringing the sleeve of his black Henley up to swipe beneath his nose. He started to walk away and when he’d come parallel to Jin he paused, his hand reaching out to rest on his arm.

“I’m sorry, this is embarrassing,” He apologized with a fleeting smile, “I…I don’t’ know if he’ll let me come back after…” Jimin shook his head, “take care of him for me just in case, will you?”

Jin nodded woodenly. Not come back? Why wouldn’t Jimin come back? He felt it wasn’t his place to ask questions but his throat burned with the effort to keep back his confusion and misplaced curiosity. His eyes followed Jimin to the door where the brunette gave a last, regretful look back at Yoongi before disappearing entirely.

With Jimin gone, Jin was left standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. He fidgeted nervously, a glance in Yoongi’s direction showing he’d turned to face the open window, his expression hard and distant.

“Maybe I should-”

“Don’t you dare leave,” Yoongi bit out. It was with incredible surprise that Jin met the sight of a tear skittering down his cheek which he roughly dashed away as quickly as it had appeared. “I need this fucking therapy to leave don’t I? The sooner I get out of here the better.”

Jin opened and closed his mouth ineffectively, looking remarkably like a fish out of water. He wanted to say something but nothing would come and even if it had he doubted it would sound right considering he had a track record of making an ass of himself in front of Yoongi. He wanted to advise them skipping therapy today, in light of how upset Yoongi looked but he also thought it best not to argue. Aggravating him would be even less helpful.

 The next half hour passed in a tense silence, Yoongi’s expression growing darker by the minute. He only gave one word answers in response to Jin’s questions on his health and remained completely impassive through the series of exercises Jin put him through. Jin noted that regular movement and diet was already returning his strength and was pleased. He didn’t think I’d be long before the doctor OK’d him to go home and the thought made his insides hurt. He realized with alarming clarity, he’d never see him again.

It wasn’t until they’d reached their last exercise; one which Yoongi had a particularly hard time with, that things exploded.  Yoongi was struggling to displace the stress band Jin had placed around his wrists, his arms trembling with a combination of frustration and exhaustion. While he’d lasted longer than he had yesterday, his energy reserves were depleted.

“Hey, don’t push it,” Jin advised gently, “Let’s finish here for today. You did good.”

But Yoongi ignored him, continuing to strain. Afraid he might actually hurt himself Jin placed a hand over one of his only to have Yoongi throw him off with a glare.

“I can do this.”

“Yoongi…” again he was ignored, which aggravated the flash of temper he displayed around the blonde. “You’re going to hurt yourself. You’ll set back your recovery, is that what you want?” Jin demanded.

“What does it matter?” Yoongi spat with a sickening bitterness.

“What-Of course it matters!”

“I’m fucking useless either way! What does it matter? I’m sick of this!”

“You’re not…useless,” Jin said in a quiet voice, honestly shocked by Yoongi’s tone. “You’re still recovering, I mean, it’s only normal for-”

“You know what? I’m sick to fucking death of people telling me ‘it’s normal,’ or ‘you’ll get better’ like that should somehow make me feel better. Do you know what it’s like to wake up one day and find you’ve lost three fucking months of your life? When I woke up it felt I’d lost a day, not three months of time where the world continued to spin in my absence. My body isn’t how I remember it and neither are the people around me!”

Jin sensed there was something behind his words and he gave in to the temptation to perch tentatively next to him, staring at him in concern, “What do you mean?”

“I mean that the world didn’t pause to wait for me,” Yoongi gave an embittered snort.

“W-what…?” Jin began in stunned surprise.

“Apparently, Jimin met someone else.”

“Someone else?” Jin thought he’d never heard anything so…ridiculous. Who could want someone else when they had Yoongi already?

“Someone who works here apparently.”

“Here?!” A mental image of Taehyung and Jimin intimately conversing the day before flashed through his mind.

“Are you on autopilot or something? Why do you keep repeating everything I say?”

“I just-I’m…but Jimin loves you,” Jin responded with a certain amount of confusion, certain of the truth behind his statement.  

Yoongi shrugged, “I…know he does. So much the little idiot wanted to sacrifice what he’d found with this kid Taehyung for what he’d had with me. Too bad he’s a shit actor and the fact that he was hiding something was practically stamped on his forehead like a flashing advertisement.”

“He told you that he’s seeing Taehyung?”

Yoongi rested his head against his propped mattress, his eyes closing wearily, “No. I had to drag it out of him. I may have woken up two days ago but I wasn’t born yesterday and according to the doctors my brain is in perfect working order. I could tell something was wrong, something was off about him.”

Yoongi gave a huff of dry laughter, “I guess this guy used to have your position. He was my nurse and Jimin would see him every day when he’d come visit me. He said he’d never intended anything to happen, that they started talking and hit it off. Started hanging out,” Yoongi shrugged. “He said they got close, real close, without him realizing. He swore to me that nothing physical has happened between them other than a kiss they’d both regretted because he’d technically still been in a relationship with me. He said he loves me, but apparently this kid is like his other half or some shit. I don’t really care,” Yoongi gave another bark of laughter. “I don’t know what I expected. It was stupid pretending love is anything but contrived bullshit. It was a spur of the moment thing even getting with Jimin in the first place.”

“So why are you so upset?” Jin prodded, knowing he was poking a wounded tiger and would probably get his hand bit off for his trouble. But Yoongi needed to see that the reason he was upset to begin with was because he cared about Jimin, deeply, as much as that thought hurt.

Yoongi shrugged, “It was nice to feel…wanted, I guess. Jimin is…it’s hard to explain Jimin if you don’t know him. He’s like a constant ray of exuberance, he’s sweet and tender and you kind of feel like you have to take care of him, protect him from the shithole this world can be. When you do, he makes you feel like you’re his whole world, even if you’re not.”

“I’m sure the last thing Jimin meant to do was hurt you…”

Yoongi scowled, “I’m not hurt.”

“You sound hurt.”

Yoongi rolled his eyes.

“So what now?”

“Along with everything else Jimin also has this annoying ability of making it impossible for me to stay pissed at him long. I’m sure he’ll find some way of making me feel like an asshole and wriggle his way back into my good graces, even if technically he’s the one who’s in the wrong. I’ll move on, forget the whole thing ever happened and remind myself that as always, I’m better off alone.”

“Nobody is ever better off alone,” Jin answered in a whispered tone.

“What would you know about it? You don’t look like the type who has to worry about that sort of thing.”

Jin gave him an outraged glare, “And what exactly is the type I look like?”

“Popular flower boy, with more friends and admirers than he knows what to do with. Sunny dispositions tend to cultivate a following. You’re like a prince or better yet,” Yoongi chuckled genuinely for the first time since they’d begun their conversation, “A princess. Like Peach there,” Yoongi gestured to the sticker that adorned Jin’s nametag.

Jin huffed and crossed his arms, realizing only after the warmth was missing that he’d been clasping one of Yoongi’s hands, “You don’t know anything about me. Haven’t you heard the brightest smiles often hide the biggest secrets?”

Yoongi stilled at that, his head cocking to the side like a curious feline. Jin was shocked to stillness when his hand reached out to cup his chin, leading him so his eyes would have no option but to keep steady on his, “So what does that mean you hide behind your smile, Peach?”

Jin’s pulse quickened, his senses heightened to full awareness. It was like his body was beginning to register how close he’d been to him this entire time. The warm and comforting spice of his scent tickled his nose and he felt he could drown in the unending depths of his black gaze. It was happening again, he could feel himself shifting forward, being pulled in…

He shook himself free before he embarrassed himself again, only this time in the presence of a fully conscious Yoongi. Standing stiffly, he rubbed his suddenly sweaty palms against the cool material of his nurses’ scrubs, too certain that if he looked up now his biggest secret would be on full display.

“I don’t know how this conversation turned to me,” he grumbled, trying to get back to a footing he was sure of. “But, this is silly. I agree that I think you should give Jimin a chance. He obviously cares about you very much. He’s probably devastated thinking you’re angry with him. And what could he do really? You can’t control your heart. I’m sure he didn’t plan what happened with Taehyung. Life is unpredictable like that.”

When he was certain it would be safe, he looked up again and his heart nearly stopped at the way Yoongi was looking at him. There was a new, odd understanding sparking beneath the usual intensity of his gaze. Jin felt like he was being laid bare. Whatever he had thought to conceal from Min Yoongi, he knew in that moment he was aware of it. Jin could feel it in the very depth of his being. Yoongi knew…knew Jin liked him, that he was trying like a fool to hide his embarrassing attraction like a pre-pubescent teen in the first flush of a crush.

His expression was carefully blank when he said, “Yeah…life can definitely be unpredictable.”

“I…er…I think we’ve done enough for today,” Jin deflected, already starting to back out of the room. “I…I’m sorry about what happened with Jimin. I only met him for a second but I liked him.”

Yoongi chuckled and rolled his eyes, “He has that effect on people.”

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Jin said, turning and almost running for the door.

He was brought up short by Yoongi’s voice calling out, “Hey, Peach.”

Jin’s cheeks flamed at the nickname. He turned slowly, raising an eyebrow and trying to keep his cool. Yoongi looked like he wanted to say something but he only ended up giving a slight smile.

“See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow,” Jin answered back on a breath, feeling something warm pass between them. Before he could be tempted to analyze it and make himself even more of a fool over Yoongi, he walked from the room without a backward glance.   

After that afternoon the days passed with a slow sort of predictability that was comforting.

Jin saw Yoongi for his therapy daily and while his heart still beat a faster rhythm whenever he was in his presence, he felt like the past two weeks they’d spent together had allowed his initial emotional fervor to tone to something quieter, and in many aspects, much more pleasant. It was something warmer, steadier and deeper than Jin cared to admit. Jin could play oblivious with the best of them but he was past the stage of denying he was in love with Yoongi, the ‘falling’ long behind him.

He still didn’t know what had triggered this insanity. Which to him, it still was. He was still loath to call what had happened to him love at first sight, but he could see now it was more than just the rush of infatuation he’d explained it away as. He certainly hadn’t spoken his feelings aloud, still not the type of person to dive into uncharted waters head first. Though being around Yoongi was changing that. Yoongi had yet to give any indication he liked Jin other than as a person he enjoyed having around. So he was in the limbo of pining and headed straight for an unrequited love, if his present condition could be ascribed to a foolhardy sonnet on the perils of falling in love with a stranger.

Except…Yoongi wasn’t a stranger. Not any longer. They’d spent their afternoons together talking, laughing and generally getting to know each other on a much deeper level than Jin usually allowed with the patients he cared for.

He learned that Yoongi worked as a handyman in the apartment building he lived in. His main interest was in music but he’d taken the job in the meantime because, according to Yoongi, he was good with his hands.  He liked working with them and it meant his spare time could be spent on beats and lyrics for underground battles he hoped would lead to his music getting picked up. He’d allowed Jin an intimate, and altogether fleeting, glimpse of his vulnerability when he’d talked about peddling his music on the street, how unless you were looking to be an idol agencies wouldn’t even look at an artist without appointment and any music sent in was likely thrown out with the rest of what they considered trash. It was only through luck, hard work and a quick talent that certain artists managed to make a name for themselves and caught the attention of agents hovering like vultures looking for their next meal ticket.

It was a cold world, one that made Jin’s heart squeeze and pinch with anxiety for him. But Yoongi belonged to that illusive world of taking chances…a world Jin had always side-stepped for the steady predictability of a beaten path. Jin couldn’t help being minutely jealous Yoongi pursuing his dreams. When he’d been younger, he’d also had wild, half-cocked dreams of one day owning his own small bakery in the heart of the city. Seeing Jungkook pursuing what he wanted out of life and hearing Yoongi’s passion and resolution made him wish he’d been brave enough to face opposition from his father and his own doubts in himself.

Growing up under a military man’s rule, meant Jin knew very well how to follow dictates. He’d set aside what he wanted and taken the safe route. The path of least resistance…and it wasn’t like he was unhappy. He was…content with his life, wasn’t he? Yes, he was content but perhaps content wasn’t what he wanted any more. Perhaps what he wanted was a little more excitement; the flash of humor in dark eyes and the pulse inducing tone of a deep, familiar voice calling his name. Perhaps, even if it meant opening himself up to being hurt and things not turning out the way he’d planned, being safe just wasn’t enough anymore.

Jin learned many things about himself and about Yoongi in those lazy afternoons. After an impromptu demonstration he’d talked Yoongi into, he’d learned he was not only talented but humble. He learned that while Yoongi liked to pretend to be cold and removed, he was actually quietly sweet and unexpectedly hilarious. He listened carefully and attentively when Jin spoke, and his uncanny intuition picked up even the things Jin didn’t say. Spending time with Yoongi had very quickly become the best part of his day.

He was preparing for just one of those afternoons with Yoongi, busily gathering his things so he could quickly go to him, when a voice caught him unaware.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite nurse.”

A brief glance showed Namjoon giving him a brilliant, dimpled smile.

“Namjoon,” Jin greeted somewhat dryly, though his tone was warm.

“Still haven’t reconsidered my offer of a date?”

Jin chuckled, walking away from him and starting down the hall, “You really don’t give up do you.”

Namjoon easily fell into step beside him, “Not when it comes to something I want. Where are you headed anyway?”

“To give one of my patients’ physical therapy.”

“Physical…Min Yoongi? The patient who was originally comatose?”

Jin nodded, just the sound of his name making him smile.

“Oh, you don’t have to go.”

It took Jin a second to process what he’d heard but when he did, he nearly tripped over his own two feet to turn for an explanation, “What do you mean? Is…I mean, did he…request someone else or…?”

“No, he was discharged this morning. He’s gone.”

Jin really did stumble this time, coming to an abrupt halt, “What? What do you mean he was discharged?”

Namjoon shrugged, “Dr. Park reviewed his case this morning and he was impressed with his progress. He saw no reason for him to stay any longer.”

“He’s…gone?” He must have looked on the verge of passing out because Namjoon’s eyebrows came together to form a concerned frown and he stepped closer, extending a hand to grasp his arm.

“Hey…are you ok? You got really pale.”

“I’m…I have to go…” he said, breaking away.

“But…”

“I’ll talk to you later.”

The next thing Jin knew he was rushing down hallways, desperate to get to Yoongi’s room. He didn’t know why it was so imperative he get there now. He wouldn’t find him. Yoongi was already gone. Disappointment ate away at him like acid. He needed to see for himself that he’d actually left. That Yoongi had left without so much as a good bye. His heart cramped painfully and he felt tears ringing his eyes. He was an idiot. He’d known this was going to happen someday, but…at the very least he’d expected to get to say goodbye.

He stumbled to a halt just outside the doorway of Yoongi’s room, tentative steps bringing him forward until he’d stepped across the threshold. He’d been right, the room was completely empty. Light spilled from the windows with an almost glaring brightness, illuminating a bed that had already been stripped of both its sheets and Yoongi’s presence.

Jin walked slowly forward until he could rest a hand against the mattress, a tear slipping down his cheek without much warning. He should be embarrassed of himself, crying over a man who wouldn’t remember him as anything other than a fleeting memory of a time he’d rather forget. Who had no idea of his feelings and had felt so little for him he hadn’t taken two seconds to say goodbye. Jin bit his lip, trying to deter any more tears from falling but his throat burned and his heart stung with a hollow, pinched feeling he hoped would fade as quickly as it appeared.

“Looking for me?”

The voice startled him so bad he gasped and choked, spinning around to Min Yoongi leaning against the doorway with the casual arrogance he wore like the lived-in leather jacket he was wearing.

Jin coughed, trying to compose himself “W-what-they told me you’d left.”

With arms crossed, Yoongi came forward until he’d cornered Jin against the bed. He backed up until the back of his knees hit the armature and he fell back into a sitting position on the mattress with a startled yelp.

Yoongi scoffed, “You really don’t think much of me do you.”

“I…” Jin swallowed. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“You really thought I had left without saying anything?”

Jin shrugged, “It’s not like…we’re…”

“In a relationship?” Yoongi provided casually.

Jin’s eyes bugged and Yoongi gave one of those soft, breathy chuckles Jin had grown to love so much.

“Crying over me?” he asked next, brushing a thumb over his wet cheek and Jin’s eyes diverted, “You like me don’t you?”

Jin blushed to the tips of his ears as he was want to do. He thought about denying it but if he were honest, he had been way too obvious anyway. He nodded slowly.

“Good. Because as much as I tried to fight it, I like you too.”

Jin’s eyes shot up, “What?”

“I like you, Peach. You’re too damn cute for my own good, in fact, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone who looks so damn perfect. I don’t know what you see in me, but if you’re willing to give this a shot, I am too.”

“W-what-what are you saying?”

“I’m saying I want to take you out on a date.”

“A date? Me?”

“Yes…you. I should probably warn you though, I’m not the cuddly romantic type. In fact, I’m not quite sure I believe what they say about love but…something about you…” Yoongi shrugged, “It took me five steps out of the hospital to come to the conclusion I’d be a fool if I walked away from you. And I’m no fool.” 

“I…”

 “Should I be concerned you’re not jumping to say yes?” Yoongi raised an eyebrow, “Changed your mind about me?”

“Yes!” Jin said quickly, “No! I mean I do want to-“

The rest of Jin’s words were muffled by lips coming to press against this. He gasped in a breath, the feeling both familiar and entirely new. After all, the last time he’d kissed Yoongi, his participation had been a little…lacking.

 Yoongi’s lips swept him up in a heady whirlwind of sensation. The softness of them breaking through the last of his defenses, searching and pulling soft, sweet sounds from him that seemed to please Yoongi. An arm wrapped around his torso, pulling him up and into his kiss even further. When Jin was two seconds from leaning back against the bed and allowing sensation to take over his sanity, Yoongi had pulled back.

His dark smoldering eyes half glazed, half burning with a new spark of heated attraction that warmed Jin’s blood and  put his whole world off center. Blonde hair fell into his eyes with a playful, rakish charm that had Jin smiling even before Yoongi’s lips found his again in a kiss that was slow and sweet like a Ferris wheel ride at sunset.

The next time Yoongi pulled back he had an odd expression on his face, almost as if he were trying to puzzle something out for himself.

“What is it?” Jin asked, suddenly concerned he’d realized he’d made a mistake.

Yoongi was still frowning, “I feel like I’ve kissed you before. Kissing you feels…”

“Right?” Jin answered with no small amount of amusement.

“Very right,” Yoongi replied with a lazy grin, cupping his cheek so he could pull him back in.

He wasn’t sure if he’d ever tell Yoongi he’d kissed him once upon a time when he’d been nothing but a sleeping stranger who’d caught his attention. Jin smiled against his lips, his heart fluttering with a full, bursting emotion that reminded him of fire-works in a star speckled sky. He wasn’t an expert but he was pretty sure ‘Once Upon a Time’s ended with ‘Happily Ever After’s, and he was willing to risk his heart on odds like that. Besides…who said fairytales couldn't come true?