FORGOTTEN

Chapter 11

"Hey, Jimin-hyung." Tae smiled at his bandmate before noticing their manager standing next to the bed. "Oh, Ji-hoon-hyung. I didn't know you were going to be here today too."

"I-I was just leaving," Ji-hoon stammered.

"No, stay please," Jimin caught Ji-hoon's hand. "I want you to stay." 

"But this is our time with you," Tae pouted.

"I should go," Ji-hoon squeezed Jimin's hand.  "I'll be back after lunch." 

"No, that's-"

"Tae, stop it," RM scolded the younger. "If Jimin wants Ji-hoon-hyung to stay, then he stays."

"But-"

"No buts," RM said sternly. "You should be glad he allows us to stay and visit. You don't get to make the rules or set conditions."

"He stays," Jimin threaded his fingers with Ji-hoon's. Tae scowled but didn't say anything else.

"I brought a movie I thought you might like." RM showed Jimin the case.

"I've been dying to see that one for a while now. I didn't want to go watch it by myself."

"Well, now we can watch it together. Hyung," RM addressed Ji-hoon. "Would you please get the blinds on your side? I'll get the ones on this side, and Tae, you put the disc in the player. Yeah?" Each set off to do their task, and Tae brought the tray with the coffee and bag with pastries to Jimin's bed.

"Oh, you got Ji-hoon hyung a coffee too," Tae scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry, hyung." Tae offered Jimin and Ji-hoon a cup.

"Don't worry about it," Ji-hoon waved off the apology.

"Don't do that!" Jimin frowned. "He needs to learn not to be a jerk."

"I'm not a jerk!" Tae frowned. 

"Fine, you're self-centered." Jimin shrugged.

"I'm not! You're just being mean to me!" 

"I'm mean?" Jimin shot back.

"Yes, and you are a big old cry baby too!"

"Leave," Jimin snapped. RM grabbed Tae's arm and pulled him to the door. "Not you Namjoon-ssi, just the child. I don't want to see him anymore today."

"What did I do?" Tae exploded. 

"OUT!" RM shoved Tae out of the room and fished his cell phone out.

"Hyung-" Tae started. 

"Shut it!" RM growled. "Yoongi hyung, can you come to pick up Tae? It's a long story, but basically, Tae doesn't know how to act, so Jimin doesn't want him here." 

"I didn't do anything wrong!" Tae continued to whine. 

"Tae, I love you, but you are being a grade-A asshole right now." RM snapped at the younger. 

"Why? Cause I want to spend time with my best friend without our manager lurking in the background?" Tae's face was almost purple with rage.

"Are you even listening to yourself?" RM gaped at the young man. "You got a serious case of butthurt because Jimin doesn't just belong to you?" 

"I thought he wanted to spend time with us. I  thought that's why Chim's feelings were hurt! Now he's doing the same thing!"

"Kim Taehyung, get your head out of your ass!" RM yelled. Tae stared at his leader, shocked at the anger painting his normally kind features.  "Tae, bud, Jimin is broken in ways we can't even imagine, and we caused it! We ignored him time and time again. We didn't even notice he was gone from the house for a whole freaking week! After all the shit we put him through, you can't just call him a cry baby!" Tae frowned, confused by RM's rationale. 

"But I've always talked to him that way," Tae answered. "Why is it so bad for me to talk to him like that now?" A look of compassion replaced the rage, and RM pulled the younger into an embrace.

"Buddy, we need to earn back the right to call him friend and get to talk to him like friends again." 

"Why, though?" Tae whined. "We graduated together, and we are soulmates. He is being nice to you; why can't he be nice to me too?" RM sighed and pressed a kiss to Tae's forehead. 

"Baby, it's because you two have so much history that he is hurt. I'm afraid you are going to have to work harder to gain his forgiveness than anyone else."

"But that's not fair!" Tae whimpered. 

"Joon?" Sugas' voice came from behind Tae. 

"Suga hyung!" Tae launched himself at the older and began to cry. 

"Taebear? What's wrong, baby?" Suga asked. 

"Just get him home and have him explain there. I'll be home later." RM looked at Tae. "It will work out, Tae. Just give it time."

-----

Jimin wiped his eyes. Tae had this way of being able to get under his skin like no one else. 

"Are you okay?" Ji-hoon rubbed Jimin's back.

"It just hurts," Jimin sniffled. "I've known him forever. I never thought he would act like that or that he wouldn't understand why I'm so hurt."

"He has been more than a friend?" Jimin looked at Ji-hoon and smiled. 

"Like a brother, nothing more than that." The hurt in Jimin's eyes made Ji-hoon see the truth. "I could never see him as anything more than that. But it's because he has been like family to me that the betrayal stings worse."

"He seems to be very self-centered and immature." Ji-hoon scoffed. "I can't see how you were ever friends with someone like him." Jimin stiffened, and Ji-hoon knew he'd struck the right nerve. Jimin liked the younger but wouldn't admit it. 

"He isn't always like this. Usually, he is a very caring person. But he is human, and he has off days. He tends to get overly passionate about certain things. Like today he was just eager to make things up to me. I can understand why he was upset over not having me all to himself." Ji-hoon arched an eyebrow at Jimin. 

"That still doesn't give him the right to throw a freaking temper tantrum," Ji-hoon rolled his eyes. "It's his own fault he is in the position he is in."

"I suppose in a way it is my fault too," Jimin sighed. 

"Wait, what?" Ji-hoon stared at Jimin. "How the fuck is any of this your fault? They tossed you to the side like an old toy!" 

"But, out of all of them, if I'd just talked to Tae, things might not have gotten to this point," Jimin shrugged helplessly. "Tae would have talked to the others, and we could have avoided this whole mess."