Taehyung's eyes were padlocked closed, his arms securing Jimin against the brick wall, and his plush pink lips on his own like a missing jigsaw puzzle piece. This isn't what Jimin wanted—to suddenly kiss the jock after putting him through pain like he didn't even commit a crime. To kiss him after Jungkook confessed, or to have the audacity to even return in his life after he shed so many tears for his actions. What hurt him more is that he still didn't know why Taehyung did it all. So with that, he lightly propelled Taehyung away from him and freed a sharp gasp when their lips parted.
"I-I'm sor—"
"Save it. First you bully me for my sexuality and assume I'm having financial issues, insult my parents' death, and after I've trusted you with my entire heart, steal my song because you wanted to win the contest for yourself. And now you have the guts to kiss me?" Jimin said with hostility in his tone.
Taehyung's heart stooped low to the cement floors. "Listen, Jimin—"
"I'm done listening to you. You literally just dragged me out of a confession and stole not only my song, but my first kiss."
"F-First kiss?"
"First kiss." Jimin growled.
Jimin was on the verge of dialing the maknae when he was held to a stop by Taehyung's stern grip. "I DON'T NEED YOUR FUCKING SONG ANYMORE!" Taehyung's voice boomed, only luring Jimin to look at him with wide eyes. "J-Just let me explain, please..."
"Fine," Jimin tucked his phone in his jeaned pocket. "What shit do you want to tell me now? I have to get back to Jungkook soon; he must be worried."
Taehyung approached Jimin and held his wrists against the brick wall. It wasn't an action to devour him into a kiss Jimin didn't desire, but an action that displayed his full heart and integrity. Taehyung took a deep breath and looked into Jimin's eyes that soon fell to his lips. Jimin fanned his tongue over his cheek to stall when he looked away sheepishly. "Okay, I know, I'm a bitch for stealing your song. My parents' job soon declined and we didn't have the money to even live in our villa anymore, which is why I'm thankful you took us in b-but..." The jock paused to recall his grandmother dying in his presence, and how he got to see the entire process. It made tears fall from his grey eyes and Jimin's heart rate increase.
"But?" Jimin urged softly.
"I stole it because when I heard your song that day you rehearsed it in the d-dance studio, I knew that no other s-song nor voice could beat it. You'd win the contest for sure. And because my family needed money to pay for my grandmother's medications—"
"Medications?" Jimin repeated.
Taehyung drew closer to the mochi, pressing his wrists harder onto the rough surface of the bricks. "She was really sick. Cystic Fibrosis. It affected her lungs too much that she had difficulty breathing on a daily basis. If we didn't pay for medications, she would die. So, I decided, to help my parents, I would use your song for the contest, and earn the ₩11,505,350.00 to pay for it," Taehyung paused. "B-But... I w-was too late. A month a-ago she..."
Jimin couldn't locate words. All he could manage was to piece the events into one. "Which is why when Seong found out, you agreed to do what he said so he wouldn't tell me. Which is why a month ago, you suddenly changed. Which is why Seong told me right after you decided to cut the deal because you didn't need the song anymore," Jimin squeaked out. He didn't even realize that he took Taehyung into a harsh embrace. "W-Why didn't you tell me, Taehyungie? I c-could've helped you." Jimin whispered.
Taehyung gripped Jimin's body tighter and let moans escape his lips through the suppressed sound of hiccups. "I was too selfish. I didn't want you to see how weak I was. And when I realized that, I was too late. It's m-my fault she d-died early..." Taehyung bit his bottom lip so hard that it poured out a puddle of blood.
"No, it's not."
"Ow!" Taehyung hissed in pain when Jimin held his arms.
Jimin cocked his head to the side in question, removing the cloth over him to reveal bruises and fresh scars on his ivory skin. The smaller ran his chubby fingers lightly across the valleys of injuries and felt his tears begin to dampen his cheeks. "I'm sorry I didn't ask why you did it. I'm sorry I didn't even bother to reach out to you. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." Jimin dragged their bodies down to the floor without breaking their hug, allowing Taehyung to cry silently in his chest.
"Can you please stay with me for a bit?"
Jimin couldn't resist the jock's crying doe eyes. He took out his phone and texted Jungkook that he was safe and rejected him, feeling so much regret in his body because he didn't even say it to him in person. Jimin then stored the device back in his pocket and cupped Taehyung's cheek with a weak smile. "Of course."
"Thank you." Taehyung breathed.
Jimin lifted up Taehyung's head from his lap to look at him. "How about we make a song together instead? Then we'll perform a duet for the competition and join BTS together."
"Why are you doing this for me? I stole your first kiss and betrayed you three ti—"
Jimin brought the sentence to a halt with the tip of his pointer finger compressed against the face of Taehyung's soft lips. "You're really going to ask me that when I'm already offering it? Just tell me—yes or no?"
Taehyung shot Jimin a boxy smile that he hasn't made for a span of an entire month until now.
"Let's make a song together."
