Slave to a King | Jinkook

Forty

Hoseok had been caring for Jin for four days, and he had been questioning if he was doing a decent job. It was obvious that he was getting along well with Moon since she often smiled at him and was a generally lovely baby to be around. He was taken away by how calm she was, and he wondered whether that would be her nature as an adult. It was the first time he had seen a newborn that was so quiet. However, he appreciated her calmness and was thankful she was not too much for him. In the past, he had avoided Jungkook's other children to prevent issues, but this time was different for him; he was also no longer jealous as he had been.

When he heard footsteps approach the room, he glanced up to see Jin walk in after taking a shower. He flashed Jin a smile, but Jin didn't seem to notice him; he wished desperately that there was anything he could do to at least get Jin to smile once, but Jin didn't say much to him.

Jin had refused some of his assistance ever since he arrived, refusing to allow him to wash him or feed him, instead opting to do these tasks himself. He would, however, sometimes request that Hoseok bring him Moon, whom he would cuddle with and stroke her hair before falling asleep. With the knowledge that Jungkook hates babies sleeping in adult beds, Hoseok made a point of putting Moon back into her cot after Jin had gone asleep at all times.

"How was your shower? You didn't need my help?"

"It went well, and I'm alright, thank you."

"Okay, that's good. Are you ready for dinner yet, or would you prefer to wait until later? I can prepare something for you, depending on what you want."

"Thank you, but I'm not hungry." Jin sat on the side of the bed, adjusting his blanket as he prepared to rest.

Hoseok nodded, understanding, "How about later? What would you like to eat?" Hoseok's phone buzzed when he asked Jin that question, and upon checking, he discovered it was a text from Jimin. After reading it, he typed a response and then turned to face Jin, who had yet to respond to him. "Jimin is also asking about you; he misses you a lot. He wants you to know he is thinking of you."

"Please inform him that I am okay. I'm not sure what I want to eat for dinner since I'm not hungry. Is it possible for me to go for a walk? It's a little stuffy here today."

Hoseok wrote back to Jimin with what Jin had informed him after listening to Jin. It was the first time Jin had talked to him so extensively in one sitting, and he wanted Jimin, who was concerned, to be aware of it as he felt Jin may be having a better day today.

"I will have the kitchen prepare something you might like; per the King's directive, I have to get you something to eat, and I encourage you to eat it. Even if you are not in the mood to eat, think about your parents and how they would feel if they knew you are not taking care of yourself right now," he said to Jin after writing to Jimin. "Even as heartbreaking as it may be for you right now, I don't believe they would want you to be like this. Sorry if it came out as insensitive; I don't like seeing you like this."

"There's no need to apologize; it's okay, I understand. I know they wouldn't want me to be like this," Jin said, tears welling up in his eyes. "However, it feels so different without them here. It may not seem like it, but every day, I want to give it my all. I want to be there for Moon, but I feel so paralyzed that I don't know how to describe it to you. My parents were everything to me; I am here because of them; t-this, everything is because I wanted my parents to be healthy; I wanted them to have a long life, but where are they now?" Jin sobbed, prompting Hoseok to rise and rush over to him, wrapping him in an embrace.

"I'm very sorry you're going through this; life can be so cruel at times. I'm not sure why this occurred, and I don't believe any of us knows why things had to be this way for you. I know how important your parents were to you, and I'm sure they did as well. Although I didn't spend much time with them, the time I did spend with them revealed why the King has fallen in love with you; you are one of a kind, and that's how they nurtured you to be. Please know they are still with you, even if they are not physically present, and I am sure they are quite concerned about seeing you in this state right now.