Cherry Blossom

Mutating

Jin is now back at their apartment. Namjoon advised him to temporarily refrain from any tasks as his pregnancy is now more complex than normal pregnancies. The doctor has thoroughly briefed him on all probable scenarios and the precautionary measures Jin should include in his routine until delivery. The most important part is to not stress, although this might be the most difficult one too.

For Jin, both the baby and Taehyung are not mere options; they are his everything. And he is well aware it's too late to confess this to Taehyung, nothing he will say or do fix their relationship now. Following their previous ordeals, he is determined to convey to Taehyung that they are worth pursuing.

Tae has made the choice to live with Jin as they did before, since jin is now pregnant, perhaps within seven months their wounds will heal, and their relationship will slowly mend. Jin harbors hope for this outcome, although he admits it may be a selfish wish.

Lying in bed, Jin observes Taehyung engrossed in a text conversation. "Who are you talking to?" Jin queries.

"Jimin was informing me that Namjoon and he will be visiting in the evening. You should rest now, I will wake you when they arrive," Tae responds, not meeting Jin's gaze, deliberately avoiding, reflecting the current state of their recent interactions.

"Alright," Jin responds, turning away, returning to sleep. He avoids lengthy conversations with Taehyung, causing his own presence to possibly fade into the background. Taehyung, in turn, rarely engages in any conversation with him. Despite Jin's longing for his attention, he never complained or made it obvious. Conscious about their current reality that he no longer has the right to.

In the evening, Jin is still sleeping while Taehyung is preparing food for him to have when he wakes up. Suddenly, Taehyung hears the doorbell and rushes to open the door. It could be either the food they ordered or the people they ordered food for.

As Taehyung opens the door, he is greeted by Jimin and Namjoon with a solemn smile on their faces. They enter the house together, both saying hello in unison and make their way inside. Taehyung informs the couple that he will go wake Jin up and asks them to wait in the lounge.

However, before Taehyung can leave, Namjoon stops him and says, "Wait, there's something I need to talk to you about," jimin sighs, throwing a knowing glance his boyfriend's direction.

" Jin told me to keep it to myself, but I think you should know now. That's the reason I am here." Namjoon takes a deep breath and continues, "I want to be direct and not leave anything out. So, on the day you both had a fight, Jin's blood pressure skyrocketed afterward. He ended up lying down right here," Namjoon gestures to the spot near the entrance, "on the cold floor with his backside bleeding. Do you understand? You left him like that."

Jimin glares at Namjoon, finding his words too harsh.

" Namjoon, it is important to focus on the main point instead of being objective. This is precisely why Jin advised you to remain quiet," Jimin asserts, addressing his boyfriend.

"He almost lost your child, and now the pregnancy is risky. He won't be able to work full-time anymore, so he needs to be extremely cautious. Therefore, you should be readily available for him whenever he needs you. Understand?" Namjoon moves towards Tae and looks him directly in the eyes, disregarding his boyfriend.

"Please take good care of him, Taehyung. The first thing he asked for when he woke up in the hospital was you, not his baby. Throughout his pregnancy, try to be kind to him," Namjoon gazes downward, flooded with memories that resurface easily. He never wished to see his best friend in such a state.

"On that day, he claimed that work is everything to him. He chose work over me," Tae responds, defending himself,  "I had my reasons to avoid him. In the past 11 years, I have never avoided him like this. As you mentioned, I have always been at his beck and called " Tae counters.

"You are not merely an option for him, Taehyung. You are his everything. Why would you even force him to choose? He loves you," Namjoon interjects.

Tae expresses his frustration feeling offended, " because he is always my only choice, don't you see? I find myself picking him over the tiniest matters every single time. He never stays put, constantly in motion for a decade now. I blindly follow his lead, hoping that one day he'd stop and notice me. Yes, I've made mistakes, but I never run away from them. However, Jin is so ignorant and insensitive towards me. I've been under his control for years," he says with anger in his voice.

Namjoon retorts, "You should have left him a long time ago. You were aware of his work ethic. You chose to accept him that way."

Tae continues, "That's exactly what I'm saying. I was selfish with my love. I held on, hoping he would change if I stuck around. But now, it's chaos. We've both negatively affected each other. I've made him miserable, and he's done the same to me. If it weren't for our pregnancy, I would have left by now. I don't want to see him suffer any longer. I love him. I'd gladly remain on his leash forever, but a part of me is constantly resenting him. I fear that this resentment will overshadow the love I have for him," Tae confesses, his eyes welling up with tears as he fights to control his emotions in front of the couple.

"Taehyung, it's not over," Jimin interjects. "Please don't give up. We saw how worried you were for him even before knowing about the child. You still love him. Perhaps you'll change your mind. "

"I understand, but I'm tired of hurting. I don't want to be a burden anymore. I was selfish not to realize our differences sooner," Tae confesses, his breath shaky. "I'll continue loving him from a distance for the rest of my life, but i can't do this anymore."

"Both of you need to set aside your personal feelings and focus on the pregnancy for now. Make sure not to stress him out at all." Jimin advises, moving closer to comfort Tae, rubbing his back, "Now, go wake him up, freshen up first."

Tae enters the bedroom to find Jin still asleep. He lowers himself to Jin's level, tracing his features gently - his face, lips, and eyes.
"Look at you, sleeping so peacefully. I doubt you've slept like this in ten years," Tae murmurs, leaning in as if to nuzzle Jin's nose but hesitates, realizing the gravity of their situation.

"Wake up, Jin," he calls out, straightening up and pouring a glass of water for Jin.

"I'm awake, just need a moment," Jin replies, eyes still closed.

Jin had been awake the whole time, listening in on their conversation. He feels awful, wanting to cry, shout, or even disappear. He blames himself entirely for ruining their chance at a relationship. All along, he was too busy to even notice that Taehyung had reached his limit.

"Let's go out together, have some water before," Tae gently pulls Jin up, helping him sit upright, forwarding him the glass of water.

He takes out a wipe, cleaning Jin's face and hands. "You're probably too tired to bathe right now. I'll take care of that once they're gone," Tae reassures Jin, running his fingers through Jin's hair, finding them disheveled, "Let's go now. They're waiting."