Body And Soul

48. A Disgusting Mess

"I haven't seen you eat this much in a while."

Laylin stood across from Jungkook as he sat at the island in the kitchen. She had barely gotten home from work when he had more or less stormed into the apartment with Taehyung in tow. He began to crumble apart as he raided her fridge, littering the whole kitchen island with an assortment of random food she had laying around. He hadn't said much of anything as he then proceeded to plop down at the island and make himself one of the most disgusting sandwiches known to man. Laylin watched as Jungkook took another bite of the sloppy sandwich; potato chips and pickles coated in mayo slipping out. He caught them with his fingers to try to shove them back in.

Laylin sighed as she looked away from him to Taehyung who stood nearby. He was standing in the kitchen doorway but wasn't saying anything as he let Jungkook have his way with his grief eating.

"So what happened exactly?" asked Laylin tentatively as she looked at Taehyung.

"We confronted my parents," said Taehyung , "And got confirmation of the truth. Jungkook was basically born as a back-up plan incase I failed."

"People like that don't deserve to have kids," said Jungkook in a garbled fashion around the bite of sandwich in his mouth. "They should have their reproductive rights taken from them!"

Taehyung sighed as he looked at Jungkook pigging out in his body. It was obvious that when Jungkook was in a situation of extreme grief, he ate. He moved to take a seat beside him at the island as he finished the revolting sandwich with tears in his eyes. Now that Jungkook didn't have to be strong anymore, it was obvious that the pain had made Jungkook a victim.

"I mean, why would you just have a kid to be an insurance policy incase the other one was a failure? Would you have been dumped at the fish restaurant or somewhere else if you had failed?" asked Jungkook.

"I don't know the answer to that question, Kookie," Taehyung said as he reached out a hand. He placed it on the back of Jungkook's head and began to run his fingers through his hair in an attempt to comfort him. Taehyung's eyes watched the tears track down Jungkook's crumby cheeks.

"Did you just call me Kookie?" Jungkook asked as he turned his watery eyes to look at Taehyung as he gave him a thin smile.

"Do you not like it?" asked Taehyung.

"No...no, it's just...different," said Jungkook with a weak smile back. "Having a brother in general is different."

"A good different too," added Taehyung quickly as he moved both his hands so they were hidden in his sleeves before brushing away Jungkook's tears.

Laylin watched the two of them interact as they sat at the kitchen island. It was hard enough to believe that her favorite idol and best friend switched bodies, but the fact that they were brothers was even more shocking. She saw that Taehyung's words and comforting gestures were helping Jungkook, but she knew what would help him even more.

"Taehyung, may I speak with you for a moment?" asked Laylin.

Taehyung turned his head in her direction before nodding, gently moving to stand up. Laylin walked down the hall with him until they were standing outside Jungkook's room where they were out of earshot of Jungkook.

"What's up?" asked Taehyung as he stopped in front of her.

"Can I have your permission to do something?"

Laylin realized after she asked the question that she should have been more specific. It was obvious that Taehyung thought she meant something else since he knew they had shared a kiss or two with Jungkook in his body.