Jimin's Pet • PJM

Thirty One

Jimin turned his body away completely when Tae walked in the door. He couldn't really understand why his anger toward him in particular was so much more acute than the others. Tae noticed but instead of giving him space he chose the seat on the couch right next to him.

"They told me everything, you don't need to pretend to be in love with me anymore, run back to Jinnie." Jimin twisted his body away, hating that he had to choose this moment to be petty.

"I do love you, even if we're not together. You're always going to mean the world to me, I'm sorry what we agreed to do was hurtful and we should have been honest. We all need each other now, can you be mad at me later?" Tae hugged Jimin's arm turning him toward the group again.

Jimin felt softness for him, something he always did, that seemed to not have changed at all. He nodded not trusting himself to say words that would match his temporary forgiveness. He knew there were too many unresolved feelings for him to really forgive any of them yet. He was only here for one reason, if the body was Kook they should hear it together.

Joon came into the room last, his eyes were red from crying and his shoulders rolled forward. He looked wretched and Jin immediately stood to grab him, concern on everyone's face that he was about to fall to the ground. Joon's body was shaking and Jin lowered him until he hit his knees, his head dropping to Jin's chest. The most horrible sound came from their leader and Jimin knew.

"It's him, his parents identified the body. It's Koo." Joon's words were guttural punches through Jimin that made breathing impossible.

It washed over him just like the realization his Angel was gone, and somehow he thought it should hurt less. They'd already known Kook was dead, why was this so hard to feel again? It was the hope extinguished that tore six hearts out in that moment. He didn't remember moving but when he swiped the tears from his eyes all of them were wrapped around Joon.

Jimin didn't know if he'd thought the youngest was still alive, hadn't really processed the possibility. But now that there wasn't one it was like losing him all over. The world no longer contained Jungkook, and that wasn't a reality he could accept. If he was really dead, then Y/N was too.

If strong capable Kook hadn't managed to pull himself from the river then how did she stand a chance? His soul suddenly felt empty, he wanted to pull back every second he'd had with them. Worse, he wanted his memory gone altogether so that he didn't have to experience the agony. In a fucked up way he realized why they'd told him he was still in love with Tae.

"When can we see him?" This from Hobi, his voice a wisp of air from a chest that heaved.

"They won't let anyone, they're not even hosting a funeral. They wouldn't let me or the managers get anywhere near the morgue." Joon sounded hurt, confused, his normally deep voice bordering on frantic like Kookie's parents were in the room and could be persuaded to change their minds.

"No funeral?" Yoongi was shaking his head, he sounded bewildered but also angry. "That's unheard of, how can they do that?"

"They said they want it to be private, their son's entire life was for the media and fame. They want the little time they have left with him to not be shared with anyone." Joon had stopped crying, but his big body was leaning so harshly into Jin that Tae had to hold them both up.

"Not even with us? We knew him better than they did, he loved us as much as he loved them." Jimin felt anger like Yoongi, he wanted to hit something, scream, break something in his hands.

He didn't care how they felt because Kook had belonged to the six of them, not his parents. They'd given him away at barely fifteen how much could they really love him if they'd let him be raised by strangers? Jimin didn't care what was fair to think, it was the truth, maybe none of their parents had cared. Maybe that was why they'd been so fiercely connected to each other for all these years. Why he'd been so easy manipulated by Irene.