You Get What You Give || Jikook [ONGOING]

Chapter 17

Jimin found himself sitting in the exact same spot that he had been the previous night when Jungkook had come home. Just like he was in the same spot physically, he was in the same spot mentally and emotionally, being hit all over again that he had been misdiagnosed. He still couldn't believe that he had been misdiagnosed. It wasn't like he had been misdiagnosed for a few weeks or even a few months. It had been years. Years that Jimin had been under the assumption that he had a complete spinal injury. Years that Jimin had given up because he knew that a complete injury all but guaranteed he'd never walk again. God, how things could have been so different if he'd known, known that the possibility of walking was within his grasp. If he'd known, he might not have given up as easily as he had.

Jimin felt his eyes burn with the tears he had been unable to let fall the previous night. Except unlike last night, Jimin didn't let them remain unshed but let them flow freely since Jungkook was in the bedroom still fast asleep. As he did, Jimin cried for the years he lost, for the life he could have potentially had, but more than anything, Jimin cried for himself. For the person that was, the person that he had lost to hopelessness. A hopelessness that he had drowned in as he had wallowed in despair that he hadn't had to, all because of a misdiagnosis.

Jungkook let out a disheartened sigh as he watched Jimin cover his mouth to quiet his sobbing. Jungkook had known that something was wrong the moment he'd stepped into the apartment last night. Jungkook had wanted to ask what had happened, but he knew that pushing Jimin to talk would do the complete opposite, so he didn't. Instead, he let Jimin think that he was unaware of his turmoil, let Jimin have the distraction of the two of them being intimate like he'd wanted. But, as he walked up to Jimin's shaking frame from trying to muffle his sobs, Jungkook felt like shit. He felt like shit because maybe he should have pushed, not allowed Jimin the distraction of their intertwined bodies, but just held him till he was ready to talk. To tell him what was wrong. It was a mistake he didn't plan to repeat as he kneeled in front of Jimin's chair, reached out and gently removed Jimin's hands that he was now crying into, uncovering his face.

"Baby." Jungkook whispered as he wiped away the stream of tears that left Jimin's eyes, to no avail. "Why are you out here crying by yourself?"

"I'm s-s-sorry. I d-didn't want t-to wake y-you." Jimin stuttered out in-between his tears as he tried to catch his breath.

"Jimin." Jungkook let out sadly. "I thought we promised to be honest with each other. Not hide anything from one another."

Jimin chocked down the additional sob that wanted to free itself as he leaned forward and dropped his forehead onto Jungkook's shoulder.

"I'm s-sorry."

"Jimin look at me." Jungkook encouraged by leaning back so that Jimin's forehead left his shoulder. Jungkook again cupped Jimin's cheeks. "I don't know what happened." Jimin's mouth parted to speak, to explain, but nothing came out, his thoughts too scattered. "And you don't have to tell me if you aren't ready to." Jungkook spoke seeing Jimin's struggle as he wiped away fresh tears with the pads of his thumbs. "But don't cry alone. Not when I'm right here."

Jimin took in a shaky breath as he nodded his head so incredibly grateful for the man in front of him. So grateful that, in that moment, Jimin realized that the misdiagnosis didn't matter. None of the what ifs, none of the years wasted, none of the wallowing in self-pity. None of it mattered. All that mattered was right now, the present. The present contained Jungkook. Jungkook who looked at him with so much love, compassion, understanding and care that it was almost hard to breath. Jimin swallowed thickly as he reached out and cupped Jungkook's cheeks, mirroring Jungkook.

"I love you."

Jungkook drew Jimin's face towards his own and kissed Jimin softly.

"I love you too." Jungkook pressed another chaste kiss into Jimin's tear stained lips before withdrawing back. "Now come back to bed."