Midas Touch ➸ Taekook

- Twenty-third -

Sorry for the wait! A cute chapter ahead!💕

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Jungkook opened his eyes slowly, still numb from the pain. The subdued light of the Xavier Institute infirmary seemed strangely soft after the flames and chaos of the explosion. He breathed deeply, feeling his bandaged ribs give slightly under the strain. He was alive, covered in bandages, but alive. He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through him, causing him to grunt. He stood still for a few seconds, trying to work out where he was.

His mind, still muddled, suddenly focused on one thought: Taehyung. Was he all right? His body had reacted instinctively, it had been stronger than him. Was it the adrenaline from the battle? The protective instinct he'd felt at the moment of the explosion, all coming back to him like waves. He normally had total control over his emotions, but what had happened at that moment was not like him. Yet he was incapable of regretting it, despite the pain that throbbed in his skin. All he wanted to know at that moment was whether Taehyung had made it. If he was all right. He turned his head slowly, dreading what he was about to discover. He was ready to pray to the gods for Taehyung to be all right.

The boy was there, sitting on a chair beside him. His frail figure was wrapped in a blanket. His face, even in sleep, betrayed accumulated fatigue, the purplish rings underlining his delicate features. But he was there. Alive. Jungkook breathed a sigh of relief when he saw him, and despite the pain, a faint smile stretched his lips.

The sound of his movement made Taehyung stir, and he sat up abruptly, his eyes swollen and red from lack of sleep. For a moment, he seemed completely disorientated, as if he didn't realise that Jungkook had finally woken up after so many days of unconsciousness. Then, suddenly, his face came to life. Tears began to roll down his cheeks.

"Jungkook! You're finally awake... You... I was so scared!" he murmured, his voice trembling.

Jungkook felt his heart clench as he heard the distress in Taehyung's voice. Honestly, he hadn't expected it. He'd become so used to the teenager berating him, pushing him away, that he was almost suspicious of the opposite. And yet, even though he should have been delighted that Taehyung was showing such feelings towards him, he wasn't. Because he realised at that moment how much he hated seeing him cry. Even if it was for him.

He tried to raise a hand to tenderly stroke his hair, but the intense pain that suddenly shot through him stopped him. In any case, the boy certainly wouldn't have let him. It was bad enough that he normally refused any physical contact, but now that he was injured, it was even worse. So he just smiled reassuringly.

"I'm here, chéri. I'm fine now. Look, it almost doesn't hurt anymore!" said Jungkook in a hoarse voice, still trembling slightly from his injuries.

But Taehyung, far from calming down, began to cry harder, his fists clenched against the white sheet of the infirmary. And soon his sadness turned to anger.

"Why did you do that?!" he exclaimed between sobs. "You could have died, Jungkook! You threw yourself at me, protecting me with your body by putting yourself in even more danger! Why did you do that?!"

Despite the pain, Jungkook couldn't help smiling slightly. He was getting to know Taehyung very well, and he suspected that behind this reproach lay immense fear. He couldn't help but feel a little happy about it. So, despite the reproaches, he wanted to be honest. Even though Taehyung might hit him for it.

"Because I'd do it again and again and again, just to see you safe and sound. I couldn't help it, chéri. I just can't bear to see wounds on your pretty little face."

Taehyung angrily wiped away his tears, mainly to hide as best he could the red that had spread to his cheeks. It was the last thing he'd expected.

"Y-You're really talking nonsense, Cajun... Has your heart softened? It's not like you..." he said in a broken voice, trying to regain some control over his emotions.

Jungkook laughed softly.

"Just for you, joli cœur..."

"Stop it, I don't even understand what you're saying... Ah, what am I going to do with you... hm?"

The Cajun quickly regained his little smirk, the one that irritated Taehyung as much as it made him melt.

"Well... you could start by forgiving me." replied Jungkook, feigning mischievous innocence. He gave him a charming look, hoping to ease the tension.

But Taehyung refused to give in so easily.

"You don't seem to understand, Jungkook..." he breathed. "I've been sitting here for a week, watching you navigate between life and death, without being able to do anything to help you."

I've felt so guilty, because it was my fault you were in that state. he thought, but refused to say. But the guilt was there. Because he knew that without him, Jungkook would have been fine. He'd been a dead weight to him, a millstone around his neck. And he'd realised that painfully.

Jungkook's smile softened and he finally reached out to gently brush Taehyung's cheek, but the boy pulled back just before their skins touched. The man ignored it.

"I'm sorry I scared you, chéri. I really am. But I've already told you, I'm not sorry. My body reacted instinctively, and I always trust my instincts. So please, petit cœur, don't be angry with me."

Taehyung remained silent for a moment, watching Jungkook through his tears. His resolve seemed to waver in the face of the man's disarming honesty. At the same time, how could he remain insensitive when Jeon Jungkook opened his heart to him just a little? Taehyung was painfully human too. Finally, he sighed, despondent.

"You've won... But don't ever do anything like that again."

Jungkook laughed softly, but didn't reply.

With a small smile hanging on his lips, he finally felt his body relax, soothed by Taehyung's words. But something caught his attention. Glancing around, he finally noticed that they weren't alone in the infirmary. His eyes scanned the room, and that's when he saw them: Logan and Yoongi, lying on nearby beds, also covered in bandages. They were asleep, and Jungkook suspected they must be exhausted from the injuries they sustained in the explosion at the villa.

"Don't worry about them," Taehyung murmured, following Jungkook's gaze. "They'll be fine. They just need to rest, like you."

"I wasn't really worried about them..." admitted the Cajun.

Taehyung rolled his eyes, an amused smile stretching his lips. He really wasn't making any effort to fit in.

"Don't be meaner than you are, Cajun."

Before Jungkook could reply, the door of the infirmary opened softly and Jin and Namjoon entered. A look of joy immediately lit up Jin's face at the sight of Jungkook awake, or rather, at the fact that he and Taehyung seemed to have grown so close.

"Well, look who's finally back with us!" exclaimed Jin with a beaming smile. "How are you feeling?"

Namjoon stood back a little, showing no emotion towards him as usual, but Taehyung could see that the man was a little reassured to see him awake.

"As if a truck had run over me... But I'm feeling better." Jungkook joked.

Jin smiled, in which Taehyung and Jungkook couldn't help but see a certain malice.

"What's going on?" asked the teenager, suddenly extremely curious.

Jin's smile widened and he instinctively came and snuggled into Namjoon's arms.

"Well... We would have told you under different circumstances, but we can't wait forever... You'll probably think it's a bit hasty, but after what we've just been through, the fact that we all almost died... We don't want to waste another second hesitating..."

Namjoon took a deep breath, gently squeezing Jin's hand in his, before smiling broadly.

"We're getting married."