c o m f o r t

chapter 9

"I hate you!"

In 2 weeks, Jimin had left. The tattoo shop was closed up, and everyone kept on carrying on with their normal routine.

Jimin moved to L.A., leaving Hoseok behind. The thrift store was built again, and Hoseok believed that if he just tried to go back to how his life used to be before Jimin, it would hurt less.

But the pain never ceased.

After all, Jimin hadn't said it back, and he finally realized that as his plane took off.

I never told Hoseok that I loved him.

Jimin wanted to cry. Hoseok probably hated him by now, and Jimin wouldn't blame him. He had only been thinking about himself, and not about the well being of others, and it had finally broken someone Jimin cared about.

Hoseok set a strict schedule for himself, that allowed no time for thinking about Jimin.

First, he would wake up, get ready for work, go to work, come back home and work on his studies. He had signed up for a couple classes right after Jimin left. He thought that academics provided a well built distraction, and he was right.

Day after day, week after week, and eventually month after month, Hoseok repeated this schedule over and over again, with no flaws.

And exactly 4 months later, Jimin was forgotten.

Unfortunately, Jimin didn't have the blessing of distraction and deciding to move on.

Every night, he would lay awake in bed, their last conversation playing in his head.

"I'm leaving soon."

"I love you."

"Why are you leaving?"

"I hate you!"

Jimin was slowly breaking down, and he hadn't even realized that Hoseok had forgotten about him.

~~~

Hoseok was doodling on his little notepad, seeing as the store was very quiet, and most of the customers had left for lunch.

Then, the door bell rang throughout the store, signaling that someone had entered.

"Welcome to Victoria's Flower Shop! My name is Hoseok, and if you need any assistance, I will up at the front desk."

Hoseok rambled out the passage he and the other employees were forced to memorize, dragging the pencil across the paper.

Then, as he looked up, he saw a familiar mop of bright red hair. The person was very familiar himself, but Hoseok couldn't place a name.

"Hoseok..." The stranger spoke, his voice trembling.

"Yep, that's me! Do I know you?" Hoseok asked, tilting his head over so slightly.

"It's me, Jimin."

A heavy silence hung throughout the store as a million memories came rushing at Hoseok.

The lotus flowers.

The night he got his nipples pierced.

The day out in the rain.

The museum.

The forest, and the confessions.

"Get out."

Jimin looked absolutely heartbroken when Hoseok finally spoke, and he could see he anger flashing in Hoseok's eyes.

"I said leave." Hoseok repeated, looking down at his sketchpad, trying his best to ignore Jimin.

"I wanted to say something."

Hoseok groaned in frustration, burying his head in his hands.

And the silence returned. The shop was suddenly filled with a feeling of awkwardness and anger, and Jimin hated it.

Then, Hoseok spoke.

"I had managed to forget about you. I had managed to move on with my life, because as cliche as it may sound, you broke my fucking heart." Hoseok snapped.

"So this does not give you any right to come barging back into my life, expecting me to forgive you."

"I love you. " Jimin replied, looking at the distressed Hoseok in front of him.

Hoseok slammed his hands down on the counter in anger, standing up so that he was eye to eye with Jimin.

"Well it's too late to say it. You had your chance, and you didn't take it." Hoseok replied bitterly.

"You walked into my life, and made everything better. You made me believe that you cared, and that you were here for me, and then you just get up and leave!"

Hoseok was fuming with anger, and Taehyung walked in, seeing that the two were arguing, and left the room.

"But that was not the worse part, oh no. Then you come back, after 5, almost 6 fucking months, and expect me to still love you!"

Jimin just stared at Hoseok, not wanting to say anything that would hurt him.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't fix anything, and you know that." Now Hoseok's voice was softer, coming down from a shout, to a whisper.

"I still need to say it."

"Why?"

"I wasn't able to forget you Hoseok, as you did me. I regretted leaving as soon and I had left, and I had known that I left something important behind, and he was trying to forget me."

"Shut the fuck up, Jimin. No one has time for a damn pity party."

"No, you need to listen!" Jimin shouted, startling Hoseok.

"I came back. I gave up all the things I had worked for to get to L.A. I came back, because I love you, and I don't care if you don't believe me, I don't care if we're back at square one, with you hating me and me loving you."

Hoseok looked at Jimin in disbelief.

"You never hated me?"

Jimin shook his head. "Couldn't bring myself to do it. I loved you from the beginning."

Hoseok shook his head. "Bullshit."

Jimin leaned forward suddenly, so that his lips were inches away from Hoseok's.

"Tell me if this is bullshit."

Hoseok shook his head. "Don't fucking do it." He slowly began to back away, realizing what Jimin was about to do.

Jimin leaned forward some more, curling his hand around the nape of Hoseok's neck, placing his lips over Hoseok's, who's eyes were wide in surprise.

And suddenly, everything seemed alright, as if this is how things were meant to be.

And Hoseok kissed him back.