BTS Fluff Party

closer than blood - Jikook

It was a common misconception on the human's part to assume that the Timeless considered the taste of blood to be something akin to a rich coffee, or a well-cooked steak, or a chocolate mousse cake. In less civilized times, the Timeless had even partaken in drinking directly from humans themselves, enjoying the feeling a blood seeping from one warm body into another colder one. The Timeless didn't even need blood to exist, only to become more human-like, so why consume it if you didn't need to? Surely the Timeless must enjoy the taste and the feeling of warm blood in cold veins to continue the practice of drinking it regularly.

Park Jimin knew, however, that blood tasted, quite simply, like blood.

It was a more civilized time, and the blood was consumed from wine glasses or even in small pill capsules, twice or three times a day. Not a lot of blood was required to keep a Timeless body in its human state, with warm skin, life-filled eyes, and a pumping heart. In the past, the Timeless had ruled like royalty, demanding to be noticed. In modern times, most preferred to simply pass as regular people. There was nothing special about being Timeless, no secret powers or effects, at least not for most. Most Timeless consumed blood regularly and lived very normal lives, moving every few decades to maintain cover.

A few, rare Timeless retained a certain allure that made life even easier, allowing them to remain longer in one place since the humans around them could be persuaded to overlook the abnormal. Some of them even entertained families, mating with humans or else adopting them, playing patron to the less-fortunate.

Park Jimin wasn't interesting in having adoption, nor in tutoring or anything else that suggested familial ties. But, when a boy was unceremoniously dropped on his doorstep with a note that read "please take care," even his cold heart couldn't turn the boy away.

And so Jeon Jungkook entered the Park household with no knowledge of what Jimin was, only that he was going to sponsor his college education and buy him some better clothes.

--

Jungkook loved Park Jimin.

How could he not? The man had accepted him into his house from where he'd been left, shivering, on the front porch, wondering why he'd been abandoned and how he was going to survive in life. He'd had such big dreams, every one of them steadily being crushed by the weight of too many siblings. He was the youngest, and had no practical talents or skill, and apparently his parents simply couldn't cope.

Jimin had never smiled at him in the beginning. He'd given him a nice room and instructed people to draw him a bath and had eaten diner with him at a dining table with not enough chairs for the size of it. He'd made it clear that Jungkook was his responsibility now, to care for and educate and that it in return, Jungkook would be a good student, would be quiet, and would be responsible too.

And of course Jungkook agreed. And things progressed from there.
Eventually, Jimin began to smile when Jungkook shyly asked to show him the painting he'd been working on, or to help him with his piano lessons. Those lessons quickly became Jungkook's favorite time of the day. Jimin was a patient teacher, quick to give praise more than to correct. Jungkook soaked it up.

He also loved when Jimin would take him out, to museums, or to a coffee shop, or through the park. Even though Jungkook had grown up in the past couple of years to be taller than Jimin, he always felt like a kid next to him, like Jimin had so much wisdom and so much to teach, and Jungkook wanted to learn it all. He didn't want to graduate and move away from Jimin. He didn't want to separate from his guardian, from his teacher, from his friend.

It came up at dinner one day, and Jungkook surprised himself, being a naturally soft-spoken person, when he sudden half-shouted, "Taehyung wants me to move in with him!"

Jimin looked up, not startled, (Jimin was never startled) but confused. "Of course you can move in with Taehyung, if you want to. He's an excellent influence and will keep you in the right circles. Isn't his new exhibit opening soon? Do you want to attend together?"

Jungkook looked at his plate despairingly. "No–I mean, yes, of course I want to go with you, but..." he trailed off, debating whether to finish this train of thought.
"But what, Jungkook?" Jimin's voice was soft, but it carried to Jungkook quite clearly.

"But I," Jungkook began, his words faltering, "I d-don't want to, to move in with Taehyung, I mean, I-I do, I like Taehyung, but I," he swallowed and looked straight at Jimin, "I don't want to leave you. Ever."

Jimin's expression didn't change, but Jungkook knew him well enough by now to notice subtle changes in the way he looked at him. Jimin was looking at him like he was...sad? Why would Jimin be sad? Had had done something wrong?

"Jungkook," Jimin said, still in that soft voice, "you have to move on someday."

"What do you mean? Move on? What, move on and just forget you? Are you going to forget me?" Jungkook heard his voice getting more hysterical with every question because he simply could not bear it if Jimin wanted him gone, wanted to forget about him. "Do you regret ever taking me in? Have I been unsatisfactory? Don't you love me?" Jungkook couldn't seem to help the tears rising in his eyes.

Jimin's expression did change then, to a confusing mix of affection and despair. "Jungkook–"

"I loved you!" Jungkook burst into tears upon declaring it. "I love you! You're more than my guardian - you're my friend - you're my closest friend and I can't live without you," he sobbed against his hands.

A moment later there were other hands wrapping around his body, picking him up and holding him close. He let Jimin carry him to the couch and set him down, clinging to him as soon as he sat down beside him. "Y-you're a better parent that my own, a b-better brother than my own, a better e-everything! D-don't you love me too?"

Jimin pat Jungkook's hair in a soothing manner, the other arm around his waist. "Jungkook, my Jungkook, my little, sweet Jungkook, of course I love you. I had simply hoped that you would come to love Taehyung or another classmate or anyone else more than me."

Jungkook looked up, bewildered. "What? Why? And how would anyone measure up to what you've done for me, or been for me? What's wrong with loving you? I don't, I don't, like, want to marry you or something, I just love you regular."

A soft sigh came from Jimin's mouth. "You can't–, Jungkook, you have a bright future, but a limited one. You shouldn't love me because I'll never die."

And Jungkook caught his breath. Jimin - his Jimin - was a Timeless. Of course he was. He was so beautiful, so ageless, and knew so much. He was so rich but never worked, and people everywhere seemed to know him and respect him. They had always looked at Jungkook like he was some sort of forbidden item, like it was scandalous for Jimin to walk around with a young man. Jungkook had always assumed they were jealous, when in fact they were appalled. Timeless-human relationships were still somewhat looked down upon, even though they probably happened more than anyone knew.

Jimin was a Timeless.

"Jungkook, breathe." Jimin's voice broke through his thoughts, prompting him to exhale and take a deep breath, gulping down the air. "Do you understand now?"

"I understand why you would want to push me away, but not why you think I'd just go." Jungkook held his ground and looked straight into Jimin's old eyes. "No matter where I go in life, what I accomplish or who I fall in love with, I'm not letting go of you. And I don't want you to let go of me either, please. I know it will be harder for you, watching me age, whereas I'll watch you stay the same, but Jimin," and Jungkook caught hold of his hand. "my old family kicked me out. You're my family now. Are you going to kick me out, too?"

Jimin shook his head, a small smile spreading across his face, making him look like an angel. Jungkook loved that smile. "No. I'd never kick you out. I'll never make you leave. I'll never stop loving you. All right? You're my son, my brother, my friend, and I'll keep you in my heart even when yours is no longer beating. Do you believe me?"

Jungkook believed him, because Jimin never lied. He nodded. "I'm yours?"

Jimin nodded, holding Jungkook's hand tighter. "And I'm yours, too."