hanahaki ⚣ taekook

- the end

jungkook leans over taehyung's unconscious form, still but for the shallow rising of his chest with each breath. the vines, once marring his skin in striking, angry grooves, are faded to a muted discolouration. a patchy purplish bruising is all that remains of the flowers that had dug its roots in taehyung's lungs.

"he's waking up!"

jimin's cheek is abruptly squished against his, knocking jungkook's forehead into taehyung's nose.

"ouch, jimin! back off!"

"you back off!"

"no you–"

taehyung winces then, eyes cracking open, and jungkook cuts off. he grabs taehyung's wrist in panic. "are you okay, hyung? does it hurt?"

"no," taehyung replies dazedly, staring at jungkook's grip on his wrist. "no, it doesn't hurt."

relief floods through jungkook, tears beginning to prickle his eyes. "thank god. the doctors said the surgery was complicated, i was so worried–"

"it doesn't hurt," taehyung repeats, soothing jungkook's distress. he twists his hand to grab jungkook's hand in his, staring at their intertwined fingers. "weird. it doesn't hurt."

"that's good, isn't it?" yoongi pipes up from behind jungkook.

taehyung draws a deep breath. cocks his head to the side. "yeah? yeah, it's good."

"we'll let you guys talk," seokjin offers gently. "we'll go tell the staff you're awake."

jungkook nods enthusiastically, and the others file out of the room. namjoon and hoseok both give him a quick pat as they leave, yoongi a little smile, and jimin reaches up to straighten his blankets before jungkook kicks his calves and shoos him away.

the door shuts behind them, and taehyung's still staring at their hands.

"hyung?" jungkook says in a cautious undertone.

"it's weird. i accepted that i'd lose the feelings," taehyung's voice is steady but empty, monotonously discussing the feelings that almost killed him as casually as commenting on the weather. "but i guess i sort of– i thought i'd miss it? nut there's really nothing for me to miss. it's like it was never there, there's really nothing. it's weird. i can't remember anything at all."

i didn't want to forget what it was like to love you.

the realization hits him as the prickle does, a little itch that starts between the panes of his chest and winds its way up his body to the back of his throat.

a bud of fear grows in jungkook's heart next to a bud of flowering brier.

i love him.

"taehyung, do you want to go for a walk?" jimin interrupts, poking his head through the door. a hospital nurse is by his side.

"yeah, one second," taehyung replies, pulling his hand from jungkook's without a second thought. he stands with the nurse's help, brushing off jungkook's anxious hands with easy nonchalance.

at the door, he catches jungkook's shell-shocked stare with an oblivious smile.

"thanks, jungkook. don't worry, everything's okay now."

jungkook clears his throat with difficult. "yeah, hyung," he gives a watery smile that he hopes comes off as relieved. "everything's alright." jimin and the nurse each take an arm to help, and the door closes behind taehyung.

i love him.

jungkook holds a hand to his mouth and coughs.

a rosy red petal falls from his lips, landing into his palm.