Tails and Toes • Jikook Mermaid AU

Chapter Thirteen

Jungkook pressed the doorbell while Jimin held the bouqet of smeraldo flowers Jungkook bought for Taehyung at the store. The red-haired boy looked really pale and it concerned Jungkook, but he decided to ignore it, maybe Jimin was just nervous. ''Hi guys.'' Taehyung greeted the two boys while he opened the door. ''Hey.'' Jimin said and Taehyung immediatly saw Jimin wasn't feeling like himself. He looked pale and his voice sounded so vulnerable, so weak. Jimin walked into the little hallway and Jungkook greeted Taehyung with a wide smile, exposing his bunny teeth. ''Nice place.'' Jungkook said to his purple-haired friend and Taehyung shook his head while he smiled too. ''You didn't even look inside yet. But thanks, also for the flowers.'' Taehyung answered and nodded with his head to the bouqet of smeraldo flowers Jimin handed to him. ''I thought it would decorate the house a little. As a begin.'' Jungkook shrugged his shoulders. Taehyung led Jimin and Jungkook from the hallway into the living room. Even though Taehyung moved in a few days ago, it was already cozy. While Taehyung searched for a vase to put the flowers in, Jimin and Jungkook sat down on the grey sofa that stood against one of the white painted walls. Above the sofa hung a copy of Van Gogh's starry night and Jimin looked with awe at the beautiful paiting. ''Magnificent, isn't it, Jiminie?'' Taehyung asked when he came back with a vase filled with water and the smeraldo flowers. He saw Jimin looking at the painting and Taehyung couldn't help, but get excited. ''I'm trying to draw some things too, but I'll never be as good as him. Ah, no-one can be as good as him.'' The purple-haired boy said while he placed the vase on the table in the living room. ''What do you draw?'' Jungkook asked and Taehyung sat down on a chair that stood next to the sofa. ''Nature. Flowers, the waves of the ocean, raindrops on treeleaves. It doesn't look that good, but I'm trying. I've found a new inspiration lately.'' Taehyung explained and both of the boys stared at him. Jimin just nodded with his head, while Jungkook got curious to the talents of his best friend. ''And that is?'' . ''Yoongi.'' Taehyung immediatly answered, a boxy smile appeared on his face when he thought about Yoongi, because he made him happy over and over again. ''Cute.'' Jungkook muttered and Taehyung had a suprised look on his face. ''I thought you hated the crush I have on Yoongi?'' Jungkook immediatly shook his head while Jimin laid back on the sofa, the soft pillows that were pressed under his back made him belong to his own bed and then he realised how tired he actually was. He felt emotionally drained, but the worst would still come for him. Not now, but soon, Jimin knew. ''I never hated it. I just disliked it, I tried to protect you from Yoongi because you are my best friend and I just want the best for you. But I can see that your love for him is real and I don't want to be selfish, so if you like him that much, go up to him and ask him on a date.'' Jungkook answered and Taehyung's face started to get red. Oh my god, Jungkook thought. He's blushing, he must really love Yoongi. ''I don't have the courage to just go up to him and ask him on a date. I'm awkward if I say to him that I have a crush on him-'' . ''Tae, you shower him with winks and hand kisses almost everyday. You're not awkward when you flirt with him, so why are you scared to ask him out?'' Taehyung agreed with his best friend that it sounded a bit weird. ''I don't know.'' The purple-haired boy shrugged his shoulders. ''I'm just scared that he'll reject me.'' He eventually answered. ''Then you probably don't notice that Yoongi looks at you with heart eyes and smiles whenever you do. You're his happiness, you know. Everybody sees it, except you. He loves you, Tae.'' Jimin suddenly interfered with the conversation Taehyung and Jungkook had. ''H-he does?'' Taehyung felt flustered and looked at the ground while he started to blush even harder. ''When does Yoongi's shift at the café end?'' The black-haired boy asked and Taehyung looked up when he heard the name of his crush. ''He has a break soon, why?'' When he saw the stares of Jimin and Jungkook, Taehyung already knew what they meant and he quickly shook his head. ''No, I can't.'' The purple-haired boy said and Jungkook rolled his eyes while he sighed deeply. ''Don't be such a fucking pussy, Tae. Just ask him. He loves you, he wouldn't say no.'' Jungkook tried to hype Taehyung up, but his best friend was still convinced of the fact that it would be a disaster. All three of them went silent, all thinking about different things. Taehyung about asking Yoongi out, Jimin about how he felt bad for his friends that they didn't knew he was slowly starting to get sick, and Jungkook simply about Jimin. Suddenly, a cat jumped on the sofa and Jimin was so scared of the animal that he let out a small scream. Taehyung got scared from Jimin's scream and jumped up from his seat while Jungkook just looked confused at the boy next to him. ''It's just Kkanji, calm down, Jiminie.'' Taehyung explained to the scared mermaid who slowly sat down again. ''I thought you would leave Kkanji with your parents.'' Jungkook said to his friend and petted the white cat while Jimin looked confused. ''No, I would miss her too much.'' Taehyung answered and started to laugh when he saw the horrified look on Jimin's face. ''Ah, ofcourse. Jimin has never seen a cat before.'' Taehyung said to Jungkook who nodded. ''It's just an animal, it doesn't hurt you. Kkanji is the sweetest cat ever, I swear on Yoongi.'' Taehyung promised. Jimin finally calmed down and he slowly laid his hand on the white fur of the cat. ''Anyways, are you finally going to ask Yoongi out?'' Jungkook asked, running out of patience. He wanted the best for Taehyung, so he really hoped his best friend would ask Yoongi out. "I guess so." The purple-haired boy muttered while he shrugged his shoulders. "Yah! A bit of confidence, Tae, you're going to ask out the man of your dreams." Jungkook loudly said and Taehyung smiled again. "Finally." Jimin sighed when he heard Taehyung was going to ask Yoongi out. "Let's go to the café then". "Wait, you mean right now? I'm not prepared!" Taehyung jumped up from his seat and started to nervously walk back and forth in the living room. "Oh my fucking god." Jungkook sighed while he shook his head, looking at how worried his best friend was. "Let's go, Jimin." Jungkook said when he stood up from the sofa and grabbed his car keys. The mermaid didn't want to leave, because Kkanji was laying on his lap and he enjoyed his warmth while Jimin stroked the white fur of the cat's back. "She likes you." Taehyung laughed when he saw his cat laying on Jimin's lap. "She's adorable." The red-haired boy said while he scratched Kkanji behind the ears and he chuckled softly when he heard the cat's purring. "Just like you." Jungkook muttered under his breath, but it was so soft that Taehyung and Jimin didn't hear it, luckily. "Let's go. We're going to hook you up with Min fucking Yoongi." Jungkook said to his best friend and made sure that Jimin followed them to his car.

...

''Any tips?'' Taehyung asked his best friend and nervously stood still for the door of the beach café. ''Don't make a fool of yourself. Oh wait, you always do that.'' Jungkook answered and Taehyung was so nervous that he didn't laugh. ''Just be yourself. Be honest.'' Jimin softly said, giving Taehyung some advice because Jungkook's words didn't really help. ''And now go in, you fucking idiot.'' Jungkook said and Jimin held the door open, so that the black-haired boy pushed Taehyung inside. They entered the beach café after him and all three of them were looking for Yoongi. The mint-haired waiter servered some food to a customer and when he was done, he saw his friends standing by the bar. ''Hi, guys.'' Yoongi greeted them and walked up to them. Jungkook and Jimin greeted him back and then left the bar, so Taehyung and Yoongi were alone with each other. Taehyung understood the silent hint his friends gave him, so he sighed deep. ''What's the matter?'' Yoongi asked confused, slightly tilting his head. ''Do you want to go out with me?'' Taehyung suddenly asked the mint-haired waiter whose eyes widened of suprise. Taehyung thought he fucked up and he wanted to smack himself in the face for his failed attempt to ask Yoongi out. ''Ofcourse, sounds like fun.'' Yoongi answered with a sweet voice and a gummy smile appeared on his face. Taehyung's cheeks got red while he couldn't help, but stare at Yoongi's pink lips which looked too kissable. ''Do you want to go tonight? We can eat in a fancy restaurant and after that hang out at my place.'' Taehyung said and Yoongi quickly nodded with his head. ''I'm looking forward to it! I'll send you a text when my shift ends.'' Yoongi smiled at Taehyung and even winked at him, because Taehyung always did that to him. Jimin and Jungkook, who had seen the conversation between Yoongi and Taehyung happen from the other side of the café, were proud of Taehyung and found them adorable. ''They're gonna be such cute boyfriends.'' Jungkook announced and Jimin silently nodded. The mermaid felt worse with the second and he felt an irritating feeling in his throat. It itched, so Jimin started to cough. First, it wasn't that bad, but then he couldn't stop. ''I need to go the toilet.'' Jimin whispered to Jungkook between his coughs and he ran to the men's toilets of the beach café. He teared some wipes from the machine that hung next to the sinks in the toilets and held them for his mouth, so he coughed into those instead of his own hands. Jimin looked in the mirror and was horrified by his reflection. He looked ten times more bad than this morning. His skin was abnormally pale, his eyes were dull, his red-dyed hair was messy, and he noticed that his whole body was shivering. No, Jimin thought, this couldn't be happening now. It was too early for it, the time he had left would last longer. Jimin turned on the tap and was careful with drinking some water, so that he didn't spill anything on himself. Drinking water softened his throat and it helped a bit, for now though. Jimin threw away the crumbled up wipes and he did like he didn't just notice the specs of his own blood that decorated the white wipes.