Tails and Toes • Jikook Mermaid AU

Chapter Twenty

''Jimin?'' The red-haired boy looked up when he heard Jungkook call his name. ''Yes?'' He answered, he was a bit unsure what Jungkook wanted to say because he was scared Jungkook would pick him up, drive him to the beach and drop him in the ocean. ''I need to tell you something." Jungkook's voice was unsteady and an anxious feeling crept up Jimin's spine. It only grew larger when the human boy sat down on the coach cushion next to him and held his hand. ''It's time.'' The black-haired boy muttered under his breath. Jimin acted like he was confused, but he knew damn well what Jungkook meant. ''I can't take it no longer. I don't want you to suffer and I can't sit here just watching you slowly die. So-'' Jungkook needed to take a deep breath before he continued his sentence. ''I'm going to bring you back to the sea, today.'' Jimin's eyes immediatly widened and his bottom lip started to wobble. ''Please, Jungkook, no!'' His voice was first kind of whiny, but then it became worse with the second. He started to yell, to scream and grabbed Jungkook's limbs to beg him. To beg him not to bring him back to his home. ''Jimin, I love you. But you know this can't continue.'' Jungkook said, but Jimin didn't even listen and heavily shook his head while thick teardrops rolled over his cheeks. Jungkook had expected this to happen, so he let Jimin express his feelings. ''Please. Please. Please.'' Jimin whispered over and over again and at one point, he was so upset that he lost his balance and fell off the couch. Normal people would have just stood up again, but Jimin didn't feel or could move his legs, so he just laid there on the floor. He grabbed Jungkook's ankles and shut his eyes to block out the lies Jungkook told him. He wouldn't take Jimin back, right? ''Come on, Jiminie.'' The black-haired boy said and grabbed him by his wrists. In a second, Jimin's emotions changed from sadness to anger. The few fights he had with his hyungs taught him to take care of himself and stand up for his rights. He opened his eyes in a blink, sat up as far as he could and slapped Jungkook's hands of him. His dark brown eyes looked darker as they were filled with fury. ''No.'' The word rolled over Jimin's lips with an imidating tone and Jungkook raised his eyebrows. ''Excuse me?'' He said, he immediatly noticed that Jimin's emotions had changed. ''I'm not going.'' The mermaid said with a steady voice.  ''But you have to-'' . ''No, I don't.'' Jimin crossed his arms for his chest and looked up at Jungkook with daring eyes. ''It's my choice. I need to decide when.'' The mermaid had a point, Jungkook admitted. But still, it would be his death if he stayed longer on land. The worst part is that Jimin knew he would die and that he would risk his life to be with Jungkook. ''But-'' . ''Jungkook, please. You love me right?'' Jimin said, the look in his eyes became softer. ''Ofcourse.'' The black-haired boy answered directly without hesitation. ''I'll always love you, without a doubt.'' Jimin nodded and chuckled softly. ''Then do it for me, please? Our love is stronger than the pain.'' The red-haired boy said and Jungkook bit his underlip. ''Okay, only for you. But please, please, don't let yourself suffer so much. I can't stand seeing my boyfriend in pain.'' Jungkook said and helped Jimin up the couch again. ''I'll try.'' Jimin answered. ''But are we boyfriends now?'' He asked with a light smile on his face. ''Only if you want to.'' Jungkook answered, dead serious. ''Ofcourse.'' Jimin nodded with his head and bit his underlip when he saw Jungkook looking at him like that. Those haunting eyes, they were filled with concern and according to last week, also tears. Jimin tried to lean forward as far as he could without moving his lower body. He planted his lips on those of Jungkook, just to calm him down. To comfort him, saying it would be alright. He hated seeing Jungkook sad and unmotivated. It was like all happiness was drained from him, only having sadness and anger left. There was no purpose. Yes, Jimin was his purpose, but what would he do when Jimin was gone? He would be gone forever, he couldn't come back. Jimin hadn't even realised that Jungkook had pulled away from him and wasn't sitting next to him anymore. ''Kook?'' Jimin softly asked, his voice cracked a bit. No response. He was upstairs, Jimin thought. He wanted to go after him, but there was just a small problem that he couldn't move the limbs below his waist. Jimin wouldn't crawl around the house with his arms like an idiot, he refused that. So he cleared his throat and shouted. ''Jungkook! Can you please help me!'' Jimin yelled and it was silent for a few seconds after. But then, he heard the sound of feet running down the stairs which he was so used to now. ''What's wrong? Did you slip?'' Jungkook asked while rushed into the living room. ''No, no, I just-'' Jimin stopped in the middle of his sentence to cough a few times which he could feel all the way in his lungs. ''Wanted to go upstairs, to look at the sea from the bedroom.'' He continued. ''Do you miss it?'' Jungkook asked, scratching the back of his neck. ''Not at all, but it gets unbearable to hear the sounds of the ocean without really seeing it. Just the waves slamming onto the rocks and the seafoam that's washed onto the shore.'' The mermaid explained and Jungkook swore he could feel his heart clench from grief when he heard Jimin's words. ''You hear the ocean? Even in the house?'' . ''Yes, all the time since I got sick. It's calling out to me.'' Jimin answered and blinked innocently with his eyes, not understanding that Jungkook thought it was so sad. ''D-does i-it sp-speak?'' The human boy asked, his eyes were focused on the ground, avoiding those dark brown eyes full of innocence and pain. ''Oh, no. The sea isn't a living being. But I can hear my hyungs, calling out to me.'' Jungkook's head immediatly snapped up and he locked eyes with Jimin. ''What do they say?'' He asked, curious as he was. ''They are concerned and miss me, why?'' The red-haired boy on the couch answered. ''I don't know.'' Jungkook shrugged his shoulders. ''If you care about them, then why are you letting them wait in unknown concern about you?'' . ''Because you are the one I care about. My boyfriend, my soulmate, my everything. I listen to you, I'm trying to ignore their calls.'' Jimin answered while nervously folding his hands together. Jungkook's mouth fell open in suprise. ''Don't!'' He shouted, scaring Jimin a bit with his loud voice all of a sudden. '''What do you mean? I-'' . ''Don't ignore them! It'll weaken you even more. And they're your hyungs, your brothers, why do you care about me more than them? They have always been with you, you grew up together. They miss you, Jimin.'' Jungkook's words made Jimin realise he was right, but still, he wouldn't give in. He loved his hyungs, don't get him wrong. But he also loved Jungkook, because he was his boyfriend. It was just complicated for the both of them. Jimin's mind was full of problems and no solutions, and that was what annoyed him the most. He couldn't do anything about it. The mermaid sighed and laid back on the couch. It was getting time, he thought. But he wouldn't give in to Jungkook's needs, not just yet.