𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐆𝐔𝐄𝐒 ✦ jikook

t h i r t y . t h r e e

Laughter paints the pristine white walls of the patient room a bright and joyful aura as Jimin sits on the mattress talking face to face with Dae-Hyun, whom is laughing crinkle-eyed and wiping off the tears as he eyes Jimin bathing in warm sunlight. Smiling in sync with him. Jungkook is also there and smiles whenever he steals glances from Jimin. He rubs the back of his hand while switching his observation to the bouquet of flowers they just got from the small flower shop opposite his hyung's flat.

"You see, this anchor here is the one that I like the most." Dae-Hyun unbuttons his hospital gown enough for Jimin to see a black-inked tattoo, small enough that it fits in the meaty gap between the collarbones and he looks up, smiling warmly. "It's a memory of Chin-Hwa and I..."

"Um, hyung, if you don't feel like it, you can stop-" Jimin reassures after seeing Dae-Hyun trails off, concern written all over his face due to the fact that he doesn't want to push Dae-Hyun too hard that he reverts back to his emotionally fragile state but all that receives back is his hyung's tanned firm hand on top of his and a light squeeze. 

"It's okay. I feel better when I spill all of it to you." Jimin looks up and for the first time in his life, he sees the smile that's once broken marvels itself into something beautiful. A bright and marvelous artifact. "It's one of my first injuries and memories."

"Bittersweet then."

"Yes..." Silence fills the room as Dae-Hyun caresses the tattoo gingerly. "I got this when the anchor hit me while we were sight-seeing the corals in Hawaii, resulting in my getting two of these together." Jimin looks at the light-colored scar that floats on the surface of Dae-Hyun's tanned skin and his eyes can't help but glitter at it and the inked anchor that's just above the injury. Dae-Hyun is a strong and courageous man. It would be inevitable that he bled a lot considering the fact that the scar stretches itself along his chest but conversing about it as a memory with a playful and self-proud tone like that due to the fact that it has the presence of his childhood friend in it would be another story. Just then, the door's creaking startles Jungkook and he looks up to see his hyung, Seokjin, standing and observing them fondly while leaning against the frame. 

"New prescriptions?" Dae-Hyun tilts his head to the side, his hand never leaving Jimin's which irritates Jungkook a bit, just a bit. "I don't recall having medicine this time."

Seokjin unleashes a breathy laugh while sauntering to Dae-Hyun's bedside and smiles at him. "You're going to be discharged from hospital this afternoon."

"What?" Dae-Hyun asks him astoundingly but he looks at Jin with an unreadable expression, it was somewhere between surprise and happy, too happy - A feeling Jimin himself went through but he couldn't express them through words. He gives Dae-Hyun his infamous eye-smile to congratulate his hyung and no later he's engulfed in a tight, heart-warming embrace, which he returns it with a loose one and an encouraging pat on the back.

"Congratulations hyung," Jimin exclaims while being hugged tightly as he looks at Jungkook who's looking at him with adoration. "Keep in touch when you're out okay?"

"Why not, Minnie?" Dae-Hyun calls him by his nick name with his eyebrows raised while grabbing onto Jimin's delicate shoulders, indicating he will indeed meet up with him soon in the future. "Oh, and you keep that smile on your face, it's pretty."

"That's great to hear Dae-Hyun but unfortunately we now have business to solve." Jungkook, seemingly to have lost in front of Dae-Hyun's and Jimin's skin ship moments, decides to answer instead of Jimin and stand up with his phone still beeping from his hand which notifies him that he has incoming messages. He politely bows to his two hyungs while grabbing Jimin's arm. "I wish we would meet up soon." With that, Jungkook drags his petite hyung out of the hospital room, who leaves two dumb-founded latters a wave.