ᴄᴀʟʟ ɪᴛ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ

eighteen

"You know," Jimin started, pulling the bear from Taehyung's grasp, a little forcefully too, since the latter was clinging on to it as if it was his life. "You should really start talking more often. It's starting to creep me out the way you keep zoning out every time. What's gotten into you?"

Then, as if on cue, Taehyung looked up at his friend and licked his lips.

"Sorry hyung," he breathed out. "It's just. . . Nothing, nevermind, just get back to what-"

"Okay wait," Jimin scoffed, pushing the younger back down when he tried to stand up from where he was sitting. "You tell me to stop washing the dishes so I can rest, I come back here and I spot my favourite stuffed animal I was supposed to bring with me to the States. Then you come in here suddenly snatching the poor thing outta my hands, and you just sit there, hugging it close to your chest, like you were just mourning someone's loss!" Jimin paused to look at his friend dead in the eyes.

"Have you always been doing this ever since I've left? That's just straight up creepy, Taehyung."

And then again, Taehyung just stuttered out one of his responses, mainly to try and dismiss his nagging friend, "It's really nothing! I swear. I'm just really tired-"

"So you decided to have a mental breakdown with Mr Sprinkles. Oh that makes so much sense."

Suddenly undetermined by whatever Taehyung wanted to accomplish in the first place, he sighed in defeat.

"Jay," he said finally, mood dropping drastically between the two present in the room just by the mention of the said toddler. Dropping both his hands by his side on the bed, Taehyung waited. He waited until he felt the fabric underneath sagging to his left, as Jimin quietly took a seat beside him.

"Your darned stuffed bear," Taehyung snickered, or at least tried to. "He used to play with it all the time."

After that sentiment, Jimin nodded understandingly, his arm coming around Taehyung's back to find comfort in pulling the latter in a warm embrace.

"He really meant that much to you, huh," Jimin whispered the quietest of whispers once he felt like the silence needed remedy.

Taehyung processed this carefully, staring down at the ground hard. Before he finally spoke up and whispered, even quieter than Jimin had,

"More than I had ever known."

-

Before either of them knew it, the next morning's dawn blanketed over the face of the earth.

Jimin was already up and wanting to prepare breakfast, much like he had the previous hours he was back.

He sighed with concern.

Sometimes, he really ever wondered how Taehyung was able to survive living by himself, without anyone doing anything for him. It would be just him, doing things for himself.

Then of course, he gets news about how a toddler just comes into the picture. He never really knew about Taehyung's capability until the said person existed in their lives.

The temporary change must have been good. Jimin knew Taehyung needed someone to care for once in a while anyway.

Jay must've held a special part in Taehyung's heart, Jimin thought. It's a shame he had to leave as soon as he had appeared.

Jimin has had only one screen encounter with the child that's been spoken of too many times to count. And even then, couldn't resist the urge to meet the little fella in real life.