You Are Loved ◦ JungHope

Part 15

Jungkook and Hoseok were having dinner together one night, cuddling on the couch while a movie played when Jungkook's phone started to ring.

"Hm? Who's that?" Hoseok asked, peering over Jungkook's shoulder to see.

"Uh- nobody Seokie, here, you can keep watching the movie I'll just be a second." Jungkook spoke quickly, as he moved the phone away from Hoseok's line of sight and got up.

"Are you sure?" Hoseok asked, surprised at Jungkook's sudden movements.

But Jungkook was nodding, calling back, "I'm sure! I'll be right back Seokie, don't eat all the croissants while I'm gone!" Before stepping out into the hallway. Hoseok's voice muffled through the door, "No promises!" Causing Jungkook to smile as he walked down the hall and brought the phone up to his cheek.

"Yoongi hyung?"

"Hey Kookie, is Seok-ah there with you?" Yoongi's voice came through the receiver as Jungkook walked into the bedroom him and Hoseok had been sharing.

"No, I figured you wanted updates on how things have been going so I stepped out for a second."

"Well, you're right about that. But did he see that I called you?" Yoongi asked as Jungkook walked out onto the balcony.

"I don't think so, we were watching a movie so he should be distracted right now."

Yoongi hummed in thought. "Alight, I just don't want him to think that I'm babying him too much. You know how he gets, but I just...I worry. I can't help it."

"Yeah, I know hyung. He knows that too." Jungkook reassured as he leaned against the railing, the cool nights hair breezing past his bangs.

"So, how is he? Is our old Seok-ah back yet?" Yoongi asked, hopeful yet tentative.

"He's..." Jungkook bit his lip. "I don't think he ever left? But I also...don't think the old Seokie is ever going to come back..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I think that what Seokie went through...changed him. But at the same time, didn't. He's still Hobi, he's still the same hyung I fell in love with. But he's just...got some scars that need to heal. We're laughing and playing like we always would, it's just that there's moments that we come across, little battles and challenges that we have to stop and work through. It's...hard. The emotional whiplash is hard sometimes, but I wouldn't trade this for anything. I can see him learning how to be okay again. How to live with his scars and...and I think Sangchul took our old Seokie with him when we kicked that fucker out of our Seokies life. But this new...like...mending heart, stronger version of Seokie that grew from all of this is...he's incredible hyung. You would be proud of how he's doing."

Jungkook took a deep breath, drawing his gaze away from the moonlit ocean to find the stars twinkling overhead. "I think he's going to be working through some baggage for awhile. Or who knows, forever, maybe. But I know one thing is for sure, and it's that I love him, and I'm not going to let him go through any of this alone."

Jungkook closed his eyes, the statement just feeling right. His chest swirling with that warm feeling again, as if the blood in his veins were made of cherry blossom petals in spring, and all he wanted to do was run back into Hoseok's arms in that moment and never leave them again.

Lost in his own thoughts, he was finally brought back to reality with Yoongi's uncharacteristically long silence. "Uh...Yoongi hyung? You there?"

"You love him." Was all Yoongi whispered through the phone.

And the realization dawned onto Jungkook then.

That was the first time he'd admitted out loud that he was in love with Hoseok.