Home (Taehyung x BTS)

4

"Happy birthday, Seokjin-hyung!" Taehyung cheered when he woke the older man up. 

He helped the older man sit up, smiling at his sheep-printed pajamas. "Huh? It's not my birthday," Seokjin said after a groan. 

Taehyung sighed; this was going to be a very frustrating moment for the both of them. "Yes it is, hyung. Today is December the fourth -- your seventy-second birthday," he explained, holding the older man's glasses to him. 

"No, Taehyung, it's not my birthday!" he insisted, glaring as the younger man moved towards the closet. 

"What day do you think it is, then?" Taehyung asked, picking out a white shirt and a light-pink jumper to go over it. 

Seokjin yawned again. "It's June thirtieth." 

Taehyung shook his head, pulling out his phone to show the other the date and time. "See? December fourth, your seventy-second birthday." 

Anger took over in Seokjin's eyes; Taehyung knew what was going to happen next. 

"No, no, no!" he yelled, smacking Taehyung's phone out of his hand. "Stop lying! All you fucking do is lie!"

Taehyung tried not to let the words get to him; Seokjin had been lashing out like this for a while now. He knew the older man couldn't help it, but it hurt so damn much. 

He inhaled deeply, holding his hands out for the older man to take. "Seokjin-hyung," he grunted, pulling him up, "I've never lied to you. Your brain is destroying your memory, remember?"

There was a pause, then the click of realization on Seokjin's face. Taehyung sighed. "What do I always tell you?" 

"No matter what, always believe you," Seokjin mumbled, hanging his head while Taehyung unbuttoned his shirt. 

"Correct. I'm not lying to you; it is your birthday. My kids and their husbands and my grandkids are coming over with all your favorite foods. We're gonna have a good time, alright?" Taehyung said, lifting Seokjin's chin to peer into his eyes. 

Seokjin looked like he was ready to break down, so Taehyung ran a hand through his hair. "This is why you asked me to take care of you, hyung. It's gonna be okay."

-------

Taehyung wanted to cry, but he didn't want to show any weakness. 

Seokjin was currently in his arms, sobbing into his chest. 

He spent an entire hour asking who the lady in all the pictures around his house were, insisting that he never had a wife when Taehyung told him who she was. 

Now, Taehyung held him close, pressing kisses to his hair every few seconds. 

"I-I can't believe I e-ever forgot...her!" Seokjin wailed, voice muffled in the depths of the younger man's sweater. "I promised her I-I'd never for...forget her! I'm a horrible, horrible husband!" 

"You're not a horrible husband, hyung," Taehyung mumbled, rubbing the older man's back. "If you were, she never would have stayed with you. I bet she's watching you right now, understanding what you're going through. Don't beat yourself up over something you can't control." 

Seokjin held onto him tighter, sobbing hard. "I miss h-her so much, Taehyung. I wanna be with her so, so badly." 

Taehyung rested his cheek on Seokjin's head. He felt like that all the time. 

He wanted to be with Jungkook, the boy he raised. He wanted to be with Jimin, the boy he saved. He wanted to be with Namjoon, the boy he dreamed with. He wanted to be with Hoseok, the boy he learned patience with. He wanted to be with Yoongi, the man who saved him. 

He wanted to be with Seokjin, too. 

Maybe in another life, all seven of them could have been friends -- family. Taehyung could have loved them all at once. He could have poured all his love into them all at once and get their love in return. 

Instead, he got to spend various stages of his life with them, one at a time. 

He held Seokjin until the older man fell asleep against him, still snuggled into his chest. "I love you, hyung. I hope you know that."