It happened shortly after the fireworks began.

For the most part, Jimin had been fully invested in the fantastic display of lights and colors in the sky, and he was perfectly satisfied holding Yoongi's hand while watching them, too. It was like a date. A romantic date. Except they weren't dating. Jimin had to remind himself of this, otherwise he might have accidentally done something he shouldn't.

That aside, somewhere in the middle of the fireworks, Jimin noticed something. A couple things, actually, starting with the feeling of Yoongi's grip on his hand weakening. And when he looked at Yoongi, Jimin saw that the boy's face had become pale. Unusually and concernedly pale. His breathing was shaky. But this time, Jimin knew it wasn't because of anxiety or anything of the sort. Something else was wrong.

"Yoongi, are you feeling alright?"

"Fine, I'm fine."

He wasn't. His suspiciously quick answer only added to Jimin's hunch. He pressed his free hand against Yoongi's forehead.

"Holy crap, you're hot."

"Thanks, I guess..."

"N-no, I mean, Yoongi, I think you have a fever."

Yoongi's eyelids, which were already half-closed, blinked once, slowly, as he whispered, "Nah, that can't be right."

Jimin felt Yoongi's cheek, then the back of his neck--both an uncomfortably high temperature. He didn't know when this had happened. Yoongi hadn't let on at all that he was feeling unwell. Now all of a sudden the mint-haired boy appeared on the verge of passing out.

"Jimin, I don't feel so good."

"See, I freaking told y-"

He stumbled forward into Jimin's arms, and by the time Jimin managed to find a bench for them to sit on, Yoongi had lost consciousness for the second time that day. And Jimin spun into a panic for the second time that day. Yoongi was burning up. Sweat covered his face and neck. Anxious, Jimin took out his phone and hastily called Namjoon's number. Maybe he can help. He's bound to know what to do.

The phone rang once. Twice. Three times.

Click.

"Jimin?"

"Namjoon, something's wrong with Yoongi," Jimin blurted.

"What? What do you me--no, I-...I'm on the phone, Jin, just a sec--what's wrong, Jimin? Is he okay?"

"His body's really hot, I think h-"

"Whoa, now hold on there, buddy."

"Let me finish. I think he has a fever."

"Let me talk to him."

"He's out cold."

"I thought you said he was really hot."

"Namjoon, please..." Jimin released a sigh of exasperation. "I'm worried and I don't really know what to do. Can you please help me?"

"Yeah...yeah, of course I will. Just tell me where you are."

Jimin lifted his head for a moment and looked around. "Near the amusement park entrance, right outside this place selling ice cream. Is that specific enough?"

"Yeah, I think I know where you're talking about. I'll be there as soon as I can. Just hang on."

"Alright," Jimin replied softly, gaze drifting over to Yoongi's resting face. "Hurry."

Wrapping his arm around the boy's shoulders, Jimin held Yoongi close to him, wanting to be a source of comfort, even though Yoongi wasn't awake to appreciate it. His body was still trembling. Jimin hated that. He held Yoongi tighter.

Namjoon arrived before two minutes went by. Seokjin was with him, having been somewhat informed as to what was going on. And, he, too, was concerned. Even though he didn't know Yoongi all that well, Seokjin liked to think the two were friends; however he doubted he would be able to help much in the situation. Nevertheless, Jin had planned to follow Namjoon around anyway, and if this is where it led him, then so be it.

Namjoon walked over to the bench and felt Yoongi's forehead.

"Holy crap, you're right." His expression sobered. "We need to get him home. Definitely not a good idea for him to be out right now..." The blond let out a prolonged sigh, and he fixed his eyes on his best friend's face. "Did this just happen suddenly? Probably, right? Yoongi would never let anyone know if he were feeling under the weather until absolutely necessary. Such a stubborn guy..."

"Should we call his parents?" Jimin asked, looking up at Namjoon, who soon after shook his head.

"No, they're probably fast asleep by now," he answered. "Not night owls in the slightest, those two. But it's alright, I brought my car. I can just drive him home."

"I'll go with you," Jimin said quickly. Namjoon shot him a curious glance.

"You...don't have to do that," he told him. "I can take care of it. You can enjoy the rest of the festival-"

"No, I want to see to it that he gets home safe," Jimin insisted, giving Yoongi a tight squeeze so as to prove that to Namjoon. "Besides, the fireworks are over, and that was the main event of the festival. I don't have any particular reason to stay."

A short moment of silence settled as Yoongi's two closest friends looked into each other's eyes, both examining the other for different reasons. Meanwhile Jin couldn't help but stare at Namjoon with warmth in his gaze, feeling nothing but admiration for how much the blond clearly cared about his friend. A part of him even felt a little jealous. But he kept that to himself. There's a time and a place.

"Fine, then," Namjoon said eventually. "Help me take him to my car."

Jimin's mood perked. Then the two boys took gentle hold of Yoongi's arms and swung them around their necks, and they took him directly to Namjoon's car parked on the street nearest to the pier. He had been extremely lucky in that sense, being able to find a parking spot so close to the beach. He was relieved, too, because it meant he and Jimin didn't have to carry Yoongi as far.

It was nearing midnight at this point. Namjoon climbed into the front seat of his car, Jimin now in the back with Yoongi, still unconscious, leaning against him. The boy didn't wake up, nor did he shuffle even slightly the entire ride home.

When they arrived at Yoongi's house, Namjoon and Jimin proceeded to carry their sleeping friend up the stairs, and, using the house key Namjoon knew was buried in Yoongi's backpack, they were able to unlock the door and take him inside. Dark and quiet inside. Save, that is, the single light in the hallway that Yoongi's parents intentionally left on.

"His room's this way. We can take him there."

Yoongi's room? "R-right."

So that's where they took him. And they laid him, oh so gently, on his bed, careful to make sure his head was resting comfortably on the pillows. Namjoon pulled the covers over the boy's body and let out a slow, heavy breath, once again staring thoughtfully at Yoongi's closed eyelids. Some time passed.

"Yoongi's parents are borderline workaholics," he said out of nowhere, which puzzled Jimin. "They'll be up in another five hours or so and out of the house, meaning Yoongi will be here alone. They won't be here to take care of him. And I made plans to spend time with my sister tomorrow, and she'd be upset if I suddenly canceled on her. But I love Yoongi to death and I wouldn't want him to be all by himself in his time of need. Man, if only there were someone else who could spend the night here with him, and possibly stay here tomorrow as well to nurture him back to health...sigh..."

He wasn't being subtle at all. Namjoon knew that, and more importantly Jimin knew that, but that side-glance Jimin received from the blond still caught him off guard. His eyes shot open.

"Me??"

"Yes, you." Namjoon stifled a laugh. "Who else?"

"You want me to stay here? At Yoongi's house??"

"...yeah. Is that a problem?" Namjoon tilted his head. "I was under the impression you were really concerned about him."

"Well, I-I mean of course I am, but-"

"But you're shy because you have the biggest crush on him."

"Yeah, that's kind of the p-..."

He froze. His jaw dropped, cheeks reddening at the abrupt realization that 1.), Namjoon hit the nail on the head, and 2.), Jimin agreed to his claim without thinking. There's still time to deny, his mind quickly told him. Hurry.

"Wait, no, that's not it at all, I just-"

"Jimin, I saw the way you were looking at him," Namjoon interrupted, voice coated in certainty. "And that's not just concern in your eyes, my friend. You're in love with him. You can't fool me. When it comes to Yoongi, nothing can get by me."

Jimin hung his head, but he wasn't upset. He kind of saw this coming, anyway. If anyone were to notice, it would definitely be Namjoon. "I didn't think I would fool you," he said with a laugh. "But can we not talk about this now? I'm still figuring things out, and I don't want to say anything in case Yoongi suddenly decides to wake up, ya know?"

"Of course." Namjoon smiled warmly at Jimin, then nodded in understanding. "But...you are okay with staying here with him, right? I'm sure Yoongi would really appreciate it if you were there for him when he wakes up."

Jimin looked at Yoongi. Then at Namjoon. Then at Yoongi again. Then back at Namjoon. He drew in a deep breath and whispered, "Okay, I'll do it. I'll stay."

"You're a true friend, Jimin."

Namjoon was gone in the blink of an eye. All was quiet. You could have heard a pin drop in the room. That is, until Jimin's ears were unexpectedly greeted by a creaking sound. Startled, he flinched and turned to Yoongi. Contrary to Jimin's suspicion, the mint-haired boy hadn't woken up, but was rather shifting his position in his sleep. He was lying on his side now. Still in a deep sleep. Not a pleasant sleep, it seemed. Yoongi's hands were trembling, and his facial features every now and then would twitch. Either pain or nightmares, Jimin thought. Whichever be the case, the sight of it saddened him. He just wanted Yoongi to rest well. But what could he do?

"Maybe the light's bothering him..."

So Jimin turned the light off. A thought struck him just then. Where was he going to sleep? He couldn't use the living room couch. What if Yoongi suddenly woke up and needed something? Jimin would be too far away. He wouldn't be much help. And that was what he was here for. To help. To be there for Yoongi.

The only other option was the bed.

It's just for the night, he told himself, hoping to calm his rapidly beating heart. Yoongi will understand.

So Jimin drew in a deep breath and, as quietly as he could, climbed into bed to lay next to Yoongi. He could feel himself blushing like crazy. First a 'date' and now this?

Yoongi was so close. Jimin would have watched his face for hours, but he couldn't. Not in the state the boy was in now. The twitching, the trembling...it made Jimin's chest hurt. His gaze swept over Yoongi, slowly, until it rested on his curling fingers. The curling fingers of those beautiful, soft hands Jimin had held mere hours ago.

Maybe doing so again would comfort him, Jimin wondered. It worked then. It could work now.

He gave it a try. With a hopeful mind he set his hand atop Yoongi's, then entwined their fingers. Seconds passed. Yoongi stopped trembling.

Jimin was internally screaming at this point, his heart ready to leap out of his chest and do somersaults around the room. And yet, strangely, he also felt at peace. Lying here next to Yoongi...it felt right. And Jimin was happy. He was so freaking happy that he wanted to wake Yoongi up to hug him. And kiss him.

He really wanted to kiss Yoongi.

No, don't get ahead of yourself, Jimin. You haven't even told him how you feel.

That didn't change anything. He still couldn't stop himself from staring at Yoongi's lips, his thin, pink, soft-looking, kissable lips.

Jimin moved an inch closer to him. A peck wouldn't hurt, right?

Just then Yoongi shuffled in his sleep. Only slightly, but enough to dismiss that little idea of Jimin's straightaway. What am I thinking??

"Jimin..."

Jimin's face flushed. A sleepy whisper had slipped out of Yoongi's mouth, and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

Oh, this is torture. He's just asking to be kissed.

He wouldn't be able to sleep like this. It would prey on his mind all night, so the moment Yoongi was back to being silent and absolutely still, Jimin cautiously leaned over and pressed a quick yet gentle kiss on Yoongi's lips.