"So she wasn't ignoring you?" Jimin was munching down the last of the pizza left in his fridge with Taehyung sitting on the sofa.

"No," he sighed, tossing the papers in his hands onto Jimin's coffee table, "She was just hurting."

Jimin sat down silently next to his friend, feeling a small smile creep upon his lips.

When Taehyung noticed, he raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Jimin, what?"

"She was just hurting," he repeated what Taehyung had said, finger quoting while doing so, "You literally had a one-eighty change so quickly because of her."

"No I didn't."

"Oh c'mon," he playfully punched his shoulder, "You never cared about what your other playthings were going through before."

"Don't call them that," Taehyung snapped, "Don't ever say that again."

"Tae..." Jimin frowned, "You're the one who used to call them that."

He didn't respond.

"I mean, I'm thrilled you've realised how wrong it is," he pouted, "But don't yell at me."

"Sorry," he huffed, sitting back in his seat, "Maybe you're right, maybe she's made me realise women are so, so much more than just their appearance."

"Atta boy," Jimin grinned, and while Taehyung didn't like it, he would never have said anything, "So you two like... boyfriend and girlfriend now or something?"

Taehyung furrowed his eyebrows, meeting his friend's gaze.

"Well, we've never actually had that conversation."

Jimin brought a hand to his forehead, "What are you doing, Tae?"

"I-" he sighed, looking down again, why didn't he talk to her about that? He had never had to put a label on anything before; he didn't know how to ask, what to ask, what to say, how to say it-

"Don't overthink," Jimin interrupted Taehyung's thoughts. It was as if he could see the cogs turning in his best friend's mind, "Just say whatever comes to your mind, you guys need to put a label on whatever it is you're doing... it'll get too dangerous otherwise. One of you will run away, I know it."

"I would never."

"Don't lie to me Kim Taehyung," Jimin placed his hand gently on his knee, "I can sense your fear from miles, don't forget that no matter what front you've put up, I know you just as well as you know yourself, sometimes even more."

He couldn't argue with that.

"Which is why I need you to stand your ground," his tone was getting deeper, and that's how Taehyung knew he was getting serious, "Because you're going to want to run away, you're going to be scared, you've never wanted to be with someone this badly. You don't even have to tell me that, I can see it all. You're going to fear yourself; what you want to do when you're with her, what you want to do when you're not with her, it's all gonna make you go crazy... but you need to stand your ground."

He tilted his head, boring his eyes into Jimin's. How was he so sure? How did it sound like Jimin had been in a miserable love story for fifty years? How did he just know Taehyung so well?

Taehyung thought back to all the women Jimin had seen, and no one stuck. He had never seen him with the same woman more than once.

So why did it sound like he had three lifetimes of experience?

"How are you so sure, Jimin? It might just be-"

"Because I believe in fate, Tae," he smiled sadly, "I believe that we all have a special someone. Who makes us change our ways, who makes us believe that happy endings are possible. Someone who makes us want to drop everything just so that we can spend the rest of our lives with them... and if only you could see the way you two look at each other! You were made for each other, and nothing will stop that."

He furrowed his eyebrows, trying to meet Jimin's gaze, but he couldn't. Was there something he didn't know? Why did it sound so sad coming from him? He never welcomed discussions like this, because he was so hell-bent on displaying the idea that he had no heart. But now all he wanted to do was shake Jimin by the shoulders until he spat out whatever it was that was worrying him.

"Are you alright?" he finally managed to ask.

"What?" as if pulled from a trance, he looked up to see Taehyung staring at him, concerned.

"You sound sad - no, you sound miserable."

"I'm fine," he pats Taehyung's shoulder, "Please talk to her. You need to."

"I will," he replied, the worry never leaving his eyes, his eyes never leaving Jimin's. "If anything was bothering you, you'd tell me, right?"

Jimin forced a laugh, and while he was just his friend, Taehyung could hear birdsong.

"Of course."

He hated how selfless he was. Taehyung was always the one being taken care of and Jimin was always looking after him. This was the only relationship he had wanted to keep for the longest time, and he hated how the majority of it was just Jimin coming to his rescue whenever he needed it.

Who was there for him?

There was nothing else on his mind now, the only thing he could think of was that whoever Jimin ended up with was going to be so damn lucky.

But, whoever it was had to be the best of the best, because he deserved nothing less.

When he looked at his best friend, he saw the world, the universe, the galaxy. Not because his eyes held all the stars and moons combined, but because his heart held everything and everyone to ever exist. Jimin held the whole world in his own being.

And the only person to see him for the amazing man he is got to keep him.

Taehyung would make sure of that.

--

"Please leave the documents in my desk tomorrow morning," Taehyung had finished the meeting, and Jiah was finishing up the minutes, the last director still in the room and finalising some things with Taehyung.

"Oh, before leaving," he said as the director headed for the door, "I'm not sure if you've met my new secretary, I hired her when you were still overseas."

"Oh yes," he turned to Jiah, "I was going to ask what happened to your old secretary."

"He, uh, he got shot," Taehyung said hesitantly, trying to recall what had happened. Truth be told, he hadn't even gone to visit him since he left the hospital the day he was admitted.

Jiah's eyes widened, turning to Taehyung. Shot?

"Lee Jiwon, that was his name, right?"

Jiah's mind was whizzing. She remembered that name. Where had she heard it from? Why did she remember it so vividly?

"This is Lee Jiah," Taehyung motioned to her, "Director Jung," he told Jiah.

She pulled herself from her trance and held her hand out to him, "Nice to meet you."

When they made eye contact, she felt him dig into her eyes, not making her uncomfortable, but curious. What was that supposed to be about?"

"Nice to meet you as well," he smiled politely again, picking up his iPad from the table again and turning to the door, "I'll get you the files before I head home today."

"Thanks, have a good afternoon!"

"Shot?" Jiah had asked as soon as they were alone.

"Yeah," he shook his head, "I know, it's crazy, right?"

"Why was he shot? Do you know?"

"I don't," and then he stood up straight suddenly, "I promise it's nothing to do with the job, though! It's not unsafe being my secretary, I swear!"

I wouldn't be so sure.

"Do you... do you have any pictures of him?"

Her curiosity got the best of her. She had thought while the name wouldn't jog any memories, maybe his face could.

But how was she going to explain why she needed to see a picture now?

"A picture?"

"His name seems familiar. I just wanted to see if I actually know him."

That made Taehyung smile - even though he didn't know why. He caught himself doing that here and then, however. He was just smiling at the smallest things she says or does.

"Back at my office I can show you his old resume," he said, walking to the door.

The uneasy feeling boiling in the bottom of her stomach was getting stronger and stronger with each step she took, and she knew why. She knew why she thought she could remember that name, and she was so worried she was right.

When they got to his office, Taehyung opened his employee folder, searching for 'Lee Jiwon'.

He clicked on the document, and immediately she shut her eyes.

She was going to be sick.

"Hey," his voice came right after she gripped her stomach, "What's wrong?"

"Sorry, I think I'm going to need some fresh air," she coughed awkwardly, "Would it be okay if I could go for a walk?"

He nodded, understanding and confusion mixed in his expression, "You can go home early if it's terrible."

She was about to decline the offer, but she thought about it for a second, this was something she had to tell Jungkook.

"Can I?"

"Yes, of course," he smiled before standing and stepping out of his chair, "Come, I'll take you home."

"Oh my gosh no, I couldn't ask you to do that," she tried to squeeze his hand, reassuringly, "I'll take a cab, don't worry."

He looked down at their hands, and it was as if he was holding the galaxy in his. Just say whatever comes to your mind, you guys need to put a label on whatever it is you're doing.

"Hey, wait, can I-" when she turned, he stopped. She looked like she was very ill. "Actually, it can wait. I'll walk you down."

"It's okay! Really, you-"

"Please let me," he cut her off.

"Okay, let's go."

When they opened the door to his office, they were met with Jimin, whose hand was reaching for the door handle.

"Well hello," his usually cheery voice had replaced the tone he had spoken with yesterday with Taehyung, and he was relieved, "Where are you guys off to?"

"I'll be right back Jimin, is it urgent?"

"Nope, I'm just bored," he grinned, "I'll wait in your office."

Jiah bowed and started walking to her desk to pack up her bag to leave, Jimin gave Taehyung a look as if to say 'Did you guys talk yet?' but he shook his head and mouthed at him 'Later'.

--

Back in Taehyung's office, Jimin was agitatedly shaking his leg, staring at his computer screen. Yesterday he had been notified of some changes in their security system over the past few months. He was left conflicted as to which side of the fence to stand on.

Jimin was hardly wrong about these things, and he could feel it in his whole body that this was no exception.

Every time the food and vegetable delivery truck was leaving their warehouse and passing through the security scanners; they turned off.

Now that can't be a coincidence.

And the only computer system that was ever turned on during this time every week was Jiah's.

That couldn't be a coincidence either.

But there was a small part of him that hated the idea that she could possibly be not who she said she was. That little part of him saw the way her copper eyes would light up when he walked into the room. The way her hands would gravitate in his direction, as if she was always ready just to touch him, to hold him.

It broke him.

He knew he was born with the gift of seeing people's hearts and not just their faces. No matter how hard he tried to look at the surface, he could never just see someone superficially. And he could see Jiah's breaking and breaking all for Taehyung.

But something just felt so wrong for him. He wanted his best friend happy, but nothing about their situation felt good.

The door opened, then, and instantly Jimin sat up, slamming his laptop screen down.

What am I doing?!

It was only right to tell him, wasn't it?

"Hey," Taehyung joined Jimin, sitting on the couch opposite him, "What's up?"

"Oh nothing," he huffed, "Wanna get something to eat?"