Jeongguk sits patiently on the bedroom floor, folding his legs and watching with fond eyes as Jimin goes about doing precisely what he said he would

Showing the other his plushie collection, which, Jeongguk soon discovers, he severely underestimated. Because Jimin seems to be materializing them. From under the bed, buried under some covers, some thrown here and there, some he even pulls from out of his closet and dresser drawers. Animals, video game characters, strange little creatures Jeongguk can't even give a name to. And they come in all sizes, from the smallest being able to fit in the palm of his hand to the largest being more than the size of his head.

Jimin gathers them all together. All twenty or thirty-something, gathered together in one great big pile he pushes towards the space between him and Jeongguk.

And he sits back to gaze at them. This group of plushies in all their quirky yet charming individualities, held in the boy's gaze in such a conspicuous tenderness. It seems he forgets Jeongguk is there for a moment and reaches out to play with the ears of the Pikachu plush.

"You like them a lot."

"Mhm."

Jeongguk can't help but smile, watching Jimin place the little yellow mouse on his lap. Then he grabs another one of the Pokémon plushies and puts that on his lap, too.

"This isn't even all of them."

"I-it's not?" In genuine shock, Jeongguk's jaw drops. The other boy shakes his head.

"I've been collecting them since I was a kid. I have the others in boxes in the basement. Sometimes I switch up which ones I keep in my room."

It appears to Jeongguk less of just a collection and more of an obsession. Not simply the amount of plushies, per say, but it's the way Jimin looks at them that strikes him as different. Like it's not a mere I like these things kind of gaze - more of the these are necessities kind.

His suspicion only grows as he watches the boy slowly wrap his arms around a large group of them and pull them close to him.

A desperate child, clinging.

"Do you just like them 'cus they're cute?" Jeongguk asks, gingerly reaching out to touch the little stuffed whale. He keeps his focus on Jimin to avoid missing any shift in the boy's expression.

And he catches it. A spark of sorts being set off in those eyes, ever fixed on these inanimate belongings of his.

It takes even longer than expected for him to respond. As if his thoughts slowed to a complete halt.

Jimin hides his mouth behind some of the plushies.

"They're...family...to me..."

A whisper, small and soft but filled with emotion. Jeongguk retracts his hand as Jimin appears to be reaching for the little whale.

Family.

Based on Hoseok's description, anything could conceivably be considered more of a family than Jimin's parents were to him. And that's the saddest part of it. That Jeongguk could already understand where Jimin is coming from without even hearing it from the boy himself.

"Did your parents ever hug you?"

Likely triggered by the question, Jimin's arms tighten their hold of the plushies. He nods but he doesn't even seem convinced about it.

"My mom used to hug me, it just always felt...off..."

Depressing. Jeongguk feels a chill sweep past his heart, and he has to resist the urge to throw aside Jimin's plushies to hug him. "So is that why, then?" He asks in a soft voice. "Why you started collecting them."

Another delayed reply.

"Jimin...don't cry..."

The boy hides his face fully behind his little stuffed animal friends, squeezing them with all his might. Like a lifeline. Like he's afraid of what might happen if he lets go at this point. "It's okay," he whispers. Jeongguk can hear Jimin's voice shake. "It's fine, they're just another part of my family, that's all. It's not that I don't...I don't, it's not that I don't love my mom and dad, it's just our house always felt really cold. That's all."

"Can you put the plushies down, Jimin-?"

"No, I won't."

A sharp, defensive tone. His voice is even more unstable now. Jeongguk watches the boy's face warily, reaching out once again to take one of the plushies Jimin couldn't fit in his arms. And it's an instantaneous reaction of panic - him jumping to conclusions, and thus releasing everything he's holding just to grab the one Jeongguk brushes with his fingertips.

They meet gazes. Jimin with his watery, pitifully distraught eyes and Jeongguk with his own pouring out a mix of deep sorrow and concern.

Jeongguk isn't the type of person to ever get on anyone's case about the things they love and value - that's their business, not his. But everything about this situation feels wrong - rather, that it shouldn't be this way, that it should never have been this way.

"So it's not just a collection, then. It's been a coping mechanism."

"It's family-"

"It's not family-"

"It is."

"And what about Hoseok? Are you putting Hoseok on the same level as these things?"

Jimin tenses noticeably. "No, he's not." He tries to hide his sniffles as his breath hitches. "Hoseok's more, he's different."

"Was he not enough to make the house feel warm?"

His eyes widen, staring at the ground and Jeongguk can just see a tear spill over the boy's cheek. "That's not—no, no, don't say that, it's a different story, he, he's enough-"

"He told me he didn't know about your cuts."

It hurts to say these things aloud and feel the peaceful atmosphere steadily decline. But Jeongguk feels it's necessary, so he endures it, braces himself.

"Jimin, why didn't you tell him?" He lowers his voice to as quiet as it can go while still being heard. "That something was wrong...he's your best friend, don't you think he could have helped? Or at least encouraged or comforted you? I understand not wanting to tell someone everything but..." Don't cry, I can't cry. "Why wouldn't you talk to Hoseok?"

Jimin blinks and another tear falls. But his crying is silent, yet dispiriting nonetheless. And he doesn't speak. Not for a while, though Jeongguk can tell he's trying, so he waits.

For Jimin, he waits.

"...of course I wanted to talk to Hobi." Jimin rubs his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. "But...I didn't tell him everything. I didn't go to him about everything, because I know that even though he doesn't say it, he doesn't have the best home life, either. His parents fight all the time. I know he's sad about it, so I don't want to burden him with my problems. I'm not so special, everyone's got 'em. Even you, Jeongguk."

"Right," Jeongguk nods, "but tell me this, Jimin, if Hoseok came up to you and asked you for help, would you turn him away because of what you're dealing with? Or would you want to do what you could to help him?"

No hesitation this time. "Of course I'd want to help him."

"And I want to help you."

It affects him - clearly, but the boy tries again to hide behind the wall he holds in his arms. It doesn't stop Jeongguk from continuing.

"Jimin, just because we've all got things we're dealing with, doesn't make yours, doesn't make any of our problems less important. 'Cus I'll tell you one thing, if I woke one day without my eyesight, or maybe I broke my legs and couldn't play sports anymore, and Tae called me and told me he's sad, you can bet your life I'd be there to hug him till he stops crying."

He pauses until Jimin finally tears his gaze from the floor to look at him.

"And I'm here for you, too."

The atmosphere stops declining. It rests at a standstill now.

"Jimin, could you put the plushies down?"

It's a gradual process, but the lack of immediate rejection alone is a leap forward in Jeongguk's mind. So again, he waits with patience for Jimin, until the boy at last looses his constricting hold on the plushies and allows them to tumble to the floor with the others.

His face is in full view again. Tear-stained eyes and cheeks, quivering lips. To Jeongguk's surprise, Jimin soon pushes all the plushies away from him, opening up the space between the two boys. And he's the one to close it, to reach out in desperation and embrace Jeongguk, who reciprocates by wrapping his arms warmly, securely around the other.

They hold each other. Jimin trembling, Jeongguk using 110% of his concentration so he won't do the same. But after a while he can't help it, and his body, too, starts to tremble. He lifts his hand to press against the back of Jimin's head.

"I'm sorry, Jimin-"

"Don't-"

"No, I need to." He squeezes him tighter. "I never apologized for the other night. I shouldn't have yelled. I'm so sorry..."

"...it's 'cus you cared..."

Not the reply he expected. Not even close, which is why Jeongguk's heart twinges so badly because of it. "Right, exactly. That's exactly right...but I shouldn't have...still..."

"It's okay..."

"Is it?" Jeongguk pulls away to rest a hand on the boy's cheek. Softly, caressing the skin moistened from tears. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

Jimin stares back, at first in minor puzzlement, but in just a moment his eyes drift away from Jeongguk and his cheeks regain that cute, soft shade of red. It doesn't go unnoticed by the other.

"Jimin?"

"I'm not...gonna ask you..."

"To what, kiss you again?"

The color burns brighter. Jeongguk permits himself a smile as he brings Jimin's face closer to him. "Well, if you won't ask me," he whispers, "can I?"

"...mhm."

So he brings him forward the rest of the way. Again, claiming Jimin's soft lips, feeling even more comfortable this time so he smiles into the kiss. Holding Jimin close, nipping at the boy's bottom lip which seems to catch him off guard but rather than pulling away, Jimin soon relaxes and is humming gently as he shyly kisses back. And Jeongguk's heart and mind spin wildly out of control.

It almost feels unreal. Deep in his mind, a part of him can't comprehend that he's actually kissing Jimin, as though from the start, it seemed impossible.

But he tastes him, Jimin's sweet lips, and he feels the warmth of the boy's breath on his skin. Vivid. Unforgettable.

It's so vivid. Jimin is vivid.

He entwines his fingers in Jimin's hair, kisses the corner of his mouth, elation, a burning sensation surfacing in his cheeks as he silently coaxes Jimin to sit on his lap, moving their lips together until the point where they're both out of breath.

The smaller boy buries his face into Jeongguk's neck.

He's quivering again.

"...you okay?"

"Stay tonight."

Jeongguk runs his hand gently down Jimin's back before wrapping it around his waist. He smiles and kisses the boy's head. "I'd love to..."

—