Fan Boy (VMinKook FF)

Chapter 22 - Anxiety

Taehyung

It had been hours since the others left, and Jimin was still missing, with no word of his whereabouts.

I felt absolutely horrible.

I kept replaying our fight in my head, and just imagining my harsh words made me cringe with shame.

I shouldn't have brought up his past like that. He didn't deserve to have that thrown in his face.

I hugged my knees to my chest and dropped my head; allowing more tears to puddle in my eyes.

Please come back to me.

~

Someone touched my shoulder and I woke with a startle.

"Hey, they found him. He's okay," Jin whispered.

I felt instant relief. All the anxiety that had consumed me over the last eight hours suddenly melted away, and I was finally able to breathe again.

"He's on his way back. Some guy found him and helped him," Jin continued.

"Oh, thank God," I said, placing my hand over my heart.

Jin smiled softly at me and I returned it with a tight hug. "Thank you. I don't know how I would have coped without you."

Jin just chuckled and pat my back; humming. "That's what Hyung is for."

We eventually separated and I wiped my tired eyes. Somehow, I had managed to get an hour of sleep. Although, it wasn't very restful.

"I'm just going to clean up a little before the others get back, okay?" Jin said, picking up the basket of clean clothes beside me.

I nodded and watched him walk out of the room, before raking my fingers through my hair and slumping back against the sofa.

God, how do people survive weeks without seeing their partners? I almost lost my mind after 8 hours.

I stretched and got to my feet; deciding to make use of the time I had before Jimin came home. So I went to his bedroom to search for his favourite pair of tracksuit pants, and woolly socks; laying them out neatly on the bed with one of my recently worn jumpers.

I wanted him to smell my scent when he returned, as he had previously mentioned how soothing he found it.

Maybe I should run him a bath too. He was probably outside in the cold all night.

I turned towards the bathroom and checked my stock of bath salts, candles, and aromatherapy oils, before deciding on a simple vanilla bath bomb I had purchased last week.

Mmm. Simple is better.

Then I made my way to the kitchen and started pulling out ingredients.

"Jin Hyung, I need your help!" I called while heating a pot on the stove.

"What with?" He asked, walking into the room.

"Tteokbokki. He will be starving. What else have I forgotten?" I asked, scratching my head.

Jin checked over the ingredients and clicked his finger. "Chilli flakes. You forgot the most important part."

"Ah, yes! I knew there was something," I said, turning around to collect the jar from the pantry.

"Do you remember how to make it? Or do you want me to help you?"

"Ahh. I think it would be better if you helped me. I don't want to mess it up," I said with a timid smile.

Jin laughed and began preparing the items; making sure to divide enough for a large meal.

"Thank you, again. You're the best Hyung," I said sincerely.

Jin gave me a small smile and passed me the bowl of frozen rice cakes. "One day, I won't be there to help you Taehyungie, and you will have to do this on your own, you know?"

His tone caught me off guard and I felt my face falter. "I know. I guess, I want to make the most of it now then."

He rubbed the top of my hand with a nod and resumed mixing the Tteokbokki sauce in silence.

But for some reason, the atmosphere now felt a little tense.

"Hey Hyung. Is everything alright? I know I don't ask you often, but I do care if something's on your mind."

Jin frowned and the sound of the spoon scraping inside the metal bowl seemed to increase in volume. "I'm just worried, you know? I worry that you and Jimin will struggle on your own when you don't have your Hyungs. It's a big world out there and I know how cruel it can be. How challenging."

I pouted and stopped filling the pot I had in my hands. "Hyung, don't make me sad again. I don't want to think about that yet. When the time comes, we will deal with it. But until then, can we just enjoy our time together."

"Okay. But I want you to know, I will always be your Hyung though. Even when you're 100 years old," he said with a wink.

I slapped his arm and laughed; enjoying the close camaraderie I shared with my favourite Hyung.

"In all seriousness though, have you thought about what you're going to say to Jimin-ah?" Jin asked, adding the rice cakes to the soup base.

The laughter caught dead in my throat and I stretched my lips into a thin line.

"Not really. I guess, I'll apologise and hopefully, he'll forgive me," I explained.

"He's sensitive Taehyungie. You need to be careful with how you approach it. Maybe let him settle in first before trying to speak with him."

I let out a sigh and looked down at the floor. "I miss him Hyung. I hate this sudden distance between us. It feels horrible."

"I know. But the best thing you can do is be patient with him. We all know his past, and if you said what you think you said, he's going to need time. It's not going to fix itself with a simple 'Sorry'. So, give him the meal and let him relax. You can talk tomorrow."

I nodded sadly and leaned my head on Jin's shoulder. "Fine."

"No sulking, Taehyungie. Help me dish this up."

I hummed absently and grabbed a large bowl; placing it on the bench. Then I collected some chopsticks and a glass of water.

"Anything else you want to organise for him? Maybe something small for dessert?"

I turned to search in the cupboard for some chocolate-covered almonds, but the sound of the front door unlocking pulled me from my task.

Dae Bak! He's here!

I quickly rushed out of the room and met with the others just inside the door.

"You're back!" I exclaimed. "Is he okay?! Where is he?!"

"He's coming. He just needed a minute to collect himself. Also, don't freak out, but we asked someone to join us."

"Who?"

And that's when he opened the door.

The same man who had tempted Jimin.

The fanboy.

With his arms wrapped around my lover's waist.