Dearest Hope || Completed

Begin

[VMIN]

"Say cheese!"
"Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese!"

Jimin took the picture and turned to look at his boyfriend. His eyes ran down that pretty face, beginning at the jet black hair, the scrunched up eyes, and finally, that box-shaped smile he had come to love so much. Kim Taehyung was his best friend and beloved. He was grateful to have him in his life.

***

Jimin had been depressed, suicidal, and generally so bothered about the opinions of those around him that didn't matter, that he had lost sight of what he had. He was bullied, and being a quiet kid, he bore it all with the resolution that he would not let any of it affect him. But even the strongest foundations crumble at the constant onslaught of the untiring sea. Jimin's wall broke and he slowly let the bullies' words open a doorway to previously unthinkable insecurities. No one read the signs right apart from Taehyung. He tried his best to keep Jimin happy, but it didn't help that they only met during breaks in school. They hadn't had the good fortune of being put in the same class.

The evening that piece of coal was lit, Taehyung had realised why Jimin had been tearful the entire day. He understood why his best friend had hugged him tight and whispered a quiet goodbye. As the suffocating smoke curled along the walls and floor, towards the hunched figure sobbing quietly in the corner, a young boy sped past street lamps and houses, all signs of his usual, lively box smile wiped off his features.

Taehyung jumped off his cycle, not caring where it fell, and rushed into his best friend's house. He had a key since Jimin's parents were out and the two families were very close. The door to Jimin's room opened to reveal a nightmare: a thick blanket of suffocating grey smoke, and in the far corner of the room, the hunched figure, now lying in an awkward position, indicating lifelessness.

Taehyung stared, horrified. Then he rushed forward and lifted up his best friend, somehow managing hoist him onto his back, before running as fast as he could towards the nearest hospital. Adrenaline and fear fueled his limbs as he tore along the street, prayers leaving his lips faster than he could think them up. The emergency area, Jimin on a stretcher, with an oxygen mask, was the last sight he saw before he collapsed onto a bench and gave in to the descending dark.

The next morning, someone was shaking him awake. It was the doctor that had handled Jimin when they had reached the hospital. She told him that everything would be okay, that Jimin hadn't breathed in too much smoke and that though the carbon monoxide poisoning in his blood was severe, it was nothing that couldn't be taken care of. She also told him that he had been very brave the previous night. He could now go and see Jimin.

The door opened and Taehyung saw him sitting weakly in the midst of huge, fluffy cushions. Jimin turned around and looked at him with his pretty eyes, and in that moment, Taehyung knew, he had found his one, his soulmate. He approached the bed slowly, the two of them never breaking eye contact, and suddenly, Jimin was gone, replaced by a watery blur. He staggered to the bed and hugged Jimin's waist, letting out all his emotions. He cried for an inordinately long period of time, softly punching Jimin's thigh, constantly repeating over and over agin, "Promise me you will never do this again! Please, promise me!"

Jimin wrapped his arms around Tae's head, stroking the silky hair, his heart broken to see his best friend in tears because of him. He felt terribly guilty for what he had been attempting to do. It had been so selfish of him! How could he do such a thing to someone he loved with all his heart?

***

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Jimin snapped back to the present with a start. He realised he had been staring at Tae for some time and his boyfriend was smirking, but there was also a hint of a blush on his cheeks.

"Just... thinking. About stuff. I'm so glad I have you in my life."

He leaned forward and kissed his lips. The two of them had never felt more at home.

***

The holidays had begun and Tae and his parents had spent a day at Jimin's house, the two families lounging about, talking, laughing, comfortable in like minded company. They had barbecued meat for lunch and the two boys had spent the entire time behaving like little kids, running around the backyard with Tae's dog, a frisbee, and even water guns. Their parents knew about their relationship and were more than delighted about it as both the adult couples had mentally adopted the others' son, accepting him as a part of their family.

This would be the last holiday they spent together like this. Tae's parents had to go for some work overseas for nearly a year, and they were taking him with them for the summer break. Two weeks before school reopened, he would return to live with an aunt and uncle, so that he wouldn't miss much of his final year. They would have let him stay at Jimin's, but the aunt had insisted he live with her, and they couldn't possibly refuse family.

Little did they know that this decision would turn out to be a huge mistake.