[1] Code: RED || KTH

Ch27: Scent And Warmth

This Christmas doesn't go as well as I expected it to.

Taehyung and I spent most of the day at my parents house, and they accepted him as my friend now. It was a little off that Seokjin didn't come over because he spends Christmas with us, but he said he was 'busy' which sounded like a lame excuse to me.

Ignoring the fact that Yoongi drank too much and threw up on the Christmas tree my mom worked so hard on decorating, I could tell that the day went fairly well until I got a call at night, right before I left my parents house.

It was Jimin, and his words were quick and hasty, almost inaudible as he mumbled in shaky breaths, which made my heart drop to my feet. Although I didn't catch all his words, I got the main context which was Jungkook suddenly falling sick.

The only thing which made Jimin panic so much was that Jungkook very rarely fell sick, even though he was classified as one of the "weak" hybrids. And as his best friend and someone who knows a lot about hybrids, I was the first who came to Jimin's mind when his hybrid friend started having symptoms.

So I try to stay calm when I rush into Jimin's apartment at a late hour of night with Taehyung following me like a lost puppy. After checking up on Jungkook and asking a few questions here and there, I leave his bedroom and shut the door quietly, meeting the faces of an anxious Jimin and an actually-worried-trying-to-look-indifferent Taehyung.

"It seems like a usual flu," I say, giving Jimin a reassuring smile as I notice how tense he is, "He'll be fine in a couple of days at most. I can write you down a medicine that will help."

He hums in response, rubbing his arm with one hand. "So no need to take him to the clinic?"

I shake my head. "Not really."

It falls silent for a few seconds, and I bite down on my lower lip, preparing myself to ask a certain question and talk about it. I start feeling my hands sweating and my heart accelerating, but I know it's for the best, so I take in a breath before I speak.

"Jimin," I call softly, and he looks up at me with wide eyes and a small pout. "How old is Jungkook?"

Jimin's face falls, and for a moment I, myself, feel like I can hear his heart drop, and I know it's because this is the real reason why he panicked so much, why he is on the edge right now, running his hand through his hair so many times that it's way too dishelved.

"Tㅡ Twenty one," He says in a low whisper.

I purse my lips and look away, swallowing a lump in my throat that I didn't know had formed. Taehyung's eyes travel from me to Jimin at the speed of light as if trying to decipher something, then it clicks, and he gasps under his breath, looking away.

I don't find any words to say, so I pat Jimin's shoulder once, then slowly walk out of the apartment with Taehyung. No words are exchanged as I unlock my door and step in, locking it again as Taehyung walks up to the living room and sits on the couch.

"Is Jungkook dying?"

I turn around at the question, and lock my eyes with Taehyung's.

"Not yet," I finally admit, "Bunny hybrids life span is twenty to twenty-five years. Symptoms of near death are continuous fever-like symptoms, decreased energy and overall motivation to do anything. Jungkook is also of the weaker hybrids soㅡ"

I stop myself when tears start prickling my eyes, and I take in a deep breath, then walk to my bedroom without saying anything else. I get changed and quickly dive into bed, my minds wandering places I don't want them to.

It feels horrible and I'm just a friend of Jungkook's, so what is it like for Jimin, literally someone who grew up his whole life with Jungkook? It's just like losing his brother, a family. And as more tears pile up in my eyes and I refuse to let them down, I feel Taehyung joining me in bed, and he wraps his arms around me, pulling me in a hug that I needed so bad.

His scent and warmth chase my thoughts away, and I take them as refuge to fall asleep.

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A/N: Told ya