Me, jokingly: Hey guys, if we get 400 followers before my birthday, I'll release a new fic! (said it jokingly because this was like 3 weeks ago and I was at around 360)

Me, three weeks later: almost at 500 followers

...y'all. I was joking. J-O-K-I-N-G. My birthday is still a few days away and I'm gaining multiple followers per day. If I hit 500 followers before or on my birthday, what do you want????? I genuinely have nothing more to offer so please give me recommendations 😭😭

QNA? Writing requests? New oneshot? That's about all the ideas I have.

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚𝓓𝓸 𝓝𝓸𝓽 𝓖𝓸 𝓖𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓵𝓮 ˚｡➶˚┊

Jimin was writing.

Jungkook had been leaning against the wall for an hour. After another week of trying to heal Jimin, he seemed better. Unlike before, he was writing. He was talking. And, most importantly, he wasn't cursing. He hadn't made any of his signature inappropriate jokes, but he was better. His tone was calm. There were less nightmares. Therapists were holding longer conversations with him.

He was ready for Jihyun.

After all the time they had spent away from each other, they deserved to reunite. It had been longer than Jungkook could count, but at least over a year. The war went by in a blink, yet somehow, it took up Jungkook's entire life thus far. He didn't know how to feel about that.

"Do I get to know what you're writing?" Jungkook asked. "I've been here an hour and you haven't said a word. Do you hate me that much?"

"You look like you smell," Jimin replied, but he didn't take his eyes off the paper. "And I'm not just writing. I'm making a comic."

"Thanks for the compliment. Whatever I smell like, I guarantee you smell worse. Move."

Jimin grunted and moved aside, giving Jungkook space to sit on the mattress. It was bouncier than Jungkook was expecting. Softer, too. Jungkook peeked over Jimin's shoulder and saw the panels. Jimin had drawn several parts of the story already, and Jungkook stiffened when he saw who the main character was.

"You made the main character..."

"Madam L/n," Jimin finished, pointing to the black and white knight. Y/n was Jimin's knight, and she was leading a charge against an unseen foe. "She's the most respected knight in the land."

Jungkook watched as Jimin filled the pages with hand-drawn pictures of Y/n. He drew her like she was the most gorgeous muse in New Theon. He paid attention to detail; detail that wasn't present in the rest of the comic. Jimin took the time to style her hair and shade her eyes. The other figures didn't get that treatment.

Jungkook cleared his throat. "Has Kastor visited you?"

"Every day. He barely leaves my side, even when my therapist is here."

Jungkook nodded, rubbing his lips together. "And, uh, therapy. How's that going?"

"I'm confused about my memories and my place in all this, but," Jimin said, trailing off. He tapped his pencil against one of his drawings of Y/n. "I don't know. It's better. I feel better."

"Better enough to insult me?"

"You insult yourself just by existing," Jimin replied with a snort. He went back to doodling. There were text bubbles next to Y/n. Every line of dialogue depicted her as a strong leader; the other knights were silent.

"Do you still..."

"I don't know," Jimin said, continuing to draw. "I don't think I love her, but I don't hate her either. They tell me I'll understand when I talk to her, but how can I do that if she doesn't want to talk to me? It's hard to believe I was in love with her at one point. I guess what's even harder to believe is that she loved someone like me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Jimin's grip tightened on his pencil. "I don't know who I am, or what I am. All this therapy is nice, but brainwashed or not, I know I never had a life. I never had a chance to live and discover all that's out there. It feels like I'm holding myself back."

"Why don't you go out there and change that?"

"Because I have therapy three times a day, two hours each. They force me to sleep eight hours, eat three meals, and exercise since it's 'good for the brain.' Doesn't leave much time for going outside. And, come on, you really think they'd let me?"

"Maybe," Jungkook said. "Supervised, sure. Why not go outside?"

"They think I'll run away and rejoin the Emperor."

"Will you?"

Jimin almost snapped the tip of the pencil thanks to how hard he pressed it against the paper. "If what you're saying is true, that the Emperor murdered everyone he touched? Then no." He paused to laugh. It was void of any emotion. "I want to kill him with my bare hands. He branded my brother."

"He... what?"

"My brother got branded. The Emperor told me it was you, but it was actually..."

Jimin trailed off and didn't finish his sentence. Jungkook and Jimin sat in silence with the occasional sound of drawing. The pencil hit the paper and traced shapes, creating a new world that came from Jimin's imagination.

"They haven't let me drink," Jimin said. "My flask is gone, my bow is gone, my sword is gone, my mind is gone, everything is gone."

Jungkook dropped his gaze and stared at the floor. "Jimin, look-"

"But you're here," Jimin interrupted. Jungkook snapped his head up at that. Jimin had a soft smile on his face, but Jungkook could see the agony inside his hickory eyes. "You and Kastor visit me all the time. Even I gave up on myself, but you didn't. I don't like you, but I appreciate what you've done for me."

Jungkook cursed when tears built up inside him. "You don't like me because of how much I've hurt you. I treated you terribly, using 'protecting Y/n' as an excuse for my actions. She's like my little sister, and you were the big bad wolf coming to hunt her. Commander Park was nothing more than a predator who joined our ranks because of how desperate we were. It was a dumb decision to let you in, but I don't regret it. What I do regret is how I treated you during that time."

"And I regret all the things I've said and done while brainwashed. I'm not... free. But I'm getting there. My memories of you are far from pleasant with or without the Emperor's torture, but maybe we can build something new together. What do you say?" Jimin asked.

The question had Jungkook's heart sparking with hope. He wondered if this hope was the same thing Hobi used to feel when he had led the rebellion with his husband by his side. He wondered if this was the hope Jin felt as he gave a speech to rally the City together. He wondered if this was the hope Y/n had when she found Jimin. Not Commander Park; Park Jimin.

As the thoughts settled in his mind, Jungkook realized Jimin had stopped writing. His attention was on Jungkook, awaiting his answer. That made Jungkook laugh as he parted his lips.

"Okay."

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚˚｡➶˚┊

It was time.

Not long after Jungkook's conversation with Jimin, they were preparing for Jihyun to visit him for the first time. Jungkook felt terrible about how long they were separated for, but at least they would reunite. Taehyung and Shawman were there with swords on the off chance Jimin tried anything. Jungkook had a dagger in his left boot, but no other weapons. He trusted Jimin. It wasn't a smart idea to trust a brainwashed man, but Jungkook wanted to believe.

What kind of leader would he be if he didn't?

Jihyun paced and nibbled on his nails. Jungkook watched the process. A therapist was inside Jimin's room, finishing up another session. The door was closed, but as soon as they were done, Jihyun would be revealed as a surprise. It was a reward for the progress Jimin had made.

A quiet hung over them for the next five minutes. Then, the door parted to show a therapist from Topside. She passed by without a word and left the entrance open. Jungkook went in first with Shawman and Taehyung behind him. Jimin stood and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I just did my last therapy session, do you really feel the need to give me another? Is this an intervention or something?" Jimin asked. It sounded like a joke. Not quite in the same tone he used to have, but it was the closest they had gotten so far.

"We told you the Emperor lied to you," Jungkook said, and Jimin went still. Shawman, Taehyung, and Jungkook parted to show Jihyun waiting behind them. Jimin's eyes bulged and pulled on the ends of their sockets. Jimin's mouth fell open as his shoulders slumped. His knees shook, and Jungkook smiled as he watched Jihyun enter the room.

"Hey big bro," Jihyun said with a cautious wave. The next few seconds were filled with nothingness. There were no noises other than their soft breaths and their rambunctious anticipation. Then, Jimin slapped a hand over his mouth, and Jungkook almost jumped when it happened.

Jimin broke down crying.

He ran into his brother's arms and scooped him up, spinning the younger boy around. Jihyun laughed as Jimin sobbed, but they were sobs of relief. He buried his head into his brother's neck and grabbed at any piece of clothing he could.

Jungkook motioned for Shawman and Taehyung to leave. As much as they seemed hesitant, they trusted Jungkook and departed. Jimin and Jihyun didn't seem to notice. They were far too busy reuniting.

Jimin whispered sweet words Jungkook couldn't quite hear while Jihyun nodded to every single one of them. Jihyun had tears streaming down his face. Much to Jungkook's amazement, he did too. He raised his thumb to wipe the drops of moisture away.

"You disappeared for a while," Jihyun said, but Jimin didn't pull back.

"T-The rebellion, I-I joined the... I joined t-the..."

"Shh," Jihyun said, closing his eyes and holding the back of Jimin's head. "I know."

Jimin wailed and whimpered, never letting go of his younger brother. Jihyun rocked Jimin back and forth. Jungkook turned and saw Kastor and Y/n in the doorway with awe written all over their faces. They were keeping their stares on the crying Jimin, who refused to let go of his brother.

"You're okay, you're okay," Jimin said, his hands shaking as he clutched onto his little brother. "You're okay, you're actually okay."

"The rebellion is telling the truth about everything. They're keeping me safe, I'm not a hostage."

"You're okay," Jimin repeated, his voice cracking. He pulled back and placed both of his hands on Jihyun's cheeks. "They didn't hurt you? No bruises? No scars?"

"Of course not."

Jimin's lower lip quivered as he took in Jihyun's appearance. A soft, almost inaudible whine sounded off from his throat. "You grew," Jimin murmured.

Jihyun grinned. "You didn't."

Jimin laughed and embraced his brother one last time. The other three in the vicinity didn't bother raising their voices. Jungkook couldn't recall seeing Jimin like this since he came back. Even in the beginning, Jungkook had never seen Jimin break down.

"I missed you, Lil' Park," Jimin whispered, rubbing the back of Jihyun's head. It was as if his four-fingered hand was cherishing every inch of hair it could get itself tangled in.

"I missed you too," Jihyun replied in a gentle, alluring tone. "Did you fight any Bassas?"

Jimin choked over his words. "More than you'd believe, bud."

Kastor stepped in, and when Jimin saw him, he lit up more. He went to Kastor and hugged him, which had Kastor stumbling. Kastor's eyes were giant as he processed what had just happened. Then, he returned the gesture and wrapped his arms around the trembling Jimin. Y/n watched with no emotion evident on her face.

She backed away from the doorway. Jungkook decided Jihyun, Kastor, and Jimin were fine on their own and went after Y/n as she left the castle. Jungkook followed and took her by the shoulder, turning her around.

"Y/n, why are you leaving? He didn't see you-"

"He doesn't need to," Y/n replied. Her voice wasn't bitter. It was true. "He has his brother, Kastor, you. He has you three, which means he's healing. He'll get through it and live the most beautiful life he deserves."

"He deserves to have you in it," Jungkook said, but she shook him off.

"It's okay, Jungkook. I saw glimpses of Jimin in there, but not to me."

Jungkook released her arm and stepped back, knitting his brows together. "What are you saying?" he asked, but the words carried no weight. He already knew the answer. All that was left was hearing her say it. And as she smiled, she did.

"I can't bring him back, but that's okay. I'm okay."

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚𝓓𝓸 𝓝𝓸𝓽 𝓖𝓸 𝓖𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓵𝓮 ˚｡➶˚┊

A/N: Fun fact: In an early draft of this story, I considered killing off Jihyun in the middle of the story (in the 20-30 chap range) to add more moral dilemmas for Jimin, but I decided it was unnecessary and we needed Jimin to have some happiness. I hope you liked the reunion between the two brothers <3