JIMIN

"Hey."

I hold her hands in mine, my voice tearing up a bit with that one word. She presses back with her cold palms, but doesn't say anything.

"I'm sorry." I whisper, my cheeks flushing with anger. I couldn't believe I'd been too late. That I hadn't been able to get to her in time.

I'd heard from Taehyung.

"Will you— say something, please?" I murmur, pleading with her as she just looks down at our clasped hands. I've never seen her like this before, and it makes me want to slit someone's throat.

"Just anything?"

She swallows, blinking now. My eyes are clear now, but they blur again, with tears. I bury my face in my sleeves.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

I hadn't been there when she'd needed me the most. Instead I'd acted like a child, letting my emotions get best of me that night.

I don't realize I'm breathing roughly until I feel her hand patting against the top of my head, in soft taps. And somehow that makes me cry even harder.

"......Min."

My eyes flash up, wide and hopeful. She's looking at me, moving her lips like she wants to say something. But there's no sound, and she just breathes.

Then she reaches up, wiping my tears away from my eyes and cheeks. She cracks a weak smile, tapping a fingertip at the red lids.

I can almost hear her, in that teasing voice.

Stop crying, you little idiot. Look at your eyes, it's all swollen up now.

I tackle her into the bed. She raises an eyebrow as I wrap my arms around her shoulders, my body shaking in relief.

"You're back." I breathe, blinking furiously. "I'm sorry. Can you talk? Does it hurt to? You don't have to if you don't want to, I won't push you at all. It's just that—"

She smiles a bit wider, and pinches at my cheeks.

Slow down.

Then the corner of her lips tilts up in that mischievous smirk. I almost start crying again, seeing her slowly come back to herself. She'd been so unresponsive even when we'd gotten back to the North, and for days after that.

So you've warmed up to me now?

"Yes." I say, burying her in my chest and squeezing her tight. "I'm sorry for acting like a child and a baby. And I already warmed up to you weeks and weeks ago. So don't do that again to me, please."

"Please?"

She just makes the babying expression at me, but I let her. I let her completely as she kisses my face, ruffles at my hair. It's what I'd missed— I never realized how much I missed her.

Then she suddenly sits up.

"Tae."

She says, tilting her head with a more serious expression. Then she points at the door, shrugging her shoulders.

"Taehyung is going to be happy." I say, and climb off the bed. I'm about to help her down when she makes a face, her expression so clear I can read it like a book.

You think I can't walk? Think again, Min. The only direction of babying here goes from me to you.

Then she walks out the door, and I don't even have to tell her where to go as she makes her way down to Taehyung's room.

I watch her back, just so relieved all the exhaustion and stress that had piled up the last few days seems to just melt away.

_________________________

SEVEN

I push open the door to Taehyung's room, feeling Jimin trail close behind me. He reminded me so much of a little puppy deprived of affection that it made him seem so cute.

But what I find inside makes me smile.

Jungkook's passed out on the small couch, head lolling back over the armrest. There's an open book dropped on top of his lap, like he'd been reading it before he'd fallen asleep.

And Taehyung's on the bed, sleeping before we'd woken him up.

His eyes open blearily before fixing on me, and I give him a smile as he instantly scrambles out of the blankets. I hear Jungkook shake awake with the noise, head frantically turning and shouting what over and over again.

"Are you okay?" He says, clasping my shoulder. He looks at Jimin.

"Is she okay? Can she talk?"

I cross my arms into an X, and his face falls. But then I tap at his shoulder, gathering my voice.

"Thanks."

Jungkook crows from the other side. "Wait! She can talk! I just heard her say thanks to Taehyung hyung!"

"Yes, I heard that." Taehyung says, and Jungkook just frowns. Then he sinks back into the couch, grumbling to himself.

"I was just trying to help..."

I'm laughing silently to myself when Jimin pulls me back out of the room, insisting that he needed to get me to Hoseok as fast as possible.

"Get on my back."

I tilt my head at him, my expression turning amused again. He flushes at that— I'd expect nothing less.

"You're too slow." He says, turning his blushed face away. "It's driving me crazy."

Whatever that helps you sleep at night, Minnie.

He frowns.

"Did you just call me Minnie?"

I make an innocent expression. At this point, it wouldn't even be weird if he could read my mind. How had he known that?

"I knew it." He murmurs to himself, looking all unhappy.

I coo at him.

But my voice doesn't work with me, and I'm disappointed to hear that it sounds more like a rasp than a teasing tone.

"So you'd....like Min better?"

He doesn't answer, and I just smirk, clearly seeing the hot blush that had spread to his ears.

It was really nothing— but he always got so flustered over it.

"Answer me."

I trail kisses up and down his ears and neck all the way there to the infirmary.

_________________________

"Seven!"

"She wouldn't stop kissing me." Jimin complains, setting me down on one of the beds as I stare at him with a devilish smile.

You know you liked it, Min.

"I do not..." But his voice trails off, and I laugh quietly.

Of course.

Hoseok fusses over me the entire time. He mumbles to himself furiously as he checks my throat, his brows crossed together.

"It's— temporary." He finally says, and I glimpse Jimin shiver in relief.

A smile dances on my lips.

Cute boy.

"Don't try to make it worse though, alright?" He says, patting my head. "So no screaming, no pushing it. Your voice
will come back soon enough."

I beam at him.

__________________________

He hushes me.

"Hoseok hyung said not to talk, Seven." Jimin says quickly when I pretend to open my lips, squeezing my mouth back shut. "Or it'll heal slower."

I scribble on a piece of paper.

He didn't say not to talk. He just said no loud noises.

But Jimin still shakes his head.

"No." He says firmly, and I raise an eyebrow when he puts me straight in bed. "You should rest."

"Rest, Seven."

Hell no.

I grip his wrist, motioning at the empty space next to me. When he blinks confusedly, I tap at the mattress.

"Come here."

"What?" He whispers, biting his lip. "I can't do that— you need to..."

And I pretend again. The moment I open my mouth wide, Jimin slaps his hand over my lips and climbs into the blankets next to me.

He sighs at my smirk.

"You're so stubborn."

And then he curls up by my side, and I press my forehead to the fluffy locks of his hair.

"Minnie."

His eyes widen a bit. But I'm barely speaking, so he doesn't shut me up.

My smirk deepens.

"I love you, you know this."

Jimin looks up at me, like he's waiting to hear what I'm going to try next. But it still doesn't prepare him.

I press my lips against his ear.

"So let's make it."

He instantly sits up. His cheeks are burning, and I bite back a smile when he blinks at me rapidly.

"Seven, what's wrong with you?"

His voice is so shaky.

"What—"

"No, no. Don't speak." Jimin huffs, flushed all the way to the tips of his ears. "Of course only you'd say that while you're hurt."

He gets back in the blankets.

I watch him with his thoughts for a while, trying not to let the smile show because of how cute he looks.

Finally, he reaches up and presses his lips against mine.

Jimin pulls away blushing harder than me.

"That's all you get until you're better, Seven."

A/n: End of the book! Thank you for reading this!