Chapter Text
It was the year 2035 - when a phone call again changed their life.
Yoongi’s phone rang. It was the facility. That surprised Yoongi as it wasn’t normal to receive a call from there.
“Hello?” Yoongi spoke. But there was nothing at the other end. Jimin enquired about the silence with a nod of his head.
“Hello…” Yoongi spoke again. He could now hear someone breathing on the other side. It did not take him long to realise who it was.
“Jungkook?” Yoongi probed.
“Aehyun… Aehyun… Hospital,” Jungkook stuttered into the phone.
It didn’t take more than thirty minutes for Jimin and Yoongi to leave everything, including the awards ceremony that he was getting ready for, to head towards the hospital.
There was only one hospital where Yoongi knew they would be. Both of them headed straight there.
Taehyung had suffered a heart attack. Doctors told Yoongi that this was not his first. In all probability, it was not even his second. Maybe third, they had thought. “He probably didn’t tell anyone or he did mention it, but no one understood,” was all the doctor could say to Yoongi.
“You promised me you would come for at least one book signing event of mine. Don’t break your promise and go, Aehyun,” Yoongi had said, standing next to Taehyung’s hospital bed.
The waiting lobby soon filled up with more people sitting and praying.
Yoongi, Jimin, Namjoon (who flew down the next day), Seokjin (who was retired now), Hoseok—they were all there. But Jungkook seemed the most relaxed out of them. He sat beside Taehyung who was under sedation. And he stared with all the love in his eyes. As always.
It was on the third day that Taehyung had barely opened his eyes and immediately asked for Jungkook. Jungkook had just stepped out to have a cup of tea with Hoseok. Both now had a heavy amount of silver hair shining brightly in the sunlight on a bright October morning.
As soon as he heard, Jungkook forgot about the tea and immediately headed to the room. Taehyung just wanted to lock his fingers with Jungkook and gestured for him to sit closer to him. They kept sitting like that the whole day. None of them bothered about anyone else who went in and out of the room.
It was the fourth evening at the hospital when the machines stopped beeping. The IV stand was taken out. Taehyung had breathed his last. Everyone was scared to cry, for the sake of Jungkook. They kept murmuring, “Who should tell him?”
“I think it should be Hoseok,” Yoongi suggested.
“No No. I can’t. It should be Jimin. They are friends,” Hoseok had rebutted, fighting with his tears.
“You are mad. I’m not doing it. I have still not cried for my friend. I am not doing that,” Jimin argued.
Jungkook didn’t bother to stay in the waiting room. Suddenly, he got up and waved to everyone. “Goodnight,” he bowed and walked straight to Taehyung’s bed. He saw Taehyung there, sleeping peacefully with a smile on his face. Jungkook also smiled, unconsciously.
He walked up to Taehyung, carefully moved him a little to the side, and made a small space for himself to lie down. Satisfied that there was enough space, he spread Taehyung’s right arm to the edge of the bed and laid there. With his chest slightly on Taehyung’s chest, locking his little finger with Taehyung’s left hand.
It was morning and it was time for Taehyung’s last journey. But Jungkook was still in the room with him. After hours of waiting, Yoongi decided to take the lead to go and communicate with him. He went to the room, only to come back out in five minutes, a strange, serene expression on his face. Everyone present there looked at him expectantly.
“No one needs to tell anyone anything anymore. Jungkook couldn’t let Aehyun go alone.” Yoongi finally spoke, his voice breaking. “Together, forever,” he choked out, his legs finally giving out under him as he fell to the floor bidding a silent goodbye to his best friend and found family.
Another Beginning