Work Text:
An angel, fallen from grace, corrupted by grief.
XXXXXX
Jin wakes to the sound of a piano playing.
He registers the fact that there is no ceiling or floor or walls next. But he knows that there is a ‘floor’ since he’s certainly laying down on something. Whether or not he can get up is something he’s not sure he wants to test.
But the music pulls at him and he finds himself getting up anyway.
There’s nothing at all that he could see, only an expanse of black as far as the eye can see and he tentatively takes a step forward. When he doesn’t fall into the abyss, he decides that since the music sounded insistent, he might as well follow in its direction.
He follows the beautiful, sad melody and finds Yoongi.
He doesn’t know why he’s surprised.
Yoongi is sitting behind a gorgeous, brown piano, long pale fingers gently flying across the keys. Jimin is slumped on the ground beside Yoongi, head pillowed on Yoongi’s thigh, a blindfold around his eyes.
“Yoongi.”
“He wouldn’t stop.” Yoongi said, before Jin could even say anything more. “He kept destroying worlds, universes, trying to find you.”
Yoongi looked up and Jin feels guilt at the resigned weary look on Yoongi’s face. The desperation and pain. “I had no choice but to bring you here. He needs to stop.”
Jin has a feeling he knows what happened, but he doesn’t want to believe it.
“Who needs to stop?”
“Taehyung.” Yoongi looked at him as though he was being stupid, but it lacked the usual bite. “He didn’t take your death well.”
Jin wanted to laugh at that. No kidding, if he’s somehow here in a place he thinks is probably Limbo instead of the afterlife.
Wait.
“You brought me here?” Jin asked, disbelief coloring his voice. He didn’t know Yoongi was capable of something like that. But even so, he has a feeling that Yoongi would have tried everything else before it came to this. Would have exhausted all other options first.
He takes a closer look at Yoongi himself and realizes that he’s paler, dangerously so, skin almost translucent. There are deep eye bags and his cheeks look almost sunken in. But his eyes remain bright and alert, posture straight and elegant.
“Yes.” Yoongi replied, blunt. But his eyes had softened, and Jin looks away because he doesn’t deserve Yoongi’s sympathy. “He will only stop if he finds you.”
“He’s gotten too strong, too poisonous. I cannot stop him.” Yoongi continued, and his hand fell from the piano to Jimin beside him, long fingers gently brushing Jimin’s bangs. Jimin continues to sleep, and Jin thinks he could see green liquid steadily oozing out from underneath Jimin’s blindfold.
He wonders if it was meant to be a bandage.
“Jiminie too?” Jin whispers and Yoongi closes his eyes in pain. But his hand doesn’t stop stroking Jimin’s head, even if it started to shake. Jin remembered how close Taehyung and Jimin were, compounded by their declarations that they were soulmates every day.
He can’t imagine Taehyung willingly hurting Jimin like this.
“Only you can stop him now.” Yoongi sighed after a moment, “Hobi is still chasing after him, but he wouldn’t be able to catch Taehyung without you.”
“Do I have to kill him?” Yoongi’s posture softened even further and Jin hadn’t wanted his voice to have come out so scared.
“I think you already know the answer to that, Jin-hyung.”
XXXXXX
Jin finds Namjoon next.
He’s sitting at a long table, and the darkness suddenly shifts, colors emerging from nowhere and merging together to form a dim room around them, with glass shards scattered everywhere. The windows along the wall don’t show anything, and seemed intact so Jin has no idea where the glass shards came from.
Jin steps carefully over the pieces littered across the floor to Namjoon, who doesn’t offer any help, only watching Jin get closer and closer while sipping at a glass of green liquid. It reminds Jin of the liquid that was dripping from Jimin’s eyes and he looks away.
“Namjoon.”
“Jin-hyung.” Namjoon nods at the chair opposite him and the glass shards on the seat abruptly clears. There’s a brief flash of annoyance that Namjoon hadn’t bothered to help him when he could have, but he pushes it away. Namjoon is angry, and Jin understands why.
Namjoon takes another sip and it’s then that Jin realizes his hands have cuts all over them, bruised and bleeding. But Namjoon doesn’t seem to care or notice and only watches Jin over the rim of the glass. Jin shivers as he sits on the cold metal chair and glances to the bed at the corner, jerking in surprise when he sees Jungkook curled atop it.
“Kookie?” Jin makes to stand, but Namjoon puts a hand up and stops him.
“Don’t. He won’t wake no matter what you do.”
“Is he alive?” Jin asked, and winced when Namjoon gave him a flat look.
“Are any of us truly alive right now?”
Jin’s lips thinned but he doesn’t say anything to that. Instead he looks back at Jungkook and if not for the purple stain on the bed, Jin could have believed Jungkook was sleeping peacefully. He looked back at Namjoon to find him looking at Jungkook too, gaze tired and heavy.
“What happened to him?” Jin asked quietly.
“Taehyung happened.” Namjoon replied, a little tinge of anger and hurt.
“I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Jin almost snapped back but it still comes out strained and tense.
“I know you didn’t.” Namjoon looked back at him, voice gone soft, an apology. “And it wasn’t your fault either, I know you only wanted to save him.”
It’s the reminder of what he did that has Jin tearing up. He thought of sweet, sweet Taehyung, who had loved Jimin, loved Jungkook, loved Yoongi, Namjoon, Hobi. He couldn’t imagine Taehyung hurting any of them, even in his grief.
Yet here he was, brought back from the darkness by Yoongi in desperation to stop Taehyung.
Taehyung, who had destroyed everything in his despair, even those he loved with his whole heart.
“I still can’t believe that Taehyung did this,” Jin whispers, curling forward and dropping his head into his hands. The glass on the table cuts the skin of his elbows but he doesn’t care. “He loved all of you so much.”
“But he loved you too, and your death broke him.” Namjoon said quietly and tilted a sad smile at Jin.
Broke all of us. Jin could feel the words hanging above them.
He wondered if he would have done the same if their roles were reversed. If it had been any of the others instead of him.
“Truthfully, I don’t think Taehyung is aware that he’s poisoning us.” Namjoon said, when Jin composed himself.
“We tried to help him, all of us,” Namjoon said, and glanced at Jungkook again. “But we were so focused on our own selves… that by the time we noticed, it was too late.”
“Jimin got hit first,” Namjoon explained, leaning back. “He got terribly sick, and nothing could help him. Taehyung didn’t even seem to notice. By the time he went into a coma, Jungkook got infected too. He’d gotten angry with Taehyung, and they fought. The next day Taehyung was gone and Jungkook was unconscious.”
“Yoongi figured something wasn’t quite right, figured that there were evil forces coming into play and tried to help Jimin, tried to help all of us, but he got hurt too.”
“I tried chasing Taehyung down but it didn’t work.” Namjoon lifted his hands in explanation. “Yoongi and I are too weak to do anything now. Only Hobi seemed to be able to withstand the strain of travelling and he’s been trying to find Taehyung ever since.”
“Hobi is our last chance.” Jin said quietly in realization and Namjoon nodded.
“And so are you, hyung.” Namjoon added quietly, and offered Jin a dart. “Hobi hasn’t been able to track down Taehyung for a long time, we hope you would be able to help.”
Jin took the dart and squeezed it nervously. “How do you think I would help?”
“Taehyung’s searching for you. I think just your presence will lure him to you.”
“I won’t be able to kill him.” Jin admitted quietly, the thought alone makes him want to hurl.
“I know,” Namjoon gestures to where Jin has the dart in a crushing grip. “Hobi will be the one to do that.”
“All you have to do is find Hobi, and Taehyung will find the both of you.”
Namjoon reaches a hand out to cover his and Jin didn’t realize how badly he was shaking until he did. There’s a squeeze, and it’s comforting as all the other times Namjoon did this for him before.
Jin sucks in a breath and turns his hand over to press his palm against Namjoon’s.
Holds it tight.
Exhales.
“Okay.”
XXXXXX
Jin finds Hobi in a dim room similar to the room he found Namjoon in.
Only there were more comfortable looking chairs, placed in a circle with a pot in the middle. Hobi was sitting on the chair closest, an arrow in his hand and he looks up when Jin comes close.
“Hyung.” Eyes wide with shock, and Jin would have laughed at how cute Hobi looked if the situation wasn’t so dire.
“Hey Hobi,” Jin smiled, even though he knew it would look pained. “Will you help me?”
Jin holds the dart out, and Hobi takes it and tosses it into the pot. Pink smoke puffs out, but Hobi didn’t seem too concerned, eyes raking over Jin as though he wanted to memorize him.
“It’s good to see you, hyung.” Hobi murmurs, and opens his arms for a hug. Jin takes a step and falls into him, clutching him tight as he sobs against Hobi’s shoulder. They stay that way for a few minutes, Hobi holding him just as tight until Jin’s sobs die down.
“It’s good to see you too, Hobi-ah.” Jin sniffles, and Hobi hums in acknowledgement. This isn’t the first time Hobi has seen Jin cry like this, but he still feels sorry about ruining Hobi’s shirt. He lets Hobi pull back but doesn’t let him go far, craving the warmth and comfort Hobi naturally exudes. Hobi smiles at him in amusement but Jin refuses to budge and they eventually manage to shuffle and sit on the sofa, Hobi pressed against Jin’s side.
“What do we do now?” Jin asked quietly, leaning his head on Hobi’s shoulder. He feels exhausted, and he knows Hobi is too. He wants to get it over with as soon as possible. “
We need to let Taehyung sense you.”
“He can’t sense me here?” Jin looked up at Hobi in surprise.
Hobi shook his head. “Yoongi made these rooms so that the kids could rest without being further aggravated by Taehyung. He won’t be able to come here.”
“So we need to go someplace else and lure him there.” He motioned to the pot that was steadily puffing out pink smoke.
“We have to go into the pot?”
“No, silly,” Hobi laughed. “We just need to inhale the smoke.”
“Alright,” Jin sighed, and leaned forward at Hobi’s gentle nudge.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be right behind you.” Jin smiles at the reassurance and closes his eyes as he takes a deep breath.
Exhales and opens his eyes to a roof of sorts. The clay beneath his feet reminds him of the roof of Greece that he’s seen in pictures but there’s nothing surrounding them and he can’t see the ground when he looks over the edge.
The sky is a swirling mass of color and it looks like a painting, casting a dim, bleak atmosphere over them.
Hobi is standing to the side, a bow strapped to his back, and a gold arrow in his hand. Jin doesn’t realize he’s been staring at it until Hobi shifts and holds the arrow behind him.
“Is that what you’re going to kill him with?” Jin doesn’t know why he’s asking. Hobi shoots him a wary glance.
“Yes,” Hobi replied after a moment, mouth turned down in displeasure.
“When… when do you think he’ll get here?” Jin looked away, and stared back up at the sky. It reminds him of Taehyung.
“Soon. I’ll let you have some time with him.” Hobi added quietly, and Jin nods at him in gratitude.
“I have to disappear before he can see me, or he won’t stay. But don’t worry, I’ll still be here.” Jin hums in understanding and goes to sit on the parapet. He sees Hobi do the same on the opposite end and closes his eyes, breathes out a sigh. When he opens them again, Hobi is gone and Jin is left alone to wait for Taehyung.
The quiet is stifling and terrifying but there’s nothing he can do but wait.
So he closes his eyes again, and waits.
XXXXXX
V watches the world burn to ashes and wonders when it was that world-hopping has become a chore. He’s lost count of how many he’s destroyed, how many worlds he had travelled to, searching endlessly in every nook and cranny. The desperation he had felt then has mellowed into an itch beneath his heart. Not as urgent, not as painful, but there still.
He wonders if it would ever leave.
He’s tired, but he can’t stop. Even as his memories faded away, even as he forgets what he’s searching for, there’s always a voice, loud and clear that urges him to continue, to not give up, because it’s too important.
He conjures a portal, ready to go to the next world, to continue his endless search and wonders absently why he didn’t care about the millions of lives he snuffs out after he’s done searching. He doesn’t remember the details of his original goal, but he remembers the obstacles he faced when he first started searching.
A pale face, eyes heavy and a deep voice, pleading with him to stop. Hands, curled tight around his wrist, burning his skin where they touch. He remembered the pain they left, remembered clawing at them in anger until they finally let go. Remembered the angel, wings white as snow as they shot arrows at him.
He encountered them less and less and he hasn’t seen them for a long time. He thinks the pale one must have perished, travelling took a lot of energy and he hadn’t seemed healthy from the start. The other might have given up after V had hit back. He doesn’t know what happened to them, but he knows the angel is still looking for him.
He feels it sometimes, a brush of wings as he travels, but the touch is fleeting and V always manages to avoid it. He thinks an angel must have been sent after him because of the worlds he destroyed and the lives he takes but the voice in his head reminds him of his own goal and he continues on.
He doesn’t have the time to think of others.
He was about to travel again when feels his soul resonate, and he hunches over with the force of it. The world seemed to shake with it, and he feels winded when it stops.
It’s the first time he felt such a thing, and at first he thinks the angel must have found him. But he remains standing where he is, and nothing happens as he waits cautiously, sending little tendrils of power to confirm that there was no one else in the world with him.
He contemplates the feeling after the fear has passed, prodding at it softly. Somehow he feels that if he acts on it, he would find what he’s been searching for.
It’s intriguing, and he waves a hand to get rid of the portal he opened.
Closes his eyes and pulls.
XXXXXX
He finds himself on a roof, and he immediately focuses on the lone man sitting on the parapet, legs swinging gently back and forth. The man doesn’t seem to notice him, head tilted back to the sky, eyes closed.
V glanced up too and wondered what was so interesting about a broken sky. The world they’re in is a wasteland and V can only feel the two of them are the only living beings in it right now.
He wonders if the man is searching for something too.
He takes a step forward and the man finally seemed to notice that someone has joined him, body tensing before forcibly relaxing and turning his head to V.
The man opens his eyes slowly, blinking as though adjusting to the light. Dark brown eyes focus on V and V inhales sharply. He doesn’t know why he wants to drown in them. To never have them look away from him.
“Hi,” The man breathes, and V gravitates towards him immediately. He doesn’t know this person, doesn’t know why he can’t seem to resist the pull.
But he has a feeling that this man was the one V was looking for all these years.
“Hi.”
“My name is Jin.” There’s a ching in V’s head, like the soft clink of glass and he wonders why the name sounds so sweet, so familiar. “What’s your name?”
“My name is V.” He says immediately, and it should concern him that he just revealed himself, but it had been instinctual, as though he couldn’t hope to disobey when Jin asked, wouldn’t want to anyway.
“What are you doing here, V?” There’s a small smile on Jin’s face, amused and a little sad.
“I’m looking for someone.” I think it’s you.
“Who are you looking for?”
You. He had thought that the man might have been searching for V too, but the question throws him off and V freezes with doubt.
“I… I don’t know.”
“Why don’t you know?”
V frowned, and tries to recall the wisps of memories he knew were precious, but had faded with time. He just knew that he was searching for someone, someone important.
But if they were so important, why couldn’t he remember?
“I’m sorry,” Jin interrupts before V can think of a response. “Memories can be hard to remember, especially if they were painful.”
“But aren’t those sometimes the only ones you can remember?” V says without really thinking about it and Jin blinks at him in surprise. “It’s the happy memories that are easily forgotten.”
“Then, what about those that give you tremendous joy, but also unbearable pain to remember?”
It’s V’s turn to blink in surprise. “I don’t know.”
Jin shakes his head. “It’s not important. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to push that onto you. Joonie is the philosophical one, not me.”
There’s that ching in his head again, but he still doesn’t know what it means and ignores it when Jin starts to talk again.
“Why are you looking for that someone, V?”
“They’re important to me.” V wanted so badly to touch Jin, his instincts almost screaming at him to get closer but his head recognizes that Jin is still a stranger, and that V shouldn’t trust him so fast.
Jin nods, and then smiles, warm and gorgeous, and before he knows it, he’s looking down at Jin. He didn’t realize he moved but Jin doesn’t seem to mind how close V is. Jin tilts his head down, indicating for V to sit beside him and V sits immediately.
“Why are you here?” V asked Jin, and doesn’t know how to feel about the amused sad smile that twists his lips.
“I’m waiting for someone.” V’s heart thumps.
“Who are you waiting for?”
“Taehyung.” V didn’t realize he was holding his breath until his chest seizes with the disappointment. He feels jealousy bubbling hot and viscous and doesn’t understand why.
“Why are you waiting for him?”
“Because I miss him.” There’s a look in Jin’s eyes that V can’t decipher but it makes him feel weird and warm, like coming into a heated room after being in the snow all morning.
“Where did he go?” Jin bites his lip, and V startles at seeing tears forming.
“I don’t know.” Jin laughed, short and fragile, and sniffed. “I’m sorry, I just… I just miss him a lot.”
“It’s okay,” V whispered, and the ache in his chest pushes him to open his arms. Jin shook his head, almost disbelieving and leaned forward to rest his head on V’s shoulders.
Jin cries, and V’s heart hurts. He doesn’t know who Taehyung is, but he thinks he hates him for making Jin hurt. He wrapped his arms around Jin’s shoulders, and marvels at the fit, how natural Jin seemed to slot against him. Jin presses his face against V’s shoulder and V holds him as he sobs, each one piercing through V’s heart even as he feels warm from having Jin in his arms.
He doesn’t know why it feels as though he’s done this before.
It takes a while, but Jin eventually stops and V doesn’t know who Taehyung is, but he thinks that Taehyung doesn’t deserve having someone like Jin cry over him.
Jin doesn’t pull away but shifts his head to lie more comfortably on V’s shoulder and even then the shift felt natural, the two of them moving as though they’ve done this a million times before. It’s nice, to have a warm body pressed to his, to hear Jin’s even breathing against his ear.
He thinks of his journey as Jin composes himself, thinks of the relief, the way the void he’d always felt melted away the moment he had lain eyes on Jin, sitting there by the parapet, legs swinging. He doesn’t know why Jin is so important, but he knows that he never wants to let go, wants to hold onto this moment, hold onto Jin forever.
He doesn’t know why it sounds familiar.
“How did you become like this?” Jin murmurs, tired and sad and V opens his mouth to ask what he meant when Jin looks up at him, sorrow-filled eyes piercing through him.
“What happened to you, Taehyung?”
A bell chimes.
“Taehyungie!” Warm arms, a broad back and the handsomest face Taehyung has ever seen. Seeing Jin always leaves him tongue-tied and stupid and Taehyung loves it. Jin flings his arm around him in a bear hug and Taehyung uses the opportunity to tuck his face against Jin’s neck.
“Jin-hyung. You waited.” Taehyung mumbles into Jin’s shoulder, smiling so wide he could feel his cheeks straining with it.
“My handsome VV wanted me to wait, so of course I waited.” Jin smiles, and Taehyung smiles at the nickname. He shifts his head to press a kiss to the corner of Jin’s mouth, giggling when Jin turns his head to get a proper kiss.
CHING.
Taehyung couldn’t sleep, a month after news of his grandmother’s death reached him. There’s a certain itch along his skin that he can’t make go away, and it’s keeping him up reminiscing until it goes down a road he doesn’t really want to go.
So he wanders, hoping the exercise would get rid of the itch, and finds that his feet have taken him to Jin’s dorm. He blinks at the door, and thinks he should let Jin sleep in peace. He’s about to turn away when the door abruptly opens and Namjoon stands in the doorway, surprised.
“Oh, was Jin-hyung expecting you?” Namjoon claps his shoulder as he brushes past him before Taehyung can even form a reply. “He’s in his room, go on in.”
Well. He decides to take that as the universe telling him it’s alright and shuffles into Jin’s room, taking a moment to watch Jin’s sleeping face. But staring would be creepy even for him, so he reaches forward and pats at Jin until he stirs.
Doe eyes blink sleepily up at him before scrunching together in a smile, fingers reaching out to curl around Taehyung’s wrist, tugging him down onto the bed.
“Hi,” Jin murmurs, voice gravelly and soft with sleep. He envelops Taehyung in his arms, shifting the both of them until he has Taehyung curled up on his side, Jin’s chest pressed to his back, arms and legs thrown over his own.
Taehyung still misses his grandmother, but the ache feels easier to manage within the safety and warmth of Jin’s arms. He laces their fingers together and burrows further into the bed and Jin, falling asleep as their hearts sync together.
Jin gave him stability, someone he can depend and lean on. Someone who grounded him, tethered Taehyung to him so that he wouldn’t fly away and get lost.
Jin was Taehyung’s lighthouse in the storm of his life.
Taehyung loved Jin, and Jin loved Taehyung.
CHING.
He remembers the day he first met Jin. He’d gone to the roof seeking solace when he found him, tears dripping from his face as he sat on the parapet, face angled to the sky. Even while crying, Taehyung had thought Jin was the most beautiful sight he’d seen.
He remembers wanting to be closer, stumbling on his own feet and crashing to the floor, alerting Jin to his presence. They talked, clicked and fast forward, became boyfriends. Jin never did say why he was on the roof that day but he’d thanked Taehyung for coming into his life.
“You’re like my very own angel.” Jin had smiled, and pressed a kiss to Taehyung’s palm.
Jin loved Taehyung, and Taehyung loved Jin.
CHING.
He remembers the day a truck had come barreling through the curb, the long tubes of metal it had been carrying tumbling towards them as they stood on the bridge from Incheon to Seoul. It had been snowing that day, and Taehyung had insisted for them to walk across the bridge, to stop halfway and look at the beautiful scenery.
Remembers Jin’s palm, warm against his chest as he was pushed aside, the tubes crashing against Jin instead of him.
A lunge of desperation, the screeching of tires barely audible over the shrieking in his head.
“Jinnie!” Taehyung screamed, could feel Jin’s fingers slipping from his grip.
He remembers.
Remembers the fear and terror in Jin eyes as he fell. The soft splash over the raging currents.
Remembers when they told him that Jin drowned. How the currents had been too strong, how his injuries from the crash made it worse.
Remembers how everyone said that it was a freak accident. That no one could have seen it coming or avoid it in time. That Taehyung was lucky he survived. That Jin had pushed him away in time.
Remembers seeing Jin’s body, lifeless and cold on the stretcher.
Remembers the regret. The guilt.
Jin loved Taehyung, loved him so much that he chose to sacrifice his own life to save his.
But Taehyung loved Jin, loved him so much that he chose to sacrifice everything to get him back.
Jin dies, and Taehyung dies with him.
XXXXXX
When V comes to, Jin has straightened, looking at V with concern, brows pinched together in the way V – Taehyung – had always found cute even though he never wanted Jin to worry.
“… Seokjinnie?” V breathed, staring incredulously at Jin, eyes raking over every detail.
He found him.
He can’t believe he could have forgotten him.
And the anger comes rushing back.
“You were taken from me.” V growled, reaching out. Taehyung had been too weak, and lost Jin because of it. V is stronger now, and won’t ever let Jin go now that he’s found him.
But Jin’s face falls and he gets up from the parapet, and there’s suddenly sheets of silk rushing between them.
“Jinnie!” V screamed, lunging forward and getting hit by curtains of the silky material.
“Why did you do it, Tae?” Jin’s voice echoes and V tries to push past the silk sheets, but they don’t give way, and slide away when he tries to cut through. It only fueled his anger further, and he could feel his wings flare out because of it.
“Because I love you more than God ever could! More than he ever did!” V screamed, anger and fear tinting his vision red. His hands scrambled aimlessly against the silk sheets surrounding him, trying to find Jin among them.
“It wasn’t his right to take you away from me!” The sheets shifted but Jin remained unseen and V screamed with frustration. “It wasn’t your choice to leave!”
“But it was, Taehyungie.” It’s barely a whisper, but it felt like a gunshot and V stopped, frozen in place.
“It was my choice.” Jin’s voice was nasal and trembling, and he recognized it from the times Jin tried not to cry, but V still couldn’t move.
“I was selfish. It was going towards you, and I couldn’t…” There’s a harsh intake of breath. “I knew I couldn’t save you without putting my own life in danger; I knew that you would hate me for it.”
“But I didn’t want you to leave me.” A sniffle, and V stumbles forward mindlessly, his heart aching with the need to comfort Jin.
“I don’t hate you, I won’t leave.” V tugs at the sheets desperately and cries out in despair when they don’t give way.
“I didn’t want to be the one left behind. So I chose to leave first.” Jin sobbed, and V jerks, instinct telling him to go to Jin. But his mind felt fuzzy and his body doesn’t cooperate.
“I’m sorry, Taehyungie.” That’s the last thing V hears before an arrow rips through the sheets, and pierces into him. But the rip gives him a glimpse of Jin, his sweet, beautiful Jin and he smiles as he falls to the ground.
XXXXXX
Jin hears Hobi’s arrow sing, and hears the telltale thud of metal meeting flesh. Hears Taehyung’s cry of pain, and hears his fall.
Hears his own high-pitched keen, hears his own soul break.
Next thing he knows, he’s on the ground, looking up hazily at Hobi above him.
“Taehyung?” Jin croaked out, and feels blood spill from his lips. Hobi is crouched above him, hands holding Jin’s head carefully on his lap, brows pinched together in worry.
“He’s right there beside you,” Hobi replied, soft and calm even though Jin could see the tears in his eyes, feel the trembling of his hands. Jin slowly turns his head to find Taehyung curled on his side beside him, Hobi’s arrow struck through his heart, blood dripping and staining the ground beneath him.
Jin doesn’t know if it’s because of the pain or the way his head is swimming but he thinks that Taehyung’s blood seemed to reflect different colors as it drips from the wound. Flashing blues, greens, purples, yellows. It suited him, Jin thinks a little hysterically. Since he was the one that brought color to Jin’s world.
He closes his eyes after a second, the pain of seeing Taehyung hurt unbearable.
But he reaches desperately out, and sobs brokenly when his hand closes around Taehyung’s cold, limp one. Jin can feel Hobi hunch over him more, hands smoothing back his bangs, so gently, feels Hobi’s tears fall on his cheeks to mix with his own. Feels his skin cracking, can see the cracks on his arms and fingers.
It’s time.
“Hyung, I’m sorry.” Jin makes a sound, doesn’t dare to shake his head lest he shatters to pieces before he can comfort Hobi. Hobi, who deserved this the least. He won’t allow Hobi to blame himself when he was the one that fixed Jin’s mistake.
“No, I’m sorry, Hobi. I’m so sorry to everyone.” Jin wheezed and Hobi cries harder, cradling Jin’s head closer, but being careful not to dislodge Jin’s hand from Taehyung’s or worsen the cracks steadily spreading through Jin’s body. Hobi had always been so considerate to everyone, and Jin knows it must hurt him the most to have seen Taehyung self-destruct, to see everyone get worse.
Jin wonders briefly when Hobi had started trying to catch Taehyung, and the pain he must have borne watching the rest wither as he tried so hard to stop Taehyung.
Wonders when was it that Hobi finally realized that he couldn’t save Taehyung, and had to kill him.
“I’m really sorry, Hobi.” Jin huffed, his breathing was getting harder and harder. “I’m sorry for doing that to you.”
“Hyung.” Hobi is openly crying now, little hiccupping breaths against Jin’s face as he presses their foreheads together.
He closes his eyes and falls to the sound of Hobi’s wails.
XXXXXX
Jin wakes to soft singing.
He sees Jimin at the coffee table, idly scrolling through his phone and singing softly under his breath. The image looked so real, so different from what he expected, though he wasn’t quite sure what he expected either.
He takes his time to catalogue everything, the soft squishiness of the cushions beneath him, the soft light shining through the windows, the breeze from the overhead fan. He watches Jimin absently sing, taking a sip from his cup every now and then, looking as though nothing had ever happened.
He looked just as Jin last remembered, soft and fluffy, before Jin’s first death, before the chaos that Taehyung had wrought. Jin stared at him with hooded eyes, and sighed with relief when he found no trace of green in Jimin’s eyes.
Then he realized Jimin had stopped singing, and was staring back at him.
“Jin-hyung?” Jimin called out, soft and quiet, almost in wonder and Jin smiled when Jimin beamed at him. “You’re awake!”
“Jiminie,” Jin reaches a hand out, hesitant to touch in case this was all a dream, but desperate to feel him. But Jimin easily slots their hands together and doesn’t disappear and Jin wants to cry with the relief.
“How are you feeling, hyung?” Jimin asked quietly, pressing closer.
“Sore,” Jin grumbled, and hesitantly asked. “What happened?”
“You were in an accident, Jin-hyung. You don’t remember?” Jimin frowned a little but still smiled at him. “You fell into the river, and almost drowned. But TaeTae jumped in after you and managed to save you.”
The smile fell off Jimin’s face and he leaned even closer, pressing his cheek to Jin’s. “You were unconscious for a week, hyung. You worried all of us.” Jimin squeezed their hands together a little before he slumped forward into Jin’s neck, tucking his face there.
“You only just got the green light to go home and passed out immediately on the couch.” And Jin knows instantly that Jimin had been sitting on the coffee table to keep an eye on him.
“Where’s everyone?”
“Yoongi-hyung and Namjoon-hyung are in the kitchen. Hobi-hyung is sleeping and Jungkookie went down to the grocery store with Taehyungie.”
“I’m surprised Yoongi let the both of them go.”
Jimin laughed and Jin presses his head against Jimin’s affectionately. He missed Jimin’s laughter.
“How is Taehyung?”
“You scared him real bad,” Jimin snorted into Jin’s neck and Jin almost crushed his head with his shoulder on reflex. Jimin just laughed like he hadn’t almost gotten killed by Jin’s shoulder and straightened.
“He wouldn’t leave your side the whole time. The only reason he isn’t here now is because Yoongi- hyung threatened bodily harm if he didn’t go buy food for us.” Jimin grinned, “And he still only left after I assured him that I’ll stay here to keep an eye on you.”
Jin wondered why it wasn’t Jimin that went instead, not that he disliked having Jimin be here. It just made more sense for Jimin and Jungkook to go instead of Taehyung and Jungkook.
“He’d definitely get upset that he wasn’t here when you woke.” Jimin giggles, and Jin gathers the energy to lean forward and bump into Jimin’s shoulder, craving the contact. Jimin seemed to understand and he smiled, shifting forward again to press his shoulder to Jin’s.
“Do you feel good enough to make a trip to the kitchen?” Jimin asked softly. “You should eat and you can show Yoongi-hyung and Namjoon-hyung that you’re awake too.”
The two of them chuckled when Jin’s stomach decided to voice its agreement with that plan and he reluctantly heaves himself off the couch, leaning against Jimin the entire way to the kitchen.
He would have believed it if this entire thing had been a dream, but a look at Yoongi’s and Namjoon’s faces and Jin knows that they remember too.
“What’s happening?” Jin asked, and watches them exchange a glance.
“We were just discussing the logistics of having everyone here to take turns to stay with you, Jin-hyung.” Namjoon said easily, as though it was something they had actually been discussing. But Jin sees Yoongi’s eyes slide to Jimin behind him, before giving Jin a pointed look and he realizes that Jimin must not remember what happened.
Realized why Jimin wasn’t asked to leave for the grocery store.
“Ah, that… makes sense. How long do I have to rest?”
“3 months, at least.” Namjoon smiled, and gestured for them to sit down. “Your lungs took quite a bit of damage, so no strenuous activity for at least three months, doctor’s orders.” Namjoon added when Jin scrunched his face in displeasure.
“I’m back!” Jin turned to the doorway when he heard Taehyung’s voice and was about to call out when they heard Jungkook yell, the thud of items falling to the ground and then Taehyung appeared at the kitchen door, eyes wild.
He scanned the room until he landed on Jin, and almost collapsed with the relief.
“Hyung,” Taehyung whined as he made his way to Jin, hugging him close and pressing a kiss to the top of Jin’s head. “How do you feel?”
“Better now that you’re here, Taehyungie.” Jin smiled up at Taehyung, and they ignored the gagging noises the other three were making. Taehyung smiled and bent to press kisses to Jin’s cheeks.
“Did you drop the groceries?” Yoongi questioned, tilting his chair back to try and get a better look at the living room.
“I had a heart attack. I’m justified.” Taehyung rebutted, arms tightening around Jin.
“Someone didn’t think it important to let me know that Jin-hyung was awake apparently.” Taehyung glared at Jimin and Jimin stuck his tongue out at him.
Jungkook appeared right then, arms full of groceries and glaring at Taehyung. But his eyes softened as he placed the groceries on the counter and went over to give Jin a tight hug.
“I’m glad you’re finally awake, hyung.”
“Thank you, Kookie.” Jin smiled and pressed a kiss to Jungkook’s temple, smoothing a hand over his back to reassure himself. He noticed Namjoon glance at that but neither of them say anything.
“What’s with all the noise?” Jin looks up to see Hoseok, sleepy and disheveled and before he knows it, Jin is there hugging him tight.
“Jin-hyung?” Hoseok instinctively hugged him back but when he realized who it was that was hugging him, his grip got as tight as Jin’s, fingers pressing almost painfully on his back.
“Hobi, thank you.” Jin whispered, choked. It took everything not to fall to his knees in gratitude, but he knows that it’d only confuse the kids.
“Ah hyung, I know you missed me, but you should eat first.” Hobi chuckled, a little wetly but it helps and Jin pulls away with a soft laugh.
“Sit down Jin-hyung,” Yoongi interjected, groaning a little as he got up. “I’ll cook tonight.”
Jin laughs as the rest cheers, Jungkook and Jimin offering their help as the rest of them settle down at the table. Taehyung’s arm is warm against him, Hoseok and Namjoon getting into a discussion on the origin of noodles and Jin sighs as he watches Yoongi boss the two around.
It feels like coming home.
XXXXXX
Jin thought that they’d have a discussion after dinner is over but Taehyung is insistent that Jin rest, whining and shooing the rest away as he pulls Jin into Jin’s room. But Jin catches Yoongi’s gaze, who shoots him a reassuring smile.
We’ll talk later.
So Jin dips his head a little in gratitude and lets Taehyung tuck him in, back against the headboard, watching as Taehyung fusses with the aircon and making sure Jin’s meds and water are on the night stand.
Taehyung is at the closet supposedly searching for his favorite hoodie for Jin to wear when Jin had enough and calls Taehyung to him. There’s an inexplicable urgency thrumming beneath Jin’s skin that wants Taehyung beside him, that wants to touch and confirm that everything is okay.
Something must have shown on his face because Taehyung looks over and abandons his task immediately, coming to stand beside him and thumbing away a tear Jin didn’t realize he’d shed.
“What’s wrong, hyung?”
Jin shook his head, reaching out to hold Taehyung’s wrist, to feel his pulse. Clears his mess of thoughts with every beat.
“I was thinking… that I don’t want you to sacrifice anything for me, VV.”
“What are you talking about, hyung~” Taehyung coos and Jin starts to smile. It’s impossible not to. “You mean the whole world to me. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
The image of what happened comes up to the forefront and cuts his smile short and Taehyung sees it fall before Jin could recover.
“Hyung?” Taehyung comes close immediately, a hand curling around Jin’s arm as he sits on the bed.
“It’s nothing,” Jin sighed, and bumps their noses together to stop Taehyung from protesting. Pulls Taehyung closer and tucks his face into Taehyung’s neck. Just to breathe him in a little.
Jin missed this. Missed him.
“I missed you.” Jin confessed, sighing again when Taehyung’s arms come around him and holds him tight.
“I didn’t go anywhere at all, Jin-hyung.” Taehyung chuckles, but it tapers off to a worried noise. “Are you really okay?”
“I’m not hurt, there’s no need to see the doctor.” Jin rolled his eyes but smiled fondly up at Taehyung. “Just thinking, is all.”
“Don’t do that, it’ll hurt your brain.” It’s the complete sincerity in Taehyung’s voice and gaze that makes Jin wonder if he meant it as a joke or not. But Taehyung reaches up to carefully stroke the side of Jin’s head, the touch so tender that Taehyung must really be worried even if his face tries to be impish.
“I’m really okay, VV.” Jin murmured and Taehyung’s face falls, turning solemn as he cradles Jin’s head closer, their foreheads pushed together.
“I love you.” Jin smiled at the ferocity behind Taehyung’s words, as though afraid that Jin would be taken from him. It makes him deliriously happy and sad at the same time. To have a love so freely and willingly given.
“I love you too.” He pressed a kiss to Taehyung’s lips and pulls away. Pulls Taehyung proper onto the bed and manhandling him so that they lie comfortably together. Jin has his head on Taehyung’s shoulder like he’s done so many times before with Taehyung’s hand slowly stroking his hair.
He feels tired. They stay that way for a while, but the thoughts running through his head doesn’t let him sleep.
“TaeTae,” Jin breathes against Taehyung’s collarbone and Taehyung hums in question. “Please don’t leave me.”
“Of course I won’t leave, hyung.” Taehyung said immediately, confused.
“What if I was taken?” Taehyung abruptly sat up and Jin wanted to laugh and cry at the expression of anger on Taehyung’s face. The same expression V had.
“I’ll find you.”
“Even if I go someplace you cannot follow?” Taehyung frowned, face tight but Jin doesn’t explain more. “I’ll always follow you. And I’ll find you no matter what.”
“What if I chose to leave?” Immediately Taehyung’s face falls, eyes wide and hurt and so sad that Jin wants to stab himself for doing that to him.
“Why?” It physically hurt Jin to hear that voice from Taehyung so Jin pulled Taehyung into a hug and pressed kisses to his cheeks in apology.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” Jin sighed and laid back down. “It’s just, there may be somewhere I need to go, somewhere I don’t really want to go but it’s important that I do, and I don’t like the idea of leaving you here.”
“Then don’t leave me. Bring me with you.” Jin stared at Taehyung in surprise at the easy way he said his answer, and the utter sincerity of that sentence, as though it didn’t matter that he might have to quit his job, might have to leave his friends and family just to stay by Jin’s side.
Taehyung looked steadily back at him, as though his answer should have been obvious to Jin.
Like it wouldn’t matter if he followed Jin into death, as long as they stayed together.
He would sacrifice everything to stay with Jin and Jin wanted to cry. How could he have thought to leave Taehyung in the first place?
Jin smiled, and intertwined their fingers. “Okay. Promise me that we’ll always go together.”
Taehyung beamed, tightening his fingers around Jin’s, so bright and happy like the angel Jin knew he is.
“I promise.”
END