Work Text:
“You don’t have to leave, you know.”
The sweet air of the summer night carried the soft words, which were stained with sadness, into Yoongi’s ears. He looked up to the night sky, the stars blinking brightly at him, and a sigh left his lips. “What do you expect me to do?”
“Stay.”
Taehyung knew he would go.
Yoongi’s eyes slipped shut, a scornful laugh pushing past his lips. He could hear everything from the top of that hill, the one that looked over the town in which he grew up - cars, sirens, drunken shouts, music - all the wildness of a late Saturday night.
He pivoted on his heel slowly, letting his eyelids rise so they could meet the teary eyes of his lover, taking in how Taehyung’s pretty lips quivered, nostrils flaring, attracting attention to the little mole on the tip of his nose. How many times had Yoongi kissed that nose, ignoring Taehyung’s half-hearted protesting, pushing hands giving in to clutch at his shirt?
Yoongi moved forwards slowly and reached up to cup Taehyung’s face in his hands, thumbs running over the tear trails down the soft skin of his cheeks.
“I can’t.”
There was rustling from the trees nearby, animals hiding cautiously in the foliage to spectate the two boys on the hill. Maybe they’d heard Taehyung’s whimpers of pain, or maybe they’d sensed the tension in the air between the two lost souls. They watched - wondering, deducting, judging. Maybe it’s why Taehyung always felt like he was being watched, even when he was alone. Nature was watching. The universe was making sure it made the right decision.
Yoongi’s face broke into a fond smile when a sob left Taehyung’s lips, fingers still tracing over his warm skin.
“Why aren’t you sad?”
Yoongi was sad. He felt like he was having his heart ripped out of his chest. He was just better at hiding it than his lover was.
“Taehyung, you should go. You’ve got work in the morning.”
“Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare!” Taehyung cried desperately, pushing Yoongi away so his hands fell from his face, but then gripping onto Yoongi’s shirt so that he didn’t go too far. “Don’t talk to me like I’m going to wake up tomorrow and see you lying next to me, because I’m not. I’m not going to be able to roll over and kiss you awake. I’m not going to hear you making comments about my ass as I get ready. I’m not going to be able to tie your tie for you when you get up in a rush because you’re late and you forgot to put your tie on until you’re out the door and I call you back and-”
Taehyung gasped and fell to his knees, hands sliding down Yoongi’s chest to his hips, where they clutched tightly, so tightly Yoongi was sure there would be purple imprints of his lover’s fingertips there in the morning. A reminder of what he left behind.
Yoongi moved his hands to Taehyung’s and took hold of them, his lover leaning forward to rest his forehead on Yoongi’s abdomen.
“You’re my soulmate,” Taehyung whispered, despairingly, and Yoongi could feel his lover’s hot breath tickling his skin through the fabric of his shirt. “You’re meant to be there for me forever.”
Yoongi sighed and bent down, resting his forehead on Taehyung’s, hands coming up to the sides of his head. “Taehyung, oh Taehyung,” he said, scrunching his eyes shut and pushing against his lover. “That’s not the point.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I know. You can’t understand what you don’t know.” Yoongi leaned back as he spoke, just slightly, enough to look into his lover’s eyes, which were red-rimmed and irritated, a question lingering.
What don’t I know?
A pitiful smile flickered onto Yoongi’s lips. “They want me dead, Taehyung. I couldn’t pay them back.”
Taehyung’s eyes widened, his hands clumsily finding the edge of Yoongi’s jacket to cling on. All hope Taehyung had, the little flame that had been sheltered from the harsh storm of pessimism, was blown out.
“Yoongi.”
“You don’t have to worry,” Yoongi said, ignoring the desperate whisper of his name, his hands falling to his sides as his own voice started to wobble, eyes falling to the dry, brown, dead grass they were kneeling on. “They won’t hurt you. they don’t know who you are.”
“I’m not worried about that,” Taehyung whined, this time bringing his hands up to cup Yoongi’s face, to make his lover look up, to look him in the eye. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“You’ll lose me if I stay.”
Taehyung leaned forwards, his hands falling onto Yoongi’s shoulders to slip down and interlace with his soulmate’s cold ones. One hand was rejected, Yoongi’s hand going up to rest on the side of Taehyung’s neck, gently pulling him closer.
“Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I’m scared.”
“Scared of what?”
Taehyung and Yoongi had always kept the knowledge of their matching soulmarks in the shadows. They enjoyed each other’s company in secret, and pined for each other throughout the days they couldn’t hold each other. Taehyung’s parents were rich and expected more than he could give. Finding out their child was fated to an orphan who was tangled with dangerous people would be the last straw.
“We’ve been kept apart for so long. I’m scared because we’re falling further into separation.”
Yoongi didn’t reply - there was nothing he could say to make it better. He leaned in and let his lips brush against those of his lover, quickly pulling away when Taehyung tried to deepen the kiss. He shouldn’t let himself get carried away.
“I have to go.”
Yoongi stood, Taehyung’s hands slipping from him to land on the dry grass, and smiled sadly down at his lover as he picked up his rucksack and swung it on his shoulder. Taehyung looked up at him in desperation, gulping nervously when Yoongi’s fingertips gently brushed his jaw.
“I love you, Min Yoongi.”
“I love you, Kim Taehyung. We’ll find each other again, and the thought of it will keep my going.”
Taehyung’s lips flickered at the corners, a barely-there attempt to smile.
Trying to keep himself together, Yoongi offered one last, soft smile to his soulmate in return and turned around, forcing his feet to carry him into the trees and down the hill, away from his lover, away from any hope of a future together, silent tears falling rapidly down his face.
Taehyung watched him disappear, listening to the sounds of dry grass crunching underfoot, until all he could hear was the sounds from the town below, his soulmate gone.
Finally.
“You got the money, I trust.”
There was a chuckle, the rustling of bushes, and then the sounds of footprints behind him.
“I did, Taehyungie. Naughty boy, stealing from your parents like that. Good acting, by the way!” A man’s voice said, playfully.
Taehyung didn’t reply.
“Ready to hold up your end of the deal?”
Taehyung gulped. Hesitated. Then, “Yes.”
There were more footsteps, and Taehyung listened as the man knelt behind him, tried his best not to squirm at the sound of metal slicing against metal. A hand clamped onto his shoulder painfully, but he didn’t flinch.
“Your life for your soulmate’s?”
Something cold and sharp pressed against his neck. Taehyung looked up, taking in the sight of the stars.
Look up. Look up at the black and the bright of the night sky and remember, Kim Taehyung, that I love you.
A small smile flickered onto his lips.
“My life for my soulmate’s.”
I’ll remember, so long as you remember that I love you too, and I’d do anything - anything - to keep your heart beating.