Reflection

Twenty-Five

"Yeah," Jimin squeezed his hand a little harder, "You are."

Namjoon wasn't sure on how he should feel on this. On one hand, he didn't mind so much that he was imprinted to the phoenix, but he also didn't like it that much either. He may be ignorant of most things, a lot due to how he has lived for over the last decade, but he wasn't dense or stupid. He was far from it. He knew that Taehyung didn't really like him, that for the most part despite the phoenix being nice to him from time to time and himself clinging to every ounce of affection that he could get like a starved man, that it was forced or an act.

During the times that Taehyung had visited him in his cage, he had always assumed that the phoenix was showing up under pressure from Kyungmin. That she had been badgering him to try and convince him to go with them since she was determined to save him despite the fact that he really didn't deserve it, no matter what she or even now Jimin had to say on the matter, he knew that he didn't. Now though, there was a sickness in his stomach as to what the actual reason was for Taehyung coming to see him like he did. He was going off of instinct, off of the natural bond that had somehow formed between them and now that he was focusing on the thought of the imprint and the implications behind it, the bond must have formed as soon as they had met. As soon as their eyes had locked with each other that first evening...

He had known that something was off, that something hadn't been right...

He hadn't been able to kill Taehyung for a reason, hadn't been able to resist the insistent pull towards him despite how mean the phoenix could be, especially in the beginning. Near the end of his imprisonment though, it hadn't been all bad... Taehyung had fed him, would read stories to him, allow Namjoon to get close to him through the bars of the cage...

It had all felt forced though. All of it. As if Taehyung had been made to do it all from the very start and now Namjoon knew why.

Their imprint had compelled him in some way. He may not know much about imprints yet, but if there was one thing he would bet on, it would be that it controlled their actions in certain ways just from the fact that he alone felt different when in the phoenix's presence. How even when he was supposed to hurt him he couldn't. He didn't have the ability to. Or even how he started to even see Taehyung as his new Master.... Even now, with the growing need that he felt towards Jimin, that he knew came from his desperate want for affection, he still saw Taehyung differently from him. The way he saw the phoenix though scared him...

He felt powerless, as if he was nothing but a servant to his will. As if he would do anything for him if he were to ask him and he wouldn't even hesitate. It scared him. Made him feel weak, weaker then even when he was under Jungwoo's control. The more he had time to think about it, and the more he realized how utterly dependent he was on the other, the more weary he became.

How he felt about Jimin though was different, with him he felt free. He had only known him really for the better part of the day, the hours flying by easily when in the humans presence, but he felt safe. He felt cared for. And he knew that he was seen as something more than just a monster. More than a killer. More than a prisoner.... Jimin saw him as something valuable, something that he wanted and had clearly made a point to say to him twice now. Most of all though, he was kind and took care of him, made him feel a happiness that he hadn't felt in so long that he forgot how it had felt. He made him feel as if he were his equal...

"What if I don't want the imprint?" The words came out of his mouth before he could control them, and Jimin's head shot up instantly, eyes wide and mouth gone slack.

"What?" His voice was shaky as he spoke, eyes locked onto Namjoons in surprise.

"What would happen if I didn't want the imprint?"

----

~ Jimin POV ~

There were many things that he had expected Namjoon to say, many things that he had expected him to feel and ask. But him saying that hadn't even occurred to Jimin. It was practically unheard of for someone to not want their imprint. Yes, it was possible. There were old tales of rejections from years long past. Though, for the most part, they were all tales. Stories to warn children into never breaking the sacredness of an imprint because of the severity of what a rejection would entail for the two people involved.

When someone was rejected, depending on their race, it could have many different effects. For Taehyung, he would be doomed to a life of loneliness. His body never being capable of loving again, or even being able to make love to a person again. At least, that's what he had been told. Jimin had no clue if what the phoenix had told him was true or not, but he wasn't sure he wanted to test it out and see if it was actually true when the repercussions for his best friend were as high as they were. As for Namjoon though, him being a hybrid, there wasn't much info for them to go on. For a vampire and a werewolf when they imprinted they could break the imprint at will, go their separate ways, and be just fine. Depending on the one who was rejected though, if they loved their imprint, it could make them sick enough to possibly die but that was only if it ran that deep in the first place. From what Kyungmin had told them, since she was their only source of knowledge on all things to do with her kind at the moment, they were pretty much banking on the fact that both of their bloodlines were similar in that regard so if she ever happened to meet her imprint she could reject them easily since she loved Jungkook and didn't need a soul bond to prove that.

As for what Namjoon was asking him though, Jimin didn't know how to respond.

Selfishly, he wanted to tell him the truth about himself and himself only. That nothing would happen to him, that he would be fine, and that he wouldn't have to worry so if he wanted to break the imprint in order to say, possibly, be with him, then he could. But, could he really do that to Taehyung? Could he betray his best friend any further then he already has by even catching feelings for the one being the phoenix was destined for....

Or did he tell Namjoon the full truth, about him and Taehyung and allow him the choice to decide? Allow him the freedom to make his own path since after he had learned everything that he could about the other, Namjoon had never had that freedom even before his life with Jungwoo.

He didn't get to answer him though.

Namjoon suddenly started to clutch desperately at his chest, pain evident on his face as he let out an ear splitting yowl. Grabbing onto the hybrid he held onto him tightly as he whimpered into his arms. The name that fell from his lips though made his heart sink into the pit of his stomach, a small, "Taehyung," echoing in both of their ears as he clawed almost blindly at his chest.

Even though his heart ached, he knew that Namjoon was never going to be his, so he hugged him tightly one last time before helping him sit up, "Namjoon, what happened? Is Tae hurt?"

"I can't tell," His breathing was labored and pain continued to plague him as he dug his nails right into the skin above his heart, "I think so. I think I need to-"

His eyes weren't clear any longer, there was a sheen to them that he had seen back in the forest and he knew that he would have to let go. "Then go to him Namjoon. It's alright. Go, I won't be far behind."
Namjoon nodded, and just like that, similar to how he did back when they had first met not that long ago, he ran out of the cave, transforming as he went, and left Jimin behind in the dust.

Jimin couldn't hold back the pitiful sob that escaped his lips at the others retreating form. He wanted Namjoon so badly, wanted to be the one that he had imprinted on so much. Wished that things could have worked the other way around or that this war had never happened in the first place so that maybe then he wouldn't have met Namjoon to begin with. Because he was already falling for him, his heart easily caving in to the pitiful and self sacrificing creature that was Namjoon without a second thought and little time in knowing him.

Taehyung was more important though...

Not just to Jimin...

But to the war...

To Yoongi...

To Jungkook...

To Hoseok...

To Seokjin...

To Kyungmin...

And most of all... to Namjoon...