"Jimin you look horrible."
"Thank you."
Mark frowned as he looked down upon the spirit who sat on the floor below him. Jimin was usually one of the cheerier of the spirits who visited the mansion, but now? He looked miserable.
His skin looked even paler than before, eyes looking red from crying, and hair messed up and frizzy. Mark crouched down and sat next the Jimin, noticing then the few soft sniffles that could he heard coming from him. "Seriously Jimin. What happened?"
"I wish I could die again." He whispered, "I'm such an idiot Mark."
The other spirit became increasingly worried at Jimin's words, sliding closer to him and watching as a few more tears slid down his face. "Of course I fall in love with someone after I die. Life is just fair like that. And of course it's someone who I shouldn't want to be around and should hate. I'm just making this difficult for myself! I'll have to leave him anyway if I want to be truly happy. The only fucking thing I have to do as a spirit is get him to turn himself in and I fall in love with him instead? What is wrong with me?" Jimin wiped the tears off of his face before burying his head in his hands and sighing deeply.
Mark was in shock as he sat next to the other spirit, letting his words sink in.
"Y-You're in love with Jungkook?" He asked, Jimin nodding softly.
"And I hate myself for it." He croaked, "Do you know how many spirits in here would kill to get their killers arrested and here I am falling in love with mine? Pathetic."
Mark suspected it. Ever since Yoongi told him that Jimin was defending Jungkook and trying to rationalize the fact that he was a spirit because of the guy.
"Could I ask why?" The other spirit nodded once more and brought his knees up to his chest.
"He's so nice Mark." Jimin's voice cracked halfway in between his sentence. "He cares about me and listens to me and says such sweet things that I'll never forget. He's had such a horrible past and he doesn't want to kill people but it's so drilled into his mind that he needs to. His laugh and his smile and the way he'll play with my fingers while we're talking and the way holds onto me like I could disappear any moment when we hug- Mark I shouldn't like him this much! I should hate him! Why don't I hate him?"
Mark nearly teared up himself as he listened to Jimin speak, biting his lip as he thought about the love he had while he was alive.
"When did you know?" He asked, Jimin shrugging.
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. But I'm begging you Jungkook, don't go out tonight. Don't take any lives."
"You're changing me and I don't like it."
"That means I'm doing my job right then."
"It was the night he told me about his past." Jimin answered, staring down at his feet. "It was the first time he showed any form of remorse and emotion around me. I hugged him as we sat on his couch at the late hours of the night and... I hated him a bit less than before."
Mark watched as Jimin tugged the sleeves of the sweater he wore over his hands and wiped away the remaining tears.
"Tell him." Jimin's eyes widened at Mark's words, shaking his head rapidly.
"Absolutely not." He answered immediately, the other spirit sighing in response.
"Tell me, what do you have to lose hm? If he doesn't like you back it's not like he can keep you away. If he does, maybe he'll love you enough to turn himself in." Mark spoke, Jimin watching him intently as he did.
"You make it sound way easier than it probably is."
--
"Jimin-Hyung, could I hug you?"
Jimin was caught off guard by Jungkook's words as he walked back into the younger's house
He nodded nonetheless, wrapping his arms around the younger and feeling Jungkook's hands grip the back of his sweater. He didn't know the reason, and he didn't know how long it would last, but Jimin did know that he appreciated how warm Jungkook felt against him. "I nearly did something really stupid today Hyung."
Jimin grew scared at the younger's words, staying silent as they both swayed in each other's embrace. "I wanted to die so badly Hyung."
Jungkook felt as the spirit's grip on him tighten as he uttered those seven words, him sighing before continuing. "It all came crashing back onto me you know? No matter how many times you assure me that I'm not I'll always know that I'm a horrible person and I guess I couldn't handle the thoughts anymore. I nearly cut too deep, I nearly went too far but-"
Jimin pulled away before the younger could finish, pushing back the material of the long sleeved shirt he wore and feeling his eyes water once he found bandages there. "But then I remembered you." The raven haired boy finally finished, Jimin halting his actions to look into Jungkook's eyes.
"'What would happen to you?' I thought. I know it's not healthy but I'm living for you, not for myself." Jungkook mumbled, tugging his sleeves back down and looking out the living room window.
Jimin looked down for a moment, before huffing and looking back up.
"Jungkook I need to tell you something." He spoke, Mark's words ringing in his ears as he watched the younger's head turn towards him.
Jungkook sighed and nodded.
"I need to tell you something too." He tapped his fingers along his thighs nervously, the spirit in front of him watching his small movements for a moment before speaking again.
"Judging by how we're both acting I'll guess that they're both pretty important so," He looked into Jungkook's eyes. "How about we say them at the same time."
The younger nodded.
"Alright. Three, two.."
Jimin gulped and could feel his hands shaking. "One."
"I love you."
"I love you."
