Free Will

Tensions

It reminds jimin of what he sees when Namjoon and Jin look at each other. And what he sees when Jungkook and Taehyung look at each other. Seeing that in Yoongi's eyes when he look at him, that should scare him, but it doesn't. Mostly because Jimin can feel it in his gaze when his eyes follow Yoongi.

The only thing that scares him is his strength, he fears hurting the fire user more than he fears hurting himself. So Jimin's been avoiding Yoongi as much as he can, as evidenced by the many hours spent pouring over books. The only time they see each other are at breakfast and dinner. At night Jimin goes back into the library while Yoongi stays in the courtyard.

Neither of them go to the rooms. They're too creepy. Hold too much history.

Instead they just spend their time in total solitude. Jimin surrounded by books, artifacts, and stale air, while Yoongi gets chickens, plants, and sunshine. It's a bit unfair honestly but at this point Jimin feels so guilty for trapping Yoongi here that he'd never complain. Especially not when the solitude is so obviously his fault.

Yoongi has come up to him multiple times, offering to help or asking if he can be of service. It's obvious he wants to help Jimin, take some of the workload off his shoulders, but every time the god turns him down.

This is one of those times. Jimin's struggling to carry a large stack of books when Yoongi enters. He's almost about to drop the ancient materials so when Yoongi ask quietly, in that soft, hesitant voice he's been using recently, "Can I help?" Jimin doesn't deny.

He moves the books into the study room with Yoongi's help. When they manage to set them down neither speak. And though there is a sort of tension between them it isn't awkward or uncomfortable. Nothing with Yoongi has been for a while now.

"Come outside." He isn't hesitant anymore, but insistent, blunt. "You need to get out of this place or you'll go crazy."

Jimin wants to deny the offer but something in the fire users eyes tells him that if he does Yoongi will burn down every book in the building. "Yeah alright."

Yoongi blinks, maybe surprised it had been that easy, but then nods and exits the room, Jimin following behind obediently. He's lead outside, where Yoongi has a fire smoldering in an ancient pit he cleared up, a pot he'd found in the minimalistic kitchen containing what looks like chicken, carrot, leeks and potatoes, likely a stew of some kind. Between two trees he's set up a cloth like tarp for shade, with another one underneath it for comfort. To the right of the fire pit is a crumbling stone patio with a large pool-like fountain. Near the fountain, around columns and crumbling statues, scorch mark after scorch mark are visible. Jimin suspects these are from Yoongi practicing with his gift.

Though he's in the courtyard daily for meals this is the first time Jimin's really looked at it. Not only has Yoongi made the tarped area and melted the face off a marble statue he'd cleaned up both the gardens as well as the chicken coop. Jimin can't say he blames him, though. At this point they might've been here for weeks, or even months. It's hard to tell. Time passes weird in The Library.

Finally, after taking in a good long look at the area, Jimin sits down near the fire pit, across from Yoongi. The two men watch each other in total silence, drinking in each others faces after having been deprived so long.

Jimin expects Yoongi to speak first, but clearly he's tired of always having to push Jimin. For once the god gives he a reprieve. "I'm busy a lot, you know?"

"I know."

"Been doing a lot of research, a lot of reading and practicing and hard work." He looks away from Yoongi, guilt from constantly ignoring him swirling in his stomach.

"I know."

"I've almost got my powers under wraps. Stayed up all night for endurance or whatnot, a book recommended it. Said if I could control it when brain dead and hungry I could control it any time. I had a whole swarm of rocks floating the entire time, spinning in their own orbits. I also had one of those creepy gargoyles everywhere moving on it's own instinct, without me giving direct orders." At this point Jimin's rambling, he knows it and Yoongi knows it. Yet the human does nothing to stop him, so Jimin stops himself. After a moment of silence, as if to confirm Jimin's done talking, Yoongi speaks again.

"I know."

And Jimin realizes he does. Yoongi knows why he's working so hard, why he's never around to keep the elder company. Yoongi knows what it's like to have a gift that's dangerous, to be unable to control yourself, to not know your strength. Fire is volatile, it burns and kills and takes, takes takes. So yes, Yoongi knows.

Jimin suspects, the fire user also knows that all the time he's spent working on his powers are for Yoongi's sake, to protect the male from Jimin's godly abilities.

The silence between them is back, and once again the tension has transformed. This transformation isn't as drastic though. Instead it feels like it's the right sort of tension, the kind that you have to act on before it's too late. So Jimin does.

He stands up and circles the pit, Yoongi's eyes following him all the while. When he reaches the other he sits on his hands, to avoid using them and accidently hurting him.

"Hyung," Jimin says. "You know- you know I- I" The stutter is back, as it always is when Jimin gets nervous.

"I know, Jiminie. Believe me, I know."

Gods Jimin loves hearing his name being said, and above all he loves hearing it from Yoongi's raspy low voice, a faint slur to his words. They're leaned in close to each other. Close enough that Jimin can smell the smoke and pine that's so obviously Yoongi it makes him feel drunk. Close enough that he can see every dark detail in Yoongi's coffee eyes, just as he imagines Yoongi can in his own chocolate ones.

His skin is pale, oh so pale, that Jimin imagines it must show marks so well. Which is another reminder to control himself. Not to hurt this beautiful protective person. Not to hurt the Yoongi who claimed him as one of his own before Jimin had even known it. It's a reminder that Yoongi is oh so delicate, while Jimin is oh so strong.

It's a reminder to be careful, but to never, never, never, abandon him.

And then he feels lips on his own, and it's like the world is melting all around him. Colors melting and twirling together, until he closes his eyes and the colors are replaced with gossamer strands of magic, floating around the two of them and collecting into puddles of liquid gold.

He's kissing Yoongi and it feels as if they're the only things left in existence.

It feels right.