Twisted Every Way || Vmin/Yoonmin {Complete}

17 -- Awake

Yoongi watched silently, biting his lip, with sorrow and a tinge of jealousy. Yet, he turned his eyes away and closed them tight, sighing as he tried to relive the benevolent intimacy that he had been granted to him. As the lovers pulled away slightly and looked to one another, touching each other's faces and whispering to one another, Yoongi cleared his throat and looked to them again.

"Go," he said softly, feeling his heart throb the moment he said it. "Both of you." Their eyes snapped to him in an instant. Yoongi put a hand to his lips again, turning away and moving toward the keyboard and making a gesture to the opposite hallway from which Taehyung had entered. "If you leave through there you'll find Namjoon. Take him with you, and then forget about all of this."

For a moment, Jimin stayed frozen with shock. He wasn't expecting to be let loose this easily. Taehyung, however, breathed in deep, still filled with wrath that they'd been forced through this at all, and he took an aggressive step or two toward Yoongi before Jimin grabbed at his wrist, stopping him. The redhead looked back, and the lovers met eyes. The blond gulped, urging Taehyung toward the hallway that he had instructed them to leave through. At seeing the pleading in Jimin's gaze, Taehyung reluctantly accepted defeat.

"I said go!" Yoongi snapped, turning back toward them. Jimin and Taehyung wasted no time in bolting toward the hallway, and the ghost pursued them for a moment as they did. "Get out of here and leave me alone!" he shrieked; yet after they had obeyed, fleeing out of sight, the ghost let out another sob. He turned back to his keyboard, where so many times Jimin had stood before him, listening to the melodies of his heartstrings. He stepped toward it, crumbling; the angel's kiss, in all of its simplicity, had changed him. In feeling Jimin's compassion through the warmth in his lips, he at last realized he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he tortured the man he loved for even a moment longer--he realized that he had no choice but to let him go, for he'd never be able to make him equally happy. He wailed, falling to his knees before the keyboard, trying to hold onto and mentally relive the memory of Jimin's kindness for as long as he could--and then he heard a noise.

Yoongi choked back his sobbing and slowly turned to look over his shoulder; there stood Jimin, teary-eyed and somber as he stepped back in toward him, alone and empty-handed. The dark haired man stood up quickly, making a swift attempt to dry his face before turning around. Jimin paused in place as Yoongi approached him with disbelief and wonder in his eyes.

"Jimin..." he uttered, unsure of what to make of the moment. The blond man looked at him with anguish before looking down, at his own hands. He carefully removed the dazzling silver ring from his finger and, meeting Yoongi's eyes once more, held it out to him. The ghost released a small, painful breath, his eyes flickering from Jimin's eyes, to the ring, and back again. Jimin bit his lip at the man's hesitance, his eyes beginning to water.

"In a different universe, or under different circumstances, maybe we could have..." The blond cut himself off, realizing that his words might have been more painful than comforting. Yoongi looked at him wide-eyed, hearing the sincerity in his tone. "You'll find happiness someday," he went on meekly, his hand shaking as it continued to hold the ring up. "I'll pray for it. I promise." The ghost stepped in closer, reaching for Jimin. He paused, and yet when Jimin stood still, unflinching, he touched his face.

"I'll never forget you," he murmured, stroking the blond's burning cheek with his thumb.

"Neither will I," Jimin replied. "For better or worse."

The ghost whimpered, stepping in closer. Jimin lowered his head, just a little, and Yoongi moved his hand to push the flaxen hair from Jimin's face before pressing his lips to his forehead. Jimin closed his eyes tightly, trembling--not with fear, but from the overwhelming heartbreak that the gesture brought him. When Yoongi pulled away, releasing Jimin's hair and locking eyes with him, he gave a bittersweet smile, tears flowing.