Omelas ~ BTS AU [✓]

|| Chapter 40 ||

Jungkook's head spun to face the older boy, his eyes filled with a strange mix of surprise and disappointment. "Hyung, you shouldn't be here. If they see you with me then you'll be taken in too. It's not safe-"

"I remember."

He appeared confused. "What?"

"You. I remember you. When we were kids...we lived here. We were friends. Do you remember?"

Jungkook stared hard at him, and Yoongi's gaze remained unmoving. Then he slowly lifted his eyes, up to the trees, the buildings and the sky.

For a few moments, he said nothing. But then a small voice replied "yes." His eyes met Yoongi's once again, wide in realisation. "I remember now too. We played in that park over there all the time. And then..."

"And then they took you away." He looked down at his feet. "I was standing right here. You were standing right there. And they took you away."

"One of the policemen hit you in the head." Jungkook added.

"...and that's when my headaches began. When my memory disappeared."

There was a brief moment of silence.

"Yoongi...hyung, I don't want that to happen to you again. Please, go now. If I hand myself in then everything will be fine."

"But it won't be." The other replied immediately. "If you hand yourself in then what have we been fighting for? What use is remembering my past if you won't be in my future?"

The younger boy sighed. Yoongi walked up the steps to where he was standing, and stopped in front of him.

"Jungkook, if you give yourself in nothing will change. We'll still be criminals. We'll still be doing all we can to get you back. We made our choice the second we broke you out of your cell, there's no turning back." He took the boy's hand into his own.

"I don't want you to have to bare the burden of us saving you. You don't owe us anything. After all...we were friends. We still are. Friends help each other."

Jungkook's eyes were watery as Yoongi pulled him close, his head resting on the shorter boy's shoulder. "Hyung...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..."

"Don't be, none of this is your fault. I'm sorry we were too busy arguing to pay attention to you."

They stayed close as the sun rose in the sky, feeling the comfort of each other's warmth. It was the first time since this whole ordeal started that the two of them felt safe and calm, it felt like time had slowed down a little.

All of that was shattered in an instant.

Several men emerged from the building at once and surrounded them, ordering them to hand themselves in peacefully. They were policemen of course. Jungkook being in this city basically meant that Elysium and Omelas could break out into fighting at any given time. He wasn't meant to be here. He was meant to be in Omelas.

Most of them grabbed Jungkook, and two held Yoongi back as he desperately tried to reach for the other.

"Let go!" He yelled, giving a fair warning before stamping on the foot of his captor. The other one grabbed him under the arms, and he used all his might to escape, but to no avail.

"Hyung!" Jungkook called. His fear was replaced by strength upon seeing his friend and knowing that he needed him. He fought back too, trying to pry himself free, when he noticed another figure approaching. Hyung!

Suddenly Yoongi felt the weight behind him disappear, and he didn't bother to check why before running towards Jungkook. He swung at the men, fighting them with all he had as the younger boy did too. They weren't helpless kids anymore. Now this time.

Finally he managed to shake off most of the men, except for one who now had him around the neck. He could barely breathe and his eyesight began to blur, until the weight was lifted again as the man behind him yelped in pain.

A hand grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up, as he breathed in so deeply that it caused him to cough. Yoongi suddenly looked up. "J-Jimin?"

"Come on Yoongi, keep fighting!" He encouraged, before turning around to deal with the other men who were getting up again.

Yoongi quickly grabbed Jungkook by the hand and pulled him away, punching his attacker to the ground. He turned around just in time to see Jimin kicking another one to the ground, and grabbed his hand too and began to run.

The men didn't have enough speed to catch them, as the three made their way towards nowhere in particular as fast as they could. Eventually they reached an alley and Yoongi pulled them into it so they could catch their breath.

Among their heavy breathing they heard the tread of footsteps, and watched as the men ran past them without sparing a glance in their direction.

"Come on, let's keep going." Yoongi suggested.

"Wait wait, my legs are tired." Jimin complained, kneeling on the ground.

"I'm not surprised with how hard you kicked that guy earlier. But we have no time." He bent down and quickly scooped up Jimin into his arms. "Come on Jungkook!"

They continued onwards, this time towards Hyunjin's place since they deemed it safe enough.

Jimin's cheeks were flushed from exhaustion and embarrassment. "You can put me down you know, I can keep going by myself."

Yoongi let out a breathy chuckle, confusing the pink haired boy. "Do you remember what you said back in Omelas? You told me you weren't strong enough by yourself, that without me you couldn't do anything."

He forgot he had even said that. It felt so long ago. Yoongi continued.

"Well...I think you have really changed since then. You're kind of a badass now Jimin. And I love it. But still, I like feeling needed so I won't put you down just yet."

"You can barely breathe jackass."

"..."

"I'll still hold your hand if you put me down."

"...okay, at the next street lamp."