The rain. It's always the rain that forebodes great misery. It did so back then, a long time ago, just like it did today.
When Jimin burst into the Jeon cave, Jungkook was still deep asleep. Upon hearing the echoes of his steps, he startled awake but already felt Jimin's small fingers glide across his arm, not letting him escape.
We need to talk.
Even with the serious weight of his words, Jungkook didn't seem worried. He was annoyed, if anything. Annoyed that Jimin would return when he told him so honestly that he shouldn't, that it was dangerous. He was dangerous.
Jungkook ran a hand through his jet black hair, unable or maybe unwilling to completely erase the stubborn snark from his voice.
"About what? I told you it's safer when you stay with the Hyungs."
Why? Because you secretly want to hurt me?
Unbelievable.
Those words couldn't have possibly spilled from the Omega's fingertips. Yet, here he was with that burning gaze that made Jungkook want to shrink and disappear, ocean eyes rattled by a wild storm created from utter defiance.
Taehyung told me about the past. I want to hear it from your mouth, though. If you truly despise me and my kind so much, please be honest about it and tell me.
The Omega's sudden candidness left Jungkook stunned. His lava eyes lit up the dark, sweaty hands closing into fists before releasing shortly after, nerves running wild.
"Why the hell would he tell you something like that…"
It's not true then?
Glancing to the side, Jungkook defensively poked his tongue against the inside of his cheek, a telltale sign that he was thinking hard, probably weighing his options.
He didn't have many, though. Options that is. He seemed to realize that as well.
"I honestly don't think you really want to know my true feelings."
Pretty sure that's for me to decide.
The sudden resistance in Jungkook's gaze made Jimin wonder if he was getting angry, or maybe he was just frustrated with himself.
Either way, he got it under control fast, burning eyes simmering down to a subtle gleam as he sighed and his body slumped against the wall behind him. Even his ears drooped in defeat.
"Fine. If you want the truth so badly, I'll tell you."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
It must've been spring when they first met.
Jungkook remembered sneaking into the forest despite the elders telling him not to. He remembered dashing through colorful flower fields, watching them fall apart beneath his feet as he ran. But no matter how stunning his first impressions of this forbidden place might've been, it paled in comparison to the one image that would be forever engraved on his mind. A pink fox balancing on the biggest tree he's seen so far, wavering while he lifted his arms to reach for the sky.
That magical vision was over as fast as it appeared. The fox pup turned around, eyes growing huge. Next thing he knew, there was a scream as the pink ball of fluff fell to the ground, landing right on his chubby cheeked face.
When carefully stepping closer, Jungkook very quickly realized that the fox child looked well fed in general. Not a single rib could be seen beneath the bunched up shirt and, no matter how hard he tried to swallow the bitter taste in his mouth back down, Jungkook couldn't help feel upset about it.
Those foxes truly must be wicked creatures to enjoy their perfect life while Jungkook's pack was starving. He must think he's oh so special, that pink miracle fox. He definitely looks like he was being spoiled rotten.
As he stepped closer, Jungkook started to wonder whether the fox had lost consciousness after the fall. He wasn't moving, wasn't even making a sound when Jungkook crouched down beside him to check if he was still breathing.
Well, he was alive, that much he could tell and the longer he looked at the smaller boy's helpless state, the more sinister Jungkook's thoughts became.
It would be so easy.
If he just found the courage, Jungkook would be able to crush his skull or break his neck. Maybe, after he gave him what he deserved, the rage and unbearable pain he felt would finally start to fade. Jitae's last desperate expression would finally be wiped from his mind.
As if in trance, he grabbed a stone the size of his head. This wasn't like him, not at all. He felt his stomach twist and turn, felt the urge to throw up, to choke out the emotions that still fought and clashed inside of his chest, battling to get the upper hand.
He stood like that for what must've been minutes, awkwardly frozen with his eyes trained on the fox and the stone held high, ready to strike.
Yet, he just couldn't move.
It was the same a few years ago, when he was supposed to take revenge for his Dad. He knew exactly what he was expected to do but, like the worst son in the world, he just couldn't. It didn't feel right to him.
Did this make him a traitor? Did his poor slaughtered father really look down on him with disgust and despair, just like his all powerful leader claimed?
The thought alone made him want to die.
Before he could work himself any deeper into this frenzy, a high-pitched groan reached his ears and made them twitch. It was followed by a whimper, a whine. Next thing he knew, the tiny fox in front of him was bawling his eyes out like there's no tomorrow.
It startled Jungkook so much that he jumped backwards to bring some distance between them before eventually hiding behind a nearby bush.
But even then, with him being completely out of sight, that spoiled brat just kept on crying without looking up or at least rolling around to save his face from sinking deeper into the mud.
Such a weak pup, Jungkook thought as he scrunched his nose, hands pressed on his ears to drown that damn noise.
Someone like him would never survive in his pack. Never.
Just when the thought crossed his mind, a memory suddenly flashed in front of his eyes. A short scene of himself crying outside of their family's cave until Jitae finally came running. Jungkook barely saw him through the veil of his tears but he felt the fox's heart race when the slender male pressed him comfortingly against his chest.
"Oh Jungkookie…" Jitae sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you that climbing down by yourself is dangerous, huh?! What if your father had found you like that…? He would've been so worried."
When the child was only crying harder, the fox shook his head in defeat, heart already melting, expression growing soft.
"Shh… don't cry, baby. I'm here now. I'll make sure you're okay."
Jitae reached behind himself, revealing a few flowers he had picked on his secret trip to the forest.
It worked like a charm. Jungkook quieted down in an instant, eyes growing huge as he sniffed and touched the soft petals, amazed by their beauty as much as their fragile nature and will to survive even after being ripped out of the earth.
With that moment in mind, Jungkook watched the pink miracle cry and, for the first time since initially seeing him, he felt bad. All rage was drowned in pity, maybe even sympathy as he looked around the place until finding a nearby flower bed and picking some he would then hold in front of the other pup's nose.
The fox fell silent in an instant. His huge, fearful eyes flickered up, lashes fluttering to blink the tears away, flinching when he heard Jungkook speak.
"Pretty."
"Huh...? Me…?"
"Nope. I'm talking about the flowers, Stupid."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
You… Jimin paused, finger shaking and thoughts racing while he tried to process Jungkook's words. Memories came flooding back but they didn't seem as sweet as he always thought they were. It felt like betrayal.
So Taehyung wasn't lying? You really thought about killing me when we first met? It has always been like this? You always felt that kind of hatred when following me around?
Despite everything, he still almost expected Jungkook to shake his head and laugh it off. To say it wasn't like that at all. It might've beent in the beginning but vanished the second they met again.
But it didn't happen. All Jungkook did was lower his head, clench his teeth, no words leaving his pale, tightly closed lips.
No salvation.
What about my family then? Was it you after all who set my house on fire? Did you think it's what I deserve?
Still, no response.
At this point, it almost drove Jimin insane. He needed an answer, a reaction, reassurance, anything at all. He would've been ready to beg for it if Jungkook hadn't eventually lifted his head, expression exhausted.
It seemed like he had carried a burden for years and finally started to break under the heavy weight.
"What if I did? What would you do, Jimin? Would you kill me to get your revenge?"
Was that...a confession…?
For a very short moment, it really did seem like Jimin was about to do just what the wolf had asked for. The need for revenge, for someone to pay, shrouded his heart in mist, making it hard to see anything besides the anger growing inside of his chest.
His face had turned deathly pale, bottom lip quivering as his deep sea eyes filled with tears while his face twisted into a tortured mask created by unbearable pain and betrayal.
No… No, this can't be true. It just can't! Please, say it's a lie.
With his mouth wide open it almost looked like the fox was trying to scream but still couldn't do it. Those silent yells only drove the knife deeper, twisting it around, adding some more injuries to the already overwhelming pain.
When Jimin jumped him, Jungkook didn't resist. Without a sound, he endured the punches raining down on him until it was nothing but tired jabs and, finally, Jimin collapsed in front of him.
The Omega dragged himself towards the exit of the cave only for Jungkook to once again grab his arm, causing him to whirl around with a growl, bare his fangs even as he snapped after the Alpha's hand who pulled away just in time.
"Where are you going?"
After roughly grabbing his arm, Jimin scribbled erratically, Home. I'd rather be locked up in a cage for the rest of the life or dead than having to stay here for another second.
With that, he pushed Jungkook away and ran. Only this time, Jungkook wasn't going after him. He didn't even try.
On his way out, Jimin passed Taehyung but ignored his attempts to ask what's going on. All Tae could do was run inside, grab the younger by the shoulders and try to get the answers he was seeking from him.
"What happened, Jungkook-ah?! What did you tell him?"
"Nothing. He's going home."
"What?! What do you mean?? You have to stop him! Yoongi Hyung's father is going to freak out when he realizes Jimin is gone… what if he thinks you betrayed him and starts punishing you?! Fuck, he killed people for less in the past!"
"I just… I don't care anymore, Taehyungie. Having him here is too much, I can't handle it. I'm so tired of everything. Let him go, it's better that way. I never wanted him to be part of this pack to begin with. None of it was supposed to happen the way it did."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
While the wolves continued to drown in their own misery, Jimin had already reached the forest outskirts. Traveling was much faster when he moved around in his fox form but it still took him the whole day until his old pack's village finally appeared on the horizon. As his gaze took hold of it for the first time in months, a familiar warmth started to spread inside of his frozen heart.
Home. He was finally home!
Outside of the main gate, he came to a screeching halt. Marching right through the it might not be the smartest idea. But then what should he do?
A little too late, Jimin realized that he hadn't thought that far.
He had always been very aware of the fact that he maybe wouldn't be welcome here, but even so, he really didn't want to wander the walk of shame after running away and coming back home. Even less when considering that he left with his sister and returned alone.
Luckily for him, it turned out that he didn't have to.
Right there, in front of him, he noticed a very familiar figure making his rounds around the village. It was Haru, who must be on guard duty from the looks of it.
The Alpha held a torch in one hand while grabbing and rustling the bushes in the area.
His eyes lazily strayed towards the dark shadows of the forest, searching for possible threats without really expecting much, definitely without expecting the shadow of a fox to jump at him, making him gasp.
"Jimin?! Wha… Is this really you…?"
After nodding hesitantly, Jimin suddenly started to sniffle before wiping his eyes with his arm and hugging his old friend hard. It's been so long, he wanted to say but only nuzzled his shoulder instead which seemed to be enough of an indication because the Alpha instantly hugged him back with a hand grabbing Jimin's neck as if he was scared he'd run again.
"Damn… Where did you go?! I was so worried! Don't ever do that again, Jimin-ah… I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry for everything, I promise I'll make things right this time but please don't go…"
It took them a while to calm down but when they did, Haru hastily threw his jacket over the Omega's head and pulled Jimin through the front gate.
They stayed away from the busy main streets. With their backs pressed against the strong, wooden fence surrounding the village, they crept and tiptoed until reaching Haru's big family home and slipping inside.
"Let's not tell anyone that you're back… not yet, at least." Haru mumbled as he glanced through a window before pulling all the curtains shut. He had a huge frown on his face and Jimin couldn't even begin to imagine what he might be thinking about.
"They branded you as a traitor… I don't know what they'll do when finding out you're back."
Swallowing hard, Jimin lowered his gaze but Haru was quick to reclaim his attention by grabbing his shoulders and shaking them hard. It was so uncomfortable, Jimin felt the urge to slap those rough hands away but tried to resist in hopes of keeping the fragile peace between them alive.
The thought that Jungkook's touch had always been so much gentler fleetingly crossed his mind but was pushed aside as soon as it came.
There was no point in crying over spilled milk… especially when the milk had been rotten from the start.
And yet... Even after pretty much hearing him say it, Jimin still couldn't fully believe it. He couldn't imagine Jungkook could ever do a thing as cruel as this. Killing a whole family.
But well, maybe his intuition simply wasn't as good as he thought. It wouldn't be the first time that he was wrong.
"Hey, Jimin. Won't you talk to me? The wolves must've abducted you, right? I know you would never go with them out of your own free will. You're definitely not a traitor like they say."
When Jimin didn't reply but only averted his gaze and nervously played with the hem of his shirt, Haru was very quick to lose his patience, annoyed by the Omega showing what he thought was resistance, or even worse, rejection. It would be the second time.
"Jimin. Talk. What did they do to you? Did you willingly go with them after all? Did you mate one of them? Is that it?! Talk!"
It's been a long time since Jimin last heard the soul shattering, true voice of an Alpha. The one that's commanding and cruel, no talking back allowed.
Unable to resist, he fell to his knees, ocean blue eyes burning brighter, filled with an ancient kind of fear, worse than any threat could ever be.
Without him wanting to, Jimin felt his quivering lips, felt how they parted, forming words he couldn't control.
"I…"
Jimin shook even more when the first tear hit his cheek. For the first time since that day, he heard his own voice. Raspy and shaky. He remembered it just like that. Remembered his own screams when he watched his family burn. It truly felt like it happened all over again.
Little by little, he felt himself break. Ripped apart and tortured by demons he didn't feel ready to slay.
"C-can't…"
Unable to handle the crushing pressure, Jimin turned around and ran. He did it without thinking about where he was going or what the consequences of his actions would be.
As soon as he stumbled out of the door, he came face to face with several of his former pack mates who abandoned whatever they were doing in favor of staring him down, all of them seeming startled, if not terrified.
Their leader joined them not much later, followed by the pack's healer who instantly took the miracle fox away for a very thorough examination.
"No bite marks." He said once he was done and helped Jimin back into his clothes. Despite the good news, he didn't look particularly pleased.
"He doesn't speak, though. I tried asking him about what happened but he seems rather apathetic. I'm guessing it might be trauma related which is probably understandable."
"Understandable or not, it doesn't change the fact that he's been with a goddamn wolf pack this whole time. You can smell it too, don't you?" The fox leader noted while trying to calm his nerves by rubbing the bridge of his nose. This wasn't what he wanted to do, especially to a child he used to know so well, who's been through so much. But the rules of their kind didn't give him much of a choice.
"We still don't know how he's connected to them, so we can't just let him roam freely. We have to keep him locked up until we know more."
He knew it would be like that. That's what he prepared himself for when coming here.
The rest of the evening, Jimin spent in a huge, heavy stone cage.
He slept for the most part, tired of being awake, being alive, and exhausted from the long journey home.
Ah… Home. He hadn't even been gone for that long but, weirdly, the comforting feeling of belonging to this beautiful place had grown weak.
Well, at least he was safe amongst his own kind, right?
So many things had happened, had changed. It felt like a constant back and forth, unstoppable like the violent ocean waves that held onto everything that came too close, pulling in, dragging deeper.
Maybe, Jimin himself was the ocean that couldn't decide which direction to go.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
It wasn't until a sudden noise reached his twitching ears that Jimin woke from his slumber.
One look at the starlit sky let him know that it was still the middle of the night but, judging from the hushed voices and the sea of lit torches, sleep seemed to be the last thing on everyone's mind.
In the middle of the uproar surrounding him, Jimin suddenly noticed a painfully familiar voice that very much stood out from the rest. A terrified one that called his name.
Taehyung!?
The thought had barely entered his mind when the door of the cage was already ripped open and the Omega wolf was thrown inside. He hit Jimin's smaller frame, sending them both to the ground where they stayed for a few seconds before the wolf groaned and pushed himself up on his hands and knees.
After blinking the blurriness of his vision away and sniffing the air, Tae's pain struck expression morphed into surprise. His eyes filled with tears of relief while the corners of his mouth were drooping, forming the lopsided smile that had been such a big comfort for Jimin during those past days.
"You're really here!" He sniffled. "I almost thought my nose was deceiving me..."
Shaking his head, Jimin grabbed the other by the shoulders and squeezed them helplessly, a pleading expression on his face.
Tae… Why would you come here? Don't you know how dangerous it is for you to walk into fox territory? What if they hurt you, huh?! You need to go!
Upon feeling the words being written on his chest, Taehyung instantly looked distraught. His face turned pale, hands shaking visibly as he nervously peeled the dirt from his shockingly bruised skin and lowered his gaze, looking almost ashamed of the things he was about to demand.
"It's because of Jungkook. You have to come back, Jiminie, please! Leader Min thinks he betrayed him by letting you go. He already hurt him so much and he might even kill him if you don't come back! Please, please, please! Just stay with us until we can convince Jungkookie to leave the pack with us, okay? I promise, we'll take you straight home afterwards!"
Why?
Why won't it stop haunting him?
This whole time, Jimin tried so damn hard to forget that name, forget what happened, the connection between them.
And yet, here he was again. Jungkook. It truly seemed like he had his claws buried deep in his flesh and refused to let him go.
The worst of it all was that, despite everything, a disgusting part of himself still wanted to run and save him. It made Jimin hate himself even more.
No, he wrote. I won't go.
"What? Why?! Listen, I don't know what happened between the two of you but I can't believe you don't care at all about whether he's going to live or die..."
Why should I? He didn't care about the lives of my family either.
The shocked expression on Taehyung's face would haunt Jimin for a very long time.
One thing was clear, whatever Jungkook had or had not done, Taehyung didn't know a thing about it.
"What are you saying…? Jungkookie might've been a troubled child but he wouldn't do something as horrific as this. He truly likes you, even if he won't admit it. Try to remember what happened, Jiminie. There must've been someone else who's at fault. You must've heard or seen something!"
Before the fox could reply, the two of them got distracted by an approaching Alpha scent. When they turned around, Haru stood in front of the cage with his hands curled around the stone bars of their prison's door.
"Don't tell me you actually know each other..." He groaned but changed the topic when Jimin timidly shook his head while wrapping his arms around himself.
"Well, either way. Don't worry, Jimin-ah! I'll get you out of here before the night is over, I promise. In fact, if you would agree to become my partner, they would probably let you go right now, you know? You wouldn't be able to betray your mate after all. And this time… I'll do it right, I swear. I'll make up for everything I did."
Make up for everything? For what exactly?
Something about Haru's vague phrasing made Jimin wary, especially with the other Omega's words still replaying in the back of his mind.
Think. Try to remember. What really happened on the day when everything changed?
It all started with wild flowers, didn't it? With pretty petals laid out like a carpet that only a prince's feet would be allowed to touch.
Thinking back now, Jimin remembered smelling the faintest hint of Jungkook's scent in the fresh, early morning air.
He remembered feeling annoyed but flattered, too… and even back then, he already wondered if Jungkook was just playing a game. Maybe he just liked to watch Jimin squirm.
After knowing what he knows now, those doubts became even harder to ignore.
So, he definitely knew it was Jungkook who scattered the flowers. But then what?
Wait… didn't he smell Haru's scent, too? That's why he had to sneak out of the village instead of just dashing through the main gate, right?
Yes.. He definitely remembered thinking how weird it was for the Alpha to be up that early but Jimin was too worried about Jungkook being found and them both getting in trouble to think about what the hell his former friend was doing.
And there was more.
When following the flower trail into the woods, didn't he smell Jungkook's scent up ahead? Only about ten minutes before he noticed the smoke did Jimin hear a small rustle in the bushes and it felt like the direction of Jungkook's scent had changed.
But that would mean… He couldn't have possibly been in the village when the house was set on fire. The smoke would've taken a while to develop, after all.
Suddenly, Jimin felt sick. He held onto the cage to stop his legs from shaking and only let go of it once in order to grab the Alpha's hand and scratch a few words onto his palm.
You… The fire…
"What?! No! No...I...I…"
Why did you linger around my house that morning? If it wasn't you, you must've seen the person who did it!
"The wolves! It was them!"
Did you see them do it? Then why didn't you tell anyone?
"Well...I…"
His voice became weaker, less proud and aggressive but defeated instead. Even his tightly closed fists uncurled, clenched teeth relaxed and he finally whispered the answer Jimin had always feared to hear.
"I didn't mean to kill them… I swear… I didn't mean to…"
That's when the truth finally spilled from his lips. Ignoring Jimin's stunned, wide-eyed stare, Haru yelled about how angry he was when realizing that Jimin was still seeing the wolf who had beaten the shit out of him before. How embarrassed he felt when finding out that said monster had the fucking audacity to leave flowers for the Omega who was glowing brightly whenever he found them, starry eyed in a way Haru had never seen him before.
Why? Why wouldn't Jimin ever look at him that way?
The resentment he felt only grew over time, piling up into wild ideas and plans as to how he could save Jimin from the creature that was clearly trying to corrupt his weak soul.
And so, one day, he did the first thing coming to mind which was destroying flower beds, fields, trees, and claiming the wolves had done it.
He even woke up extra early to steal some of those flowers the wolf would often leave in front of Jimin's house.
Rubbing them against whatever he had destroyed left that unmistakable scent that made his claims truly believable.
It was the same on that day.
He woke up at the crack of dawn and snuck to Jimin's house where, once again, a bunch of flowers were scattered all over the ground.
Just in time did he manage to grab a few blooms before hearing Jimin open the door.
But then, things suddenly went much differently from what he expected.
Instead of cleaning the mess like he normally would, Jimin left the flowers how they were, sprinting into the forest instead.
He probably planned to come back quickly, he guessed, but that didn't stop Haru's brain from coming up with a brand-new idea. One that was sure to change Jimin's mind when it came to his dangerous wolf friend.
One by one, he set the flowers on fire, looking smug and pleased with himself as he watched them go up in flames before slowly crumbling to ashes.
It would've been fine, a tiny scare but nothing too bad, if he hadn't left in the middle of it in fear of getting caught. That's where it all went wrong.
The wind must've blown some of the burning petals into a nearby bush that instantly caught on fire. From there, the flames got transferred to a tree and from there to Jimin's home.
Even then, if the house wasn't on the very outer edge of the village and the wind had not blown the smoke away from everyone else, someone might've noticed. But like that… nobody realized what was happening until it was already way too late.
In the end, the whole building was already completely on fire when Haru returned. Getting in there to save his pack mates lives was impossible.
The last thing he saw before turning around and screaming for help was a shadow that rushed past him. A black wolf.
The creature jumped to one of the windows where, what Haru realized now, was a badly burnt child that was hanging halfway out of the window but must've been too weak to fully climb out of it.
Frantically, the wolf grabbed her with his snout, dragging her out of the building, away from the flames, and into a nearby bush.
When Haru came closer, the creature growled and bared its fangs with his big body protectively covering the child. Maybe, a small part of him already suspected that Haru might've had something to do with this. Or maybe it was just the natural instinct to protect a weak pup.
Either way, when the Alpha fox finally returned with some helping hands, the wolf was gone and several lives had been lost.
A part of him wanted to tell the truth, wanted to confess what he did, but he was just too scared.
Especially after seeing Jimin break down in front of him, seeing him cry and scream, broken to the point of almost going insane, the only thing he managed to utter when being questioned was, "It must've been the wolves… Only they would do such a thing… it has to be them!"
What a coward he had become.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"I...I just wanted us to be friends again…" Haru whimpered once he finished his story.
He had his face covered with his hands as if he couldn't bear looking at the consequences of his actions. His chest was heaving erratically with every new sob that wrenched itself out of his throat.
"I didn't want to hurt anyone…"
Jimin himself didn't look much better.
Tears drenched his cheeks but he didn't sob, didn't make any sounds at all as he stared at the person he had always thought was his childhood friend but who seemed like a complete stranger now.
A true monster in disguise.
Without much strength left in his body, Jimin leaned against the cage, emotions anchored to the cold of the stone that pressed against his cheek and chest while Taehyung was growling beside him.
The rage that radiated from the wolf was the comfort Jimin clung to but, at the same time, it almost made him release a dry laugh.
How ironic was it that the people who fought for him most, who protected him, had been wolves? The very same creatures everyone claimed are such heartless beasts.
Eventually, without a word, Jimin reached out.
The gesture startled Haru at first, making him press his body even harder against the wall in his back. However, when Jimin would continue to hold out his hand with that gentle look in his eyes, he hesitantly stepped closer, probably expecting some kind of relief. Because that's how Jimin had always been before it all happened. A sweet, forgiving soul.
Not this time, though.
As soon as he was in reach, Jimin slapped him hard and dragged his claws across his face, leaving deep marks on his nose as well as his cheeks.
The anger in Taehyung's scent was instantly replaced with a hint of relief, satisfaction even.
Before the Alpha could run away again, Jimin once again grabbed his arm and wrote the last words he would ever direct towards this person. This horrible stranger who hurt him more than his heart would ever be able to bear, more than his mind would ever be able to truly grasp.
Liar. I wanted to be friends, but you never did. You always wanted more. More than I was able to give… that's what turned you into the person you are today. I hope you'll never forget this feeling, Haru Hyung. I want you to look at the scars on your face, look at them every single day, and remember. Remember the guilt you feel right now. Remember it for the rest of your miserable life. Don't speak to me, don't look at me. Just stay the fuck away.
At first, the taller only cried more. The blood on his face mixed with his tears, giving him the eery look of a dead man walking, a shell of himself.
Almost blindly, he eventually grabbed the keychain pinned to the wall, hands shaking uncontrollably while he tried to shove the right key into the hole.
When he finally did it and the door swung open, the Alpha was sinking to his knees, looking more pitiful by the second.
"Leave…" he whispered softly. "Or stay if you want, I don't care. This is my apology."
"The fact that you think this is a suitable compensation for what you did is insane in itself." Taehyung spit but was quick to move his attention towards Jimin who was still staring blankly at one of the walls, not moving an inch and apparently not planning to.
"Hey… Jiminie." Taehyung begged gently while squeezing his limp hand. "Please, I beg you, come home with me. I know Jungkook has his flaws and he was stupid for ending things the way he did but he's really not that bad of a person. If he had truly planned to hurt you, he would've taken you to our pack from the start instead of hiding you from everyone. Please… Just give him one more chance. I promise to take you home whenever you want and you don't have to mate him either. Just help me keep him safe until Yoongi Hyung returns home and we can get him out of there together."
Well… Jimin wrote hesitantly while rubbing his other hand across his eyes, wiping those useless tears away. This is it, he had enough of it. Enough pain, enough crying, enough feeling helpless and used. He had to act, had to do something.
He did help me and apparently he tried to save my sister, too… I guess I owe him for that. Maybe I shouldn't have judged him so quickly. I just don't get why he didn't tell me clearly that he wasn't actually at fault for the fire...
"He's a stupid fucking child and doesn't know what he's doing, that's why. Plus, I'd say you're both too stubborn for your own good sometimes. But even if he had told you, would you have ever fully believed him?"
After hesitating for a second, Jimin sighed and shook his head, still seeming lost but much calmer than only a few seconds ago. A resolution had started to form inside of his heart.
I guess not.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
And so, as the first glow of the rising morning sun illuminated the sparkling night sky, a pink fox and brown wolf slipped past the yawning village guards before disappearing in the welcoming shadows of the woods.