He had to come back to the house, eventually, and when he did the man was still there, smiling and talking avidly with Yoongi as Seokjin set out food on the table, which had been extended to create room. Jimin paused in the back doorway, then moved to go to his room, but he wasn't fast enough.
"Jimin. Where have you been?"
Jimin shrugged, biting his lip and trying his hardest not to look at the table.
"Look at me," Yoongi said.
Jimin obeyed, eyes flicking to the newcomer, and Yoongi's brow furrowed. He stood, moving around the table, and Jimin, without thinking, stumbled back, slamming into the sliding door in his haste to create more space between them.
Yoongi paused. Tension radiated between them. "What's wrong?" Yoongi asked, softly.
Jimin chose to look at his feet instead of the other men in the room, his face heating as his hands shook, jerking even when he clenched them into fists.
"Jimin--"
Jimin whipped the door open and ran, slamming it behind him.
A dark, cold room. Torn clothes. Pain, radiating from the base of his spine. Fire burning in his stomach.
"Min!" Taehyung called.
Jimin slammed his bedroom door shut, slumping against it. Air rasped in and out of his lungs, but even as his chest heaved, as he tipped his head up, trying to suck in more air, his heartbeat wouldn't slow. The door jerked behind him, and he flinched, whimpering.
"Min, what's going on? Let me in. Min?"
Jimin planted his feet and shoved his back against the door, shuddering under the weight of the memories. His head began to throb, and he let it fall against the door, feet slipping as Taehyung tried to force his way in.
"Jimin, open the door!"
"No!" Jimin yelled.
"Why?!"
"No!"
Taehyung quieted, and Jimin swallowed hard, legs finally giving out. The resulting thud restarted the argument.
"Please just let me in!"
"No!"
"Jimin!"
"NO!"
"Jimin please!"
Jimin opened his mouth to reply again and instead let out a loud cry of pain as his shaking legs cramped, stiffening up in less time than it took him to breathe.
"Jimin!" Taehyung shoved the door, and this time Jimin just rolled out of the way, afraid he would be crushed into the wall. He dragged himself away from his friend by his arms, chest heaving, and Taehyung immediately dropped onto all fours as if sensing his fear, reaching up only to flick the light on before he began approaching him slowly.
"Min, what's wrong?"
Jimin stared at him over his shoulder, eyes wide, but he couldn't see a thing. He wasn't sure whether the lights had blinded him, or whether he was just too panicked to focus, but there was only a blob of color moving closer to him, and he couldn't separate reality from the memories, the horrible memories crashing over him--
"Jimin-ah..."
"So you were hiding in here this time...?"
"Min, look at me."
"Why are you crying? I thought you wanted him dead?"
"C'mon, look me in the eyes."
"You'll never escape."
"You're safe here."
"You deserve to die for what you did to him."
"You're safe, I promise."
"This is all your fault."
"Breathe."
"This is all your fault!"
"What's going on up here?"
Final Stretch.