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Y/n

She couldn't sleep.

Every time Y/n closed her eyes, she felt her heartbeat quicken, her ears go numb, and her mind fuzz up. Memories tried to clog her vision, yet she couldn't tell what they were. She remembered the feelings, though. The feelings hadn't left, and she doubted they ever would.

Darkness had never been her friend. Summer heat and nature had been. Darkness preferred to jump out at her when she least expected it, and that fact doubled down when that man had come for her. When that man had reached into the depths of her skull and pulled out a piece she didn't know she needed. The problem was, she had no idea what piece it was, which meant she didn't know how to put it back.

Y/n curled up in her bed. It was the same position she had been in ever since it had happened. Jimin had brought Harry to her multiple times, and the squeaking furball got her to at least sit up, but other than that, she hadn't had the strength to move. It was as if her body had been left at the scene of the crime, yet her mind had to wander without legs to propel it forward.

"Honey," Jimin whispered from beside her, kissing her forehead. "Why don't I help you to the bathroom? I can stand in the doorway but won't watch, okay? Promise."

She knew she had to move at some point, otherwise her bladder would overload and she'd get an infection. Yet she couldn't. In a way, she'd almost rather the infection that would hospitalize her. It'd remind her that she had some semblance of a physical state, no matter how battered it was.

But she couldn't say that, so instead, she mumbled out a, "Five more minutes."

"Yeah, sure."

It went quiet after that, as it always had. It had become a pattern. Jimin would ask her to do something, she wouldn't, it'd get quiet. No small talk. No joking. Nothing but her body smooshed against his until their legs tangled and her hands went back and forth between his neck and his chest, her fingertips feeling how smooth his skin was despite how he had spent countless hours not budging and simply holding Y/n.

Y/n knew it was selfish to keep him trapped with her. The cage of her mind was just that: hers. It didn't need to become his problem, too, yet if he hated it and wanted to flee, he didn't say it. Not that she thought he would. She didn't blame him if he wanted to run away and escape. She wanted to, too. Problem was her mind still had no legs to stand on, so any attempt at movement would be futile. But she couldn't keep torturing Jimin like that.

Two minutes later, she picked her head up, and Jimin cradled her face. His soft hands moved across her cheeks to rub her skin, and he planted delicate kisses on her forehead and nose, never the lips. He was careful not to touch her neck either.

"Can you get us more hash browns? You can use my card, I don't care."

Jimin kissed her forehead one last time. "Of course, honey. Don't worry about it, okay? I'll buy. Stay here. I'll be back in a few minutes tops."

The demon tucked her in and teleported away, and as soon as he did, Y/n fluttered her eyes and considered staying there and not enacting her plan; however, she managed to get up, put on socks, hoist her purse over her shoulder, and scoop up Harry from his cage. She could buy another cage for him later. For the time being, she had to leave.

A notepad was somewhere around there, but she had no desire to leave Jimin an explanation. He deserved to be free from her. Not only that, but her leaving would mean he'd keep his immortality. So, she rushed out of the house with stumbling legs, burning kidneys, and scratchy whimpers leaving her throat.

Her socks dug into the moist grass as she hauled herself forward, going nowhere in particular, just away. Somewhere no one would find her. Maybe, if she ran far enough, she'd manage to get away from herself, too.

Time passed. She didn't bother counting how much. A minute. Ten. Twenty. She didn't care, and her legs burned all the same no matter how long she ran. Her lungs did, too. Harry nuzzling against her was the only thing reminding her that she was breathing, and that her heart kept pumping blood to every spot her body needed it.

The grass brushed on her pajama pants as she sprinted through the clearing and near the trees covering her left and right sides. The clearing continued straight, so she went straight, not wanting to get lost in leaves and bark. Throbs shot up her legs, but she ignored them in favor of running.

It didn't end up mattering.

The demon teleported in front of her and stopped her before she could run into him. His hands went to her shoulders and steadied her, and Harry squeaked in alarm at the sudden appearance of Jimin.

Shit. She had forgotten that since they were soulmates, he knew where she was at all times.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jimin asked, and his voice wasn't sharp or condescending like she expected it to be. If anything, it sounded... concerned. But not for her, right? It couldn't be. Not after all she had put him through. Not after the burden she had given him, babysitting a woman who couldn't get up and use the bathroom.

Her bladder squeezed in on itself, and a little bit came out against her will. A whine escaped her. Jimin kissed her head and sighed, pulling her into a hug. It wasn't tight; she had enough room to leave, if she wanted to. It felt like the first choice she had had in years.

"It's okay, honey. It's okay. It'll be okay. I promise."

"No," she mumbled, saliva smearing on his loose white shirt. "Don't say that. You need to leave while you still can. Give up your powers and run far away from me."

"From you?" Jimin tilted her head up so they could lock eyes. "In what universe would I want to be away from you, huh?"

"This one. You don't deserve to be stuck with me like this."

"But there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

Funny. It almost sounded genuine. Like he wasn't saying it to pity her.

Harry pressed his head against Y/n's chest and nibbled on her shirt, but she paid it no mind and instead gazed into Jimin's unwavering eyes. The dark hickory had her falling in deeper, and it didn't help that he smelled of roses. Fresh despite being curled up next to her for countless hours. Perhaps days. She had lost count, nor did she care to know the timeframe.

"Please just go. Don't make this harder than it has to be," she said, her voice stronger than before, yet it cracked three times anyway. "Don't waste your time on someone like me."

"You're the only person I'd ever give my immortality up for." Jimin rubbed his thumbs under her eyes, all over her sore spots to soothe her. "Well, aside from hash browns. And maybe Harry, too." Jimin glared at the pig. "Maybe."

She laughed, but it quickly descended into a hiccup and cough. "Stop... stop it..."

"Stop what, honey?"

"Stop making me smile. Stop making me laugh."

I don't deserve it were the words she didn't say, but they didn't need to release from her tongue for them to be heard. That resulted in Jimin hugging her again.

"You're my whole world, Y/n. You are quite literally my soulmate, and I won't leave you alone like this. C'mon, think of Jessy. Think of Harry, too. If he could talk, do you think he would approve of you running away in your socks with nothing but your wallet and pajamas?"

Well, that was a fair point. When she opened the door to run, she hadn't thought about where to go, what to do, or why she was doing it in the first place. It was instinct, she supposed. Instinct to flee and get away from Jimin. To give him a better life.

Without her.

"Y/n, honey, everything you're feeling is okay. It doesn't make you a bad person, and it sure as hell doesn't make you weak. So, please, come back inside with me. Let's eat, clean you up, and get you to a bathroom, okay?"

Most of her bladder had exploded in her pants, and she despised the moisture trickling down her legs. At least it wasn't blood, but she didn't know if that mattered anymore. It was disgusting either way. How Jimin wasn't repulsed by her in that moment was beyond her, but she didn't want to question it. She didn't have the energy.

"I'm sorry."

Those were the only two words her tongue forced out. No tears, chokes, or sobs came. Just silence, followed by Harry's tiny squeaks that vibrated his whole body. She felt each rumble bubbling through his chest and hitting her bare hands.

"You never have to apologize to me, my love," Jimin said, stroking her hair. "Let's get inside and clean. Does that sound good?"

No. All she wanted was to trot off into the distance and feel the wind in her hair. It'd distract her from everything else, not that she understood what "everything else" was either. But she knew she couldn't keep being selfish and making it about her. Not when Jimin had been there, by her side, through every tear, shudder, and sleep-deprived night. So, she peeked up at him and somehow managed a nod.

"Yeah... okay..."

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A/N: If you're following me on Patreon, whether you're a free or paid member since both receive news & updates, then you know that this story is almost completed. If you want to stay in the loop about my stories and what I'm doing, I suggest following my Patreon. Like I said, it's not only a paid thing since you can be a free member. It's just that I hate making Wattpad announcements, so Patreon is where I'll post many updates from now on.

(Free members also get occasional early access to new chapters, just wanna throw that out there...)

But where that is leading to is that I will be updating this story more frequently since there are only a handful left. There are eight chapters left, and I am almost done writing all of them. This story will be finished before the end of the year, so any votes and comments are appreciated to finish off this story strong!

I hope you're enjoying, and you can expect updates 2-3 times a week from now on. Thanks everyone!

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