Their lips collide once more, his hands running over the curve of her hips and tracing across her thighs. Their eyes are both squeezed shut, hot breaths passing their nostrils. When they part, his hand goes to her face. 

"I love you," he whispers. She draws him back in, the two making out for what feels like the first time in years. In reality, last night was the last time they did this. It's every night with them. They're always so physical, his body on hers, their breathing in-sync. They have a passion no one can match.

The woman beneath him claws at his shirt, pulling it up ever so slightly. He pulls away to fully take it off, her hands going to his abs and tracing over the skin there. He's about to go back in, about to continue kissing the love of his life. Then, her finger traces across the burn mark.

Years of memories come crashing down all at once, a yelp leaving his mouth. He backs away, quivering from the very touch she gave him. 

"Jimin?" she asks, crawling forward. Jimin's eyes waver in and out of focus, his mind hazy. The details of the incident come back. The burn he got while carrying her out of his house. The flaming house on the night that changed his life forever.

"Y/n," he murmurs, his panting slowing to a stop. "What happened?"

Her eyebrows knit together, her cautiously sitting next to him. They're quiet for several minutes, the two staring at the sheets of the bed. 

"Can I help?" she asks, shattering away the hush they shared.

"I don't know." And just like that, it's silent again. Her eyes trace down his bare chest, stopping once she sees the mark on his left side, right above his hip. "You can touch it, I... I'm sorry, I don't know what happened there." She hesitates, but she comes closer anyway, pressing her lips against it.

"It doesn't define you," she says, drawing a circle over the scar.

"Honestly princess, it might."

Jimin stares only at the wall. Not at Y/n. Not at the pictures of them together littering their shared bedroom. Not at the mark on his body. His gaze refuses to stray away from the intricate patterns right above their bed. 

Her hand entwines with his, and it's in that moment that he feels the hollow shell that is his heart. There's no beat there. The woman he loves is next to him, her soft breathing tickling his neck. But there's nothing there.

"Please remember that you always have someone here for you," she says.

He curtly nods, not daring speak in fear of his voice cracking. Jimin turns, kissing her forehead, then leaning down and touching her lips with his. The brief kiss they share brings him back in the moment, his feet landing in reality again. When they part and his eyes flutter open, he sees her gorgeous eyes staring back. 

"I love you," she whispers.

Jimin pecks her lips three more times, stroking his fingers through her hair. "I love you too," he whispers back. She cautiously kisses him again, the two falling back into their previous passion. He likes to think it makes him feel better. That it helps him forget the pain he feels every day.

But in reality, even after all this time, he feels nothing.

He never has.

~Present Day~

Jimin snaps awake, his hand over the scar. He's shirtless as he always sleeps that way, the rain tapping against his window soothing him for a brief moment. Then, he hears a voice. 

"Y/n said not to worry when you yell," Ariel says, Jimin turning his attention to her. She's leaning against the closed door, sighing. "She said that you have nightmares, but I couldn't just do nothing."

He pats down his hair and pulls the covers over himself, not wanting the kid to see his nearly bare body. "Thanks kid, but I'm okay. Get back to sleep and rest well. We may need you to help us if the time comes, you know that?"

Ariel nods, her eyes peeking at the ground. "If I asked you to teach me how to shoot, would you do it?"

"What? Don't be ridiculous, Y/n and Yoongi will keep you safe."

The girl brings her gaze up to his, Jimin halting his motions for a moment. "So you won't?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

He feels flames on his body despite them not being there, the choking sensation he remembers vividly hitting his core. But, he forces it away. "I don't know, kid. I honestly don't know."

"Why not? Do you not trust me?"

Jimin hesitates without meaning to. "Ariel, I said I don't know, not that I don't want to."

Her eyes expand, Jimin seeing the realization in her eyes. "Jimin..."

"I'm gonna go take a walk, not dressed though, so can you...?"

Ariel agrees, departing the room so he can dress himself. He hops up, throwing on his pants first, his shirt after. His body stops, his eyes scanning over the room until he sees the picture on his desk. The one out of plain sight, but anyone looking can see it. His baby girl. The picture of his baby girl.

Jimin bites his lip, going over to it and tucking it out of view. He doesn't need that right now. His nightmare was already enough. Without waiting any longer, he heads out of the room. But, his plans are interrupted when he walks out to see Ariel waiting there for him.

"You should get back to bed. I'm going to see Tae, and you probably don't want to see that," Jimin says.

"Or maybe it's time I do."

Jimin freezes, pressing his back against the wall. "Why?"

"I don't know, toughen me up I guess. This is my life now, isn't it?"

Despite her coming up to about his shoulders, Jimin kneels, their eyes locking. "Ariel, there's no shame in being afraid. There's no shame in not wanting to do something. It doesn't make you weak or a coward. It makes you you, and there's nothing wrong with that." She keeps her stare on him, but she doesn't appear to react otherwise. "Do you really want to see Tae?"

Ariel rubs her lips together, tearing up. "No," she whispers.

Jimin stands, motioning for her to go back to her room. "Rest. You deserve it." She dips her head, strolling past him and going down the hall. But he can't resist. "Ariel?" She stops, keeping her back to him. "For whatever it's worth, I'm sorry." She stays there another few beats, then, she leaves his view.

On instinct, he waits until she disappears completely. He decides not to stall, sauntering down the halls until he reaches Tae's room and enters. His eyes are quick to fall on the man sitting by Tae's bed, Jimin's eyebrows furrowing. "Yoongi? What are you doing here?"

"Jimin, good to see you. Sorry I didn't talk to you since we got back, I meant to find you."

Jimin goes over, sitting down next to Tae and across from Yoongi. Their eyes don't meet. They're both gazing at Tae's poor face covered in bandages. Whether there's blood or not, it's still a hard sight. Seeing the way Taehyung is, it honestly shatters Jimin in two. His best friend is laying there, just out of reach, but there.

"Don't worry about it, you've been busy. You didn't answer my question though," Jimin says.

Yoongi rests a hand near Taehyung's, his eyes not once peeking up at Jimin. "He got shot trying to help Y/n. All this happened because he was trying to help, and I don't understand why. He had such a good life. An empire, countless people at his call. He could've replaced us. New friends, new family. There's no reason why he should've sacrificed what he has for us," Yoongi explains in a whisper. "So... that's why I'm here. The least I can do is wait for him to wake up."

They both know that the odds of him waking up soon are slim to none; it'll probably take several weeks. Maybe more. If they're lucky, less. They don't have enough tools to keep him supplied for more than a month. This hideout has a lot, but after taking care of Tae, they won't have many medical supplies left. They'll either have to move locations (if that's even allowed), or pray they don't get injured like this again. Jimin isn't religious by any means, but at this point, he's choosing to pray.

"I'm sure he appreciates that," Jimin mumbles, peeking up at Yoongi only to notice that his eyes are in the same spot. On Taehyung. Jimin's best friend. "Yoongi." He stays quiet. "You have to take a break."

"Taehyung bought her enough time to save herself from the assassin. The least I can do to thank him for saving the love of my life is sit by his side as he heals."

"Yoongi." Again, more silence. "I've been in the same situation."

"Have you?" The sharpness of the words has Jimin flinching, Yoongi sighing. "Shit, I'm sorry. I know you've been through so much. More than you should have. You're right. Please tell me what I can do. At this point, I don't know if there's anything left of me."

Jimin drapes one leg over his other, moving closer. "What do you mean?"

"We've been doing this for what feels like ever, but I don't know why we're here anymore. We're fighting, but for what? A chance at normal life? Did we have that in the first place? There's no going back. There's no way we go back to something normal, even if we win. I'm just... I'm scared, Jimin. I'm scared we're doing all this for nothing. That Tae got permanently injured for nothing."

He stands and approaches Yoongi's side, the older of the two standing with him. "I won't let you think that," he says. "I won't." Jimin shakes his head, then, he does something he never thought he'd do. 

He hugs Yoongi.

Feeling Yoongi so close is an odd sensation to say the least, but he kind of likes it. Being able to comfort him. To be near him. To be with someone Jimin is growing to trust. Not fully, he never trusts anyone fully, but Yoongi's getting there.

The man takes longer than Jimin expected to hug back, but he eventually does, easing into it and holding him tighter than Jimin thought was possible. 

"I'm sorry," Yoongi whispers, his breath tickling Jimin's chest. "I don't know what's gotten into me. I've seen worse. Fuck, I've done worse, just..."

"Tae means something to all of us. He's our friend. And it's more than that, too. He sacrificed his Underworld to come to help us. He put his ass on the line to give us sanctuary when we needed it. Taehyung's a good friend, and that's why this hurts so bad. There's no shame in it. Just like how there's no shame in being scared."

Yoongi parts from the hug, still staying close. "How are you staying so strong right now?"

"I'm not," Jimin replies with a shrug. "Everyone here's so damn pessimistic. I figured we could use an optimist."

The older man sighs, chuckling after. "Thank you for listening, and I'm sorry for breaking like that in front of you."

Jimin shakes him off. "I'm sorry too."

"What are you sorry for?"

"That you have to apologize to me for having emotions. For having pain."

Yoongi's eyes expand, but Jimin doesn't give him the chance to reply. He turns away, going back to his side of the bed and plopping down in front of Tae. He takes the limp hand, trying to bring some warmth back to it. Of course, it doesn't work. The other man in the room mimics Jimin's actions, taking Tae's free hand and attempting to do the same thing. Both of them fail. Jimin lets out a small breath.

Where do they go from here?