Taehyung is long gone when Jimin finally comes to, and there was nothing Yoongi wanted to do more than disappear the moment he opened his eyes.

                 Jimin practically fainted on the spot. He hit the ground like an ice sculpture past its melting point. He shattered into a million pieces, and Yoongi couldn’t catch any of them. He prays for a mild case of amnesia to take over his boyfriend. Hell, he wouldn’t mind if Jimin couldn’t remember anything anymore. He’ll start over if he has to; just please let him forget.

                 “J-Jimin, please,” he begs, caressing his head as it’s cradled in his lap. They have since moved into an unassuming stairwell, away from preying eyes even though everyone is still in the cafeteria. “Can you hear me?”

                 The younger boy’s eyes have a little difficulty focusing. He stares blankly at nothing, and Yoongi panics because he’s not about to lose him to this. Not now, when he’s worked so hard to fix it all.

                 “H-Hey.” He leans down to kiss the tip of Jimin’s nose, gingerly brushing through his hair as if that is what’s going to save him. “I’m here.”

                 It takes several moments before Jimin is able to see clearly, before he realizes what’s going on, and before he remembers everything. When he does, he looks up at Yoongi with this agonizing expression of pain. It’s almost as if his eyes read, ‘why?’ Why would you do something like that? Why would you edit something so horrible as that photo?

                 Why would you try to kill me?

                 Yoongi is terrified. He is scared out of his wits; the reason why isn’t clear, but he manages to in a breath and speaks. “… If—If I could go back in time and punch myself in the face, I ing would, okay? I r-ruined your life. I hated myself, I—I wanted to die.” He sobs, turning away to let his tears fall elsewhere. “That picture probably still haunts you. I-It haunts me, too. I can still remember how I made it. I can remember when I-I uploaded it, put it up for everyone to see… It was easy. I was just making fun of some kid I didn’t know…”

                 “H-Hyung…?” Jimin squeaks. The color is returning to his face.

                 “But you’re not just some kid to me, Jimin-ah,” he continues. “N-Not anymore. After hearing you tried to commit suicide, I-I wouldn’t forgive myself. I still don’t, not at least until I made it up to you…”

                 His chest hurts. He’s never cried so much before. He probably looks hideous. He wants to stop, cease this ungodly flow of tears but the sins are crawling out of his heart like the pests they are.

                 “I wanted to help you. You, someone who I’ve never bothered to talk to. I-I wanted to save you. I wanted to do everything I ing could to make you smile again. When you ran into me at the beginning of the year, I… I was happy. I was given a chance to fix it all. And honest to god, Jimin, I tried so hard to help you. I just wanted you to get on your feet again, to get on the stage one more goddamn time.”

                 When Jimin finally sits up, Yoongi faces the other direction and hastily wipes at his face. The younger boy hasn’t said anything else. Instead he can feel Jimin’s gaze piercing through his back, though it’s uncertain what thoughts are running through his mind.

                 He takes in another breath because this is it, this is all he’s been meaning to say. “… I didn’t mean to love you. I-It was an accident. I just wanted to help. But I do, I love you so much. Jimin, you went from being a stupid file on my computer to someone I’d kill myself over… I—I love you.”

                 His entire body hurts. Is this of remorse or heartbreak? He can’t tell. His mind just wonders to how Jimin must feel, hearing this spew from his mouth, being the one who isn’t crying like a horse this time. How does he feel?

                 “… I love you,” he repeats, letting the words settle. “I get what I did. It was stupid, and I’ll never hold it against you if you decide to hate me. But please… please, Jimin, don’t... don’t leave me.”

                 He isn’t sure what to feel when those small, fragile hands wrap themselves around his body, taking him into a warm embrace. Jimin is pressing his face into his back, and he doesn’t know what to panic more at; the erratic heartbeat he feels on his skin or the tears slipping through the fabric of his shirt. Either way, he begins to shed another set of emotions and it’s been so long since anyone’s rendered him helpless like this.

                 “… Just tell me,” Jimin whispers, arms stiffening as if he’s afraid of what comes next. “… Why did you—why did you do it?”

                 Yoongi chokes a little on his sobs. “… I… I d-did it because Seokjin told me to. He—He made me. That’s why I hate him so much, b-because he made me do something like that to you.” He lets out a shaky sigh. “… It—It doesn’t even matter. It doesn’t change the fact that I did it. It’s my fault that you a-almost died. I’m—I’m sorry.”

                 The younger male lets go of him and he can feel his heart cease to pulse. “… H-Hyung,” Jimin murmurs, a strain on his voice. “Hyung—Y-Yoongi.”

                 Yoongi hesitates before turning to face him. He doesn’t completely register Jimin’s tear-stained face into memory when he’s pulled into a desperate lip-lock. There’s nothing more to elation than having Jimin’s plush lips against his own; this is happiness, but Yoongi isn’t ready to forgive himself even if everyone on this goddamn planet did. He doesn’t deserve this, to be kissed until he can’t see straight. He doesn’t deserve to have anything associated with him. Whether that be his addictive lips, his loving gazes, or his warmth. He doesn’t deserve the very being he’s sought after for years, the beautiful creature he calls Park Jimin.

                 Yoongi is selfish. Even though he’s done a crime and has yet to receive penalty, all he wants is the boy seated in front of him. He wants Jimin and everything about him. He wants to hold his hand, to take his savor his touches, to have his body under the light of the night sky. He’s done a crime and yet, he has the audacity to be selfish.

                 “… I’m sorry,” he breathes against those lips. “I—I’m so sorry, Jimin.”

                 He just wants forgiveness.

                 That’s all Jimin gives him as he takes his breath away. He slings his arms around Yoongi’s neck, bringing them closer than what’s humanly possible. He keeps preying on his kisses until Yoongi can’t breathe any longer and pushes him aside.

                 “… Wh-Why?” the elder gasps, staring desperately into his eyes. “Aren’t you angry? Yell at me.”

                 Jimin gives him a conflicted look before turning to gaze at the floor. “I-I—I was really hurt. I almost killed myself over something you did, but… you told me not to live in the past. P-People make mistakes. Uploading that picture was your mistake, and suicide was mine. But we—” he pauses to swallow a lump in his throat. “You and I—we’re not a mistake, Yoongi. It might’ve been an accident, but it’s not a mistake. We can’t live in the past anymore. If this was us two years ago, I would’ve hated you… but this is us now.” He slips his hand into Yoongi’s and looks up at him, a tired smile gracing his face. “I-I can’t hate you, because I love you too. You told me to move on, so don’t you think it’s time that you did, too?”

                 Yoongi bites his lip and squeezes his hand for all its worth. “I… don’t deserve you.”                                

                 “You deserve to be forgiven, hyung.”

                 He lowers his head to cry a little more. “I… Thank you, Jimin. Thank you for forgiving me.”

                 Jimin leans in and leaves a soft kiss on his forehead.

                 “Thank you for loving me.”

--

                 He doesn’t expect for the front door of his house to swing open before he can even push the key in, and he certainly doesn’t expect Taehyung to be standing in his foyer, the same surprised expression mirrored in his eyes.

                 “What…” Jimin breathes, not sure how to face him so suddenly. “… What are you doing here?”

                 “I-I was worried,” Taehyung stammers. He hovers in the doorway as if he’s standing in his own house. “You didn’t come home for a while, so I ran around looking for you.”

                 “I was still at school,” he replies, looking at his shoe. “I-I was talking to Yoongi for awhile.”

                 Taehyung’s face hardens. “O-Oh. Did he explain himself?”

                 “Yeah… and even though it was a difficult part of my life, I… I decided to forgive him.”

                 “Oh,” he says again. “I kind of thought you would.”

                 Jimin glances at him. “Tae, he’s… not a bad person. I know you were trying to protect me, but making me choose between you and Yoongi is unfair. I’ll always choose you, and you know that. But—”

                 “You didn’t choose me that time.”

                 “That’s because you were wrong,” Jimin shoots back, grinding his teeth. “H-He isn’t a bad person. Yoongi knows what he did, and he’s sorry for it. You’re my best friend Tae, and I’ll always choose you, no matter what. But as your best friend, I have to make sure you own up to your mistakes. That’s what it is, right? Rabbit shoes?”

                 There’s a still moment. He looks at Taehyung and immediately recognizes that process of quivering lips before he bursts into ugly tears. His friend engulfs him into a violent bear hug, crying hysterically into his shoulder. Jimin’s surprised nonetheless, since his tough façade broke down in a matter of seconds.

                 “I-I wasn’t worried, I was terrified!” Taehyung wails, squeezing the life out of Jimin’s torso. “I was so scared of losing you, man. We—We never fought like this before so I didn’t know what to do… I’m sorry I said those things to you. You’re—You’re right, I was being unfair to Yoongi. I didn’t even hear him out… I just got so angry. I’m sorry, man, I—I as a friend.”

                 “D-Don’t say that, Tae.” He hugs the guy as tightly as he possibly can, tousling the back of his head. “I’m sorry for yelling at you... But you—You owe me. You didn’t show up at the showcase.”

                 “Oh, —yeah, of course. I’ll buy you a subscription to hub.”

                 Jimin smacks him and they both laugh. “… Are we good now?”

                 Taehyung sniffles. He hasn’t let go yet. “Yeah.”

                 “Can I enter my house now?”

                 “Oh, yeah, right.” Taehyung stands aside to let Jimin in. He’s still wiping the tears off his face as the other boy shrugs Yoongi’s jacket off. “I’m—I’m curious, did he tell you why…?”

                 “Yeah.” Jimin frowns, blinking.

                 “And? He couldn’t have uploaded that picture for no reason.”

                 “He, uh…” he breathes. “… He said Seokjin made him do it.”

                 Taehyung’s face drops almost too quickly. “… What?”

                 “Seokjin made him do it,” Jimin repeats, fidgeting with a button on his shirt. “I-I don’t know the details, that’s just what he told me. It—It’s okay if you don’t believe me, since he’s your idol and all…”

                 “N-No,” he utters, shaking his head. “I believe you.”

                 Jimin stares at him in surprise. “You do?”

                 “Yeah. It’s starting to make sense now…” he mutters. “And I mean, at this point, I really can’t afford not to believe you. You’re my best friend. You deserve that much, right?”

                 He beams, and Jimin lets out a little snort at that. “I wouldn’t know why Seokjin would want to attack me though, especially since it was a while ago… We were young, and I wouldn’t have known him then.”

                 “Well, dude… There’s only one thing we can do now.” Taehyung perches both hands on his hips and grins with a little defiance. “We’ll just have to confront him, won’t we?”