Drabble 22 // Time Burns Away 

     Jimin looks across the room to meet the glare he felt burning at his neck.

What, he asks with his eyes. The boy remains silent and continues his examination; the shiny black hair, small wide eyes, short but well-built figure; he finds himself staring for longer than he initially thought. “You’ve changed so much,” he mumbles lowly.

Jimin raises an eyebrow at the blank expression. The boy raises an arm and swipes the back of his finger under his nose, and Jimin freezes. Oh my god.

“No ing way.” He says, eyes enlarging as he steps forward slowly. “T…T…”

But the other dashes off without warning and Jimin’s breath hitches as he sees the figure disappear. He clutches at his chest roughly and lifts his head up to search for the boy, but he’s gone. Again.

. He feels tears b. ing Kim Taehyung.

     The next time Jimin spots Taehyung the latter’s lying under the shade of a tree, resting his head on his arm and with eyes shut so peacefully Jimin can only imagine he’s having a nice dream. He holds in the cough building up in his throat and steps towards the boy slowly. He spends a moment looking over the features of what he’d like to call art below him, the years have changed you, but only made you more beautiful than I thought was possible.

He squats down by the body and smiles. “Tae?”

The boy’s eyes wander around before opening and glancing at JImin with a change of expression. He gets to his feet in a scurry, and when Jimin tries to grab hold of his sleeve, he gives the elder a shove in the chest and sends him groaning backwards onto the ground, squeezing at his chest with a face cringing in pain.

Taehyung stops and turns around, worry flashing over his face as he rushes back and drops to his knees. “Jimin?! Jimin?! What’s wrong?” He hauls the boy up and lets the elder lean back into him as he rubs up and down Jimin’s chest.

“I- I need…the medicine…”

Taehyung panics. “Medicine? Where? Where, tell me!”

Jimin frowns as his breaths are short. “My…my pocket…”

Taehyung reaches inside Jimin’s jacket and pulls out the tube of pills, flicking off the cap and tipping one out onto Jimin’s hand. He watches in fear for the next few minutes as the elder tries to calm down. He dabs Jimin’s sweat with the end of his sleeve before enfolding his arms around the elder and hugging him tightly. “, you scared me!”

Jimin manages a smile. “You’re not going to leave me again, are you?”

Taehyung shakes his head vigorously. “I won’t, I promise. Never again.”

Unfortunately, not all promises can be kept.

I’m sorry, Tae.

A few months was all they had after reuniting. The last time they spoke was in the hospital room before Jimin was sent into surgery. Taehyung waited for five hours outside the room that night, he wondered if it could compare to the five years he left Jimin alone for. The fear, the worry, it sunk into him all too easily and when Jimin’s body exited with white covering his face, Taehyung felt everything collapse onto him – ing regret. 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Author's Note // Hopefully angst lovers enjoyed this one :) Double update today~