Just give me a chance [Vmin ff]

Chapter Twenty eight: One wrong step

"Freesia symbolizes trust. I trust you, Taehyung, and I hope you can trust me too."

The realization of his previous harsh words caught Taehyung off-guard. He had a long list of broken relationships, and now he had added his one comforting feeling to that list.
'As if trusting people were that easy, Jimin!' he thought bitterly. 'You were the exception. I want to trust you, but I don't trust myself. I know I would bring nothing but disappointment into your life.'

Taehyung fought to hold back his tears as he walked back to his chair, carefully placing the flowers on the table. He glanced at the freesias, their delicate petals seeming to mock his inner turmoil.

"Freesias are good resistors; a little trip to the trash can won't cause much damage," came a familiar voice.

Taehyung looked up, startled, to see Jimin standing there. "You didn't leave?" he asked, shocked by Jimin's sudden reappearance.

Jimin smiled gently, a small, reassuring curve of his lips that seemed to say everything Taehyung needed to hear.

"I didn't," Jimin mumbled. Taehyung felt a powerful urge to embrace him, to pour out the discomfort and turmoil raging inside. Yet, he remained still, his emotions once again suppressed by a wave of rational thoughts.

"Do you have a first aid box?" Jimin asked, his eyes fixed on Taehyung. With a small nod, the raven-haired boy pointed towards the third drawer under his table. Jimin dragged a chair close to Taehyung and retrieved the box, sitting down beside him. He gently took Taehyung's trembling hand in his, inspecting the small, bleeding wounds caused by his nails digging into his palm. Taehyung hadn't noticed the pain, too lost in his thoughts, but Jimin wouldn't let it go unnoticed.

"You don't need to do this," Taehyung whispered, trying to pull his hand away. But Jimin held on firmly, wordlessly cleaning the blood stains on Taehyung's palms.

'Please don't make this harder for me, Jimin. I would crumble right here,' Taehyung thought, wiping away a stray tear with his free hand. He struggled to keep his expression neutral, to hide the storm of emotions swirling inside him.

"I know you don't want me to be here, but I couldn't..." Jimin's voice trembled as he paused, struggling to find his breath amidst the whirlwind of emotions. His chest tightened, each breath a laborious effort against the weight of his pain. "I couldn't make myself leave, even after everything you said. Maybe I'm a little persistent, but your act... it isn't convincing enough." He lifted his eyes from the wound he was tending, his gaze desperately searching Taehyung's face for any trace of the love and warmth that used to be there. Seeing Taehyung's gaze elsewhere was like a knife twisting in his heart. He was so used to being the center of Taehyung's world, and now the cold distance felt unbearable.

"Do you have any idea how you're making me feel? I feel like I'm invisible, like I'm nothing. It's tearing me apart, and I hate myself for it, for still caring so much. No matter what I do, I can't find myself in your eyes anymore. The worst part is, I don't even know why this is happening. Why are you pushing me away? What did I do wrong?" Jimin's voice cracked, and he couldn't hold back the tears any longer. They fell, one by one, onto Taehyung's hand, each drop a testament to his heartbreak.

Taehyung's heart wrenched at the sight of Jimin's tears, the silent plea in his eyes. 'Don't cry,' he thought, but the words lodged in his throat, suffocated by his own fear and confusion. He wanted to reach out, to hold Jimin and tell him everything would be alright, but he felt paralyzed, trapped in a web of his own making. Like a coward, he let the plea die in his throat, unable to find the courage to bridge the growing chasm between them.

"If you're done, please leave, Jimin. I have a lot of work to do, and I think you aren't free either," Taehyung replied, his voice cold and distant. He pulled his bandaged hand away from Jimin's grip, trying to appear indifferent.