pastel [3]

forty five

Third Person point of view

Taehyung sat at the edge of a stranger's once comfortable bed, now feeling like thorns beneath him. Everything that once brought comfort was now laced with a sharp bitterness. It was so hard to hold his head up, weight cradled in the palms of his hands, pulse echoing through his fingertips. The tightness in his chest hadn't let up and he wasn't sure if he could walk. But he had to. He had to for Jungkook, and for himself. Without Jungkook, he'd die.

It felt maddening that this was supposed to be his chance at a normal life, and all that had come from it was doom. Maybe it was a naive belief that things would change, that he could live a life free of destruction. The very nature of being half-god meant he didn't get to be normal; yet it was all he wanted.

"You ready?" A new arrival brought him from his thoughts, looking up to see Jimin standing by the door with his car keys and a bottle of water. When Taehyung attempted to stand it felt like every bone in his body had shattered, buckling under the sudden shift in weight. He would have crashed to the floor if Jimin hadn't caught him. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Taehyung nodded, managing to keep himself standing.

"Yes, he called for me. I know where he is, I can save him." Jimin chewed his lip, keeping close to the still unstable blonde in preparation to catch him again.

"I'm having Namjoon send out some people for backup. This guy that took Jungkook seems dangerous and I don't want you going there alone." Taehyung didn't like the sound of this idea, it made him feel queasy. What were a bunch of mortal idiots in uniform going to be able to do against a guy who had literal magic? As much as he wanted to argue that thought, he kept his jaw tight and nodded stiffly.

"We need to go." He said instead of the truth, pushing past Jimin before their closeness became too much. When he walked out into the rest of the house, connected to a small shop, he saw Minji sitting alone at the kitchen table eating a bowl of instant ramyeon whilst she focused on an essay. She didn't look up when the noise of them entering broke the silence. "Minji?" He called out, stopping in his exit momentarily to focus on the person who had kindly saved him. Having her name be called finally drew her attention away and she turned to flash a timid smile.

"Be safe," was all she murmured, her movements stiff and cautious. "I hope you find him."

"Thank you." Whispered Taehyung, her graciousness softening the spiking of his insides. Without thinking he bowed to her, dropping his head low and holding the posture for extra seconds before lifting himself back up. She smiled, nodding her head in return.

"Go."

---

Jimin pulled into the empty car park area for the beachside, both of them looking out upon the ending of a deep red sunset. The sun was completely gone, only the remains of its beauty reflected in the clear sky could be seen. The moon already shone bright, same waning phase reflected in his dream. The car engine ceased its whirring and the two sat in the silence.

This was it. Once he stepped onto that sand there was no going back. It was clear that whatever these people had done with Jungkook, they were dangerous and played dirty. The chances of him making it out unscathed were slim, the chances of him making it out without a full psychotic episode were non-existent.

"The police are here Tae," spoke a voice that brought him back to his body, fractal gaze glancing out his window to watch three police cars pull in beside them, lights dimmed for now. "You sure you don't want them to come with you?"

"I'm sure. I need to go alone, that's what the dream was like." He heard Jimin sigh, then felt a hand on his shoulder that brought a startling intrusion of violence to his mind. To suppress the urge he clawed his nails into his thighs, wincing when he felt skin tear.