ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ ᴏɴᴇ || ｐｊｍ

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"Kimbap!  Kimbapie, wake up!"

Too often Jimin had seen the younger girl writhe underneath the covers as if she was trying to push someone away and it made it difficult for him to wake her as she dodged his hands.

Jimin gripped his best friend by the shoulders urgently till she jerked awake with a cry.  She twisted away from him, hands in front of her face and sensing her fear and confusion, the older boy let her go.

She stared at him wordlessly, eyes wide, curled underneath the covers.

Three years later, he still found it endearing how only her eyes and the top of her head would poke out from the covers.  

"Are you okay?"

Three years since they'd met, and three years later she still had nightmares.  He looked at her, concerned, wondering if they'd ever stopped, but his busy schedule meant he hadn't stayed at her place in so long and therefore couldn't tell.

The first time it'd happened he'd been unsure whether to wake her up.  Her eyebrow had been furrowed and she curled into herself, saying something in her sleep. Distress had coated her voice and indecision consumed him, somehow leaking into an underlying panic as he debated to let her sleep or wake her up.  Kimbap had made the decision for him as she woke with a start by herself, taking deep rapid breaths.

It hurt him to hear her crying out in her sleep.  It felt like his heart was being wrenched out, or maybe it was pulling itself out, beating too quickly because she was safe, but she was distressed, she sounded so hurt-

The eyes peeking from the top of the covers squeezed closed and a tear leaked out. And another.

"Jimin," the voice cracked.

It was like second nature as he slid underneath the covers, pulling his best friend towards him so her head rested on his upper arm and he could wrap himself around her.  She stifled her sniffling against his chest and he squeezed her tightly.

"Sometimes I'm trapped.  I'm being buried alive.  Or I'm in a cage and I can't get out, but I can tell something's coming for me."

"Does this always happen?"

"No, not really."

He had a feeling she was lying so he wouldn't be so concerned.

"Or...sometimes I'm just running.  But I can't tell if I'm running away from something or towards something.  All I know is I'm tired, but I keep running, but I'm running too slowly."

She stared at her hands, clasped together tightly in front of her. Carefullym Jimin placed his warm hands on top of her cold ones.  They were always so cold. 

 Slowly, she opened her palms so they were facing upwards and interlaced her fingers with his.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

She smiled.  It was so sad.  He wanted to touch her face but his fingers but...