Briar Rose - Taekook

Chapter 19

Unedited. 

XIX: Jungkook 

When I rush into the reading room, the first thing I see is Jimin sitting on a nearby couch, a cup of hot tea in his hands. He was reading a book, but looked up when he saw me coming.

"Hey Jungkook, how was Lon―" Jimin stops mid sentence when he sees my face, the cup of tea halfway to his mouth. His eyes widen. "Oh god! What happened? You look like you've just seen a horde of specters rushing by." He laughs at his joke, but the laugh dies away as his face becomes serious. "You haven't... have you?"

"So many..." I squeeze my eyes shut, rubbing my arms. "They followed us all through London. I-I need to find Yoongi." Jimin immediately stands up, his cup clattering onto the table. "Where's Taehyung? Wait, don't answer that. Knowing him, he's fighting them all alone, isn't he?" At my frantic nod, Jimin curses. "That idiot is going to get himself killed. Come on!"

He sprints out of the reading room, with me hot on his heels. Turning a corner, Jimin bangs open a door on the left wall, twisting the handle so quickly that it breaks. Running in, we see Yoongi sitting in a chair while bending over a map, with a brown haired man at his side. They both look up, twin looks of astonishment on their faces. The unknown man accidentally knocks a glass paperweight off the table, making it shatter on the marble floor. He backs away, trying to pretend that it wasn't him.

"Jimin! What―" Before Yoongi can finish his sentence, I interrupt. "Specters. Lots of them. They were in London, and Taehyung's holding them off right now. But he needs help."

"How many?" the man next to Yoongi pipes up. "More than he can manage by himself, most likely," Jimin says from behind me.

"You have to help him!" I turn to Yoongi, who's already out of his chair, eyes wide with alarm. "He can't possibly fight all of those specters alone!"

Yoongi hesitates, wringing his tunic between his thumbs. "As much as I want to... Taehyung's the only one who can operate that door. It doesn't listen to anyone's commands but his." Seeing the crestfallen look on my face, he adds, "But I'll do my best. Namjoon, come with me. Maybe with our powers combined, we can somehow open it."

The brown haired man, Namjoon, nods, and they both quickly exit the room. I follow them, running to keep up with their fast steps. Taehyung, please be alright. We're coming.

Opening the doors into the kitchen, we reach the oak door . The pinwheel arrow is still on black.

"Let me try alone first," Yoongi says. "If one person can open it, we shouldn't waste our energy." Namjoon nods, backing up so Yoongi has more space. Yoongi takes a deep breath, moving his legs into a stance. "Here goes nothing."

He points his finger towards the pinwheel, and mutters some words. For a minute, nothing happens. Yoongi growls, making a sweeping motion with his hand. The pinwheel starts to rattle, and the arrow seems to be trying to move towards the yellow. Sweat appears on Yoongi's forehead as he concentrates. But a quarter of the way there, it gives up, returning back to the black with a ping.

"Here. Let's try together," Namjoon says, seeing the frustrated look on Yoongi's face. He nods, and this time, they both reach out their hands. Immediately, the pinwheel starts to move, and Namjoon gives a triumphant smile. Yoongi grits his teeth, trying to keep the arrow from straying back to the black. But at the last second, the arrow shudders, returning to its original position with a depressing cling.

"Nothing!" Yoongi kicks at the door in anger. "I can't do it." He sits down on the steps and rubs his face with his hands. Jimin quickly walks over to him, putting an arm around his shoulder. Yoongi smiles at him, and they share a quick kiss, love and passion clearly written in their eyes. I look away, tears pricking at the corner of my eyes. Taehyung had looked at me in exactly the same way after our kiss in the London Eye. Like no one else existed for him. Was it really only a few hours ago that I was safe in his arms? That I was still with him?