like an arrow in the blue sky, another century flies by » yoonmin

seven

Jimin couldn't sleep. No matter how many times he tosses and turns, he can't seem to let his surroundings fade into darkness even though he can feel the tiredness seep from his body from hours of planning the wedding and attending to his duties. With a resigned sigh, he sits up on his bed and looks out the window.

Twinkling stars are scattered in the night sky like an audience cheering in glee for the one brightest of them all even at the darkest time of the night—the moon.

Tempted by the beauty of the night sky and the overwhelming feeling of restlessness, he quietly sneaks out to the garden just like how he used to back then. It seems he isn't the only one who plans on stargazing that night when he spots a familiar silhouette sitting on the bench.

"Yoongi-ssi?" When the older turns to him, there's no hint of shock or confusion on his face, just a calm smile.

"Your Highness, what are you doing up so late?" Yoongi stands up to bow briefly. Jimin doesn't know if it's the cold air that makes him wrap his arms around himself or if it's the way the knight is talking so casually at him yet also managing to not cross the lines between a knight talking to a prince and a person talking to their ex-lover who's getting married in less than a month. He wonders if he's the only one uncomfortable and flustered with their interaction.

"Ah.. I couldn't sleep so I went out to get some fresh air." He hesitates with his next words. "I didn't expect to see you here."

The question "were you waiting for me here every night?" is unspoken but still hangs on the silence of the night. Too silent. Just as Jimin is about to regret saying that and excuse himself, Yoongi mutters with hesitation dripping from his voice whilst turning back to gaze at the stars.

"I just wanted to see the stars from here one more time." Jimin freezes from where he's standing, dread already making its way up his throat, ready to drown him.

"One more time?" Yoongi hums, still with a calm smile on his face. Jimin feels unnerved to see the older so calm about this as if he's already seen this coming.

"I was given a mission. It's nothing too dangerous to need an army but also nothing too light that the lower ranks are capable of doing. I just might be gone for too long." Tears are already welling up in Jimin's eyes, he feels something stuck on his throat and it takes almost all his energy to ground himself back to reality.

"But you'll be back right? We'll... we'll meet again, right..?" What was he thinking? He had no right to ask such a selfish question. Jimin nibbles his lip and tries to push those thoughts away.

"Of course." Yoongi finally turns to him and takes a few steps, stopping just when he's three feet away. He studies Jimin's face as if ingraining every little detail in his memory. "Jiminie?"

Jimin sucks in a breath. The nickname isn't a unique one per se since almost everyone he's close with calls him that in private, but this is the first time he's heard the nickname fall on Yoongi's lips in a week. No matter who said it, Yoongi's will always be his favorite.

"Yes?" Selfish thoughts begin to plague his thoughts, and he desperately tries to shove them at the back of his mind. But with the way Yoongi is staring at him fills him with unwanted false hope. Like a switch, the look of fondness on Yoongi's face is replaced with a calm façade. Jimin briefly wonders if his mind was only imagining the past few seconds.

"It's nothing. You should return to your chambers, Your Highness. It's cold out."

"Oh." Jimin instantly deflates but tries to not let the disappointment show on his face. It was foolish of him to expect something in the first place. He bows as a goodbye and forces himself to ignore the dread in his chest as he walks away from his past lover.