Dancing with Your Ghost [on hold]

t w e n t y - f o u r

You asked me, "Do you wanna die alone
Or watch it all burn down together?"
I said I'd rather try to hold on to you forever
'Cause I know that I will love you
And I'm not letting go
If the sky darkens above you
I'll stay by your side in the afterglow

Die Alone
- FINNEAS

»»————-　➴　————-««

"How could you let this happen?"

Taehyung buried his face further into his hands in an attempt to shut it all out. It had only been a few hours since his triumph was smothered to dust. And frankly, the ravenhead was so sure he had already hit rock bottom until he felt around his pockets and realized the wallet was gone.

His only link to the real him. Gone.

The pit of his stomach expanded into a limitless chasm, waves of terror crashing at his feet.

"If you had just listened to me, Taehyung," Jimin exclaimed, pacing around the alleyway and breathing hard, "God knows how many people are in this town. God knows if we'll ever find him again. Do you realize how serious this is?"

"I said I'm sorry," Taehyung pleaded, voice shrinking. He wanted to curl into a ball and become nothing, dissolve into the wind. "Stop yelling at me."

Jimin grunted, lowering their volume and controlling their tone. "I'll stop when you come up with a solution."

The ravenhead threw his head back and blinked furiously. "Um," he started, rubbing his hands together, "I could've dropped it at Jeongguk's."

"Then go get it?" Jimin flung an arm out in the direction out the alley. A bewildered crease appeared between their brows.

Taehyung shook his head, eyes darting towards everywhere but his friend. "I can't."

It wasn't Jimin to lose their cool. But the more time they spend together, the more Taehyung realizes just how inaccurate his perception of them was.

Frustration was radiating off Jimin like a bomb about five seconds to go. They toed the scuffed concrete beneath their boot, jaw squaring.

"I'm sorry," Taehyung murmured again. This time he braved himself into meeting the fury of their eyes. Disappointment burned through his core.

"Why can't you? You've ran to him countless of times before, what's different now—?"

"He doesn't... want me." He spat the words out like weak venom with the way it came out strong but lost its intensity halfway on his lips.

Jimin trembled in bottled-up irritation. "Taehyung," they said with a firmness that shook the structure of his bones. "He is not supposed to want you." They paused between every word for emphasis.

The ravenhead squeezed his eyes shut, grounding himself before the earth could swallow him up.

"I can't believe I went and found your brother just for you to lose him."

Something defensive awakened in the ravenhead. "I never asked you to do anything, Jimin." He glared at them, though guilt was written all over his face. "I have told you every single day since the day we met to crossover without me. I never asked for your help."

Jimin's mouth opened indignantly. "You think you can handle it out here by yourself? You think you can handle not being able to communicate with a single soul for the rest of eternity? You think you wouldn't lose your mind, huh?" they shouted, "Look at yourself, Taehyung."

The ravenhead had his arms wrapped securely around himself, a pair of tears escaping his lower lashes.

"You're so touch starved that you're throwing yourself at the nearest thing with a pulse."