Tower [Jikook]

7

Jimin wakes up disorientated and alone, eyelashes clumped together from dried tears and with no remembrance of what happened the day before.

That is - until he opens his eyes properly. Until he sits up and looks into the mirror opposite the bed. And then he sees the bruises on his knees, the dark marks on his arms and the distinct markings left from a belt around his neck. They're only marks but he feels like he's choking from them, the grip harder and tighter in memory than it was before. He feels like he's stuck in a dream, drifting in the place between memories and reality because it's all too familiar all of a sudden.

He's so focused on the markings and his rising tears that he doesn't even realise where he is until Min walks through the door.

"Min" Jimin's throat is raw, the word coming out raspy and broken and Min rushes towards the bedside table to hand him the glass of water set beside his head.

"Here, drink this" he mumbles, trying to push the drink towards his lips as Jimin sips at it tentatively before placing it back on the side

"Why- why am I here?" he asks after a couple moments of silence, and Yoongi coughs a little awkwardly

"Actually Jeongguk brought you hear because you have work today"

"Oh" Jimin goes quite, looking down and fiddling with his fingers before looking back up at Min, "With Kim, right?"

"Yeah, yeah Jimin. But you don't have to, it's okay, we can reschedule"

"No- no that won't be necessary" Jimin coughs a little, trying to regain his composure. He's not weak. He's not like that anymore.

"Jimin" Yoongi's voice comes out sterner this time, "I know what happened yesterday and I really don't think it's a good idea for you to-"

"How do you know?" he asks suddenly, sitting up a bit more in the bed,  pushing the covers the rest of the way off of him.

"Word travels fast Jimin, especially when that little boyfriend of yours displays your attackers body parts all over the city" Jimin winces at the harshness behind Yoongi's words, but Min softens as he joins Jimin, perching on the edge of the bed, "he cut Kang up, put a part of him in each of the 4 sides of the city as a warning to anyone who wants to try that shit again- safe to say I think they got the message"

They sit in silence for a couple minutes before Jimin clears his throat, taking a few deep breaths before smiling over to Yoongi, "So what time is Kim coming over?" he asks lightly.

Yoongi frowns.

"Jimin stop, you need time, you can't just glaze over this like you do with all the other shit you have to put up with"

Jimin tilts his head back and laughs, but the sound is hollow and echoes through the room and he doesn't miss Yoongi wincing at the action, "Oh Min, I've been through a lot worse than this, trust me! And anyways, what kind of whore would I be if I couldn't get over a little something like this?"

Jimin giggles to himself a little, covering his mouth-  and Yoongi's frown deepens, he looks angry, his fists balling in the sheets beneath him. He looks like he's about to say something but then doesn't. It's silent for a few second before he tries again, and this time he gets to ask the question he wanted to ask in the first place, "Why didn't he just kill him before?"

Jimin tilts his head a little, still smiling, "Who?"

"You know who Jimin- Kang. Jeongguk knows about your past- why didn't he just kill him as soon as he could, instead of leaving him open as a threat to you? He could have easily prevented yesterday, but he didn't"