The Silent Vows | VSOO (18+)

Blood.

It's everywhere.

It seeps through my fingers, warm and unrelenting, painting Taehyung's white shirt in deep crimson.

"No, no, no—" I whisper, pressing down harder, my hands trembling. "You promised, Taehyung. You promised."

His breath is uneven. Shallow. Each inhale is weaker than the last, like he's slipping through my hands, disappearing before my eyes.

His lashes flicker. His lips part, trying to say something.

But he's too weak.

I grab his face, forcing him to look at me.

"Stay awake." My voice breaks. "Do you hear me? Stay with me. I need you."

He smiles faintly.

And it breaks me.

Jungkook groans somewhere in the distance, struggling to his feet. The scent of gunpowder and iron lingers in the air, thick and suffocating.

Minho is dead—his body a lifeless heap on the cold warehouse floor.

But it doesn't matter.

Because I didn't come here for revenge.

I came here for him.

And now, I might be losing him anyway.

The hospital room is too quiet.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The sound of the heart monitor fills the silence, a cruel reminder that he's alive—but barely.

I sit beside Taehyung's bed, gripping his hand tightly, my fingers threading through his like I can anchor him here.

Like I can pull him back.

I close my eyes, pressing my forehead against our joined hands.

And suddenly—I remember.

***FLASHBACK***

I hear his laughter first.

The wind rushes past us, cool against my skin, but the warmth of his presence is enough to keep the cold away.

Taehyung sits on the edge of the rooftop, his hands resting behind him, leaning back with ease. Completely at peace.

I watch as he tilts his head up, staring at the night sky. "You ever think about disappearing?"

I frown, leaning beside him. "Disappearing?"

He nods, his expression unreadable. "Not dying. Just... vanishing. Starting over somewhere. Somewhere no one knows your name."

I hesitate. "I think about running. But not disappearing."

He turns to look at me then, and for a moment, I forget how to breathe.

Because there's something so raw in his eyes.

"I'd run if you were there." His voice is quiet, almost lost in the wind. "I think if you asked me to, I'd leave everything behind."

I swallow, my heart stumbling. "Don't say that."

He shrugs, a small smile playing at his lips. "Why not?"

Because you mean it.

Because if you say it again, I might believe it.

Because if you say it again, I might ask you to.

___

Rain.

The storm came without warning, but we didn't run.

We stood in the alley, soaked to the bone, our hair plastered to our skin, our breaths coming fast from the chase.

Taehyung's fingers tightened around my wrist, his chest rising and falling as he looked down at me, eyes dark, intense.

I don't know who moved first.

Maybe it was me.

Maybe it was him.

But suddenly, our lips met—hot despite the cold rain, desperate despite the hesitation.

I felt the weight of everything in that kiss.

The secrets. The pain. The past neither of us wanted to talk about.

But more than that—I felt the hope.

The silent vow neither of us dared to say out loud.

The promise that, somehow, we'd make it.

Even when the world was against us.

____

The safe house was dark, illuminated only by the dying fire in the hearth.

Taehyung's touch was slow, reverent—like he was memorizing me.

Like he was afraid this was the last time.

And maybe he was.

His lips ghosted over my skin, his fingers mapping every inch of me, his heartbeat a steady, grounding rhythm beneath my touch.

He kissed me like he had all the time in the world.

And I kissed him back like we didn't.

"Promise me something," I whispered against his lips.

His fingers tightened in my hair.

"Anything."

"Promise me you'll survive."

He pulled back just enough to meet my gaze. His eyes were filled with something deep, something heavy.

"I promise," he whispered.

And I believed him.

--- END FLASHBACK ---

A choked sob escapes me as I jerk back into the present.

Taehyung's hand is still in mine.

But he's still unconscious.

My breath comes uneven, shaky. I press my lips against his knuckles, blinking back the burn of tears.

"You promised," I whisper, voice trembling. "You promised me."

Silence.

Tears slip down my cheeks, falling onto his skin.

"Please wake up."

I don't know if he can hear me.

But I refuse to believe he can't.

So I stay.

And I wait.

Because I'm not leaving without him.