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He went back to class, yanked his hood over his head, and refused to look at anyone. In between classes, he fought to stay upright, moving, away from the alphas. He took his pills at the right time and made his way through classes, trying his best to ignore Yoongi's attempts to restart the conversation.

It was playing out exactly as his mother had warned him.

Yoongi pretended to be concerned, but he was already refusing to respect Jimin's decisions, refusing to stay out of his head even though he knew it put Jimin in horrible pain. He blamed Jimin for the pain he was in when Jimin had taken suppressants for years without a problem. He tried to go through Jimin's acquaintances for information and then pretended to be reasonable when he realized he wasn't getting what he wanted.

If Jimin caved, he would just try to control him more. Demanding that he sit with them. That he stop taking suppressants. That he let him in when he was on his heat. That he have his heat in the first place. Sitting in the kitchen of the empty house, Jimin cried, despite the lock on his door. Nothing felt safe. His body shook, refusing to cooperate with him. His homework sat untouched before him.

"I promise I just want to help you--" Yoongi began.

"No," Jimin sobbed, shaking his head. "No. No. No. Stop it. Please, stop it."

"We're supposed to be mates," Yoongi said. "I'm not lying to you. I've never even seen you! Why do you think I want to do those things?"

"Don't! Don't look in my head!" Jimin cried, leaping out of the chair and beginning to pace. "Don't look, don't look, don't look! Stop trying to start things! I don't want you!"

"Then come and reject me," Yoongi snapped. "You'll be free then, won't you?"

Jimin sobbed harder. It was no use. Even if he did go, Yoongi might just command him. He might force him. He would be angry at him, attack him, thrash him within an inch of his life. He didn't want Yoongi. He didn't want Yoongi, but he didn't want the alpha to hurt him, either.

Why couldn't he just stay alone for the rest of his life?

"Oh," Yoongi said suddenly, quietly.

Jimin flinched. "Wh-what?"

"That memory just now--"

A chair crashed to the floor, and Jimin whimpered, ducking out of the doorway and running for the stairs. His mother screamed, partially in anger, but Jimin had no time to stop. He had to hide. He had to get away.

He couldn't let his father find him.

"Don't, don't, please don't," Jimin whimpered, his legs finally giving out from under him. "Don't say it. Please don't say it."

"I'm sorry," Yoongi said, and his sincerity rippled across their link, soothing some of the panic clogging Jimin's lungs. "I'm sorry. I understand now. I... I'm so stupid. They warn us about all these things before we enter, and I-- that's-- I'm so sorry. I'll... I'll let you have some room to breathe."

Jimin immediately felt the pain drain out of his system, and he gulped, struggling to his feet. His legs shook, and he barely managed to walk to the couch before they gave out again. He swallowed hard, closing his eyes, and decided he would have to skip school again. He just couldn't handle seeing Yoongi right now. 

If I've been forged in anything, it's ice.