bsky post here | twitter thread here | ao3 link here

yoonjin | 3.1k | sentinel/guide

Yoongi slowly opens his eyes to a world of glittering celadon and his face staring back at him. He frowns and his reflection frowns back. He takes a step back and his reflection does too, then surges forward and shatters as Yoongi shoots his hand out. Shards of glass rain down in front of him, and Yoongi finds himself stepping into another mirrored room.

His reflection reappears as he approaches another celadon barrier. He shatters it again, and again, breaking through endless crystal walls until his knuckles are littered with cuts and blood starts to coat his fingers.

A loud bang cuts through the silence as he raises his hand to break through another celadon wall. Yoongi pauses, then turns back to the crystal wall and prepares to break through again. Another loud bang, then—

“Yoongi-hyung!”

Yoongi’s eyes snap open, the crystal vision shattering with his sleep and a familiar face looming over him. Yoongi inhales sharply when he fully registers that Taehyung is in his room and immediately pushes himself to sit up, now more awake. Taehyung leans back slightly, though it’s clear he’s halfway to zoning out with the way his figure trembles, his grip tightens around Yoongi’s wrist, and his eyes glaze over slightly.

Yoongi’s guide instincts flare and he quickly shifts to his knees, angling himself to be directly in Taehyung’s line of sight. He flips his wrist in Taehyung’s grip, quietly shushing him when he whimpers, and glances to the right where his phone is hovering slightly over the nightstand.

“Taehyung-ah,” he calls, keeping his voice quiet and low.

Taehyung gasps but remains still.

Yoongi drops his gaze back down to their hands, carefully reaching out to wrap his hand around Taehyung’s wrist. He gently presses his thumb down, waiting for Taehyung to register the grounding touch. After a few moments, Taehyung exhales harshly, his grip on Yoongi’s wrist loosening just enough for Yoongi to slide his hand down until their palms are pressed together.

Now holding Taehyung’s hand, he squeezes it firmly and begins to hum.

It’s a song that they both know; Taehyung having taught it to Yoongi when they were younger. The gentle tune, combined with the firm touch, is meant to be an anchor for Taehyung to latch onto, and come back to himself.

Slowly, Yoongi’s phone settles back on the nightstand, the first sign of Taehyung coming out of his near zone-out, and his eyes eventually flutter shut. Yoongi lets a tendril of his guide force caress Taehyung’s sentinel force, watching the last bit of tension drain from his body. Taehyung finally takes a slow, deep breath before turning his head and falling against Yoongi’s chest.

Yoongi hums and waits for Taehyung to wind his arms around his middle. He returns the hug, squeezing slightly to keep him grounded as he re-centers himself.

“Where are your guides?” Yoongi murmurs after Taehyung’s breathing has steadied completely.

It’s the wrong question, and Taehyung tenses before he starts to pull back. Yoongi immediately tightens his embrace, keeping it firm until Taehyung relaxes against him again.

“They’re in the healing rooms,” Taehyung eventually whispers.