Jungkook

The wind laps against my body like how the sea engulfs the sand on a stormy day, blowing and howling in my ears. My skin prickles with cold and yet I don't move a muscle. The wall behind me digs into my back like tiny daggers, uneven bricks tormenting me with their odd positions. Water seeps into my jeans as I sit in a freezing puddle on the stone ground. I shove my fingers into the pockets of my jacket in an attempt to keep them warm, protecting them from the harsh conditions. My hair falls into my face, being carried and tousled by the wind. And yet I still do not move.

Why?

Because Taehyung told me to stay.

Taehyung

"Dad"

"Hello son, how have you been? I'm sorry I haven't seen much of you recently, I've just been so busy with work" he replies as if this is a completely normal conversation. He smirks and shoves my shoulder.

"What do you want with Jungkook? TELL ME" I shout, my voice gravely and dry. My throat stings but I ignore it, punching my father's leg pathetically.

"You call that a punch? I thought I brought you up better than that" he grins like a psychopath, chuckling. My hands ball up into fists and my jaw clenches.

"Answer my fucking question"

He raises an eyebrow and shrugs, leaning against the wall casually. He pulls out a lighter and a box of cigarettes, pulling out a single one and throwing the empty box at me. It hits my arm and then lands in the puddle beside my crouching position, seeping with water and growing soggy.

"I have a question of my own. Why the fuck are you dating that boy?"

"Why not? I love him, dad. What's wrong with that?" I answer without hesitating. I notice a slight flinch but he soon returns to normal.

"Everything is wrong with it. Do you know how much your mother went on about that fucking ex of hers? I finally got her to shut up about it and now you come home with his son! She's back to her old ways and shows me no affection. Not to mention the fact that you dating him will do shit all to the family business. What's wrong with Yeona? Can't you make some right bloody decisions for once" he yells before lighting the cigarette, balancing it between his dry white lips. Every inch of me wants to lunge forward and beat the crap out of him, but the painful aches that resonate throughout my body tells me otherwise.

"Maybe if you treated me like a human being and not a way to get money I would respect you more!" I shout angrily. His eyes flash a deathly black, jaw tightening and expression darkening.

"Don't talk to your father like that! I raised you--"

"Just shut up you asshole!" I screech at the top of my lungs, chest burning and breath running shallow. I hit the wall with a fist and scream, gripping onto the locks of my hair with my other hand. As I look up, I notice a smug smirk surrounding the cigarette in his mouth, still burning a flare of red.

My eyes dart around the surroundings until they land on a long beam of metal within reaching distance. Perfect. However, his gaze watches my every move like a hawk spying on its prey, getting ready to lunge forward and rip it to pieces.

My mind begins to work and put ideas together, attempting to come up with a plan. Anything is risky but I have to get away from him and quickly. After a moment of hesitation, I shout.

"Police!" I point behind him to the opening of the alleyway, eyes wide. He spins around to look and I take this moment of distraction to my advantage. Using all of my strength, I slide towards the piece of rusty industrial metal and clasp it in my hands, getting up onto my feet and swinging it forward.

I feel the collision before I see it; the metal in my hand clashes and vibrates at the sudden contact, a mighty thud and yell bouncing off the walls and going straight through my ears. My father clutches onto his head and stumbles, hitting his back to the wall.

Before his cigarette has time to land on the damp ground, I run.

-x-

I reach the alley in which I left Jungkook to find him sat in a shivering heap, lips growing purple with cold. His eyes, glassed over with tears, look up at me with utter shock and relief.

"Taehyung! Oh thank god!" He wails and stands up, wrapping his arms around my middle a little too tight. I flinch and he notices, quickly backing away.

"Hyung... what happened?" His voice quivers and I reach forward, wiping away a tear from his cheek. My whole body aches but I attempt to show no weakness. I don't want to worry him even more than I have already.

"It's a long story but..." I take a deep breath and bite my bottom lip.

"The guy following you was my dad. He's a psycho. I can't stay in the same house as him... I just can't! I don't know what to do Kook, I have nowhere to go. My life is a mess and I'm scared"

I jolt at my own remark, my feelings rolling off my tongue without realising. He stares at me with both sympathy and confusion, eyebrows furrowing.

"You can always stay with me for a while. My parents won't mind" he suddenly outbursts through the silence, gaze meeting mine. He offers a small smile and I return it.

"Really? As long as that's okay... it'll be just until I figure out where to go"

He nods and reaches out his hand, interlocking his fingers with mine.

"Don't worry, you're safe with me"

-x-

After packing as much as possible from my apartment I share with my parents whilst no one is home, I dump it all in the spare room of Jungkook's house. His parents were surprisingly accepting, letting me stay for as long as I need. A soft knock resonates into the room from the wooden door, followed by the appearance of Jungkook through the door.

"Mum let me borrow some of her first aid stuff" he says in a hushed tone, carrying a bag with a cross on it. He sits me down on the bed I will be sleeping on and opens it up, getting out a piece of cloth and antiseptic fluid. He begins to clean up my face with them, the liquid burning like acid against every wound.

"Sorry if I hurt you, it has to be done" Jungkook adds soothingly, one hand on my shoulder to steady him as he tends to the bruises and cuts.

"It's okay, thank you" I smile and he nods, clearly too focused to smile back. He bites his lip as he concentrates on a spot by my cheek, scrunching his nose slightly. Despite my swollen face, I can't help but grin.

After showing an expression of satisfaction, Jungkook retracts from his position, looking me up and down.

"That'll have to do. I'll put on some bandages where I can" he says before reaching for the bag again, resting just next to his knee. As his hand starts rummaging through the contents, I move my arm forward and rest my palm on top of his. He flinches and looks up, large warm eyes looking deep into mine.

Getting lost in them, I suddenly feel like I'm floating; like the bed we sit on is drifting in the middle of a wide ocean. However, despite the loneliness and harsh freezing conditions at sea, I feel hot and enclosed like I'm in an invisible box, slowly getting closer and closer.

I can't breathe.

"Hyung? Are you okay?" Jungkook's voice echoes in my ears, close and yet somehow distant. His calls sound muffled, like I've fallen out of the bed and into the water below, slowly sinking deeper and deeper.

"Taehyung!"

My body grows weightless and limp, form falling down onto the soft cushions at the head of the bed. My eyelids grow heavy and breathing ragged; oxygen struggles to get into my lungs no matter how hard I try to suck in the dense air around me.

"Tae, please say something!"

I say nothing.

-x-

Jungkook

My head rests on Taehyung's chest, surface rising and falling steadily like calm waves at sea.

He passed out a couple hours ago, breaths heaving and sweat pooling across his body. My mother said that it was most likely from exhaustion and a good battering, however I refused to leave his side even if it was all normal.

The moon peers down from in between grey clouds, glowing a bright silver amongst a blanket of dull sky. The moonlight dances through a large gap in the curtains, landing on Taehyung's gracious features. The light casts a series of peculiar shadows onto his face, defining his cheek bones and jaw. The darkness hides the purple bruising that has begun to deepen in colour, the rest of his skin a smooth caramel.

As I stare up at his almost godly handsomeness, the lashes shielding his closed eyes twitch before fluttering open. The eyelashes cast multiple long thin shadows on his cheeks, his chocolate eyes gazing down at me with a look of calm peacefulness.

"You're finally awake. How are you feeling?" I whisper softly and the corners of his mouth twitch upwards, releasing a large intake of breath.

"A lot better" Tae responds simply, cupping a hand on my face, stroking my cheek with a soft tanned thumb. With the same hand, he carefully pulls me towards him so that I can not only hear, but feel his breath on my nose.

Before I can say another word, not even ask if he needs anything, he moves his head forward and connects his warm lips onto mine. I close my eyes and place a hand on his chest to steady myself, the other in his tangled hair. The kiss is gentle and delicate, like we're scared we may hurt each other. Despite this, his hands begin wandering around my entire body, feeling every curve and muscle.

I smile against his lips, deepening the kiss so that I can feel every corner of his mouth on mine. It is so familiar and yet every time we kiss it feels like the first time. My face heats up and so does the room, bodies merging together and becoming one; no part of us isn't touching.

After exploring everywhere, his arms finally rest around my waist, holding me close. I move my hands to his neck, feeling his soft skin. Yet when my fingers stroke his nape, a surging amount of heat radiates off of it, burning.

I detach my lips from his and he looks at me, bewildered. I reach up and put a hand to his forehead, flinching and pulling it away as soon as the two connect.

"Hyung, you're too hot, you may have a fever" I say, worry trembling my words. He feels his own head before frowning.

"I think you may be right" he sighs and hides his upset with a small smile.

"I'll go get you some medicine"

I move off of his body and stand up from the bed, making my way out and downstairs into the kitchen. Rummaging through the cupboards, I find what I'm looking for and rush upstairs as quick as I can without making too much noise.

I enter back into Taehyung's room and give him the medicine, watching as he swallows the tablets and puts the glass of water back onto the beside table.

"You don't have to sleep here, Kookie. I might be sick and I wouldn't want you to catch it" he says into the darkness, the moon clearly been covered by clouds once again. I shake my head and clamber into the bed next to him, smiling.

"I don't care, I'm not leaving your side whether you like it or not"

He laughs and lays down, facing me with kind eyes. He wraps his arms around my body and pulls me close so that my face is against his beating heart. The rhythm with its slow beats relaxes my mind, eyes becoming heavy with fatigue.

"You really are stubborn"

"I know, that's why you love me"

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The fact that this is slowly coming to an end upsets me