★ You are my symphony ★

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- I'll do it -

Taehyung's POV

"Where did you go?" It is the first thing I hear the minute I return from Soros' palace, darkness swirling around my fingertips, coating my skin in dark magic. My eyes flicker up, meeting Jungkook's in the darkroom of ours. I'm barely able to make out his eyes, but the faint orange glow gives it away.

Why does he look petrified?

"Just to see Soros, why?" It isn't until my eyes focus in the darkness that I'm able to see his shaking frame, eyes big, bottom lip quivering violently. My own eyes widen, lips parting in a state of shock. What happened? "Jungkook? What happened?"

"Can- Can I sleep with you...?" He asks so quietly I barely hear it. I don't even protest, calling him over, seeing him slowly make his way down the stairs, stumbling over a few steps. I meet him at my own staircase, helping him up and getting him into bed, letting him lay down on the side nearest to the wall.

"What happened? Why are you so shaky?" He doesn't reply, his eyes shut tightly, body trembling beside my own. I frown, my heart hurting. I've never seen him look this weak, this shaken up. He usually puts on the tough guy act, the cocky bastard one I grew to hate.

Yet now, he looked so vulnerable, so scared.

"My- M-my anxiety..." He spits out after the silence fills the room, voice quavery while his body continues to tremble. My eyes widen again, a silent gasp leaving my lips. He has anxiety? "Jungkook, can-" I pause, my mind swirling. Was I sure of what I was just about to ask him?

I can't just let him calm down on his own.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked softly, my own town surprising me. He meets my gaze, his eyes glossy, a few tears staining his cheeks. His rosy red cheeks are puffy, lips quivering as he struggles to bite on them, "Please. I'll do anything to help out," I say, knowing there wasn't anything I could do to turn back now.

He doesn't say anything, instead, he just pushes his body against mine, resting his head in the crook of my neck. "Jungkook..." I say breathlessly, my breath hitching as I subconsciously wrap my arms around his shaking frame. I feel something wet hit my skin, but I don't push him away.

He's crying.

"Hey, it's okay. I've got you. Nothing can hurt you, okay? Deep breaths for me, baby," I say, unaware of the nickname that's just rolled off my tongue. He sobs into my neck, his body shaking violently in my embrace. "Shh, I've got you, Jungkook. You can relax, take some deep breaths. I won't let anything hurt you."

We lay like this for a good ten minutes, sweet nothings leaving my lips as he cries and shakes in my hold. When he's seemed to have calmed down, and when the tears have turned dry, he sniffles, pushing himself even closer to me. "Thank you." I hum, rubbing soothing circles on his lower back.

"Can you tell me what happened?" I ask softly, holding him against me, hearing him sigh. "I- I had a nightmare and it triggered my anxiety..." I frown, sighing as well. "I'm sorry. I wish I was here, maybe I could have helped sooner." He shakes his head as best as he could, gripping onto my shirt like a child.

"You didn't know. Not like I can tell when I'll have a nightmare anyway." I hum again, knowing he's right. "Do these happen often?" He pauses for a bit, almost like he's trying to think of something to say. "They used to. Not so much anymore." I frown at that but nod.

"Can I still sleep here? I don't want to sleep alone." I see him pull his head away from my neck, begging me with his big, glossy, doe eyes of his. "Of course. I won't just push you away." He flashed a small, sad smile, continuing to cling onto me. I don't even push him away, a part of me loving the close proximity.

Why did this feel so... right?

Silence filled the room, his head resting against my chest, his breathing turning steady yet again. "Care to listen to some music? Soros gave me a phone," I whisper softly, seeing his head move up, his eyes meeting mine. "You have music?" He asked, eyes widening. I nod, pulling out the phone.

"We don't exactly get service up here, but we can still listen to music. Is that okay with you?" He nods eagerly, his once glossy eyes flashing with what looked like excitement and curiosity. I type in a song on YouTube, clicking a lyric video and placing the phone beside me, letting the music play.

"Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go. So make the best of this test and don't ask why. It's not a question but a lesson learned in time."

Jungkook's eyes meet mine again, a small smile twitching up onto his features. "Green Day?" I nod, smiling too, my hand raising up to move his hair out of his eyes. "You know them?" He nods quickly, smiling more. "I love them."

We listen to the song, letting the lyrics ring through our ears. Something still bothers me, lingering at the back of my mind. What did he dream of to cause his anxiety to act up? Better yet, why is he so grateful for the simplest things? Things such as me waiting up for him, or spending time with him?

Is there a chance he's been through the same thing I have?

"Can I ask you something?" He hums, burying his head in my neck again. "What's your story?" There's a laugh that leaves his lips, a laugh that makes me frown. It's fake and humorless, his hands gripping the fabric of my shirt. "I don't have one."

"Everyone has a story." He snickers, pulling away from me, looking at me. "Yeah? Well, I don't." I flash a small smile, pushing the hair away from his eyes again, shaking my head. "Just because a story isn't pretty doesn't mean it doesn't exist, Jungkook." He freezes, averting his gaze away from mine.

"Neglected."

The one word makes my blood run cold, my body tensing up. "My parents didn't give a damn. They never gave me the attention I sought, never truly cared. Never fed me, I was left to do it myself or I'd starve. Never really bought me clothes." He laughs again, my heartbreaking at the sound.

"I wasn't planned." He shrugged, the words rolling off his tongue with such ease it makes me sick. He says it so easily, with so little care, it makes my heart clench. "I was a mistake. Mom got pregnant at sixteen, doesn't believe in abortion. Dad and mom don't get along but stayed together for whatever reason."

"A sixteen-year-old isn't mature enough to raise a kid, especially when they're one themselves." His words are true, but they seem to stab me like daggers. I feel so bad for him, for what he's gone through. He hasn't had the opportunity to experience a good life, has he?

"They never abused me, never laid a finger on me, just neglected me. I was left to fend for myself since age seven. I've been pretty on my own since then. My parents work and provide money for themselves, but I'm usually left alone. In other words, if I want to live to see tomorrow, I gotta work for it." He flashes a sad smile, sighing.

"If I didn't fight, I wouldn't be here."

"Jungkook..." I whisper, his words striking my heart. "I get where you were coming from when you called me cocky," He spoke, shaking his head, his hair falling back over his eyes. "I was cocky. I was that way because I finally had something that would attract attention my way. I finally found something to make me have some sort of purpose."

"Even if it meant me risking my life every single day." I frowned, pulling him into me, hugging him tightly. "I was wrong about you, Jungkook. I judged the cover before getting to read what was inside. I didn't even read the summary, I just skipped the whole book because the cover looked bad."

"Covers don't mean everything, Jungkook," I spoke, feeling him freeze in my hold. "What lies inside is what does." I could feel him nod slowly against my chest, his slightly smaller hands gripping at my shirt yet again. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for judging you before getting to know you."

"I'm also sorry for what you went through." He sighed, placing his head in the crook of my neck. "Please, don't give me pity.." I nod, understanding very well where he comes from when he says that. "I won't. We may have started off on the wrong foot, but I'm willing to put in the effort to learn about you. I know more than what lies just on the surface."

"Do you mean that?"

"I do, Jungkook. I want to get to know you, the real you. Seeing you like this, so broken, so scared, so vulnerable, it hurts me more than I ever thought it would. I don't like seeing you this way." He pulled his head away from my neck again, looking up at me, his doe eyes glossy once more.

"Taehyung?" I hum, my heart racing in my chest, this strong warmth flooding through me. What was this feeling? My stomach was doing flips, my palms turning a little sweaty. "Can... can-" He stops, frowning, his cheeks turning red. The glow from the moon above us allows me to see his features, his cheeks red and rosy.

"Can you protect me?"

"What?" I ask breathlessly, the question coming out subconsciously that I instantly feel bad. "You're just... you're so powerful. You possess three elements while I possess only one. You're three times stronger than I am... and I... I've never had anyone before. With you, I don't know what it is, but I feel safer. Maybe it's like I belong or something..."

"It's a stupid question. I'm sorry. Forget I asked." I shook my head, my hand cupping his cheek. "Look at me." He does, his lip quivering again. "I'll do it. I'll protect you, I promise." His eyes seem to light up for a split second, lips twitching ever so slightly. "Really?"

I nod, brushing the hair away from his eyes again. "I will. I see myself in you, Jungkook. I've- fuck- I've been through some similar situations. I'm afraid to trust, to talk to others because of my past experiences." I say, my mind swirling. Was I really about to come clean about my life?

"I was rude and mean to you because I was scared. I was scared of getting close, then being used again. I was scared to open up just for someone to strike me in my weakest spot." He frowned, shaking his head. "I'd never do that to you." I nod, feeling that his words are true.

"You may not do that to me, but I didn't know for sure. I live with trust issues, with the fear of socializing. It was wrong of me to assume you were exactly like the rest but I couldn't help it. Let me," I pause, sighing, "let me make it up to you. Let me protect you as a sign that I'm sorry for judging you too quickly."

"I just want someone there for me, for once in my life, and for some reason," He takes a deep breath, meeting my gaze, "I feel like you're that someone." My breath hitches, my head moving down in a nod. I felt the same, but why? And what was this constant feeling I felt?

"It's what you deserve," I say, seeing his eyes widen. "You deserve to feel like you belong. You deserve to feel treasured and safe, and, fuck, if I can do that I'll do it," I say, realization hitting me after my words leave my lips. "Do you like me, Taehyung?" He giggles, my ears and cheeks turning red. "Uh, I- I- I'm not sure?"

He giggles again, hugging me. "I think I like you, Taehyung. I don't know what I feel, but there's something." I nod, understanding what he's saying. "Same here. Let's not worry too much about it, okay? You need to sleep. We need to sleep." He nods, yawning quietly. I hold him against me, his breathing turning steady, his arm wrapped around me.

What am I doing? Saying I'll protect him? How can I protect him when I'm not even sure I can protect myself? I sigh, glancing down at him, seeing his body pressed against my own. I couldn't deny how right this felt, but, fuck, I haven't even known him one month!

Oh for fuck's sake.

I sighed again, shaking my head back and forth, rubbing his lower back. What matters is that he's calm now, he feels safe, he's happy. I've managed to be there for him. What I did before was wrong, I know that, so I need to make it right. But how exactly can I do that? My mind swirled around the only possibility, a groan leaving my lips.

Oh, screw it.

I'll fucking protect him.

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Yes! The story is Taekook! I know! Long overdue, yeah yeah yeah. They're getting closer, slowly but surely. The week is over and they know a little more about one another now.

Will Taehyung live up to his word? Will he protect Jungkook?

I purple you 💜

~Pisanthrophobia.