"What's with the sunglasses?" Seokjin asks when Jungkook walked into work.

"It's a look, isn't it?" He asks smiling.

"If you say so." Jin laughs.

Luckily today they had meetings all day and Jungkook looked ridiculous but not too ridiculous wearing the expensive shades inside.

Yugyeom had told him to just tell people he dropped his phone on his face while he was laying down.

But unless Jungkook's phone was as heavy as a brick the excuse was stupid.

He'd still use it if he couldn't think of anything.

No matter how unnoticeable Jungkook tries to make it seem it's obvious to Taehyung and Jin that something is different about the younger.

He wasn't as bright as he used to be, he completely gave up on trying to dress presentably for work, and when he smiled or laughed it looked like it pained him.

"Does Jungkook seem weird to you lately?" Taehyung had asked Jin.

"No. Why?" Jin had said even though it was a lie, Jungkook had definitely changed.

"I'm worried about him." Taehyung said shocking both himself and Jin.

"I'm sure he's fine." Jin had reassured him.

But today he was even weirder, he was dressed in loose fitting pants and an ugly oversized jacket, with shades on inside.

He looked homeless in all the heavy clothes.

Taehyung tried to figure out what was going on with him without having to ask but it was getting tiring.

Their last meeting ends at around seven but rather than telling Jungkook to go home like he usually would Taehyung calls the younger into his office.

"What's up, Tae?" Jungkook asks taking a seat in front of Taehyung's desk.

The --now faded-- silverette rounds the desk standing in front of Jungkook.

"What's going on with you?" He asks straight forwardly.

Taehyung can't tell if Jungkook is looking him in the eyes through the dark sunglasses.

"What do you mean?" He says smiling a little.

"You know what I mean." Taehyung says. "Why are you dressed like that?"

"I like it." Jungkook says referring to the oversized jacket.

"The sunglasses?" The older asks. "We're inside."

"I'm making a fashion statement." Jungkook chuckles but Taehyung sees right through the forced laugh.

"Take them off." He says looking down at Jungkook whose smile drops.

"Why?" The younger asks trying to play it off with another smile.

"Because I said so." Taehyung says.

Jungkook is stuck now, if he refused to take them off it would be suspicious, but if he took them off Taehyung was going to want to know what happened to his eye.

"Now." Taehyung pushes after Jungkook falls silent.

The younger sighs reaching up and reluctantly removing the shades, squinting at the light.

Taehyung's heart drops when he sees the dark bruise around his left eye.

"I can explain." Jungkook says before the other can say anything. "It was a freak accident. I was laying down on my phone and I somehow dropped it just right."

Taehyung is still in shock, that black eye didn't come from dropping a phone.

"It's crazy, it doesn't hurt though so that's good." Jungkook says smiling a smile that doesn't meet his eyes.

"Jungkook." Taehyung finally says.

"It was just an accident. Don't worry about it." The younger says standing. "I'm gonna head home early since the meetings are over."

Taehyung grabs Jungkook's wrist making the younger flinch noticably.

Now he was really stuck.

"What's wrong, Tae?" He asks with a forced smile.

"Who did this?" Taehyung asks not letting go of the other's wrist.

"What are you~"

"Cut the bullshit. I'm not stupid." The silverette snapped, but not because he was angry at Jungkook.

"I~...." Jungkook wanted to lie, he wanted to protect his pride and not tell anyone about what was really happening in his life.

"Don't lie to me." Taehyung says squeezing the younger's wrist gently.

Jungkook stares at Taehyung for a moment before he speaks, and completely gives himself up. "It's my fault. H-He promised he wouldn't do it again."

Taehyung's jaw clenches at the thought of anyone raising their hand to Jungkook for any reason.

Jungkook pulls his wrist away. "Please don't tell Jin-hyung."

"Jungkook~"

"Don't tell Jin-hyung, please." The younger pleaded with sad eyes.

"It's not right. It's not right for him to~"

"I know. He promised he'd never do it again though, and he won't. So please don't worry." Jungkook lies nervously.

Taehyung swallows hard trying not to lose his temper. "He's already done it one too many times, even if this was the first time."

"You don't know him. He just got upset~"

"So he hit you?" The older asks in disbelief that Jungkook was actually defending this.

"It's none of your concern." The younger says putting his sunglasses back on. "Just mind your business."

Taehyung is left in utter disbelief after Jungkook storms out of the office.

He was acting like this was completely normal, like these type of things were supposed to happen in a relationship.

But none the less he doesn't go against his requests.

He doesn't tell Jin.

And he minds his own business.

-

Jungkook had been crying against his steering wheel for almost and hour now.

Yugyeom was expecting him home no later than eight and it was already 7:53pm.

Jungkook felt exposed and humiliated and wanted to crawl away and never show his face again.

Taehyung had seen straight through him and knocked down every unstable wall he had built to protect his shallow ego.

What if Taehyung told Jin and they tried to get him help?

If Yugyeom found out Jungkook told he'd kill him.

After a few minutes Jungkook's phone rings and he knows exactly who it is.

"Hello." He answers after clearing his throat.

"Where are you?"

"My last meeting ran over a little, I'm on my way now." Jungkook says starting the car.

Yugyeom doesn't say anything else and hangs up, making Jungkook nervous.

He hurries to his apartment complex and nearly runs up the stairs, it's supposed to only take him fifteen minutes to get home driving from work and if he was late Yugyeom wouldn't be happy.

"Yugyeom?" He calls when he opens the door.

No answer.

Jungkook sighs walking further into the apartment. Is he not here?

"Yugyeom." He says again walking down the hallway towards his room.

He finds the room empty and a small part of him is glad the other wasn't here.

He drops his backpack down and decides to send him a text saying he was home.

Jungkook: hey i'm home, where are you?

He throws his phone on the bed and gets read to shower quickly before Yugyeom returned.

He hoped that Yugyeom wouldn't come back all.

This month couldn't go by any slower, each day creeping by at an excruciating rate.

He just wanted it to end.

🖤🖤🖤