"What's wrong?" Jungkook asks as he walks downstairs to Taehyung who had called him down.

    "I wanted to ask if you'd be comfortable with something." Taehyung says walking to the kitchen and expecting Jungkook to follow.

He does with a questioning expression. "What is it?"

    "Well, you know how Hoseok's recently just come back into my life after the mess we had with my former label?" Taehyung starts, pulling a glass from the cabinet and carrying it to the sink to fill it with water.

Jungkook rolls his eyes while Taehyung's back is to him. "Yeah."

    "Well..." The pinkette trails off momentarily, trying to get his thoughts in order. "Since we've seen each other again Hoseok's been pretty...adamant, I guess, about making sure I remember my life before he left me."

    "I'm not sure I understand." Jungkook says, keeping his eyes focused on the marble counter.

    "When you met me, you thought I was an alcoholic, right?" Taehyung asks making Jungkook look up.

    "I-I mean, no. It wasn't like that. I just, thought...maybe you could be. B-But not that you were, exactly." He stammers shaking his head.

    "Well when you met me I was nowhere near as bad as I was when I was with Hoseok." Taehyung explains. "I was really bad before I met you. But I'm trying to be better now because...anyways."

Jungkook smiles a little, hoping that he was the reason.

    "Hoseok won't leave me alone." The pinkette says looking down at the cup in his hand.

Jungkook's expression hardens and he sits up straighter, suddenly feeling defensive.

    "So I was going to talk to him, and try to be civil with him instead of lashing out, because I know that's what he wants me to do." Taehyung says looking up at him. "B-But I just...I don't want to be alone with him."

Jungkook frowns. "Are you scared of him?"

Taehyung sighs, looking away from Jungkook without answering.

    "Why are you afraid of him?" He asks, ready to go after Hoseok if he had to.

    "He just... he knows how to get inside my head and make me feel like I'm too fucked up to be without him." Taehyung says honestly. "He plays my weaknesses against me and I just don't want to be by myself because I don't want him to get control over my emotions and make me make a stupid decision."

    "Is that the only reason?" Jungkook asks, Taehyung knows what he's asking.

    "It's complicated." Taehyung says shaking his head, not wanting to go into detail.

    "He's hit you?" Jungkook asks, his voice small despite the anger he feels.

    "I've hit him too." Taehyung says quickly. "We're just physical with each other, it's not one sided."

Jungkook still looks upset even after hearing that. "He hit you?"

    "Jungkook, listen." Taehyung says sitting his cup down and coming to stand across from him in front of the counter. "I told you that our relationship wasn't any good. We're both toxic people that should have never gotten involved with each other."

Jungkook nods looking down at his hands. "Were you always toxic to each other?"

"No." Taehyung says, taking Jungkook's hands in his. "We were fine before he became my boyfriend."

"What happened?" The younger asks looking up to meet Taehyung's eyes.

"He just...we were just mean to each other." Taehyung says, despite the fact that Hoseok was twice as mean as him. "We did and said things that we didn't mean when we were angry."

Jungkook nods, not questioning him anymore about the past.

"But anyway." Taehyung says, shaking away the feelings that had started to wash over him. "I just wanted you to be here because if we're alone I'm afraid we'll say and do things we don't mean."

Jungkook nods. "It's okay, I'll be here."

"Really?" The pinkette asks. "I understand if it makes you uncomfortable~"

"No, as long as you're comfortable I'm fine." Jungkook reassures with a smile. "Just tell me when he's coming."

"Okay. I'll ask him to come tomorrow." Taehyung says releasing Jungkook's hands.

He nods standing up straight. "So, I'll just stay upstairs unless you need me. Okay?"

Taehyung nods. "Okay. Thank you, Kook. I'm sorry I'm so much of an idiot~"

"You're not. I don't want to leave you alone now anyways." Jungkook says walking out of the kitchen area and sitting in the living room.

He was worried for Taehyung's sake, he knew that it would probably be hard to confront Hoseok in person.

They spend the rest of the night watching TV and talking about looks for Taehyung's next photoshoot.

But Taehyung was obviously stressing over meeting Hoseok and cutting things off for good.

He tried to reassure himself that with Jungkook here Hoseok couldn't hurt him physically.

But still, he was so worried.

—

Jungkook is in Taehyung's room hugging one of the pinkette's body pillows when Hoseok gets to the penthouse.

Taehyung chews his lip nervously when he hears the buzzer sound.

He pulls the door open and is met with Hoseok's annoying smirk.

"Are you lonely, princess?" The brunette asks cockily.

"No." Taehyung says rolling his eyes. "We need to talk, did I not make that clear in my message?"

"Right." Hoseok says brushing past him and coming into that penthouse.

"Here, we can talk in the kitchen." Taehyung says leading the way, his phone buzzing in his hand.

Jungkook: you're fine, be open and honest and if he doesn't understand I'll kick his ass for you <3

Taehyung can't help but smile at the message before sending back a quick thank you.

"Who's that?" Hoseok asks sending his happy world crashing down.

"No one." Taehyung says sitting down across from him.

"Is this an interrogation, babydoll?" Hoseok asks clasping his hands on the table.

"No, please stop with the pet names." The pinkette says in annoyance.

"Why, dolly? You don't like them?" Hoseok asks in fake innocence.

"Hoseok, can you please just be serious? Can we talk like two adults, for once?" Taehyung asks.

"I'm serious." He says. "If you didn't call me here to fuck you then what do you want?"

Taehyung sighs, hoping Jungkook wasn't listening in on the conversation right now. "Hoseok, please~"

"What, Taehyung? What the hell are you asking for? I told you I'm being serious." Hoseok says, his tone short and annoyed.

"I'm asking you to fucking listen to me for like two seconds, can you?" Taehyung snaps slightly. "I'm literally trying to have a conversation."

"You're wasting my fucking time." Hoseok groans. "Go ahead."

"Please, listen." Taehyung starts. "I know we didn't leave each other on the best terms and I understand that we didn't exactly end things the last time we saw each other last year, so I just wanted to officially end things right now. So can we both just please agree to stay out of each other's lives from now on?"

"You called me over here for that bullshit?" Hoseok deadpans with a blank expression.

Taehyung sits back in his chair. "Hobi~ Hoseok. I'm trying to be mature."

"You're acting like I'm forcing myself on you. If I remember correctly, you were just as willing to get fucked the other night as I was to fuck you. So what if this?" Hoseok asks. "Are you fucking bored? Did you just want an excuse for me to come here? What?"

"No, I'm just~ I'm trying to~"

"Trying to what? You look fucking stupid. But I guess you're used to that." The brunette says with a huff.

"Why are you always like this? You never fucking listen to me." Taehyung says, his anger showing through his words.

"I don't have to. Everything you say is bullshit anyway." Hoseok says with a shrug. "What? Are you mad?"

Taehyung stops himself from snapping back. "No. I just want us both to be on the same page. I want us both to agree that this is the end of any type of relationship between us."

"You're so stupid." Hoseok chuckles in annoyance. "What the fuck are you talking about? Did you not know our relationship was over?"

"Hoseok~"

"Did you think that just because I fucked you that there were lingering feelings?" Hoseok asks. "You're a good fuck Taehyung, I'll give you that, but that's all you are to me. What am I to you?"

"You're a piece of shit to me." Taehyung says standing up. "A piece of shit that can leave. And don't fucking call me or text me anymore. That's what I wanted to say."

Hoseok stands up, smiling triumphantly at the fact that he's gotten him mad. "Is that all you wanted to say, babydoll?"

"Yes." Taehyung says crossing his arms as Hoseok comes over and stands in front of him.

"How could I leave without having a drink with you? Come on, for old times sake." The brunette says, still poking around for a sore spot.

"No." The pinkette says through clenched teeth.

"Why? If you drink too many calories you can just starve yourself like you usually do."

Taehyung quickly brings his hand up, swinging at Hoseok absentmindedly.

The brunette catches him by the wrist. "Careful, dolly. I'd hate to have mess up your pretty face."

Taehyung snatches his wrist away. "Just get out, I shouldn't have even told you to come here."

"You're right. You've wasted more of my life." Hoseok sighs tiredly. "It's too bad I can't fuck you anymore but I'm sure you'll be fine. You still fuck around with your directors don't you?"

"I don't sleep with my directors." Taehyung says, his voice growing smaller.

"Correction, you don't sleep with your directors anymore." Hoseok says with a chuckle. "I could fucking end you with the shit I know about you."

Taehyung can't argue with that because it was true, Hoseok held some of his darkest secrets.

"Stay pretty for me baby, okay? And when you drink yourself to sleep tonight, dedicate one to us." Hoseok says with a wink before turning to leave.

"Why do you hate me, Hoseok? Tell me." Taehyung says, instantly regretting not letting him leave.

"You're as if you're innocent in all this." The brunette says turning back to him. "Why don't you try answering yourself?"

"All I've ever done is try to make things work." Taehyung says. "I was never mean to you like you're always mean to me."

"Mean? I thought you were being mature, Taehyungie. What happened?" Hoseok says mockingly.

"What did I do. Tell me, please?" Taehyung asks, his voice not holding any sarcasm at all.

"Hm, maybe it has to do with the fact that you were willing to take the first major modeling job you were offered and leave me in the dust." Hoseok says, his tone still sickly sarcastic.

"Seriously?" Taehyung asks in disbelief. "You're still upset about that? That was almost three years ago!"

"Yes, I am. Because I was your boyfriend! You didn't even think about how it would have affected me." Hoseok says, his tone serious now. "I devoted myself to our relationship and you were willing to pick up and run off the second you got the opportunity, did you ever think about how that made me feel? No! Of course you didn't because you only ever think about yourself!"

"My career was finally picking up pace, Hoseok. That gig was supposed to~"

"Fuck the gig, you idiot. What about me?" Hoseok snaps. "I was supposedly someone you love and cared about, right?"

"You were~"

"So what made you think that this wouldn't affect me?" Hoseok asks.

"You've always brought out the worst in me, Hoseok. You knew it then and you know it now. So yes, the second I got the chance to get the hell away from you I took it! Because you made me fucking mental!" Taehyung says, getting emotional as he thinks back to that time. "I had just gotten out of the hospital~"

"Me, me, me. I, I, I. It was about us!" Hoseok shouts. "You and me. Not just you. You had no right to make that decision!"

"And you had any right to do what you did?!" Taehyung screams, tears falling. "You fucking drug my name through the mud! When people think of me, you know what they think!? That I'm a fucking alcoholic! A slut! Whore! Everything, and it's because of you!"

Hoseok is silenced by Taehyung's anger.

"But never have I parted my lips to the press to tell them what a piece of shit you were to me to make me a fucking alcoholic! Because I don't blame you, I blame myself for letting you hurt me!" Taehyung says pushing Hoseok away. "You fucked up my head and I don't even blame you! But you just keep doing it. Over and over and fucking over!

"You ruined my career when it was at its peak. And I'm not mad at you." Taehyung says, wiping his face angrily. "You make me feel like I'm not good enough and that I'll never be, that I'm fat and useless. And I believe it. Because I trusted your words more than I trusted my own state of mind for so long. I let you ruin me and I'd let you again because for some reason I still love you. Even if I'm just a good fuck to you."

Hoseok rolls his eyes after Taehyung's spill.

"Just leave. Leave, and don't ever come back. I don't want to see you, I don't want to hear from you, I don't want anything to do with you." Taehyung says, breathing unevenly.

"All you had to do was tell me wanted to leave." Hoseok says. "I wasn't imprisoning you."

"It felt like it."

They stand there, staring at one another for a moment or two.

"Whatever, Taehyung." Hoseok says, turning to leave.

Taehyung watches him walk to the door and stop.

"I hope you know that if you would've stopped and thought about me for a second, I probably would have thought about you." He says, his voice cold and hard.

Taehyung's features crumble and a sob escapes his lips, he slides down the side of the counter until he's seated on the ground.

The door shuts and he guesses Hoseok is gone for good now.

"Tae?" Jungkook's voice says making him look up through his tears.

Jungkook's eyes are wet with tears as he sits down beside him and pulls him into his embrace.

"It's okay. Don't cry, it's okay." Jungkook says softly.

Taehyung continues to cry despite his reassurances, his entire body racking with sobs as he breaks down.

No strength left to fight his tears, he cries into Jungkook's embrace.

He hated thinking back to that awful time in his life where everything felt as if it was falling apart.

He felt weak and tired, just like he felt then.

He felt like his life wasn't worth living.

And the feeling that he got in his gut when he thought these scary thoughts made him feel like he was drifting away.

He wanted to disappear.

🖤🖤🖤