"Can I get you anything?"

    "No."

Jungkook sighs, sitting on the couch next to Vic as the older tried to suppress his tears.

It was a casual morning at first, Taehyung fronted first and he and Jungkook planned to have dinner some place when Taehyung got off work.

Jungkook hadn't expected Vic to return in tears only a few hours later.

    "I'm fine, Jungkook." The brunette says tugging his tie from around his neck as he wipes his tears. "I'm sorry for being like this."

    "Don't apologize." The younger says. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Vic takes a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling as he exhales shakily. "Taehyung's mother died. A-And...And his father wants him to attend but of course I'd have to because Taehyung...he can't, y'know? And, I mean that's fine. I just...I need time to process everything but the funeral is tomorrow."

    "I'm so sorry, Vic." Jungkook says genuinely, his eyebrows drawing together in concern.

    "I'll be fine I just w-wish~" Vic heaves a sigh as he wipes his tears in frustration. "I wish he would've told me when she died. Not a fucking day before the funeral. That's bullshit."

Jungkook nods. "Would it make you feel better if I went with you?"

    "I don't think we should go alone." The brunette says running his fingers through his hair. "Her husband will be there with her step son...a-and I just rather not go alone."

    "That's fine. I'll go with you." The younger says.

Vic sighs, sitting back and looking up at the ceiling. "I shouldn't be crying. I'm supposed to be able to take this stuff."

    "It's okay to cry, Vic. You can cry and still be strong." Jungkook says.

Vic cracks a small smile. "How do you always know what to say?"

    "I just say what I think you need to hear." The younger shrugs.

    "Sometimes...I get flashbacks of what V and Minseok went through separately and I wonder how I would've reacted to certain situations or certain things that were said...and I wonder if I'm really any stronger than they were." The brunette says. "I like to think I'm strong but I...I didn't personally live through the trauma I just remember it as if I have. I don't have to worry about that ever happening to me but I wonder...I wonder how they did it. Y'know?"

    "Mhm." Jungkook nods, he often wondered the same things as well.

    "When I go to the funeral tomorrow I'll remember everything she did to them and everything she let happen to them...I'll feel their anger and pain but there'll be nothing I can do about it." Vic says, ignoring the tears falling down his face. "Maybe I'm stronger than them based on our current situation but...they'll always be the strongest out of all of us. Chaehyeon too...they're the ones who managed to stay alive through their trauma...I'm just here because they physically, mentally, and emotionally just couldn't take anymore than what they already had."

    "You're strong, Vic. All of you are strong, the strongest people I know." Jungkook says. "Don't invalidate yourself because you didn't personally live through their trauma. It takes a strong person to even just bare those memories."

Vic looks over at Jungkook with a sad smile. "Thank you for being here, Jungkook."

    "Of course. I'll be with you tomorrow too so don't worry." The younger says, but Vic was far more than worried.

He was terrified.

——

It's excruciating, excruciating.

Everyone standing around talking about what a good wife she was, how good of a mother she was to her children, they were all fools to even start to believe that.

"You okay?" Jungkook asks quietly.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Taehyung answers, trying to give Jungkook a reassuring smile but failing miserably.

Vic hadn't fronted like they thought he would, Taehyung said he was close enough to the front for him not to be worried but he hadn't fronted.

"Taehyung?" A woman asks walking up to him with sad eyes and a pitiful smile. "I'm so sorry for your loss, sweetheart. I know you loved her very much."

"Thank you." The brunette bows respectfully.

"Of course. Take care of your brothers, okay? You all need each other right now." She says, patting Taehyung's arm before walking away.

Taehyung releases a tense breath, adjusting his tie.

    "We can leave, Tae. You did what your father asked you don't have to stay until the end." Jungkook says, sensing Taehyung's discomfort. "Do you want to leave?"

    "Taehyung."

Jungkook and Taehyung both turn in the direction of his name being said.

"I didn't think you'd show." His step brother says, his eyes puffy from crying.

Taehyung can't respond, he feels stuck, like he's frozen.

"His father asked him to come." Jungkook responds instead. "We're leaving actually."

"No, please. Don't run off." The older man says quickly. "I just...I want to thank you for coming, Tae. I know this can't be easy for you but...it means a lot that you're here for mom."

Taehyung nods, swallowing hard as he tries to respond, keeping his eyes down. "Y-Yeah..."

"I know it's not the time or the place for this but... I'm really sorry, Tae." His step brother says, his voice cracking as he tries to keep his emotions at bay. "I'm so sorry, for everything. And you have every right not to forgive me I just hope that one day you'll be able to forgive me and let go of all the pain I caused you but... I am sorry."

Taehyung shakes his head, looking at Jungkook with tears in his eyes as he starts to walk away. "I can't."

Jungkook looks at Taehyung's step brother once more before following him.

"Wait for me, Tae." He calls after the brunette, jogging to catch up with him.

"I-I can't~" Taehyung says, stopping and facing Jungkook. "I can't~"

"It's okay, let's just leave. We'll leave~"

"I can't breathe." The brunette chokes out, trying to clear his throat as he loosens his tie, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Okay. I've got you." Jungkook reassures as he leads him by the arm to the nearest restroom, closing the door behind them and locking it.

Taehyung leans against the wall, bending at the waist to try and catch his breath.

"You're okay, Tae. I'm right here." Jungkook says standing in front of him. "Stand up straight for me, okay?"

The brunette stands up straight, his chest still heaving.

"You remember what we did last time, yeah?" The younger asks, nodding his head.

"No.." Taehyung pants, he couldn't remember anything right now, all he could think about is the pain in his chest.

"Okay, we're gonna put one hand here." Jungkook says demonstrating by placing one and on his chest. "And the other here." He says placing the other on his stomach. "And we're gonna breathe slowly, Tae. I'll breathe with you."

"I can't." The brunette chokes out, it felt like he was suffocating.

"Yes you can. You're breathing right now and you're doing so good, Tae. Let's just slow it down, okay?" The younger asks patiently. "Hands?"

Taehyung places both hands in the proper position to mirror Jungkook, panting through his mouth.

"Breathe through your nose, with me." Jungkook says, demonstrating a proper breathe and releasing it slowly. "Just like that, can you that with me?"

The brunette nods, trying to take a full breath but only managing about half a breath before he releases it.

"Good. You're doing good, Taehyung. Now with me." The younger says, breathing in at the same time as Taehyung and releasing it as slow as possible. "Good. It's temporary, the pain is temporary."

Taehyung closes his eyes and tries to take another deep breath, breathing in deeply before slowly releasing, Jungkook's praises and encouragements enough to make him try again and again and again until he feels like he's reaching some state normalcy.

"You're okay, Taehyung. I promise." Jungkook says, his eyes extremely worried despite his calm and neutral tone. Whenever this happened it felt like he was the one having the panic attack. "I'm right here."

Taehyung covers his face with both hands as his breathing reaches a calmer rate, trying to convince himself that he was okay, that nothing bad could happen to him here.

Jungkook isn't sure if he should speak or give him a moment as the brunette starts to cry softly behind his hands.

"Tae? What can I do, baby?" He asks, his worry getting the best of him.

Taehyung sniffles softly, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "Wanna go home."

"Okay. We can leave right now." Jungkook says immediately after noticing the slide, wanting him to know that whatever he wanted to do was fine. "Can I touch you?"

The brunette nods, keeping his hands over his face.

"Take your hands down. You don't have to hide." The older says taking Taehyung's hands in both of his. "I've got you okay? Is Hajoon close?"

Taehyung nods his head, his lips poking out as more tears form in his eyes.

"Okay. We've got you, okay?" Jungkook asks, the brunette nods again.

Jungkook keeps Taehyung's hand in his and leads him out of the bathroom, not wasting anytime getting him as far away from this place as possible.

"Look," Jungkook says after he gets Taehyung into the car, reaching into the back seat and grabbing the stuffed bunny that he grabbed in case of emergency. "It's a bunny."

Taehyung takes the bunny when Jungkook hands it to him, hugging it to his chest as he tries to stop crying. "T-Thank you, bun."

"You're welcome, baby." Jungkook smiles at him before starting the car and driving out of the parking lot. "You're safe, okay?"

Taehyung nods, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand again.

He knew he was safe as long as he was with Jungkook.

🔒🔒🔒