The door of Taehyung's apartment slammed shut with a resounding thud, the silence which followed was so thick with tension it was stifling.

Taehyung continued to stare at the table, eyes devoid of any and all emotion.

Namjoon let out a deeply troubled sigh, hand running down over his face in exasperation.

Hoseok reached for Yoongi's hand under the table, seeking comfort and familiarity. If there was one thing he hated it was confrontation and luckily Yoongi was quick to pick up on his boyfriend's distress, giving the hand which was now in his a gentle reassuring squeeze.

"Guys, can you please leave me and Taehyung alone?" Jimin was the first to speak, fingers wringing the napkin between them in a futile attempt to keep himself calm.

He was anything but calm.

"Sure thing, we'll be on the balcony." Yoongi replied first, pushing back his chair as Hoseok followed suit.

"I'll head home, Jess will probably be waiting for me. I'll keep my phone on loud, just call if you need anything okay?" Namjoon directed this at Jimin yet he hoped Taehyung would know that offer of support was aimed at him too.

"Thanks Joonie, will keep that in mind." Jimin responded with a small smile.

~

The moment they were left alone Jimin glared across the table at his friend.

"Tae what the hell was that?"

Silence.

Jimin wanted to remain hopeful, wanted to believe this was just a blip in the road to recovery but something in Taehyung's eyes told him otherwise.

It was the same look he had after Jin died, the one devoid of any warmth.

Devoid of Taehyung.

It was the look he sported when he was about to shut everyone out, when the logical part of his brain was about to take precedence.

Jimin didn't want that to happen, especially when Taehyung had started to improve vastly over the last few weeks.

"Don't do this Tae....please." Jimin's voice came out strained, he was trying so damn hard to not cry right now.

"I'm okay Jimin, it's a good thing this happened." Taehyung's eyes remained cold, tone indifferent as he stood from the table and started collecting dishes.

"So that's it? One minor bump in the road and you're giving up? I know you miss him Tae, I know you're scared of losing the people you love but you were doing so well! Y/N is perfect for you, she's helping you to heal and then you go and treat her like that! Taehyung I love you with everything I have, with all I possess but tonight you were wrong! Y/N is trying, she's dealing with her own insecurities just like you but she wants to get better and tonight you used them against her."

There was a smash of plates as Taehyung threw them against the counter, Jimin flinched and his heart ached when Taehyung spun around with tears filling his eyes.

"I CAN'T DO IT!"

"Tae..." Jimin went to stand and Taehyung shook his head.

"Don't....I can't have you near me." Taehyung's eyes were filled with such raw emotion, so much anguish that Jimin felt his own fill with tears.

"Tae you need to let him go."

"Let him go?!" Taehyung spat venomously, eyes pained.

"He was my brother Jimin! He knew me better than anyone else, he always made me feel safe and then he left! He just left....he left me!"

Jimin shook his head, vision blurred from the onslaught of tears.

"He didn't want to leave you Tae, he loved you. This wasn't your fault or his! It's just life and yeah it can be so fucking cruel sometimes but that doesn't mean we shouldn't keep living, there's still so much for you here Tae."

"Don't try to psychoanalyse me Jimin! I don't need nor want it, I'm done with this conversation."

"So that's it! You're just going to let her go?!"

"SHE MEANS NOTHING TO ME!"

"Oh don't bullshit me Taehyung! I see the way you look at her, how you've changed since she's started spending more time with you. I was so happy...so hopeful that finally the old Taehyung was coming back. This hurts me too you know, it hurts all of us! We love you Tae, the more you punish yourself the more it breaks the rest of us apart. Y/N was starting to mean something to you and you were finally starting to let down your walls and now this!"

Taehyung wiped away his own tears, furious at himself for losing control.

Y/N's face so clear in his mind.

Her beautiful eyes filled with tears.

Taehyung would never forgive himself yet he didn't go after her, even though his heart screamed at him to do exactly that.

He was a coward.

Jimin was right, he used Y/N's insecurities against her and oh how his heart ached for doing that.

It was suddenly too much....he couldn't breathe.

The memories of Jin and his death coming once again to remind Taehyung he was so fucking afraid, grief unrelenting. It sucked all the happiness out, leaving him a mere shell of the man he once was.

Y/N was his guiding light in the darkness.... his port when the sea of his demons got too rough for him to navigate them alone.

And that's the reason he has to let her go....the reason he's now adrift.

"I can't." Is all he says, a broken man.

Jimin can only watch as Taehyung's eyes once again turn cold.

"You're making a huge mistake letting her go Tae, you'll see soon enough." Jimin whispers, flinching when the door to Taehyung's bedroom slams shut.

~

From Y/N

I don't need to forgive you....just need to know you're still in this with me.

I've still got my demons to cover.

You've still got yours to check off a list.

Please come back to me.

Taehyung stares at the words, reading them for what feels like the tenth time.

He can't.

He just can't.

He looks out of his bedroom window, eyes filling with anguish as he singles out a star.

If that's you hyung....I want you to know this is all your fault, you left me.

"....and I hate you for it." He chokes out then hits delete on Y/N's contact.

((I AM SO SORRY! Please don't hate me, this isn't the end! Relationships aren't perfect guys, we all carry demons and I'm hoping through this story I can demonstrate how there's ups and downs with every relationship. I also hope to demonstrate that nobody is perfect, never place a person on a pedestal and expect them to not have flaws. I'm hoping with Siren I can show that we have to work at relationships, work at love and not give up just because things get hard. I also wanted to address anxiety, depression and dealing with grief. All these things very real and nothing to be ashamed of, I'm always here for you guys should you need to talk. More updates coming for Siren, Jagi, Can I Keep You and Uiveleth 💜💜💜💜 hit that star button if you enjoyed and please leave your thoughts.))