"I'm just going to tell him face to face that I'm not interested in a relationship. I'll feel bad if I do it over the phone."

Taehyung closes his eyes for a moment as the dull ache in his lower stomach intensifies for a short moment.

"Why are you telling me this, Jeongguk?" He asks as he paces back and forth in the living room, his phone on speaker on the coffee table.

"Because I want you to tell me I'm doing the right thing by not doing it over the phone." Jeongguk says on the other line. "I need the reassurance."

"You're doing the right thing." Taehyung says.

"You think?"

"Yes, just be honest and tell him how you feel. He can't be upset because of the way you feel."

Jeongguk sighs, falling silent on the other line.

"Are you there?" Taehyung chuckles after a while.

"Yeah...life's just insane." Jeongguk says, groaning in frustration. "Why does everything have to be so complicated?"

"What's complicated?" Taehyung asks, taking a seat on the couch. Rubbing a hand over his bump to try to soothe himself and the baby.

"I don't know...I just wish I could disappear and not explain myself to Jimin." The ravenette says. "Emotions are too hard, for no reason."

"Hm," Taehyung hums. "I know that'd be easier but you'd feel bad for not ending things face to face."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come take you to the hospital?" Jeongguk asks. "I've been ignoring it the whole time but you sound like you're having a hard time."

"I'm not having a hard time." Taehyung says, recognizing the strain in his voice for the first time. "I know what it feels like to go into labor, Jeongguk, and this isn't it."

"You're taking chances for no reason~"

"I really don't want to argue right now, Jeongguk, please." The brunette says closing his eyes. "I know what I'm doing. There's a plan, okay? My cesarean is scheduled for Thursday, my parents are coming back Wednesday to take me, and I have everything I need for the hospital stay."

"Alright," Jeongguk says, but he doesn't sound convinced. "Send me a touch if you need me to come and I will."

Taehyung chuckles, rolling his eyes a little. "I will, don't worry."

"Okay, I'm headed to Yoongi and Hobi now to drop the boys off." Jeongguk says.

"Are you sure they're fine with~"

"They're fine with it, Taehyung. They've wanted to watch the boys for a while now." Jeongguk promises. "They watched them a few times before so they'll be okay."

"Okay." Taehyung sighs. "Be careful then."

"Yeah, I will be. Talk to you later."

Taehyung reaches forward and ends the call. Sitting back on the couch and closing his eyes. He was exhausted but the pressure he was feeling on his lower abdomen was keeping him awake. He knew he wasn't in labor but he felt it coming up quick.

He just kept praying that the baby held on, just for a couple days until his parents got back.

~

Jeongguk frowns in confusion as he approaches the address Jimin gave him. It was a pretty run down apartment complex, it almost looks like no one lives there. He calls Jimin but it goes straight to voicemail.

"What the hell?" He mumbles as he goes to park. He remembers Jimin telling him to make sure he parked in the parking garage so he heads towards there.

It's an underground parking garage, dimly lit by overhead lights that were going out in some place. The entire scene is sketchy as hell and it makes him wonder why Jimin moved out of his old apartment into this one.

His phone rings, Jimin's number showing up on the screen before he answers. "Hey, I'm here, I'm just parking."

"Okay, you can just come up. I'm one the third floor." Jimin says on the other line, a strange tone behind his voice.

"...Okay." Jeongguk says before the line dies. He looks at the screen in confusion before getting out of the car. His phone rings again, Jihyuk's number showing up. "Hey, hyung I can't really talk right now~"

"Where the hell are you, Jeongguk?" Jihyuk asks, his tone urgent.

"I'm meeting Jimin." The ravenette responds. "Why? What's the problem?"

"You need to get out of there now, Jeongguk. You need to leave, I won't get there in time~"

"In time for what, hyung~"

Jeongguk hears the gunshots and he feels himself hit the ground, all the air rushing out of his lungs upon impact. There's a ringing in his ears as he tries to figure out what the hell is going on.

It all seems to click when he sees Chiwon approaching him, a pistol clutched tightly in his right hand as he looks down at him.

Jeongguk reaches out blindly for his phone, only for Chiwon to kick it out of his reach. "It's a shame, Jeongguk, really," He chuckles as he kneels beside the ravenette, watching him struggle to breathe through the pain for a moment. "You aren't even the one I really want."

Jeongguk's hands tremble as he presses them against the wounds in his stomach, pain shooting through him every time he takes a breath.

"It doesn't even matter if you die." Chiwon says shaking his head in disappointment. "I guess it isn't an entire loss though. Now I have one less problem to worry about when I get my child. I might even get Taehyung to come with me, though it may take a bit of...persuading."

Jeongguk coughs, his eyes widening as the shock starting to set in. His entire torso was on fire, yet he felt nonexistent in this moment...was this even real?

"Don't tire yourself out, relax, and don't worry," Chiwon says patting Jeongguk's shoulder. "I'll do a great job taking care of Taehyung...and raising your kids." He laughs when he sees the look in Jeongguk's eyes intensify. He stands and turns, walking away. "See you on the flip side."

Jeongguk's entire body protests when he moves but he pushes past the pain. Shifting to pull the gun out of his waistband before lifting it. For a split second he hesitates, he thinks about all the years of effort he's put in trying to do the right thing. Was all that going to waste now?

Then he tries to remember that he was doing this for his family, for Taehyung and his children. He wasn't some vicious murderer, he was someone who was protecting his family.

That's why he pulls the trigger as soon as he aims the gun at Chiwon's skull, feeling no remorse as he watched him fall lifelessly before him.

He chokes out a painful sound as his arm falls weakly, his breaths becoming more shallow. He isn't sure how long he's laying there, or if he blacks out at all, but he hears footsteps suddenly approaching.

"Jeongguk!"

He tries to follow the voice but his vision is clouded. "P-Please~"

"Jeongguk? It's me, it's Jihyuk." He hears his brother's voice. "Can you hear me?"

"Please...C-Call mom," Jeongguk whimpers out as tears trail down the sides of his face. "Call my mom...please call mom~"

"I have to call an ambulance." Jihyuk says scrambling for his phone. "Stay awake, Gguk, you have to. You hear me? You gotta."

Jeongguk coughs again, his eyes becoming heavy. "Call mom..."

The sounds of sirens cut through the air after a few minutes.

"I can't stay, Jeongguk." Jihyuk says moving to get up.

"Don't leave me," Jeongguk says reaching out for him, he didn't want to die here...he didn't want to die alone.

Jihyuk shakes his head as he takes the gun out of Jeongguk's hand, tears falling down his face as he stands. "I gotta, kid. Just stay awake, okay? They're right there, just stay awake, man."

Jeongguk's eyes follow Jihyuk's figure as he flees the parking garage, his lids falling slowly until they shut. "Please...please..." He whispers through shallow breaths, praying for whoever was listening to show him mercy just this once...

Just this one time...

~

"You have to, Taehyung~"

"I can't, hyung, please not right now I can't."

Seokjin doesn't know what to do, because he's panicking too. He doesn't know what to say and he doesn't know how to tell Taehyung that he didn't have a choice right now.

"T-Tae, please, you have to. You can't ignore this. It's happening now." He says trying to take his hand.

Taehyung pulls away, tears falling down his face. "I can't, I have to see him, hyung. Please, I have to see him before it's too late~"

"Don't say that." Seokjin says, he couldn't take hearing that right now. Not when Jeongguk was in surgery fighting for his life.

"I got it, Seokjin. Take a step back." Namjoon says ushering Seokjin to take a seat before turning to Taehyung. "Hey, Tae, it's alright."

"I don't think I can do this right now, Namjoon, please. I don't think I can do this." Taehyung cries shaking his head. "I can't do it without him. I can't make it~"

"Listen to me, Taehyung," Namjoon starts calmly, taking Taehyung's hand and giving it a firm squeeze. "You're going to make it. And Jeongguk's going to be fine. I promise, Jeongguk will be here waiting for you when you wake up."

"If he doesn't wake up~"

"He's going to wake up."

Taehyung chokes out a few more sobs as he looks at Namjoon, nodding his head. Namjoon never lies to him, he wouldn't lie now.

"Everything's fine, I promise." Namjoon says. "You have to do this now, Taehyung. You're ready, and you're going to do just fine. Breath through your nose, okay."

Taehyung closes his eyes as he tries to breathe. He knew he couldn't put off his labor, he knew there was no other options. But the thought of waking up to the news of Jeongguk's death made him feel sick.

Through everything he's been through with the ravenette, this was the last thing he ever expected to happen. This was the last thing he ever wanted to experience.

If he loses him...he'll fall apart. He didn't realize until now that Jeongguk was such a huge part of him. Of him, of his life, of his children's life.

If he loses him...he just won't make it through losing him.