"if I'm lying here, will you take me home?

could you take care of a broken soul?"

***

"Please excuse my son," the dark figure spoke out in a deep and powerful voice that reverberated through my bones. As he stepped forward under the flickering light of the dirty bulb, I noticed how stern and cold his face was.

I narrowed my eyes at him as he instantly reminded me of someone I knew, someone younger than him. I just couldn't put my finger on it.

The newcomer shuffled to the younger man whom he had called his son. With his right leg appearing to be injured, his gait was unsteady and unbalanced. One of his hands held on to a walking stick, placing it in front of his body with each step he took.

"Yunseok," the man grumbled quietly, his soulless dark eyes glared at his son. "I told you to interrogate them, not kill them." I shuddered at the menacing tone of his voice. It seemed like he was angry, yet he sounded calm.

"They weren't cooperating," Yunseok uttered through gritted teeth, glancing down at me. His grey eyes were so much different than his father's, whose hues were a bottomless pool of ink. Where have I seen those eyes?

The older man clicked his tongue and pressed his lips into a thin line, disapproval plastered all over his face.

"Had it been your brother, he'd have obeyed my orders as per usual," he stated, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. Yunseok winced at his words, an infuriated expression broke through on his face. His colorless silver eyes rounded in disbelief.

"Yeah, but where is your golden boy now?" He lashed out almost in an animalistic manner, baring his teeth. From where I stood on the ground, I could see him balling his hands into fists. "That's right, in jail. Your precious Jaebum fucked up. He's not getting out of this mess."

I barely suppressed the urge to scream, my eyes frantically jumping to and fro the two men. Wait a second, was this psychopath Jaebum's brother?

And was this Jaebum's father, the person that Jungkook had told me was his own father's right hand? What was his name again... Lim Jiyoung?

My head hurt at connecting all the dots.

"You should speak about your big brother with respect and nothing else," the older man frowned slightly but kept his composure. He then gestured to me and Taehyung, "Tell me, did you get anything out of these two here?"

Yunseok's face curled into a disgusted grimace as though I and Taehyung were a couple of cockroaches in his meal. "No," a low grunt of dissatisfaction erupted from his mouth as he averted his gaze back to his father.

A gruesome feeling started burning in my upper abdomen when the older man's eyes shot down like venomous darts, pinning his lethal stare at Taehyung's form.

"Oh," he exclaimed quietly. "Look who we have here. If it isn't Kim Taehyung," he growled, his thick eyebrows creased into another frown. Shock registered on my face for the second time before I could hide it. How did he know Taehyung?

Jiyoung crouched, leaning forward and shortening the distance between himself and Taehyung. I instinctively wiggled restlessly, hissing when the tight knot around my wrists notched through my skin.

"Do you know him?" Yunseok asked, dumbfounded.

"Of course I know him. He's Jungkook's most loyal friend. He's covered for his ass multiple times throughout the years. " Jiyoung stared down at Taehyung's eyes, abruptly grabbing him by the throat. "You're Min Yoongi's cousin, aren't you?"

Horrified, my legs twitched, fighting the useless impulse to stand up and run to them. A choked grunt forced its way out of Taehyung's throat as he gasped for air. I dug my teeth into my lip so hard that the metallic taste filled my mouth.

"You should know," Jiyoung snarled, his voice bitterly cold. "My other son's in prison because of your cousin and that filthy cop, his father. Someone has to pay." He sighed, a malicious grin plastered on his lips.

"My intention was to hold you two hostages until Jungkook breaks and comes here on his own free will, but the girl alone will do just as well. Plans change. Looks like I can kill two birds with one stone," he shrugged carelessly, his grip on Taehyung's throat ever so tight.

"Can't you see you're hurting him?!" I burst out through tears, twisting and curving my whole body restlessly, causing Jiyoung's gaze to shift to me. His glare pierced through me, making me shudder with fear. I exhaled loudly with hidden relief when I saw his grip around Taehyung's throat loosen. I had managed to succeed in at least serving as a distraction.

I gulped loudly when I noticed some red stripes marking the place where he squeezed on Taehyung's skin. Frustrating helplessness arose from my chest. He has to pay for this.

"Oh, hello, little girl," Jiyoung turned around to face me, his eyes rounded in neutral curiosity. "You seem very concerned for your friend here. Is he perhaps something more than a friend?"

"Please don't hurt him," I pleaded, a soft snivel escaping my lips. My eyes started watering again.

"Okay, I won't," Jiyoung nodded slowly and tried to offer me a kind smile. However, there was no kindness nor tenderness in the way he looked at me. He was cold-blooded and ruthless and I could see right through his façade. "I won't hurt him if you tell me where Jeon Jungkook is. I'll let you two drive off into the sunset together and there'll be a happy ending for everyone." He clapped his hands.

For everyone except for Jungkook.

"As a way of showing you that I have nothing but good intentions towards you, I'll set you free now," Jiyoung announced, glancing at Yunseok and pointing his finger at me. "Untie her hands." He commanded.

"But..." Yunseok protested, knitting his eyebrows reluctantly.

"Do as I say," Jiyoung ordered through gritted teeth, cutting his son off mid-sentence.

The younger man walked up to me begrudgingly, leaning over behind my back and cutting the thick ropes wrapped around my wrists with his sharp knife. I instantly felt the blood flow being restored in my numb hands.

"I told your son already, I know nothing," I mumbled while rubbing my wrists, cautiously studying Jiyoung's expression. Discreet discontentment began dancing on his face.

"Now, now. You have to know something," he insisted, his dark orbs sucking me into nothingness. "I'm well aware Jungkook came back for you. He trusts you. I want you to try and think really hard, and then tell me if he contacted you in any way."

I shook my head, clenching my jaw as to not give away the nerve-wracking terror crashing against my brain. I was nearly petrified, screaming internally.

"He didn't," I uttered at last. Jiyoung's face hardened, his calm expression shifted instantly as if I had flicked a switch. My gut twirled at the realization that he had achieved the breaking point of his patience. His left eye started twitching as the anger started boiling up on the surface, causing the veins on his face and neck to swell.

He stood up, looking at me through wide red-rimmed eyes. "I really thought you were smarter than that," he groaned. "This is your last chance. I'm giving you some time to think whether you have information about Jungkook that you'd like to share with me. If not, I'll start tearing your friend here apart limb by limb."

Limping, he took two steps towards the door as his son followed him closely, scoffing sneeringly when our eyes met. Unable to move an inch, I remained as still as a statue, holding my breath.

Just as the two men were about to step out, Jiyoung turned around suddenly. He raised his walking stick and slammed it heavily against Taehyung's stomach, causing a painful groan to escape his weakling of a body.

"TAEHYUNG!", I screamed, immediately throwing my whole body towards him, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Are you okay? Taehyung, can you hear me?" I asked frantically, searching for his gaze. His form was limp and cold, as though someone had sucked the life out of him. Unresponsive, he remained silent at me calling his name.

"You're a monster. You're all monsters!" I cried out, turning around and spreading my arms wide in front of Taehyung's body. Tears started streaming down my face, my hopelessness overwhelming me.

"The clock is ticking, little girl," Jiyoung grinned at me, glancing at Taehyung. "You don't know me yet, but I can be much more cruel than that. Make up your mind if you don't wish things to get worse." His eyebrows creased with annoyance as he offered me one last leer over his shoulder before stepping out, closely followed by Yunseok.

The heavy door closed with a metallic click. I looked back at Taehyung and my heart sank. A small drop of blood had appeared on the corner of his dry and pale lips. He was struggling to breathe and his ribs heaved up and down as though he was out of breath, his shoulders slumped.

"Taehyung, look at me," I called out his name, taking his face in my trembling fingers. "Please, look at me. Open your eyes."

His eyelids eased open slightly, uncovering his once beautiful and lively chocolate hues, now empty and exhausted. A drop of cold sweat made its way on his forehead, landing on my hand cupping his face.

"Y/N, I-"

"No, don't talk," I hushed him softly. "You're injured, don't strain yourself..." I stroked his cheek with my thumb gently, the muscles on my chin trembling.

"No, I want- I have to say this," Taehyung insisted and hissed, pain written all over his face.

"Don't talk, Taehyung, please," a small whimper rolled out on my tongue as I watched him struggle to speak.

"I'm so- so sorry..." he breathed out. "For not telling you... about Jungkook's family..."

My heart dropped. "Oh, God, Taehyung..." I inhaled sharply, tears flooded like waters rushing down from a waterfall. "You don't- you don't have to apologize for that. It wasn't your place to tell me..."

A salty crystal drop traced his cheek, landing on my thumb.

"No, I should have been honest with you..." When he looked me in the eyes, something inside of me broke. His eyebrows dipped slightly, "I was selfish. So selfish... And scared. I didn't- I didn't want to lose you. Not when I finally had you," a stifled sob erupted from his throat and he lowered his gaze, his shoulders heaving with raw vulnerability.

I was unable to speak, unable to think. His words left me breathless.

"You can never lose me," I simply whispered, cupping his damp cheeks again and searching his gaze. "Taehyung, you can't lose me."

"I- I couldn't protect you," he mumbled under his breath, his watery velvet orbs overflowing with guilt and remorse. "I wanted to- I couldn't. I failed you, Y/N."

"Please don't say this. It's not true," My shaky voice broke as the pain clasped on my throat.

Taehyung's whole body curled upwards as he started coughing, each exhale a violent expulsion of air. My stomach twirled. I looked around frantically for something sharp that could serve me to cut the ropes wrapped around his wrist. There was absolutely nothing, only bare concrete coldness.

"Shhh, it's okay," I tried to comfort him, wrapping my arms around his neck and lifting his face to meet mine. "Look me in the eyes. Everything's going to be okay." I mumbled breathlessly, not being able to even believe my own words. His whole body started shaking.

"You're so beautiful," Taehyung offered me a weak smile as he gazed at me through heavy half-lidded eyes. "You've always been."

I gulped loudly, paralyzed with fear. He seemed like he was drifting off in an unconscious state once again and no matter how calm I attempted to appear, I was completely terrified.

"There's something I could never regret though," Taehyung inhaled sharply as his breathing became more and more superficial by the second. "And that's getting to know you... And falling in love with you all over again."

All over again?

My thoughts crashed chaotically around my brain. My knees buckled as they collided with the bare concrete and I hissed.

"It's so nice," Taehyung's lips stretched in a faint smile as his eyelids grew heavier and heavier. "Seeing your face before I close my eyes."

"No, don't," I whimpered helplessly. "Do you hear me, Taehyung? Don't close your eyes, look at me," with one hand under his chin, I angled his face toward mine and landed a couple of butterfly kisses on his wet cheeks. "Please, look at me!"

His deep chocolate hues eased open lightly, his long eyelashes fluttering with his uneven breathing. "You take the pain away. The pain of never being enough," he mumbled faintly.

"Taehyung, don't- don't you leave me now!" I stuttered, choking on my own words as the incessant tears tracing my cheeks. "Everything will be okay, I promise. You're enough, Taehyung. You'll always be enough for me. You have no idea how much you mean to me. You've made me so happy," I groaned softly. "You're the brightest, the kindest, most amazing person I've ever known. I love you, Kim Taehyung," I smiled through the wet drops falling on my cracked lips. "I love you."

Taehyung's mouth slightly parted and I could hear him the air leave his lungs. "You-" His eyes opened wide and his pale face somehow regained its healthy light pink complexion for a second. "Really?" He asked very quietly, almost in a whisper.

"Yes," I started nodding energetically. "Yes, I do." I leaned closer to his face and connected my lips with his, the salty taste filling my mouth. I tugged tenderly on a fistful of his hazel hair.

At first, Taehyung's mouth didn't move against mine, making me wonder why. Even so, in a couple of seconds he seemingly regained his composure as he returned the passionate kiss with equal urgency. It was like my lips were giving him life, washing his exhaustion away.

I slowly pulled away from the kiss, searching for my breath. Taehyung pressed his forehead on mine and let out a heavy sigh.

"It's going to be okay," I muttered again, caressing his lower lip with my thumb. "Someone will find and rescue us, I know they will. We'll be home in no time," I tried comforting not only him, but myself as well. He had been so strong for me when I was broken. I wanted to be strong for him as well.

"Hmm," Taehyung hummed and closed his eyes again, the weariness in his eyes coming back.

"Stay with me, Taehyung..." I ran my fingers through his damp hair, calling out his name softly.

The sound of a metal click made me jump with my whole body, my throat tightened. The heavy-iron bound door swung open as a toxic smell of smoke infiltrated my nostrils. I squinted my eyes to see through the darkness, furrowing my eyebrows when my gaze fell onto a silhouetted figure I barely recognized.

"What are you doing here?"

author's note: a dark couple of chapters, sorry. I also didn't want to include too much violence. I hope I compensated with the fluff towards the end 🤷‍♀️

On another note, who do you think walks in through the door and will Y/N and Taehyung be happy to see them? Hmmm 🤔