70

Taehyung

I stared at Jungkook, completely frozen.

I wanted his eyes on me but not like this.

Not empty and lifeless.

Jungkook wasn't seeing me.

It is as if I wasn't even there.

I touched his cheek gently, hoping it would bring his attention to me but instead, he moved his eyes

away. I watched him look around the room, his attention stayed on the wall far longer than I liked.

After a while his gaze moved around again, taking in every piece.

Even though he looked intently around the room, I knew he wasn't seeing anything.

Jungkook was lost in his mind.

His eyes saw what was there but his mind didn't acknowledge it.

I feared this would be an outcome of his captivity.

I knew he would be hurt… maybe even beyond help… but I thought that at least he would recognize me. Those beautiful brown orbs moved back to mine, I remembered clearly the day I first saw those eyes. They were filled with fear back then but slowly, I had watched them change to something else.

There was wonder, amazement, happiness, and finally love.

And now all of that was gone.

In its place was nothing… his eyes held nothing.

Looking in them, even I felt empty.

I realized that I lived through Jungkook, his happiness had been mine.

His smile and laughter had brought me to life.

The look in his eyes, the love in them had brought me compassion and love.

They taught me to feel.

Now I was left feeling too much while he closed in himself.

His gaze bored into mine.

Blue to brown.

My heart stammered heavily in my chest as I watched for any change.

Any trickle of life and when none of that happened, the realization settled around me like a heavy cloud.

We had been thrown back into the pit of darkness.

I was just a stranger to my Angel.

I was suddenly afraid I would push too hard and maybe too fast.

Shaking my head in dread, I swallowed past the lump in my throat.

I couldn't give up.

Not now.

Not ever.

I would fight until I had nothing left to give until I had made sure he was fully back to me.

I forced myself to smile.

It was a strain, I smiled - for him.

My finger softly trailed up his cheek, I moved Jungkook's hair behind his ear.

Jungkook didn't move, his gaze stayed fixated on mine.

If I didn't know better, I would have said he looked mesmerized by my eyes, like they were the only thing he could stare at. I shifted around so our faces were mere inches apart, my lips touched the tip of his nose before I slightly leaned back.

"I know you'll probably not hear me. Or even if you do, you'll not understand. But, Jungkook, I want you to hear my voice. I want you to know that I am here." I moved my head to the side.

"Angel," I whispered in his ears. Placing a kiss on his head, I leaned back, "You are so beautiful, you know that?"

When he didn't respond, I smiled and rubbed his cheeks. They used to be round, but he had lost weight. It wasn't healthy for him.

Taking a deep breath, I placed my hand on his jaw.

Simply touching my Angel, caressing.

Deep inside, I wanted to feel him, the urge to feel, to connect with Jungkook in some way, was strong.

As soon as I placed my hand, Jungkook shifted around. I couldn't help but smile, I felt strangely giddy at the thought of him moving at my touch.

I rubbed his cheek, "You sure are a fighter, my Angel."

A small laugh bubbled from my chest, I shook my head, my heart feeling a little fuller than before.

Jungkook was staring at me. "Are you hungry?" I asked, sitting up.

He didn't answer, not that I was expecting him to.

"You need to eat," I continued talking even when there was no response, "If I tell Hae-sook to bring some food, will you eat?"

I was already reaching for my phone. Quickly calling Hae-sook, I told him to bring a tray of food up for Jungkook.

I faced Jungkook again, "Hae-sook made your favourite fried noodles. Remember how much you loved them?" I sat down beside him and caressed his hair, "You would fight anyone for the last plate."

I talked and talked, telling him about Jimin and the things they would do together.

I told Jungkook how Hae-sook adored him.

I waited for any sign of life in his eyes but there was none.

Jungkook stayed silent.

Just observing me.

When Hae-sook finally brought the tray up, I helped Jungkook sit.

Jungkook stared at the food and then looked up at me again.

I brought the fork to his lips, waiting for him to take a bite.

He didn't.

Hae-sook coddled and urged him to eat but Jungkook stayed unmoving.

With my hands shaking, I brought the fork down and pushed the tray away, "He's not going to eat."

"But Taehyung, he needs to eat. It's not healthy," Hae-sook argued.

I felt Jungkook shift beside me.

He laid down and turned toward me.

Jungkook stared at me for one final time before closing his eyes.

He is breathing was evened out in seconds, his body going limp as he fell asleep.

My Angel was broken, his wings clipped cruelly.

"Taehyung," Hae-sook whispered, her voice croaky with tears.

I shook my head, keeping my eyes on my sleeping Angel.

Hae-sook took the tray and I heard her leave, the door closing behind her.

With my heart heavy, I moved closer to Jungkook and held him to me.

When he sighed sleepily in my chest, my arms tightened around his waist. His body was pressed against mine and I felt him settle down completely.

A few minutes later, Jungkook was sound asleep.

I stayed awake, my mind refusing to let the sleepiness take place. It was impossible to close my eyes as every time the darkness surrounded me, all I saw was Jungkook trapped in the dungeon.

Broken, hurt, and alone.

I held Jungkook and watched over him as he slept and for the first time in my life, I was clueless and weak.

I didn't only fail Jungkook, but I also failed myself.

Instead of pushing it away, I welcomed it.

And with it, I let my anger fuel, Byungchan wasn't only going to pay for hurting Jungkook.

No, his pain would be twice as much now. Jungkook shifted in my arms, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked at the clock to see some time had passed since he fell asleep.

Jungkook sleepily blinked his eyes open and they made contact with mine.

We stared at each other, our gazes unflinching.

After some time, I felt slightly moving in my arms.

Releasing my tight hold on him, I watched him sit up.

Jungkook looked around the room, his eyes focusing on the wall in the corner. Without sparing me another glance, he got up, and I quickly sat up in shock. My eyes followed him like a hawk, looking for any reaction, but even when he slowly moved toward the wall, his expression held nothing.

I followed behind him, my stomach in knots as I waited for his next move.

If only he would talk.

I was left trying to figure Jungkook out.

With his silence, it was difficult to think like him.

I paused in my steps when I saw him stop in front of the wall.

Confused, I took a step forward but froze when Jungkook knelt and sat against the wall, he finally brought his lifeless eyes to mine.

My heart may have stopped beating then.

Or maybe I stopped breathing?

I was suffocating as I watched Jungkook lay down against the wall, curling into himself. When realization finally dawned on me, I closed my eyes tightly, trying to shut the image in front of me.

My fist curled at my side, my jaw grinding.

My body shook with a vengeance.

And pain.

So much pain.

Seeing my Jungkook like this was slowly breaking me.

When it came to Jungkook, he was my weakness.

But I was fighting for him.

Strength and weakness.

Both battling together.

Opening my eyes again, I stared at Jungkook as he laid in the same position as I found him in the dungeon.

For months, he stayed like this.

This position had been his constant.

My fingers tightened in fists.

Taking a deep breath, I took a step forward.

Now, I was going to be his constant.

Stopping in front of Jungkook, I knelt beside him, palming his cheek, I caressed him. His eyes closed with a sigh and they didn't open again.

I laid down beside him on the hard floor and pulled him into my arms. He laid half on top of me and I held Jungkook.

"I'm not going to leave you, Angel. No matter how much you fight against me, I'm not going to leave. I'm not giving up. You might have forgotten me but I will make you remember again. That's my promise, Angel."

Those words were mere whispers but they were everything to me. I placed a kiss on his forehead and closed my eyes, that was how we fell asleep.

On the floor, against the wall but in each other's arms.