𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐒 [𝐓.𝐊]

Chapter 24

Praeteritum et Futurum

Past and Future

His hands on the floor on either side of him, legs tight to his chest, eyes looking unseeingly in front of him, at a little black and blue child on the floor a couple of paces away from him, asking for the help that he never got.

- Jungkook? - Taehyung sounded highly worried now, as he tried to get nearer.

Punishment. Jungkook's body went cold and he stood up, tensed all over and feeling in distress, knowing that he wanted Taehyung's safety and despising how his immediate physical response when in distress was to run away to be alone. He turned to the bookshelf in front of where they had been sitting and took a hold of one of the shelves to keep him there and to stabilize him as he breathed.

- Jungkook... - Taehyung didn't know what to do, that's understandable, Jungkook's body was showing signs of wanting to be alone and he couldn't read his mind.

Taking all the calm he had, Jungkook turned around to face him, leaning back on the bookshelf. Taehyung looked concerned and his body showed signs of wanting to protect him. Seeing that, made Jungkook go to him and hide his face in his neck as he felt his arms go tight around him.

- ...You know him? -

- No. - His voice came out harsher than he intended. He shuddered. - Sorry it's just... - He shook his head and leaned back to look at him, but he couldn't look him in the eyes, instead, he frowned down at his own hands on his shoulders. - I don't know him... - The memories from last night's conversation about him came back in stabs and it hurt, everything hurt, every single thought he had regarding that man, it all hurt and he hated it, he didn't want it, he didn't want to think. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of any thought, but when it couldn't happen, his frown deepened. - I don't know him, I don't know him, I don't... - He couldn't stop, his brain couldn't stop, everything his father had said about him, every smile his parents exchanged when talking about him, everything he's seen, heard, lived. - No... - He placed his forehead on Taehyung's neck, wanting to hide away from those thoughts.

- ...What did he do? -

Panic. Jungkook felt his chest getting tight as he remembered flashes of memories, flashes he didn't want to remember. Everything he heard his parents tell about him, every phone call he heard between him and his father, and then last night's news. Last night's news with his father's smile. That kid on the floor, while his father laughed holding a cup of champagne with his best friend by his side. And then himself behind a closed door.

No, no, it was too much, it was too painful, he didn't want to, he didn't want it. Jungkook shook his head trying to rid himself of it.

- Nothing, nothing, no--... - Suddenly, Jungkook couldn't breathe. He broke away from the hug and his back hit the shelf as he tried to breathe in again.

Taehyung saw this and hurriedly got closer to him.

- It's not real, Jungkook. You can breathe, come on, breathe, you can do it. - He said that low and concerned, but with so much confidence that Jungkook believed him, and tentatively he tried to breathe in... Slowly, his throat started to open again, letting the air through a little at a time. - Good, that's very good, Kooky. - He praised him soothingly, caressing his arms up and down at each side of him.

After some time, Jungkook was able to breathe normally again. He had unshed tears in his eyes and still a lot of pain in his chest, but he felt better knowing that it could've been way worse if Taehyung hadn't been here with him.