New Moon | Vampire TAEKOOK

9 - Ruby Wings

<Taehyung POV>

So many emotions rushed through Taehyung's head when his eyes met Jungkook's. He was surprised to see the prisoner chose to risk it all to come visit him in his room, angry to see he dared to show up after escaping, relieved to be in his presence, and mostly tense to be alone with him. He was standing between him and the locked door, if anything were to happen Taehyung would have to fight his way out by himself. He gulps, unable to speak. 

"I wanted to see you before leaving, I won't hurt you" Jungkook explains calmly. There was something totally different about him... It's like his stubbornness and rudeness were just a front, and he is now showing his true self to Taehyung. He was so calm, his tone was soft, his aura was much less intense than in the cell. He even looked genuinely sorry when he apologized for scaring Taehyung. Deep down, Tae felt like he could trust him.

"H-How did you get here...?" he manages to articulate despite the overwhelming emotions going through his brain. 

"I flew up here." 

"W-What?" Vampires cannot fly, unless it's related to their powers. It's true that he did not know Jungkook's power yet. 

Jungkook notices his confusion and turns to the side, unfolding large red transparent wings on his back. Taehyung's jaw drops. He stares at them in shock. They were so beautiful and glowed in the darkness of his room. How...?

"I am not just a vampire..." Jungkook explains, looking away shyly while Taehyung stares at his wings. "I am half elf from my mother's side."

Incredible... Jungkook was truly incredible. Mixed race were such a rare case in this world, especially with vampires since 'pure breeds' are considered superior. Taehyung always thought these beliefs were bullshit but he never met a half-blood like Jungkook before. He was amazed... It was like an honour to stand in front of him like that while he showed this part of him. His staring made Jungkook more shy and a little uncomfortable... Then it suddenly hit him.

"Wait... Aren't elves extinct?" Tae inquires. Jungkook looks down and nods quietly. "So... you're the last one?" He nods again silently. "Why are you showing me this?" Taehyung asks confused.

"I don't know... I felt this urge to tell you." 

Is this even the same Jungkook that Taehyung fought? Is this the same boy who drove him crazy for a week? He was acting so different it was almost suspicious. Taehyung frowns.

"How did you escape?" he questions on a more serious tone. 

"I shouldn't tell you." Jungkook replies. Taehyung stares at him with more seriousness, getting more suspicious. He gave him an intensely insisting look and Jungkook gave in with a sigh. "Illusions. That's my power. I can create illusions of anything..." 

As he reveals this, he opens up his fist and a butterfly with ruby tinted wings, similar to his own, flies out of his palm. It was glowing... Flapping its wings gracefully, it flies towards Taehyung but as soon as he tries to touch it, his hand goes through it. It was unreal in a beautiful way... 

"I made the cell seem empty through an illusion, in other words I turned invisible, and I waited for someone to open the door and ran away. Then, I flew to your room and waited for you." he continues calmly.

Despite his explanations, Taehyung could not understand why Jungkook chose to come see him and even waited for him instead of running away. None of this made sense to him... This new Jungkook was confusing him even more. Who is he really? 

The uncomfortable silence that filled the room while Taehyung was lost in thoughts was suffocating. He couldn't let his guard down but he still trusted him. It was a weird situation, it made them both stare at each other awkwardly, Taehyung feeling tenser by the minute. Jungkook was not sure what to do... He looks down and stares at the floor, waiting for Tae to say something but he stays silent. What was there to say? So much and yet so little. There was no words that could describe Taehyung's feelings. Should he let it slide? Should he report him and lock him up? What does he even want from him? How long was he just going to stand there for? It was too much... 

"Who are you...?" Taehyung finally asks faintly, his voice so soft his words are almost inaudible. "What do you want from me...?" His voice was shaking a little. He felt trapped with his enemy, but also he felt comfort from his soulmate. In a way, maybe Jungkook did care about him. What should this mean? How does it change things between them? What is the next step? I am lost... I don't know how to feel... For the first time, Taehyung felt disoriented and he did not know what had to be done. Usually, he knows right away or is told, but this time he didn't have an answer. 

Jungkook looks into his eyes; "I cannot tell you who I am really or what I want... Not yet. But I want you to trust me... I am doing this for your own good. To be honest, you have been in my dreams too, every single day since I first saw you. I knew right away who you were, which is why I avoided you. It's... complicated. I won't blame you if you don't trust me, but please try."

Suspicious... "Why are you acting like that all of a sudden?" Taehyung retorts. 

"I am tired of lying. I feel so lonely and weak. I realized that today; you were right. I am not strong, that is why I push everyone away. I would be the stupidest person ever to push away the only person that the universe sent my way, no? The only person who ever cared to check on me every day even if we are enemies. I hated how nice you were to me, I hated that you fed me and wanted to know me. I hate it when people care for me because they always disappear..." 

He looks down after saying these words. Taehyung stares at him and softens his stare while he listens to Jungkook. He was just trying to protect himself. It all made sense now... He is half elf, which means he lost half of his family in traumatic events, it seems like he was close to his mother. Maybe that is why he pretended not to care about Taehyung; because he was afraid to lose his soulmate. It was such a sweet yet sad story. Without even thinking, Taehyung walks up to him and wraps his arms around Jungkook in a tight hug. What am I doing? 

"Thank you for telling me this... I bet it was hard... To go through all of that, I mean..." he says softly while holding the elf tightly. 

He could feel him tense up in his arms, unsure how to react, but he didn't care; he just wanted to show someone was there to listen to him. Maybe Kims are known to care too much, to be too nice, but it's what some people need sometimes... Just like Seokjin and Namjoon always cared for Taehyung, it was now his turn to devote his time for something, or someone, that was worth it. It was time for him to care about something for real this time. After a lifetime of doing things for others and half-assing everything, he wanted to have his soulmate to himself and do everything for him. In that moment, he swore to himself he would always protect Jungkook. Always.