VENOM [taekook]

『 𝗖𝗛𝗣 18 』

After the vehement conversation or rather, the fight, Taehyung did not so much as talk to Jieun for the rest of the week . Her actions and words that night felt so much not like her. It was as if she was someone else, someone new.

Or maybe he had never really known the real Jieun in the first place.

Still, that seemed too fictitious to be true. The time they had spent together, the difficult moments and the blissful ones, all seemed too real. The easy smiles and the immense love and the insane support during all these years together, were so unlikely to all be fake.

Word had spread over the entire country about the crown princess of Seoul being severely ill and bed-ridden. He had received ample of letters all wishing fast recovery for Jieun. But no one knew the real depths of it. Taehyung had made sure of it.

The entire situation was absolutely so unbelievable, that sometimes Taehyung thought it was just in his mind.

______________________________________

Taehyung's p.o.v.

Waking up to the sound of gentle knocks on my door, I went forward to open the door, only to be met with Theo, my assistant.

"Good Morning, your Majesty."

"Morning, Theo. Any trouble?" I asked. It wasn't everyday someone woke me up this early, so on the rare occassions someone did, I usually knew something was.

"I apologize for waking his Majesty up, but King Seokjin and King Yoongi are waiting for you in your waiting chambers." he spoke with his head to the ground. I had not expected their visit so early, but I suppose they are extremely worried about Jieun. They are as much of her brothers as I am.

I smiled at Theo and asked him to take care of our guests while I get ready. "Oh, and, how is she?"

His eyes lost their charm and gloss quickly, and his eyes drifted to the ground, "Your Majesty, I'm so sorry–"

I sigh, it's the same expression and reaction I've been receiving from everyone whenever I ask about her to anyone for the past week, "It's not your fault Theo, it's okay. I'll get dressed quick." I flash him a gentle smile, and he shares a sad one.

💟

"Wonderful morning," I open the doors wide and enter my waiting chambers, only to see Seokjin and Yoongi on the couch and Hoseok standing beside him.  The first thing that happens, is Seokjin running into me with his hands engulfing me in a strong and firm hug.

That feeling when you think you've got it all under control, but you really don't. But you can't show that you don't. So you convince yourself that you are everything you are not. Every day and night you struggle against yourself, because really, you're just your own enemy. Constantly feeding yourself those utter bullshit, that you're just fine.

But then, you break.

And all I needed to break, was the hug. Because I was already so broken. So broken that I could barely walk and there I was, forcing myself to run, to fight.

Seokjin nor Yoongi ever once asked me if I was okay. Because they knew, that I was not. That even as a King, I was this vulnerable little being dragging myself through everything because my entire life, that's all I've ever known. And Jieun made me believe that I could do it, drag myself through it all.

But now she's not here as herself anymore, the one person I thought could be there for me all the time isn't anymore.

I cried like a baby  in Seokjin's arms that day. I remember every gasp of breathe i released and big gulps of air that i inhaled. All the faces around me, their expressions blurred because of the salty stream of water in my eyes.