Apricity//Jungkook fanfiction//

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞

⊰᯽⊱┈──╌❊ - ❊╌──┈⊰᯽⊱

          Coughing, Jungkook gulps down a grunt as he tries to lift himself from the ground. With a hiss and swearing underneath his breath, he realizes that he can't do that. He can't move a muscle. It feels as if he's being held down by a wicked spell. He blinks. This can't be real. But the heaviness that presses on top of him feels way too real, so it can't be a dream either. A nightmare. It's quiet. He can't hear the screams anymore. Did he make it home? No, it can't be. It's too cold here. Y/n's embrace is always warm and cozy. So, where is he?
         Something trails from his forehead and slides down his temple, making him curse when it streaks inside his ear, leaving behind a cold shiver that races down his spine. Struggling to lift his hand in the cramped darkness, Jungkook wipes the liquid away, gasping when he notices burgundy stains on his palm. Is that blood? He touches his forehead again. His blood? He hisses as soon as his fingertips come across an open wound. "Fuck." — he swears underneath his breath and gulps as his eyes try their best to adjust to the darkness that surrounds him. And then it hits him. The wall. Someone detonated it and he was one of the unlucky who got caught under the ruins. With his heart hammering behind his ribcage, he uses the strength left in his arms to push the rocks away, he cuts and scratches himself in the sharp edges, he grazes the surface of the rigid cement, in a desperate attempt to set himself free.
          This can't be real. He can't be trapped and condemned to death right before he is about to make it out. He has to make it out. He has to find his way back to his sunshine. To pull himself out of the darkness. But the chunk of cement that presses on top of his chest makes it hard to breathe. It makes it hard to even move at all. Taking a moment to calm down, he counts each and every one of his ragged breaths, feeling the heaviness of the ruined wall pressing onto his heart mercilessly. "Okay." — he tries to stabilize himself. "I just need to find a way out. It's simple." — he encourages himself through the fear that starts pumping through his veins. Even if he doesn't believe in his own power right now, he has to rely on it. It's the only ticket he has back to the world. So, clenching his teeth, he places his palms on the block of cement that leaves him breathless and pushes it off of his chest slowly. Gasping, he catches a smaller block which rolls from the top, threatening to crush his skull. Breathing heavily, he struggles to look for a crumble of light, even though his brain keeps telling him that he is going to die any second. Crushed under ruins, due to lack of oxygen, it doesn't matter. What concerns him is that he's going to die. He can't do that.
          Placing the small block of cement beside him carefully, he holds back from coughing as dust arises within, filling the empty space among the ruins that surround his body. Shutting his eyes tightly, he encourages himself once again. He has to make it out. He has to get back to Y/n. For the sake of their future. He has to fight for his life right now. No matter how hard or cruel that sounds.
          Opening his eyes again, Jungkook's corners of the mouth rise. A spec of light breaks through the cement and it shines smoothly on his cheek. It feels like the touch of an angel. Like a sign from Heaven that he is going to make it. And Jungkook feels the pain drifting away from his chest as he stares directly at the small dot. At the small crumble of hope. He feels it draining from his body as all he can see before his eyes is Y/n's smile. All he can feel under his fingertips is her soft skin. And her heart. Despite the death and chaos that mingle around him, all he can feel is her love. So, gritting his teeth, he pushes the chunks of cement to the side, digging his way towards the light.
          From the pile of ruins, a hand breaks through and nobody really notices it, but, for Jungkook, it feels as if he won the toughest battle. Victoriously, he engages his core, despite the pain that burns his muscles down to ashes, and he pulls himself upwards, setting himself free from death's cold grasp. And, under the artificial light thrown across the yard by a lamp, he takes a breather. Leaning against a part of the wall that is still standing, he coughs and groans when he feels pain reverberating through his whole body. Nonetheless, he smiles. He smiles widely. Despite his bruises, despite his scratches, despite the blood that dried on his temple, he smiles. He made it. All he has left to do now is run to Y/n. Pressing his palm on top of his chest, Jungkook gathers all the strength inside his heart and pushes himself up. He makes use of the energy left behind by the desire to hug Y/n closely. By the desire to heal. In her arms. In her eyes. In her heart.
          Lifting his chin to face the moon, Jungkook sighs. "Guide me back to her." — he pleads as tears sting his eyes. He's going to find the road back to Y/n. Even if that's the last thing he does. He wants to go home.
          Walking through the shadows of the trees, Jungkook hurries through the woods, determined to find his way back to the main road. He's probably going to keep on hiding in the shadows, but he needs to see how the road goes in order to make it back to the city. So, dodging branches and trying not to slip on wet soil, Jungkook follows the moon's lead, filling his lungs with the oxygen provided by the forest and admiring the stars which paint the night sky. They all look so beautiful. Jungkook sighs. He wishes he could reach their height. He wishes he could offer one of them to Y/n as a gift. Because, day by day, less and less people came to visit him. Even his mother, the person he's always seen as a steady pillar, hasn't visited him in months. The only one who stayed is Y/n. She is the only one who really cared about him. Ever.
          Flinching, Jungkook finds himself in the middle of the main road. How the fuck did he end up here? Gulping, he rushes towards the side as flashlights almost blind him. The car is still far away, luckily, but his heart still threatens to rip through his chest as he almost stumbles over the edge of the road. He has to be more careful. He can't be seen like this. The car eventually reaches him, before he can jump into the shadows again and Jungkook pulls the police cap lower, trying to hide the bloody wound from his temple. He prays that the car would just pass by him. But it doesn't. It stops right beside him and, in the corner of his eye, Jungkook notices the blue and red lights which aren't turned on. A wave of panic sweeps over him. Should he run? Or should he keep calm and pretend that he is a policeman? He doesn't have enough time to ponder and the panic he's feeling only grows in intensity when the window of the police car slides down smoothly.
          Poking the last slice of carrot with her fork, Y/n munches on it for a good bunch of seconds and picks up her phone before swallowing the last bite of her dinner. Pressing on Violet's number again, she bites the inside of her cheek. It's the seventh time she's calling her tonight. Y/n is sure she's fine. Maybe she's with Nabi. Standing up and walking all the way to the couch, Y/n sighs when she flops on the soft cushions. That doesn't make sense, though. They were supposed to dig deeper into a lead that they found recently concerning Jungkook's case. So, where is Violet?
          Calling her detective friend again, Y/n presses the phone against her ear. It rings six times and Violet still doesn't answer. Y/n sighs as a frown conjoins her eyebrows. "Why isn't she answering?"
          Ignoring the vibrations of the phone inside her pocket, Violet steals glances of Jungkook in the corner of her eye. "I must admit that I'm impressed. This crazy stunt you pulled with the officer uniform is amazing. If I hadn't seen your face more than I saw my mom's for the past few months, I don't think I would have recognized you." — blabbers Violet with her hands clenched on the steering wheel. Jungkook scoffs. "What are you even doing in this place? Aren't you a detective?" — asks Jungkook, refraining himself from hissing when his ribs protest, due to his shift in the car seat. Violet waves her hand through the air. "I was just the driver. I dropped the officers off and I'm probably going back to the station to bring another bunch. My phone has been blowing up." — she says and Jungkook's eyes widen.
          "The police station?" — he stutters almost breathlessly. Violet chuckles. "Don't worry about that! I'm dropping you at your house. Though, I think you would blend in pretty well." — she states and steals a glimpse of the police uniform Jungkook is wearing. Jungkook shakes his head, even though the muscles of his neck twitch in pain. "I want to get back to Y/n as soon as possible." — he says and Violet smiles as her foot slips on the accelerator. "Shall I take you back to her, then?" — asks Violet excitedly and pushes the buttons which turn the police lights and the siren on, making Jungkook's spine become one with the car seat as she accelerates at an inhuman speed.
         Stepping out of the car, Jungkook bows and smiles towards the detective. "Thanks for the ride!" — he says and closes the door. Violet nods with the same smile and Jungkook rushes towards his apartment with his heart hammering. He hasn't seen this place in months. It seems as if he forgot about it completely. As if this is the first time he sees it. He takes a step forward. "Hey, Jungkook!" — yells Violet. Jungkook turns around. "Yes?" — he asks as he struggles to see Violet's face through the flashes of blue and red. Violet smiles. "Take good care of her!" — she says, talking about her one and only friend. Jungkook nods. "I will."
          Typing the PIN code in a rush, Jungkook feels his stomach shrinking when he hears the beep of the keypad lock. This is his house. Not his home. It's the place he considered home only when Y/n was around. Right now it's just a simple apartment and, as the door creaks open, Jungkook takes a quick breath to observe his belongings. The place looks exactly like it used to look six months ago. Jungkook takes a step inside. His heart beats differently. What he's feeling right now isn't a welcome greeting from this place he used to live in. It's a feeling of longing. He longs to spend again the moments he spent here with Y/n. The laughs, the hugs, the kisses. Small things that made him feel worthy of living. That made this apartment worthy of being seen as a home. He clenches his jaw. He'd better hurry up. If he spends one more second away from Y/n, he's probably going to pass out. Rushing inside his bedroom, he changes his clothes and grabs all the important things he needs, stuffing them all inside his pockets.
          Parking in front of the building where Y/n lives, Jungkook gets out of his car in a hurry and rushes towards the elevator as soon as he enters the building. A smile blooms on his lips. After all the darkness he's been through, he finally made it to the light.
          Scratching the top of Bam's head, Y/n stuffs another spoonful of strawberry ice cream inside his mouth and changes the channel. She's trying to find something to watch since Violet isn't picking up her phone. "Ugh! There really isn't anything to watch at all." — she complains and changes the channel again, pressing the button angrily.
          "The riot has gradually spread like a disease inside the prison, says the Police Chief. A lot of inmates and police officers have been injured since the riot peaked with the detonation of the prison wall." — says the news anchor and Y/n frowns as she leans forward. Her eyes focus on the words written on the screen, but her brain doesn't seem to understand them at all. Frowning harder, she places the box of ice cream on the coffee table, being capable of having only one thought: Is Jungkook alright?
          The doorbell rings cheerfully, making Y/n flinch and she stands up, with her eyes still glued to the chaos that unfolds on her TV. Bam raises his head, alerted, and jumps off of the couch, rushing towards the door. His claws scratch the wood and, once he starts barking loudly, Y/n tears her gaze from the disturbing images of a violent riot. "Bam, quiet!" — she whispers and the dog listens to her command, whining with its eyes glued to the door. Y/n sighs. It's most probably Violet. Most of the time she shows up without calling beforehand. A frown appears on Y/n's face. But why didn't she simply just enter the apartment then? Peeking through the peephole, Y/n's breath freezes inside her lungs. Her brain twists painfully and her hands search frantically to open the door.

          "Jungkook!" — she whispers breathlessly as, opening the door with a wide gesture, she reveals the silhouette of a man she saw this close only in her dreams lately. Jungkook smiles softly. "Y/n." — he whispers back with a glow inside his eyes.