Stuck With You [Taekook ff]

34 | Now He's Gone

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Taehyung and his dad had just had lunch and right when he was unlocking the door to his apartment, he realized that he should've picked some food up for Jungkook. But then he figured  Jungkook may have gotten a chance to eat leftovers from the previous night's slumber party.

"Hey, babe! I'm home," Taehyung announced.

The apartment was quiet. Taehyung figured that Jungkook was still asleep. But as he looked around the open space, he could tell that Jungkook had cleaned the place, so he had to have been awake. Maybe he was in the shower? He waltzed to the bedroom with the hope of joining him. He needed to wash the sweat off.

Taehyung made it to the bedroom. For some reason, he immediately got an ominous feeling. He put his workout gear in the walk-in closet. Then he made his way to the bathroom. As he got close to the door, he didn't hear the shower running. Maybe Jungkook was on the toilet?

He knocked on the door. "Hey, Jungkook, you in there?"

He got nothing back. Total silence.

Taehyung's heart started pounding in his chest as he hurried through the condo, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps. The place was still eerily quiet, too quiet, and Jungkook was nowhere to be found.

Taehyung's hands shook as he grabbed his phone, dialing Jungkook's number. No answer.

"Where are you?" Taehyung whispered to himself, his voice trembling. He rushed back into the bedroom, thinking maybe he just missed him. Maybe Jungkook had his headphones on and didn't hear him call out to him. He half expected to find Jungkook lounging on the bed, scrolling through his phone. It was wishful thinking. The bed was still neatly made as a minute or so ago, untouched. The bathroom, too, was empty, the silence amplifying the dread that had settled deep in Taehyung's stomach.

He called out Jungkook's name again, his voice cracking. There was no response, just the faint echo of his own voice bouncing off the walls. Taehyung's mind raced with horrible possibilities. What if something had happened to him? What if they had found him? What if he'd been... taken?

The thought made Taehyung's knees go weak. He thumped his own head for leaving Jungkook alone. They had gotten too relaxed, thinking that he could be home for a few hours by himself.

He stumbled into the living room, clutching the back of the couch for support. Taehyung's breathing quickened as he looked around the room. Panic clawed at his chest, tightening his throat. He ran to the floor-to-ceiling windows, scanning the street and the car park below for any sign of Jungkook, any clue as to where he might be. But all he saw were strangers walking by, oblivious to his growing desperation.

Taehyung sank to the floor, his back against the cold wall, next to the fireplace. His thoughts spiraled out of control, each one darker than the last.

His apartment was once warm and inviting because Jungkook's presence could be felt. Now, it felt like a hollow shell. He felt utterly lost, helpless.

He had only known Jungkook for a little while, but he felt like he'd crumble inside at the loss of him. He didn't think he would survive this.

Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, worried that Jungkook could be hurt, but he blinked them away, forcing himself to stand. He had to keep searching. He had to find him. Even if every step felt heavier than the last, he wouldn't stop until Jungkook was safe in his arms again.

He called his friends and soon Namjoon and Yoongi were knocking on his door.

"Did he text you or leave a message while you were at the gym? Did you check your voicemail?" Namjoon asked Taehyung.