The Cage of Desire | Jungkook ff

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗶𝘅: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁

The days that followed were nothing short of exhausting for Jungkook. He had agreed to try—to let go of his obsessive control, to meet YN halfway—but every moment felt like a battle. The unfamiliarity of vulnerability gnawed at him, and the fear that he could lose YN if he didn't hold on tightly enough lingered in his mind.

He tried, in his own way. He stayed home more, engaged in conversations with YN about mundane things, listened to her, and even managed to share a few of his thoughts. It felt like walking on a tightrope, each step forward fraught with the anxiety of losing balance. YN's gentle words and her genuine smile gave him some hope, but he couldn't shake the sense of unease.

Late one night, YN sat across from him in their personal library, her face framed by the soft light of the lamp beside her. She had been talking about an old friend she'd met briefly earlier that day, her voice full of warmth as she recounted how good it had felt to reconnect. Jungkook tried to focus on her words, tried to enjoy the sound of her voice and the way her eyes lit up when she was happy. But something dark stirred within him.

The idea of YN with her old friend—someone he hadn't vetted, someone who might encourage her to think beyond him, to imagine a life without his presence—made his heart pound. The fear started creeping in, an irrational but relentless thought that he was losing control, that YN could slip away from him at any moment. His hands clenched into fists as he fought to keep his expression neutral.

YN paused, noticing the shift in his demeanor. Her brows furrowed in concern. "Jungkook? Are you okay?"

He forced a smile, but it felt strained. "I'm fine," he said, his voice tighter than he intended.

She didn't buy it. "Are you sure? You seem... tense."

He looked away, unable to meet her eyes. "It's nothing."

She reached out, her hand resting on his arm, her touch gentle and reassuring. "You can talk to me, you know. You don't have to hold it all in."

That was it. Something inside him snapped, the pressure of trying to be someone he wasn't, the fear, the uncertainty—it all came crashing down. He pulled his arm away from her touch, standing abruptly.

"You don't get it, YN!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the quiet room. "You say you want me to change, but it's not that easy. You have no idea what it's like for me!"

YN looked up at him, her eyes wide, startled by his sudden outburst. "Jungkook, I'm just trying to help—"

"Help?" he cut her off, his chest heaving with frustration. "You think you're helping by telling me to change who I am? By expecting me to just let go of everything that keeps us together?"

Her expression softened, and she stood, trying to bridge the gap between them. "I'm not asking you to change who you are. I just want you to trust me, to let me in."

He shook his head, backing away from her, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and fear. "You don't understand. If I let go, if I lose control, I lose you. I can't do that, YN. I can't risk it."

"You're not losing me!" she insisted, her voice trembling slightly. "I'm right here, Jungkook. I'm not going anywhere, but you have to let me breathe."

"Breathe?" he repeated, his voice laced with bitterness. "You want space? Fine. Take all the space you want." He turned away, his hands trembling as he struggled to keep himself together. The fear of losing her, of not being enough, of failing to protect what they had—it was all too much.

"Jungkook, please," YN said, her voice breaking. "Don't shut me out like this."

He clenched his jaw, his back still turned to her. "Maybe it's better if I do. Maybe I'm not what you need."