Veil of Shadows

chapter 20:- past memories

  Sorry for late double update as my clg end at 6:30 today so ... It gets late to come hostel....

   The night passed quietly, but Jungkook stayed awake, watching over Taehyung, his guilt deepening with every moment. Taehyung stirred slightly in his sleep, his face tense, as if trapped in a nightmare. Jungkook’s grip on Taehyung’s hand tightened.

Morning came with a soft light filling the room. Jungkook hadn’t slept a wink. His eyes, heavy with exhaustion, stayed focused on Taehyung, who slowly began to stir awake. Taehyung blinked a few times, adjusting to the light, but when he saw Jungkook next to him, his body tensed.

Memories of the previous night flooded back, causing his heart to race. He subconsciously backed away from Jungkook, but the movement was weak. Jungkook noticed immediately and felt a sharp pain in his chest. He could see the fear in Taehyung’s eyes, a look he never wanted directed at him.

Jungkook (softly): "Tae... please, don’t be afraid. I’m so sorry... I never wanted to hurt you."

Taehyung’s breathing quickened, and his chest started to tighten again as he tried to control the panic that was rising within him. He didn’t know why his body reacted this way, but the trauma from his past, combined with Jungkook’s behavior the previous night, triggered something deep inside him.

Taehyung (voice shaking): "I-I... I’m sorry, master... p-please don’t hurt me..."

Jungkook’s heart broke. Hearing Taehyung revert back to calling him ‘master’ was like a stab to his soul. He had worked so hard to help Taehyung feel safe, to rebuild his confidence, and now it felt like everything had crumbled. Jungkook reached out, but hesitated, afraid that any touch might send Taehyung into another panic.

Jungkook (whispering, voice full of regret): "Tae, no... no, please don’t say that. You don’t have to be afraid of me. I’m not that person. I’m your Kookie... I love you. I swear I’ll never hurt you again."

Taehyung closed his eyes, trying to calm himself, but the memories were too vivid. The past trauma of being forced and hurt came rushing back, mixing with the fear of what had happened with Jungkook the night before. His breath was shallow, and he started trembling again.

Minho, who had been standing by the door in case anything happened, called out to Jungkook.

Minho (calmly but firmly): "Boss, he needs space to breathe. Let him process it. You being this close is scaring him more."

Jungkook’s fists clenched, but he knew Minho was right. He reluctantly stepped back, giving Taehyung room. He wanted to wrap him in his arms and promise him that everything would be okay, but he knew now wasn’t the time.

Taehyung lay there, breathing heavily, tears forming in his eyes as he felt ashamed of himself for reacting this way. He had come so far, yet here he was, falling back into the dark pit of his trauma.

Taehyung (whispering): "I don’t... I don’t want to be scared... I don’t want to feel like this..."

Jungkook, standing a few feet away, felt helpless. He watched as Taehyung struggled with his emotions, hating that he was the cause of it.

Jungkook (softly, voice breaking): "I’ll leave if you need me to, Tae... But please, I’ll do anything to make this right. I love you. I never wanted this to happen."