Midas Touch ➸ Taekook

- Forty-ninth -

Namjoon stopped in front of the door to Taehyung's room, hesitating. His hand came to rest on the dark wood, but he remained motionless for a moment, his gaze lost. He inhaled deeply, gathering his courage. It wasn't his habit to force a conversation, least of all with someone like Taehyung, but this time he couldn't stand by and do nothing.

He knocked softly, three knocks spaced out and echoing in the empty corridor. There was no answer.

"Taehyung?" called Namjoon in a calm but firm voice. "Taehyung, it's me, Joon. I just wanted to make sure you were all right."

A heavy silence answered him, but he didn't move away. Namjoon put his hand flat against the door, as if hoping to transmit some comfort through that barrier.

"Look, I know you probably don't want to see anyone, and I'm not going to insist... But if you need to talk, just know that I'm here."

Eventually an answer came, but it was so faint that he had to bend his ear to hear it.

"Namjoon... I... I just want to be alone." Taehyung's voice was hoarse, broken by tears, and every word seemed to cost him an immense effort.

Namjoon gritted his teeth, his heart clenching at that simple sentence. He wanted to insist, to tell him that remaining alone with his thoughts would only make things worse, but he held back. It wasn't his place to break down the barriers Taehyung had erected around him. Not now. The pain was still too fresh.

"All right, then." he murmured after a long moment. "I understand. But promise me you'll call me if you change your mind, okay? I'll be around. Me or someone else. We're all here for you."

No reply this time, just silence. Namjoon waited a few more seconds, hoping for a word, a sign, but nothing came. Reluctantly, he stepped back, his gaze lingering on the closed door as if he hoped it would open.

He turned away and couldn't help but feel helpless. Taehyung's pain reminded him of old wounds he'd preferred to ignore, of memories he'd buried deep inside. His relationship with Jin hadn't been all rosy either, but in the end it had ended well. So he hoped the same would be true for Taehyung.

Namjoon had barely reached the stairs when a loud noise broke the oppressive silence of the Institute. His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he hurried to answer it when he saw Hank's name appear on the screen. And his heart eased a little when he saw his old friend's name. It had been several days since he had seen either Jin or Charles, so he was beginning to feel a little lonely. This call was just the thing to cheer him up a bit.

"Hank! How are you?" he exclaimed cheerfully, having stopped just in front of the stairwell.

Hank's voice, usually clear and confident, was jerky this time, blurred by some strange interference. Namjoon squinted his eyes, trying to make out the words.

"N-Namjoon... beware... danger... run... quick...!"

Namjoon's heart missed a beat.

"What?! Hank, say it again! I don't understand. What danger? Where the hell are you? What's happening?!"

But the line crackled even more, and the call was abruptly cut off. Namjoon clutched his phone, a dull anxiety rising inside him. Before he had time to think further, a shattering bang shook the Institute.

The floor vibrated beneath his feet, shards of glass fell from nearby windows, and an overwhelming heat suddenly filled the air. Namjoon fell to his knees, his arms instinctively covering his head as a powerful blast threw him against the nearest wall.

In the living room, screams were heard. Logan, still alert, leapt to his feet, a protective instinct immediately lighting up in his eyes.

"Everyone take cover!" he shouted, rushing to the windows to assess the situation.

Kitty, terrified, activated her power of intangibility to protect herself, while Piotr, in a protective reflex, covered his body in shiny steel and positioned himself in front of the young woman to protect her.

Namjoon, still near the staircase, shaken but unharmed, struggled to his feet.

"What the hell was that...?"

The corridor filled with dense smoke, and the walls already bore black marks, evidence of the explosion. Alarms began to scream, an unbearable cacophony. And room doors opened one by one, revealing terrified students.

***

Taehyung was sitting on his bed, his legs folded up against him, his head buried in his arms. His hot tears were rolling down his cheeks, leaving an icy trail across his skin. Every breath was an effort, every heartbeat a torture. His thoughts went round and round, always returning to the same person: Jungkook.

I've ruined everything... he kept whispering to himself. How could he have been so immature? Jungkook had shown him that he wanted to make an effort, to build something together. And he had, once again, let his ego do the talking.

He kept thinking back to the moment when he'd let his pride get the better of him. The words he had spat at Jungkook still echoed in his mind like a cruel mantra. Jungkook hadn't done anything wrong. How could he abandon Bella, let her die without doing anything, when he had the chance to save her, all to satisfy Taehyung's immoral and immature expectations? That didn't mean he didn't love him; but Bella was someone who had meant something to him, so of course he wasn't going to let her die.

But Taehyung was jealous. He was horribly jealous of this woman and the only way he'd found to get that jealousy out was to take it out on Jungkook. And now he was heavily regretting it.

As he wiped his tear-drenched cheeks for the umpteenth time, a violent explosion ripped through the air, followed by a thud that shook the ground. His thoughts came to a screeching halt. The room seemed to shudder around him, the walls vibrating with the shock. He looked up, his breath catching in his throat. His bedroom window shattered with a deafening crash, sending shards of glass flying across the room.

Panicking, he leapt to his feet, almost tripping over his own feet. He abruptly opened his bedroom door to find himself facing a corridor plunged into chaos. Pungent smoke was rising, filling the air with the smell of burning, and alarms were blaring incessantly. Panicked students ran in all directions, their screams mingling with the general cacophony.

Taehyung spotted Namjoon a little further on, evacuating a group of students. His imposing stature and firm tone seemed to calm some of the surrounding hysteria, but his expression betrayed intense tension, even behind his glasses. Taehyung rushed towards him, his heart beating wildly.

"Namjoon!" he shouted over the din. What's going on?!"

The man turned towards him, his face marked by a cold sweat, filled with an urgency he made no attempt to hide.

We're under attack." he replied sharply. "That's all I know. And we have to run. Now."

~🌻~

Sorry, I know it's a short chapter, but I promise that in exchange, I publish another one tomorrow...

Until then, see you soon, and take care!💕