His Buried Past| Taekook

Chapter 10

Whistling to himself, V skipped into Baekhyun's home, his mask fixed firmly on his face. On the outside, he was his normal psychotic self, without a care in the world. Inside was a different story. His dreams were becoming more frequent, waking him up every single night, and he often found it hard to get back to sleep, so fatigue was dragging at the normally bubbly young assassin. On top of that, when he'd awoken before dawn this morning, it was to find that Suga had gone away on some mission without telling him. 'Yoongi-hyung never leaves without telling me, and he always tells me what he's doing. So what's going on?'

He'd tried to call the older, but had received no answer, and his text messages were going unanswered as well. He was pulled from his thoughts by the message from Baekhyun asking him to come see him today. As he skipped into the office, his senses immediately went on alert. Baekhyun and Chanyeol looked tense, with the taller rubbing the smaller's back in an attempt to comfort him.

"Baeki-hyung? Chany-hyung? What's going on?"

Baekhyun's head snapped up, a forced smile instantly forming on his pale features. "V! I haven't seen you in days! Don't I get a hug?"

Shutting the door behind him, V slipped off his mask as he went to his hyungs and gave each of them a hug. "Of course hyungies! But don't try to change the subject. What's going on?"

Chanyeol and Baekhyun exchanged a look, with Chanyeol motioning V to sit down. "V, we had to send Suga on a very important mission that we're not able to talk about right now. While he's gone, we would like it if you stayed here with us."

The younger blinked at them, his artificially blue eyes blinking in surprise. "Stay here? But why? I usually just stay at the apartment when Suga-hyung has a mission."

Baekhyun nodded, "We know sweetie, but this time we would prefer it if you stayed with us."

The younger continued to look puzzled. Why were all his hyungs behaving so strangely? What was going on?

Seeing that the younger was still not convinced, Chanyeol interrupted his thoughts," You see, we have reason to suspect there will be an attack soon. I know I can rely on you to protect Baekhyun. Obviously, we don't really expect anyone to be stupid enough to come at us here in our home. But we would each feel more comfortable knowing you were here with us."

Baekhyun glances at his husband, before quickly nodding in agreement. He hated to manipulate V like this, but it was the only way.

The younger nods his silver head in understanding,"Of course hyungies! I'd never let anyone near you!"

Abruptly, the door to the office swings open, "Baekhyun! Why did I get a call from the Songs that you canceled-" The woman came to a halt, wide eyes on the other occupants of the room.

Baekhyun shot up from his seat as V ducked his head, hurriedly fixing his mask into place, hoping the intruder hadn't clearly seen him. "Eomma!", the mafia leader barked out, glaring at the frozen woman, "I have told you before that you need to call me when you are coming!"

Seeming to snap out of her daze, the older woman scowls, "Why should I have to call any time I want to visit my own son?"

"Because I have important work to manage! And the reason I canceled with the Songs was because I discovered it was another thinly veiled attempt by you to arrange a date with their daughter!"

Chanyeol's jaw ticks in annoyance. He knows Baekhyun loves his mother, and he wouldn't want to hurt his beloved by attacking the woman, but sometimes he gets quite tired of her attempts to separate them.

The woman scoffs,"Why can't you just cooperate for once? Would it hurt you to just meet her? If your relationship is so strong then couldn't it stand you just meeting with someone?"

Baekhyun rubs his eyes tiredly, "Eomma, I'll say it again: I will never agree to one of these dates. I am happily married, and I have been for years now. Either get used to it, or I'll be forced to cut you out of my life. Now go, we have important matters to discuss."

Shooting a glare at her son's husband, Byun Jae-hwa stalks from the room. As she heads for her car, she slips her phone from her purse, dialing a contact she hasn't spoken to in quite a while. "We need to talk."

Jungkook's office

His head is lying in his hands, elbows braced on the desk in front of him as he tangles his fingers in his messy raven hair. His mind was lost, running in circles as he went over what he'd learned. Doctor Jung had detailed Taehyung's injuries again, being more specific this time. When asked about the brain injury, he'd sighed, "I told that man, the boy would likely have some memory issues. The part of his brain that was damaged is responsible for long-term memory. And he'd suffered a tremendous amount of shock and trauma on top of his injury. I never treated him once he was removed from the hospital though, so I don't know how extensive the damage is."

A knock on the door pulled the young leader from his reverie,"Come in."

The door creaked open, a red-eyed Jin hesitantly coming to sit. "How are you feeling Jungkook-ah?"

The younger gives a harsh laugh, "How do you think I feel Jin-hyung? I fvcking walked away from him. I left him to be tortured. I've spent years wishing I could join him after he was 'killed'. Now I find out that he didn't die, but who the fvck knows what's happened to him over the last 6 years?? He could have been tortured all this time, he's probably terrified! And that's assuming that he's still alive now! Just because he didn't die back then, doesn't mean he hasn't died since! I feel so fvcking angry, I want to destroy whoever did this! But I also feel so fvcking terrified!"

Jin looked on painfully as the younger cracked, tears filling his black eyes. He wanted to comfort Jungkook, but what to say? They were all in shock at the news that their dear little brother hadn't been killed. Confusion swirled in the group, along with fear. They were all afraid to hope.

Leaning forward, the elder reached out, gently grabbing Jungkook's hands in his own. "We will find out what happened. And if Taehyung is still out there, we will bring him home to us."

The ravenette looks up at his hyung, "But what will we find hyung? If Tae is alive, what has he been through? Will he still be my Tae?" His voice cracks, his plea for reassurance evident.

Jin smiles sadly, "No matter what he's been through, he'll still be Tae. No one had a warmer, more loving heart than that boy. We'll help him heal from whatever pain he's suffered, and we'll stay by his side no matter what."

Jungkook nods, but he knows they're avoiding the harder facts. No one could experience what Taehyung had without changing. But even if he'd changed, Jungkook would take that over nothing. As long as he was alive. Perhaps he was being selfish, but a hurting and scarred Taehyung was better than a dead one.

Taking a deep breath, the younger straightens in his seat, smoothing his hair as he attempts to compose himself. "I want everyone in my office. We're going to find Taehyung."

AN: Now that my summer semester is over, I have a teensy bit more free time to write. Not too much, you know, since I still have 3 kids from almost 10-13 who are on summer break (I'm old y'all!) But I'm able to write a little more than I have been. Thank you all so much for supporting this book! I know it may seem like the climax is over, but there's still quite a bit to go. There are still a bunch of issues for everyone to face. Again, thank you so much for the reads, votes, and comments. I can't tell you how much it all means to me!  I 💜 all of you!