Home (I wish you could stay)

V.

When Hoseok came to, he found Taehyung laid back up against a large tree branch. His shirt had been torn at the bottom, the ripped fabric having been wrapped tightly around his torso, blood seeping through. His eyes were closed and he looked peaceful. When you looked at his hollowed out cheeks, you were reminded of reality. Taehyung was too pale, his breathing too shallow. Jimin acted on impulse, and as he reached out to touch him, he realized his mistake as his hand grazed across Taehyung's skin – he was too cold – Jeongguk jerked back and moved to block Taehyung's body with his own again.

"Don't touch him! Nobody touch him!" Jeongguk stood over Taehyung defensively, shielding him the best he could with his body from their prying, worrying eyes and pitying glances.

"Jeongguk, stop being stupid. Let us help him."

"No. You guys did this. Hoseok did this! God!"

"Guk, he needs help.-" Seokjin tried to reason with him, but his patience was running thin with the youngest boy's delusional antics and absurdity. He only got a small scoff as a response. "Did you hear me, Jeongguk? You don't want Taehyung to die. "

"How could you say that, hyung?" Jeongguk had tears in his eyes and his voice was beginning to waver. It was then, in that moment of weakness, that Jin nodded, sending Namjoon over to tackle Jeongguk. Wrapping his arms around the younger boy, he held on for dear life as he struggled to get free of his grip. Jimin and Hoseok began to pull Taehyung away from the boy as he cried, louder with each step they took away from him.

"I'm sorry, Jeongguk. I don't mean to hurt you, but we gotta go and you're acting like a child . And you need to know the truth. We're going to take Taehyung. You're welcome to come with us, if you'd like." Jin shifted uncomfortably as he nodded at Namjoon again, causing him to release the boy. Jeongguk fell pathetically to the ground on his knees. Jimin had tied a pack around Taehyung's torso and covered him with one of the blankets they had found in the basement. They secured him on a broken down cardboard box - like a sled, of sorts - and were busy discussing who was going to do the carrying – or rather, the dragging seeing as the younger boy was unconscious – for the first few miles or so into the city. After everything is all packed up and ready to go, Jeongguk is still exactly where Namjoon had left him, the same pathetic expression on his face.

"You coming?" Seokjin asks, but his only response is a grunt and Jeongguk turning away from him, clearly still throwing a silent tantrum.

"Suit yourself, kid." Seokjin and Jimin begin to walk away, Taehyung being dragged slowly behind them, Hoseok secured next to him. Namjoon has to help Yoongi, but he's hesitant. Yoongi knows what Seokjin is doing, knows that they aren't really leaving, but then again, they are because Seokjin knows that Jeongguk couldn't actually be this stubborn.

That's why nobody says anything when they hear the younger boy hop up when they've made it a few hundred feet away, can hear his footsteps pound closer to them. He hangs back, and everyone pretends that they don't see him lingering. They all know that he just needs some space to work stuff out on his own, and if ghosting them like this helps him, then sure. Why the hell not?

They don't know how long they've walked, or how far but the sun has risen up all the way now and is almost overhead when they come over a steep hill that overlooks what's left of a deserted town.

Maybe there's food and supplies down there? 

It was as if the sight of a possible safe haven breathed new life into the group because they walked a little faster. 

When they had finally passed through the huge iron gates at the front of town, they split up to cover more ground, but stayed within sight of each other.