midnight blues · kth

|ten|

-searching-

-

Their steps echoed through the hallway, the sounds of Daehyun's groans became more distant with each step they took. Imani was still struggling to wrap her head around everything, that along with the warm hand wrapped around hers was enough to put her in an almost trace like state.

"Joon was with you last, yes?" Taehyung's baritone broke the silence, his serious eyes still directed forward as they continued towards the elevator.

As if being brought back to earth, Imani's eyes widened as she gulped down her anxiety at the reminder of the man.
"Yeah, h-he was but-"

"He'll be fine." Taehyung responded, his grip on her hand delivered a gentle squeeze, almost reassuringly as he picked up on the tension in her tone. He was firm but gentle as he led her to where Namjoon promised she would be safe.

"H-how can you be so sure?" She started stubbornly, her thoughts immediately jumping to the worst scenarios of what could happen to Namjoon. She gulped, her eyes wide and voice trembling. "What if-"

"Princess..." He spoke, his tone firm but his voice gentle, cutting her dreadful pondering off. He glanced over his shoulder and the sight that met him caused an unnamed ache to stir in his heart.

Her eyes were brimming with tears once again, her bottom lip quivering despite her constant nibbling on it. The bruises she had received on her face were becoming more noticeable, blooming into vivid hues of purples and blues. Her hands were trembling and her entire body was slowly following suit.

Taehyung had seen her look scared and vulnerable before but this was the first time she looked so utterly damaged and distraught. She looked as if she could fall apart at any second.

There was no determination in her eyes, no spark of fire or annoyance lacing her voice as she spoke to him. It was as if the strong and stubborn girl from before had finally crumbled to pieces leaving in her place a fragile replacement.

It was as if her shield and walls that kept her safe was long gone and now Taehyung could finally see what was hiding behind it all this time. The sight of her brought back a flood of memories from his past and he didn't like it one bit.

He swallowed down his anger at seeing her like that, trying by all means to remain stable as a way of both reassurance and support. He didn't know where the urge to protect her was coming from but he blamed it on having to witness her being abused by her ex.

After all, abuse wasn't a subject he took very lightly.

"Where was the last place you saw him?" Taehyung questioned calmly as he averted his eyes, unable to stand the sight of her without wanting to march right back and end Daehyun's life. His voice was a soft timber despite the brewing anger and unease beneath the surface, cutting off his murderous thoughts just as they reached the door to the lift.

Imani's chest heaved as she thought back, her free hand fiddled with the sleeve of the borrowed sweatshirt as she pushed through the mush of her mind to locate the memory.

"The hallway, j-just before we reached the kitchen. We came out of some sort of a weapon room, he g-gave me a gun and told me to go on without him but I-I didn't-"

"Hey hey, shhh" His comforting sounds brought her spiking nerves back down. He turned around, facing her completely and she found an odd comfort in the way his voice echoed through the vacant hallway.

He lifted his hand, the hold he had around her hand being replaced with him cupping her cheek. His thumb stroked over her flushed skin. The tears she failed to blink away rolled down slowly as he brought her gaze up to meet his own.