"I wanted you to know I love the way your laugh
I want to hold you high and steal your pain away
I keep your photograph, and I know it serves me well
I want to hold you high and steal your pain
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel right when you've gone away
You've gone away
You don't feel me here anymore"

Jungkook lay face down on his bed, surrounded by the demons that kept haunting him. The words "you failed him" were being sung in his ear by the devil, and he wanted his skin to stop crawling with the feeling of regret.

Taehyung's words kept playing throughout his mind. "I think that you should stop trying to care about me."

Jungkook had already cried his soul out. His inner being was completely devoid of emotion. He was dried up, unable to feel anything. Taehyung's words reached a claw down Jungkook's throat and pulled out every ounce of the younger's soul, leaving it out to dry like dirty laundry.

Jungkook had gotten down on his hands and knees, begging Taehyung to not give up on them, but Taehyung just stepped over his hunched up body, walking into his room and shutting the door.

Jungkook had taken the glass on the coffee table, what used to be filled with water, and slammed it to the ground, watching as the one piece of glass shattered into many, just like Jungkook's heart. It had shattered into a bunch of tiny pieces, too small to glue back together.

•••

The next few days at the apartment were quiet ones. Both of the boys would only leave their rooms to grab food or water. They hadn't seen each other since Taehyung crushed everything.

Jungkook was in the kitchen cooking some rice for lunch when he heard Taehyung's door squeak open, and then close. He didn't turn around to see where the older was going. He heard the front door open and then shut again. "Where the hell is he going?" Jungkook mumbled, but shrugged it off. It wasn't his problem anymore.

Early the next morning, Jungkook was woken up by the sound of the front door slamming, followed by the same with Taehyung's door. He had been out all night. Jungkook couldn't figure out what he could possibly be doing staying out until 4 am. He rolled his eyes before rolling back over and once again closing his eyes.

Taehyung had done the same type of weird behavior for a week now, and Jungkook was starting to worry about Taehyung. He was always the type of person to go to sleep early. He never partied, never drank alcohol. Jungkook had been starting to have trouble sleeping, more than he already had been. His worry for Taehyung became unbearable.

It was about 5:15 am and Jungkook was sitting on the couch, watching reruns of Spongebob that he hadn't watched since high school. His eyes felt heavy from lack of sleep, but his mind was too awake.

Suddenly, the front door slammed shut like usual, and Jungkook caught sight of Taehyung, who froze in the doorway to the living room once he saw Jungkook staring at him.

"Where have you been going off to every night?" Jungkook muted the television.

Taehyung glared at Jungkook before unfreezing his feet, walking back in the direction of his bedroom. "It's not your fucking business."

••
Another week had passed and the same thing continued on. Jungkook was running on about two or three hours of sleep a night. He wasn't eating because he was so worried. He could already feel his clothes getting a little baggier on him. He no longer had the strength or energy to work out every morning so his muscles were wavering, slowly starting to dissipate.

Jungkook had finally been able to fall asleep easily, and was enjoying his sleep. He didn't even wake up when the front door was slammed closed, or when laughter and kissing noises filled the hallways of the small apartment. What woke Jungkook up was a scream. It was a petrified, heart-wrenching scream, and Jungkook knew that it was Taehyung. Without hesitating, he threw off his covers and opened his bedroom door, running straight into a half-dressed woman. She had a scared look on her face. She shook her head and mumbled some words in an angry tone as she left through the front door. Taehyung was still screaming in his room, and Jungkook snapped out of his confused state. He ran into Taehyung's room, seeing the male curled up in the fetal position, rocking himself back and forth on the mattress. He was chewing roughly on his bottom lip, to the point where it barely had any color left in it.

"Taehyung, shh." Jungkook sat on the older's bed and wrapped his arms around him on instinct, earning a yelp and a punch in the chest from Taehyung. Jungkook winced at the discomfort but kept his grip on the frail, broken boy in front of him. "Tae, shh. It's okay. You're safe. I won't hurt you."

Jungkook continued the rocking motion with Taehyung in his arms. The older eventually gave up the fight and nuzzled his head into Jungkook's neck, covering his skin in tears. Jungkook ran a hand up and down the older's back soothingly, the other hand running through the thinning strands of hair on his head. "Shh, Taehyung. It's okay."

Taehyung eventually stopped crying, but they sat in that same position, unmoving.

Jungkook decided to test the waters. "Tae, can you tell me what happened?"

Taehyung shook his head quickly, still buried in Jungkook's neck. Jungkook couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle at how cute the older was. "Do you want me to sit in here with you while you sleep?"

Taehyung was still for a moment, until a faint voice came out of his lips. "Yes."

"Okay, here, let's get you under the covers." Jungkook slowly lifted Taehyung off of his lap, where he had ended up sitting during his attack. Jungkook gently placed his body on the mattress, trying to hold back the bile in his throat at seeing that the only clothes he was wearing were his boxers. Red hickeys outlined in red lipstick were already forming on his neck and chest.

He brought the covers up, tucking Taehyung in before sitting on the floor next to the bed. Jungkook was surprised to hear faint mumblings from Taehyung. "Can I hold your hand?"

Jungkook nodded, reaching a hand up to the mattress, feeling Taehyung softly grip it. A few minutes later, Taehyung's soft snores filled Jungkook's ear drums, and he smiled for the first time in a weeks.

Double update, hell yeah! 🎉

{edited}