Sterling

Chapter Seventeen

"What're you talking about, Tae?" Jungkook asked confusedly as he sat up and leaned his back against the headboard of the younger's bed, eyebrows furrowed and lips parted a little. Taehyung bit his lower lip, wondering if he should just let it go and just believe Hoseok and the others, but at the same time he was really curious as to what was said and if he even did it.

It wasn't because he didn't trust Hoseok, he trust that man with his life, he just didn't want to assume anything and wanted to know Jungkook's side of the story. But he also didn't want the raven-haired boy to think he was mad and didn't trust him and trusted Hoseok more than the other. He was having an internal battle with himself, debating on what he should do: let it go, or ask anyway.

He decided to go for the latter.

"Hoseok and Jimin said that you attacked me the day Hobi went over to your table a few weeks ago to apologize to Namjoon for Yoongi's actions, and he said that you attacked me and Namjoon attacked all of us," the brunette answered quietly, adverting his gaze from the other, feeling his anxiety begin to spike as he bit on his bottom lip a little harder.

He heard Jungkook sigh beside him, causing him to look over and release his bottoms pouty lip, seeing the older male run a heavy hand through his hair, "I mean, yeah, I kind of did, I guess in a way. All I really said was that I think you should be standing up for yourself. That's all I said, and I did say it with a lot of venom, I suppose."

"Oh." Jungkook slowly nodded, looking over at the small brunette boy beside him with worried eyes, "But, you're here now, and you stand up for me, too. I guess I'm confused as to why you're suddenly beating and threatening the shit out of people when you said you think I should be standing up for myself."

"Because I didn't necessarily believe Hoseok was telling the truth about Bogum bullying you, and I didn't believe that he was putting his hands on you either, but that day I walked down the hallway, and I seen what he was doing to you, I don't know, everything just seemed to make sense and something snapped in me, so I pulled him off you and beat the shit out of him. I felt really bad, and my conscience got the best of me, so I felt like I owed you one in a way."

"So, you're standing up for me because of a guilt trip you pulled on yourself?" Taehyung asked, feeling his heart sink to the bottom of his chest, hoping that wasn't the case, "Or are you doing it because you genuinely care and want to?" He hoped it was the second option, and not the first. He didn't want Jungkook to be helping him out because of a stupid guilt trip he gave himself. He wanted him to be by his side because he was a genuinely nice guy.

"I'm by your side because I want to be, not because I feel bad for you," Jungkook stated gently as he reached over and grabbed the other's hand, and began playing with his fingers, "I'll admit, I do feel bad that you have to go through something like this, because you don't deserve it at all. But I also feel like that no matter how many times I apologize to you, it wouldn't make up for how much of an asshole I was. So I thought standing up for you from now on would be the first step, but now that I'm saying this out loud, I think an apology would've been the better start."

Taehyung watched as he played with his fingers absentmindedly, smiling softly as he felt sparks shoot through his hand and up his arm, making him feel tingly, "You can always give me that apology, you know." Jungkook looked over with a small smile on his features, nodding slowly as he laced their fingers and gave it a firm squeeze.

"I'm sorry."

The small brunette boy smiled as he gave the other's hand a firm squeeze as well, nodding a little, "I honestly don't even know why you're even apologizing. I mean, you did nothing wrong," he stated softly as he looked back down at the interlaced hands, noting his perfectly they fit together, the thought causing him to smile internally. Jungkook looked at him confused, his smile faltering a little.