I'll Protect You, Maknae||TaeKook FF ✓

Chapter 20.

Jungkook sat there, waiting. The medicine from the tube didn't have any flavor to it, and he wondered if he'd been tricked and it was just water. He sat there and tried to pay close attention to how he was feeling. If it was poison, what would happen to him?

Will I get a headache? Throw up? Spit blood? Shake?

As he waited, he realized none of those things were happening to him. In fact, it was the opposite. One small sip from that tube of medicine, and he noticed he was starting to actually feel a bit better. His body had been sore and exhausted, he was severely dehydrated. Those aches seemed to be lightening up. His body wasn't hurting so much and he didn't feel so incredibly thirsty. He stared at it and wondered how in the world Cyun had made that medicine, because it was working.

As much as he began to think of drinking a little more, he knew that Taehyung needed all of it.

Jungkook brought the tube of medicine close to Taehyung's mouth. His hyung still showed no signs of waking up. It was incredibly hard for Jungkook to even look at him laying there in the state he was in, still bruised and covered in blood.

"Hyungie," Jungkook whispered as he began to cry, "This medicine is going to help you. I'm going to help you get better and you're going to wake up and you're going to feel as good as new. Okay? I promise." He took the tube and quietly sobbed to himself as he poured a little bit at a time into Taehyung's mouth. He could only hope that this really would work. He couldn't even bare the thought anymore of his hyung never waking back up and being gone forever.

When the tube was empty, Jungkook leaned over and kissed his hyung on the forehead. "I promise," Jungkook whispered as he wiped the tears off Taehyung's cheeks that had fallen from his own eyes. He curled up close to his hyung in the bed and gently pulled him into his arms. He kept whispering soft reassurances that everything was going to be okay, it was just a matter of time. He had hope that if he kept saying it, it'd be true.

Jungkook cried himself to sleep and was awoken the next morning by The Master unlocking the door and barging into the room. Jungkook shot up out of bed and glanced at Taehyung, who still hadn't stirred.

"A lot for you to do today, let's go," The Master commanded and gestured for the singer to follow him out.

Jungkook stood in place.

"Are you deaf, boy? I said let's go!" The Master screamed.

Jungkook clenched his fists and took another look at Taehyung before turning back to The Master. "I-I-" Jungkook started, he felt his pulse pick up. "I'm not doing shit for you ever again!" the maknae screamed angrily. He couldn't imagine himself still catering to the very man who tried to kill his big brother.

The Master stepped closer to him, and he instinctively positioned himself in front of Taehyung's body to protect him.

"Excuse me?" The Master asked sternly. Jungkook wanted to hold his ground, as terrified as he was.

"I'm done! Why would I work for a bastard like you? Huh?! I'm not doing anything for you ever again! You keep hurting my Taehyungie, fucking asshole! I hate you! I hate you!" Jungkook released tears of anger and frustration. After he screamed, he stood there silently staring The Master in the eyes.

The Master also stood there silently. Jungkook felt himself starting to shake. He didn't know if this was a bad sign, or if maybe he had actually won for once. The Master slowly began to reach his hand behind his back, and to the maknae's shock he presented a gun.

Jungkook felt the nerves in his body exploding as he stood there frozen with fear. He was speechless as he tried to catch his breath that got stuck in his throat.

The Master slowly made his way over and stood right in front of Jungkook. He raised the gun and pointed it at his chest.

Jungkook didn't know what to do or say. One wrong move or word and that would be the end of it.

"Incase you've been unaware, Jungkook, I don't like being disrespected," The Master replied in a low tone. He took the gun and hit the barrel into Jungkook's chest. The singer let out a soft whimper.

"And I know I didn't just hear you say that you were done working for me." The Master and Jungkook stared at eachother in silence again. In the midst of the silence, The Master took the gun and slowly moved it from pointing to Jungkook, to pointing to Taehyung.

Jungkook felt fireworks of fear shooting off inside his body. He immediately jumped in front of the gun so a bullet couldn't hit Taehyung.

"You want to shoot him? You'll have to kill me first," Jungkook whispered. He wanted to be brave and protective but he couldn't deny that he was so terrified. He didn't want to be murdered, but he would do absolutely anything for his hyung. Even give his life, if that's what it took.

The Master glared at Jungkook and got right up in his face. "I don't know why I bothered spending such a fortune on you."

Before he could dodge it, The Master smashed the handle of the gun into Jungkook's face, sending blood pouring out of his nose and lip where he'd been hit. He crumbled to his knees in agony as he held his face in his hands and cried. The Master took his foot and kicked him in the ribs, sending him slamming into the ground. Then he spit on him.

"You're fucking worthless, pathetic, and no better than the other stupid little street rat." The Master gestured to Taehyung when he said it. Jungkook's blood was boiling, he hated The Master constantly referring to his hyung as a street rat. He couldn't contain his anger.

"The only rat here is you," he argued. Blood was still being expelled from his face, and he spit back his bloody saliva onto The Master's shoes. "Asshole," he added.

Jungkook braced for impact as he felt a shoe begin to collide with his stomach, ribs and face over and over again. He didn't even have the energy to scream or fight back so he let his body absorb the pain. He looked up at the bed and found reassurance that at least this time it was him getting beat and not his hyung again.

When The Master was done, Jungkook could barely move or speak. The Master turned and left without another word, but locked the room from the outside again.

The maknae stayed on the floor curled up and clutched his stomach. It hurt to move his body the slightest inch. He let out groans and whimpers of pain until he was able to curl into a position that didn't hurt so much. He didn't bother trying to catch the blood from his nose, he let it spill all over the floor, hoping to ruin it. He lay there dizzy and fuzzy headed. He felt a bit confused of what had just happened.

Did I really stick up to him? Did I technically make him go away? What happens now? He'll be back. And then what?

He lay there in silence, but let out a small scream when he went to inhale and felt the pain shoot through his body again.

"J...Jun...Jungkook?"

As much pain as he was in, Jungkook couldn't help but smile.

Taehyung was awake.