Beauty in the cracks

No wonder

"How are you feeling?" Jimin asked as Jungkook walked into work the next day

"Fine I think" he shrugged as he put his lunchbox in the small refrigerator and sat his bag down at his desk "he wants to pick a date for our wedding finally" he smiled

"That's..good kook. Are you.. happy?"

"Yeah" he nodded with a smile, unable to tell by Jimin's face that Jimin felt sick. Jimin wanted to protect Jungkook, but he had never dealt with someone going through abuse, and all of his Google searching led him to understand that he couldn't corner Jungkook about it. He felt stuck. What caught him off guard, though, were Jungkook's questions "can I ask you something?"

"of course"

Jungkook looked down, feeling conflicted "you said- yesterday, you said that Shownu was abusing me. I don't really.. I don't think he is. But last night I realized something" he hesitated and took a deep breath, feeling a lump in his throat

"It's okay, you can tell me"

"He tells me when I can and can't talk to my friends. I haven't spoken to them in.. probably a year? And I haven't spoken to my parents in months, and he hates you. He wishes I wouldn't see you or talk to you at all, but since we work together, it's kind of..inevitable?" He winced, Jimin didn't know that "and I kind of realized that.. I'm alone. I'm totally isolated aside from him and well, you? And... is that um. Is that like.. Is that a form of abuse?"

"Yes" he answered right away

"Could I um, maybe at lunch, use your phone to Google it? I can't do that on my phone. He'll see it"

Oh sweet baby Jesus Jimin wants to fuck this guy up "yeah, of course. I sort of did some Googling last night myself so there's a few websites already open if you want to look at those?"

"Thank you" he sighed

His day seemed to drag after that, his patients were none the wiser though as he smiled and assisted them. His appointments seemed to fly by and at lunch time he sat hunched over Jimin's phone typing his questions into Google and felt hollowed out by his answers.

They must be wrong.

Shownu loves him.

He almost threw Jimin's phone "this is wrong, all of it is wrong"

"I know, that's why you need to leave him"

"No, not him, this! He's not- none of that makes any fucking sense. He loves me, he's in love with me and he would never do anything to hurt me! This is bullshit. I'm not like those people and neither is he! I can't believe I actually thought for a second.. Fuck this" he kicked a chair over as his eyes watered "the problem is that fucking stripper. If I could just get him to fucking leave Shownu alone, we'll go back to normal"

Jimin's heart broke in his chest, he didn't want to push back and end up pushing Jungkook away so he watched the small outburst and tried not to let the pity in his eyes show too much. Jungkook was ruined, broken it seemed. Too blind and hurt to realize what was actually going on, and Jimin felt like he was drowning right beside him because he had no idea how to help him.

"Okay, Jungkook, relax. It's okay, we'll figure something out, yeah? I'll help you, whatever you need okay?"

The next few days were the same. Jungkook felt hollow, empty, angry, and hurt. He pretended to be fine in front of his patients, and especially in front of Shownu. He didn't want to argue with him, and since the night he had told him about Jay, they hadn't had a fight or argument. Shownu hadn't even raised his voice in a few days. Jungkook pretended on Wednesday night that Shownu was in a normal bar, one without strippers and no Jay.

It didn't help and he had cried himself to sleep.

The fact that his fiancé was in love with another man was just too much for him to handle.

But still, Shownu chose him. That meant something, no, it meant everything.

Right?

"I think I need to see him"

"See who?" Jimin asked, confused by the random statement

"Jay, the stripper"

"Why would you?"

"So I can see how or why Shownu thinks he's better than me. It might.. I don't know. I might feel better? Or like.. I don't fucking know" he sighed, he took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes "I'm so tired Min" he groaned, it had seeped into his skin, his bones, his soul "if I come to him, man to man and ask him to leave Shownu alone maybe he will?"

He still couldn't accept that he was a victim, but he had swallowed the fact that his fiancé was in love with someone else.

It hurt so bad, he wanted to claw his own skin off.

"I think.. when he leaves, I'll go to the club"

"Do yo-"

"It won't be hard to figure out where it is, and I'll leave my phone at the house so Shownu won't know that I left. I need to meet him, I have no idea why Jimin but just.. it feels important. He might actually listen to me and leave Shownu alone"

"I'll help" he shrugged "whatever you need"

"Be my ride? Like.. take me and wait outside for me so you can bring me back?"

"I can do that"

"I won't have my phone to text you, so it'll be easier if you just wait"

"Remember my rules Kook"

"I know" he nodded "I promise, I won't do anything out of line"

"Good, don't disappoint me. You know I'll find out"

"I won't. Have a safe trip, I love you"

"See you in a few days" he leaned in and kissed Jungkook's cheek. Jungkook frowned, Shownu didn't tell him he loved him, and he didn't kiss him properly. He must have been mad at him, but for what? He didn't do anything wrong..he hadn't.. they'd been fine for over a week. What could he have done-

"Are you mad at me?"

"No, why? Have you done something?" He furrowed his brows as he stopped next to the front door

"I just- you didn't k-kiss me or tell me you love me. So I th-thought-" great, his eyes were watering

"Here we go" he sighed angrily and pinched the bridge of his nose "you and your fucking needy bullshit. Right now? On my way out the fucking door for an important business trip? I'm sooo fucking sorry your highness that I didn't get down on my knees and fucking kiss your hand. Please forgive me king Jungkook" he bowed "I forgot that fucking everything is all about you. You fucking selfish bitch" he picked up his bag and swung the front door open so hard it slammed against the wall "I'll be back in four fucking days Jungkook. Don't be a fucking cunt" he slammed the door closed so hard behind himself it shook the walls

Jungkook squatted down and braced himself on the floor as he cried

It's not abuse, he's just angry
I fucked up
I was too needy
I made him feel bad
I'm so stupid
No wonder he loves Jay so much

We'll be meeting Jay in the next chapter 🤭