Sterling

Chapter Forty-Seven

"Are you okay?" Taehyung asked once they stepped inside the ravenette's apartment. He couldn't help but feel guilty for everything happening. He felt guilty that Jungkook was in pain, because he felt like it was his fault.

Bogum made it clear that it was his fault, that he was the reason why they were fighting. Jungkook and Bogum used to be friends from what the jock had been claiming, and now they're not and Bogum blames Taehyung.

Now Taehyung can't help but feel like it really is his fault. Before Jungkook came around, Bogum used to be just his bully, and no one was getting into fights besides Yoongi who was always throwing punches at the jock.

And when Jungkook came into the picture, there's been nothing but fights between them all. Jungkook's been getting himself into more fights with Bogum lately, and Taehyung felt guilty, like he was the one who's always causing them.

He hated seeing his boyfriend in fights because of him, because now Jungkook's getting hurt. This time, Bogum decided to fight back and not walk away like he usually does.

He fought back this time, and now Taehyung was scared that he may just be able to beat Jungkook at the one thing the raven-haired boy is extremely good at: protecting Taehyung.

Jungkook shook his head as he peeled his jacket off and hung it up by the door, "I'm not important right now. You are. He got ahold of your wrist. I'm afraid he popped the stitches or something, so I wanna take a look at it."

Taehyung merely nodded, wrapping his arms around his torso, hugging himself as his wrist throbbed only a little, but it was enough to annoy him as Jungkook led him to his bedroom. He flipped the switch to turn on his light as they entered the room.

Jungkook pointed to the couch in his bedroom, glancing over at Taehyung, "Sit." The command was gentle but stern, making sure he was getting his point across as Taehyung nodded once again and sat down on the couch crosslegged.

He stayed quiet as Jungkook left to fetch the first aid kit from his bathroom. He came back shortly after, and when he sat down, that's when he noticed Taehyung's teary-eyes, and his heart clenched at the sight.

"Baby," he whispered, his voice broken and quiet. He knew Taehyung was blaming himself, because he always did every time there was a fight over him. He tried getting him to stop, but everything's he's done hasn't worked, and he didn't know what else to do.

"I'm sorry, Kookie," he whispered back, allowing hot tears to roll down his cheeks as he hugged himself. Jungkook set the kit off to the side on the couch behind him, scooting closer to the younger and wrapping his arms around him.

He ran a soothing hand up and down his back, kissing the top of his head as Taehyung cried against his chest, dampening his shirt a little where his collarbone are. "You have nothing to be sorry for, baby. I promise."

"But y-you got hurt," he choked out, pulling away to wipe away his tears with the back of his hand, "Because of me, you got hurt."

"Tae, listen to me," Jungkook commanded, but it was soft and gentle, but enough for the younger to obey and look at him in his eyes, "This wasn't your fault, okay? This was all Bogum's fault for giving you that blade. He was asking for it, and I wasn't going to let him get away with something like this."

"B-But your jaw," he said, hiccuping a little as he brought the back of his finger up to his boyfriend's slightly swollen jaw, and ran it over a light purple bruise that was forming.

"I can't even feel it, baby," he said with a small smile, but Taehyung wasn't buying it. In all honesty, his jaw was aching, but he refused to let Taehyung know that because his well-being was more important than his own right now.