Hayan Night [|✓Taekook✓|]

⑮You Made It Go Away

"You made the burning go away," he said so quietly Taehyung probably didn't hear him. His doe eyes that shined with unshed tears were anchored on his hand resting on his thigh.

"What did you say, little bun?" He leaned forward and propped his forearm on his thigh, tilting his head to the side to take a better look at him.

He dragged his head up, locking his eyes with his concerned ones. They were close - so close Jeongguk could see every single bruise and scratch on his face clearly. He sank his teeth into his lower lip in an attempt to choke back his tears, and his hand edged closer to hold his cheek in a delicate palm.

V closed his eyes at the contact and melted in his tender touch at once.

Deep down, the younger wished that his touch would make the pain go away just like Taehyung's touch took away his.

"You made the burning go away," he whispered but loud enough for him to hear this time. He slid his hand to his neck, smoothing it over his skin so he could cup his other cheek as well. "Of Wang's hands. You made it go away."

At his last remark, Taehyung unsealed his eyes and peered at him with a soft look. "I did?" He received two faint nods and felt the warmth on his cheek dissolve. Oddly bothered by the absence of his smooth hand on his face, a small sigh left his lips. "Good. Since I caused it, the least I could do was make it go away." He reclined at a creep, loosening his grasp until he pulled his hand away.

"You didn't-you didn't cause it," he murmured, his thigh feeling cold without his hand on it.

"I did. I made you work here. I brought you into this mess. If I hadn't offered you a job, you wouldn't be here. You wouldn't have to go through what you went through-"

"And you wouldn't be so beaten right now, and you wouldn't be getting another beating-"

"It's not the same, Jeongguk! Kang only waits for the moment I'll screw up so he can beat the shit out of me. If it wasn't for me talking to Solji, it would be for something else. He's always looking for excuses just so he can beat me up. It would have happened again, anyway. It had been eight months."

Jeongguk was outright stunned by how he opened up to him. He didn't expect it at all, but he also didn't expect it to hurt so much. Taehyung's pain pricked his heart in a way that felt similar to the agony he experienced the day his father beat him up.

Unconsciously, tears spilled from his downcast eyes. "Why are you letting him hurt you?"

"It's not so easy, little bun. It's not like I can leave this place without paying the price. And I can never betray him."

"But-but why?"

"I just can't. The point is... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for putting you through this. You don't deserve it."

"These awful people should be saying sorry, not you."

"And Kang should feel like shit for beating me up, not you."

Silence veiled them as their gazes met, tender, tiny smiles decorating their traits.

"You're wearing a turtleneck again."

Jeongguk tensed at the unforeseen statement and darted his eyes away. "Yeah."

"What's up with that face and tone?"

"Nothing."

"Why are you wearing this?"

"It's just that... it's still a little, um, bruised."

"Bruised," V repeated under his breath, brows creasing in thought. Then, it hit him. Bruised. His neck is still bruised. His neck is bruised. "Fuck." He let out a dry chuckle as he ran both hands through his hair, frustrated and pissed off at himself.