SAVE ME ||A Kim Taehyung Fanfiction||

⫣9⫦ Shadows of the Past

The way back takes about twice as long, maybe due to the fact that we have to climb along steep cliffs and more than once, one of us stumbles into the water and has to be helped out.

The sun is already disappearing behind the valley of the lake, turning the water into red and orange flames as we make it back to the little run down hut.

Jin and J-Hope make themselves useful by lighting the massive pile of wood in the middle and Suga is slumped on the sofa, a cigarette in his left and a drink in his right hand, watching them.

Jimin and Jungkook are playing catch with a baseball and Taehyung was sent to get some blankets they had left in the car.

I sit on the soft sand, my feet splashing the water, looking out at the sunset.

The picture of Taehyung falling down that cliff keeps repeating in my head.

A pressure suddenly lands on my shoulder and I looked up in surprise.

RM smiles down at me, and then takes a seat next to me.

I can hear Jungkook and Jin arguing about something in the back, but I can't make out the exact words.

"You all right?", RM finally asks and I sigh.

No- I'm definitely not all right.
My life has just been turned upside down in the matter of hours.

Or maybe it all started the moment I met Taehyung in my garden that first night.

I remain silent for a while, and RM lets me.

"Why did he do that?" I ask into the quiet.

RM picks up a stone and throws in into the water, making it ripple and shimmer.

"How much do you know about us?" he asks, turning towards me.

"Not that much, " I answer honestly.
All I really heard were rumours.

He sighs like the weight of the world is resting on his shoulders and that sad smile is back on his face.
I see nothing of the cunning I saw earlier.
Nothing but a sad boy looking out at the water as he starts talking lowly.

"Jin was the first one I found."

I look at him in surprise, not having expected for him to speak so casually about their personal life story.
Aren't they afraid I'll tell someone?

I don't know a lot about Gangs and the Underground, but I figured that their reputation as tough bad boys is something they both need and want to keep.

"He got into a pretty bad accident when he stole his father's car.
He was only seventeen back then.
I shared a hospital bed with him.
I may have gotten myself beat up bad enough to receive some broken bones and a concussion. Perhaps a stab wound too."

He smiles a little pained, like the memory is still fresh while I am having trouble connecting the boy who sits so sad and burdened next to me to someone who would get into such a brutal fight.

"He didn't say much, kept quiet and to himself.
Then his father paid him a visit- told him that if Jin was intent to ruin his life, he should have just killed himself already and spared them the embarrassment.
He left and told him not to bother coming home.
I could hear him cry the entire night and he finally spoke to me.
Told me all about his abusive father, who only cared about his reputation and his status.
Told me this was not the first time in hospital, only the first he caused himself.
You should have seen his face of relieve when I offered him a place to sleep."

A deep sorrow fills my heart when I look back at Jin.
He is currently smiling and running in circles, chased by Jungkook who looks like he's about to punch the shit out of him.