Jin and Jimin were both exhausted the next day. Jimin had gotten some sleep after Jin had taken over, but Jin got absolutely none. Taehyung and Jungkook were up with nightmares the entire night and Jin didn't know what to do except repeatedly tell them they were safe and okay.
Hobi and Yoongi took over making breakfast while everyone else continued resting in their beds.
Namjoon finally woke up and strolled to the living room, turning the TV on. It was all over the news that "The People In The Woods" documentary had been real, and discovered by police after "multiple victims and witnesses were found."
Namjoon turned the off TV. Aish. Hopefully they leave our maknae's names out of this whole thing.
"Goodmorning," Jimin said from the hallway while ruffling his own hair. His hyungs asked how his night went and he explained what happened.
"Damn, any idea what their nightmares were about?" Hobi asked.
"I mean...one could assume what they were about," Jimin replied.
"Fair point," Hobi said. He gestured for Jimin to sit at the table and served him breakfast first. Yoongi went to go wake up the others. When he opened the door Jin was awake playing on his phone, and Jungkook was awake just staring at a sleeping Taehyung.
"Good morning! Breakfast is ready!" Yoongi smiled and left the room.
Jin got up and walked over to Jungkook. "You feeling hungry?"
Jungkook nodded. Jin grabbed his maknae's hand to help him up out of bed and led him towards the bedroom door but Jungkook froze in his tracks.
"No," Jungkook said with a shaky voice.
"What?" Jin turned to him confused.
Jungkook pointed to Taehyung. "I can't just leave him there."
"But we should let him keep sleeping. You two didn't exactly sleep well last night," Jin said.
"I can't leave him all alone," Jungkook frowned.
"Why?" Jin asked.
"Because what if something happens to him?"
"What would happen? He's asleep in his bed, Kookie. Nothing is going to happen to him, I promise."
Jungkook backed away from Jin and sat on the bed next to Taehyung. "I'll wait for him to wake up."
"Koo-"
"I said I'll wait!" Jungkook yelled. The youngest felt like he'd made a lot of mistakes that got Taehyung hurt and he wasn't going to dare do that again.
Jin sighed. "Okay." He wasn't going to pressure Jungkook into leaving Taehyung alone if that's not what the maknae wanted.
The oldest made his way to the kitchen and everyone hugged him and thanked him for taking one for the team.
"It's nothing." Jin yawned as he grabbed a plate of food, and walked back towards the maknae's bedroom.
"What...are you doing?" Namjoon asked.
"Jungkook won't come out without Taehyung and who knows when that boy will wake up and he needs to eat, so breakfast in bed it is." Jin disappeared down the hall.
The rest of the members looked at eachother, eyes full with sorrow. "What exactly do we do about that? The separation anxiety I mean?" Yoongi asked.
"I have no idea. Hopefully their psychiatrist can help with that," Namjoon replied.
"When are they coming by for the first visit?" Hobi asked.
"In a few days. The two need some time to get settled in first," Namjoon replied.
They were now all sitting together eating. They were presenting themselves as happy that their maknae's were home, but the lingering sadness in the air over what had happened to them was thick.
Jungkook didn't want to eat the breakfast until Taehyung woke up and could eat too.
"Alright," Jin said as he placed the plate of food down on the end table, he knew this would be nothing but a losing battle for him so he changed the subject. "Well it's your first real day home, what would you like to do today?"
"I think I'd like to go back to sleep." Jungkook lay down next to Taehyung and wrapped his arm around him, closing his eyes.
Jin's heart sank a bit. He wanted to spend a lot of quality time doing things together with the two, especially after them finally coming home, but he understood that they were hurting and needed a lot of time to rest and recover. He got up and ran his fingers through Jungkook's and Taehyung's hair. "Sleep well."
He went back to the others and they could see he was sulking. They talked about how much they had missed the two but found comfort in knowing at least they were back.
Namjoon had called in a new medicine for Jungkook and asked if Jin didn't mind going and picking it up, the oldest got right to it and was back shortly.
A few hours had gone by and the two maknae's had finally woken up together and strolled out of their room.
"Did you eat?" Jin asked.
Jungkook handed him the empty plate. "Yes, thank you hyung."
The members ran over and all pulled them into gentle hugs. The hyungs made sure the two took their medications, Jungkook being thankful for a better tasting one, and then everyone huddled onto one couch together. Yoongi asked if there was anything the two youngest wanted to watch, but Namjoon gave him a warning glare and silently mouthed to him not to turn the TV on.
"Right," Yoongi mouthed back.
The ordeal was all over television, it was best Jungkook and Taehyung didn't see it pop up somehow. Thankfully the two were currently also without cell phones, so that eased the others minds for the time being.
"Actually I was thinking maybe we could all talk?" Jimin spoke up. He turned to his dongsaeng's. "I know you guys havent wanted to say much of what happened, but you guys had some bad nightmares last night. I just...you know we all love you and just want to help you. We aren't too sure how to do that until you tell us what you went through."
"Jimin maybe it's not the best time to-" Hobi started, but Taehyung cut him off. "It's okay."
Taehyung felt a little more ready to talk. He felt Jungkook tense up under his arm, the maknae being not so ready. "What would you like to know?" Taehyung asked.
Namjoon felt his phone vibrate and saw it was the police calling him. He denied the call. Absolutely not. They aren't talking to the police until after they've talked to us.
"Well...I guess the first thing is..what the hell happened at the carnival?" Jin asked.
Taehyung told Jin about Jungkook getting grabbed and trying to save him. He explained the trip through the woods. The members were mortified hearing how it all played out. Everything just kept getting worse. And everything played out just like it had in that documentary and the hyungs were all crying and on the verge of throwing up.
Taehyung was still too scared to get too into detail, but he'd gotten to the point of it. They were tortured and beaten. Repeatedly.
"Is that why you two are afraid to be away from eachother? Because bad things would happen when you were?" Yoongi asked.
"I-" Taehyung started crying. "I mean...the first time we were was my fault...and Kookie...he...he...almost..." Taehyung squeezed Jungkook tightly and kissed his head.
He couldn't finish his sentence. Jungkook looked to him. "That wasn't your fault."
The members stared for a moment. "What wasn't his fault? You don't have to tell us but it would be nice of you to," Hobi said.
Jungkook finished speaking for Taehyung, explaining how a man had grabbed him and tried dragging him into the woods and they were shot at.
"Oh." Hobi frowned as the hyungs let out a collective gasp.
The member's tears were falling quickly. Jungkook finally gathered the courage to admit a little more of what happened and the hyungs began to understand more of the trauma and anxiety and why the two had trouble separating.
Jungkook had gotten to a point where he didn't want to discuss more as he remembered spilling the drink and the Master taking Taehyung and beating him unconscious.
"I'm not feeling very well," Jungkook said. He was getting nauseous.
"You don't have to continue," Jimin said as he wiped his tears. He squeezed Jungkook into a hug. "What you're doing is a good thing. Even if it's just small parts at a time, and it hurts to speak about it, what you're doing is a good thing."
"How?" Taehyung spoke up again.
Namjoon caressed the back of his hand against Taehyung's cheek. "This is how you get started."
"Started on what?" Taehyung was confused as Namjoon smiled at him.
"Started on healing."