Tears rolled down Jungkook's cheeks, tears he couldn't hold back. He tried, but his sobs only increased in intensity. He just felt so empty, so scared. Like a child who had just let go of his mother's hand, lost in the crowd.
Seeing the boy burst into uncontrollable sobs, John panicked.
"J-Jungkook? Jungkook, what's the matter? Please don't cry..."
But nothing helped. The teenager continued to cry, awkwardly wiping his eyes, to no avail, as his soaked hands soon couldn't stop the tears from flowing. His t-shirt was starting to get damp too, and his face was getting redder and redder from the violence of his crying.
"I-I want hyungie... Where is he...? My hyungie..."
John felt really bad, a lump of guilt forming in his throat. He didn't know how to comfort the boy. He wanted to hug him, to whisper to him that everything would be all right, but he knew that would only make the situation worse. Now Jungkook must really hate him. So touching him was out of the question. It would only make him feel worse.
But the boy continued to cry, louder and louder, his sobs making it impossible for him to breathe at times. It broke John's heart. Jungkook had never let anyone see such a part of him. The boy always looked so proud, so arrogant, so sure of himself. To see him shatter before his eyes was just unbearable. John would have looked away, if he didn't know it was partly his fault.
His phone chose that moment to ring. But John ignored it. His attention was entirely focused on Jungkook, who didn't seem to be calming down any time soon. The ringing finally stopped, much to John's delight.
But the object rang immediately afterwards.
John ignored it again. He let the ringing continue until it stopped. Then the phone rang again. John's annoyance was at its peak. This time he took it out of his pocket and, seeing that it was an unknown number, hung up immediately. At least the message would be clear: he didn't want to be disturbed.
The message didn't seem to get through. The stranger called him a fourth time.
"Fucking hell, give me a break..."
John couldn't take it anymore, and he was beginning to realise that this stranger had more patience than he did. So he picked up the phone, more to tell him to piss off than to find out who it was. Especially as Jungkook was still crying in front of him.
"What?!"
"Give him the phone."
John froze. The voice was cold, authoritative. Filled with calm, dangerous anger. He recognized it instantly.
"How did you get my number?"
"I told you to give him the phone."
John had no intention of doing so. Even though he knew the situation was hurting Jungkook, he hadn't changed his mind: Taehyung was toxic for the boy. And even if it was hurting him now, being away from Taehyung could only do him good in the long term.
"No."
A cold, humourless laugh echoed through the object.
"It wasn't a request, Lim. It was an order."
"You're nobody to give me orders."
There was a short silence.
"I bet he's crying right now. He's crying and there's nothing you can do about it. He's crying and all he wants is me. He just wants me."
John swallowed. Because it was true. And he hated that Taehyung was right, especially about Jungkook.
"What happens to Jungkook is no longer your concern. I'm going to hang up now."
"Do that and I'll call until you've become deaf."
"I can block your number."
"I'll find other ways to reach you. You've taken the only thing in the world that means anything to me. Don't think you're safe. The whole world has become my hunting ground."
John had to admit that the threat was effective. Kim Taehyung was terrifying, and he knew it. That's why he played him.
"You don't scare me, so drop your childlike threats." John bluffed.
Taehyung didn't reply immediately, instead letting out a long sigh.
"I don't doubt the sincerity of your feelings for Jungkook. But if these feelings are real, then you know as well as I do that what he needs most right now is me. Let him hear my voice and he'll stop crying."
John wanted to refuse at first. He didn't want the two of them to have any contact. But he only had to look at Jungkook to realise that he couldn't be selfish. The boy hadn't even realised he was on the phone, let alone with Taehyung. He continued to cry, unable to stop, awkwardly wiping his cheeks as a child would. A terrified child.
John's heart sank. He'd never wanted it to come to this. Seeing Jungkook in such a state was the last thing he wanted. Yet he was part of the reason for the teenager's despair and distress. So he gently lifted the phone from his ear and, with a hesitant but resigned gesture, handed it to Jungkook. The latter looked up at him in confusion.
"Take it." John said.
Jungkook frowned, clearly suspicious. What if it was his father? What was his name again...? Lim Kwan? Jungkook didn't want to talk to this man. He shook his head, but John insisted.
"You've got nothing to worry about. Take it, Jungkook." he repeated.
A pout appeared on the teenager's lips, making him look adorable despite the seriousness of the situation. John had a certain tenderness in his eyes, so he assumed he had nothing to fear from the person on the other end of the line. He gently picked up the object and slowly brought it to his ear.
"H-Hello...?"
"Darling."
Jungkook froze, his heart suddenly beating a hundred miles an hour. His chest compressed as more tears began to fall down his cheeks.
"Hyuuungiiieee..." he cried, with such force that he nearly choked.
"Shh, my love, calm down..."
"Hyungie, I'm so scared... Come and get me, please... I'll be a good boy, I'll never cause trouble again, I won't leave the house if I have to, but please, come and get me!"
Hearing such distress in his baby's voice made him want to destroy everything around him. But he restrained himself. Jungkook would only panic even more if he lost his temper too. He had to stay calm.
"Baby, I promise I'll get you out of here. So calm down, you might hurt yourself if you get in such a state..."
Jungkook shook his head sharply, as if the man could see him.
"I-I can't... I want to be with you..."
"I know, and I'll come and get you. I already told you that, didn't I? You're mine and nobody else's. I'll burn the world down if I have to, but you'll always come back to me. Darling, you trust me, don't you?"
The boy nodded, before remembering that Taehyung couldn't see him.
"Y-yes..."
"Then stop worrying. I'll be there soon, I promise. I love you, you know that?"
"H-Hm. I love you too, Hyungie..."
The man couldn't help but smile when he heard his baby's adorable voice. He was probably pouting right now. Ah, he was dying to see him.
"Give back the phone to that bastard. He and I need to talk."
"B-but..."
"Don't worry, sweatheart. Let Hyungie take care of everything."
Jungkook's pout deepened, but he handed the phone back to John, obviously reluctantly. He would have liked to talk to Taehyung longer. But if giving him back the mobile meant seeing his hyungie again sooner, then he had no other choice.
John brought the phone up to his ear, his eyes never leaving the boy in front of him, who still hadn't given him the slightest glance.
"Well, you got what you wanted." he said. "Now I'm going to hang up."
"Huh huh, not so fast, American boy. You and I need to talk."
~🍁~
I want a Taehyung in my life too😩