It was almost like he was in a dream.

Jungkook was numb, body and brain both unable to register what was happening.

If you were to ask him about that day, he couldn't tell you a thing besides the traumatic sounds of sirens blaring down the street, closer and closer until they passed him.

He was unable to move, body quite literally shutting down. He didn't know how long it had been since the gunshot rang through the air but he could see the neighbors coming out of their houses.

His breathing was particularly heavy and labored as he turned around in circles, eyesight blurry as he saw the faces of strangers outside their doorsteps, whispering amongst themselves.

He could feel a thin coat of sweat on his forehead and the violent tremble of his fingers when he hesitantly began to move towards the house surrounded by red and blue lights.

But when he finally got there he was held back, unable to do anything but scream at them to let him pass.

But his voice died down, body feeling extremely heavy when he saw them bring out a stretcher, white sheet over the body.

He suddenly stopped fighting the officer, face pale and a faint buzzing in his ears.

-

Jungkook was an utter mess, eyes bloodshot, face hollow and hair greasy.

Yoongi and Hoseok couldn't do a single thing besides watch as he slowly deteriorated into someone he wasn't.

He was moody and downright aggressive and violent, his hands were shaky all the time and the clench of his jaw was now permanent it seemed.

Jimin was no better but he had Yoongi to keep him company, eyes distant and bloodshot.

Jungkook carried around the note Taehyung had given him that day like his entire life depended on the crumpled piece of paper.

The letters were faint and smeared from him holding it in his clammy hands, eyes skimming over the words over and over again until the tears in his eyes no longer allowed him to do so.

It wasn't until a few days after that day that he found himself opening the Bible Taehyung had gifted him, heart heavy because he hadn't even opened it once.

He reached out with shaky hands and opened the book, colored sticky notes sticking out along the side of the book.

His eyes immediately scanned the neat handwriting, feeling the heavy feeling in his chest beginning to settle.

He gently traced the words with his fingertips, feeling when the first tear fell down his cheek.

He turned the pages, eyes trying to take in the little notes Taehyung would leave after every verse, varying from little hearts and claims that it was his favorite verse.

But there was one page in particular that stood out to him, it had a soft pink sticky note on the page.

The note was written neatly in Taehyung's handwriting, words surrounded by a sea of flowers and little hearts.

His eyes scanned the page before they landed on the marked verse;

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient, love is kind.

It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous,

It is not inflated, it is not rude,

It does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.

It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

There was something so downright heartbreaking about those words, making his eyes mist over immediately.

Just knowing that Taehyung read those exact words every day, the purest part of him believing it wholeheartedly broke him.

He couldn't help but think back to when he first laid eyes on Taehyung, the look of hurt in his eyes when Jungkook had acted so cold towards him.

The weird feeling in his stomach at the sight of his soft brown eyes gazing at him and the flush of his cheeks.

He had tried so hard to convince himself that he wouldn't get attached to him, he couldn't.

But he was so persistent and downright gorgeous, the most beautiful person Jungkook had ever laid eyes on.

He was so kind and sweet, innocent and naive that Jungkook couldn't shake the feeling of overprotectiveness blooming in his chest.

All of the times he would walk him home, he was unknowingly falling in love with him a little bit more.

The fire in his body grew with intensity until the second their lips had met for the first time and the tears in Taehyung's eyes, the sheer terror of his own feelings.

Jungkook was sobbing as he gripped the Bible tightly in his hands, fingertips white from his harsh grip.

He wondered if Taehyung had been scared the last seconds before it happened, heart hurting from the mere thought of it.

And then the feeling of Taehyung's hands on his chest and over his back had him shaking because he could still feel him.

His soft, smooth skin, heated and so warm under him as he touched him and made love to him.

His soft moans of pleasure floated in his ears and he could suddenly still hear Taehyung whispering how much he loved him.

"Promise me... Promise me that this is forever."

"You made me promise," Jungkook whispered to himself, remembering the words Taehyung had uttered the day he finally accepted his feelings.

A broken sob left his lips because he could remember how terrified Taehyung had been, clinging onto Jungkook's promise that they would be together forever.

"You can't make me break that promise." He croaked out, shaking his head in denial.

He was gently rocking back and forth, throat burning because he couldn't stop crying, no matter how hard he tried.

Jungkook would have loved to believe that what they had was love in the purest yet fiercest forms, the fire in his heart was still ignited when he thought of it all.

Of what they had endured and lived through, fought for their love through tears and misunderstandings.

His legs were fast as he ran past the double doors, eyes wide and his breathing heavy.

He could feel his hyungs' gaze on him as he walked past, background blurred when he finally opened the door, the static noise finally dying down.

A small broken smile rose onto his lips when those long, thick lashes fluttered open, warm brown eyes meeting his.

The end.