Jungkook felt like he was losing his mind, like his feet were slipping, and he was about to fall off of the edge of the world and lose his touch with reality. He could feel Taehyung's chest pressed against his own, he could feel his hot breath sliding over the length of his throat, and his nose brushing against his skin. Even though Taehyung was nowhere near him, Jungkook's mind had burned traces of him into his skin- not allowing him to forget how good it felt to offer himself to Taehyung, for the older to devour him in his starved craze.

But with the leftover traces of Taehyung's touch, came questions and possibilities that set Jungkook's body aflame. Jungkook wondered why Taehyung had pulled back, why hadn't he done as he promised, and fucked Jungkook until he couldn't remember his name?

The bunny toothed boy couldn't understand, and he was scared that his questions would never be answered and they'd be left hanging in the air. But the feeling of fear, was squished by his curiosity and desire to jump into the whirlpool of pleasure that Taehyung could provide him.

Oh, how Jungkook wished Taehyung hadn't pulled away. Because now they lost their small opportunity to forget about the world for a brief second, and fall into each other's grasp like it was their last day on earth, before they were thrust back into reality.

A head full of brown curls tilted to the side and doe eyes blinked down at long, slim fingers. A droplet of white substance rolled down Jungkook's finger and merged into the pool of whiteness resting in the middle of his palm. Jungkook's tongue slipped out of his mouth and ran over his lips- leaving behind a fresh layer of saliva. He stared down at the cum smeared over his palm- tilting his head to the side and rolling his fingers around to try and feel the texture of the substance.

After Taehyung had left him to take care of his own problem, the first thing Jungkook did was screech before dashing towards the showers. He made sure that his shirt was covering the bulge pressed against his jeans, but now he was sure that it made him look even more obvious.

Jungkook had jumped into a shower and gotten rid of his problem before anyone could come in and see it. Yet now he was left with water dripping down his nude body and his hand coated with a fresh layer of cum. Jungkook had gotten himself off a few times in his life- all of them a result of having a wet dream and then watching a video on YouTube about what to do in these situations.

"Jungkook?"

The familiar voice of Rick bounced off of the walls of the bathroom. Jungkook's head swung up and hand shot out towards the stream of water hovering over his head, "I'm naked!" Jungkook screeched- voice high and dripping with panic. He quickly washed away the cum on his hand, all while keeping his gaze locked on the small wall separating the showers and the entrance to the bathroom.

A small hum followed after Jungkook's shout of alarm before Rick chuckled and called out lightheartedly, "Clean up and dress, I have to talk to you about something important."

"Uhm...yeah, yeah, ok..okay!" Jungkook stuttered, quickly shoving his head underneath the cold water and scrubbing the dirt out of his locks. Ice cold droplets of water rolled down his muscular arms before reaching his elbows and dripping onto his abs. The water explored every crevice of Jungkook's body, washing away the dirt and sweat, and leaving behind soft, fair skin.

A shiver rippled through Jungkook's body, his teeth chattered against each other and goosebumps rose on his skin. He reached out a hand and switched off the water before quickly grabbing his towel and dragging it along his chest to capture the water droplets resting there.

Jungkook bounced on the heels of his feet, shivering and trembling as the cold air nipped at his exposed skin, only for him to grab a grey hoodie and push it over his head. He threw the towel to the ground, and quickly grabbed his boxers and joggers. One leg lifted off the ground and got shoved through both- boxers and joggers. Jungkook swerved to the side with a small yelp as he lost his balance, accidentally hitting his shoulder against the shower knob and pressing his joggers against the wet wall.

Jungkook's face scrunched up in pain and lips pressed together to suppress a whine. He tightened his hold on the joggers and pulled them up his thick thighs, wincing at the spots of wetness on the joggers.

"Jungkook?" Rick called out, confused and a bit worried, "You okay?"

"Yes!" Jungkook screamed back, readjusting his matching outfit and tying the strings of his joggers. He bent down and grabbed his towel before patting over to the exit of the room.

The sound of Jungkook's wet feet slapping against the ground, filled the bathroom. Rick's eyes left the tiled floor in front of him and he pushed off of the wall just as Jungkook rounded the corner with blushing cheeks and a nervous smile.

"Hey, what'd you want to talk about?" Jungkook uttered lowly, pressing his hand against the back of his neck and wiping away the droplets of water resting there. His wet hair dripped all over his clothes and skin, leaving behind patches of dark grey, and allowing small shivers to run through Jungkook's body.

Rick's eyes dragged down his body and a soft smile appeared on his face, "I think you put your hoodie on backwards."

Coffee coloured eyes snapped down to the hoodie pressed against Jungkook's broad chest, and pale cheeks turned bright red as the bunny boy noticed that his hoodie, indeed, was put on backward. Yet Jungkook didn't want to admit that he had been so worried about Rick walking in on his naked self, that he made this painfully obvious mistake.

"No, I think it's the design." Jungkook sent Rick a nervous smile, shifting his weight from foot from foot and awkwardly placing his hands on his narrow waist.

Rick's brow quirked and lips pursued before he nodded, "Right." The older dragged out, seeing by the tag and the letters written on it, that the hoodie was put on backward.

Jungkook gulped down a ball of saliva and padded over to his shoes. He bent down and grabbed them before trying to shove them over his feet, all while pressing his shoulder against the wall for balance.

"What'd you want to talk about?" Jungkook questioned, peering up at Rick through wet strands of brown hair. He shoved one boot over his foot, cringing as his bare skin dragged over the insides of his boot, before grabbing his other shoe and lifting up his other leg.

A brief moment of silence passed between the two, allowing a small hint of tension to touch them before Rick's voice swatted it away, "Did you hear about the meeting between me and the governor?"

Jungkook crouched down and grabbed his shoelaces. His brows furrowed and eyes blinked down at his fingers as he tied his shoes, "Uhm, yeah, Daryl and Taehyung mentioned something on the way back to the prison." Jungkook bobbed his head up and down, and pushed off of the ground once he was done.

Jungkook's eyes attached themselves to Rick's glum features, and the hint of smile on his face instantly vanished, "What?" Jungkook whispered, straightening himself out and preparing for bad news.

Rick presses his tongue against the inside of his cheek and twisted his head around to see if anyone else was listening in on their conversation, "The governor proposed a deal to me, a way to stop the war and allow us to live here peacefully. Hershel doesn't agree with this and Daryl is reluctant, but this is what's best for us and what will allow us to-"

"Rick." Jungkook cut him off- lips pressing into a thin line and eyes narrowing. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared back at Rick completely serious, "What's the deal?"

A sharp intake of breath filled the bathroom- the noise making Jungkook tense up and stare back at Rick warily. But no matter what Jungkook prepared himself for, he never expected Rick to utter the next words,

"The governor wants me to hand over Michonne and Taehyung to stop the war."

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

Jungkook was in delirium. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that the Governor wanted to trade Michonne and Taehyung, for peace between the two groups as if they were some sort of objects. But what shocked him the most, was that Rick was actually considering it and was ready to give them both to that psycho, who would probably do way worse than just kill them.

Rick came to Jungkook for advice to see what he thought about it because the leader was conflicted. But as soon as the bomb was dropped on Jungkook's head, the bunny boy screamed a big, fat 'no' at him before dashing away to find Hershel since he was the only one who was completely against the deal.

Finding Hershel was easier than Jungkook thought, the older man was resting in his cell- sitting on his lower bed with his crutch leaning against the bed next to him and a book laid across his lap. Hershel pushed his glasses higher onto his nose and licked the tips of his fingers before flipping onto the next page of the book.

Jungkook's chest rose and fell as soft pants left his lips, he wrung his hands and stepped into the doorway of the cell, blocking the sun and casting shadows on Hershel's book, "Hershel?" Jungkook called out softly, earning himself a small smile from the older man, "Did you know about the deal?" A barely audible whisper left Jungkook's thin lips, but Hershel still heard it and allowed his smile to crumble into a frown.

"Come in, Jungkook." Hershel grabbed his crutch and put it on the other side of himself before patting the free space next to him.

Jungkook took timid footsteps into the cell until he reached Hershel and sat down on the edge of the bed. The sun fell back on the two, showing off the small specks of dust floating in the air.

"This isn't fair!" Jungkook began with a small cry. His face scrunched up and hands lifted due to frustration, only to be curled into loose fists later, "I don't know Michonne that well, but Taehyung has been nothing but nice to us. He's benefited the group by helping us out on multiple occasions- saving Maggie and Glenn from the governor, going to Marley's...grave with Rick and Daryl when I asked them to, took me to Marley's grave later on and then was there for me when I-...uhm...he...he also stopped me from hurting myself and anyone else when I was losing my shit, he taught me about the LGBT community and taught me to drive!" Jungkook didn't notice as his lips lifted to reveal his bunny smile and how his eyes gleamed like two little diamonds.

"He went after me when I was kidnapped and saved me." Jungkook whispered softly with a small smile, he turned his attention onto Hershel who was watching him with a calm expression, "Taehyung has never lost his patience with me and always looked out for me, even when I treated him like shit and was an asshole to him. He never stopped being kind and caring, and that's the type of person that deserves to be in this group. We can't just..." Jungkook's smile slipped from his face and eyes dropped down to his hands resting in his lap, "We can't just give him to the governor like he's nothing to us."

Hershel didn't say anything for a few more seconds, except for a small hum. Jungkook sunk into his own thoughts- jumping from the images of Taehyung's small smirk and obsidian eyes, and the sight of him screaming in agony from the governor torturing him for the rest of his life.

"Jungkook."

A gentle hand settled on his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts and causing him to look up. The pout on his face deepened at the look on Hershel's face, making him shake his head frantically and pull himself away from Hershel to allow his hand to fall away.

"No, I know what you're gonna say, and Taehyung doesn't deserve this, neither does Michonne. Do they even know about this deal? Does Taehyung even know that Rick, who he seemed to trust and care about so much, is ready to offer him to the governor so easily?" Jungkook scoffed out a laugh, blinking away tears of frustration that burned at the corners of his eyes. Hershel's lips parted as he prepared to speak, only for Jungkook to frown and cut him off, "What would you do if it was Maggie or Beth he asked? Huh?"

"Jungkook." Hershel cut him off firmly, pressing his lips into a thin line and placing his wrinkly hand own on Jungkook's knee to stop his leg from bouncing up and down, "I'm not the one you should convince, you need to go talk to Rick about this. Tell this to him, not me."

Jungkook sucked in his lower lip and fiddled with his thumbs, his gaze lowered to the small crack running over the grey concrete wall and he gave Hershel a timid nod, "Can I ask you something else?" Jungkook mumbled- barely moving his lips to allow the words to escape.

"Yes, you can."

"Am I a good person?"

Silence washed over the room like a small wave. Jungkook's eyes stayed glued on the grey wall and his hands clenched around his sleeves until his fingers lost colour. A soft sigh filled his ears before Hershel placed his hand on top of Jungkook's head and ruffled his brown locks.

"The thing is, Jungkook, a person isn't just good or bad, it's so much more complicated than that. Sometimes a good person does bad things- drives away from a crash scene in a state of shock and panic, doesn't water their plants, which causes them to die. Sometimes a bad person does good things- helps a lost child find their mom, lends money to someone who's short at the cash register. Some people aren't bad at all, yet we all are the bad guys to someone."

Hershel's words made Jungkook breathe out a short breath and look up at Hershel with hopeful eyes, "But..but I've killed people...I can't be good."

Hershel's smile faltered before it turned more gentle and he patted Jungkook's shoulder in a comforting manner, "This world....it's different, Jungkook, you have to adapt or die. I'm not saying that killing is okay, but when your life is being threatened, you have to fight for it." Hershel offered him a comforting smile as he shut his book and placed it on top of his pillow.

Jungkook's eyes followed the black leather book and the golden cross on top of it. His tongue slipped over his cracked lips and fingers brushed his hair out of his face, "Not all of them tried to kill me though." Jungkook whispered quietly- eyes glued on the back of Hershel's head.

The old man slowly turned his head towards Jungkook, revealing the frown etched over his lips. Jungkook's eyes instinctively dropped down to his fingers and he pulled his sweater over his hands.

A hum rumbled in Hershel's throat and he eyed Jungkook's face carefully, "You may not be the same kid I met in the bar a year ago, the one who preached about hope, but that doesn't mean the person inside of you has completely died. Change...it's in our nature, it's something that is bound to happen. The things that we experience, wether small or big, changes us each day." Hershel stated softly- his white beard moving as he spoke, "Just because you changed, doesn't mean you have to stay this way for the rest of your life. Everyone's allowed to redeem themselves and find the balance between the person they used to be, and the person they've become."

"Really?" Jungkook breathed out, blinking up at Hershel with hopeful bambi eyes.

The older man released a husky chuckle, allowing his eyes to wrinkle in the corners, "You're still young, Jungkook, you have your entire life ahead of you. It's bound for you to lose a sight of yourself and go off the right path. If you hadn't done that, how would you know who you are and who you're not?" Hershel rose a brow, causing Jungkook's brows to furrow and eyes to become hazy as he repeated Hershel's words in a quiet mumble.

"So I can be better?" Jungkook perked up, staring back at Hershel with a timid bunny smile, "Despite everything, I can still be the same person I used to be?"

Hershel's smile faltered at Jungkook's words and lips got pressed in a thin line, he intertwined his fingers and placed them on top of his lap, "You're never gonna be the same boy you used to be, and you shouldn't try to be him. What happened to you, happened for a reason, to make you into a better person and help you evolve. Instead of trying to latch onto the person you used to be and trying to become that, embrace and shape the person you are now, and make an even better version of your past self."

"But I liked how I used to be." Jungkook breathed out, allowing his smile to slip away and be replaced by a frown. He turned his head into Hershel's direction and sent the man a confused look, "How can I find the balance between the old me and the new me?"

Hershel's face softened even more and he released a gruff chuckle, causing his chest to shake up and down, and eyes to flutter shut, "You'll figure it out eventually."

Jungkook huffed and pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose, "That's not very helpful." He whispered quietly, which thankfully went unnoticed by Hershel.

A small knock against the concrete wall captured the attention of Hershel and Jungkook. Both of them turned to look at the doorway and noticed Daryl hovering in front of the cell. The man's eyes jumped between them before settling onto Jungkook, "Come with me." Daryl grumbled, nodding for Jungkook to follow him.

"Ugh, bye." Jungkook wiggled his fingers at Hershel before pushing off of the bed and scrambling after Daryl. He easily caught up to the older man and eyed him with confusion, "Where are we going?"

"Rick can't find Taehyung, Michonne and Merle anywhere." Daryl answered simply, leading Jungkook out of the prison. The soft breeze played with their hair, and the sun immediately attached to their bodies, casting shadows on the ground.

Worry grasped Jungkook's heart at Daryl's words. He wondered if Taehyung and Michonne found out about the deal, and decided to flee, or if Merle had done something to them. Jungkook hoped it wasn't either of the options- fearing that in result, he won't be able to see Taehyung ever again. The change in their relationship was drastic, but Jungkook no longer wanted to hide the fact that he enjoyed Taehyung's company and found his personality refreshing midst all the chaos of the world.

Daryl led him into a separate building of the prison by walking up a flight of stairs and pulling open a metal door. A cloud of dust immediately smacked Jungkook in the face, causing him to raise his hand and wave it in front of his nose. His eyes dragged over the pipes running along the walls of the room and the metal boxes placed inside of it. It looked like some sort of control or maybe boiler room, Jungkook wasn't really sure, but he was sure it had something to do with communication and possibly the electricity.

Rick was already present in the room, eyeing a small desk and the phone resting on top of it, before turning his head around to look at them. Daryl easily marched into the room- analysing everything carefully, "He was in here, said he was looking for drugs." Daryl stated, marching through the room and towards the back of it.

"Wait, wait, wait, what's happening?" Jungkook raised his hands, following Rick and Daryl with furrowed brows and a small pout.

Rick glanced at him over his shoulder, "We think that Merle took Michonne and Taehyung to the governor himself."

The look on Jungkook's face hardened and he sent Rick a small glare, "Why are you so worried them? Shouldn't you be happy that he did your job for you?" Jungkook scoffed, brushing past Rick to follow after Daryl, who rose a brow at Kook's words.

Rick's eyes dug into Jungkook's back and hand settled on his shoulder to pull him back and turn him around, "Jungkook." Rick spoke sternly when Jungkook shook his hand off and turned away from him. Rick pinched the bridge of his nose and placed his other hand on his hip, "I never wanted to give them to The governor, I admit, I was tempted because I was scared to not only lose this place in this war, but your lives too. But in the end, I would never give Taehyung and Michonne to the governor for them to be killed or tortured." Rick lowered his voice and stated firmly, carefully watching Jungkook's reaction.

"But you..." Jungkook's head lifted and he turned to look at Rick, only for his glare to falter after seeing the concern and guilt flashing across Rick's eyes. The bunny boy frowned before giving Rick a small nod, "Okay." He mumbled through a scowl, receiving a nod and a pat on his head from Rick.

Both of them turned to look at Daryl as he bent down and picked up a lavender coloured blanket, "He took them here." He huffed, dropping the blanket and standing back up.

Jungkook took a step closer to Daryl and eyed the blanket carefully, wondering how Daryl knew that from a simple blanket. But Jungkook didn't doubt Daryl's tracking skills, so he just kept quiet and followed after the pair as they approached the door at the end of the room.

"Damn it," Rick hissed, tightening his hold on his gun and marching over to the other door that led out of the prison, "I'm going after them." Rick called out as he reached for the door-handle, only to be stopped by Daryl's voice.

"You can't track for shit." Daryl scoffed, pushing his crossbow higher onto his shoulder.

Rick's hand slipped away from the door and he turned to look back at them, "Then all of us go."

"Sounds good." Jungkook chirped, eager to go get Taehyung and rub it into the older's face that he had saved him this time. But before Jungkook could take another step closer to the metal door, Daryl stretched out a hand and placed it in front of him.

"No, only me." Daryl shook his head, dropping his hand to his side and brushing past Rick. He grabbed the door handle and flung the door open, allowing fresh air to pool into the room and mix with the dust floating through the air, "Plus they're gonna come back here and you need to be ready, your family too." Daryl modded at Rick, receiving a frown and a hesitant nod in return.

Jungkook's eyes flickered between the pair before they rolled around, "I'm coming with you." He stated confidentially, only for Daryl to step in front of him and shake his head.

"Stay here." Daryl glared down at him before whirling around on his heel and exiting the prison. The door slammed shut behind him, cutting off the sun-rays and trapping Jungkook in the dusty room.

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

Lmao we're so close to the end of Book one, there's legit gonna be around 5 more chapters maybe? I'm so excited honestly! This is the first book I actually finish, and all thanks to your comments and votes that motivated me to continue writing!

Anywhore please go check out my other books, yes, I write other books too. Lmao, have a nice day/night!

By the way, Where do y'all think Tae at?

~Benikru