⚠️ Sensitive Content: The author is in no way supporting the scenes that follow nor intending to offend anyone. ⚠️

Pierce in the heart,
Burn every bone,
Turn this evil soul,
Into ashes of gold.

Tears trickled down my face as the music started to resonate in the dark room lit by candles circling around where I sat.

I blinked my eyes as tears continued to stream down my face, further until it reached and wet the cloth around my mouth.

My muffled sobs and my heavy breathing were all I could hear mixing with the song I grew fond of already... weirdly.

Cries full of sins,
Tears bloody red,
Let this darkness
Be met by death.

I closed my eyes and hummed the song in my head as I heard the footsteps coming nearby.

May this darkness
Be met by death.

The lyrics made my tears fall once more as I silently waited for the door to open. I wanted to run, but both my hands and feet were tied on my chair, restraining any attempt.

And I already knew better than to run away. Nothing good could come out of it anyway.

Sinner
Sinner

Let this sinner
Be doomed to death.

Before the music could play on repeat, the door slammed open and came the people I had come to hate.

"Hello, angel. Have you finally repented from your sins?" Her voice sounded soft and assuring, like that of someone who truly cared.

But I had known better. After all, how many times had this been already? For how long should I experience this to be 'cured'?

Can I be cured?

Or was I really sick to begin with?

Sick... was I really?

Wasn't it really normal for a boy to like another boy?

Maybe... I was really sick... A sinner.

"Look at me. Have you finally realized what grave sin you are committing?" She asked once more, face leveling on my own.

I could see her veil framing her face as she stared deep in my eyes. She used to look at me with fondness but now, all I could see was nothing but judgment.

I silently nodded as tears continued to trickle down my eyes.

I wanted to run... to be free.

Maybe if I lie and just pretend that I was cured... maybe she'll free me from all of this.

However, the faces of the people that came inside the room with her had my body trembling.

No!

"Let us be sure if you're finally cured." She stood, her habit long and black as she turned and allowed the people to circle around me.

Their gaze made my tears stream heavily as I muffled my cries for help... begged them to have mercy.

But just like any of the days that had gone by, nobody listened.

They started to chant a ritual as all of them simultaneously began hitting my body with a flogger.

Each blow had my eyes shutting in pain as tears continued to wet my face.

"Bless this angel's soul and let him be free from the monster possessing him."

I heard them say as few more whippings came, numbing my legs and my arms.

"And now, for the offering." She said as someone came in once more, bearing the only friend I had come to treasure.

No! Please! No!

My tears continued to flood as I began to move, trying my hardest to remove my restraints.

I didn't care whether the rope was biting my skin as I struggled.

No!

My voice and pleading were muffled as I stared at my rabbit being held by the ears, right in front of me.

No! No! He was the only friend I have!

He was the only one who wanted to be with me.

"Take this offering to rid this angel off his sins." She murmured, closing her eyes as she uttered prayers.

I continued to struggle for my release as the wounds deepened, but nothing was more important than saving my only friend.

Please!

I felt a woman come near me, followed by the pain of a needle piercing on my forearm and gradually, its effect started calming me.

Everything seemed to have slowed down as I sat there helplessly watching my rabbit being killed with a slice on the neck.

The sight of the blood gushing out of its wound should have made me scream in pain and horror but none came. I couldn't feel anything as I watched everything with my own eyes.

Everything...

"May your sins finally be cleaned." She uttered, resting the dead rabbit on the floor as she wiped the blood all over me.

To my face, to my beaten limbs, to my feet.

And all I could do was watch in horror, tears no longer flowing.

"Call the consultant." She commanded before the people finally went out of the room.

The silence that came thereafter was ringing in my ear as my eyes couldn't leave the sight of my only friend now lying dead in front of me.

If only I knew she would use him this time as an offering, I should've just killed him with my own hands.

As I continued to stare at him, the incoming footsteps started to grow loud and not too long when the consultant finally stopped by the door.

"Dr. Kruger." She acknowledged as she allowed the man to come inside.

"How are you, my boy?" He asked as he leveled his face to mine. He had the smile that only made me close my eyes.

"I'll leave everything to you, Doctor." She said before leaving the room.

I wanted to cry for help one last time, but only her veil and her habit as she finally closed the door were the only things I saw before I felt the man's hand on my head.

"Ready for another consultation?" He asked with the same wicked smile that he only showed to me, masking his true intentions that only him and I know.

"Shall we begin?" He murmured, hand landing on his belt as he slowly removed it.

"Hyung..."

A tap on the shoulder made the ravenette abruptly sit on the bed as his hands instinctively gripped the other by the neck, choking him.

"Hyung..." Taehyung felt his breath cut short as Jungkook's hands grew tighter around his neck.

The ravenette's face was full of horror, eyes still wide and unfocused as if he hadn't finally grasp his reality at all.

"It's-me.." Taehyung whispered, hand tenderly circling around Jungkook's wrist.

Only then was Jungkook able to snap out of trance, finally able to see Taehyung's face that was turning red from how hard he was gripping him by the neck.

"Taehyung.." Jungkook breathed hard, hands slowly releasing the other who started coughing from lack of air.

"I—I didn't-"

He wasn't able to finish his words when Taehyung slowly hugged him, caging him in his arms.

"You were having a nightmare, hyung." Taehyung whispered, face buried on the crook of Jungkook's neck.

The ravenette wasn't able to say anything as his hands slowly embraced Taehyung, pulling him closer to him.

"I'm sorry. I almost killed you." Jungkook whispered, back now resting on the headboard with Taehyung still on top of him.

The latter could feel the soak of sweat from the ravenette's shirt but he didn't mind.

"It's okay, hyung. I know you didn't mean it." Taehyung said, lifting his head to stare at those raven eyes.

"Are you feeling all right now?" He asked and all Jungkook could do was sigh as he saw the marks on Taehyung's neck.

"Did it hurt?" Jungkook asked instead of answering. His hand slowly caressed the area, feeling Taehyung skin under his palms and fingers.

"No." Taehyung quickly answered.

"I'm sorry." Jungkook whispered, pulling Taehyung closer until his neck was now pressed on his lips.

The ravenette tenderly placed kisses on the other's neck, all over the area he had hurt.

"I'm sorry, little lamb." Jungkook continued to apologize which made Taehyung silent.

He let the older kiss him until he's satisfied. When Jungkook finally calmed down, he embraced Taehyung tighter as if he would slip away if he wouldn't.

"Was it a really bad nightmare, hyung?" Taehyung asked after a while.

"Yeah." Jungkook responded.

Both of them were whispering in the darkness with nothing but the mellow light coming from the nightstand illuminating the room.

"What was it about?" Taehyung asked, resting his cheek on Jungkook's wide chest.

He could hear the erratic beating of the ravenette's heart as if he had just run a mile.

"The people I killed." Jungkook answered with a sigh. His hand found Taehyung's hair, playing the strands around his fingers.

"What are they doing?" Taehyung asked once more.

Jungkook didn't answer for a while as his eyes darted on the ceiling. The memory started replaying once more like a broken cd.

"Torturing me." He answered after a long silence.

Taehyung didn't ask anymore as he felt Jungkook's arms tightening around him even more as if he was asking for help... asking for him.

It was amusing that these little things could finally mean something to Taehyung. How he could easily understand the ravenette even though he lacked understanding to begin with.

With Jungkook, Taehyung seemed to feel... to really feel and understand the meaning of the emotions he never knew before.

"I'm here, hyung." Taehyung said in barely a whisper that Jungkook almost missed it.

"I'm here." He repeated and Jungkook felt something in him be stirred with just those simple words.

He always thought no one would want to be with him.

But he's wrong.

Ten years ago, Taehyung came in his life and offered the only thing he wanted back then.

"Do you want to come home with me, hyung?" Taehyung asked as the two of them were on the swing as the rain continued to pour down.

His innocent eyes were on the ravenette who had just finished crying after his sudden hysterical phase.

It would happen every once in a while. He would just sit and cry like a mad man, remembering everything he did just so he could finally be free.

Like that day, after killing the last man in the alleyway that he had wanted to kill, the ravenette felt a sudden rush of satisfaction... freedom at last.

And now, someone was reaching his hand for him and asking him the words he had truly wanted to hear.

Jungkook couldn't stop himself as he just started crying like he lost his mind while Taehyung didn't say anything, watching him and his tears be drowned in the rain.

Jungkook had nothing, with nowhere to go and no one to be with. He never had a home and for the very first time, someone - a stranger - a child offered him the thing he had wanted that even the people from the orphanage failed to give him.

A home.

"I'll ask hyung to let you be with us." Taehyung said which made Jungkook laugh as tears continued to trickle down his sorrowful eyes.

"Why would you want me in?" Jungkook laughed once more, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Who would want to be with him? A sinner?

"Why not?" Taehyung responded, eyes not leaving the ravenette's own.

He was looking at him with those eyes that seemed to speak of a promise- a promise that bound the two of them.

"Soon..." Jungkook looked away as he stood from where he sat. This was all just a child's empty promise, and he couldn't take it.

"When you're old enough, I'll come back for you... and if you still remember, I'll take you with me." The ravenette added, looking back at Taehyung who only stared at him before saying the words that completely bound them.

"I'll remember, hyung.... and you should too." Taehyung said as the two of them gazed at each other in silence.

"Thank you, my little lamb." Jungkook uttered as he lifted Taehyung's face and planted a soft kiss on his lips.

"Thank you for choosing to be with me."

There's someone who wanted to be with him, and that someone made all the difference.

Taehyung is the difference he never knew he needed.

And now that he's in his life again, he's the difference he would die to keep.

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Remember: Italicized = Past

Love you 💜