Claw's Bridge(Discontinued)

23. Pile

^Jungkook's POV^

"You were protecting yourself. You should have used the dagger. I get that you don't go back on promises, that's a good thing, but you have to have boundaries," Taehyung said.

I knew that I took my promises seriously to an unhealthy extent, and it always ended up with me getting hurt. I was trying to get out of the mindset, but clearly, it wasn't working.

"Taehyung," Seokjin called out when he reached the cell he threw me in. "What are you doing?"

"Taking care of our mate. Something that you clearly can't do," Taehyung retorted. I grunted when he tried to make me stand up.

"We need answers, Taehyung," he said.

"No, we don't. You want answers, and you refuse to let Nighter step out of his comfort zone to do it. Instead, you wanted Yoongi to 'tame' him!" Taehyung yelled. "Do you know what kind of an impact that would have on both of them? Yoongi would beat himself up for the rest of his life, and Nighter would be fearing all of us. All because of you!"

"T-Taehyung. Calm down," I said, holding his wrist. Taehyung looked at me and sighed.

"Seokjin, leave. We can talk later," he said as he picked me up and started carrying me out. "He's staying in my room. Hoseok can sleep in yours tonight. It will be in everyone's best interest if you and Yoongi stay away from Nighter."

Taehyung carried me past a crestfallen Seokjin. "Don't you think you were a bit too harsh?" I asked once we were out of earshot. "I've healed. I can walk."

"I tend to be honest about my opinions," he said. He gently set me down and let me walk on my own, his hands hovering over my waist.

"That's a good trait," I commented.

"Yeah, but sometimes the truth hurts," he responded.

"They're going to hate you anyway, might as well be because of the truth," I said.

"You seem to know a lot about people," Taehyung commented as he opened the door to his room.

"Let's just say that I have my fair share of experiences," I said, shrugging.

"Yoongi and Seokjin... They're not like that. I mean, Yoongi can be like that sometimes, but that's because he was raised to be like that. It took us a while to make him realize that his upbringing was wrong, and he has been working on improving his mindset," Taehyung said. "I don't understand why Jin would do something he's highly against. Did something happen during that visit?"

"We met merpeople, or more precisely, the King and Queen of the merpeople. They said they wanted a treaty in exchange for performing tests on me. Seokjin and I were quick to decline that. They told us they can control illusions and water. They faked their extinction because Seokjin's father tried to take advantage of the treaty for his own benefit. After that I don't know what happened, the Queen took Yugyeom and I to the kitchen to leave the Kings to talk amongst themselves," I summarized. I left out the bit where the Queen seemed to know my name.

There was a knock on the door. Taehyung opened the door to reveal Hoseok standing there with Yoongi peering over his shoulder.

"How is... How is Nighter?" Yoongi asked, trying to look past Taehyung's towering figure.

"He's doing fine," Taehyung's curt response made Yoongi disappear behind Hoseok. "He needs to rest, so it's best that no one visits him. Hoseok, you're sleeping in someone else's room."

'Nighter, do you know where you are? I can't find you in the dungeons,' I heard Jimin's voice in my head. How was I supposed to respond? 'Imagine that you're talking to me.'

'Taehyung's room. He brought me here,' I responded. Not hearing a response, I tried again. 'Did it not work? Jimin?'

"Nightie!" Jimin yelled, pushing past the three princes standing at the doorway and jumping on top of me. I groaned and worked on pushing him off me, but when Namjoon climbed on top of him, I gave up and just let them do their thing.

"It's Nighter," I grumbled. "Get off me. I'm uncomfortable."

They pulled away immediately. "You need to change. Taehyung, give him your clothes for god's sake," Jimin snapped at the purple-eyed man who watched the scene with confusion.

What the heck was going on?