I'll Protect You, Maknae||TaeKook FF ✓

Chapter 10.

"No, no, wait, stop!" Taehyung screamed as the Master was running at him and his maknae ready to whip them. He put one arm out in defense as he held Jungkook with his other arm. "Wait! We were working! I swear! He just got...he got scared but we've done a lot!" Taehyung was doing his absolute best to defend them both.

No way could he let this monster hurt Jungkook. I have to protect him.

"I don't care if he got scared! Sounds like some bullshit to me!" the Master screamed. He finally caught up to the two who were still sitting on the ground. It was well into the night. Jungkook started screaming when he saw the whip come down and hit Taehyung in the chest. His hyung clutched his chest as he cried out and fell forward in pain.

"Stop it!" Jungkook screamed. The panic he felt about the people in the woods had subsided. He was no longer afraid of the people out there he could not see, but now he was afraid of the man standing right in front of him. The man who just hurt his hyung.

The whip came down and hit Jungkook in the face. He was now on the ground next to Taehyung whimpering in pain too.

"Please...stop..." Jungkook pleaded. He placed his hand on Taehyung's back when he realized his hyung seemed to be in a lot more pain than himself. He must have whipped Taehyung harder than me.

The Master didn't listen. He continued to beat both of them with the horse whip as he spit profanities and ignored their screams and cries and pleads for mercy. They both didn't know how to make the man stop. Both of them felt like they were going to pass out. They could feel blood seeping through their clothes.

And then finally, it stopped.

The Master kicked Jungkook in the ribs. "Now get back to work. Don't make me come back out here and do this twice." He spit at them and turned and walked back into the house.

Taehyung and Jungkook were laying on the ground crying together. Although they were both in pretty bad shape, Taehyung was clearly in worse condition. Jungkook didn't understand why the man had been so much worse to Taehyung. It broke his heart completely. He crawled closer and brought Taehyung's head into his chest. His hyung couldn't stop sobbing. Neither of them could.

"I'm so sorry," Jungkook whispered. Taehyung didn't say anything as Jungkook kissed his forehead. "I'm so sorry." If I hadn't freaked out we would have been working when he came outside.

Guilt washed over Jungkook as he felt like this entire situation was his fault. Taehyung didn't deserve this. I'm the one who stopped doing the work. He was just trying to help me.

"Are...are you o-okay?" Taehyung finally mustered up enough strength to speak. Jungkook shook his head no. Of course he wasn't okay. Neither of them were.

They looked at eachother's injuries and both felt sick. Taehyung's side was bleeding a lot and Jungkook took his hand and placed pressure on it to try and get the blood to slow down.

"This is all my fault," Jungkook whimpered. Jungkook didn't know what kind of response he expected, but he was surprised when Taehyung looked at him with not sympathy, but anger.

"What the hell happened?" Taehyung spat out weakly.

"I don't know...I...I just...thought of the people in the woods and panicked. I couldn't control it, I'm sorry." He tried pulling Taehyung back into a hug but Taehyung pushed him away, rolling onto his back to stare at the stars.

There was silence between the two for a while until Taehyung opened his mouth. "Are you trying to get us killed?" Taehyung whispered towards the stars. He looked over at Jungkook and could see the tears glistening in his eyes. The light from the moon and the lanterns were making his tears sparkle.

"What...hyungie...no..." Jungkook gulped. He couldn't believe it but Taehyung was actually angry with him. "I'm sorry I don't know w-what h-happened." Jungkook filled with more sorrow when he realized that his hyung was also blaming him for this.

Jungkook mustered up strength to get on his hands and knees and crawl closer to his hyung. His entire body was screaming with pain. He placed his hand on Taehyung's chest. "Please don't be angry. You know I would never want you to get hurt. I didn't mean for this to happen. I don't know what happened. I'm sorry."

Taehyung wasn't replying or looking at him anymore. Just staring at the stars. Jungkook silently sat there and felt Taehyung's heartbeat as his chest rose and fell. "Hyung...please say something."

Taehyung continued to look at the stars. Jungkook shook his chest a little. "Hyung..."

Taehyung was lost in thought. He didn't want to blame Jungkook but couldn't help it. Jungkook was the one who panicked. Jungkook was the one who got us in trouble.

At the same time he knew that panic attacks like that couldn't be controlled. So how could he really blame his maknae? The boy wasn't even in his own mind when it happened, he was swimming in a sea of nerves. Taehyung tried to remind himself that Jungkook had just almost been killed when Kin-so had dragged him out into the woods. It wasn't the youngests fault for being absolutely terrified of the people who waited in the shadows out there.

"Hyung..."Taehyung heard Jungkook whisper. He turned his head back to his maknae and saw how absolutely terrible he looked. His face was bloody. His hands were bloody. The older boy sighed and reached his hand out, gesturing for Jungkook to cuddle up with him. Jungkook sighed in relief and rested his head on Taehyung's chest.

"We'll be okay," Taehyung said. He already knew he was lying.

"I'm so sorry," Jungkook sniffled again. Taehyung still didn't know how to reply. He honestly wasn't sure if he forgave Jungkook or not quite yet.

"We have to get back to work," Taehyung whispered.

"Okay," Jungkook replied. Except neither of them moved. Their bodies were in way too much pain.

Without even meaning to, both of them had become so overcome with exhaustion that they both meant to close their eyes and rest for just one more second.

But they both fell asleep.