Happy never after| ᵗᵃᵉᵏᵒᵒᵏ

Happy...

01.09.1967

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The air hit him in the face. After all the years he had spent in this camp, the cool autumn air felt strange but also relieving.

His first thought, his first wish upon tasting freedom, was to find him.

Taehyung.

Through the long years of despair and solitude, it was the thought of Taehyung that had kept him going, his beacon of light in the midst of the shadows.

He had to find him. He wanted to tell him to his face that their love was no longer illegal. They could be free. They could move to the countryside. They could finally live their dream together.

This made Jungkook smile like crazy.

He boarded the first train to London, unable to wait to see Taehyung's handsome face again, to kiss his wonderful lips once more.

Time flew by with these thoughts.

But as he searched the city, his heart heavy with anticipation and anxiety, Jungkook found himself confronted not only with the passage of time but also with the harsh reality of their separation. The creases on his face spoke volumes of the trials he had endured, the years of captivity etched into every line.

Would he recognize him? Did he still love him at all? What if he had gotten married and now had children of his own? Doubts plagued Jungkook. However, his excitement and newly found hope were stronger.

He reached his old apartment after a walk, only to find it unexpectedly empty. No name on the mailbox. Nothing. "Strange," Jungkook thought. "Has he returned to his old apartment?"

But there, too, another name was on the door.

He scoured every corner of London, searching for any trace of Taehyung, but to no avail. His name was nowhere to be found in the records of homeowners, his whereabouts a mystery that seemed impossible to solve. Where could he be?

It was only by chance, as Jungkook wandered aimlessly down a familiar street . There, amidst a bustling crowd, he spotted an old couple their faces etched with concern as they tended to their grandchildren.

The man had his arm tenderly around his wife as she smiled gently at him.

Something in Jungkook told him he knew her. But where had he seen her before? He could perhaps ask her if they knew a Kim Taehyung. It was worth a try.

With trembling hands and a heart pounding in his chest, Jungkook approached them, his voice barely above a whisper. "Excuse me, Do you know a Kim Taehyung? He lived here"

The man turned around.

"Jungkook? Is... Is it you?" the man asked.

As if a waterfall crashing down upon him, realization dawned on Jungkook. Suddenly, he recognized the man before him.

"Namjoon?" The Man nodded.

He had lovingly wrapped his arm around his wife. They looked so peaceful. "You're alive...?" whispered his wife Annie, age also leaving its mark on her.

Jungkook was glad to see them both, but his heart yearned for only one thing.

"Namjoon, is it really you? Where's Taehyung? I need to find him."He gasped, ignoring the question, his mind consumed by worry.
The two exchanged concerned glances, sensing the weight of Jungkook's distress.

"Taehyung... he was taken to the hospital. I'm sorry to have to tell you this but.. "Annie spoke up, her voice soft but filled with concern.

Wait? Hospital?

Jungkook felt confused, his emotions swirling as he tried to make sense of the situation.

"To the hospital? Which one? Please tell me the address, I have to go to him!"

After a moment, Namjoon finally spoke up."It's St. Mary's Hospital. Here, let me give you the address.

In a desperate race against time, Jungkook raced to the hospital, his mind a whirlwind of fear and dread. With each step, his heart pounded louder in his chest, the weight of uncertainty bearing down upon him like a leaden cloak.

Finally, he arrived at Taehyung's bedside, his breath catching in his throat at the sight before him. There lay Taehyung, pale and fragile, connected to a myriad of tubes and wires, his breathing labored and shallow.

"Tae..." Jungkook's voice broke as he uttered his name, his heart constricting with pain at the sight of his beloved. Despite the passage of time, Taehyung was still as beautiful as he remembered, his presence a balm to Jungkook's wounded soul.

He hadn't noticed the woman beside him. A small, elderly lady, surely in her nineties, sat next to Taehyung's bed, frail and trembling.

She looked up at him. "It's you," she croaked. "You're Jungkook."Jungkook looked at her in surprise. Who was she?

"I am Taehyung's mother," she continued. "He has told me so much about you that I know what you look like." She raised her trembling hands, holding a letter of some sort. "He wanted to give this to you when he saw you again."

"It's nice to meet you," Jungkook said softly, accepting the letter. What was happening? Had Taehyung broken something? He was here for him; his mother didn't need to worry.

But she only looked at him with tears in her eyes, surrounded by wrinkles. "You probably want to be alone. It's okay. I've already said my goodbyes."

What did she mean? Taehyung was here. He just wasn't quite well, right? Of course, he would get better soon. Of course.

As the old woman left the room, Jungkook sat beside Taehyung. His eyes were closed, breathing calmly. Everything was fine, wasn't it?

Suddenly, he heard a cough. Taehyung. Jungkook quickly turned to his beloved. He had opened his eyes slightly.

"Taehyung!" Jungkook gasped with joy. He was awake. Their dream could begin. But Taehyung coughed again. Jungkook watched as something red ran down his lip. Blood. Taehyung spat blood.

Suddenly, nurses rushed into the room, and the machines started going haywire. Panic gripped Jungkook. What? "Taehyung, what's happening?" he almost screamed.

Still coughing heavily, Taehyung weakly reached out his hand towards Jungkook's. Jungkook grasped it tightly in both of his own.

He looked into Taehyung's  brown eyes.But instead of happiness he saw the truth reflected there – the truth that time was running out, that they were running out of moments together.

"It will all be fine. Definitely."Jungkook whispered while squeezing Taehyungs weak Hand.

Taehyung looked up at him, eyes full of love. He weakly pointed to himself with his other hand and then slowly towards Jungkook.

"For...ever..." Taehyung whispered, his voice barely a whisper before he closed his eyes for the last time.

Only the beeping of the machines could be heard. And a scream. It was the scream of someone whose heart had just been  shattered into a million pieces.

And Jungkook broke.

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