The Survivors | Taekook [✔]

5

Soft light filtered through the trees, patches of gold on the leaf litter below. A few early morning birds called out, throwing their voices to the wind, melding into the rustling leaves. Jungkook's eyes opened to tiny slits.

[Warning- vomiting scene ahead]

The panic that flooded his mind was sudden and merciless. The beautiful morning was the last thought in his aching head. His stomach twisted, skin burned. Fiery blood shot through the veins in the back of his neck, up to his cheeks, flooded his body. And in that moment of alarm, only two words fell from his quivering lips.

"Oh no."

He rolled out of the fern bed, frantic, using his hands to drag himself across the ground. He could only cover so much distance in the seconds he had, but it was enough to get him a decent distance from the camp. 

Pain filled his head and blurred his thoughts, causing him to thrash violently as his stomach emptied itself through his throat and nose. Acid, burning, spasming.

"Jungkook!"

Taehyung was up instantly. Through his panic, Jungkook felt a warm hand on his back, rubbing circles, anxious breath behind him. 

[End of vomiting scene]

Jungkook's spasms had finally ceased by the time the sun had risen high enough to shine on them with its full strength. From his collection of semi-useless junk, Taehyung retrieved a piece of scrap cloth. As gently as he could manage, he wiped Jungkook's face, forehead first, then cheeks, and around his mouth. 

Wordlessly, he picked Jungkook up and placed him back in the fern bed. Nearby, there was a bottle of water, resting idly, waiting for its moment of need, which had come. Taehyung grabbed it and sat down, putting Jungkook's head in his lap, lifting the bottle to Jungkook's lips, bright pink and burned.

"No..." Jungkook croaked weakly, "No eating... No drinking..."

"Okay, okay. I'll try again in a minute." Taehyung was worried, from the sound of his voice, but jungkook kept his eyes closed.

"Taehyung...." the younger whispered hoarsely.

"Yes Jungkook?" the older prompted with gentle urgency.

"I don't feel good."

The older chuckled softly.

"Obviously not."

He took a moment to examine Jungkook. The boy was trembling, eyes still closed, skin feverish. His cheeks were stained with dried tears, hair slick with sweat, eyelashes tangled together, lips parted for air.

"How did this happen?" The whisper fell from Taehyung's lips, a thought formed into words.

"I- I don't know..."

Jungkook sounded so weak, so discouraged. Taehyung's heart clenched.

"Drink some water," Taehyung insisted, lifting the bottle in his hand.

"I can't," Jungkook told him firmly, "If I consume anything right now I'll only throw it up again."

"Okay, fine. I won't force you. But Kookie, you must have some idea why this is happening?" He was trying not to get choked up, but the sight of Jungkook's sick face, glassy eyes staring up through slits, was more discouraging than anything he'd been faced with so far.

"No clue."

"I can't wrap my head around it. I went everywhere you went; if you're sick, I should be, too."

"I'm glad you're not, though," Jungkook added with a weak, playful smile.

"Me too. But I still can't figure it out. It's bothering me way more than it should," Taehyung laughed.

"Well," Jungkook sighed, "It's possible that I got a virus that didn't affect you."

"How?" Taehyung furrowed his eyebrows.

Jungkook sighed and looked away.

"I know I seem really tough, but that's only emotional. The 'walls' I built to protect myself can't protect me from sickness or physical pain. The truth is, physically speaking. I'm weak." He sniffed, cynical of himself. "When I was very young..." He started but didn't finish. So, he tried again. "My immune system was weakened, because... well..." Again, he trailed off. He decided that he'd made a respectable attempt to finish the thought, but he was clearly unable, so he moved on. "So, yes, it's very possible, dare I say it's likely, that you were simply immune to whatever virus I have."

Taehyung didn't respond at first. He just stared down at Jungkook, who's head was still resting in his lap, running fingers through his slick hair. When he'd gathered his thoughts, he leaned down to whisper close to Jungkook's face.

"Jungkook, I'm... sorry. I'm sorry about your past. But just know... you can trust me. I promise."

Jungkook reached up one hand, searching for Taehyung's. When he found it, he held on.

"I want to trust you, Taehyung. Please be patient with me. I want to, it's just..."

Taehyung smiled, squeezing Jungkook's hand.

"That's all I wanted to hear, Jungkook. If you want to, you'll find a way."

And in those sparkling, hopeful eyes, Jungkook found a window. A window through his own walls, straight into himself. Taehyung saw through him. And Jungkook smiled back, because even now Taehyung was not leaving, even when he'd gotten a glimpse the darkest pieces of Jungkook's existence.

[a/n: Yep I finally updated this chapter. Hopefully, I'll edit the others soon, too. If at some point in the book you come across a chapter that is significantly worse than the one before it, it's because I wrote this book a long time ago and I'm currently editing it.]