... And Other Ships

YoonKook: Split

They've been married for twelve years. Twelve years of waking up next to each other, eating breakfast, and doing all other normal things married couples do. 

Jungkook loved every single year spent with Yoongi, who had gone to Harvard and became the CEO of his music label, Min Records Inc. Jungkook himself had gone to a technical college to be a biomedical engineer, but now worked in radiology at the children's hospital. They both led very busy lives, but they somehow always made time for each other. 

Or, that was how they used to be, up until a few months after their twelfth anniversary. 

That January, Yoongi started to spend more and more time in the office and less time at home. He would drown himself in work, texting his younger husband to not wait up for him. 

But Jungkook would wait up anyways, eyes filled with worry and exhaustion when Yoongi would finally arrive home at two in the morning. They would both have a small argument, then head off to bed; one spouse in tears, the other holding them back, but both holding each other. 

To retaliate Yoongi's behavior, Jungkook started working night shifts. 

He would scan kids and mull over the results with doctors for hours, then return to a cold, quiet home. He would shower, put on one of his husband's oversized hoodies, then cry himself to sleep until he had to go back into work. 

This continued for a year. 

-------

Tonight, the two had called off work for their thirteenth anniversary. 

They came in separate cars; Yoongi came from work, Jungkook came from their home. But they sat across one another in fancy suits, sat in a private dining room of a very fancy restaurant. They sipped their wine in silence, looking over their menus for entrees. Neither one of them looked at each other. 

"What are you having, Jungkook?" Yoongi sighed, taking a sip of his red wine. The younger set the menu down, eyes trained on the gold lettering on the front. Café Bleu. "I'm not hungry," he muttered, twisting his fingers together in his lap. 

"Why not?" the older replied, glancing up for a second before drifting back to the menu. Jungkook shrugged, eyes drifting over to the little file he set in the booth. "I had a big lunch today," he lied, coughing a little. In fact, he hadn't eaten much since he got that file faxed to him about three weeks ago. He was simply too scared to bring it up. 

Yoongi set his own menu down, folding his hands over it as he looked at his husband. His heart tightened in his chest a little as he saw how pale and nervous the younger man was. "Kookie, there's something up. Don't lie, just tell me," he coaxed, nearly pleaded, reaching over the table for one of his husband's. 

But Jungkook didn't give Yoongi one of his hands to hold; if he did, he wouldn't have the courage to finally set the file on the table, right in between them. 

"This isn't working anymore and you know it," he said, voice shaking as Yoongi opened the file with confusion, frowning as he realized what the papers were. 

His throat went dry as he flipped through all the pages, Jungkook's signature already on them. "You're divorcing me?" Yoongi whispered, almost cracking as he looked at his husband, who had tears streaming down his face. 

"I don't... I don't want t-to, but... You obviously don't love me anymore." 

Jungkook was falling apart, sniffling as tears fell endlessly down his pale cheeks, seemingly streaking scars into his perfect features. He wiped them away, only for more to fall. He couldn't bear to look at his husband. 

As he watched his husband cry, Yoongi refused to let his own tears fall, simply because he knew Jungkook was right. 

He didn't love Jungkook anymore, not like he used to. His heart didn't skip a beat every time he thought of him or looked at him, he didn't feel warm when he held him, there was no happiness when he said he loved him. 

Long nights at the office were really flings with other men, usually the same man. Yoongi had met Kim Minseok about four months into distancing himself from Jungkook, who didn't suspect a thing. He would always go to Minseok as an escape from his married life, but he ended up falling for him. 

He stared down at Jungkook's signature, unsure of what to say. There was really nothing he could say to make any of this better. In truth, Yoongi wanted to keep Jungkook by his side, but he knew it wouldn't happen. 

"I've felt so unloved, so unwanted, for so long, Yoongi-hyung. I keep trying to give you my love and support, but I get nothing in return. I feel so alone," Jungkook whimpered, hands shaking as he desperately tried to calm himself down. 

Yoongi closed the file with a deep, shuttering sigh. "You're right, Jungkook," he said defeatedly, looking helplessly at his husband. He could see Jungkook's heart fall out of his chest, shattering under the table at their feet. 

"What? It's actually true? You don't love me anymore?" the younger man croaked, more tears falling down his face as Yoongi looked away from him, desperately trying to keep his tears in. 

"I'm sorry, Jungkook." 

Yoongi flinched when Jungkook sobbed hard, feeling his own heart crack in his chest. 

They had a long history. If Yoongi hadn't been there to stop him, Jungkook would have been long dead by now, forever twenty. But now he was thirty-six and falling apart, dying all over again, because of Yoongi. It was always because of Yoongi. 

"I st... still love you," the younger man whimpered, staring hopelessly at his husband. Yoongi nodded solemnly, standing to slide into the booth, right next to Jungkook, and take his trembling hand in his own. 

"I know, Jungkook, but I have to set you free. You don't deserve to suffer like this," he said quietly, allowing Jungkook to cry into the crook of his neck. It was the least he could do. 

-------

In court, everything was revealed. 

Jungkook learned all about Yoongi's flings and relationship with Kim Minseok. Yoongi learned about Jungkook's worsening depression and visits to the psychiatrist. Every bad thing was revealed, breaking their fragile hearts. 

Hoseok held Jungkook's hand when he and Yoongi were officially deemed divorced, helping him pack everything up a week later and move it to the new house he bought under his own name. Hoseok had been the younger man's rock during the whole process, allowing him to stay at his and Taehyung's house during the hearings. 

But now, Hoseok wasn't there as Jungkook stood on what used to be his front porch, facing Yoongi. The older man looked absolutely defeated, bags under his eyes even darker and body even skinnier as he stared back at what used to be the love of his life. 

"So... this is it, huh?" he asked humorlessly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Jungkook nodded, looking down at the silver band on his left hand. He removed it, handing it out to Yoongi. "You paid for it," he mumbled, having no more tears left to cry as his ex-husband accepted the ring, pocketing it along with his own. 

Cautiously, he stepped closer to Jungkook, taking both of his hands in his own. "You know that there was a time where I truly loved you, right?" he asked, looking up from their clasped hands into the taller man's eyes. They were dull now, but a tiny spark of reminiscence flashed through them for merely a second. 

"I do, Yoongi-hyung. But that life - our life together - is done now," Jungkook replied, pulling Yoongi in for one last hug. 

They both will miss how warm the other was, how nice their hugs felt. But as they parted, both with small smiles on their faces, they believed that one last hug was one of forgiveness. 

"Be good, okay? And in time, if you ever need me, you can always call," Yoongi said, squeezing Jungkook's hands lightly. The younger man nodded, squeezing back lightly. "Same for you, hyung. Be safe." 

For a final time, they both went their separate ways. 

Yoongi didn't see Jungkook again, not until his funeral five years later.