Unpunished/Vkook ff

Chapter 14: Brotherhood

Taehyung's P.O.V

My heart was racing, my body sore, and most importantly, my brain went blank. I wasn't overthinking, anxious, worried, or depressed. Jungkook had overwhelmed me.

"You did well..."

It was hard and uncomfortable to walk, I could feel the bruises on my neck and nape, barely had the strength to move, yet I couldn't stop smirking to myself.

I felt desired, free, relieved, and now that I knew Jungkook cared enough to compliment me, I didn't see myself as a desperate loser. Even though he was quite shy at school, obviously, unless somebody did as much as sneeze his friend's way, he had everyone's attention due to his looks and new charisma. Jungkook could have anybody. In a way, a messed up way, my past actions made me win before the competition had even started.

My family was already asleep when arriving home, and I wasn't planning to join in. After showering, I began searching the house, unable to rest until I'd found what I feared to come across.

My palms twitched. Furious, I was staring at a box full of alcoholic drinks: Mother promised she would stop, dropped on her knees in front of our family in shame, swearing she'd do anything to quit after almost hitting Dohyun.

One bottle, then another, I poured each one into the sink with shaking hands, barely having the energy for a steady grip.

"Doh? Wake up, little bro," I said after pushing my brother's room's door open and taking away his blanket.

"Leave me alone!" he cried.

"Keep quiet... Come on, I need to talk to you," I told him, moving towards the light switch, the sound of my footsteps threatening I'd turn it on.

"Wait, don't do that! Alright, I'll tell you what you're here for, but I don't want you to see... I don't want you to see where they hit me." I put the hand away. Dohyun didn't have to expose his wounds, and I didn't have to show mine.

"So these kids beat you up again... Why didn't you tell me immediately? Mom could hear you, what did she do?" I asked.

"Mom? She got drunk, that's what she did. And what would you do?! They're not scared of you anymore, did you really think a few yells would do the job?"

"I'll... I'll find a way to make it stop, and you try focusing on your studies. Do we have a deal?" I turned the opposite direction once the tiny dark figure nodded, desperate to go to bed.

He stopped me. "Hey, Brother..."

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's been months, how come I have no friends?" Painful. These words were painful.

"It's not you, Doh. It's them."

I wished my brother would see me as his powerful guardian. Yet, the very nature of my relationship with Jungkook was contradicting that. Getting caught was not an option, not allowing Dohyun to know, not my parents. They would never understand. No one would, not what I had with him, not that I didn't mind it.

All my clothes lay on the bed as I, aware I couldn't rest otherwise, was searching for ways to cover up Jungkook's marks without appearing suspicious.

Though the secret was stressing me out, I had no other means of escape. Staying at home seemed impossible, work was killing me, and school was adding up to both.

I was visiting Jungkook's house every day during the holidays. Now, he was my bully, only his insults, his beating, and his wrath were let out in bed, the glimpses of kindness becoming fewer and fewer. For as long as his parents were away, it became a part of our daily routine. The break had ended, and I kept returning there after school and work for more, losing myself to his touch repeatedly, rarely at home, growing desensitized to the belittling, perhaps a bit into it.