fourteen hours

three

(the texts are in third person. aria is not aware that she is texting kim taehyung)

aria : are cuts supposed to turn purple

taehyung : aria...

aria : answer me please

taehyung : go clean your cuts

aria : no

taehyung : if you don't, they'll get infected and then you'll have to go to a doctor and then your parents will find out

aria : no...

taehyung : do you want that to happen?

"What's wrong Taehyung?" Jungkook lowered his phone, letting his game character die in his phone game.

"Nothing." Taehyung mumbled, wiping away the tears that traced his cheeks. "Everything is fine. Everything will be fine."

Jungkook turned off his phone, looking around the room. None of his hyungs were near, and he couldn't even hear them. He tapped his foot anxiously against the ground as Taehyung sniffed, setting down his phone to wipe his eyes.

Taehyung kept his eyes closed while Jungkook sat beside him, the two silent. Jungkook wrapped his arm around Taehyung, rubbing his shoulder furthest away from Jungkook. "What's going on Taehyung?"

"A friend of mine cut herself." Taehyung rested his elbows on his knees, his face in his hands. "I don't know what to do. It's always me,, being, the one."

Jungkook remembered the night he walked into Taehyung trying to wipe the blood from his stomach and inner thighs. He remembered how hard he cried as he desperately tried to convince Jungkook it wasn't what it looked like, even though the blade laid right beside him.

"Do you remember what I did?" Jungkook asked gently, holding his friend tight.

"You hugged me and sang to me." Taehyung's voice cracked, his memories raging inside his head. The pain jolted across his stomach, reminding him of the pain. And then he imagined little 16 year-old Aria, blood running down her wrists, staining the bathroom sink.

"And what song was it?" Jungkook asked again, Taehyung letting out a shaky sob.

"Magic shop."

"So what do you think you should do?" Jungkook moved his arm to rub his back, keeping his eyes on the side of Taehyung's face which he could see.

"I can't sing for her." Taehyung took a shaky breath, wiping away his tears while he shook his head. "I want to but I can't."

"And why is that?" Jungkook frowned, but stayed patient.

"She's an ARMY."

---

aria : can i tell you why, i did ,, that

taehyung : of course you can

taehyung : but before you do, can you put on a song?

aria : what song?

taehyung : magic shop

taehyung : you, you know the lyrics right?

aria : i do

aria : it's army's comfort song, one of the top three

aria : i don't usually listen to it

taehyung : why not?

aria : i don't deserve its comfort

taehyung : aria, of course you deserve it. you deserve it so much