51

                                    

                                          
Taehyung had stopped listening after the words second chance, mate bond, dying and healing were thrown around a couple of times.
                          
It's not like he didn't care, because Goddess damn him, he did. It's just that the words coming out of his best friend's mouth sounded stupid.
It sounded like some shitty excuse a suicidal person would use to sacrifice himself.
It wasn't something Jimin would actually blurt out in any other occasion.
The thing is, the situation was already complicated. And Taehyung didn't know if he was becoming mad because he felt like he's best friend was about to do something tremendously foolish, or because his freaking mate was standing beside said best friend, hand in hand like he was condoning this shit.
In conclusion, Taehyung was just mad, period.
                          
"Tae Tae, say something please." The blonde begged after minutes had passed and the alpha refused to produce a word.
                          
"Taehyung?" Another one called. The boy snapped his eyes to the source of the voice, glowering.
                          
"Don't you dare speak! Why are you encouraging him? Just because your bother's relationship with his mate is fucked up doesn't give you the right to drag my best friend into that as well!"
                          
Jungkook just stared at the fuming boy, refusing to cause a scene and fuel his mate's wavering temper. He only shook his head.
                          
"Jungkook has nothing to do with it, Taehyung!" Jimin was the one to clap back.
                          
He knew his best friend was concerned about him, but attacking the true blood who had nothing to do with his choice was not something he'll let go. Jungkook have been nothing but a wonderful and supportive friend, he felt like the little brother Jimin never had.
Taehyung was just thinking irrationally at this point.
                          
"You're not going there!"
                          
"That's not your call to make!"
                          
"I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself for someone you barely even know! Then what? He'll get back with his mate and you'll come back here, alone and heartbroken?"
                          
"It's still not your decision to make, Taehyung." The blonde felt like he was having a migraine from all the screaming back and forth. 
                          
Taehyung suddenly turns to face Beta Park, the man who seemed the least enthusiastic about the conversation going around but never interposing once.
                          
"What about you? Are you really letting your son leave to a stranger pack at the other side of the country?! I thought you were a sensible wolf for a fucking Beta-"
                          
"Taehyung!" Namjoon suddenly interferes, anger rising at his brother going too far.
The brunette barely budged though, turning to look back at his best friend who was currently clinging to the true blood.
He narrowed his eyes.
                          
"How can you do this to yourself?" He spat. Jimin flinched, unconsciously moving closer to Jungkook's body as the latter was in fact releasing calming pheromones for the triggered beta.
                          
"Are you hearing what you're saying, Tae? You're asking me what I'm doing with myself when all I want is to actually be with my mate even if it's just for a few days! But you? Your mate has been by your side for months and all you did was reject him over and over again and nearly killing yourself in the process! Did you forget or shall I remind you?!" Jimin inhaled with difficulty, body shaking before adding with finality.
"I've made my mind and I'm heading to the south wether you like it or not."
The blonde stood up, leaving the concerned wolf's side and standing in front of his soulmate, eyes flashing amber, puffed with unshed tears 
                          
"I hope you stop hurting yourself and those around you, Taehyung. When you finally realize how many people actually care about you, I hope it won't be too late."
                          
With those words, he left the office without bothering to close the door behind him.
                          
Taehyung stood still. Anger, sadness and frustration dampened by the overgrowing feeling of guilt.
                          
Once again, he was back to square one.
                          
-
                          
Namjoon was fuming. He was. But the broken expression on his brother's face kept him from as much as speaking to the latter. 
Taehyung had went too far, yet again. And this time, he didn't only disappoint his Alpha and Luna, he disappointed everyone.
                          
Namjoon, followed by Beta Park and then Seokjin who only offered the wolf a sad smile with a squeeze of the shoulder, left through the office's double doors without a word.
                          
"When you finally realize how many people actually care about you, I hope it won't be too late."
                          
The words resonated through his ears with a thunderous roar. Jimin was right. Taehyung has always let himself be blinded by the darkness of his mind, blurring his sight of reality and pushing him to do and say things he didn't mean. Or at least wasn't supposed to.
                          
His anxiety and depression were leaving way to a very destructive coping mechanism: anger.
                          
Because of that, Taehyung wasn't only losing the people he cared about the most, he was starting to lose himself as well in the midst of self destructive behavior.
                          
He didn't even register falling over, waiting for the familiar darkness to envelop his being and cater him in her thorny branches. 
But it turned out to be strong, caring arms that held him.
In Jungkook's arms, he found solace. He found a home. He found pure, unadulterated acceptance. 
Everything he needed at that moment and more.
                          
"You're going to be okay." The soft voice spoke over the incessant screeches in his head, muffling them until they were mere distant whispers. "I believe in you. You'll be fine. You'll be fine." 
                          
He will be fine. He will.
                          
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