Chapter Text
As the rain came crashing in a down pour Taehyung has not seen in years, the irony of the weather and his emotional state matching does not slip his mind. There is nothing Taehyung wants more at this exact moment than to be home cuddled up in bed with his pillow as he feels his mind and body ache while he searches down the streets like a mad man. It had only been three hours since Sehun’s mother called him frantically to tell him Sehun was missing and although she attempted to file a missing person’s report with the police, the police could not do anything because he had been gone from home less than 24-hours. His mother told Taehyung her son was not answering his phone and even though he had made mistakes in the past, he was currently in a good place and doing well. His mother said she just knew he was in trouble or worse, in danger.
Taehyung has a soft spot for the kid, who at sixteen has already had contact with law enforcement but the mother was correct, he was doing better and has gotten off probation. Taehyung would go as far as claim he had turned his life around by complying with all the terms of his probation, catching up with school and ranking in the top of his class as well as participated in art intervention therapy. Taehyung and his brother, Seokjin have made sure he continues with art lessons after he successfully completed the therapy sessions given the kid had a natural artistic talent that could take him places. Taehyung’s family’s non-profit was funding Sehun’s school and art lesson expenses at a prestigious art studio. Sehun had proved time and time again that he was a smart kid who was more than his past mistakes and bad decisions. So, here was Taehyung, walking around the neighborhood near the art studio in the rain because Sehun’s mother had no one else but Taehyung to turn to and over the last two years Taehyung had grown close to both after dedicating a lot of time working one on one with them. The mother is a single mother who works full time and needs the moral support to raise Sehun properly and Sehun is a devoted son who when his mother needed money to pay rent two years prior broke into a neighbor’s home to steal electronics to sell and help his mother with rent.
Taehyung is about to give up and head back to his car when he hears a girl scream from around the corner. He immediately runs toward the sound as the girl screams again. Taehyung halts when he sees a large man holding Sehun back with his arms to his back while another just as large man holds a young girl who could not be much younger than Sehun by her wrists with one hand. Sehun is frantically begging the men to let them go as the girl begs for them to not hurt them. Taehyung is about to step back with his cell phone in hand to call the police when a large hand grabs his arm from behind causing his phone to fall and crash to the floor. Taehyung attempts to get away and run but the brute force with which the man pulls him toward the others is too overpowering. As he comes to view to the others Sehun calls his name, “Tae?” with obvious surprise in his voice. The man holding Taehyung replies by shoving him to the floor and placing his foot on his chest with force saying, “you should have walked away when you had a chance. Now it is too late, and we can’t have you ruining our plans.” Taehyung could hardly breath as the man constricts his airflow with his foot.
“Tae no! Please let us all go! We don’t know you. Why are you doing this?” Sehun exclaims.
“Please, please I beg you. If it’s money you want my father will give you what you want!” the girl counters.
“Oh, my innocent child of course we know your father would give everything he owns to have you back, but now your two friends have gotten involved, and we are not sure your father would care to pay for their return as well, so what use are they to us. They will only get in the way of our plans and orders,” the man holding her sneers.
“No, please I beg you! Please, I will do anything, please don’t hurt anyone!” the girl begs one last time, but the men only smirk at each other. Just as the men begin laughing, Sehun manages to release himself from the other’s hold and shove the man pinning Taehyung to the ground enough for Taehyung’s air to return to his lungs. Sehun runs to the man holding the girl but is thrown to the ground by the man, causing the girl to free herself enough to run toward him but the large man who has been holding her back the entire time pushes her with enough force that she stumbles to the edge of the pavement under them. She hits her head on the cement floor with a loud thud causing the girl to lose consciousness. At that moment, all go still for a second. Taehyung is the first to react by using the distraction to free himself and get himself to his feet. The three men follow by grabbing both Sehun and Taehyung harshly. Tae screams for help only to be punched in the face with such force his vision goes dark for a bit.
“What do we do now?” asks one of the men. “We need her alive per orders and she does not…” it is at this moment that sirens are heard in the distance. Taehyung and Sehun continue struggling to release themselves with all the force they could muster but are no match for their assailants.
“Just shove those two in the car and I will grab the girl. We have to get out of here or else we are all dead!” says one of the men.
Taehyung is thrown into a van with no windows. As he lands on a carpet floor with no seats, he is still dizzy from the hit but the realization that he might die soon hits him like an iced shower. Still clouded by his thoughts he barely registers that the girl is also quickly shoved in the van unconscious. Taehyung is lucid enough to attempt to open the side door with a bang and desperation, but the door is locked from the inside. He attempts to escape through the door he was brought in through but just as he is about to open the door, one of the men pushes him back and holds a knife in front of him. Taehyung could not make out what is being said but he hears a scuffle outside the van and then the two remaining men are in the driver and passenger seats as the third man gets in the back with Taehyung and the girl. Sehun is nowhere in sight as the men drive away. The man in the back continues holding a knife as he stares at Taehyung with intimidating eyes and says, “better not have any funny ideas pretty or else,” as he nears the knife to Taehyung’s face.
“What happen to the kid?” says the man in the back.
“The little asshole bit me and ran!” answers the driver
“What are we going to do if he calls the police?” asks the passenger
“Nothing, the plan continues. We have the girl, and she is still breathing so we follow original orders,” says the man in the back.
“Yeah, how were we supposed to know the girl would have a lover boy so willing to fight for her,” the driver laughs dryly, “and who is Mr. handsome back there?” He asks.
“I don’t know. Care to Enlighted us on how you know Jeon Luna or were you sent by her father to protect her since her bodyguard is on another assignment right now?” Asks the man in the back.
“I, I don’t know who she is,” Taehyung replies.
“Bullshit! Maybe you are not her bodyguard but if not for her then what were you doing there. They clearly know you,” the man in the back barks.
“I don’t, I don’t, I was looking for the boy, but have no idea who the girl is. I think she needs to be taken to a doctor. Her head hit the pavement hard, and she has lost a lot of blood. She has been unc…..”
“Don’t worry pretty, she is valuable to us, and we will have our medic check her. But I would be more worried about yourself since we have no need for you, although that smooth skin and that long neck looks inviting. Don’t think I have seen a prettier face in my life. I wouldn’t mind a taste!” Interrupts the man in the back with a chuckle.
Taehyung sinks back to the floor terrified by the look the other gives him. He averts his eyes toward the still body next to him. As he looks at the girl lying unconscious on the floor next to him, he can’t help but worry that she will not be ok and that her parents will never see her again. A thought crosses Taehyung that the beautiful girl must be important if these men have gone through so much trouble to kidnap her and drag him along, who has no idea who Jeon Luna is. He just hopes that whoever her parents are they are looking for her and find her soon before any more harm comes her way. The faith that he will be saved along with her is also there. He thinks that Sehun is also out there, and a faint feeling of hope fills him. As he continues to stare at the girl, he can’t help the pang in his heart for the brave, brave girl who begged for all their lives. Taehyung carefully brushes the hair covering her face to the side. She looks like an angel.
As the car comes to a stop the man in the back glares at Taehyung threatening as he instructs him to get off the van. Taehyung follows without a fight. Resigned to his mercy for now. He is more concerned with the girl and her wellbeing at this point and wants to make sure she is ok. They are at a warehouse. Taehyung is not sure where, but it can’t be too far as the drive was less than an hour long. He follows the other man while the one in the back carries the girl behind them. Once inside he is quickly dragged to a room and he turns immediately before the man can leave and asks, “what about Luna,” but the man pays him no mind, slamming the door behind him before leaving Taehyung there with no reply. He turns to find a bare room and he lets himself feel the fear that was frozen for the last hour seep through his body. He feels desolate and the thought that just a few hours ago finding his boyfriend of two years fucking his friend to oblivion, seemed like the worst thing that could happen to him. As he looks around the empty room, he can’t help but wonder why God was angry at him suddenly.
Taehyung is a good person. He’d like to think he lives to help others and growing up in a household dedicated to philanthropy he only ever wished to live his life for the greater good. His parents always praise him for being so thoughtful and conscientious of others. As opposed to his older brother who although just as kind would not hesitate to indulge in his desires. Not Taehyung, he is mindful and always thinks before he acts. Never impulsive and always considerate.
“Please forgive me baby,” his now ex-boyfriend whined as he stood in front of Taehyung with just a bedsheet covering him, “I love you; this was a mistake. I was impulsive and just have been insecure about you loving me lately. How could I not when you are so busy with work all the time and we haven’t been intimate in a while.”
“So, the way you helped your insecurities is by fucking my friend instead of talking to me about it, Seo-joon?” Tae questioned.
“Love, this is just a hurdle on the road. He means nothing to me. You are my everything, I love you” he begged just as Bogum rushed through the bedroom door with his clothes and hair disheveled. He avoided Tae’s eyes, but Tae had to ask, “how long?... How long have you two been doing this and the least you both owe me is honesty?”
“Baby tha…,” Seo-joon attempts
“Six months,” Bogum answers with visible shame in his eyes, “I know this means nothing, but I am sorry Tae. There is no excuse and am a horrible friend, that much I have been aware of since the first time it happened. I wish I could have said no but the one time turned to the next and to the next and as time passed it was like my heart sunk deeper and I couldn’t stop. All the while, I have been aware of betraying the kindest soul I have ever met, you,” with that Bogum looked one last time toward Seo-joon and walked out of the apartment, head hanging low, leaving Taehyung and Seo-joon, who now looked like he was having an emotional turmoil.
“You both developed feelings,” Taehyung stated like it was a fact not a question.
Seo-joon attempted a “Baby please, no, I lov..” but Taehyung stopped him by saying, “something broke just now for me and apparently it has been broken for you for a long time. It’s over Seo-joon. I feel betrayed, but more than anything in this moment as am saying these words to you I feel relieved that I found out before it was too late. I simply cannot do this, so please don’t contact me anymore. In all honesty, I have zero desire or will to fight for us after all this. Let me walk away without much more please. In the most considerate way possible, this is all I ask for or want from you. I deserve as much.”
“I can’t give up on you, Taehyung!” Seo-joon tried.
But without a reply Taehyung walked out leaving Seo-joon alone in his apartment.
That was about four hours ago, then as he was walking out of the building Sehun’s mom had called and Taehyung had rushed to help even though he was probably not in the best state of mind to help. Now he is locked up in an unknown location and there was a strong likelihood he would die soon. Seo-joon and Bogum’s incident seems so long ago and of so little importance in the moment that Taehyung can’t help but scoff at his luck. Because Taehyung wants to live and have a happy life without Seo-joon and who knows if with anyone else, but in this moment, Taehyung knows he would do anything to live and make sure to have a happy life.