Y/N

The house was sleeping.

I waited until the last door creaked shut, until the hallway outside my bedroom was swallowed by silence, before I moved. Every creak of the floorboards felt too loud, every breath like it might draw suspicion. My fingers trembled as I pulled the small canvas bag from under my bed, I opened the zipper like a secret.

I sat cross legged on the floor, and pulled my knees to my chest for a second, just... breathing. Trying to believe this was real. That I wasn't just dreaming some desperate fantasy about escape. About him.

Jungkook is coming.

Midnight.

I had maybe twenty minutes.

I turned to my closet and began to fold.

I stared at my bed one last time. The place where I cried so many nights. The pillow that held my screams. The window where he knocked, again and again, like a promise.

I zipped the bag slowly and stood up, my legs weak beneath me.

The moonlight spilled across the floor like a spotlight. I crossed the room and sat on the edge of the window, peeking out.

No one.

Not yet.

Suddenly, I froze.

Voices. Muffled voices, but sharp and resonated up from downstairs. And one of them..

It was Jungkook. My Jungkook.

I crept out of my room, barefoot, trembling, and made my way to the stairs. My heart felt like it might explode as I caught sight of him, his face and hands streaked in blood, his eyes were wild.

"She is waiting for me!" he shouted. "I promised her I would take her. She is coming with me!"

Then I saw the other Jungkook standing across from him,calm and clean out of any sign of concern. My mother appeared between them, smiling that cold, fake smile she wore when she used to play sweet.

"Jungkook, sweetheart," she turned to the other one Jungkook "why don't you take your girlfriend, Y/N, upstairs. Just lock the door. Keep her safe."

My Jungkook snapped, and forward. "Move. don't you dare fucking touch her!" He roared through the air like thunder, and I flinched. His eyes was so full of fury and desperation,met mine.

"Baby, please," he held out his hand, blood dripped from his knuckles. "Come with me. I will explain everything later. Just... come." He caught my gaze fell on his bleeding knuckles.

Before I could reach him, the other Jungkook grabbed my arm.

"No," he growled, and dragged me up the stairs, his grip was too tight. "You're staying here." I tried to wilt off from his hold ." let me go. let me go!" He slammed the closet door shut behind us . The darkness swallowed us whole.

"Stay quiet," he whispered harshly and placed his hand over my mouth. I shook my head, and panicked. "No. Something is wrong. I have to go to him."

"You saw his face, Y/N," he snapped. "That's not love, that's a monster. He killed someone. He is dangerous. He is trying to drag you into whatever nightmare he lives in."

"You're lying," I whispered.

He laughed mockingly. "Am I? Look at him. Look at what he is."

"No... no..." I sobbed, pressed my fists to my chest.

Then.

"Y/N! Y/N!"

His voice roared from beyond the door. My Jungkook. My whole body jolted toward the sound. I flung the closet open and ran. He was there. Bloodied. Breathless. Still holding out his hand for me.

"Come with me," he said again, this time softly. " Baby, please We have to go. Now." Tears dripped from his eyes and blended with the blood streaked to his face." Baby, please. Just come with me. I cant let you stay here. please. I am begging you. please, sunflower. Just...."

Meanwhile the other Jungkook, trembled gently behind me. Probably gazing at my Jungkook.

And just as I stepped toward him ,just as our fingers almost touched ,the front door burst open. His father stepped in. Behind him, two uniformed officers.

"Don't touch her!" the man growled.

Jungkook froze.

"Don't touch her!stay the fuck back." his father barked again, stepping inside with the officers trailing close behind. The sharp sound of boots against the floor shattered whatever moment was left between us.

"No!" I gasped, my eyes went wide. My heart raced as the officers stepped forward to clutch the back of his hoodie. Jungkook barely had a second to react before they grabbed him, one on each arm, and pulled him back. Each of his arms was held tight by two officers, and then, without warning they slammed their knees into the backs of his legs, to force him to collapse to the floor.

"Don't touch me!" he yelled, and struggled, eyes never left mine. "Y/N!" They dragged him out of the room holding his two hands.

"No, stop, please, don't!" I screamed, and chased after them, and grabbed his arm, his hoodie, anything I could reach. "Please, don't take him! please. Stop!"

"Let him go! Let him go!" I cried, my voice ruptured as one of the officer shoved me back.

"Y/N!" Jungkook's voice cracked, his body thrashed violently as they dragged him down the stairs. "let go of me!"

His eyes were wet now. His breath caught. He was trying so hard not to break. Tears trembled down from his eyes as they dragged him from me. As soon as they reached hallway , they tossed him harshly to the floor and again clasped his two arms . One arm each in the officers hands.

And I was trying to descend down the stairs crying. As my eyes were fixed on him I didn't notice the stair that I skipped while descending and my knees hit the stairs. I crawled forward, trying to reach him again, choking on my own sobs. "Don't take him away from me!"

Jungkook's voice collapsed into a sob of his own as he twisted in their grip, still fighting, even as they forced him toward the front door. " let go! I will just take her with me. we will go somewhere anywhere.. we will just disappear."

He looked like a boy again. Bruised. Helpless. Shaking. "Don't let them take me.., Sunflower, please. I cant leave you here, baby."

My hands reached for him, trembling. Desperate. Before my hand could reach him, my mom shoved in between and crashed me to her chest like a caring mother. " oh my poor, baby, he is such a dangerous guy. you are just attracted to him. "

" no, let go. let go." I restrained against her hold.

"Let me fucking go!" Jungkook roared, and jerked free from their grasp like a storm breaking loose. The officers staggered back, too stunned to react in time as he pushed himself forward, straight to me.

He tore me out of my mother's clutch like I was something sacred, something stolen. And then his hands, shaking, blood drenched hand, cradled my face with such fragile care it nearly broke me.

"Baby, it's okay," he whispered, his voice trembled. "Don't cry... please don't cry. Look at me."

His forehead pressed gently against mine, and for a second, the pandemonium faded. It was just us. Just the sound of our breaths mingling and blending. The whole room fell silent, every officer, every cruel face was frozen, watching, unsure whether to interrupt what looked like something holy.

His voice trembled again, so low only I could hear it. I sobbed, barely able to breathe, my fingers clutched his hoodie like it was the only thing holding me up.

"They are taking you away," I cried. "I can't Jungkook, I can't let them take you!"

"I know," he choked out. "I know, baby. I promised I would take you with me, didn't I? I meant it. We will find a place. Anywhere. I don't care where. Just you and me, okay? I will keep you safe, I swear."

"Just... tell me one thing, sunflower,"he breathed, his thumbs brushed away my tears.

"Do you lov.."

" the fuck!" My dad flung his leg at his back he stumbled away from me and the officers took charge again. They clutched him and shoved him down to his knees. His fists were clenched as if he was holding back something . His father then hit the magazine of the gun to his forehead. "NO!" I screeched and before I could move towards him my mother clasped my arm suddenly. " dont even think about it. Watch him die in front of your eyes. Its your fault ,Y/N. You made this happen. You thought you could just run away with him while I was tagging prices on your body. " She whispered to my ears only for me to hear.

His dad kept hitting the magazine of the gun to his forehead while, the officers flung their legs to his abdomen. Each and every time he yelped in pain. It tore me apart. " please stop!" I beseeched.

While I sobbed, my whole body was trembling from the weight of everything, Jungkook just kept smiling.

His face was bruised, blood ran from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes... his eyes shone like he was finally at peace."You love me," he whispered, breathless and wild, like the words were the only thing keeping him conscious. "You love me..."

He kept repeating it, over and over, like a broken prayer.

"You can't watch me get hurt... because you love me, baby. I knew it,I knew it. You do." The more I cried, the more his smile grew. Not from joy, but from knowing. From finally feeling like he wasn't alone. Like someone saw him and chose him.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, my lips shuddered. "You are hurting..."

But he only laughed softly. "I don't care. You cried for me, he said. "That means more than anything else in this whole damn world." And in that moment, despite everything, the blood, the handcuffs, the officers, he looked weightless. Like love made all the pain bearable.

I couldn't take it anymore.

They were dragging him toward the door again, his feet stumbled, hands were, blood soaking and something inside me snapped as they repeatedly hit him.

"Jungkook!"I cried out.

I shoved past the officers, past my mother's cold grip, and sprinted across the floor. My knees hit the floor with a painful crack, but I didn't care. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him like he was the only thing tethering me to this earth.

His body stiffened, then melted into mine.

I buried my face into his chest, and sobbed uncontrollably. "Please, don't hurt him! I will do whatever you want, Mom, just don't hurt him. Please.:

One of the officers reached for me. "Miss, you need to step back.."

" Y/N , Honey step back" My mom's annoying maple coated voice came in.

"No!"I screamed, and my Jungkook even tighter. "I will do anything! You want me to pretend? To lie? Fine, I will be the perfect daughter. I will do everything you say. Just let him go. Don't hurt him, please!"

Jungkook leaned down , rested his forehead against mine again. His lips trembled, but he didn't speak. He didn't have to. His eyes were soaked with tears, and in them, I saw everything he couldn't say.

" Sunflower.." He whispered. " baby, I will come back again. No matter how many times they pull us away, I will come back for you." He planted his trembling lips to my forehead.

His dad stepped forward,. "You're too young to understand what he has done," he said coldly.

"I don't care!" I sobbed. "You are hurting him like he is nothing but he is everything to me!"

They tore him from my arms. Again.

And everything inside me shattered.

I collapsed against the stairs, the sobs erupting from somewhere too deep to name. I clawed at the wood, screamed into my hands, begged the walls to rewind time.

But before the silence could settle, his father stepped forward again, but calm, the kind of calm that made my stomach twist.

"You want to know what he did?" he asked me, his voice sliced through the sobs still stuck in my throat. "You want to know why they are dragging him out like that?"

I looked up, broken and breathless. "What are you talking about?"

He stared me down. "He assassinated someone tonight. That blood on his hands?" He motioned toward the floor, where faint red smears still lingered. "It's not his."

My breath caught.

I shook my head. "No. He wouldn't.."

"He did," his father said simply. "And he came here to hide."

"No,"I whispered. "He came here... to take me with him."

His dad let out a mocking scoff. :You think that changes the truth? He's a killer, Y/N. A wanted one. And if you don't let him go now, you' will go down with him. and do you know whom he assassinated ?"

I stared at the floor, heart pounded so loud it hurt. My voice barely made it out. "Who did he kill?"

" The leader of the global criminal syndicate ." He grinded his teeth. And I didn't understand a single word he said. " and he stole the arms and weapon, multiple mafias and drug dealers are after him and if they even see you with him , they will end you.."

I stood there for a moment. Everything around me felt frozen,time, air, thought.

" He assassinated the Silver family, Brion City's royal bloodline. Eight of them, all gone. And you still want to go with him? "

"You are lying." I whispered.

"Go ahead . ask him by yourself. ask him if he did it or not?" His dad nudged his finger over my shoulder.

I looked at Jungkook. Our eyes met.

"Did you?" I asked, my voice came out as a whisper. My breath shook in my throat.

"Did you actually kill someone? Did you kill eight people, eight human beings? Is their blood on your hands?"

I looked at him like I didn't recognize him anymore. Like I couldn't believe the person I trusted could have done something so... irreversible.

His expression didn't change. He didn't flinch. He just looked at me.like I already knew.

Then, he nodded.

But what came next shattered me more.

He smiled.

Not proudly. Not cruelly.

Softly.

Gently.

Like someone who had nothing left to hide.

"I had to finish something," His eyes locked on mine. "But I came back to finish this too. To come for you."

And even with the blood, the cuffs, the bruises. I believed him.

I stood there paralyzed, my fingers clutched the side of my dress ,like it was the only thing keeping me upright.

He nodded. He smiled.

And that was all it took.

The breath in my lungs gave out first. Then my legs. My whole body felt like it collapsed inward.

I sank to the floor, my back pressed against the wall, and buried my face in my hands.

"No..." I whispered. "No, no, no."

The weight of it crashed down on me all at once. He killed someone. My Jungkook. The one who brought me sunflowers. And he had blood on his hands.

I tried to breathe but my chest only shuddered in sobs. Ugly, aching and choking sobs. He had come back for me. After five years. Just like he said he would. But not just for love.

For escape?

For hiding?

"Why?" I cried into my hands. "Why did it have to be this version of you who came back for me?" My tears were hot and relentless. Everything hurt. My heart was cracking into pieces I couldn't even hold onto.

His eyes were still on mine . " sunflower..'

" Dont." I snapped and covered my ears.

I loved him.

And I didn't know what to do with that.

"I would've gone anywhere with you, "I whispered brokenly into the silence. "Even if you had nothing... but why did you have to come back with this? Why with blood?"

No one answered. And then, they dragged him away from me. The door slammed shut behind them.

The other Jungkook slowly walked to me, while I was staring at the ceiling, with broken heart. " sunflower, I told you. " He gently tapped my shoulder and rubbed his palm at my back. I didn't quake. I was too broken to respond him or push him away.

" oh, honey, You should go. Your mom might be terrified about everything happened here. I will take care of her." My mom interrupted. He gave her a firm nod and left like a puppet pulled by a string.

I slowly collected myself and mounted up the stairs and reached my room. I broke and sobbed again into my hands.

" well well looks like the little love story has been shattered and hit a dead end." My mom mocked as she entered my room. And her eyes fell at the bag I packed. She let out a mocking gasp " Oh look someone was trying to elope with their lover oh so pity it went futile. How pitiful.."

My heart pounded in my chest.

"You still don't get it, Y/N" she said coolly. "You don't make decisions. I do. I decide where you go, who you love, and what your future looks like."

I clenched my fists at my sides.

She walked over "It wasn't hard to get the officers here. One little phone call, and your hero was out of the picture. And now?" She leaned in" He is in custody. Caged like the stray he is."

My breath shortened. "No..."

"And if you don't cooperate?" She tilted her head, smiled darkly. "His father has the power to make sure you never see him again. Not even for a goodbye."

I stared at her, the weight of her words sunk deep into my bones and fleshes.

"What do you want from me?" I whispered. "I will do it. Just... please don't hurt him."

Her eyes lit up in satisfaction. "That's my obedient girl." She straightened her posture like a queen issuing orders.

"You are going to make the other Jungkook fall in love with you. Or pretend to. I don't care. You will smile. Flirt. You will convince him that he is everything you have ever wanted. And when he starts to cling, when he starts to spiral, we strike."

"No," I whimpered, shaking my head. "You can't ask me to do this. I cannot when my heart belongs to someone."

"If you don't," she snapped, " Your Jungkook in custody will be dead. His father will wipe him off the map and call it justice."

I felt my knees weaken and teetered.

She walked around me. "Paxson will arrive soon. He will play his part. The plan is already in motion. We will create a scene, something ugly, something terrifying. And when it happens, we' will pin it all on the other Jungkook."

I looked at her in horror.

" Oh you don't get it do you?" She let out a cruel laugh. " On your birthday, Paxson will be here. Not to visit me . but you.."

" why?" I gulped down.

" To have fun with you. He will come here to have you by his way. Or may be if his friend Clark offers a good price for you if we toss you to Roy , Paxson would just have some little fun with you. "She snickered.

"no.." I took a step back.

" Well, do you know why my Paxson would come here to ruin you? . " She gritted her teeth. "To kill my husband, Mr. and Mrs. Jeon and then after my Paxson is done with your filthy body, I will set the other Jungkook into the scene like he is trying to rescue you and then , He will be framed into the scene. Like he was the one trying to assault you . Oh, Paxson will take care of it just fine. He knows exactly how to copy my husband's every move. "

I shook my head. My breath wobbled.

"and then on the same night , Paxson will come back here, he will slowly and leisurely will kill your father, Mr. Jeon and Mrs. Jeon and we will make it look like your fake boyfriend the other Jungkook did this cruel massacre and I will scream to the town ' oh my.... this boy killed his parents and my husband because he was too obsessed with my daughter and they were against him.' " She laughed out " And he will be put into juvenile prison. He cant even step out or before he even tries to step out you will be in multiple beds, spreading legs for multiple men while me and my Paxson will be counting cashes outside."

"But no one will believe..." I whimpered. " you cant...."

"Oh, they will believe," she cut in sharply. "Because I will say I saw it. I will say he snapped because he was obsessed with you. And you?" She smirked. "You will cry. You will beg for help. You will make them believe it too."

Tears pricked my eyes. "You're going to destroy him."

Her smile twisted into something far more sinister. "No, Y/N. You are."

" no, no , no.. please don't do this mom, please." I choked on my sobs.

"Three days," she said coldly. "That's all you have to make the other Jungkook believe you are in love with him. And on your birthday..." she leaned in slightly, "you will do exactly what I say. Every word, every move."

Her eyes narrowed and her lips curled into a venomous smirk.

"And if you breathe a single word of this, if you so much as hint at it and your Jungkook, the one rotting in custody, will be nothing but ashes."

She stepped back with a mocking smile.

"Advance happy birthday, sweetheart."

_________