"WHERE were you, Taehyung?" Seungwon spat, the underside of his hands white from the tight grip he had on his cup.

 "Why did you get home so late?"

 Taehyung allowed his hair to fall in front of his face, creating a curtain to separate himself from his fuming boyfriend.

 "I-I covered Youngjae's shift at the restaurant," he began, but Seungwon cut him off.

 "Don't you even fücking dare lie to me," he shouted, the vein at his temple throbbing, "you were with him, weren't you?"

 Taehyung didn't even need to hear a name to know who Seungwon was talking about.

 "I wasn't with him, I promise," Taehyung fumbled over his words. He wasn't lying but he knew that Seungwon would assume he was.

 "You're disgusting," Seungwon slammed his mug of coffee into the table, the boiling hot liquid spilling into wood.

 "What lies has he been feeding you to make you so brave? You spend a day with him and suddenly you have the audacity to lie to my face?" Seungwon clenched his fist, fingernails digging into his fleshy palms.

 "Jungkook is my best friend, Seungwon. Nothing else."

 Seungwon got to his feet, body shaking in anger.

 "Don't ever fücking say his name again, Kim Taehyung," spinning on his heels, he stormed out of the room and slammed the door.

 Taehyung felt his knees buckle, his body crashing down towards the floor in a mess of limbs. Sobs spilled from his mouth, tears streaming down his cheeks and wetting the upturned collar of his uniform.

 He loved Seungwon and would do anything for him, but it was times like this that Taehyung debated over whether his feelings were reciprocal or unrequited.

 He knew Seungwon would give him an ultimatum soon-- him or Jungkook.

 The problem was, Jungkook was worth too much to lose and though Seungwon was his whole world, Taehyung was little more than a speck of dust to him.

 During the honeymoon stage of their relationship, Seungwon had been the epitome of perfect. The couple would stay up late and stargaze, hands interlinked, souls intertwined.

 Now, Taehyung dreaded coming home.

 With every passing day he felt himself retreating further and further back into his shell. The same shell that Jungkook had helped him escape from.

 But still, he kept coming back to the same man who made his life a living hell.

 Taehyung couldn't rationalise why he felt that he had an obligation to be the perfect significant other to Seungwon, who barely knew how to look after himself.

 It was a sick cycle.

 Seungwon would hurt him with words and Taehyung would sit in silence, allowing the verbal attack to happen without defending himself.

 Because that was love, wasn't it?

 Love was being able to stay with someone regardless of the deficiencies in their personality. Love was overlooking someone's flaws and being affectionate towards them, disregarding the negative aspects of their behaviours and appreciating them for who they are.

 Body heavy, heart heavier, Taehyung allowed himself to fall apart on the floor of his apartment.

 All for the sake of love.