As I was telling Taehyung the story of the day Jungkook left me, and the painful months that followed, I hadn't noticed the heaviness growing in my chest. I wanted to sob, to scream, to do anything to release the pressure, but I knew I couldn't. So, instead, I just let one small, hot, tear after the other fall from my face, leaving wet droplets on the wooden dock beneath us. The warm glow of the lantern was calming and friendly, almost too friendly. I don't know what came over me in that moment. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation, the warm glow of the lantern on his figure, or, most likely, the lack of human connection I'd felt these last long months. In the end, I just closed the space between Taehyung and I and crawled into his arms. He had scooted closer to me to accommodate me, and opened his arms. I curled up in a ball, molding my body into his side, my head resting on his chest, his arms wrapped around me. How long had I been the one holding the suffering one? How long had I cried alone, not wanting to burden anyone with the feelings I kept locked inside? A year? More? Whatever the number was, it was as though I shed a tear for each of those days I had to be strong for Jungkook. The days I chose to ignore my own feelings, and revolve solely around his. Granted, I wouldn't take any of that back, not a single thing. I would never, EVER, regret being there for my bestfriend, but this was just SO nice. Taehyung's strong arms wrapped around me, his warm breath tickling the hair on the top of my head, and his whispers of "you've been so strong" and "I'm here." 

Once I had developed complete confidence in the fact I could speak coherent sentences again, I slowly leaned off of Taehyung, wiping my nose on the sleeve of my sweater. However, as I sat in the same childlike manner he was, he refused to move his hand from my leg. "Taehyung, really it's okay. I'm okay now." I said, trying to convince him that I didn't need comforting anymore. He just shook his head stubbornly and looked at me with wide eyes. 'God he has ing pretty eyes.' I thought to myself, just as he had begun to speak. "No, Azalea," He began, his hand gripping my leg tighter, as though he was afraid I was going to slip through the cracks of the dock and vanish. "You've suffered alone long enough, and I'm not going to let that happen anymore. I..." He stuttered, but continued. "I don't know why, but I feel this NEED to protect you. I've never felt a feeling this strong about anyone I've known for this short amount of time, and, I just need to be there for you." His tone was serious, and he stared into my eyes, like there was something in them I couldn't understand. 

Having developed social anxiety due to yours truly *cough* JEON JUNGKOOK *cough*, I didn't exactly know how to reply, so, instead, I moved his hand from my leg and took it in my own, sqeezing it lightly. "Thank you." I replied simply, smiling gently at him. He grinned like a kid at Christmas, that adorable, rectangular grin, and lunged at me, knocking me backwards a bit. I laughed hysterically, trying to push him off of me, but his arms only wrapped around me tighter, like a boa constrictor. "GET OFF OF ME YOU GOOB~" I yelled, and hit his arm a few times. "NEVERRRRRR~" He replied, and his grasp around my waist only grew tighter. Seeing escape as futile, I hugged him back. "Please don't leave me, like...like..." I couldn't get the word "Jungkook" out. But, of course, Taehyung knew what I was saying. "Azalea." He sat up, and looked in my eyes seriously. "I will come back to this dock every damn day. The same time as usual. And we will exchange numbers, and I will go to your school and pick you up, and-" I cut him off by sticking a lollipop in his mouth, giggling like a toddler. "You'd better do all of that." I whispered, watching him his lollipop in contentment. And then, after exchanging numbers and addresses and such, we fell asleep in one another's arms. 

I never knew a bad therapy session could turn out so...well.